HC108426R0004 Amendment 0001 ESS IV.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30-105-04EXCEPTION TO SF 30

APPROVED BY OIRM 11-84

STANDARD FORM 30 (Rev. 10-83) Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

The purpose of this Amendment is to update the solicitation Q&A date to 09 March 2026, update the Solicitation due date to 24 March 2026.

1. Updated Dates:

The date for all questions and answ ers (Q&A) is updated to March 9, 2026.

The due date for all solicitation responses is updated to March 24, 2026.

2. Correction of Departmental Reference:

All references to the "Department of War" are hereby corrected to read "Department of Defense." This change is made to ensure consistency across all acquisition documents and to prevent any confusion.

3. Addition of Q&A Document:

"Attachment 16: Question and Answ er Document" has been added to the solicitation package. This document contains all questions received to date and the corresponding Government responses.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

S 1 24

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 03-Mar-2026

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA15C. DATE SIGNED15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Street, County, State and Zip Code) X HC108426R0004

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

03-Mar-2026

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

X The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offer is extended, X is not extended.

Offer must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning 1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(B).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

10A. MOD. OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO.(If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

03-Mar-2026

CODE

DISA/DITCO-SCOTT-PS84

2300 EAST DRIVE

SCOTT AFB IL 62225

HC1084 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE

See Item 6

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

HC108426R0004

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The solicitation issue date has changed from 24-Feb-2026 to 03-Mar-2026.

The following have been modified:

ATTACHMENTS

Attachments Requiring Offeror Input This table lists the documents that must be completed and submitted as part of the proposal.

Attachment Document Name Notes

Attachment 2 ESS IV Self-Certification Checklist

You need to fill in the "Make," "Model," and other technical details of your proposed equipment to show you meet the requirements.

Attachment 3 Sample Certification Letter The sample letter must be completed and submitted as part of the proposal.

Attachment 4 ESS IV Offeror Technical Specifications

You must complete this to describe your proposed solution and map it to the CLINs.

Attachment 5 ESS IV Price Model This is the pricing spreadsheet that you must fill out with your proposed costs.

Attachment 7 Small Business Participation Plan Template

This template must be completed and submitted to outline small business participation.

Attachment 10 DISA Subcontracting Plan Checklist

This must be submitted by "other than small business" offerors along with their subcontracting plan.

Appendix 14 (within Attachment 8)

Escalation Questionnaire The questions in this attachment must be completed. This information will be added to the contract but not evaluated for the award itself.

Attachment 15 CDRLs The Contract Data Requirements Lists must be completed and submitted.

Appendix 9 Electronic Product List This list must be completed and submitted by the contractor.

Informational Attachments These documents are provided for context and do not need to be filled out by the offeror.

Attachment Document Name Purpose

Attachment 1 Sample Task Orders Provides examples of the type of work to be ordered.

Attachment 6 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan Details how the Government will oversee the contract.

Attachment 8 Performance Work Statement Outlines the scope of work and requirements to be met.

Attachment 9 SOFA Contract Clauses Contains clauses that apply to work in Korea or Japan.

Attachment 11 Mission-Essential Contractor Services Describes requirements for mission-essential personnel.

Attachment 12 DD Form 254 Provides security classification specifications for the contract.

Attachment 16 Question and Answer Document Provides responses to questions submitted.

Appendix 8 Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) A template to be used for all employees after the contract is awarded.

Appendix 12 PWS Technical Requirements Lists the minimum technical requirements your solution must meet.

Attachment 1 Sample Task Orders Attachment 2 ESS IV Self-Certification Checklist Attachment 3 ESS IV Sample Cert Ltr Attachment 4 ESS IV Offeror Technical Specifications Attachment 5 ESS IV Price Model Attachment 6 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan Attachment 7 Small Business Participation Plan Template Attachment 8 Performance Work Statement Attachment 9 SOFA Contract Clauses Attachment 10 DISA Subcontracting Plan Checklist Attachment 11 Mission-Essential Contractor Services Attachment 12 DD Form 254 Attachment 13 Question and Answer Template Attachment 14 Government Furnished Property Attachment 15 CDRLS Attachment 16 Question and Answer Document Appendix 8 - DISA NDA Appendix 9 - EPL Worksheet Appendix 12 - PWS Technical Requirements

* For complete details and content for Appendices 8, 9, and 12, please refer to Attachment 8 - Performance Work Statement

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services

(1 FEB 2026) (DEVIATION)

(a) Submission of offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. As a minimum, offers shall include—

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The name, address, telephone number of the Offeror;

(3) The Offeror’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and, if applicable, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator;

(4) Information necessary to evaluate the factors contained in the provision at 52.212-2 or as described in the solicitation;

(5) Responses to provisions that require Offeror completion of information, representations, and certifications (other than those collected via the System for Award Management (SAM)); and

(6) A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation and any solicitation amendments.

