Attachment_1_-_ITO_Pipeline.pdf

Attachment 1 Request for Quote FA8307-19-R-0134

Instructions to Offerors/Basis of Award DevSecOps Pipeline and Platform Integration and Licensing Services

13 September 2019

1. Instructions to Offerors:

A. This is a competitive acquisition conducted in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13. The intent of this acquisition is to make multiple awards of Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs). It is not a source selection that is subject to FAR 15.3 procedures.

B. Any quote submitted in response to this Request for Quote (RFQ) must be in compliance with the terms and conditions outlined in the RFQ and attachments, and the Statement of Objective (SOO), dated 13 September 2019. All claimed capabilities to meet the requirements shall be realistic and are subject to verification by the Government. Non-conformance with these instructions may result in rejection of the quote or an unfavorable quote evaluation, or being deemed ineligible for award.

C. Contractors must clearly identify any exception to RFQ terms and conditions and shall provide complete supporting rationale. The Government reserves the right to determine any such exceptions are unacceptable. Any exception determined unacceptable by the Government may result in the Offeror’s quote being determined unacceptable and ineligible for award. This information shall be provided in the format and content of the table below within the Offerors quote cover letter. If no exceptions are taken, include a statement stating so within the quote cover letter.

BPA RFQ Exceptions

RFQ

Document

Page/ Paragraph

Requirement/ Portion Rationale

SOO,

ITO,

Evaluation Factor, etc.

Applicable Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the requirement or portion to which exception is taken

Describe why the requirement can/will not be met

D. The quote shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The quote should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements but, rather, shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror's quote.

E. Discrepancies. If an Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the CO in writing with supporting rationale as well as the remedies the Offeror is asking the CO to consider as related to the omission or error.

F. Consent to Disclosure and Company-to-Company Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

A. The Government has determined that neither personnel from the requesting agency, nor from another agency, with adequate training and capabilities to perform the required quote evaluation are readily available. Therefore, the Government intends to make use of the following companies to perform advisory and assistance services (A&AS) for this RFQ:

• Abacus Technology Corporation

• MITRE Corporation

• P3I, Inc.

B. Pursuant to FAR 9.505-4(b), Obtaining Access to Propriety Information, a contractor that gains access to proprietary information of other companies in performing A&AS for the Government must agree with the other companies to protect their information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. The CO shall obtain copies of these agreements and ensure that they are properly executed. While FAR 9.505-4(b) affords Offerors the ability to obtain an NDA from any company that will provide A&AS to the Government for this RFQ, Offerors may choose not to do so. If an Offeror chooses the latter, the Offeror must provide clear indication of that choice in writing to the CO prior to or at the time of submission of its quote. If an Offeror chooses to obtain an NDA, to facilitate that process the Government is providing Abacus Technology Corporation, MITRE, and P3I, Inc. points of contact, with address, to whom Offerors should submit both their and any subcontractor NDAs for signature:

C. Offerors' NDAs should be:

(1) In the format and with the content preferred by the Offeror so long as it meets the intent of FAR 9.505-4(b),

(2) Signed by the Offeror,

(3) Written such that it can be signed by an appropriate employee of the A&AS provider; and,

(4) Within seven work days after the date of this RFQ mailed or emailed to:

Ms. Christina Fernandez

AFLCMC/HNCK

320 Hall Blvd, STE 100 Bldg 2061 San Antonio, TX 78243-7058 christina.fernandez@us.af.mil mailto:christina.fernandez@us.af.mil

D. If an Offeror objects to disclosure of any part of its quote to the A&AS provider identified above, then within three working days of the date of issuance of this RFQ, its objection to disclosure of a portion of its quote (a) shall be provided in writing to the CO within 3 days of RFQ issuance, and, (b) shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection. The detailed statement shall identify the specific portions of the quote to which the Offeror objects to disclosure to the A&AS advisor. Note that the failure to permit disclosure of any part of an Offeror's quote to the A&AS advisor could result in those withheld portions of the Offeror's quote not being evaluated, which could impact the Offeror's ability to receive this award.

G. Period of Performance: The ordering period for this BPA shall be five years from date of issuance. The performance period for all Calls placed under this BPA shall not exceed five (5) years from the completion of the ordering period.

H. Offerors shall submit one (1) electronic copy of their quote via email on or before the RFQ closing date of 16 October 2019, 12:00 PM CST. Quotes received after the time and date listed will not be considered or evaluated for award. The Government will not be responsible for any failure of receipt of the quote or any failure of the Offeror to verify receipt of the quote.

I. Offerors submitting a quote in response to this RFQ shall submit an administrative volume, technical volume, management review volume, and price volume. Quotes shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation. Quotes should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements; but rather, shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror has the required capabilities to meet requirements.

