RFP Attach 11 Section L - Instructions to Offerors 03 Jan 2011.doc

Attachment 11 - Section L

SECTION L

Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors

PROPOSAL RESPONSE DATE/TIME

Questions are due to the Government on or before 18 January 2011, 1600 CST Proposals are due to the Government on or before 18 February 2011, 1600 CST L-I - Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference

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 address: http://farsite.hill.af.mil.

52.215-1

Instructions to Offerors - Competitive Acquisition

JAN 2004

52.215-1 Alt I

Instructions to Offerors - Competitive Acquisition

OCT 1997

52.222-46

Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees

FEB 1993

252.204-7004

Required Central Contractor Registration - Alternate A

NOV 2003

252.227-7017

Identification and Assertion of Use, Release or Disclosure

JUN 1995

L-II - INFORMATION TO OFFERORS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION

1.0 Program Structure and Objectives

A. This is a full and open competition Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract against which Firm Fixed Price (FFP) delivery or task orders will be placed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.5 – Indefinite Delivery Contracts.

B. The Government is not required to order any above the minimum set forth in the solicitation.

C. The contract resulting from this RFP will consist of a three-year base period with seven (7) one-year option periods. The total length of this contract, if all option periods are exercised, will be ten (10) years.

D. The first ordering period is considered to be from the effective date of contract award through three years.

E. Offerors are to provide their proposed prices for all Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) indicated on Monthly Recurring Charge (MRC)/Non-Recurring Charge (NRC) Spreadsheet (RFP Attachment 1) to this RFP.

2.0 General Instructions

A.

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

B.

The proposal should be clear, concise, and should include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements but rather should provide convincing explanation of how the offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror's proposal.

C.

Elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed art work, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired.

D.

The proposal acceptance period is specified in Section A of the solicitation. The offeror shall make a clear statement in Part V – Contract Volume of the proposal documentation that the proposal is valid through this date.

E.

In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals. Unless the offeror requests otherwise, the Government will destroy extra copies of such unsuccessful proposals.

3.0 General Information

A.

Point of Contact

1) The Contracting Officer (CO) is the sole point of contact for this procurement. No information concerning this solicitation or requests for clarification will be provided in response to Offeror-initiated telephone calls. All such requests must be made in writing, indicate the applicable section(s) from the solicitation that pertain to the specific inquiry and submitted to the below address (e-mail is preferable). The request should be in the format located at Attachment 9 to this RFP.

2) Formal communications such as requests for clarification and/or information concerning this solicitation shall be submitted in writing to following address:

DISA/DITCO/PL8223

ATTN: Deborah A. Benscoter

2300 East Drive, Bldg 3600

Scott AFB IL 62225-5406

Phone Number: 618-229-9298

Fax number: (618) 229-9174

Email: deborah.benscoter@disa.mil

3) Written inquiries will be answered in writing and provided to all Offerors via FedBizOpps http://www.fedbizopps.gov . However, because of mailing and/or administrative time, written inquiries may not be answered when requests are received by the above addressee within fourteen (14) calendar days of the due date of offers as specified in this solicitation.

B.

Debriefings

The CO will promptly notify offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range. They may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505 or 15.506, as applicable. 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.

C.

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 with supporting rationale as well as the remedies the offeror is asking the CO to consider. 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.

D.

Electronic Reference Documents

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

E.

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 either the United States Postal Service or commercial courier service.

L.III - INFORMATION TO OFFERORS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION

A.

Purpose. These instructions prescribe the format for proposals and describe the approach for the development and presentation of proposal data. They are designed to ensure the submission of information essential to the understanding and comprehensive evaluation of proposals. Offerors are cautioned to follow the instructions carefully. Non-conformance with the instructions provided in this Information to Offerors may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

B.

Proposal Format. The Offeror shall submit its proposal in electronic format, in accordance with the following instructions. This information is provided to enable Offerors to understand the electronic format and application software to be used for submitting softcopy proposals.

(1) All proposal volumes shall be submitted in Adobe Acrobat, Portable Document Format (PDF), Version 9.2.0 or earlier. The font type shall either be Times New Roman or Arial Narrow, no smaller than 10-point, and no less than single spaced. While offerors are able to upload multiple electronic PDF files to complete your proposal submission, no individual electronic PDF file shall be larger than 5MB. Offerors are cautioned that electronic PDF file sizes in excess of 5MB may not upload in a timely manner, causing proposals to be received late.

