ESC_USAFE_Section_L_25Apr14_Final.docx

PROPOSAL PREPARATION Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors or Respondents IMPORTANT NOTE: The various contract preparation software applications used in the Air Force (ConWrite, ACPS, or SPS) produce contract instruments (including Section L) which differ somewhat in appearance. The organization of this template follows that of the Con-Write program. If you are using a contract preparation application, the software will organize and format the solicitation provisions portion of your Section L (Subsections L-I and L-II in this template). Simply skip to Subsection L-III of this template to develop your Information to Offerors.

I. NOTICE: The following solicitation provisions pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated by reference:

A. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

B. DEFENSE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SUPPLEMENT SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

PART

IV

REPRESENTATIONS

AND

INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION

L

INSTRUCTIONS,

CONDITIONS

AND

NOTICES

TO

OFFERORS

SECTION

L

FA8903-14-R-0018

PAGE

L of

C. AIR FORCE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SUPPLEMENT SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

5352.209-9001 POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCT 2010), Para (a). Nature of the proposed conflict. 'Prior or current on-going efforts at sites listed in the PWS' Para (a)(1). Nature of proposed restraint and time period. 'No offeror has unequal access to information, biased ground rules or impaired objectivity'

5352.215-9000 FACILITY CLEARANCE (MAY 1996)

II. NOTICE: The following solicitation provisions pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated in full text:

A. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOLICITATION PROVISIONS IN FULL TEXT

52.252-01 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): http://farsite.hill.af.mil/

52.252-03 ALTERATIONS IN SOLICITATION (APR 1984)

Portions of this solicitation are altered as follows: TBD at time of alteration.

52.252-05 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN PROVISIONS (APR 1984)

(a) The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the provision.

(b) The use in this solicitation of any Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (48 CFR Chapter 2) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

B. OTHER SOLICITATION PROVISIONS IN FULL TEXT

L011 APPLICABLE CLAUSES (APR 2013)

The appropriate clauses to be included in the contract will be determined based on Offeror's response to the Section K representations.

(a) Patent Rights. If the Offeror is a small business firm or nonprofit organization, then FAR 52.227-11, PATENT RIGHTS -- OWNERSHIP BY THE CONTRACTOR, and DFARS 252.227-7039, (b)

PATENTS - REPORTING OF SUBJECT INVENTIONS will be used in Section I. Otherwise, DFARS 252.227-7038, PATENT RIGHTS - OWNERSHIP BY THE CONTRACTOR (LARGE BUSINESS), will be included in Section I consistent with FAR Part 27.

(c) Cost Accounting Standards. Section I of this solicitation may contain the three Cost Accounting Standards clauses at FAR 52.230-3, 52.230-4, 52.230-5, and/or 52.230-6. The resultant contract will contain only those clauses required based on the Offeror's response to the Section K certification titled Cost Accounting Standards Notices and Certification (National Defense).

(d) State of New Mexico. Section I of this solicitation may contain the clause at FAR 52.229-10, STATE OF NEW MEXICO GROSS RECEIPTS AND COMPENSATING TAX. The resultant contract will contain this clause only if performance is in whole or in part within the State of New Mexico and the contract directs or authorizes the contractor to acquire property as a direct cost under the contract.

(e) Educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. If a cost-reimbursement type contract is contemplated and the offeror is an educational institution, paragraph (a) of the clause at FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment shall be altered in the resultant contract to refer to FAR Subpart 31.3 for determining allowable costs. Similarly, if the offeror is a nonprofit organization (other than an educational institution, a State or local government, or a nonprofit organization exempted under OMB Circular No. A- 122), paragraph (a) of the clause at FAR 52.216-7 shall be altered to refer to FAR Subpart 31.7. In addition, if the offeror is an educational institution, DFARS 252.209-7005, MILITARY RECRUITING ON CAMPUS, will be added to Section I of the resultant contract.

(f) Subcontracting Plan. DFARS 219.708 was amended to require the use of clause 252.219- 7004, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Test Program), instead of 252.219-7003, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (DoD Contracts), and FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, in prime contracts with contractors that have comprehensive subcontracting plans approved under the test program described in DFARS 219.702. Also, include in the prime contract, solely for the purpose of flowing the clauses down to subcontractors, FAR clause 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, and 252.219-7003, or when contract will not be reported in FPDS, FAR clause 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan with its Alternate III and 252.219-7003 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (DoD Contracts) with its Alternate I.