Quotes shall be single-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 paper, have a minimum of one-inch margin all around and not less than Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Fold-outs may be used for tables, figures, and charts only, on 11 x 17 paper and not less than Times New Roman 10 pt. font. Offerors shall number each page. All quote information shall be submitted in either MS Word, MS Excel, or PDF searchable format.

Page limits do not include covers for volumes, tables of contents, glossaries of abbreviations and acronyms, indices, title pages, cross reference indexes, section dividers/tables if they are inserted solely to provide ease to the reader in locating parts/sections of the quote, and pages marked “This page intentionally left blank”.

The following table identifies the page limits to which Offerors must adhere. Pages in excess of these page limits will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the quote. Note: Offerors must ensure that pricing information is only included with Volume IV - Price. Do NOT include any Pricing information in Volume I – Administrative, or Volume II – Technical Capability, or Volume III – Management Review. All price lists shall be provided in whole-dollar amounts. Submit your quote in accordance with the table below. All submissions shall reference the complete RFQ number.

Volume Title Page Limit

I ADMINISTRATIVE 2

II FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL

CAPABILITY 5

III FACTOR 2: MANAGEMENT

REVIEW 1

IV FACTOR 3: PRICE N/A

(1) Volume I: ADMINISTRATIVE

Offerors shall provide a cover letter with their quote to include current points of contact (Contract Manager and Program Manager) that is authorized to obligate your firm, mailing address, current e-mail address and phone number, a statement that the company understands the requirements specified and will meet the performance standards and requirements therein, a statement that the company does or does not take exception to any of the requirements of this order, and acknowledges use of non-Government advisors. Offerors shall also confirm quote validity for 120 days. Limited to no more than two (2) pages.

(2) Volume II: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY (FACTOR 1)

Offerors shall include technical narratives for FACTOR 1. The technical narrative should be specific, complete, clear, legible, and coherent. Provide as specifically as possible your firms capabilities to meet the general scope of the BPA, demonstrate an ability to hire and maintain qualified personnel, and be co-located in various geographic locations. All the requirements specified in the RFQ are mandatory. By your quote submission, you are representing that your firm will perform all the requirements specified in the RFQ. It is not necessary or desirable for you to tell us so in your quote. Do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the RFQ. This section is limited to five (5) pages.

(3) Volume III: MANAGEMENT REVIEW (FACTOR 2)

Offerors shall provide a management overview that demonstrates partnerships with certified/authorized resellers and/or partner networks as it relates to this effort.

(3) Volume IV: PRICE (FACTOR 3)

The Offeror shall submit proposed pricing for all items identified in the RFQ in the form of a pricing worksheet, see Attachment B, Price Listing Worksheet. The Pricing Worksheet shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel format with all formulas intact. (Do NOT alter the formulas included in the attachment). Cost and Pricing Data is not required under competitive and commercial acquisitions; but if only one quote is received - Other than Certified Cost or Pricing data may be required. Note: While Offerors are not required to be authorized Government resellers, they will need to acquire any items/services from authorized Government resellers.

2. Basis of Award:

A. Awards will be made in accordance with the procedures specified in the RFQ and on the basis of the quotes that result in the best value to the Government. A BPA may be awarded to the contractor who is deemed responsible IAW FAR 9.1, as supplemented, whose quote conforms to the RFQ’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by the RFQ instructions) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors, to represent the best value to the Government.

B. The Government evaluation process is as follows:

Step 1: The Government will review all quotes to determine if they are responsive to the RFQ requirements. A responsive quote is one that meets all the terms, conditions, and specifications of the RFQ. Offerors must provide all documents listed and comply with all submission instructions in order for their quote to be considered “responsive” to this RFQ.

Step 2: Evaluate all quotes received for technical capability, acceptable management review, and price completeness and reasonableness.

Step 3:

- Offerors who receive a Highly Capable Technical rating, a higher than Acceptable Management Review rating, and their prices are determined fair and reasonable will receive a BPA and will be invited to the BPA Event Day tentatively scheduled for 13 November 2019.

- Offerors who receive a Capable Technical rating, a higher than Acceptable Management Review rating, and their prices are determined fair and reasonable may receive a BPA and may be invited to the BPA Event Day.

- Offerors who receive a Not Capable Technical rating and lower rating than Good for the Management Review are not eligible for a BPA. Therefore, pricing information will not be reviewed and the Offeror will not be invited to the BPA Event Day.

Note that the BPA Event Day is intended as an Industry Day and attendance is not mandatory.

Details regarding the event will be provided to Event attendees on or about 1 November 2019.