(2) Any other attached documents requested herein, such as MRC/NRC spreadsheets (RFP Attachment 1), shall be compatible with Microsoft (MS) Office 2003 format. Any graphics files embedded within the MS documents shall be provided in either *.jpg or *.pcx format in order to minimize memory storage requirements for electronic files. Landscape pages shall face right. It is recommended that the sum of all MS document files be no larger than 5MB compressed. Compression tools are limited to PKZip or WinZip. Offerors may zip all files together or submit separate upload submissions for their entire proposal. While each electronic PDF file size is limited to 5MB, there is no limitation on the total number of electronic PDF files that an offeror uploads with their proposal submission.

(3) A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches. Except for the reproduced sections of the solicitation document, the font size for text contained in embedded graphics (tables, charts, figures and illustrations) shall be no smaller than 10 point Times New Roman or Arial Narrow. Tracking, kerning, and leading values shall not be changed from the default values of the word processing or page layout software. Use at least 1 inch margins on the top and bottom and ¾-inch side margins. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. These page format restrictions shall apply to responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs).

C.

Electronic Submission. Use of the software and procedures described in this section will reduce the amount of time and effort needed by the Government to receive and install proposals into an electronic evaluation system and will help to ensure that proposals are suitable for reading electronically. Information regarding electronic products listed herein should not be construed as Government endorsement for such products.

(1) Efforts by the Government to clarify or expedite installation of electronic proposal submissions, in accordance with FAR 15.207(c), will not be considered discussions.

(2) The Government will access the softcopy versions of offerors’ proposals over the Internet using the DecisionPoint™ source selection tool provided by AcqCenter.com (http://www.acqcenter.com)..

(3) As indicated above, and except as otherwise identified, all proposal volumes shall be submitted in Adobe Acrobat PDF, Version 9.2.0 or earlier. Offerors shall use the Acrobat Link feature for cross-references that are electronically linked, and linked files must be contained in the same directory. The Acrobat Bookmark feature may also be used for document navigation; however, use of the Acrobat Notes feature is prohibited. Offerors shall use the ‘Optimize’ feature of Adobe Acrobat to decrease file size and prepare them for viewing on the Internet. Offerors are encouraged to limit file size to 1MB (maximum of 5MB) to reduce delay in uploading proposals over the Internet.

(4) The Offeror shall prepare a “readme” file which describes the organization and layout of its softcopy submission. File should be named "Readme.###" (# = appropriate file extension, .doc, .pdf, .txt). It should be submitted with ALL other documents and bundled in the submitted .zip file.

(5) Exceptions to Adobe Acrobat. Proposal documents required to be submitted in other than Adobe Acrobat PDF media are described above.

(6) Offerors are authorized to utilize a facsimile signature, as defined in FAR 2.101, with the electronic submission of their proposal.

D.

Page Numbering. The Offeror shall use a standard page numbering system to facilitate proposal references. Number consecutive pages within the sections of the proposal. Charts, graphs and other insert materials shall be page-numbered as part of the page numbering system.

E.

Page Limitations. Page limitations are identified for each volume of the proposal, as described in Section L.VIII below, and will be treated as maximums. If exceeded, excess pages will not be read or considered in evaluation of the proposal and will be returned to the Offeror as soon as practicable. Page limitations may be placed on responses to ENs. Any graphics, charts, illustrations and/or pictures are included in the page count unless indicated below. The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the offerors. Each page shall be counted except as indicated below.

F.

Pricing Information. All pricing information shall be addressed ONLY in the Price Proposal and Contract Documentation Volumes. Cost trade‑off information, work‑hour estimates, and material kinds and quantities may be used in other volumes only as appropriate for presenting rationale for alternatives or design and trade‑off decisions.

G.

World Wide Web (WWW) Interface.

(1) Proposal Submission.