(b) Period for acceptance of offers. The Offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 60 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(c) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers and any modifications or revisions to the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation.

(2) Any offer, modification, or revision received after the time specified for receipt of offers is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made and the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition. However, a late modification of an otherwise successful offer that makes its terms more favorable to the Government will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(3) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that offers cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of offers by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of offers will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(4) Offerors may withdraw their offers by written notice to the Government received at any time before award.

(d) Contract award (not applicable to Invitation for Bids). The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with Offerors. Therefore, the Offeror’s initial offer should contain the Offeror’s best terms. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions, if necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest, accept other than the lowest offer, and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(e) Debriefings. If a postaward debriefing is given to requesting Offerors, the Government will disclose the following information, if applicable:

(1) The agency’s evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed Offeror’s offer.

(2) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful Offeror and the debriefed Offeror and past performance information on the debriefed Offeror.

(3) The overall ranking of all Offerors when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection.

(4) A summary of the rationale for award.

(5) For acquisitions of commercial products, the make and model of the product to be delivered by the successful Offeror.

(6) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed Offeror as to whether the agency followed source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities.

(End of provision)

***ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1***

52.212-1(a), Submission of Offers, is tailored as follows:

(a) Submission of offers:

(7) Other Instructions.

(i) General Information

(A) Points of Contact: The contracting officer (KO) and contract specialist (CS) are the sole points of contact for this procurement. Direct all questions and concerns to the KO/CS. Submit written requests for clarification to:

CS: Joseph Santel - joseph.l.santel2.civ@mail.mil KO: Tricia Singler - tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil

(B) Discrepancies: Offerors believing the instructions contain errors, omissions, or unsound requirements must immediately notify the KO in writing with supporting rationale. The Government reserves the right to award based on initial proposals without discussion.

(C) Electronic Reference Documents: All referenced documents are available on the Contracting Opportunities website at https://www.sam.gov. Offerors are encouraged to subscribe to real-time email notifications.

(D) Communications: The KO and CS will control exchanges of source selection information. Email will be used to transmit such information with the subject line: “Source Selection Information – See Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101 & 3.104”. Requests for clarification and information concerning the solicitation must be provided in writing using the Questions and Answers template provided in Attachment 13.

Questions must be sent via e-mail to the KO and CS.

To ensure the Government has adequate time to respond and for offerors to consider the answers in their proposals, all questions must be received no later than March 09, 2026 at 4:00 PM CST. This date is 15 calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline. Answers to timely questions will be posted electronically as an amendment to the solicitation.

(E) Phased Procurement: The Government intends to conduct this procurement through a multi-phased proposal submission and evaluation.

(ii) Instructions for Proposal Preparation

A. Technical Proposal: Offerors are requested to submit a technical proposal and a price proposal in response to the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan is provided for contractor reference (See Attachment 6). Information on the organization and submission of technical and price proposals is provided below. The proposal has written and oral components, as identified in Table 1 – Proposal Organization.

The proposal must be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of statements asserted in the proposal. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, rather, it must provide convincing rationale to address how the offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors must assume the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and capabilities and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror's proposal. The offeror's proposal must include all data and information requested by the Request for Proposal (RFP) and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The proposal should sufficiently address the requirements as stated in the PWS.

Non-conformance with these instructions may result in removal of the proposal from further evaluation.

mailto:joseph.l.santel2.civ@mail.mil mailto:tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil https://www.sam.gov/

B. Oral Presentation Medium: The Government intends to hold oral presentations virtually via a

Microsoft (MS) Teams meeting. Offerors are not required to purchase any video teleconferencing (VTC) software in response to this solicitation and will not be reimbursed for any costs associated. Offerors must state in their submission whether they can or cannot present their oral proposal via MS Teams (see addendum to 52.212-1). If an offeror cannot present their oral proposal via MS Teams, the Government will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate the offeror via another VTC medium or voice-only telephone. By participating in the oral presentations, the offeror acknowledges that it complies with all solicitation rules and parameters, in accordance with applicable laws and statutes.