L029 DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE RANGE (FEB 1997)

(a) Pursuant to FAR 15.306, the Contracting Officer's determination of competitive range of proposals submitted as a result of this solicitation will consider such criteria as technical evaluation/ranking of the proposal, initial cost/ price proposed, and other items set forth in Section M of this solicitation. See the Section M paragraph entitled "Evaluation Criteria," for a definitive listing of these criteria and their relative importance.

(b) Offerors are hereby advised that only those proposals determined to have a reasonable chance for award of a contract will be included in the competitive range. While every effort will be made to maintain strong competition, the Contracting Officer will also look to eliminate time consuming and unnecessary discussions with those offerors whose proposals have no reasonable chance for award. This procedure is considered beneficial to both the Air Force and the offerors involved since, in addition to saving further expenditure of resources, acquisition lead time should be reduced.

(c) Accordingly, offerors should submit initial proposals on their most favorable terms, from both a technical and cost/price standpoint. Again, it should be noted that proposals will not be included in the competitive range solely on the basis of technical acceptability, nor will they be included due to cost/price considerations alone.

(d) Offerors whose proposals are not included in the competitive range will be notified as soon as practicable. Additional information relative to such proposals will be provided through debriefing of unsuccessful offerors.

(e)

L037 DD FORM 1423 (FEB 1997)

(a) All technical data and identified administrative reports contractually required shall be supplied in accordance with attached CDRL or DD Form 1423.

(b) The offeror may propose alternative offers which recommend substitutions or eliminations of the stated requirements. Substantiate each recommendation and describe the projected savings that would result by accepting the alternative offer.

L045 ACCESS TO AIR FORCE COMPUTER SYSTEMS (FEB 2011)

If performance under this contract will require access to Air Force computer systems (stand alone or networked), compliance with Air Force Instruction (AFI) 33-119 and Air Force Instruction (AFI) 33-200 is mandatory. It should be noted that such access requires, at a minimum, a National Agency Check or Entrance National Agency Check in accordance with DoD 5200.2-R, Personal Security Program.

Offerors should make themselves familiar with local procedures for processing such requirements, and be prepared to be in compliance on the first day of contract performance. Failure to comply with this requirement may be considered a failure to perform.

(add applicable provisions in full text)

INFORMATION TO OFFERORS (ITO)

DEFINITIONS

DEFINITIONS: Offerors shall use the following definitions while preparing proposals for this acquisition. These definitions are applicable to all sections of the solicitation.

CONCURRENT: Work performed whose periods of performance are simultaneous. At any given time, projects will be considered to be concurrent only with the projects with which they overlap.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: The construction, rehabilitation, alteration, conversion, extension, demolition, or repair of buildings, highways, or other changes or improvements to real property, including facilities providing utility service. Includes, but not limited to the following types of construction projects: Design-build and bid-build construction, demolition and maintenance/repair requirements. Design and/or oversight of a construction project do not meet this definition of a “construction project”.

DEPTH AND BREADTH: The level of complexity and diversification of demonstrated work experience/performance as it compares to the full spectrum of work scope specified in the ESC PWS.

CONUS: Continental United States means the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.

ESC Website: The ESC website is available at: https://52mpls-ws-452v/contracting/esc/

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION PROJECTS: An act or process to remedy, repair, or restore contaminated environmental sites. For the purposes of this acquisition, environmental remediation projects include the cleanup of contamination from hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants with incidental identification, investigation, and work associated with the remediation effort.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: To build, develop, convert, or extend real property and real property systems or components. The product of an environmental construction project must be complete and independently functional for its intended purpose. This includes but is not limited to environmental construction, remediation, restoration, abatement, and demolition of: utilities, real property systems, and infrastructure in support of environmental restoration and environmental compliance engineering requirements. The construction, rehabilitation, alteration, conversion, extension, demolition, or repair of environmentally related structures includes the following types of environmental projects: wastewater treatment plants, sanitary or industrial waste lines, hazardous material or waste storage facilities, etc. Design and/or oversight of an environmental construction project does not meet this definition of an “environmental construction project”.

GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED: To be considered geographically dispersed the Team shall have projects in at least four (4) major USAFE countries (e.g. – Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, etc.).

HAZMAT/HAZWASTE: The operations and management of Air Force hazardous materials and/or hazardous waste programs on military installations, including the HazMart and Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF).

KEY PERSONNEL: Permanent employees of the Prime firm/Team who fill management positions in the organization and provide expertise in their assigned positions, rather than temporary or contract employee arrangements.

LETTER OF INTENT: Letter from the proposed Team partner or sub-contractor stating that they will be working with the Prime on the contract.

MANAGEMENT APPROACH: A management approach must clearly document (1) how the Offeror intends to assign, execute and manage personnel and resources for task orders (TO) under the ESC contract; (2) the method for identifying and mitigating management issues; and (3) the method for communicating and distributing responsibilities between the Prime and various Team members.

OCONUS: Outside the Continental United States.

OFFEROR: Defined as the “PRIME” Contractor submitting a single proposal in response to this solicitation.

PROJECT: A Project, as submitted by the Offeror for evaluation under this solicitation for basic contract award, shall consist of a SINGLE TO, delivery order or work order issued under an ID/IQ contract or any other multiple delivery type contract (includes Simplified Acquisition Base Engineering Requirements (SABER) and Basic Ordering Agreements), or a stand-alone contract for a Government or commercial client. A project shall have a dollar value of not less than $100K.

SECURITY AWARENESS: Security awareness is defined to relate to work site activity coordination to ensure the protection of human health and the environment; the prevention of damage to property, utilities, materials, supplies, and equipment; and the avoidance of work interruptions. Provide physical security to work area with security equipment and personnel when applicable at the TO. The Contractor will coordinate work site activities with applicable existing base or area operations. Examples of the offices/departments that the Contractor shall coordinate activities which include, but are not limited to: Transportation, Planning, Police/Security, Utilities, Hazardous Materials Operations, Permitting, Fire, Site Access Badges, Safety, Facility Management, Base Civil Engineer, Local Reuse Authority, Public Works, and Field Operations.

STAKEHOLDERS: Stakeholders include the following: Customers, project managers, regulators, state/federal/foreign agencies, local communities, elected officials, citizens groups, and others as applicable.

SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE: A project is considered substantially complete as proposed by the Offeror for this solicitation if it is ongoing and greater than or equal to 80% complete (expensed) as of the release date of this solicitation.

SUBCONTRACTORS: Any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that provide supplies or services to or for a Prime Contractor in the performance of a contract. Subcontractor are not considered part of the Prime Contractor’s Team or Team members.

TEAM: This solicitation will refer to the Prime and all identified Team members as a “Team”.

TEAM/TEAM MEMBER(S): The Government will consider the Offeror and all named Team members a TEAM when a signed Teaming Arrangement/Agreement (TA) and Letter of Intent (LOI) are provided.

TEAMING ARRANGEMENT/AGREEMENT (TA): Must be submitted by the Prime which states that they have an arrangement/agreement with a Team partner or subcontractor to work on the contract together. Normally this stipulates how much each Contractor will participate (i.e.60/40 split of work). To be valid under this solicitation, a teaming arrangement/agreement (TA) must commit the parties to performance under this contract, should it be awarded to the Offeror.

INFORMATION TO OFFERORS (ITO)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION

1.0 Program Structure and Objectives

The Government seeks to award approximately five (5) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for the Environmental Services and Construction (ESC) United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) acquisition utilizing full and open competition. The Government reserves the right to award more or fewer contracts if the Source Selection Authority (SSA) determines it is in the Government's best interest. Resultant contracts will have a five (5) year ordering period with an additional three (3) years for TO performance completion. Ordinarily, the TO period of performance (POP)_will not exceed 12 months; however, the nature of the work may support a longer POP or the use of options. TO options will be priced on a FFP and/or CPFF basis and evaluated for placement purposes in accordance with (IAW) FAR 52.217-5 and the TO solicitation.

1.1. Budget/Funding Information

For consideration in developing a proposal, the maximum ceiling value is $48M over the life of the contract. However, each award contract is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) type contract which limits the Government’s obligation to the minimum amount specified in Section B of the solicitation. Congressional budget year allocations and prioritized requirements may determine future TO placement and exercise of TO options.

