Atch 7-FOCIS V Section L v1.pdf

Dec 13 2024

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

Additional Instructions to Offerors

1. OVERVIEW:

This addendum to the solicitation tailors some of the terms and conditions contained in the provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors- Commercial Items, and provides additional instructions to offerors. Except as specified in this solicitation addendum, the offeror shall submit all data and information required by the provision at FAR 52.212-1 and this addendum. Non-conformance with the instructions provided herein or in any other part of the solicitation may result in elimination of the offeror from consideration for award.

FAR 52.212-1(e), Multiple Offers is hereby deleted from this solicitation and that paragraph is marked

RESERVED.

1.1 - Program Information The Fiber Optic Cable and Infrastructure Support is to provide communications cable installation support services to defense activities at all areas of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Ohio.

The 88th Communications Squadron (CS) supports WPAFB Local Area Networks (LAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN) and Department of Defense (DoD) unclassified and classified networks.

1.2 – General Instructions and Information The offeror's proposal must include all data and information requested by these Instructions to Offerors (ITO) and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The proposal shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Non-conformance with the instructions provided in this ITO may result in elimination of a proposal from consideration for award or an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The proposal 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 facilities or experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror's proposal.

Elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired.

The proposal acceptance period is specified in Section A of the model contract/solicitation.

Concerning FAR 52.212-1(c) of the provision regarding the period during which the offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm is hereby amended to read '120 days' instead of '30 days.' The offeror shall make a clear statement in the Price & Offer Proposal Volume (Volume 2) that the offer is valid for 120 days after the date for receipt of offers specified in Block 8 of the solicitation cover sheet, Standard Form (SF) 1449.

In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals. The Government will destroy extra copies of such unsuccessful proposals.

The Government will access any systems as required by law and/or regulation (e.g. System for Award Management (SAM), etc.) to aid in the determination of Responsibility.

1.3 – Points of Contact

The Contracting Officer (CO), Nicole R. Barnes, nicole.barnes.5@us.af.mil and the Contract Specialist, Sam Hollon, samuel.hollon@us.af.mil are the sole points of contact for this acquisition. Address any mailto:nicholas.costides@us.af.mil

1.3 – Points of Contact The Contracting Officer (CO) for this acquisition is Nicole R. Barnes. Address questions or concerns to Nicole Barnes at nicole.barnes.5@us.af.mil. Questions or concerns should be addressed directly to the CO or to the CO through the POC, via the telephone number identified in Block 9 of the SF 1449 or via email to samuel.hollon@us.af.mil. Be advised that all correspondence sent via email shall contain a subject line that reads “FA8604-25-R-B002, FOCIS V Contract.” Note that email filters at Wright-Patterson are designed to filter emails without subject lines or with suspicious subject lines or contents (i.e., .exe or .zip files). Therefore, if this subject line is not included, the email may not get through the email filters. Also be advised that .zip or .exe files are not allowable attachments and may be deleted by the email filters at Wright-Patterson. If sending attachments with email, ensure only .PDF, .docx, xls or .xlsx documents are sent. The email filter may delete any other form of attachments. Electronic proposals, prepared and submitted in accordance with (IAW) section 2 below, are required. For Volume 2, the offeror shall ensure the Microsoft Excel files are NOT "Read Only," so that the Government can verify the offeror's calculations.

1.4 – Debriefing The CO will notify offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range;

whereupon, they may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505. However, offerors excluded from the competitive range are entitled to no more than one debriefing. The CO will notify unsuccessful offerors IAW FAR 15.503, Notification to Unsuccessful Offerors, and conduct pre-award and post-award debriefings, if requested, IAW FAR 15.505, Award to Successful Offeror, and 15.506, Preaward Debriefing of Offerors,respectively.

1.5 – 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.

The offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussion. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if determined necessary by the CO. Electronic submittal of such notification is allowable.

1.6 - Electronic Reference Documents

All referenced documents for this solicitation are available on SAM.gov. Potential offerors are encouraged to subscribe for real-time e-mail notifications when information has been posted to the website for this solicitation.

1.7 - Communications The offer shall submit one (1) electronic copy, using DoD Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE) file sharing website, https://safe.apps.mil/. Offerors will need to request a "Drop Off" prior to submittal by emailing Samuel Hollon (samuel.hollon@us.af.mil) and Nicole R Barnes (nicole.barnes.5@us.af.mil). Drop Off requests are valid for 14 days. Use separate files to permit easy reference of all portions, including sub-factors, exhibits, annexes, and attachments, if any.

(nicole.barnes.5@us.af.mil). Drop Off requests are valid for 14 days. Use separate files to permit easy reference of all portions, including sub-factors, exhibits, annexes, and attachments, if any.

2. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

2.1 – Organization/Number of Copies/Page Limits The offeror shall prepare a fully digital proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table (Table 1 below). Font shall be 11.5-sized Times New Roman with 1-inch page margins. The contents of each proposal volume are described in the ITO paragraph as noted in the table below:

Each volume of the offer shall be separately identified. A cover sheet shall be provided for each volume, clearly marked as to volume number, title, copy number, solicitation number and the offeror's name. Provide a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with an explanation for each.

VOLUME VOLUME TITLE

COPIES

(Digital Only)

PAGE LIMIT

1 1 50

2 Price & Offer Proposal 1 N/A

3 Model Contract Documentation 1 N/A

2.2 – Page Limitations Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal. Page limitations may be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs). The required contract set forth in the gate criteria listed in section 3.5 of this document can be considered a separate attachment not subject to the page limitation in the technical volume. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it shall be counted as 2 pages.

Each page shall be counted except the following: Covers, tab dividers, title pages, glossaries, and tables of contents. The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the offerors.

2.3 – Cross Referencing To the greatest extent possible, each volume shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated with a minimum of cross referencing to other volumes of the proposal.

Information required for proposal evaluation which is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal. Cross-referencing within a proposal volume is permitted where its use would conserve space without impairing clarity.

Technical Proposal

Table 1- Proposal Organization Table

2.4 – Indexing

Each volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the sub paragraphs within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections and will not be included in page limitations.

Index pages should be blank and not be used to convey any information.

2.5 – Electronic Offers Offerors are required to provide a complete and viewable digital copy transmitted via DoDSAFE.

Proposals may include both PDFs and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoints documents that can be sent and viewed electronically by the Government. Proposals shall be submitted no later than (35 days).

2.6 – Distribution The "original" proposal shall be identified. The offeror’s proposal shall be prepared and submitted digitally in three volumes: Technical Proposal (Volume 1), Price Proposal (Volume 2), and Model Contract Documentation (Volume 3). Proposals shall be addressed to the CO.

3. VOLUME 1: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

3.1 – General The Technical Volume should be specific and complete. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. Your responses will be evaluated against the Technical subfactors defined in Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award. Using the instructions provided below, provide as specifically as possible the actual methodology you would use for accomplishing/satisfying these subfactors. All the requirements specified in the solicitation are mandatory. By your proposal submission, you are representing that your firm will perform all the requirements specified in the solicitation. It is not necessary or desirable for you to tell us so in your proposal. Do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the solicitation (except for the specific name brand required part numbers).

3.2 - Format and Specific Content Technical Capability shall be addressed in the Technical Proposal Volume. In this volume, address your proposed approach to meeting the requirements of each Technical subfactor.

3.3 - Technical In the Technical Volume, address your technical solution for meeting the Government’s performance or capability requirements of each Technical subfactor.

3.4 - Volume Organization The Technical Volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

Table of Contents

Glossary

Entry Gate Criteria

Factor One: Technical

4A.

4B.

3.5 - Entry Gate: Relevant Performance History In order to submit a proposal that is considered and evaluated, the offeror must provide evidence that they meet the following PASS/FAIL Gate Criteria. If the offeror cannot meet these criteria, the proposal will not be evaluated. The entry gate is p assed when the proposal provides evidence that they have completed the following four criteria.

A. Provide evidence of no more than three (3) prior contracts, each with a total value greater than $50,000, completed within the past five years. These contracts should clearly demonstrate experience in both outside plant fiber installation and internal structured wiring. If needed, separate contracts to highlight one (1) contract focused on outside plant fiber installation and one (1) contract focused on internal structured wiring. The third contract, if applicable, may demonstrate a combination of both areas. Each project should align with the scope and complexity outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

B. Detail your involvement in a large-scale outside plant cabling project, focusing on the installation of both fiber optic and copper cabling in varied outdoor environments (e.g., urban, rural, or challenging terrains). Highlight any hands-on experience with additional techniques such as conduit installation, trenching, and boring operations.

C. Provide an overview of your experience installing structured horizontal cabling systems in commercial and industrial environments. This should include projects where high-count fiber and copper cables were deployed. Demonstrate familiarity with the latest ANSI/BICSI standards for cable management, installation best practices, and grounding/bonding procedures. Highlight where these standards were adhered to and how they ensured both performance and safety.

D. Describe experience with projects requiring confined space entry, and the steps taken to comply with OSHA guidelines. Emphasize the safety protocols followed for confined space work, including pre-entry planning, air quality monitoring, and emergency preparedness. Provide examples of specific projects where your team successfully executed work in confined spaces, such as manholes, vaults, or other enclosed areas. Confirm that your personnel are fully trained and certified in confined space entry procedures, and outline how safety is prioritized in all confined space projects.

