SOFGSD Q&A 20260424

Secret Safeguarding is not required at time of IDIQ proposal. However, awardees that do not have Secret Safeguarding will not be allowed to propose on task orders with a safeguarding requirement.

In accordance with the instructions provided in Attachment 02 (HTRO Self-Score Matrix), the substantiating evidence 'shall identify direct-charge employees (prime or subcontractor, by name and company).'

The intent of Category 1 is to evaluate the Offeror's demonstrated capability to manage an entire contract ecosystem at scale. Therefore, the Offeror may count all direct-charge personnel who provided sustained support on the submitted Work Sample, regardless of whether those personnel were employed directly by the Prime Contractor or provided by a subcontractor/teaming partner.

Given that LCAT titles often differ across organizations and contracts even when the underlying duties and qualifications align with the same LCAT, what specific types of validating or supporting documentation does the Government require Offerors to submit to demonstrate that the LCATs used on a Work Sample correspond to the LCATs defined in Attachment 03? Please clarify the documentation SOCOM expects for acceptable LCAT validation.

If not, please clarify whether:

To substantiate the metric, an Offeror must provide corporate records (e.g., signed offer letters, HR onboarding forms, or payroll system entries) that clearly document the date on which the non-incumbent employee was officially hired or accepted a formal offer of employment for the required position.

If an Offeror hires or secures a binding commitment from the required personnel within 30 days of the contract's Period of Performance (PoP) Start Date, that action satisfies the timeline for this category, regardless of subsequent, external delays in obtaining SOFA status or visas.

9 General Submission Question Are subcontractors able to submit their own work samples in Symphony or must the Prime submit all work samples for their entire team? This is a business decision that must be made by the Prime Offeror. The Symphony system allows for submission by anyone with appropriately assigned access. It is the Prime Offeror's responsibility to determine how they will allow proposal documents to be submitted.

Anyone that is a Symphony Administrator or Open Market Proposal Manager (roles set by your Symphony Administrator) within your company may submit the proposal. Anyone that registers and is activated within your company may upload documents for the Prime contractor or any subs/team members. There are no restricted viewing roles in Symphony. Any user registered under a given UEI and CAGE will be able to see all information for that company. We recommend the Symphony Administrator grant and remove access as needed.

10 M4.1.4 Given the variability in LCAT naming conventions across contracts, what documentation is required for Offerors to demonstrate equivalency between Work Sample LCATs and those defined in Attachment 03? Please specify the forms of validation SOCOM will accept.

In accordance with standard practice for Joint Venture evaluations, the requirement for an adequate accounting system applies to the specific entity whose accounting system will be utilized to manage and bill costs for the contract.

If the JV is unpopulated, the Offeror must submit the accounting system documentation (e.g., the DCAA/DCMA approval letter or Attachment 05) for the Managing Venturer (e.g., the Small Business Protégé or the designated Small Business lead). If the JV uses a combined system or relies on the Mentor's system for specific administrative functions, the Offeror must clearly explain the accounting arrangement in their proposal and provide the adequate accounting system documentation for the entity (or entities) that will be performing the financial management and billing for the contract.

Only CPARS as specified in the instructions for Category 7 will be considered in the HTRO scoring.

IAW Section L2.10.1, Offerors ARE required to meet a minimum SPRS score of 110 at time of proposal submission.

IAW Section L2.10.2.1, Offerors ARE required to meet a CMMC Level 1 (self) at time of proposal submission. Awardees who do not have CMMC Level 2 (Self) at time of award, must reach Level 2 (Self) within 6 months of award or have their contract cancelled.