C. The Government intends to make BPA awards based on the initial quote submissions without revisions. Therefore, each offer should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a price, technical capabilities, and management review standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to hold discussions if, during the evaluation, it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government. Discussions are fluid exchanges between the CO and the Offerors that may address any aspect of the quote and may or may not be documented in real time. If the Government conducts discussions, it will be through use of evaluation notices (EN). Offeror responses to ENs will be considered in making the award selection decision. Discussions may be conducted with one, some or all Offerors as the Government is not required to conduct discussions with any or all contractors responding to this RFQ.

3. Evaluation Factors

A. Responses to this RFQ will be evaluated against the following factors:

Factor 1: Technical Capability Factor 2: Management Review Factor 3: Price

FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

This factor will be used to determine whether the quote is TECHNICALLY CAPABLE. Please note that any assumptions provided with your quote will be reviewed and may affect your technical capability acceptability.

This factor is met when the Offeror proposes a technical narrative that is technically sound, realistic, and clearly and completely demonstrates the Offerors’ ability to meet the general scope of the BPA, ability to hire and maintain talent, and be co-located in various geographical locations.

A sound technical narrative means the overall narrative is well constructed, logically valid, and meets the requirements of the RFQ. A realistic narrative is one that is achievable based on known facts within the commercial marketplace and customary practices. The Government will evaluate this factor based on the following:

– Highly Capable indicates that the company thoroughly discusses how they will meet the general scope of the agreement in great technical detail, be able to co-locate in various geographical locations, and provides a robust mechanism for hiring and retaining highly capable personnel to perform services.

– Capable indicates that the company discusses some of how they will meet the general scope of the agreement but does not provide specific technical information, demonstrates the ability to co-locate in various geographical locations, and provides some mechanism to hire and retain capable personnel to perform services.

– Not Capable indicates that the company does not discuss if/how they will meet the general scope of the agreement; an ability to hire and maintain talent, does not demonstrate the ability to co-locate in various geographical locations, and/or does not want to, or is unable to, perform services.

Note: Quotes with a NOT CAPABLE rating in Factor 1 will not be eligible for a BPA.

FACTOR 2: MANAGEMENT REVIEW

This factor is met when the Offeror provides a detailed management overview that sufficiently demonstrates partnerships with certified/authorized resellers and/or partner networks as it relates to this effort. The Government will evaluate this factor based on the following:

RATINGS DEFINITIONS

Excellent Portfolio indicates numerous and strong partnerships with certified/authorized reseller and/or partner networks. Positive aspects of the portfolio outweigh any negative aspects.

Good Portfolio indicates several and strong partnerships with certified/authorized reseller and/or partner networks. Positive aspects of the portfolio outweigh any negative aspects.

Acceptable Portfolio indicates some partnerships with certified/authorized reseller and/or partner networks. Positive aspects of the portfolio outweigh any negative aspects.

Unacceptable Portfolio indicates limited partnerships with certified/authorized reseller and/or partner networks. Portfolio does not meet requirements.

FACTOR 3: PRICE

Price Analysis will be conducted. The proposed labor rates will be evaluated for price reasonableness and completeness. A price is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person in the conduct of competitive business.

The Government may use various price analysis techniques and procedures to ensure a fair and reasonable price. Some of those techniques are, but not limited to, comparison of proposed prices received in response to the RFQ and/or comparison of proposed prices with the Independent Government Estimate. Price must be determined fair and reasonable. In addition, the quote will be reviewed to determine the extent to which all the price elements have been addressed. The Offeror’s proposed rates and other information will be evaluated to ensure continuity and traceability of prices to the technical volume and between the initial quote and any revisions thereto. The review will determine the adequacy of the Offeror’s quote in addressing and fulfilling the RFQ requirements.

Given that FAR 52.217-8 provides that the Government may exercise the Option to Extend Services at the rates specified in the contract (i.e., the rates in effect when the Extension of Services option is exercised), for purposes of evaluating the Option to Extend Services, the Contracting Officer will consider the prices submitted the last fiscal year (FY) as the pricing for any Call placed in the final FY since those are the binding prices should the Option to Extend be exercised.

4. Although past performance may not be used as an evaluation factor, the information obtained from other sources available to the Government such as the Past Performance Information

Retrieval System (PPIRS) will be used as part of the responsibility determination made IAW FAR 9.104-1.

5. Ombudsman. In accordance with AFFARS 5352.201-9101, Ombudsman (JUN 2016), an Ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from Offerors, potential Offerors, and others for this acquisition If resolution cannot be made by the CO, concerned parties may contact the following: Deputy Director, Acquisition Excellence & Program Execution Directorate at AFLCMC/AQ-AZ Workflow (email: ASCA@us.af.mil) or at 937-255- 5512/DSN 785-5512, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.