2.0 General Instruction

2.1 Information to Offeror(s)

This section of the Information to Offeror(s) (ITO) provides general guidance for preparing proposals as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal. The Offeror's proposal shall include all data and information requested by the ITO and shall be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the Performance Work Statement (PWS), Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs), and Model Contract. Non-conformance with the instructions provided in this ITO may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

(a) Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience and will base its evaluation solely on the information presented in the proposal.

(b) The proposal acceptance period is specified in Section A, Standard Form 33, block 12 of the solicitation. The Offeror shall make a clear statement in the proposal documentation Volume I, that the proposal shall be valid for 240 days from the date of submission.

(c) In accordance with the DD Form 254, foreign firms or foreign-owned firms will not be permitted to participate as Prime Contractors, unless they have been approved by Defense Security Services (DSS) under the Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) process to receive a facility security clearance. In accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) and FOCI, security measures must be established to mitigate the foreign ownership in order to receive a facility security clearance. A foreign-owned company may also be cleared under a Special Security Agreement (SSA). If an SSA-cleared company requires access to prescribed information (e.g., Top Secret – Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS-SCI)), a National Interest Determination (NID) will be processed and approved to declare that release of information would not harm the national security interests of the United States.

(d) Compliance with these instructions is mandatory and failure to comply may render your proposal ineligible for award.

2.1.1 Point of Contact

The Contracting Officer (CO) is the sole point of contact for this acquisition. The Offeror shall address any questions or concerns you may have to the CO. Written requests for clarification may be sent to the CO via email at the address located in Section A of the model contract/solicitation. Email is the preferred method of communication. The CO for this acquisition is as follows:

Contracting Officer:

Ms. Diana Taylor Phone (210) 395-8273 E-mail: diana.taylor.2@us.af.mil (If the source selection team will be using a source selection facility, consider inserting the address of that source selection facility here.)

2.1.2 Notifications/Debriefings

(a) Notifications: Offerors who are eliminated from further consideration for award will receive a notification with a basis of the determination only. The CO will notify Offeror(s) of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR Part 15.503(b).

(b) Debriefings: The CO will promptly 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. Offerors excluded from the competitive range may request a pre-award debriefing or they may choose to wait until after the source selection decision to request a post-award debriefing. However, Offerors excluded from the competitive range are entitled to no more than one debriefing for each proposal. The CO will notify unsuccessful Offerors in the competitive range of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR 15.506. Upon such notification, unsuccessful Offerors may request and receive a debriefing. Offerors desiring a debriefing must make their request in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.505 or 15.506, as applicable.

2.1.3 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 (but no later than 10 business days after release of the solicitation) 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. This reservation includes matters of additional or substitute pages of the initial proposal.

2.1.4 Electronic Reference Documents

All referenced documents for this solicitation are available on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website at https://www.fbo.gov. Potential Offerors are encouraged to subscribe for real-time e-mail notifications when information has been posted to the website for this solicitation.

2.1.5 Communications

Exchanges of source selection information between Government and Offerors will be controlled by the CO. Email may be used to transmit such information to Offerors only if the email can be sent and received encrypted and includes “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 & 3.104” in the Subject line. Otherwise, source selection information will be transmitted via the AFCEC website: https://52mpls-ws-452v/contracting/esc/ (fill-in as appropriate (e.g. fax, USPS, FedEx, UPS, pick-up by local representative)

2.1.6 Teaming

All Team members shall have a signed Teaming Arrangement/Agreement (TA) and Letter of Intent (LOI). TAs and LOIs must be provided in Volume I (Contracting) and Volume II (Technical).

(a) Any business entity without a TA or LOI with the Prime is NOT considered a Team member and will not be evaluated.

(b) Mentor-Protégé (M-P) is a relationship and not a business entity. M-Ps require formal TAs or LOIs to qualify for consideration as a Team member.

(c) A Joint Venture (JV) will be considered a sole business entity. Signed JV documentation must be provided in Volume I, Contracting, and Volume II, Technical.

(d) The proposal shall present a complete, coherent presentation of the Team’s ability as applicable.

2.2 Organization/Number of Copies/Page Limits

(a) Table 2.2 Proposal Organization

(1) The Offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in Table 2.2 below.