26 HTRO Scoresheet - Attachment 2, Instructions Tab Locations - Category 2. The HTRO scoresheet instructions state: The Offeror shall count each site as indicated for CONUS, OCONUS, and Germany and Korea.� Additionally, the scoresheet tab in Category 2 notes that OCONUS sites (max of 5, no more than 2 per country or US Territory).� Does a CONUS-based Mobile Training Team directed by a task order, executing training for multiple weeks at an OCONUS location count for points in Category 2? No. Consistent with previous Government clarifications regarding Category 2 (Geographic Sites), temporary or intermittent deployments—including Mobile Training Teams (MTTs), Temporary Duty (TDY) travel, or surge support—do not qualify as geographic 'sites' for scoring purposes.

A qualifying 'site' is defined exclusively as a primary place of performance requiring a sustained, continuous presence by Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) or continuously assigned direct-charge personnel for the duration of the requirement.

While an MTT may execute training for multiple weeks at an OCONUS location, the team's base of operations remains CONUS. Therefore, the Offeror may only claim points for the sustained, primary CONUS location explicitly required and staffed under the Work Sample, not the temporary OCONUS destinations.

27 LCAT Descriptions - Attachment 3, SOF Specialty Trainer Will pre-deployment Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Training & Instruction for SOF formations, specifically MARSOC - be compliant within the list of SOF Specialty Trainers for Category 4 Labor CATs? The C-IED instructors have been screened, evaluated, and certified as C-IED Instructors by the Marine Corps Training and Education Command. Attachment 03 cites Such as SERE, SCUBA, UWO, Combat Diver, MFF, Sniper.� Can C-IED be included in this list?

Can the Government clarify this is to be direct email from the subcontractor to SOCOM? See revised Atch 02 SOFGSD HTRO Matrix that removes the ability for submission of SubContractor CPARS directly to the Government. Any CPARS being submitted shall be included with the proposal within Symphony.

See revised Section M4.1.7. Submission of a redacted CPARS showing only final ratings is considered acceptable.

REMINDER: The Government is only concerned with NEGATIVE CPARS.

31 L2.4 and DD254 Regarding Safeguarding, Section L states different language regarding the need for Safeguarding than the PWS and DD254.

"L2.4 DOCUMENTATION/CERTIFICATION PERTINENT TO TS FACILITY CLEARANCE

The Offeror must possess, at the time of proposal submission, a Top-Secret (TS) Facility Clearance as accredited by the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA) in accordance with the contract level Contract Security classification Specification (DD Form 254). Storage of classified information is not anticipated to be required at the contract level, however the need to store classified RFPs/SOWs for task order level requirements is expected. As such Offerors are encouraged to prepare for this eventuality. If an Offeror does not possess a TS facility clearance at the time of proposal submission, their proposal will be excluded from competition."

Whereas the DD254 in Box 13 Security Guidance, "Ref 11d: Contractor must provide adequate storage at their facility for classified hardware to the level of SECRET."

Can the Government clarify if vendors will be allowed to start the Safeguarding process at award, or are we required to have Safeguarding in place at the time of award, as stated in the DD254 and SOW? See update to DD254. Ref 11d: no longer included.

Safeguarding is not required at time of IDIQ proposal. However, awardees that do not have Secret Safeguarding will not be allowed to propose on task orders with a safeguarding requirement.

32 DD254 DD 254 block 1b indicates requirement for TOP SECRET safeguarding but block 13 referencing block 11d indicates SECRET hardware.

However IDIQ is not a Contract Type available to select in Symphony, under Projects/Past Performance, type of contract drop down. It only allows for a Task Order under an IDIQ.

Providing these specific data points fully satisfies the requirement. The Government does not require Offerors to upload supplementary administrative or responsibility documentation (e.g., Representations and Certifications, OCI mitigation plans, Financial Capacity documents, or CMMC data) for subcontractors, unless explicitly mandated elsewhere in Section L. Offerors may disregard default Symphony prompts requesting extraneous subcontractor documentation, and Offerors do not need to list subcontractors who are not providing Work Samples.

37 L.2.9.2 and M.3.1.1 There is a conflict in Sections L and M regarding Teaming Agreements.

Section L.2.9.2 states, "Offeror shall provide a list of all proposed subcontractors and/or team members, to include CAGE codes, mailing address, and primary point of contact email address and phone number for each subcontractor."