C. Recording Oral Presentations: Recording oral presentations by offerors or their representatives is strictly prohibited, notwithstanding local laws and regulations with regards to virtual meetings or voice-only telephone oral presentations. The Government reserves the right to record oral presentations. In accordance with FAR 15.102(e), the Government will maintain an official record of the oral presentation, which will be the basis of the evaluation. The official record will consist of:

1. A copy of the final presentation slides provided by the offeror.

2. The individual technical evaluation worksheets completed by each government evaluator during the presentation.

The Government’s record will be considered source selection sensitive information and will be handled accordingly.

D. Exchanges During Oral Presentation: The Government intends to engage in interactive dialogue during the oral presentations. These exchanges are viewed as a component of the oral presentation itself and do not constitute discussions.

(iii) Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest (OCCI). Per Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Special Contract Requirement H1, each offeror must specifically identify in its proposal whether any potential or actual OCCI, as described in FAR Subpart 9.5, exists for this instant procurement. If the Offeror believes that no OCCI exists, the OCCI response must set forth sufficient details to support such a position. If an offeror believes that an actual or perceived OCCI does exist on the instant procurement, the offeror must submit an OCCI plan with the proposal, explaining in detail how the OCCI will be mitigated and/or avoided.

(iv) Administrative Requirements. The written portion of the proposal shall follow the formatting instructions below. Page and slide limitations, if applicable, are identified below and will be treated as maximums. A page and slide are defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it will be counted as two pages. Page and slide sizes must be 8.5 x 11 inches, when printed. If exceeded, excess pages and slides will not be read or considered in evaluation of the proposal. The following items will not be considered when calculating page limits: cover pages, table of contents, glossary, executive summary, OCCI mitigation plans, Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) plans, Government Furnished Property (GFP) attachment, FAR/Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Provisions and Clauses (fill-in text), Section 508 compliance, Department of Defense (DoD) Contract Classification Specification Form (DD Form 254), Small Business Participation Plan Template, or Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). If the Government issues evaluation notices, page limitations may also be placed on those. Page and slide limitations must not be circumvented by including inserted text boxes/pop-ups or internet links to additional information; such inclusions are not acceptable and will not be considered part of a proposal.

The Government reserves the right to exclude from evaluation and not consider any proposal for award that does not adhere to the administrative requirements of this RFP.

(v) Proposal Organization. Proposals must be prepared according to the table below. Each volume's title, content, page limits, and number of copies must comply with these requirements. The contents of each volume should be self-contained to allow for independent evaluation with minimal cross-referencing. Missing information will be regarded as omitted. Internal cross-referencing is allowed if it conserves space and maintains clarity. Detailed tables of contents and tab indexing are recommended for easy navigation. Each volume may include a glossary of abbreviations and acronyms with explanations. Glossaries are not counted towards the page limits for the volumes.

Table 1:

Proposal Organization

VOLUME VOLUME TITLE COPIES FACTOR ATTACHMENT PAGE

LIMIT

I Cover Page and Executive Summary Volume Five Pages

II Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) 4 Narrative:

Two Pages

III Technical/Management Approach 3

Technical/Management Approach - All Phase I Subfactors

One electronic (Written Proposal) 3 12 Pages

Technical/Management Approach - All Phase II Subfactors

Oral + Slides (Oral Presentation) 3 1 30 Slides

Technical/Management Approach - All Phase III

The Government may require a Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstration from selected offerors

Alternative subline items (SLINs) One electronic 3 Five Pages

Self-Certification Checklist One electronic 3 2 No Limit Self-Certification Letter One electronic 3 3 One Page

Offeror Technical Specifications One electronic 3 4 No Limit

Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms One electronic No Limit

IV Subcontracting Requirements One electronic 1 No Limit

V Enterprise Storage Solution IV Price Model One electronic 4 5 Narrative:

Five Pages VI Contract Documentation One electronic No Limit

VII SCRM Plan One electronic 2 20 Pages

(vi) Electronic Submission of Offers. Submit Volumes I through VI via email with "Source Selection Information