(i) Prior to submitting proposals, you (the Offeror) must register on the DITCO Contracting Opportunities Web Site at https://www.ditco.disa.mil/dcop, and have received email notification from DITCO of registration acceptance. If you registered with DITCO for a prior solicitation, you DO NOT need to re-register for this solicitation, as long as your user-id and password are still active. During the registration process, when prompted, choose "The solicitation requires vendor registration for eligibility." On the following page enter the solicitation number. (Note: The solicitation number entered during this initial registration process is only used to expedite the registration approval process. Once you have registered and been approved on the DITCO web site, you may use the assigned user-id and password for responding to all future solicitations.) Finally, complete the remaining registration pages as prompted. All new registrations require verification and approval by DITCO personnel, before proposals can be uploaded. The verification and approval process normally takes about a day. PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN PREPARING YOUR RESPONSES. Waiting until the last minute before registering may cause you to miss the deadline for responding to this solicitation. Once your registration information has been verified and approved, your user-id and password will be sent to you via email. This user-id and password is required for uploading proposals to the web site. If you have any questions with the registration or upload process, please contact the DITCO customer service center at (618) 229-9333. If you have any questions regarding this solicitation, please contact the Contracting Officer.

(ii) In order to respond to this solicitation, the Offeror must deliver a copy of its proposal in CD-ROM format to the address shown in Block 7 of the SF33, and upload a complete proposal to the DITCO web site at https://www.ditco.disa.mil/dcop. It will be necessary to use a web browser with 128-bit (domestic strength) encryption. It is recommended that Offerors use a recent version of a web browser; either Mozilla Firefox 3.5.3, which is available http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ or Internet Explorer 7.0, which is available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) will protect the proposal submission web session, ensuring the confidentiality of the submission.

(iii) The Offeror’s proposal submission will be considered complete when all volumes are received.

(2) Testing. If an Offeror would like to test the upload process, they may do so at: https://www.scott.disa.mil/dcop <https://wwwqual.scott.disa.mil/dcop>. In the right menu, under the heading "Submit Proposals for:," select "Upload Proposal Test." (A user-id and password IS required for testing the upload process.)

(3) Electronic Files. If necessary, separate the electronic files of the proposal at logical breakpoints using the table of contents as a guide. Each file must be autonomous and complete.

(4) Virus Check. Offerors shall perform a virus check prior to proposal submittal. Virus checking will be conducted at the source selection site prior to the beginning of the evaluation using the current version of Norton Antivirus.

(5) Proposal Backup. In addition to the electronic proposal submission via the Internet, each proposal shall be submitted in CD-ROM format to the address shown in Block 7 of the SF 33 In the event of any inconsistency between the CD-ROM version and the Internet version of the proposal, the inconsistency shall be resolved in favor of the Internet version. All proposal information/submissions must be received by the closing date and time specified in Block 9 of the SF 33.

H.

Cross-Referencing

Each volume shall be written on a stand‑alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated without cross referencing to other volumes of the proposal. Information required for proposal evaluation which is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

Cross-referencing within a proposal volume is permitted where its use would conserve space without impairing clarity. The offeror shall fill out the cross reference matrix at Attachment 4 of this RFP indicating the proposal reference information as it relates to the RFP, PWS, CLIN numbers, and CDRL references found therein.

I.

Indexing

Each volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections. Table of contents do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

J.

Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, and with an explanation for each. Glossaries do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

L.IV - ALTERNATE PROPOSALS.

An Offeror may not submit alternate proposals presenting significantly different basic approaches. Minor variations in approaches are not considered significantly different basic approaches.

L.V - 52.233-2 - SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006).

A.

Protests, as defined in Subpart 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the General Accounting Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from:

DISA/DITCO/PL8223

ATTN: Deborah A. Benscoter

2300 East Drive, Bldg 3600

Scott AFB IL 62225-5406

Phone number: 618-229-9298

Fax number: (618) 229-9174

Email: deborah.benscoter@disa.mil

B.

The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO.

L.VI - ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS.

The Government reserves the following rights:

A.

To consider as acceptable only those proposals that are submitted in accordance with all technical requirements stated or referenced in the solicitation, and that demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to perform the Government’s requirements; and, B.

To reject as unacceptable those proposals that delete or alter technical requirements of the solicitation.

L.VII - SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL (DUE DATE/TIME).

Proposals must be uploaded electronically to the web address indicated in Section L.3.g.(1)(ii), and one (1) softcopy CD-ROM disk delivered to the address in Block 7 of the SF 33, by the time and date specified in Block 9 of the SF 33, “Solicitation, Offer and Award.” The time specified on the SF 33 is Central Daylight Savings Time (CDST). Offers received after the time and date specified will be considered late.

L.VIII - PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY PROPOSAL THAT DOES NOT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THESE PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS.

A.