Section M.3.1.1 #8 states, "8. Teaming Agreements and Subcontractor Identification"

Since there is no place in Symphony to upload Teaming Agreements, can you confirm that Offerors are not required to submit executed teaming agreements? See revised Sections L and M. Teaming Agreements are not required to be submitted. However offerors contributing to your proposal are required to be identified.

For information on where to initially claim various RFP elements, please refer to our SOFGSD Master Crosswalk at this link: https://industrysupport.apexlogic.com/support/solutions/articles/35000314798-sofgsd-master-crosswalk-quick-reference 38 M3.1.1 If Offerors are required to submit executed teaming agreements per Section M3.1.1 #8, are teaming agreements required to be submitted for all subcontractors or just those subcontractors submitting work samples? See revised Sections L and M.

For those specific subcontractors providing Work Samples, the Offeror must provide the CAGE code, mailing address, and primary point of contact email address and phone number.

Providing these specific data points fully satisfies the requirement. The Government does not require Offerors to upload supplementary administrative or responsibility documentation (e.g., Representations and Certifications, OCI mitigation plans, Financial Capacity documents, or CMMC data) for subcontractors, unless explicitly mandated elsewhere in Section L. Offerors may disregard default Symphony prompts requesting extraneous subcontractor documentation, and Offerors do not need to list subcontractors who are not providing Work Samples.

Atch 02 SOFGSD HTRO Self Score Category 2 states, "The Offeror shall score itself based on the number of sites where contracted work is performed. The Offeror shall count each site as indicated for CONUS, OCONUS, and Germany and Korea."

Calculate Aggregate Percentages: The Offeror must first calculate the aggregate percentage for each rating category across all required annual CPARS reports for a given Work Sample. This is done by summing the total number of ratings for a specific category (e.g., 'Satisfactory') across all years and dividing by the total number of evaluation categories across all years.

Enter Percentages in Symphony: The Offeror shall enter these final, calculated aggregate percentages into the single set of CPARS rating fields provided in the Symphony portal.

Upload All Reports: The Offeror must combine all individual, fully completed annual CPARS reports for that Work Sample into a single, consolidated PDF file and upload it as the substantiating documentation. This allows the Government to verify the accuracy of the Offeror's calculated aggregate percentages.

Example: If a 3-year Work Sample has 15 total rating categories (5 per year), and the Offeror received 10 'Satisfactory' ratings over those 3 years, the aggregate percentage for 'Satisfactory' is 66.7% (10 ÷ 15). The Offeror would enter '67' into the 'Satisfactory' field in Symphony and upload the 3 CPARS reports as proof.

For more information on how to submit your proposal and individual WS within Symphony please see this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSSsGdyIVOQ 53 Symphony Submission Where in Symphony are offerors to submit L2.9.2 "a list of all proposed subcontractors?" When users log in to Symphony they can select the support button from their top toolbar to access helpdesk documentation, including the articles specific to SOFGSD. The articles specific to the SOFGSD solicitation include:

•https://industrysupport.apexlogic.com/support/solutions/articles/35000314825-prepare-your-sofgsd-technical-proposal •https://industrysupport.apexlogic.com/support/solutions/articles/35000314798-sofgsd-master-crosswalk-quick-reference Addiotnally, see the SOFGSD demoonstration link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSSsGdyIVOQ / 54 Reference Attachment 02 SOFGSD HTRO Self Score Matrix (Instructions worksheet) and Attachment 03 SOFGSD LCAT Descriptions (LCAT Quals worksheet) Reference Attachment 02 SOFGSD HTRO Self Score Matrix (Instructions worksheet) and Attachment 03 SOFGSD LCAT Descriptions (LCAT Quals worksheet), these define multiple intelligence-related LCATs, including Intelligence Analyst� and INT Specific,� and provides examples such as MASINT, HUMINT, SIGINT, TECHSIGINT, Counterintelligence.� Several Attachment 03 intelligence-related LCATs reference intelligence experience or discipline specific intelligence functions. To ensure consistent proposal preparation and evaluation, please clarify whether the Government will accept equivalent intelligence disciplines and specialties recognized across the United States Intelligence Community and Department of Defense when validating Attachment 03 intelligence related LCATs.

