Responses_to_Q A_Part_3.pdf

QUESTIONS FOR RFP PART III

General Solicitaiton Questions Answers

L.3 pg 107 In reference to Table 3.1 titled Proposal

Organization, the Government specifies a 3 page limit for Volume III Factor 2 ‐ Past Performance. This appears to conflict with RFP section L.4.3.3 on page 110 of the

RFP which allows the Offeror to submit past performance information on no more than three (3) recent contracts. Please clariify the page limit for each past performance citation as well as for Volume III itself.

**CORRECTION** Attachment 1 will have a limit of (3) pages per reference excluding the template. Attachment 2 will have a page limit of (3) pages per reference excluding the template. These page limitations are per reference.

Section L.3 Past Performance indicates that there is a 3 page limit, with the past performance from the prime and up to two from each major sub contactor. However the Government Provided Attachment 1 past performance Information is 2 pages without any contractor information filled in. Would the Government consider revising the page count for this section to up to 12 pages?

**CORRECTION** Attachment 1 will have a limit of (3) pages per reference excluding the template. Attachment 2 will have a page limit of (3) pages per reference excluding the template. These page limitations are per reference.

Table 3.1. Proposal Organization lists the page limit for

Volume III Factor 2 ‐ Past Performance to be 3 pages.

Section L.4.3.2 states that the Past Performance volume shall be organized into 5 sections.

The first paragraph in Attachment 1, Past Performance

Information states "Limit the number of references submitted and the length of each submission to the limitations set forth in the solicitation."

Question: Is it correct to assume that the 3‐page limit

**CORRECTION** Yes this is correct.

Attachment 1 will have a limit of (3) pages per reference excluding the template. Attachment

2 will have a page limit of (3) pages per reference excluding the template.

Facility Clearance at the IDIQ Level

Ref: Page 50, paragraph d states that the Contractor must have a TOP SECRET facility clearance, and

Attachment 5, DD254 block 1a indicates a TOP SECRET facility clearance.

Will the Government sponsor a Small Business contractor for a TOP SECRET facility clearance if it is required at the IDIQ contract level?

The Government does not sponsor contractor facility clearances.

Small Business Participation Plan – L.4.5 – States that a small business participation plan may be required for both large and small business. Can the Government clarify if a small business has to provide a small business participation plan?

Yes, small business offerors must provide a

Small Business Participation Plan but not a

Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Large businesses must submit both a Small Business

Subcontracting Plan and a Small Business

Participation Plan. Sub‐contracting requirements will be revised via Amendment.

Since we are a small business and we currently do not have a estimating system or a purchasing system, can the Government provide Guidance on how to handle this requirement.

No. Certain task orders set‐aside for small businesses will require an adequate estimating system or purchasing system.

If several Small Business together meet the 50% rule, is this sufficient? For example, could Small Business 1 do 30% of the work, Small

Business 2 do 30% of the work, and Large Business do

40% of the work?

Small Business Participation plans will be evaluated by the CO as acceptable/unacceptable based on the offeror's explanation and justification in achieving their proposed goals for TOs awarded under the IDIQ basic contract.

For small business offerors, a Small Business

Participation plan will be unacceptable if it does not demonstrate an ability to comply with FAR 52.219‐14, Limitations on Subcontracting.

No. The current clause requires a single prime must do 50% of the cost of labor. The rule is due to change which may be reflected by bilateral modification in the IDIQ, after the rule is finalized. Please note that Joint Ventures must be in accordance with 13 CFR 125.6 and

FAR 52.219‐14, which requires that at least

50% of the work must be performed by either a small business JV team member, or the JV in the aggregate.

Does the gov't expect that the workscope percentage of the Small Business prime will be a mandatory 51% or greater, on a task order by task order basis?

Since this is only a partial set aside, only the set aside task orders must comply with the

Limitations on Subcontracting clause on a cumulative basis across the contract. The rule is 50% of the cost of the labor of their cumulative task orders.

L.4.5.1 ‐ Small Business Participation Plan states a small business participation plan may be required for both large and small businesses for those applicable TOs utilizing best value trade off evaluations. The

Government's assessment of small business participation and commitment is measured against the total value of all TOs awarded to each IDIQ awardee, which is separate from the FAR requirement for

Contracting Officer review and acceptance of an

Offeror‘s Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Individual subcontracting plan submissions for applicable TOs must be consistent with the awardees’ IDIQ Small Business

Participation plans. Question: Will the Government clarify if only a Small Business Participation Plan is required at the task order level?