To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Proposals must be complete, self-sufficient, and respond directly to the requirements of this solicitation. The response shall consist of five (5) parts, Volume I – Executive Summary, Volume II – Technical/Management Approach, Volume III – Past Performance Information, Volume IV – Price Proposal, and Volume V – Contract Information. Offerors shall upload the entire proposal package as previously directed.

B.

The CO has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. Upon examination of the initial offers, the CO will review this determination and if, in the CO’s opinion, adequate price competition exists no additional cost information will be requested and certification under FAR 15.406-2 will not be required. However, if at any time during this competition the CO determines that adequate price competition no longer exists offerors may be required to submit information to the extent necessary for the CO to determine the reasonableness of the price.

C.

Documents submitted in response to this RFP must be fully responsive to and consistent with the following:

1) Requirements of the RFP (CLINs and PWS), and Government standards and regulations pertaining to the PWS.

2) Evaluation Factors (See Section M.III of the RFP).

3) Any limitation on the number of proposal pages. Pages exceeding the page limitations set forth below will not be read or evaluated, and will be removed from the proposal.

D.

Specific Instructions:

(1) VOLUME I – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A.

The Offeror shall provide a 5-page executive summary that describes the significant attributes of its proposal (5-page limit). In the executive summary volume, the offeror shall provide the following information:

1. Narrative Summary

The narrative summary of the entire proposal should be concise, to include addressing the significant risks, and highlighting any key or unique features, excluding price. The salient features should tie in with Section M evaluation factors/subfactors. Any summary material presented here shall not be considered as meeting the requirements for any portions of other volumes of the proposal.

2. Table of Contents

Include a master table of contents of the entire proposal. The master table of contents does not count against the page limitation for the Executive Summary.

(2) VOLUME II – TECHNICAL/MANAGEMENT APPROACH

A.

The Technical/Management Approach Volume should be specific and complete. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. Your responses will be evaluated against the Technical/Management Approach subfactors defined in Section M.III, Evaluation Factors. Using the instructions provided below, provide as specifically as possible the actual methodology you would use for meeting or exceeding the requirements for each subfactor. All the requirements specified in the solicitation are mandatory. By your proposal submission, you are representing that your firm will perform all the requirements specified in the solicitation. It is not necessary or desirable for you to tell us so in your proposal. Do not merely reiterate the requirements specified in the solicitation.

B.

Offerors shall describe how their proposal addresses the PWS requirements and, in particular, to the Technical/Management Approach areas listed below. Offeror's response is limited to one-hundred (100) pages plus a network diagram(s) depicting an overview of the basic backbone structure, a service delivery point (SDP) diagram demonstrating the configuration of telecommunications/networking equipment, a transition plan of no more than five (5) pages, a staffing diagram showing levels and numbers of employees proposed to manage the network, and resumes (limited to no more than two pages each) for proposed key personnel. At a minimum key personnel should include the Program Manager, Contracts Manager, and NOC Manager. The diagram(s) shall demonstrate the basic connectivity from an SDP to the backbone. Statements such as “have read, understand and will comply” are not sufficient and may be cause to reject the proposal for noncompliance. Brochures, etc. may be submitted with the technical proposal, but shall not substitute for submission of a Technical /Management proposal. Any brochures submitted will be included in the total page count allowed for this volume of the proposal. The Technical /Management Approach proposal must address your proposed approach to meeting or exceeding the minimum performance or capability requirements of each Technical/Management Approach subfactor, as well as any technical performance, cost, and/or schedule risks associated with it.

C.

Technical/Management Approach Risk. Address Technical/Management risk by identifying those aspects of the proposal you consider to have the potential for disruption of schedule, increased cost, poor performance, the need for increased Government oversight, and/or the likelihood of unsuccessful contract performance. Classify each risk in accordance with Table M-2 - Technical/Management Approach Risk Ratings, located in Section M. Provide the rationale for each risk and its rating, including quantitative estimates of the impact on cost, schedule, and performance. Describe the impact of each identified risk in terms of its potential to interfere with or prevent the successful accomplishment of other contract requirements (e.g., PWS or specification requirements), whether or not those requirements are identified as subfactors. Propose a realistic "work‑around" or risk mitigators for identified risks that will eliminate or reduce the risk to an acceptable level. Identify and classify any new risks introduced by such risk mitigation.

D.

Volume Organization. The Technical/Management Approach volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

1. Table of Contents

2. List of Tables and Drawings

3. Glossary

4. Cross Reference Matrix (RFP – Attachment 4)

5. Subfactor One

6. Subfactor Two

7. Subfactor Three

8. Network Diagram

9. SDP Diagram

10. Transition Plan

11. Staffing Diagram

12. Resumes

E.

