Question_and_Answers_IV.pdf

FA8533-16-R-0001 Bomber Armament Tester (BAT) Questions & Answers #4

1. Question: Can a drawing, TO and/or ICD can be provided for example cooling carts with which the BAT must interface and control?

Answer: The one known interface of the B-1B Conventional Bomb Module Test Set (CBMTS) is to a monitor unit that acts as a safety interlock between the Unit Under Test and the Tester. There are two separate sections to the monitor unit. Each section contains a temperature switch and pressure switch. The temperature switch is closed unless the cooling air rises above the switches manual set point. The pressure switches are open unless a pressure backdrop is sensed. Actuation of any of the switches is detected by the test set thus allowing the test set to take proper action. Reference the diagram below which depicts the wiring in the cooling monitor unit. Note that the J1 connector in the diagram interfaces with the W5 cable that connects to the CBMTS J5 connector.

Cooling Monitor Unit Wiring Drawing

2. Question: The SOW states "The Contractor shall develop and deliver a tester-independent Test Requirements Document (TRD) and Interface Design Description (IDD) for each functional module of the BAT Core Tester." Does this pertain to the BIT/Selftest CSCI? If so, can the Government confirm that this is not intended to be "tester independent", as it would likely include callouts that reference BAT Core System HWCIs?

Answer: The BIT/Self-test CSCI, designed specifically for the BAT Core Tester, will not be "tester-independent".

3. Question: Can you provide the applicable SCG guides or advise on where to obtain them?

Answer: The BAT Program Office is not authorized to distribute the SCGS. The contract awardee will be granted access to the SCGs.

4. Section L, Paragraphs A. and C. instruct the following for Volume I: “Volume I shall consist of the completed (excluding Section B of the Schedule) and signed RFP….”. However, RFP Section B includes instructions to the Contractor to “Enter the Scheduled Event Start Date and Scheduled Event Completion Date” for Increment I – EMD, Increment II – EMD, and, Increment III – EMD.

Question: Should the contractor complete the scheduled event start and completion dates in Section B of the RFP?

Answer: Yes, the contractor shall fill-in all scheduled event start and completion dates for each incentive area in Section B, as well as all other fill-in information requested in the RFP.

The only items not required to be annotated in the RFP are the proposed CLIN prices/totals which shall be annotated in the Excel attachments as instructed.

5. Question (a): Provide the wage determination for this effort.

Question (b): Section I of the RFP contains FAR clause 52.222-41 Service Contractor Labor Standards (May 2014) and 52.222-49 Service Contractor Labor Standards – Place of Performance Unknown (May 2014); however, no Wage Determinations were included with the solicitation. Please confirm SCLS is not applicable and the only requirement is to comply with the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If SCLS is not applicable, we request the FAR clauses be deleted.

Answer: Yes. The Service Contracts Labor Standards (FAR 52.222-41) applies to this effort. Offerors have the opportunity to identify potential places of performance and request appropriate wage determinations be included in the RFP. Offerors are directed to comprehend FAR 22.1009-4(e); the resultant contract WILL include a wage determination appropriate to the place of performance. Failure to identify a place of performance and request an appropriate wage determination WILL NOT constitute grounds for equitable adjustment.

6. Question: Atch_11_Total_Resources_Volume BOE Material Summary – The instructions in this tab say that “proposed unit prices and extended cost should be a sanitized version of the Priced Bill of Material, which offerors must provide in Volume IV Cost/Price.” By “sanitized,” does the Government mean that the material summary in this tab should EXCLUDE unit and extended prices? Or does the Government expect to see unit prices and extended costs in the BOE Material Summary included in the technical volume? If the latter, than what does “sanitized” mean in this context?

Answer: In this instance, “sanitized” refers to an “unburdened” priced BOM, clearly listing the types and quantities of material proposed.

7. Question: Section L (Pricing, Total Resources Volume (WBS Breakout) states “The offeror will be required to extend Attachment 11, Total Resource Volume (WBS Breakdown), to the point that the lowest level WBS element is less than 10,000 man-hours, and cannot extend past five (5) levels. The offeror may insert additional rows to capture labor categories.” However, a couple paragraphs down it states “On the BOE Labor Summary Exhibit provide the CWBS and CWBS dictionary to level 4, based on the MIL-STD-881C that corresponds to SOW paragraphs listed in the columns of the Exhibit.” Please clarify which WBS level the offeror shall show in Attachment 11.

Answer: Offeror instructions on the proper extension of Attachment 11, Total Resources Volume (WBS Breakdown) in Section G. 5 of Section L has been revised as follows (changes denoted in bolded and underlined text) and will be reflected in the revised RFP Amendment 0002:

FROM: Current Section L:

On the BOE Labor Summary Exhibit provides the CWBS and CWBS dictionary to level 4, based on the MIL-STD-881C that corresponds to SOW paragraphs listed in the columns of the Exhibit. Then, list the total hours proposed on the table for each GFY.

