DRAFT BIM J-7 Section L 20230920.pdf

Section L, Page 1 of 11

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. General Information

1.1. Program Structure and Purpose

This effort will be awarded and executed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Enterprise IT & Cyber Infrastructure Division, and lead by the Base Infrastructure Modernization (BIM) Program Management (PM) Team and act as the overarching attempt to modernize the Base Area Network (BAN). The purpose of this Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Contract (MAC) is to modernize network infrastructure, and to modernize both the Non-secure Internet Protocol Router (NIPR) and Secure Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) BAN through an as-a-service model utilizing contractor provided networking services at United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) bases throughout the world.

1.2. General Instructions

This enclosure provides a single, streamlined set of instructions to be used when proposing to the BIM IDIQ and includes instructions contain herein from the Government for proposal submittal and evaluation.

Proposals must include all data, information, and certifications as stated in this solicitation and provide them in a way that conforms with the formats, provisions, clauses, page limits, and other specified instructions. Proposals shall NOT include any classified information; if the Offeror believes they must transmit classified information to comply with this solicitation, they shall immediately notify the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO). Proposals that do not conform to the instructions in the solicitation or are incomplete will not be considered.

The Offeror's response shall include all data and information requested herein and shall be submitted in accordance with (IAW) these instructions. Offerors shall label all the volumes and apply all appropriate markings including those prescribed IAW Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-1(e) Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data and FAR 3.104-4 Disclosure, Protection, and Marking of Offeror Bid or Proposal Information and Source Selection Information.

To safeguard Offeror information, each Offeror will be assigned a unique password to be used when opening electronic files transmitted by the Government throughout the evaluation and selection process.

The Government reserves the right to withdraw and cancel this response request and has no obligation to reimburse an Offeror for any costs incurred for response preparation. In such an event, the PCO shall notify Offerors of the decision to cancel the solicitation. This decision is final and conclusive and is not subject to the "Disputes" clause or the "Contract Disputes Act".

1.3. Administrative

The Offerors proposal shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and substantiating the validity of stated claims. The response shall be as specific as possible to include the methodologies for accomplishing the requirements. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. Responses shall not simply rephrase or restate the Government's

Section L, Page 2 of 11 requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements; do not simply rephase or restate the Government’s requirements.

Unless specified otherwise, references to days will mean calendar days. The responses shall be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set forth in Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award.

1.4. Proposal Revisions

Revisions after the solicitation close date may only be submitted in response to Government discussions and comments to the Offeror’s response during the proposal acceptance and validly period. If revisions are submitted, the Offeror shall ensure changes are easily identifiable with tracked changes and sidebar markings of those sections that are changed from the original submission. This identification is for informational purposes only to assist Government evaluators.

1.5. Proposal Validity

The Offeror shall make a clear statement in the Offeror’s cover letter that the response is valid for 180 days from the submission deadline date.

1.6. Point of Contact

The PCO is the sole point of contact for this solicitation. All communication must be via email, no phone calls will be accepted. Any attempts to contact anyone other than the PCO will not be returned. The Offeror is cautioned to not base their proposal nor any revisions thereof on information that is not received from the PCO or through SAM.gov for the acquisition.

The Procuring Contracting Officer for this acquisition is MSgt Jason Lent.

Address: 15 Eglin Street, Building 1607, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1700 Email: jason.lent@us.af.mil

1.7. Debriefing

Debriefings shall be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.503(b)(1). The PCO will notify unsuccessful Offerors of their removal from the competitive range and of non-selection. Upon receipt of an Offeror’s timely request, unsuccessful Offerors may request in writing information on the award in accordance with FAR 15.505 (for pre-award debriefings) or FAR 15.506 (for post-award debriefings).

1.8. 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 PCO in writing with supporting rationale. The Government reserves the right to make award without discussions.

1.9. Use of Non-Government Advisors

The DAF intends to use contracted Non-Government Advisors (NGAs) to support personnel as subject matter experts in the review of responses received, including the review of any marked or unmarked proprietary information provided. Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs) have been executed between the NGA personnel and the DAF. Prior to evaluation by a NGA, a Nondisclosure Agreement will be executed between the NGA personnel and the Offeror.

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NGA personnel supporting this acquisition are from the following: ARS, Oasis Systems, Abacus Technology, Quantech Services, Riverside Research, Insight Global, Isobar, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Frontier Inc. and the MITRE Corporation.