Specifically, will the Government accept substantiating documentation showing experience in any U.S. Government recognized intelligence discipline or specialty, including Counterintelligence (CI), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Technical Intelligence (TECHINT), as well as discipline specific subcomponents or related forms such as Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), Communications Intelligence (COMINT), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), and Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT), where the underlying duties and qualifications otherwise align with the Attachment 03 LCAT requirement?

Background: There is a discrepancy between the HTRO instructions tab and HTRO self-score tab. The HTRO instructions tab does not say anything about a maximum of five CONUS locations per work sample, however, the general score sheet states: "CONUS sites (max of 5 sites, all sites within a city count as 1 site)". //

Question: Will USG confirm more than five CONUS locations can be provided on a single work sample as long as locations are not claimed more than once across all work samples?

Background: Obtaining a masters degree takes two years. An individual with a bachelors degree and eight years of experience has spent eight years accumulating knowledge and experience post undergraduate education. An individual with a masters degree and six years of experience has spent eight years accumulating knowledge and experience post undergraduate education. //

Background: Financial positions generally do not require personnel be exposed to technical and operational details that are compartmentalized. //

Would the Government please confirm that, consistent with DFARS 215.305(c) and the exceptions outlined in 13 CFR 121.103(b), a Prime Offeror Small Business may cite an affiliates work sample as a Tier 1 work sample, provided the proposal demonstrates that the affiliates resources will meaningfully contribute to contract performance?

No. As stated in Sec L3.1.7 "Tier 1: Proposed SOFGSD Prime Offeror Small Business or the JV protégé performing as the prime contractor on the Work Sample." Based on this definition, an affiliate's WS does NOT meet the requirement of a Tier 1 WS, and would not be accepted.

IAW 13 C.F.R. § 125.8(e), “a procuring activity must consider work done and qualifications held individually by each partner to the joint venture”. Further, in (1) it states, “A procuring activity has discretion whether to require a protégé or lead small business member of a joint venture to demonstrate some level of past performance and/or experience”. And then in (2) states, “successful performance by the protégé or lead small business firm on the contracts it identifies shall be rated equivalently to successful performance by the mentor or non-similarly situated partner to the joint venture or any other individual offeror on the higher valued contracts they identify.”

Based on these statements in the CFR, the Government: 1) MUST evaluate work done by BOTH the mentor AND the protégé, 2) may require a protégé to demonstrate some level of experience, and (3) evaluate performance of the protégé differently than that of other offerors.

The Government is accomplishing all these requirements by 1) requiring WS submissions from the protégé for specific categories, and 2) allowing the protégé to meet a lower requirement to receive full points.

64 Atch 06 SOFGSD DRAFT DD FORM 254 Block 1B of the draft DD254 indicates a requirement for Top Secret safeguarding at the contractors facility.

Please confirm whether Top Secret safeguarding is required for contract performance, and if required, please confirm whether an offeror must possess the required safeguarding capability prior to award of the IDIQ or may obtain it before performance at the task order level.

See update to DD254. Ref 11d: no longer included.

Safeguarding is not required at time of IDIQ proposal. However, awardees that do not have Secret Safeguarding will not be allowed to propose on task orders with a safeguarding requirement.

Will the Government be providing a standard template for the Associate Contractor Agreements (ACA) that contractors are required to use? If so, please specify when the template will be made available.

Please confirm the Government will be providing a template of this Agreement post award.

Could the Government clarify what types of agreements are intended under this requirement? For example, should these include nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), teaming agreements, and…