Subfactor 1 - Transition Plan. The offeror shall describe their planned approach to provide seamless transition from the current to the proposed contract. The offeror shall present a Transition Plan. The transition plan must demonstrate a reasonable, realistic, and achievable transition of established SDPs to the new network while maintaining service continuity and quality. The transition plan must demonstrate that transition of these established SDPs can be completed within 18 months of contract award.

F.

Subfactor 2 - Network Architecture and Security. The offeror shall provide their planned approach to design a communications network that addresses network requirements, performance standards, and network security and routing requirements. The offeror shall demonstrate its planned approach to provide point to cloud and point to point service of a global, full duplex, Internet Protocol (IP) based communications network connecting multiple government local area networks/SDPs. The offeror shall demonstrate its approach to transport data across the IP network and how to accomplish analog to digital conversion. The offeror shall demonstrate its ability to interface with local exchange carriers. The offeror shall demonstrate its ability to provide network security to prevent unauthorized users from accessing data, compromising files and tampering with system configuration at all SDPs. The offeror shall provide diagrams depicting the architecture of the proposed solution and their approach to install, operate, and maintain the SDPs.

G.

Subfactor 3 - Management. The offeror shall provide its planned approach to provide preventive maintenance and service restoration of network equipment breakdowns and failures. The offeror shall provide its planned approach to provide written notification to the DITCO Contracting Officer of any delays or problems that will impact service delivery date. The offeror shall provide the staffing plan demonstrating that it is realistic and sufficient to provide all of the services as specified in the PWS including, but not limited to Network Operations Center (NOC) staffing, help desk support, Program Management Office, etc. The offeror shall provide the personnel to effectively manage, operate, and evolve the network.

(3) VOLUME III – PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

A.

Each offeror shall submit a Past Performance volume with its proposal, containing information regarding recent or on-going and relevant work in accordance with the format contained in RFP Attachment 5. Information shall be submitted on a total of no less than three (3) contracts and no more than six (6) recent or on-going contracts that are similar in size, scope and complexity to the work described in the PWS and which demonstrate the offeror’s ability to perform the effort proposed. This information is required for the offeror and for all subcontractors, teaming partners, and/or joint venture partners who are proposed to perform a major portion of the proposed effort based on the total proposed price or be a subcontractor that shall perform aspects of the effort the offeror considers critical to overall successful performance. The offeror must also submit a Performance Information Sheet identifying active or completed contracts, either Government or commercial, for each prime, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner (within the same division or cost center) and a Performance Information Sheet for each major or critical subcontractor that supports a contract identified in the Past Performance Volume, not to exceed a combined total of six (6) contracts. The Performance Information Sheet for each contract is limited to a maximum of four (4) pages. Offerors are cautioned that the Government will use data provided by each offeror in this volume as well as data obtained from other sources in the evaluation of past performance. The government does not expect the information contained in the headings or within the parentheses on RFP Attachment 5 to be part of the data that is contained within the offeror’s proposals.

B.

Together with the information required in this paragraph, the offeror must submit a consent letter executed by each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner, authorizing release of adverse past performance information to the offeror to enable the offeror to respond to such information. A sample consent letter is provided as RFP Attachment 7. For each identified effort for a commercial customer, the offeror must also submit a client authorization letter, authorizing release to the Government of requested information on the offeror's performance. A sample Client Authorization Letter is provided as RFP Attachment 8.

C.

The Past Performance Volume shall also contain the following:

1. Table of Contents

2. Summary Page describing the role of the offeror and each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner for which the offeror is required to provide Past Performance Information Sheets on in accordance with paragraph L.8.d.3.b. below. (2 page maximum)

3. Organization Structure Change History—See paragraph L.8.d.3.f. below.

D.