Any response submitted by respondents to this request constitutes consent for that submission to be reviewed by military personnel, Government civilians, and Specialized Cost Services (SCS), Engineering, Professional, and Administrative Support Services (EPASS), and Federally Funded Research and Development Corporation (FFRDC), and Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) contractors and subcontractors.

All Offerors shall provide a statement on their cover letter as to whether they have or foresee an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI). This will not be counted against any page limitations.

If the Offeror does foresee an OCI, they shall submit an OCI Management Plan with their proposal. This OCI Mitigation Plan will also not be counted against any page limitations.

1.10. Proposal Organization

The Offeror shall prepare the response in accordance with Table 1 below. The titles and contents of the volumes shall be defined in this table, all of which shall be within the required page limitation and with the number of copies as specified.

Volume Element ID Evaluation Page Limit

Volume 1 Information - Contracting Information 1 Volume 2 Factor 1 Prior Experience Attachment

Factor 2 Facility Clearance 1

Volume 3 Factor 3 Technical Proposal 50

Subfactor 1 Global Management Support Plan - Subfactor 2 Task Order Support Plan -

Volume 4 Factor 4 Small Business Participation Attachment Table 1: Proposal Organization

1.11. Page Limitations and Format

Pages exceeding the page limitations set forth in Table 1 will be removed from the proposal and will not be included in the evaluation. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches. Pages shall be single spaced and numbered. The text size shall be no smaller than 10-point font; text in tables and graphics shall be no smaller than 9-point font. Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used within that volume, with an explanation of each.

Each page counts against the page limits identified except for the following:

a. Blank pages

b. Title pages

c. Cover Pages

d. Tables of contents

e. Tabs

f. Indexes

g. Glossaries and Lists of Abbreviations and Acronyms

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h. Documents specifically identified in these instructions as not being counted against or subject to page limits

1.12. Electronic Files

The electronic copies of the responses shall be submitted in a format readable by PDF. Do not embed electronic files within other electronic files. If submitting a single file containing all volumes of the proposal, use title pages within the document to indicate the start of each volume.

If submitting a separate file for each volume, name each file in a way that clearly indicates your company name and volume number, for example: “ABC Corp Vol 3.pdf”.

1.13. Distribution

Offerors are required to submit their proposals through the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) Solicitation Module. PIEE is located at https://piee.eb.mil/ and Offerors may need to request access to the module. Offerors should familiarize themselves with the process of uploading proposals into the Solicitation module to ensure proposals are processed through the system correctly. Training is available through PIEE for use of the module and for requesting access. Offerors are also encouraged to notify the PCO when a submission is made through the Solicitation module. Offerors are ultimately responsible for ensuring their proposal is complete and received by the PCO according to the date and time proposals are due.

Responses received after the time and date listed will not be considered or evaluated for receipt of award; nor will they be used for any future evaluations within the 180-day validity period, per Section 1.5 – Proposal Validity. The Government will not be responsible for any failure of receipt of the proposals or any failure of the Offeror to verify receipt of the proposals.

2. Proposal Instructions Offerors shall provide all 4 volumes with their proposal.

Offerors will be first evaluated according to the contents of Volume 1 and Volume 2. If found acceptable according to the criteria in this section, the Government will evaluate Volumes 3 and

4. If Volume 1 and/or 2 is/are found unacceptable according to the criteria in this section, the evaluation will cease, and the Government will not evaluate Volumes 3 or 4; the Offeror will not be eligible for award.

2.1. Volume 1: Information – Contracting Information

The Offeror shall complete the Proposal Cover Sheet, (Attachment J-2, Proposal Cover Sheet) in its entirety; the alternative contact phone number field on the form is optional.

For Offerors with any Small Business Teaming Arrangement as defined by FAR 52.207-6, or Offerors with a small business Protégé and an other-than-small Mentor forming a Mentor- Protégé arrangement, details of the teaming arrangement shall be provided as well. This information must identify the specific type of arrangement, which member is the lead, the basis for the Small Business Teaming Arrangement or Mentor-Protégé arrangement, and a copy of the executed arrangement. This information will not be counted against page limitations nor is it subject to any page limitations.