Management Plan

Quality Assurance

• The proposal shall include the provisions and procedures that demonstrate adequate understanding of the PWS requirements. This includes the lines of authority;

description of the plan for managing execution and administration of the contract; the proposed material purchasing system and delivery plan; the on-site management team and management of sub-contractors.

• Offeror’s ability to provide a management plan and team that will be able to manage and provide all the personnel and resources to support several task orders both with outside plant and internal wiring cabling projects, and other requirements in the PWS concurrently.

• For each Key Personnel include experience levels, number of years’experience and qualifications of personnel to be assigned to the performance of this contract.

• The proposal shall include technical experience, licenses and any formal classes completed pertaining to maintenance and repair, including certifications such as EPA and OSHA certifications of proposed personnel.

• Offeror shall include a plan to attract and sustain an adequate, qualified workforce and annual certification training for employees. (Training PWS 5.3.3, 5.5-6)

• Offeror shall include any Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) training and annual confined space training.

• Offeror’s proposal outlines a robust plan to maintain a well-qualified workforce in the telecommunications field.

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of all PWS requirements by implementing targeted recruitment, ongoing training, and professional development initiatives.

• Clearly identifying their methodology to ensure the team remains skilled and knowledgeable, enabling them to meet and exceed project requirements effectively.

• Offeror shall submit a brief description of each labor category proposed if subcontractor labor is to be used. This shall include experience levels and qualifications of experience of personnel to be assigned to this contract.

(Subcontractor Labor PWS 1.6.5)

3.6 – FACTOR 1 TECHNICAL

A. Subfactor One – Management Plan In order to address the measure of merit, the proposal shall include a brief description of the each labor category proposed. At a minimum, the description should include:

The offeror shall provide an executed contract(s) as evidence. The offeror shall highlight the contract number, original total contract value, period of performance, type of contract, program title, final total contract value, customer, and CO information. The contractor shall redact/omit any classified or sensitive information. This contract should be submitted as an attachment to the Technical volume.

If the Evaluation Gate is rated as Unacceptable, the proposal will be eliminated from consideration for award and no further evaluation will be conducted.

4.1 General Instructions and Information

Contractors shall use the Government-provided Excel file (Attachment 3,Pricing Matrix) to show their pricing including the Total Evaluated Price utilizing the instructions provided. This Excel document will become an attachment to the contract at the time of award.

The Government will evaluate the Price proposal for (1) completeness, (2) reasonableness (3) unbalanced pricing and (4) Total Evaluated Price (TEP). Proposals that are determined to be incomplete may be ineligible for award. Offerors whose price is determined to be unreasonable will not be considered for award. Additionally, an offer may be rejected if the CO determines unbalanced pricing poses an unacceptable risk to the Government. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise such options.

4.2 Price Data

Data beyond that required by this instruction shall not be submitted, unless you consider it essential to document or support your price position. 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 & Offer volume. Under no circumstances shall this data and documentation be included elsewhere in the proposal.

Offeror shall present a discussion of their understanding of Quality Assurance to include methods to identify deficiencies and methods to correct deficiencies. The Plan shall include a sample Quality Control checklist identifying, but not limited to, labeling, updating installation drawings, pre and post test results.

Offeror demonstrates compliance with technical requirements for structured cabling systems and outside plant fiber optic cabling. Utilizing industry best practices and adherence to stringent BICSI standards, guaranteeing high-quality installations, prioritizing safety with confined space training, ensuring their team is skilled in both installation and compliance.

(Technical Capability PWS Paragraph Section 1)

4. VOLUME 2: PRICE & OFFER PROPOSAL

Offeror’s proposal shall included quality control procedures that demonstrate adequate understanding of the PWS requirements. It must be determined workable and acceptable with only minor clarification.

Offeror must include the descriptons of the duties and responsibilities of the individual responsible for the quality of workmanship during all aspects of contract performance.

Proposal must also show minimum requirements of the Quality Control Plan.

B. Subfactor Two –Quality Assurance In order to address the measure of merit, the proposal shall include a quality control plan which includes the following elements:

a) CLIN 0001 –LABOR- Input the rates for the proposed labor categories on the Direct Labor Rates tab and Fully Burdened Labor Rates tab

b) CLIN 0002 MATERIAL – The Government provided an estimated value based on historical estimates- NO INPUT REQUIRED.

c) CLIN 0003 DATA- Not Separately Priced

d) CLIN 0004 OTHER DIRECT COSTS (ODCs)- The Government provided an estimated value based on historical estimates- NO INPUT REQUIRED.

e) Input all labor rates in United States Currency (USD) to the nearest penny.

f) The Total Evaluated Price (TEP) will be automatically calculated in the green cell labeled “Total Evaluated Price.”

g) Yellow cells, on the Direct Labor Rates tab and Fully Burdened Labor Rates tab represent inputs required by the offeror.

h) Green cells, represent the offerors Total Estimated price, per ordering period, which will be automatically calculated by the formula.

