FA8517-21-R-0001 Section L Provision_Final.pdf

SECTION L PROVISION

PAST PERFORMANCE AND PRICE TRADEOFF

FA8517-21-R-0001-8(a)

L-900. Proposal Requirements

I. Proposal Format

A. General: The following instructions cover the preparation and submittal of the offeror’s proposal for this solicitation. Offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are cautioned that any noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the Request for Proposal (RFP) may cause their proposal to be determined not eligible for award. If a joint venture arrangement exists for this acquisition, the offeror shall provide a copy of the joint venture agreement that is signed and dated by all joint venture members as part of the proposal submission.

Offerors shall submit only one proposal for the Third Party Equipment Purchasing (3PEP) program as the Government will review only one proposal per offeror. Proposals received are subject to the requirements specified in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-1, unless otherwise tailored in the Addendum to the solicitation.

Proposals must be received by AFSC/PZAAC, ATTN: Sebrina Ingram-Hayes, through DoD SAFE (secure file exchange) no later than the date and time specified in Block 8 on the face page of the RFP. In order for a vendor to submit their proposal through DoD SAFE, the vendor must contact Sebrina Ingram-Hayes at sebrina.ingram-hayes.1@af.us.mil to request a DoD SAFE drop-off request. The request for DoD SAFE drop-off must include an email address of the individual within the vendor organization who will upload the vendor’s proposal. The request for DoD SAFE must be submitted to Sebrina Ingram-Hayes No Later Than 5:00 pm on the date that is 14 calendar days prior to date and time specified in Block 8 on the face page of the RFP. Once a drop-off request is created, the vendor will receive an email from DoD SAFE with the drop-off request hyperlink and passcode to access DoD SAFE to upload the proposal. NOTE: The DoD SAFE link and passcode the vendor receives is valid for 14 days from the date of link generation, and the maximum file size to upload cannot exceed 8GB. Additionally, offerors are requested to submit Volume II, Past Performance Information, so that it is received No Later Than 5:00 pm on the date that is ten (10) calendar days prior to date and time specified in Block 8 on the face page of the RFP.

Failure to submit Volume II by the earlier date will not result in offeror disqualification.

B. Communications: Exchanges of source selection information between Government and offerors will be controlled by the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO). All proposals will be sent via DoD SAFE, and email may be used to transmit any other exchanges, only if the email can be sent encrypted, and must include “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104” in the subject line of the email. Otherwise, source selection information will be transmitted via direct mailing (see Block 9 on the face page of the RFP) and/or DoD SAFE. In order to facilitate the sending and receiving of encrypted emails, offerors must use MS Outlook email configured to support encryption or a different email product that is Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) compatible and configured to support encryption. If you intend to submit your source selection information via encrypted email, you will need to contact the Buyer/PCO indicated on the face page of the solicitation prior to that first submittal in order to exchange certificates used for encryption. To ensure the process is working correctly, send a test encrypted message first (without including any source selection information). When submitting source selection information via email, file suppression utilities, to include but not limited to zip files, will not be accepted.

II. Volume Organization

A. General: Proposals shall be submitted to the Government in three separate volumes as set forth below:

PAGE NUMBER

VOLUME LIMITS OF COPIES DESCRIPTION

I N/A 1 Electronic Completed RFP II N/A 1 Electronic Past Performance III N/A 1 Electronic* Price Proposal*

*Price proposal information shall be submitted by DoD SAFE. Offerors shall use the instructions set forth in the RFP Attachment 1, Past Performance Information (PPI) for Offerors, to electronically submit the Past Performance information into the PPI Tool. The link to the PPI Tool is attached, as a link, to the solicitation posting.

mailto:sebrina.ingram-hayes.1@af.us.mil mailto:sebrina.ingram-hayes.1@af.us.mil

Proposal volumes shall comply with the following format:

1. The proposal package must be separated by volume within DoD SAFE. Each volume shall be marked with the RFP number and the offeror’s name and address, and the number of the Volume, i.e. I, II, or III. Proposals shall be in the English language and all monies shall be proposed in United States dollars.