– See FAR 2.101 & 3.104" in the subject line. Each volume should be a separate file. If any files are compressed, include the required decompression program. Send proposals to:

• CS: Joseph Santel - joseph.l.santel2.civ@mail.mil

• KO: Tricia Singler - tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil

(vii) Proposal Volumes

(A) Volume I – Executive Summary: Describe the significant attributes and theme of the proposal concisely, including significant risks and key/unique features (excluding price). Summary material presented here mailto:joseph.l.santel2.civ@mail.mil mailto:tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil does not meet the requirements for other volumes. Include a master table of contents for the entire proposal.

(B) Volume II – ROM: The Price ROM volume shall provide a Rough Order of Magnitude for the total evaluated price. The ROM should be a high-level estimate based on the offeror's understanding of the requirements in the PWS and the sample task orders. A detailed breakdown using Attachment 5 is not required for Phase I. The purpose of the ROM is to provide the Government with an initial understanding of the offeror’s price reasonableness and affordability. The ROM will not be evaluated for price realism. However, an unreasonable ROM, particularly one that is so high that it is considered unaffordable in relation to the internal government estimate, may be a key factor in the Government’s advisory recommendation for an offeror not to proceed to Phase II.

(C) Volume III – Technical/Management Approach: Develop a concise and comprehensive Technical/Management volume to fulfill the requirements set forth in FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items. Your document should:

1. Be submitted in MS Word 2007 or newer format.

2. Use an 81/2 by 11-inch white paper with at least 1-inch margin format on all sides.

3. The main body of the document must be in a 12-point Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier New font.

4. Tables: May use a minimum of 10-point font. - Graphs & Illustrations: May use a minimum of 8-point font. - Headers & Footers: May be placed within the 1-inch margin. Information in headers/footers will not be evaluated.

5. Print on one side of the paper only.

6. Not exceeding two megabytes (MB) in document size.

7. Clearly describe the methodology for achieving the technical/management factors and subfactors.

8. Address your approach to meeting or exceeding the performance requirements, highlighting any associated risks in terms of technical performance, price, schedule, oversight needs, and contract success potential.

9. Provide realistic risk mitigations and state any new risks introduced by these mitigations.

Volume III - Technical/Management shall be organized as follows:

Evaluation Factor 3: Technical/Management

Phase I Written Proposal:

• Subfactor 1.1: Self-Certification Checklist and Letter (Attachments 2 & 3)

• Subfactor 1.2: Technical Solution (PWS 6.2.1, 6.2.1.1, 6.2.1.2, 6.4.1, 6.4.1.1, 6.4.1.2)

• Subfactor 1.3: Availability (PWS 6.5.1)

• Subfactor 1.4: Service Delivery Plan (PWS 6.5.2.1, 6.5.4, 6.12.1, 6.12.2)

Phase II Oral Presentation:

• Subfactor 2.1: Unclassified Continental United States (CONUS) Data Center Operational Storage Environment Task Order

• Subfactor 2.2: Unclassified CONUS Data Center Network Attached Storage (NAS)/Object Storage Task Order

• Subfactor 2.3: Unclassified CONUS Data Center Backup Storage Environment Task Order

• Subfactor 2.4: Unclassified CONUS Data Center Growth Task Order

• Subfactor 2.5: Storage Resource Management (SRM)

Phase III Proof of Concept:

• The Government may require a PoC demonstration from selected offerors.

Offerors are solely responsible for all costs associated with the PoC demonstration, including location, personnel, and equipment.

Alternative SLINs shall be a separate chapter of the Technical/Management Volume.

Instructions for Phase I Written Proposal:

The following instructions are for the preparation and submission of proposals. The purpose of this section is to establish requirements for the format and content of proposals so that proposals contain all essential information and can be evaluated equitably. Offerors are instructed to read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments, prior to submitting questions and/or preparing your offer. Omission of any information from the quote submission requirements may result in rejection of the offer.

1. Offerors are expected to follow the detailed proposal preparation instructions fully and carefully. The Government will rely on the information provided by the offerors to evaluate the proposals. It is therefore imperative that offerors carefully follow the instructions set forth below and submit their proposals in the format and with the content specified below, providing all requested information.