(2) The titles and contents of the volumes shall be as shown.

(3) All titles and contents shall be within the required page limits and with the number of copies as specified.

(4) All Proposal volumes (original unbound and bound, hard copies, e-copies) identified shall be delivered to the address specified in Block 8 of the SF 33 no later than 2:00 PM Central Time on (TBD).

(b) Specific format requirements are identified in paragraph 2.3, Proposal Format.

(c) The contents of each proposal volume are described in the Information to Offeror(s) (ITO) paragraph as noted in the table below.

(d) In the event that this table conflicts with the detailed instructions in the paragraphs that follow, the detailed instructions shall take precedence.

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

Table 2.2 Proposal Organization

* See 2.3.10.3 Electronic Copies (E-Copies) for separate ESC CD-ROM requirements ** Past Performance Information Sheets (Attachment L-5) and Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment L-6) may not exceed the keystroke limitations listed on the attachments.

2.3 Proposal Format

2.3.1 Guidance

(a) This section of the ITO provides general guidance for preparing proposals as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal.

(b) The Offeror's proposal must include all data and information requested by the ITO and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions.

(c) All the requirements specified in this solicitation are mandatory.

(d) You are representing that your firm will perform all the requirements specified in the solicitation by submitting your proposal.

(e) These instructions are intended to elicit brief and specific responses. However, simply stating that the Offeror understands and intends to comply with this effort or paraphrasing statements in the solicitation is inadequate.

(f) The offer shall comply with the requirements as stated in the solicitation.

2.3.2 Sufficient Detail

(a) The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims.

(b) 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.

(c) Offeror(s) shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their capabilities and experience, and will base its evaluation solely on the information presented in the Offeror's proposal.

2.3.3 Elaborate Presentations Not Desired

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

2.3.4 Price Information

All pricing information shall be addressed ONLY in Volume III, the Price Proposal Volume.

2.3.5 No Cross-Referencing

(a) Each volume shall be written on a standalone basis so that its contents may be evaluated without cross-referencing to other volumes of the proposal.

(b) Information required for proposal evaluation, which is not found in its designated volume, will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

(c) Each response to each Sub-factor shall be self-contained. No cross-referencing between Sub-factor responses is allowed.

2.3.6 Tab Indexing

(a) Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections within each volume.

(b) A tab is to be used to identify each ITO paragraph number and title as identified in Table 2.2 Proposal Organization.

(c) Tabs do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

Note: DO NOT include proposal information on tabs.

2.3.7 Table of Contents

(a) Table of Contents.

(1) Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume.

(b) Master Table of Contents.

(1) Volume I, Contracting, shall contain a consolidation of the individual Table of Contents for all Volumes (I through III).

(2) A separate e-file of the Master Table of Contents shall be provided in accordance with Electronic Copy requirements in paragraph 2.3.10.3.

(c) The Table of Contents will not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

2.3.8 List of Tables and Figures

(a) Each volume shall contain a list of all tables and figures within that volume.

(b) The List of Tables and Figures will not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

2.3.9 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

(a) Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with an explanation for each.

(b) One glossary may be developed for the entire proposal and provided in each volume.

(c) Glossaries do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

2.3.10 Proposal Copies

(a) All copies of an Offeror’s proposal must be submitted together.

(b) All Prime and Team member(s) information must be incorporated into one coherent submittal.

(c) Staples shall not be used.

(d) Be sure to identify appropriate markings as identified in FAR 52.215-1(e), and FAR 3.104-4, “Restriction on disclosure and use of data.”

2.3.10.1 “Original” Proposal One hardcopy of each volume shall be clearly identified as “original”. The “original” proposal shall be formatted as follows:

(a) The “Original” proposal shall be clearly marked as “Original”

(b) Only the Model Contract (Sections A thru J of the SF33) shall be printed single sided, Unbound and not hole punched

(c) Hole-punched with a standard 2-hole punch at the top of each page

(d) Printed head-to-foot so that each page can be read when placed in a standard 2-hole file folder

(e) Each volume shall have a cover sheet, clearly marked as volume number, “ORIGINAL”, Offeror's name, solicitation title, and solicitation number.