2. Print shall be no smaller than a font size of 12. Charts, graphs, drawings, diagrams, supporting illustrations, or spreadsheets shall not be greater than 11” x 17.” Each volume within the proposal shall be separately tabbed and identified. Margins shall be no smaller than 1 inch and each page within a volume shall be numbered consecutively.

Elaborate formats, color presentations are not desired or required.

3. Page limitations may be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs), if issued. The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the emails forwarding the ENs to offerors or on the EN form itself.

4. Each page should contain the following legend at the bottom of each sheet:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION--SEE FAR 2.101 and 3.104

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

B. Volume I, Completed RFP

1. General: Volume I, Completed RFP shall consist of the completed and signed RFP, to include any amendments issued, with a cover letter delineating any exceptions taken to the RFP terms and conditions with accompanying rationale. However, offerors are cautioned that any noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP may cause their proposal to be determined not eligible for award. Offerors shall ensure that all clauses and provisions that require “fill-in” information are appropriately completed, including the proposed prices associated with the contract line items in the Price Proposal Matrix spreadsheet of the RFP.

C. Volume II - Past Performance

1. General: The offeror shall utilize the PPI Tool in order to submit Volume II, Past Performance. The offeror shall submit Present and Past Performance Information for itself and any joint venture member in accordance with the format contained in the PPI Tool, RFP Attachment (1), Relevancy Assessment, and the following paragraphs. The evaluation of the offeror’s/joint venture member’s present/past performance WILL NOT include the present/past performance of any subcontractor(s), even though they may perform major or critical aspects of this requirement, or be considered critical to the delivery of timely 3PEP orders.

2. Past Performance Format: The requested present and past performance information shall be provided in a separate volume (i.e., electronic copies) labeled "Volume II - Past Performance". A summary page shall be provided for this acquisition, describing the proposed role of the offeror and any joint venture member (nature of work and percentage of overall work). Each offeror/joint venture member shall utilize the PPI Tool to complete information for four (4) active or completed efforts in the past five (5) years from the issuance date of the RFP that the offeror/joint venture member considers relevant in demonstrating its ability to perform the proposed effort. If the total number of such contracts exceeds four (4), each offeror/joint venture member shall address its four (4) most recent and relevant contracts. Please note that the offeror/joint venture member shall be the party to submit all performance information in the PPI Tool. The offeror's/joint venture member’s present and past performance information may include data on efforts performed by other predecessor companies, affiliates, other divisions or corporate management if such was provided for evaluation and if the offeror’s past performance volume demonstrates the company, affiliate, or division will provide the offeror with resources for the instant proposed effort, such as workforce, management, facilities, or other capabilities demonstrating direct and meaningful involvement in the performance of the instant proposed effort. The information in the PPI Tool shall clearly indicate the division or corporate organization that performed or is presently performing the contract. Contracts listed may include those with the Federal Government, state and local governments or their agencies, and commercial customers.

3. Ordering Type Contracts Submission: If the contract you are submitting is an ordering type contractual vehicle (for example, including but not limited to an Indefinite Delivery “D” type contract per FAR 16.5), only after issuance of a delivery/task order does performance occur. Given this, an individual order (or series of orders) under the basic ordering contract shall be submitted, in lieu of just the basic ordering contract itself. All information provided to the Government, for an ordering type contractual vehicle, shall be at the order level (i.e. a delivery/task order). If information is only submitted for basic ordering contract itself, this information will not be evaluated.

When determining what order (or series of orders) to submit for evaluation, please reference Section M, Paragraph II.C, for details on how the Government will evaluate each submitted effort for recency, relevancy, and quality. In order to achieve optimal programmatic/logistical scope and magnitude of effort and complexities, as described in Section M Paragraph II.C.3, the offeror should consider submitting a series of orders, if possible. However, a series of orders should only be submitted if the series of orders is for continuous scope demonstrating relevancy to the instant acquisition. Not all ordering type contractual vehicles will have series of orders that meet this criteria. In this instance, only the single order demonstrating relevant scope should be submitted for evaluation.

