Questions_and_Answers.pdf

CSSC Presolicitation Industry Day June 25, 2014

Question 1: Has the government made a final decision regarding whether this will be large or small business solicitation?

Answer 1: The Government has not yet made a final decision; it is still too early in the process to make a small business set aside determination.

**Answer Changed ** Answer 1, revised: The Government anticipates soliciting this acquisition using full and open competition. The Government does not anticipate setting aside any part of the requirement. Large business participants will be required to submit a small business subcontracting plan as part of their proposals in order to encourage small business participation.

Question 2: Assuming this is a large business solicitation, is there a small business set aside requirement? What percent?

Answer 2: See answer to question 1.

Question 3: CSSC Users; do you expect to have other non-shipboard users? (USM, NAVAIR, other DoD)

Answer 3: Yes, bandwidth requirements within the Draft RFP (DRFP) were determined accounting for air and ground users. Non-shipboard users bandwidth requirements have been accounted for in the bandwidth estimate attachment 6 in the DRFP.

Question 4: What are airborne requirements? Are L.band services required?

Answer 4: The Government needs to be able to support airborne users in all defined coverage areas. L-band services are not currently part of this requirement.

Question 5: What percentage of total bandwidth consists of base requirements versus surge requirements?

Answer 5: The DRFP has baseline and non-baseline requirements stated. All bandwidth requirements will be issued on individual task orders.

Question 6: What type of Ka band space segment is required? Spot beam vs. wide beam?

Answer 6: The Ka space segment coverage area has been described in the DRFP. Solutions that employ the use of spot beam and/or wide beam that meet the minimum coverage area will be considered.

Question 7: 30 minutes of downtime is very aggressive, is there flexibility?

Answer 7: No, there is not any flexibility on the amount of downtime.

Question 8: Do you plan to use DISA/GSA Cs2 Contract? If not, why not?

Answer 8: No we do not plan to use the CS2 contract. It is unable to satisfy the Navy’s requirements.

Question 9: If the government continues the procurement as large business (un-restricted) Will the government provide a pricing plus for c-band circular capacity to increase competition?

Answer 9: The decision to procure as a large business has not yet been determined. The contract is anticipated to be Firm-Fixed-Price.

***Answer Changed ** Answer 9, revised: The Government anticipates soliciting this acquisition using full and open competition. The Government does not anticipate setting aside any part of the requirement. The contract is anticipated to be Firm Fixed Price.

Question 10: Bandwidth estimates in attachment to draft RFP indicate number of Mhz in a year. Is that expected to be xMHz per month or how will it be measured/implemented?

Answer 10: They are estimates for planning purposes and are based on purchases made in 1 year increments.

Question 11: Only two airborne terminals identified. One for Ku and one for Ka. X-band offers significant performance advantages in the airborne environment will there be an x-band and/or multiband terminal identified?

Answer 11: Currently, all terminals that the Government intends to use have been identified. This is subject to change prior to release of final RFP (FRFP).

Question 12: With regards to terrestrial circuits will you be providing the following in the final RFP:

Specific address of End Process; Circuit speeds.

Answer 12: The specific address of the end process is defined in the DRFP. This is subject to change in the FRFP. Circuit speeds will not be determined by the Government. It will be determined by the offeror’s solution. They must support the ability to provide the end-to-end requirement as described in the DRFP.

Question 13: Will the terrestrial provider supply the entire broadband network?

Answer 13: The offeror is required to ensure their solution provides the terrestrial requirement as described in the DRFP.

Question 14: What is meant by the “NT WAN”

Answer 14: Navy Tactical Wide Area Network.

Question 15: Will there be another Industry Day Scheduled prior to the final RFP?

Answer 15: Currently, there will not be another Industry Day. However, if this changes, it will be posted to FEDBIZOPPS.

Question 16: Will there be a possibility for a one on one meeting with the government?

Answer 16: Currently, one-on-ones are not anticipated. However, if this changes, it will be posted to

FEDBIZOPPS.