Relevant Contracts. Submit information in accordance with RFP Attachment 5, Past Performance Information, on a minimum of three (3), maximum of six (6), recent contracts that you consider most relevant in demonstrating your ability to perform the proposed effort. Recent contracts shall have been performed during the past three (3) years (2007-2010) or work that is on-going from the date of issuance of this solicitation. Identify the rationale supporting your assertion of relevance. For a description of the characteristics the Government will consider in determining relevancy, see Section M.III.c., Table M.4. Offerors are required to identify the aspects of the contracts they consider relevant to the proposed effort, and to identify the PWS requirements to which they relate. To clearly link the past performance information to the Technical/Management Approach subfactors, the offeror should identify which contracts are relevant indicators of performance by reference to a particular Technical/Management Approach subfactor. Categorize the relevancy information by reference to the specific evaluation subfactors used to evaluate the proposal, for example:

1. Subfactor 1 – Transition

2. Subfactor 2 – Network Architecture and Security

3. Subfactor 3 – Management

E.

Specific Content. Offerors are required to explain what aspects of the contracts are deemed relevant to the proposed effort and to what aspects of the proposed effort they relate. This may include a discussion of efforts accomplished by the offeror to resolve problems encountered on prior contracts as well as past efforts to identify and manage program risk. Merely having problems does not automatically equate to a Limited or a No Confidence rating, since the problems encountered may have been on a more complex program, or an offeror may have subsequently demonstrated the ability to overcome the problems encountered. The offeror is required to clearly demonstrate management actions employed in overcoming problems and the effects of those actions, in terms of improvements achieved or problems rectified on contracts that are relevant to the proposed effort. This may allow the offeror to be considered a higher confidence candidate. For example, submittal of other management indicators that clearly support that an offeror has overcome past problems is required. Categorize the relevant information into the specific Technical/Management subfactors used to evaluate the proposal.

F.

Organizational Structure Change History. Many companies have acquired, been acquired by, or otherwise merged with other companies, and/or reorganized their divisions, business groups, subsidiary companies, etc. In many cases, these changes have taken place during the time of performance of relevant past efforts or between conclusion of recent past efforts and this source selection. As a result, it is sometimes difficult to determine what past performance is relevant to this procurement. To facilitate this relevancy determination, include in this proposal volume a "roadmap" describing all such changes in the organization of your company. As part of this explanation, show how these changes impact the relevance of any efforts you identify for past performance evaluation/performance confidence assessment. Since the Government intends to consider past performance information provided by other sources as well as that provided by the offerors, your "roadmap" should be both specifically applicable to the efforts you identify and general enough to apply to efforts on which the Government receives information from other sources. There is no-page limit for the “roadmap”.

G.

Questionnaires. The Government requests the offeror send out Past Performance Questionnaires (RFP Attachment 6) to each of the Points of Contact (POCs) identified in the Past Performance Volume. The Transmittal Letter (located at RFP Attachment 7) shall be used by the offeror in sending out the Past Performance Questionnaires to its’ clients. The client’s POC should submit completed questionnaires directly to the Government. Once the Past Performance Questionnaires are completed by your client’s POCs, the information contained therein shall be considered sensitive and shall not be released to you, the Offeror. A cover letter for transmitting the questionnaire to each POC is provided in RFP Attachment 7.

(4) VOLUME IV – PRICE PROPOSAL

A.

The Price Proposal Volume shall include a Monthly Recurring Charge (MRC) and a Nonrecurring Charge (NRC) set forth in the MRC/NRC Spreadsheet, RFP Attachment 1. This spreadsheet reflects whether the government anticipates MRC or NRC being proposed for the respective bandwidth for each Service Delivery Point (SDP). All MRC and NRC must be priced for all contract years (ten years consisting of one base period of three years and seven (7) one-year option periods, if all options are exercised). Failure to price all MRCs and NRCs may result in a rejection of the offeror’s proposal. No substitute pricing summaries are acceptable. Offerors are required to provide a price for every CLIN/SubCLIN that is not marked To Be Negotiated (TBN) Contractor generated abbreviations such as “NSP” (Not Separately Priced), “N/A” and “N/C” (No charge) are not acceptable entries. Each Option Year shall be clearly marked.

B.

The offeror shall submit their proposed unit prices for the Schedule CLINs in MS Excel Version 2003. The proposed unit prices shall correspond to the unit description listed in the Schedule (page limit not applicable). All pricing shall be quoted in U.S. Currency and carried to no more than two decimal places.

C.

If any existing facilities located on Government property and provided under a DITCO Contract are to be utilized to implement the required service, the offeror shall describe fully and any/all downward price adjustments to be realized including all of the offeror’s cost allocations prior to and subsequent to the start of the service requirements of the RFP. The offeror shall also certify that the adding of service to its existing facilities serving the user service locations shall not interfere nor degrade existing leased services.

D.