When submitting an individual order (or series of orders) under an ordering type contractual vehicle, it is important that the offeror’s past performance information be accurate, complete, and in the correct format. If the information is not submitted in the correct format, the Government will not be able to evaluate the effort for recency, relevancy, and quality. There are specific places for submission of this information in the PPI Tool and the RFP Attachment (2), Relevancy Assessment. Please ensure the information submitted, in the PPI Tool and the RFP Attachment (2), Relevancy Assessment, is for each order (or series of orders), in lieu of just the basic ordering contract itself. This includes but is not limited to information such as the dollar value, period of performance, and quantity produced/managed for each order or series of orders. See paragraph 3.1 for further information on how to submit series of orders.

3.1 Series of Orders: When submitting a series of orders for evaluation, the offeror should list the orders under the basic ordering type contractual vehicle that demonstrate relevancy, as defined in the Relevancy Definitions in Section M Paragraph II.C.4. Per Section M Paragraph II.C.4., relevancy consists of not only scope complexities, but programmatic/logistical considerations. The programmatic/logistical considerations include dollar value, length of effort, and quantity produced. If an offeror submits a series of orders for evaluation, the total dollar value of each order (in the series of orders), the period of performance dates of each order (in the series of orders), the total quantity produced/managed on each order (in the series of orders) shall be submitted. The total dollar value of each order (in the series of orders) shall be added up to calculate the Total Dollar Value to be used in the evaluation, for the submitted effort. The total period of performance of each order (in the series of orders) shall be added up to calculate the Total Period of Performance to be used in the evaluation, for the submitted effort. The total quantity produced/managed on each order (in the series of orders) shall be added up to calculate the Total Quantity Produced to be used in the evaluation, for the submitted effort.

Caution: All orders within the series of orders being submitted should be for the same continuous scope demonstrating relevancy to the instant acquisition. The Government reserves the right to request additional information from the offeror or Points of Contact (POC) provided to verify that the series of orders is for the same continuous scope.

4. Key Personnel: The evaluation of offeror’s/joint venture members will not consider key personnel.

5. Joint Venture Member/Teaming Member Consent Form: In addition to the information provided in the PPI Tool (RFP Attachment (1)), Relevancy Assessment (RFP Attachment (2)) for each entity as required above, the offeror must submit a consent letter executed by each of its proposed teaming member(s) authorizing release of adverse past performance information to the prime offeror to allow the prime offeror an opportunity to respond. A sample Joint Venture Member/Teaming Partner Consent Form is attached to this RFP (see RFP Attachment (5)).

The consent form shall be completed by the team member(s) identified in your proposal. The completed consent forms shall be submitted as part of your Past Performance Volume II.

6. Small Business Compliance in Past Performance Efforts: On the four (4) contracts submitted in Volume II, Past Performance, include relevant information in the PPI Tool concerning the offeror’s/joint venture member’s compliance with FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business (SB) Concerns. When subcontracting possibilities existed on the contracts submitted by the offeror/joint venture member, address whether or not the offeror/joint venture member awarded subcontracts to small business concerns, veteran-owned small business concerns, service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, and women-owned small business concerns to the fullest extent consistent with efficient contract performance. If none of the submitted contracts included this clause, whenever subcontracting possibilities existed in the performance of these contracts, address whether or not it was the offeror/joint venture member policy to use small business concerns, veteran-owned small business concerns, service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns, HUBZone small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, and women-owned small business concerns to the fullest extent consistent with efficient contract performance.

7. PPI Tool and Relevancy Assessment Attachment: The offeror/joint venture member must submit information for each past performance effort in the PPI Tool, per RFP Attachment (1), Instructions to Offerors. The offeror/joint venture member (if applicable) shall focus its responses in the PPI Tool and RFP Attachment (2), Relevancy Assessment so that they clearly correlate present and past performance with the requirements of this RFP. The information must clearly describe the relevance of the effort to the work proposed. Provide the most current information for the POCs identified in the PPI Tool. At least two of the following (in descending order of availability) should be identified as current POCs in the PPI Tool:

(a) Procuring PCO/Contract Negotiator or equivalent

(b) Program/Project Manager or equivalent

(c) Administrative PCO/Contract Administrator or equivalent

If problems were encountered during the performance of the identified contracts, identify the causes of problems and actions taken to resolve those causes in the information provided in the PPI Tool for each contract identified for evaluation. Problems not addressed in the PPI Tool, but found by the Government during the evaluation of the information in this volume, will be assumed to still exist. Note: In the case of Contractor Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS), if your input has already been provided and the rationale/circumstances have not changed, DO NOT repeat them here.