Hours for sublevels 4 through 6 should be totaled and entered into their parent level 3 rows to reflect the cumulative number of hours for each level 3 task. Similarly, hours for sublevels 3 through 6 should be totaled and entered into their parent level 2 rows to reflect the cumulative number of hours for each level 2 task.

TO: Revised Section L:

On the BOE Labor Summary Exhibit provide the CWBS and CWBS dictionary to level 5, based on the MIL-STD-881C that corresponds to SOW paragraphs listed in the columns of the Exhibit. The CWBS Dictionary may be a separate tab within the Total Resources Volume. Then, list the total hours proposed on the table for each GFY. Hours for sublevels 4 through 5 should be totaled and entered into their parent level 3 rows to reflect the cumulative number of hours for each level 3 task. Similarly, hours for sublevels 3 through 5 should be totaled and entered into their parent level 2 rows to reflect the cumulative number of hours for each level 2 task.

Sample of a CWBS Dictionary in Excel format provided below:

SAMPLE CWBS Dictionary

8. Question: According to Section L, G. 4) Volume V – Cost/Price Proposal: “In support of the elemental cost breakouts, all offerors (Prime and Major Subcontractors) who have neither a FPRA nor a FPRR shall submit the following items/information as part of their proposal.” Is it acceptable to the Government if the Prime offeror provides only the prime accounting business unit’s FPRA/FPRR/FPRP information in lieu of all supporting business unit documentation, if the sum of all supporting business units with effort equates to <10% of the total work scope?

Answer: No. It would not be acceptable to receive only the Prime offeror’s accounting business unit’s FPRA/FPRR/FPRP information in lieu of all supporting business unit documentation.

9. Per Section L – Instructions, E. (5), states “…The offeror/joint venture member shall exert its best effort to ensure that at least two POCs per relevant effort submit a completed Past Performance Questionnaire directly to the Government not later than the date established in the RFP for receipt of proposals.”

Question: Please confirm the government will still evaluate past performance efforts that receive only one (1) past performance questionnaire from POCs, with no penalty in subjective ratings of the past performance volume.

Answer: Per the directions in Section L of the RFP, the offeror/joint venture member shall exert its best effort to ensure at least two points of contact per relevant effort submit a Past Performance questionnaire. Failing to do so will not result in the offeror being penalized;

however it does lessen the likelihood of the Government receiving a questionnaire to obtain feedback and understanding of the offeror’s performance or the scope and relevance of the effort being submitted for evaluation.

10. Reference the B-2A Weapon System Production, B-1B Weapon System Production, and B-

52H Weapon System Production options in Section B Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs of the RFP (pages 7, 12, and 18 respectively). Each production phase states that Interim Contractor Support (ICS) shall be included when the first production option is exercised for Increments I, II, and III.

Question: Does the Government intend to award a separate ICS phase (each one up to six years in length) at the beginning of the production phase for each Increment (I, II, and III), i.e., three separate ICS phases? Or does the Government intend to award a single ICS phase that begins with the start of production for Increment I?

Answer: ICS will begin in Increment I, Production I via an Option (ICS Option I) prior to delivery of the first BAT System and exercised annually, thereafter. See RFP, pages 8 and 20.

11. RFP Part I Schedule - Section E, Pages 25-26, E-42. Please provide clarification on the required “CONTRACTOR FILL-IN” input at E-42.

Question: Is the Contractor to insert a listing of the Source Inspection CLINs, with their Source Inspection Address(s) and Inspection Code(s) for each address? Please also clarify what type of “code” should be provided for the “Inspection code” (DoDAAC, cage?).

Answer: Clause E-42 covers Inspection and Acceptance. The vendor should identify their facility/inspection code and physical address where actual performance will occur and where the Government will go to conduct inspections on the work being performed. For some vendors this may be their CAGE code. Other vendors have separate codes to identify their facility or place of performance.

12. Section L.G, Volume IV Cost/Price Proposal instructions require all subcontractors over

$750,000 to complete RFP Attachment 12, Excel Cost Model, as well as include all other supporting cost data. The Attachment 12 cost model is set up based on the Prime’s Contract Types of CPIF and FPIS. Small business subcontractors who do not have an approved accounting system and therefore will be issued fixed rate or fixed price subcontracts, will not be able to fill out the Attachment 12 as provided by the Government. We recommend that, for these subcontractors, the Government accept a fully disclosed rate/price build-up that ties to the inputs included in the prime Attachment 12 in lieu of having the small business subcontractors complete a detailed cost format that does not match what they are proposing.