2.3.10.2 Hard Copies

(a) Each hard copy volume of the proposal shall be separately bound in a three-ring loose-leaf binder, which shall permit the volume to lie flat when open.

(b) A cover sheet shall be bound in each book, clearly marked as to volume number, copy number, Offeror's name, solicitation title, and solicitation number.

(c) A Label shall be placed in the front cover of each binder clearly identifying volume number, copy number, Offeror's name, solicitation title, and solicitation number.

(d) A Label shall be placed in the spine of each binder clearly identifying volume number, copy number, Offeror's name, solicitation title, and solicitation number.

(e) All unclassified document binders shall have a color other than red or other applicable security designation colors.

(a) All electronic copies shall be submitted on CD-ROM in a flexible plastic protective sleeve. Protective sleeves shall be hole-punched with a standard 2-hole punch at the top of each sleeve

(1) Electronic file directory titles and organization shall reflect the titles and organization of these instructions.

(2) A Microsoft Word file with the Master Table of Contents identifying contents of each CD-ROM shall be submitted.

(3) The PDF copy of the proposal shall be an exact duplicate of the “original” paper proposal. The CD-ROMs will be used for proposal evaluation. The Government will not perform a word-by-word check of the “original” vs. the PDF version. However, if discrepancies are identified between the electronic proposal and the “original” paper proposal, the paper proposal shall prevail.

(4) Two (2) separate CD-ROM’s are required for both Volume 2 “Technical Factor” and Volume 3 “Price”

(5) Offerors shall ensure electronic copies on CD-ROM are virus free.

(6) Electronic copies of each volume shall be compatible with the following available Government equipment and software products:

Windows compatible PCs Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 Microsoft Office 2007

(7) Sound or video (e.g. MPEG) files shall not be embedded into the proposal files.

(b) Master copy CD-ROM requirements

(1) Complete electronic copies of all volumes shall be submitted in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document File (PDF) searchable and selectable text format.

(2) Separate CD-ROMs shall be used for each volume.

(3) This ESC Pricing information CD-ROMs is considered the electronic copy number two (2) for the price volume (Volume IV) per Table 2.2. This Price Information should include complete fully burdened labor rate professional labor category Price Model Matrix as per paragraph 5.2.2 (Attachment L-10) and any other information submitted to support your estimating systems and basis of proposed rates. The Price electronic copies must be supported by Microsoft Excel format. Any proprietary price information submitted by the Prime on behalf of any Team member may be submitted in a sealed envelope; however, the Prime needs to ensure that two (2) electronic copies of the price information are included in the sealed envelope/package. Electronic copies of pricing information in Volume IV must lend themselves to review and analysis by the Government. The Offeror shall ensure the formulas on the pricing spreadsheets are made available to Government reviewers.

(c) E-copy requirements will include CD-ROMS. The total number of CDs shall include a master copy in a searchable text format, and one copy of the Price Model Matrix in Microsoft Excel format.

2.3.11 Page Format Restrictions and Limitations

2.3.11.1 Page Format

(a) All pages shall be printed double-sided on recycled paper as much as practical.

(b) Pages shall be 8.5 x 11 inches, not including foldouts.

(c) Text pages shall be portrait oriented. Graphics and tables may be landscape oriented if required to properly present the information.

(d) Pages shall be typed with single line spacing.

(e) No condensed fonts allowed. Times New Roman or Arial are the required fonts. The font size shall be no less than 10 point. All Section-L attachments (L-1 through L-11) provided by the Government are exempted from the font and margin requirements.

(f) Margins on all four edges of each sheet will be at least one inch.

(g) Proprietary statements, security markings, and page numbers can fall within the defined margin area.

(h) Except for the Pricing Volume, each required section within a volume shall be numbered consecutively (i.e. Executive Summary 1-2, Table of Contents 1-3; Management Approach 1-4; Resources 1-5, etc).

(i) These page format restrictions shall apply to responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs).

2.3.11.2 Foldouts

(a) Foldout pages may only be used for large tables, charts, graphs, diagrams and schematics.

(b) Foldout pages may not be used for pages of text.

(c) Legible tables, charts, graphs, diagrams, schematics and figures shall be used wherever practical to depict organizations, systems and layout, implementation schedules, design drawings, plans, etc.