8. Past Performance Questionnaire: The Present/Past Performance Questionnaire (see RFP Attachment (3)) will be one means used by the Government to obtain present/past performance information. The Government reserves the right to change, alter, and/or supplement the questionnaire without further notice to the offeror(s). The offeror shall send out – and track the completion of - the Present/Past Performance Questionnaires (See RFP Attachment (3)) to each of the offeror’s/joint venture member’s POCs identified in the PPI Tool. The responsibility to send out and track the completion of the Present/Past Performance Questionnaires rests solely with the offeror - i.e., it shall not be delegated to any other entity. The Transmittal Letter (see RFP Attachment (4)) shall be used by the offeror in sending out the Present/Past Performance Questionnaires. Exert your best effort to ensure that at least two POCs per relevant contract submit a completed Present/Past Performance Questionnaire directly to the Government not later than the date established in the RFP for receipt of proposals. POCs may submit their completed Present/Past Performance Questionnaire either electronically or by mail. If sending electronically, follow the procedures outlined in paragraph I.B. Communications above, and email to: sebrina.ingram-hayes.1@us.af.mil and charles.harris.3@us.af.mil.

Once the Present/Past Performance Questionnaires are completed by your POCs, the information contained therein shall be considered source selection sensitive and shall not be released to you, the offeror. Therefore, any exchange/contact between the offeror/joint venture member and its own POCs in regards to comments made on the questionnaire is not permitted.

9. Client Authorization Letter: In the event that commercial contracts are presented as present/past performance sources of information, a client authorization letter shall be issued to those commercial POCs requesting/authorizing them to complete a Present/Past Performance Questionnaire. A sample client authorization letter is attached to this RFP (see RFP Attachment (6)). The offeror is required to send the client authorization letter(s) with the Present/Past Performance Questionnaire(s) to each POC on commercial contracts. A separate copy of client authorization mailto:sebrina.ingram-hayes.1@us.af.mil mailto:charles.harris.3@us.af.mil letter(s) for each commercial contract shall be included in the offeror’s Present/Past Performance submission for the Government’s use in case additional questionnaires need to be sent by the Government after the RFP due date.

10. Follow-up Discussions: The Government may conduct follow-up discussions with any of the people identified in the PPI tool or in the offeror’s Present/Past Performance Volume. Pursuant to FAR 15.305(a)(2)(ii), the Government may obtain other information by sending out additional questionnaires and/or through other sources, other than those listed within the PPI tool.

11. RFP Attachment Legend: RFP Attachments ((2) Relevancy Assessment and (3) Present/Past Performance Questionnaire) must include the following legend at the top and bottom of the page:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

D. Volume III, Price Proposal

1. General Instructions:

a. The offeror shall submit pricing information in Volume III. The offeror shall complete the RFP Attachment 7 (Price Proposal Matrix) in the RFP.

b. Proposed unit/Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) prices shall be rounded to the nearest whole dollar. If any proposed unit/CLIN price does not meet the required rounding, the Government will round that unit/CLIN price to the nearest whole dollar. The Government-adjusted unit/CLIN price will become the offeror’s proposed amount.

c. Data beyond that required by this instruction shall not be submitted. All data relating to the proposed price, including all required supporting documentation, must be included in the section of the proposal designated as the price volume. Under no circumstances shall this data and documentation be included elsewhere in the proposal.

d. Compliance with these requirements is mandatory and failure to comply may result in rejection of the proposal.

e. In accordance with FAR 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-3(a), data other than certified cost or pricing data may be required to support a determination of price reasonableness. Data shall be provided in accordance with FAR 15.403-5. If, after receipt of proposals, the PCO determines that there is insufficient data available to determine price reasonableness and none of the exceptions in FAR 15.403-1 apply, the offeror shall be required to submit additional cost or pricing data.

f. In accordance with DFARS 215.371-3, cost and pricing data may be required in the event only one offer is received. If no exception in FAR 15.403-1(b) applies, the cost and pricing data shall be certified.