On the contract level, small business offerors must provide a Small Business Participation

Plan but not a Small Business Subcontracting

Plan. Large businesses must submit both a

Small Business Subcontracting Plan and a Small

Business Participation Plan. Sub‐contracting requirements will be revised via Amendment.

Individual task orders may require the submission of a Small Business Subcontracting

Plan, but it is the Government's intent to evaluate the small business factor at the contract level.

H.8 pg 61 ‐ The clause identified in Section H.8 indicates that software, software documentation, hardware, manuals,documentation, etc. is to be provided to the government with unlimited rights. Please clarify this clause since it appears to deviate from the FAR and

DFARS prescribed standard data rights clauses, which may grant less than unlimited rights. Is it the

Government's intention by insertion of this clause to require rights that are over/above what is in FAR and

DFARS?

Section H.8 only requires unlimited rights to noncommercial technical data, noncommercial computer software, noncommercial software documentation, and any other materials provided to the

Government under individual Task Orders to the extent consistent with DFARS 252.227‐

7013, 252.227‐7014, and any other applicable

FAR and DFARS clauses.

H.11b pg 62 ‐ Task 5 is not included in this list as a small business set‐aside, but is designated as a small business set‐aside on C.6, page 34 and L.1.1d on page 104.

Please clarify on Section H.11.b.

Transition Plans will be required for both small and large businesses as required by applicable task orders.

M.6.Factor 4 ‐ Small Business Factor indicates If the offeror is other than a small business, the offeror's Small

Business Subcontracting Plan submitted in accordance with FAR 52.219‐9, or Comprehensive Subcontracting

Plan submitted in accordance with DFARS 219.702, and

Section L paragraph 4.5.2 shall also be evaluated to determine the extent to which the offeror identifies and commits to the participation of Small Businesses (SB) and Small Disadvantaged Businesses. Failure to submit such a plan will render the offeror ineligible for award.

Subcontracting plans will be evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis by the CO, with input from the Small Business Specialist, and Small Business

Administration as needed, for compliance with FAR

19.704 and DISA subcontracting goals.

Question: The DISA Small Business Goals are as following: SB‐26%, SDB 9%, WOSB 5%, SDVOSB 3% and

HUBZone 1%. These goals are based on total subcontracted dollars. Is it correct to assume that the

Small Business Subcontracting Plans will be evaluated on the DISA goals based on total subcontracted dollars even though the small business subcontracting goals will also be expressed in terms of total contract value?

Subcontracting requirements will be revised via Amendment., and the percentage goals will be provided.

Section L.4.4.2.1.6 states that subcontractors are to provide whatever information is necessary to help the

Government understand why the proposed costs are reasonable in its Cost Narrative. Question: Many of our subcontractors consider this information to be proprietary. Is it the Government’s intent for subcontractors to provide this information directly to the Government?

The subcontractor shall provide whatever documentation it deems necessary in order to support its proposed costs.

L‐4.4.2.1.6 pg 112; L‐4.6.1 pg. 114 ‐ Per Section L, Offerors are to provide FFP ceiling rates for the defined labor categories. Please clarify what requirements in the cost narrative the subcontractors must provide in support of these rates.

If a subcontractor deems that any of the information it needs to provide to support its proposed costs in its Cost Narrative is proprietary, the subcontractor shall submit its

Cost Narrative directly to the Government.

The Subcontractor shall be clear as to which

Prime Offeror it is teaming with. If a subcontractor is teaming with more than one

Prime Offeror, the subcontractor shall submit a

Cost Narrative for each Prime Offeror it is teaming with.`

With regard to section L (Instructions, Conditions and

Notices to Bidders), paragraph L.1.1.a CONTRACT

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM VALUE, on page number

104, line number 7 of the above‐referenced RFP, we ask:

Please confirm that since the solicitation includes is full

SBSA for the IDIQ, that Limitations on Subcontracting apply at the IDIQ level in accordance with GAO Protest of Spectrum Security Servs., Inc., B‐297320.2 (Dec. 29, 2005).

Yes. Since this is only a partial set aside, only the set aside task orders must comply with the

Limitations on Subcontracting clause on a cumpulative basis across the contract. The rule is 50% of the cost of the labor of their cumulative task orders.

Section J: Attachment 6.5, Labor Category Descriptions:

The minimum education requirements, specifically the area of study, for the engineer and programmer are restrictive. Many Spectrum Management SMEs have degrees in physics and many programmers have degrees in engineering.

Question: Will the Government broaden the Minimum

Education requirements of the Engineer and

Programmer labor categories to include equivalent experience and education?

Yes, these categories may include equivalent experience and education.