2. Proposals that fail to provide information in the format requested may be found unacceptable and may be rejected without further consideration if the KO determines that a significant revision or addendum to the offeror’s proposal would be required to permit further evaluation, and especially if the incompleteness of the proposal or errant formatting of the quote appears to be due from a lack of diligence or competence of the offerors.

3. The instructions provided have been specifically tailored to the evaluation procedures to be applied for proposal evaluations. They are designed to ensure the submission of information essential to the understanding and comprehensive validation and evaluation of proposals. Clarity and completeness are of utmost importance to the proposal. The relevance and conciseness of the proposal is important. The offerors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the offeror’s proposal.

The proposal shall be valid for one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the proposal due date.

Technical Approach

1. Number of Pages – No more than 12 single-sided pages. If the technical proposal is longer than this page-count limitation, the excess pages shall not be reviewed nor evaluated. The page count for the technical proposal is exclusive of the cover letter, cover page, table of contents, resume.

2. Paper size shall be 8 1/2 by 11-inch white paper with printing on one (1) side only, follow a 1-inch margin format using at least a 12-point Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier New font. No reduction is permitted except for organization charts or other graphic illustrations, or in headers/footers. In those instances where reduction is allowable, offerors shall ensure that the print is easily readable; no less than 8-point font on graphs and 10-point font on tables. Each page shall have adequate margins on each side (at least one (1) inch) of the page. Header/footer information (which does not include any information to be evaluated) may be included in the 1" margin space. Pages that exceed the maximum page limitation will not be evaluated.

3. For the electronic copy of the quote, each file shall be submitted in a format readable by MS Office 2013 or searchable Portable Document Format (PDF).

Price ROM

1. Basis of Estimate – The ROM should be a high-level estimate based on the offeror's understanding of the requirements in the PWS and the sample task orders.

2. Detail Level – A detailed breakdown using Attachment 5 is not required for Phase I.

3. Purpose – The purpose of the ROM is to provide the Government with an initial understanding of the offeror's price reasonableness.

4. Evaluation – The ROM will be evaluated as part of evaluation criteria 4.

5. Viability – Unreasonable ROMs may result in an offeror being advised not to proceed to Phase II.

Advisory Down-Selection Notification from Phase I to Phase II

1. After the Government completes evaluation criteria 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4, offerors will receive an advisory notification via e-mail from the KO, and the offeror must confirm receipt of the email notification. This notification will advise the offerors of the Government’s advisory recommendation to proceed or not to proceed with Phase II submission. Offerors who are rated ‘Acceptable’ for criteria 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 will be advised to proceed to Phase II of the quote submission process. Offerors who receive a rating of ‘Unacceptable’ on one or more criteria will be advised that they are not considered viable competitors, along with the general basis for that rating.

2. Failure to participate in Phase I of the procurement precludes further consideration of an offeror. Phase II submissions will not be accepted from offerors who have not submitted Phase I proposals by the due date and time stated in this solicitation. For those offerors that are rated most highly and advised to proceed to Phase II of the quote submission process, the KO will include the Phase II submission instructions on the advisory notification, including the date, time and exact location of the offeror’s scheduled oral presentation, as well as the due date for the written portion of the Phase II submission. The Phase II written submission due date will be a minimum of three weeks from the date of the advisory notification, and oral presentations will be scheduled after the submission of written Phase II proposals. The Government recommends offerors to begin preparation of Phase II oral presentation only after receipt of the Phase I advisory down-select notice.

3. Those offerors that received advisory notification not to proceed to Phase II, but regardless choose to proceed to Phase II, must send an email to tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil, and joseph.l.santel2.civ@mail.mil no later than 24 hours after receipt of the advisory recommendation not to proceed, indicating its intent to participate in Phase II. After the KO receives notice from the offerors stating its intent to participate in Phase II despite the Government’s advisory notification not to proceed, the KO will send a separate e-mail with Phase II submission instructions within two business days after receiving the offeror’s intent to participate in Phase II.

Instructions for Phase II Oral Presentation:

The Government’s notification to offerors after evaluation of Phase I quote submissions will include the due date for Phase II written submissions, as well as the scheduled time for offerors oral presentations. The due date for Phase II written submissions will be prior to the scheduled oral presentations.

