TOS II DRFP Cover Letter.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE TEST CENTER (AFMC)

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE CALIFORNIA

7 February 2023

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL POTENTIAL OFFERORS

FROM: AFTC/PZZ (Arnold)

SUBJECT: Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) II Contract Competition – Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP)

1. The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) DRFP for the TOS II competition is attached for your review and comments. Our goal is to create a competitive environment that provides the best opportunity for innovative business arrangements and initiatives for this critical piece of the AEDC mission. We remain strongly committed to seeking the most effective, productive, and efficient contract arrangement to fulfill these requirements.

2. AEDC’s mission remains critical to our national defense. AEDC offers ground test knowledge and capabilities found nowhere else on the planet. AEDC must continue to be agile and competitive to meet its customers’ needs both now and in the future. With the anticipated workload surge we expect over the first several years of the TOS II performance, which will encompass Special Emphasis Projects, the Air Force must use innovative approaches to maintain this vital national capability for the future.

3. The Government intends to award a single contract for the TOS II effort. The Government anticipates a possible contract term of 13 years if all options are exercised. This would include a 90-day transition base period, first option period, seven 1-year regular options, four 1-year Award Term options, and a 6-month extension if FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, is exercised. We believe this overall performance period promotes industry’s commitment and investment in AEDC.

4. In preparing the DRFP, the Government was guided by the formal risk assessment. The Instructions to Offerors (Section L) and corresponding Evaluation Factors for Award (Section M) were structured to focus your attention on these risk areas. The Performance Work Statement (PWS) is written in a performance-based manner with specific requirements rather than mandating how the work should be done. As you review the PWS, please remember that the Government does not intend to drive a particular solution or approach unless the PWS clearly states otherwise. Please provide your comments and / or concerns with the PWS (e.g., superfluous specifications or regulations that may prevent you from proposing the most cost-effective solution) no later than 2:00PM CST on 7 March 2023.

5. The TOS II acquisition includes Arnold AFB TN and five geographically separated units (GSUs) located at:

a. Tunnel 9, White Oak MD

b. National Full-scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC), Moffett Field CA

c. *National Radar Cross Section (RCS) Test Facility (NRTF), Holloman AFB NM

d. *Landing Gear Test Facility (LGTF), Wright Patterson AFB OH

e. *Aerospace Vehicle Survivability Facility (AVSF), Wright Patterson AFB OH

*Note: NRFT, LGTF and AVSF are currently executing via the Operations and Maintenance Services (E-OMS) contract awarded out of Eglin AFB FL, which is set to expire 31 March 2026. It is anticipated that these three GSUs will be added to the TOS II scope of work beginning 1 April 2026 to promote more efficient contract administration for AEDC test, operations, and maintenance services. Please ensure your cost proposal includes NRTF, LGTF, and AVSF beginning April 2026.

6. In addition to the increase in GSUs, the Government expects that a large influx of Special Emphasis Project requirements will materialize during the TOS II performance period.

Attachment L-8 includes information to support your proposal response. Attachment L-8 includes three sections: Historical, Heater Project, and Surge. The Surge WILL NOT be included in your Cost Model. The Historical and Heater Project WILL be captured under the Cost Model for this solicitation; the ongoing Heater Project will have prescribed labor hours to be used in the Cost Model. Please pay special attention to DRFP Attachment L-8, Workload Resource Guide.

a. After award of the TOS II contract, any Special Emphasis Projects to be included on TOS II will be added through negotiations for a contact modification. The added Special Emphasis Projects may be awarded under any CLIN type, to include Cost-Plus-Award- Fee, Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee, or Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee arrangements.

b. The Cost Model will inflate labor and material amounts by a single standard rate. The model must contain direct labor rates for all skills used in your response to the RFP.

Populating the direct labor rates in the first performance period will allow the model to uniformly apply the Government’s estimated inflation rates. Even if a skill category is not used in the first period (but is needed in a subsequent period), the direct labor rate should be entered in the first period.

7. The TOS II Cost Model may change based upon industry’s review and comments submitted in response to the DRFP. Therefore, Offerors are encouraged to submit comments and suggestions for modification or improvement of the Model. If the Cost Model does not include all the necessary labor categories (LCAT) for your proposal, then Offerors are encouraged to submit additional LCATs, with their corresponding qualifications and salary ranges, for inclusion into the Cost Model. Offerors who intend to propose technical solutions that require the use of reachback, if priced differently than local staff, should consider submitting such labor categories for inclusion in the Cost Model. Only LCATS included in the Cost Model published with the Final RFP will be evaluated. If additional LCATs are not submitted, then proposals are to utilize only the LCATS already included in the Cost Model. However, not all LCATs are required to be utilized in the creation of the proposal, but represent the available potential pool. Additional proposed LCATs, if needed or desired, are to be emailed to aedc.sso@us.af.mil no later than 2:00PM CST on 7 March 2023.

a. Some LCATS carry a special designation for the Heater Project. LCATS that carry this designation are based on the Government’s estimate of the skills required to complete this activity. The Government has prescribed labor hours and skill mix to perform the Heater Project in DRFP Attachment L-8 and the Cost Model.

Due to time and access constraints, some LCATs do not have a corresponding definition in the Attachment L-9, Labor Glossary. The Government welcomes suggestions from offerors for labor qualifications that may best fit based on your understanding of the work to be performed. Please provide this information when requesting additional LCATs.

b. LCATs submitted for inclusion in the model must contain the following elements:

i. Labor Category Title

ii. Labor Category Description

iii. Labor Category Qualification to include licenses, certifications, and clearances

iv. Salary range documented by salary survey data specific to the area, actual costs incurred for similar work, or other similar type substantiating documentation (References to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, would not qualify as that resource data fails to fully appreciate the unique circumstances related to attracting and retaining these skillsets)

8. Please be aware it is anticipated that the Past Performance Volume of your proposal will be due approximately 30 days after the release of the Final RFP. The remaining proposal volumes, Contract Documentation, Technical Proposal, and Cost / Price Proposal will not be due until approximately 45 days after release of the Final RFP. Please see the DRFP Attachment 13 paragraph L-3.3.3.2 for instructions on the submission of the Past Performance Volume.

9. The Final RFP is anticipated to be released on / or about 18 May 2023 to sam.gov. The Government requires proposal submissions be conducted via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) Solicitation Module, https://piee.eb.mil. No other proposal submission method will be authorized. Any proposal received after the specified time or by an unauthorized method is “late.” Please refer to DRFP Attachment 13, paragraph L-2.2 and FAR 52.215-1 for more details. Potential Offerors are encouraged to become familiar with PIEE prior to the proposal due date.

10. This acquisition will contain surveillance requirements captured under both an Award Fee / Term Plan and a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan for the Fixed Fee requirements. The PWS provides a Performance Requirements Summary that lists the standards to be met for successful accomplishment of the effort. The elements that will be covered under the Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee requirement are PWS sections 3.16, 3.17, 3.20, 3.21, 3.22. The remaining PWS elements are covered under the Award Fee / Term Plan (see DRFP Attachment 5, Award Fee/Term Plan).

11. The Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) multi-step advisory process began on 18 January 2023 via a pre-solicitation notice posted on sam.gov. Based upon the information you submit the Government will advise you (solely from an OCI perspective) whether it believes your company is likely to be a viable competitor. The Government will treat all submissions for