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2.2. Volume 2: Factor 1 – Prior Experience

Prior Experience will be used to determine whether the Offeror has experience performing similar efforts, as submitted using the Prior Experience Scorecard (PES) and the associated References (Attachment J-3, Prior Experience Scorecard (PES)) and subject to the criteria in Section M.

The Offeror shall complete the Prior Experience Scorecard summary and provide the necessary validation information for their References (References A through D, as appropriate), and include them in their proposal.

2.3. Volume 2: Factor 2 – Facility Clearance

The Offeror shall state whether they hold a current a facility clearance of at least “Secret” or higher, as associated with the CAGE code provided in their Proposal Cover Sheet.

2.4. Volume 3: Factor 3 – Technical Proposal

The technical proposal, including its subfactors, shall not reference any cost or pricing information. The technical proposal shall be specific, clear, and complete. Offerors shall provide all information regarding strategies, methodologies, and any additional details that are necessary to describe how the Offeror would satisfy the requirements of the subfactors. The technical proposal shall not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements outlined in the subfactors.

Used throughout this factor, an “explanation” means a response which demonstrates a working knowledge of the topic, and a “plan” (whether used generally or for a specifically named plan) means a formal strategy or approach to address the topic.

2.4.1. Factor 3, Subfactor 1 – Global Management Support Plan

The scope of BIM covers a global scale and may require performance currently within the Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). The Offeror shall provide a Global Management Support Plan (GMSP) that addresses the ability and intended strategy to fulfill the scope of BIM according to the scope of the BIM IDIQ Performance Work Statement (PWS). The GMSP must include the following:

a. A Capability Statement and Operational Plan to demonstrate how the Offeror will handle the breadth and scale of transformational tasks across multiple locations with minimal risks to the Government.

b. For teaming arrangements, a breakout of the responsibilities of the team members.

c. A Staff Management Plan which addresses:

1. The approach for personnel recruitment, training, and retaining qualified personnel.

2. The approach for obtaining, maintaining, and managing security clearances of personnel.

3. The approach to provide personnel to support multiple geographical CONUS and OCONUS, to include how travel and/or telework technology would be utilized to

Section L, Page 6 of 11 maximize the use of centralized Network Operations Centers (NOCs).

d. A Provisional Staffing Plan that demonstrates the ability to staff organizationally to support SAF CONUS and OCONUS base scalability.

e. A Professional Employee Compensation Plan which addresses how professional employees (as defined in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 541) will be compensated, reflective of the understanding of the work that will be performed and how the compensation plan will be able to effectively obtain and retain professional employees.

f. A Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) plan which addresses:

1. Evaluation, full examination, or implementation of its full spectrum supply chain.

2. Identification, assessment, planning, and mitigation of actual and potential threats vulnerabilities, and disruptions to the supply chain.

3. Application of supply chain protection and counterfeit protection.

4. Identification, assessment, planning, and mitigation of Cybersecurity SCRM (C-

SCRM).

g. A plan for assisting the Government with the Authority-to-Operate (ATO) process.

h. A plan for providing network service and maintenance at a global scale.

i. An explanation of how the Offeror will implement DAF CONUS and OCONUS base scalability where the Offeror shall address a feasible approach to execution at multiple locations throughout the life of the IDIQ for:

1. Task orders for a single base and respective Geographically Separated Units

(GSU)s.

2. Task orders for multiple bases and respective GSUs.

j. A demonstration of understanding and knowledge regarding applicable bilateral international Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs).

k. An explanation of how the Offeror’s systems and procedures adhere to Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) audits and verification of Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) compliant accounting system. Any changes made to these business systems and/or the CAS Disclosure Statement subsequent to the date of the provided approvals shall be disclosed. The explanation must include a summary including an introduction, overview, index, and evidence of approval for each business system including but not limited to Estimating, Purchasing, Accounting, and Earned Value Management (EVM) and the Offeror's Cost Accounting Standards Disclosure Statement.

2.4.2. Factor 3, Subfactor 2 – Task Order Support Plan

The Offeror shall provide a Task Order Support Plan (TOSP) as a technical, programmatic, and administrative solution to the DAF Sample Base Prompt (Attachment J-4, Sample Base Prompt).

