ATSA-I Pre-Solicitation Questions-Reponses-29JUL2024.pdf

# Question Official Government Response

Lack of responsiveness, would this consist of a requirement to submit a proposal for all potential orders?

No. Lack of responsiveness is not assoicated with awardees not submitting proposals on all potential orders. Lack of responsiveness is associated with when an ATSA-I awardee fails to respond timely or fails to communicate to the Government on an executed order.

Can you put in the Chat USG's participants' names and roles?

Government names and roles are published on Pre- Solicitation Brief Charts 5 - 7 posted on SAM.gov.

Will there be a minimum requirement for participation in responding to RFQs?

At this point the USG hasn’t established a time (or quantity of bids/responses), however that will be monitored as the USG is awarding this contract. It is expected that ATSA-I awardees will bid on effort that is within their scope.

Does Work Performed OCONUS through US FMS office qualify for work sample?

Yes. Work performded OCONUS under a Government issued contract supporting FMS would qualify for a work sample.

For a Prime/Sub team, what company name should we enter into the work sample cover sheet when using the subcontractor's work sample?

Any Offeror submitting a work sample where they were a Subcontractor to a Prime should enter their own company name on the work sample cover sheet but should identify the Prime's contract number with the Government. In Part III of the cover sheet, the Offeror shall also explain their role on the Prime's contract and how the Offeror provided ATS support indirectly to the Government. Primes shall not submit work sample artifacts produced by subcontractors.

As further clarification, the Government will not allow teaming for getting onto the ATSA-I vendor base.

Teaming will only be allowed when responding to task/delivery order RFPs after the ATSA-I vendor base has been established.

Please confirm that utilizing subcontractors who are not ATSA-1 awardees is allowable.

Yes. The Government will allow subcontractors to be utilized on task/delivery orders who are not ATSA-I awardees. However, you will have to provide in your proposal, why you are not using other ATSA-I awardees.

Slide 18: Discussions on what circumstances do you envision having discussions? For example, do you anticipate having discussions with an offeror who is deemed unacceptable?

We will only open discussions if it is in the best of the Govenment. The USG is not expecting to have to go into discussions with individual offers, because the expectation is that industry has a clear understanding of what is required to be submitted.

their expertise is, and how it benefits ATS.

ATSA-I Pre-Solicitation Questions-Responses-26JUL2024

Please confirm no technical approach is required within the Technical volume?

The Government confirms that no technical approach is required within Volume II, Technical Proposal since there is no problem the Offeror is b i k d t l

Slide 25: HTRO-since the evaluation method is acceptable/unacceptable on what aspect is Highest Technically Rated offer being used?

The Highest Technically Rated Offeror is short-hand for a source selection methodology in which the Government defines best value as the highest technical rating based on demonstrable experience.

Experience is demonstrated via a pre-defined scoring system in the RFP. The Offeror self-scores in their proposal and supports their score through substantiating documentation (which the Government validates).

Do we have to submit a proposal for each RFP/order issued to be considered responsive?

The Government will not require awardees to submit a proposal for each RFP/order in order to be considered responsive.

Slide 38: I heard it mentioned that the small business goals are on the website -can you please clarify which website you are referring to?

The Office of Small Business Programs Website:

https://business.defense.gov/About/Goals-and- Performance/

Will it be considered responsive to submit a Master Plan instead of an Individual Subcontracting Plan?

Yes, if it meets the requirement and subcontracting plans as defined in the FAR.

Can you provide a link to the specific criteria for the AF's SB Subcontracting Goals?

Small Business goals are posted on the Office of Small Business Programs Website:

https://business.defense.gov/About/Goals-and- Performance/

Is there an estimated number of RFPs per year? Will there be a yearly document outlining anticipated projects either being planned are a PR has already been initiated?

The Government intends to communicate, provide advance announcements of upcoming efforts, and procurements to all ATSA-I awardees.

Are you directing that all three volumes are to be marked as CUI - Why would our Small Business Subcontracting Plan and our SB Participation Plan be CUI?

Yes. The requirement to mark all volumes is identified under Section L II. A. ".... all proposal volumes shall comply with the following format.

Specifically item (f) states "Each page should contain the following legend at the bottom."

Is there a limit to the number of companies that will be awarded? If so, how will that be decided?

The Government does not have a limitation set and will award to all Offerors who are considered awardable by having an acceptable proposal that meets all terms and conditions.

Was it your intention to leave off VOSB from your Small Business Participation

No, VOSB is referenced on Slide 38 of the presentation.

How are you going to validate the work samples?

The Government will review the Offeror's self-score matrix, the work sample cover sheet, the work sample front page, and the work sample artifacts.

Using the Offeror's input from Part III of the work sample cover sheet, the Government will review the work sample artifacts and determine whether they substantiate the points claimed on the self-score matrix. The Government may contact the Government POCs listed in Part II of the work sample cover page to validate claims for that work sample. See Section M for additional details.

Is there a ceiling value for the IDIQ? if so, what's the amount?

Yes, the maximum on the contract for all orders combined is $980 million. The minimum value that will meet FAR requirements is $1000, and that will be included in the draft RFP on page 3, underneath the category of minimum and maximum.

If we provide ATS products/services as a subcontractor to a prime, do we include the front page of our subcontract as part of the Work Sample, or must we get a copy of the prime contract front page?

As noted in Section L.II.C.2, the Work Sample Cover Sheet must be populated using information from the Prime's contract with the Government. By extension, the Contract/Order Front Page must also be from the Prime's contract with the Government.

Contained within part III of the Work Sample Cover Sheet, the Offeror shall also explain their role on the Prime's contract and how the Offeror provided ATS support indirectly to the Government.

Given your estimated schedule, do you anticipate Awards by Nov 30?

The Government desires to award by 30 Nov 2024 with the understanding that the target date is

As the RFP response is CUI, will you be providing direction for submitting encrypted documents and/or password protected PDF documents?

See Section L.II.B.

Will we get a copy of this recorded meeting?

No, the Government will not provide this recording to Industry.

Slide 33- CDRLs being used as artifacts.

Will those be considered the only artifacts to be considered or can we submit examples of other items/work completed?

Does the artifact have to be a CDRL submittal?

See Section L.II.C.2. A work sample artifact represents evidence/information/documentation submitted as a deliverable to a Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) for its work sample. Note that Offeror's should submit only the relevant portions of the work sample artifacts which substantiate the points they claimed on the self-score matrix.

I missed the discussion on Award Date -still 02/2025?

The Government intends to award earlier than February 2025.

Will there be a separate or secondary opportunity to discuss what the DO/TO mechanics would look like at the order level? How far in advance would offers have in order to be able to adequately prepare and and under quotes and things like that?”

The Government is refining that aspect of the ATSA- I IDIQ. Additional information on task/delivery orders will be released in the near future.

At industry day you mentioned providing some examples of future task orders.

Please offer some insight in what is t d

The Government is currently working to provide information on projected efforts.

What is the typical proposal response turnaround time is expected for task order RFPs?

The Government has not determined a set response time. It is expected that larger orders will take longer to process than smaller orders.

Is there a ceiling value for the IDIQ? if so, what's the amount?

See DRFP, dated 15JUL2024, Preamble Section, Minimum/Maximum, the contract maximum for all orders issued under the ATSA-I contract is established at $980M.