(d) These displays shall be uncomplicated, legible and shall not exceed 11 x 17 inches in size.

(e) Each printed side of a foldout will count as two pages.

(f) All information (except documentation numbers, classification markings, and page numbers) shall be contained within an image area of 9 x 15-1/2 inches.

(g) Foldout pages shall fold so that the Government can read and evaluate them without removal from proposal binder.

(h) Foldout pages shall fold entirely within the volume.

2.3.11.3 Page Limitations

(a) Page limitations shall be treated as maximums.

(b) Each side of each 8 ½ x 11 inch sheet that displays printed material shall be counted as 1 page for page limitation purposes. Blank pages will not be counted towards the page limitation.

(c) Each side of each 11 x 17 inch sheet that displays printed material shall be counted as 2 pages for page limitation purposes.

(d) Compliance with page count limits shall be verified via the hardcopy.

(e) If page limits are exceeded, the excess pages (1) will be destroyed; and (2) will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal.

(f) Page limitations shall be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (EN). The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the Offeror(s).

2.3.11.4 Pages Counted (Exemptions)

Each page shall be counted except the following:

(a) Cover pages

(b) Table of contents

(c) List of figures

(d) Glossaries

(e) Tabs

(f) Dividers

(g) Blank pages

2.4 Responsibility Determination

The PCO is required to make a determination of responsibility IAW FAR 9.1. As part of this determination, the PCO may request a Financial Capabilities Assessment from the cognizant Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Office.

VOLUME I – CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

3.0 Volume Organization

The Contracting volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

(a) Executive Summary

(b) Standard Proposal Information

(1) Master Table of Contents

(2) Volume Table of Contents

(3) List of Tables and Figures

(4) Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

(c) Validity Statement

(d) Organizational Conflict of Interest

(e) Bonding

(f) Contact Information

(g) Teaming Arrangements and/or Letters of Intent

(h) Exceptions to Terms and Conditions

(i) Model Contract (Sections A thru J of the SF33)

(j) Representations and Certifications

(k) Attachments to the Model Contract

3.1 Executive Summary

(a) The Executive Summary is a concise narrative summary of the entire proposal, excluding price.

(1) The summary shall include key mission capability features describing key technical, performance, and management features of the Offeror.

(2) The summary shall also include key contract features describing Subcontractor, or TAs, delivery schedules for the POP including schedules for the basic and all options.

(b) The salient features shall tie in with Section M evaluation criteria.

(c) Any summary material presented here shall not be considered as meeting the requirements for any portions of other volumes of the proposal.

3.2 Standard Proposal Information

(a) Provide a Master Table of Contents for the entire proposal (all volumes).

(b) Provide a Table of Contents for Volume I per ITO paragraph 2.3.7.

(c) Provide a List of Tables and Figures for Volume I per ITO paragraph 2.3.8.

(d) Provide a Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms for Volume I per ITO paragraph 2.3.9.

3.3 Validity Statement

(a) The proposal acceptance period is specified on the model contract/solicitation, SF 33, Page 1, Block 12.

(b) The Offeror shall make a clear statement that the proposal is valid until this date in the proposal documentation volume.

(c) Be sure to identify appropriate markings as identified in FAR 52.215-1(e) and FAR 3.104-4, “Restriction on disclosure and use of data.”

3.4 Organizational Conflict of Interest

OCI’s may exist at least in the following three ways:

(a) Unequal access to information – access to non-public information that gives a contractor an unfair competitive advantage.

(b) Biased ground rules – when a contractor has in some sense set the ground rules for another procurement action creating the potential that the contractor may have tilted the playing field in the new competition (usually toward its own strengths and away from its weakness).

(c) Impaired objectivity – when the contract requires exercise of judgment and the independence of its judgment may be affected (e.g., when the contractor may be required to evaluate its own work in a way that could be adverse to its economic interests).

3.5 Bonding capacity of the Prime.

(a) Provide a brief narrative summary describing (1) the Prime’s total bonding capacity; and (2) the Prime’s current excess bonding capacity.

(b) Provide proof of excess bonding capacity with original bonding capacity letters from an approved surety listed with the Department of Treasury. Letters must be signed by an authorized representative of the surety. Letters signed by agents are unacceptable unless accompanied by a Power of Attorney granting proper authority to the agent. Bonding capacity must be for the Prime only (stacking of teaming Subcontractor bonds will not be evaluated for this sub-factor). Prime must demonstrate proof of excess bonding capacity to obtain one TO bond in the amount of $2.5 million.