The technical and management volume should be specific, complete and consist solely of the oral proposal and the offeror’s slides used during the presentation. If there is a discrepancy between the offeror’s slides and the oral proposal, the information in the slides shall take precedence. However, the Government will not evaluate or consider information referenced in the offeror’s slides that was not presented orally as part of the offeror’s proposal. The Government will evaluate oral proposals against the technical and management approach subfactors defined in the addendum to 52-212-2, Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

1. The Technical and Management Volume Phase II (oral proposal and offeror’s slides), address the proposed approach to meeting or exceeding the minimum performance or capability requirements of each technical and management subfactor, as well as any risks in your proposed approach in terms of technical performance, price, or schedule. Address any technical and management risk by identifying those aspects of the proposal considered to have the potential for disruption of schedule, increased cost, poor performance, the need for increased government oversight, or the likelihood of unsuccessful contract performance. Describe the impact of each identified risk in terms of its potential interfering with or preventing the successful accomplishment of other contract requirements (e.g., PWS or specification requirements), whether those requirements are or are not identified as subfactors. Propose a realistic "work around" or risk mitigation for identified risks that will eliminate or reduce risk to an acceptable level. Identify any new risks introduced by such risk mitigation.

2. Oral Proposal. Oral proposals are limited to a maximum of 90 minutes per offeror. At the conclusion of the oral proposal, the Government will convene for up to a 30-minute internal caucus to determine if there are any questions for the offeror. After the 30-minute caucus, there will be a 30-minute session for the Government to ask the offeror questions. This dialogue is a component of the oral proposal, and offerors will not be given the opportunity to revise any part of their previously submitted written proposal, presentation slides, or submit any subsequent proposal revisions. The question-and-answer segment will be of clarifying nature only per FAR 15.306(a), which will not constitute discussions under FAR 15.306(b) and (d). Offerors may not exceed the 90-minute time limit for oral proposals.

3. Presentation Slides. Offerors must submit their presentation slides with their proposal submission for Subfactors 2.1 – 2.5 and must cover all presentation material. The slides must be received by the Contracting Officer via email no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled presentation time. These slides will form part of the official record for evaluation. If the offeror does not include their slides, the Government will consider the offeror as non-responsive and exclude the offeror from further consideration. The presentation slides submitted must be the same slides used in the oral proposal. No additions or changes are permitted between the time the slides are submitted and the time of the oral proposal. Offerors must not include narrative discussions (e.g.., note pages, handouts, or other similar narrative material) with the briefing slides.

There is a 30-slide limitation for the presentation slides. This limitation does not include a cover slide or an agenda/summary slide. The slides must be a PDF or MS PowerPoint file. Font size in the slides must be 14 points or larger. Headers and Footer fonts must be no smaller than 10 points. Slides must be a 16:9 aspect ratio. Offerors may use both text slides and graphics slides. Each slide must have fixed content, and no animations are allowed on the slides. All information on the slides shall be visible when printed (i.e., text or graphics do not extend past the border of the slide).

4. Oral Presentation Participants. Offerors shall include a point of contact in their proposal for oral presentations, providing the point of contact's name, phone number, and email address. The Government will arrange oral presentations with the point of contact for those who submit a complete package by the specified deadline. These presentations will be scheduled for approximately seven business days after the submission of the Phase 2 written proposal and slides and will be assigned randomly.

Each offeror is allowed four representatives at the oral presentation: three speakers (three key personnel or two key personnel and one company executive) and one silent participant. Each company can attend only one presentation, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor for another offeror. Only government personnel will participate in the source selection process.

Offerors who submit timely and compliant proposals will receive detailed information about the venue, media, and schedule for oral presentations. These presentations will be conducted virtually via MS Teams

DoD 365-J. If there are unexpected connectivity issues, the 90-minute limit will be adjusted accordingly.

Presentations cannot be conducted in person, and a Common Access Card is not required to access the platform. The Government will record the presentations and question and answer period. All costs related to the oral presentations will be the responsibility of the offeror; no costs will be reimbursed by the Government.

