FRFP Cover Letter 11-13-20-Inspected TS.pdf

November 16, 2020

TO: All Prospective Offerors

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP), Solicitation No. RFP 80GSFC20R0031, for NASA Balloon Operations (NBOC II) Contract

You are invited to submit a proposal in response to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Wallops Flight Facility’s (WFF) NASA Balloon Operations Follow-on Contract (NBOC) II solicitation. The principal purpose of this requirement is to provide for the operation and maintenance of the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) and overall management of the launch and operations, mission and engineering services, and potential hardware development to support the NASA Balloon Program. CSBF is a Government-owned facility located in Palestine, Texas, with a permanent balloon staging facility at Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541330 and the small business size standard is $16.5M.

This competitive acquisition will result in a Hybrid Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) Core requirement and an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) requirement with the ability to issue CPFF task orders. The contract will have a total potential period of performance/effective ordering period of seven (7) years. This potential seven-year period would consist of an 18-month Base Period, two 24-month options (Periods 1 and 2), and an 18-month option (Period 3).

The anticipated contract award date is July 15, 2021, with a contract effective date October 1, 2021. The contract will be performed at GSFC/WFF, CSBF, Fort Sumner, New Mexico and offsite at the Contractor’s facility, as well as other TDY locations that may be specified in the SOW and IDIQ task orders such as foreign remote launch sites at either Wanaka, New Zealand, Esrange (Kiruna, Sweden) or Alice Springs, Australia. Launches from Wanaka, Esrange, Alice Springs or other remote locations are conducted depending upon Science Mission Directorate requirements.

Potential offerors should pay close attention to all solicitation instructions; however, the following requirements list is summarized to assist in proposal development. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the solicitation terms and conditions and provisions in sections L and M take precedence:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, Virginia 23337

1. A Phase-in period will be conducted. Phase-In will be conducted, under a separate contract or purchase order, during the 60-day period prior to the effective date of the contract.

2. The Government will make available existing Installation-Accountable Government Property (IAGP) for onsite contract performance and Government Furnished Property (GFP) for offsite use at the Contractor’s facility as described in the RFP.

3. Site Visits/Conferences. 1852.215-77 Preproposal/Pre-bid Conference will be conducted virtually via a previously recorded video that has been posted to beta.Sam.

4. NASA has determined that this acquisition may give rise to a potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Offerors should refer to clause H.15 1852.209-71 Limitation of Future Contracting, for a description of the potential conflict(s) and any restrictions on future contracting. In addition, offerors should reference NASA clause 1852.237-72 Access to Sensitive Information, 52.203-16 PREVENTING PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. (FEB 2018) and Provision L.20 GSFC 52.209-301 Notice of Potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (JAN 2020)

5. A facilities clearance is not required for this procurement.

6. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Wallops Flight Facility appreciates the comments received in response to the release of the Draft RFP. These comments resulted in improvements to the quality and content of the overall RFP. Offerors should review the RFP in its entirety, as its content has changed from the Draft RFP version. The following list identifies some areas where significant changes or clarifications have been made from the Draft RFP to this final RFP that may not have been addressed in the Draft RFP questions and responses;

• Table B.8 – Table of Non-proposed costs is updated

• The definition of a proposed significant subcontractor is defined as any proposed subcontractor that is estimated to meet/exceed an average annual cost/fee of $5M

This list is not intended to cover all changes nor describe all RFP requirements. Offerors should carefully review the RFP in its entirety.

7. Be advised, in accordance with provision L.19, Past Performance Volume, Offerors need to encourage their references to submit their Past Performance Questionnaires directly to the Contracting Officer prior to proposal due date.

8. Below is a list of the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and voting members along with their associated NASA Goddard Space Flight Center organizational codes, for the Source Evaluation Board (SEB). The names provided are for informational purposes only and other than the Contracting Officer, Lisa B. Hall, these individuals shall not be contacted regarding this acquisition. The Government may change personnel associated with this acquisition at its discretion.

SSA

Mark Clampin, Code 600

Voting Members Ron Perison, Code 300 Magdi Said, Code 820 Christopher Purdy, Code 569 Amy Canfield, Code 820 Lisa B. Hall, Code 210

9. Offerors are required to have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code that matches the corporate address submitted with its proposal.

10. An E-library has been established and can be addressed at https://elibrary.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Offerors are encouraged to refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision 52.215-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION, in particular paragraph (f)(4) which discusses the Government’s right to award a contract without discussions.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy required all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). While the RFP’s Cost Volume exhibits are in PDF format, the Offeror’s Cost Volume proposal shall include completed Cost Volume exhibits in Microsoft Office Excel format with working cell formulas. Instructions for converting from PDF format to Excel format can be found in the L.14, GSFC 52.215-201 Proposal Preparation—General Instructions.

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments and links to online reference/technical/bidders library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.beta.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html.

This RFP does not commit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to procure or contract for these services. This request is not an authorization to proceed, and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be due no later than December 17, 2020 by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

In accordance with NFS 1815.201(f), a “Blackout Notice” has been issued to NASA personnel.

All inquiries/communications pertaining to this acquisition shall be directed only to the Contracting Officer listed below.

All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Lisa B. Hall, Contracting Officer, at Lisa.B.Hall@nasa.gov on or before December 1, 2020. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration.

Thank you for your support. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Lisa B. Hall Contracting Officer