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The solution shall reflect compliance with all requirements within BIM IDIQ PWS and requirements established in the Sample Base Prompt. The location referenced in the Sample Base Prompt establishes a fictional location with a fictional requirement; Offerors are cautioned against building their solutions based on assumptions that account for the location’s real-life analogue. Instances the Sample Base Prompt contains insufficient information are intentional;

the Offeror shall identify the insufficient information and explain in their TOSP how they would acquire the information. The Offeror shall provide a viable, clear, and complete TOSP, which demonstrates an understanding of the processes represents an effective working knowledge of the related topics, and must include the following:

a. An explanation of how the Offeror will source qualified personnel.

b. An explanation of the considerations and processes the Offeror accounts for regarding bilateral international Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) as applicable to the Sample Base Prompt.

c. The Offeror’s quality control plan that addresses:

1. Scheduling of services.

2. How the Offeror intends to effectively implement equipment management, respond to emergencies, hazardous materials, and safety programs.

3. How the Offeror will comply with SLAs.

4. How the Offeror will receive notification of performance problems.

5. How the Offeror will respond to problems and deficiencies.

6. How the Offeror will handle challenging problems.

7. How the offeror will perform inspections and the frequency of the inspections.

8. The Offeror’s plan for Comprehensive Threat Analysis for physical and cyber threats.

d. A plan to increase reduction in manpower for IT Asset Management, Endpoint Management, Security Configuration Management, Vulnerability Management, Threat Detection & Remediation, Integration with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) & Analytics, Program Management, Engineering Services, and Transition Services.

e. A plan to comply with Continuity of Operations Plan and Concept of

Operations of the DAF.

f. A plan for how the Offeror will create and manage an overarching Master Schedule that sequences all required activities in the BIM IDIQ PWS (Attachment J-6).

g. A plan for how the offeror will manage scheduling, administration, management, and execution of the required services in the BIM IDIQ PWS (Attachment J-6).

h. The offeror’s plan to execute the following phases in performing on the TO:

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1. Phase 1 – The Offeror’s approach to conducting a site survey, to include:

A. Labor skill mix involved.

B. Equipment/software used.

C. Timelines and durations.

D. Use of subcontractors and the roles of team members (as applicable where the Offeror is using teaming arrangements).

2. Phase 2 – The Offeror’s approach to operating the Government’s network, to include:

A. Labor skill mix involved with normal operations.

B. Labor skill mix involved with contingency operations.

C. Use of subcontractors and the roles of team members (as applicable where the Offeror is using teaming arrangements).

D. List and quantity of equipment provided and/or used by the offeror to operate the network.

3. Phase 3 – The Offeror’s approach to delivering a design and architecture to the Government, to include how the Offeror will coordinate with the Government to ultimately provide an acceptable design and architecture of a modernized network, to include:

A. Labor skill mix involved.

B. Use of subcontractors and the roles of team members (as applicable where the Offeror is using teaming arrangements).

C. Unique spectrum and connection challenges.

D. Notional architecture that meets the SLA requirements identified in the

BIM IDIQ PWS (Attachment J-6).

E. A list, including quantities, of the equipment required to implement the architecture.

F. Clear articulation of how the notional solution increases network efficiency, network effectiveness, quality of service, and quality of experience.

4. Phase 4 – The Offeror’s approach to installing and otherwise implementing the accepted design, to include:

A. Labor skill mix involved with normal operations.

B. Labor skill mix involved with contingency operations.

C. Use of subcontractors and the roles of team members (as applicable where

D. Timelines and durations.

5. Phase 5 – The Offeror’s approach to operating the modernized network, to include:

A. List of quantity and equipment provided and/or used by the offeror to operate the network.

B. Labor skill mix involved with normal operations.

C. Labor skill mix involved with contingency operations.

D. Use of subcontractors and the roles of team members (as applicable where

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2.5. Volume 4: Factor 4 – Small Business Participation

All Offerors (to include Small Businesses) shall submit a Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) (Attachment J-5) by filling out the attachment and following the additional instructions provided therein. All supporting documentation is excluded from page limitations and will not be incorporated in the any resulting contract. This required information will be used to evaluate the extent of your proposed participation/commitment to use United States Small Businesses in the performance of this acquisition (as Small Business prime Offerors or Small Business subcontractors) relative to Section M, Factor 4, Small Business Participation Commitment. These SBPCD requirements will be incorporated into any resulting contracts and as specified below.

a. Use Table 1 the SBPCD Template to identify the SBCs (prime Offerors and Small

Business subcontractors) proposed quantitative participation in terms of the value of the total acquisition (total contract value). Offerors shall provide detailed explanations/ documentation to support quantitative Small Business participation.