Advisory Down-Selection Notification from Phase II to Phase III

1. If the Government requires a PoC demonstration based upon the offeror’s oral presentation in Phase II, offerors will receive an advisory notification via e-mail from the KO and the offeror must confirm receipt of the email notification. This notification will advise the offerors of the Government’s advisory recommendation to proceed or not to proceed with Phase III submission. Offerors who are rated most highly after the oral presentations in Phase II will be advised to proceed to Phase III of the proposal submission process. Offerors who were not among the most highly rated will be advised that they are unlikely to be viable competitors, along with the general basis for the Government’s advisory recommendation. The intent of this advice is to minimize quote development costs for those offerors with little to no chance of receiving an award.

2. The Government intends to provide no more than two offerors with an advisory notification to proceed.

However, the Government’s advice will be a recommendation only, and those offerors who are advised not to proceed may elect to continue their participation in the procurement.

3. Failure to participate in Phase II of the procurement precludes further consideration of an offeror. Phase III product demonstrations will not be accepted from offerors who have not submitted Phase II proposals by the due date and time stated in this solicitation. For those offerors that are rated most highly and advised to proceed to Phase III of the quote submission process, the KO will include the Phase III instructions on the advisory notification, including the date and time of the offeror’s scheduled PoC demonstration. The Government recommends offerors to begin preparation of Phase III PoC demonstration only after receiving Phase II advisory down-select notice.

4. Those offerors that received advisory notification not to proceed to Phase III, but regardless choose to proceed to Phase III, must send an email to tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil, and joseph.l.santel2.civ@mail.mil no later than 24 hours after receipt of the advisory recommendation not to proceed, indicating its intent to participate in Phase III. After the KO receives notice from the offerors stating their intent to participate in Phase III despite the Government’s advisory notification not to proceed, the KO will send a separate e-mail with Phase III instructions within two business days after receiving offerors notice of their intent to participate in Phase III.

Instructions for Phase III Proof of Concept:

The Government may require a PoC demonstration from selected offerors. The demonstration shall be conducted remotely via a secure, virtual environment provided by the offeror. Government personnel will not travel for this event. Offerors are solely responsible for all costs associated with the PoC demonstration, including providing the virtual environment, personnel, and all necessary equipment. The PoC will validate the integrated technical solution presented in Phase II. The test plan will be primarily focused on the requirements of Subfactor 2.5, but a successful demonstration will require the offeror to incorporate and demonstrate capabilities related to Subfactors 2.1 through

2.4. To ensure consistent evaluation, the Government will provide offerors with a comprehensive test plan and any necessary data 21 days before the scheduled demonstration. This test plan will detail the specific elements of the offeror's solution requiring validation. Offerors will be notified if they are required to participate in the PoC, which will be scheduled to take place within 30 days of that notification. The demonstration will be conducted over two consecutive days, with a maximum of eight hours per day allotted for presentation and testing.

(D) Volume IV – Small Business Subcontracting Plan: In accordance with DFARS 215.304(c)(i), the extent of participation of small business concerns is a mandatory evaluation factor. All proposals will be evaluated under Evaluation Factor 1: Small Business Participation Plan (SBPP) to determine the extent to which offerors commit to utilizing small businesses (such as Small Business (SB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), and Women Owned Small Business (WOSB)) in fulfilling the contract. The evaluation will assess whether the offeror meets or exceeds the Minimum Quantitative Requirements (MQRs) defined in this section and provides a credible plan for meaningful small business involvement through joint ventures, teaming arrangements, or as subcontractors.

Offerors are hereby notified that if a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required for this acquisition, the successful awardee will be responsible for submitting all required reports in the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System. These reports, including but not limited to the Individual Subcontract Report and the Summary Subcontract Report, must be filed in accordance with the timelines and requirements set forth in FAR Clause 52.219-9

Evaluation Factor 1: Small Business Participation Plan

A SBPP template is provided (See Attachment 7). The document is for guidance but is not mandatory for use by offerors.

All offerors (both large and small businesses) will be evaluated on the level of proposed participation of U.S. small businesses in the performance of this acquisition. The Government will assess if small business participation meets the MQRs of this requirement as identified in the paragraphs below. The SBPP is an actual commitment document that addresses the extent of small business utilization in the performance of a contract as outlined in DFARS 215.304(c)(i). The SBPP specifies the details of how the offeror will maximize the utilization of small businesses within this acquisition. The offeror shall articulate how small businesses will participate through performance as a small business prime offeror and/or first-tier small business subcontracting only. Second and third tier small business subcontractors will NOT be considered towards the total small business participation percentage in this factor.