Price Reasonableness. Per Section L.VIII.b, the CO has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. However, if at any time during this competition the CO determines that adequate price competition no longer exists, this section is to assist you in submitting information other than cost or pricing data that will assist the government in evaluating the reasonableness of your proposed cost/price. If requested, compliance with these requirements is mandatory and failure to comply may result in rejection of your proposal. Note that unrealistically low or high proposed costs or prices, initially or subsequently, may be grounds for eliminating a proposal from competition either on the basis that the offeror does not understand the requirement or has submitted an unrealistic proposal. Additionally, unbalanced pricing poses an unacceptable risk to the Government and may be a reason to reject an offeror’s proposal. If this data is requested, the offeror’s response should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate their reasonableness. The burden of proof for credibility of proposed costs/prices rests with the offeror.

E.

Cost/Price Information. Information beyond that required by this instruction shall not be submitted, unless you consider it essential to document or support your cost/price position. All information relating to the proposed price, including all required supporting documentation, must be included in the section of the proposal designated as the Price volume. Under no circumstances shall this information and documentation be included elsewhere in the proposal.

F.

Cost or Pricing Data: In accordance with FAR 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-3(a), information other than cost or pricing data may be required to support price reasonableness. Information shall be provided in accordance with FAR 15.403-5 . If, after receipt of proposals, the CO determines that there is insufficient information available to determine price reasonableness and none of the exceptions in FAR 15.403-1 apply, the offeror shall be required to submit cost or pricing data.

(5) VOLUME V – CONTRACT INFORMATION

A.

The offeror shall include a completed SF 33, properly executed and signed by an official authorized to bind the offeror. The completed SF33 shall include blocks 12 through 18 of the SF 33. In doing so, the offeror accedes to the contract terms and conditions as written in the RFP (1-page limit). Acknowledgment of receipt of any amendments may be made in the transmittal letter.

B.

Transmittal Letter. The Offeror shall submit a transmittal letter with the proposal. The cover letter shall provide the name, title, and telephone number of the company/division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your proposal and who can bind your company contractually. Identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government. Provide company/division's street address, county and facility code; CAGE code; DUNS code; TIN; type of small business and labor surplus area designation, if applicable. This same information must be provided if the work for this contract will be performed at any other locations. List all contractor locations where work is to be performed and indicate whether such facility is a division, affiliate, or subcontractor, and the percentage of work to be performed at each location. Offerors are required to indicate that the acceptance period for their offer is 180 calendar days. (4-page limit).

C.

Other Information Required

1. Authorized Offeror Personnel. Provide the name, title, and telephone number of the company/division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your proposal and who can obligate your company contractually. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government (2-page limit).

2. Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors. If your firm’s annual representations and certifications have been entered into the web site at http://orca.bpn.gov/, do not include them with your offer. In this case, include in Volume V, a statement that the online representations and certifications are current (1-page limit).

3. If your firm’s annual representations and certifications have not been entered into the web site at http://orca.bpn.gov/, complete the necessary fill-ins and certifications noted in section K.

4. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Pre-award Clearance Information. To expedite the Government’s EEO pre-award clearance request process, the prime contractor shall include a list of all proposed subcontractors with a proposed subcontract value estimated at $10 million or more, to include the following information: Name, address, individual’s name/point of contact, and telephone number. The Government plans to request EEO clearances early in the evaluation process to avoid possible delays in making contract awards (page limit not applicable).

5. Required Facility and Level of Safeguarding Clearances, or Interim Clearances. The Offeror shall demonstrate that they either currently have the required facility and level of safeguarding clearances or interim clearances. The Offeror shall also demonstrate that they can comply with the Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254, provided as RFP Attachment 3. Facility and personnel security clearances shall be submitted with the proposal.

6. Subcontracting plans will be required from large businesses after competitive range determination. Upon competitive range determination the Government will notify large businesses remaining in the competitive range to submit subcontracting plans in accordance with identified small business targets and FAR 19.704. Subcontracting plans MUST comply with every subparagraph of FAR 19.704. Following are the current DISA subcontracting goals:

Small Business (SB)

30%

Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)

10%

Women-owned Small Business (WOSB)

6%

Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB) 3%

Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZONE)

1%

Subcontracting plans will be evaluated by the Contracting Officer, the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Specialist, and Small Business Administration for compliance with FAR 19.704 and DISA subcontracting goals.

Attachment 11

A-11-1