Binding commitments shall become enforceable, contractual requirements.

b. Use Table 2 within the SBPCD Template to identify the Small Business Concerns

(SBC) as defined in FAR Part 19 that are to be used in your proposed approach to satisfying the requirements of this solicitation for the entire performance period.

Include the company name, business category(ies), description of products or services to be provided by each SBC and the NAICS code and nature of the commitment with the SBC (i.e., letter of commitment, joint ventures, mentor protégé agreements, others). Binding commitments shall become enforceable, contractual requirements.

c. All Offerors shall provide past performance information to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns, including the extent to which Small Business performance objectives/requirements were met for the contracts that required submission of a Small Business Participation Plan or other Small Business participation/utilization document. Copies of contractual reports may be submitted to validate compliance with requirements of FAR 52.219-8.

Explanation of efforts where minimum quantitative requirements and/or goals were not met should be provided. Supporting documentation shall be relevant to the requirements of this solicitation and shall be within the past five years. All supporting documentation is excluded from the page count.

d. Offerors, unless otherwise exempt due to being a small business concern or other reasons in accordance with FAR 19.702(b), shall submit at least two Individual Subcontract Reports (ISRs) and/or Summary Subcontracting Reports (SSRs) to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of FAR 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan, including extent to which applicable goals and other Small Business performance objectives/requirements were met for the contracts submitted to demonstrate compliance. Explanation of efforts where goals were not met should be provided. Supporting documentation shall be relevant to the requirements of this

Section L, Page 10 of 11 solicitation and shall be within the past five years. All supporting documentation is excluded from the page count.

e. Offerors must submit sufficient supporting documentation in conjunction with their completed SBPCD to substantiate any current, existing, or new small business arrangements that will be secured for performing on the subject acquisition and to demonstrate compliance with FAR 52.219-8. Any supporting documentation submitted in conjunction with the completed SBPCD will not be included in the page count, so long as the documentation is an attachment to this volume and solely relevant to supporting the SBPCD.

f. Performance shall be based on the Contractor’s actual attainment toward the objectives contained within the SBPCD, and the BIM, 30% SB participation goal or Minimum Quantitative Requirement (MQR). The SB 30% MQR shall be calculated based on total small business subcontracted as a percentage of the ceiling value of the IDIQ. Additionally, the Offeror shall include a commitment to achieve at least 5.00% of the value of the IDIQ to any combination of Small Disadvantaged Businesses.

Lastly, the SBPCD shall include 5 small business members, to include at least 1 Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) active in the 8(a) Business Development Program and at least 1 additional small business of any socioeconomic category.

Second and third tier SB subcontractors will not be considered towards the total SB participation percentage in this factor. The Government will monitor the successful awardee’s ability to meet, exceed, or remain on target with regards to the SBPCD.

g. The work to be performed directly by a small business prime Offeror will also be evaluated as Small Business Participation. The Small Business Participation Commitment Document will become part of the resultant contract.

h. The apparent successful Offeror will be required to submit quarterly SBPCD reports.

Submission of Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Offerors, unless otherwise exempt due to being a small business concern or other reasons in accordance with FAR 19.702(b), shall, in accordance with FAR 19.7, 52.219-9 – Alternate II, 52.244-5, and DFARS 252.219-7003, also submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. If the Offeror is a participant in the DoD Comprehensive Subcontracting Test program specified in DFARS 219-71, Pilot Mentor-Protégé Program, the offer shall provide a copy of the approved comprehensive plan.

The Offeror shall propose a plan to utilize subcontractor relationships in-order-to meet and execute the requirements of the BIM PWS. Offerors should highlight measures implemented to vet the technical competency and practices of the subcontractor company and provide relevant documentation supporting expected success in using that partner (e.g., past performance, stringent vetting process, etc.)

The plan will not be included in the evaluation to determine whether Factor 4 is rated

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“Acceptable” or “Unacceptable”. However, in the case that an Offeror is found to be an apparent awardee, the Offeror’s SBSP must be determined to be acceptable prior to receipt of award as a matter of contractor responsibility.