Answer: Yes. All subcontractors over $750,000 are required to complete RFP Attachment 12, Excel Cost Model, as well as include all other supporting cost data. Small business subcontractors who do not have an approved accounting system, and may be issued subcontracts with a pricing arrangement other than "cost-type", can still fill out the Attachment 12 as provided by the Government. If desired, you may insert a statement at the bottom of the Excel worksheet noting what type of pricing arrangement contract (between you and the Prime) your proposed amounts reflect. Your completed detailed cost format should definitely match to what you are proposing.

13. Question: Is the government limiting offerors to four (4) LCATs per CLIN? If not, will the

Government provide Attachment 12 without restrictions? This will allow offerors to add in the necessary rows.

Answer: There are no restrictions on the number of labor categories to be listed on Attachment 12. Offerors are free to insert additional lines in Attachment 12 to identify the number of labor categories applicable to their effort.

14. According to RFP FA8533-16-R-0001, Part II, Section I- Contract Clauses, FAR 52.216-10

Incentive Fee: “(e) Fee Payable, (1) The fee payable under this contract shall be the target fee increased by * cents for every dollar that the total allowable cost is less than the target cost or decreased by ** cents for every dollar that the total allowable cost exceeds the target cost.

With * being a “Target Fee Increase” of 20, and ** being a “Target Fee Decrease” of 80.

Question: Per the 80/20 (over & under) geometry for the Cost Incentive on EMD CLINs, should this read “Target Fee Increase” of 20 and a “Target Fee Decrease” of 20? If the Target Fee Decrease was 80, as is, then the geometry would 20/80.

Answer: The “80/20” split denotes the share ratio between the Government and Contractor and the Government’s percentage is always listed first. The Contractor’s share is 20% on both cost overruns and underruns; therefore, the Target Fee Increase and Target Fee Decrease should both be “20” cents for every dollar. FAR clause 52.216-10, Incentive Fee, will be amended in RFP Amendment 0002.

15. Reference Appendix C, Industrial Safety and Health Requirements. This document requires the Contractor to submit a Safety Plan.

Question: Is the Safety Plan to be submitted with the offeror's proposal or is the Safety Plan required after contract award? There is no CDRL included in the RFP for delivery of a Safety Plan during contract execution.

Answer: Appendix C, the Industrial Safety and Health Plan, is required to be submitted with the offeror’s proposal. A notice of this requirement will be added in Amendment 0002 of the

RFP.

16. Atch_11_Total_Resources_Volume, CLIN 000X BOE Labor Summary Tabs provide columns for SOW para 3.1 Program Conferences, but no other subtasks (3.2 – 3.11).

Question: Please confirm that the Government does not need to see the hours associated with subtasks 3.2-3.11 (as priced in Attachment 12 Cost Model) cross-referenced in Attachment 11.

Answer: The Offeror shall include the labor captured in SOW paragraphs 3.2-3.11 within the listed SOW paragraph columns and corresponding CWBS elements.

17. Ref: Attachment 12, tabs: CLIN 0007_FFP; CLIN 1007_FFP; CLIN 2007_FFP; CLIN

3001AB_FFP; CLIN 3001AB_FFP; CLIN 3001AC_FFP; CLIN 3001AD_FFP; CLIN

3001AE_FFP; CLIN 3001AF_FFP; Cost Format A Total FPIS; CLIN 0004AA_FPIS; CLIN

0004AB_FPIS; CLIN 1004AA_FPIS; CLIN 1004AB_FPIS; CLIN 2004AA_FPIS; CLIN

2004AB_FPIS; Cost Format A TEP. Rows 7-49 of the above referenced tabs within Attachment 12 are hidden and shaded in grey.

Question: Please confirm the Government does not require the offerors to fill out the hidden and shaded rows/cells.

Answer: Offerors are not required to fill out rows 7 - 49 for the referenced CLINs. They have been intentionally hidden because they are not applicable to those CLINs.

18. Question: Can you confirm that hardcopies of the Attachment 11 (Total Resources Volume) and Attachment 12 (Excel Cost Model) are not required, only the Excel files on the CDs are required?

Answer: Attachment 11, Total Resources Volume: Per the directions in Section L of the RFP, the electronic copy of this volume is an electronic copy of this volume shall in .xls file format. No hard copy of Attachment 11 is required.

Attachment 9 and 12: Cost/Price proposal information (Completed Excel Price Model, RFP Attachment 9) shall be submitted in written form (2 copies) and CD-R or DVD-R (write once/read only) (2 copies). Completed Excel Cost Model (RFP Attachment 12) shall be submitted in CD-R or DVD-R (write once/read only) (2 copies). The information submitted via CD-R or DVD-R shall be in .xls file format; PDF format will not be accepted.

See RFP, pages 1 and 13.