3.6 Contact Information

For proposal purposes, Offeror shall print and complete the ESC-USAFE Contractor Data Sheet (Attachment L-9) with proposal POCs and include in Volume I.

3.7 Teaming Arrangements/Agreements and Letters of Intent; Letters of Withdrawal

(a) Provide all Teaming Arrangements and Letters of Intent for Team members to receive credit for performing as a Team as required in Volume I, Contracting per ITO paragraph 2.1.6.

(b) A business entity can participate in this acquisition on one proposal only.

3.8 Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements

(a) 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 sub-factor. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. Offerors shall clearly identify any exceptions to Terms and Conditions of the model contract. Exceptions are strongly discouraged. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the solicitation may result in the Offeror being removed from consideration for award.

(b) Exceptions taken to terms and conditions of the model contract, to any of its formal attachments, or to other parts of the solicitation shall be identified.

(c) Each exception shall be specifically related to each paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken.

(d) 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.

(e) This information shall be provided in the format and content of Table 3.6. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the solicitation may result in the Offeror being removed from consideration for award.

Table 3.8 – Solicitation Exceptions

SOLICITATION

Document

Portion

Rationale

numbers

3.9 Model Contract

(a) The purpose of this section is to provide information to the Government for preparing the contract document and supporting file.

(b) The Offeror's proposal shall include a signed copy of the Model Contract (Sections A thru J of the SF33). Signature by the Offeror on the Standard Form 33 constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept. The "original" copy shall be clearly marked under separate cover printed single sided only, unbound and without any punched holes.

3.9.1 Representations and Certifications

(a) The Offeror's proposal shall include a signed copy of the Representations and Certifications, Section K. The Offeror may submit a signed copy from the System for Award Management (SAM) website in lieu of completing the representations and certifications included in the model contract. This may be 2- hole punched and placed in Volume 1.

3.9.2 Attachments to the Model Contract

The following is a list of attachments or exhibits, which will be made part of each ESC Contract upon award:

(a) Exhibit A, B, C – CDRLs

(b) Attachment #1– Performance Work Statement

(c) Attachment #2 – Quality Control Plan (Offeror provides)

(d) Attachment #3 – Labor (Personnel) Qualifications and Experience

(e) Attachment #4 – FFP Fully Burdened Labor Rates (Offeror provides)

3.10 Financial Responsibility

(a) The Offeror shall provide the last three (3) years of financial statements, and year-to-date financial information through the last quarter available. If audited, reviewed, compiled or certified financial statements are available, these shall be submitted.

(b) The above information shall be provided for the Prime Contractor. If the Prime is a combination of firms (for example, a partnership or joint venture), discuss the financial responsibilities among the companies. Historical and year-to-date financial data shall be submitted for each company that makes up the Prime, and the ability to fund contract performance shall be addressed for the combined firm. The Prime’s financial documents referenced in paragraph (a) above shall be submitted immediately upon receipt of the solicitation, but no later than 15 calendar days PRIOR TO solicitation closing date of the solicitation via mail to the following appropriate address:

(c) The Prime shall register for the Financial Capability Risk Assessment using the Financial Capability Risk Assessment Pre-Review Form, Attachment L-11. A copy of this completed form shall be included in the contracting and price volumes of the proposal. The following information will be required: Firm name, POC and full contact information to include address, phone, fax, e-mail address, and administering DCMA office.

Financial responsibility will not be evaluated as a separate price sub-factor. However, it is a basic contract requirement with a pass/fail determination, thus it will be evaluated during the source selection process. A contract may only be awarded to the Offerors who are deemed responsible in accordance with the FAR.

VOLUME II – FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL

4.0 Volume Organization

The Technical volume shall be organized according to the following general outline: (This must be tailored)

(a) Standard Proposal Information

(1) Executive Summary (duplication of executive summary in Volume I, Contracting)

(2) Volume Table of Contents

(3) List of Table and Figures

(4) Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

(b) Teaming Arrangements/Agreements and Letters of Intent

(c) Sub-factor 1: Management…