4.5 Total Evaluated Price (TEP) Instructions

The Offeror shall complete Attachment 3, Pricing Matrix. Offerors shall use the instructions below to insert proposed rates in the Pricing Matrix Tab:

• Section1 :Pricing Matrix

• Section 2: Other than certified cost or pricing data, to include estimating methodology.

• Section 3: Other information deemed pertinent with explanations. List each exception to the ground rules and assumptions provided in the solicitation and each qualification of the Price volume, if any. Provide complete rationale for any exceptions.

4.3 Cost or Pricing Data Requirements

The CO has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. Upon examination of the initial offers, the CO will review this determination and if, in the CO’s opinion, adequate price competition exists, no additional cost information will be requested, and certification under FAR 15.406-2 will not be required. IAW FAR 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-3(a), information other than cost or pricing data may be required to support price reasonableness. Information shall be provided IAW FAR 15.403-5. If, after receipt of proposals, the CO determines that there is insufficient information available to determine price reasonableness, and none of the exceptions in FAR 15.403-1 apply, the Offeror shall be required to submit cost or pricing data.

4.4 Volume Organization

The price volume shall consists of the following sections:

5. VOLUME 3: MODEL CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

5.1 Model Contract/Representations and Certifications

The purpose of this volume is to provide information to the Government for preparing the contract document and supporting file. The offeror's proposal shall include a signed copy of the Model Contract including the applicable sections listed below.

5.2 Section A, Solicitation/Contract Form

Completion of blocks 17a, 26, 30a, 30b and 30c of the Standard Form 1449 completed. For purposes of offer submission, ignore the entry “(For Govt. Use Only)” in block 26. The amount to enter in Block 26 will be the total of all the extended CLIN values from the SF1449. Signature by the offeror on the SF1449 constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept.

5.3 Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices

No special instructions. Do not enter prices into Section B, as they will not be evaluated. Price evaluation will be accomplished via Section J, Attachment 3 – Pricing Matrix

5.4 Section F- Deliveries or Performance

5.5 Section G - Contract Administrative Data

5.6 Section H - Special Contract Requirements

5.7 Section I - Contract Clauses

The offeror shall complete any applicable fill-ins for Section I.

5.8 Section J – Attachments

The offeror shall complete and/or provide if applicable as an attachment to the Model Contract

5.9 Section K – Certifications, and other Statements of Offerors

Offer must provide completed representations, certifications, acknowledgments and statements in

System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov.

i) No rows, columns, or cells may be added or deleted.

j) Note: The calculation of the EOS is for evaluation purposes only and is not 1) an indicator of the anticipated pricing or timing of any exercise of the clause at FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, or 2) an indicator as to whether the Government will choose to exercise that clause during the performance of any contract awarded based on this solicitation. Refer to the language of the clause at FAR 52.217-8 for full details regarding this option.

5.11 Other Information Required

A. Authorized Offeror Personnel: Provide the name(s), title, email (s) and telephone number(s) of the company/division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your proposal and who can obligate your company contractually. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government. As well as the name and title of the CEO, Division President, and/or Vice President.

B. Company/Division Address, Identifying Codes, and Applicable Designations: Provide a cover letter with the company/division's street address, county and facility code; CAGE code; DUNS code; TIN; size of business (large or small); and small business designation.

Provide in the cover letter a statement that the offer and prices will remain in effect for 120 days after the date in Block 8 of the SF1449.

C. List of Attachments: Section L attachments listed below are provided as separate files.

• Attachment 1: Performance Work Statement (PWS)

• Attachment 2: CDRLs

• Attachment 3: Pricing Matrix

• Attachment 4: 2015-4731 Wage Determination

• Attachment 5: DD254

“Notice to Offeror:"Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any cost.”

Model Contract, PWS, CDRLs, Pricing Matrix,etc.

Applicable Page and Paragraph No.

Identify the requirement or portion to which exception is taken

Describe why the requirement can/ will not be met

Solicitation Document

Page/ Paragraph

Requirement/ Portion

Rationale

5.10 Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements

Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or subfactors. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale.

Each exception shall be specifically related to each paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Provide rationale in support of the exception and fully explain its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, price, and specific requirements of the solicitation. This information shall be provided in the format and content of the table below:

Describe why the requirement can/ will not be met