Question 17: ATT7 does not ID any commercial Ka-band capable terminals, yet the DRFP has commercial Ka band range specified. Will commercial Ka terminals be added?

Answer 17: The Government intends to have commercial Ka terminal specifications included prior to the release of the FRFP.

Question 18: Will a steerable beam OPSCON be provided in the FRFP?

Answer 18: The Government does not anticipate providing a steerable beam OPSCON (CONOPS) in the

FRFP.

Question 19: Will Final RFP provide a distribution of users with a given region?

Answer 19: The Government does not anticipate providing a distribution of users.

Question 20: Some areas in the BW matrices for each area were left blank for Ka and other frequency bands. Can BW requirements for those areas be added after contract award?

Answer 20: The required frequency bands identified by region have been determined by the Navy’s requirements.

Question 21: Latest CBSP ULV Award includes a Ka-capability option but DRFP does not show Ka band BW requirement. Will it be added?

Answer 21: The required frequency bands identified by region have been determined by the Navy’s

Question 22: What is the government strategy for Ka band, commercial vs military band.

Answer 22: The required frequency bands identified by region have been determined by the Navy’s requirements. Further refinements to the Ka commercial and military frequency bands may be made prior to the release of the FRFP.

Question 23: What is the government strategy for x band, commercial vs. military bands?

Answer 23: The required frequency bands identified by region have been determined by the Navy’s

Question 24: Is the government considering any small business participation?

Answer 24: See answer to question 1.

Question 25: Any plan for existing contract to be extended?

Answer 25: This forum applies to the CSSC requirement only.

Question 26: Are there any improvements the government is looking for?

Answer 26: The Government is open to any suggestions that would improve efficiencies and capabilities.

Question 27: How dependent will the government users be on WGS?

Answer 27: The DRFP and subsequent FRFP are specifically focused on the Government’s commercial

Question 28: Is the government looking to CSSC as primary or support capability?

Answer 28: For the requirements listed in the DRFP, CSSC is intended to be the primary support capability.

Question 29: Will the government purchase the majority of this requirement from the commercial satellite and industry providers?

Answer 29: The services requested in the FRFP will be purchased from the awardee.

Question 30: Will the attendance roster be posted?

Answer 30: The roster, presentation slides, and any questions to which responses are communicated today will be posted as soon as possible.

Question 31: Can you be more specific on why you believe that CS-2 can’t meet the needs?

Answer 31: The Period of Performance of the CS2 contract did not meet the Navy’s requirements.

Question 32: Transition time is a challenge for anyone other than the incumbent. How can you encourage competition by allowing more time for transition?

Answer 32: Ensure the CSSC architecture is ready for Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) installation, light-off and testing within 120 days of Task Order (TO) award. Ensure full operational capability within 180 days of TO award. Circuit cutover for active circuits will have no more than 30 minutes of downtime.

Question 33: First round of questions indicated: A: may not be large business prime. B: CS2 vehicle not suitable does this imply CS2-Small business would also not be suitable in the event Navy goes with small business solicitation?

Answer 33: See answer to question 31.

Question 34: What small business size standards are under consideration?

Answer 34: See answer to question 1.

Question 35: What are the monitoring and control tools used?

Answer 35: Monitoring and control tools will be determined by the offeror.

Question 36: What monitoring and control tools are COTS or proprietary?

Answer 36: Monitoring and control tools will be determined by the offeror.

Question 37: Are the same tools required for CSSC? If some of the required tools are proprietary, will the government provide contracts on pricing data?

Answer 37: Monitoring and control tools will be determined by the offeror. The Government will not provide contracts on pricing data.

Question 38: As it relates to the CBSP/CSSC contract, does the government anticipate some or all of the shipboard system design, testing, validation, and installation and related requirements in task 1, 3, 4, and 8 to be contracted on this contract or another existing SPAWAR contract?

Answer 38: Please refer to the DRFP.