All offerors, including those who are DoD comprehensive test program participants, shall submit a SBPP as a part of their proposal. The final SBPP will be monitored as a measure of contract compliance and execution and results of it may be used in Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting Systems assessments. The SBPP shall not reference the Subcontracting Plan or any other volume of information; all information required within the SBPP shall be contained within the tab for that element. This SBPP and the MQRs apply to the overall contract and will be incorporated at contract award. In accordance with DFARS 215.304(c)(i), small business participation is an evaluation factor under Volume III of this solicitation.

For the purposes of this SBPP, offerors should use $500M for the “Total Contract Value” (TCV) when calculating percentages and dollars. This TCV shall not be considered minimum guarantees, ceiling amounts, or estimates for pricing purposes. Execution percentages will be based on actual dollars obligated. This TCV calculation is for the purposes of the SBPP calculations only. This number does not represent the Government's anticipated spending under the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract and is solely for standardization of the small business plan.

Offerors shall provide the following:

1. The total combined dollars and percentage of work to be performed by the prime contractor, any large business subcontractors and any small business subcontractors.

Note: The SBPP measures the percentage of the TCV while the Subcontracting Plan measures the percentage of the subcontracted dollars. Small business offerors will be required to report achievements against their SBPP while “Other Than Small Business” offerors will be required to report results against both sets of goals during contract execution.

2. The total percentage of participation is to be performed by each small business category. The percentage of work performed by small businesses that qualify in multiple small business subcategories should be counted in each category. For example, if a company is a WOSB and SDVOSB, the dollars subcontracted to that company should be counted for SB, WOSB and SDVOSB.

Detailed explanations shall be provided when the percentages fall short of the MQRs listed in the solicitation. The Government does not recognize zero percent as an acceptable proposed goal. However, if zero goals are proposed for small businesses or any subcategory, they shall be supported with a detailed explanation as to why the offeror cannot utilize small business. If the offeror does not submit a detailed rationale/explanation, the zero percentage may be deemed unacceptable. All percentages should use the TCV as a baseline. The Small Business Evaluation Board shall be able to verify that each percentage is based on the

TCV.

Table 2:

MQRs for this Requirement

SB 23% of the total acquisition value SDB 5% of the total acquisition value WOSB 5% of the total acquisition value HUBZone 3% of the total acquisition value SDVOSB 5% of the total acquisition value

Note: Double counting is permitted. A participation plan that reflects the required percentage of the acquisition value for any of the specific small business categories (SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB) will also count towards the overall 23% small business goal. The Government must be able to verify that each percentage is based on the total evaluated price.

Execution percentages will be based on actual dollars obligated.

3. List of principal services to be performed by small businesses. For each small business partner identified, the offeror shall provide a detailed list of their planned contribution. This list must include:

• The specific PWS task area(s) ill perform.

• The principal services and corresponding labor categories that will perform the work.

• The total planned dollars for that small business partner.

• The complexity (Low, Medium, High) associated with the work.

Complexity: These are presented as guidelines only and should not be construed as replacing requirements in any other section of the solicitation to include labor category requirements.

Low: Does not require technical expertise. May not require employees to have a college degree, may require direct supervision and/or require less than five years of related experience. Examples:

SharePoint Support, Project Management, Non-technical support, acquiring products or ordering materials/software/hardware.

Medium: Requires technical expertise or knowledge. Does require an employee to have a college degree, require little direction or supervision, requires 5-10 years of related experience. Examples:

Information Technology (IT) Operations, Data Management, IT Support Services, Cybersecurity, Tier I and Tier II Help Desk Support, Program Management, Development, Security, and Operations, Operations & Sustainment of existing systems.

High: Requires significant technical expertise or knowledge. Does require an employee to have a college degree or advanced degree, require no direction or supervision, require ten+ years of related experience. Examples: Engineering Support, Tier III Help Desk Support, Advanced IT Support Services, Systems Engineering work for new requirements, Innovation requirements/work.

List the extent of commitment to using such firms as either enforceable or unenforceable (enforceable arrangements demonstrate commitment vice unenforceable arrangements). Documentation regarding enforceable commitments shall be provided. For example, signed teaming agreements, mentor-protégé agreements, joint ventures, subcontracting or partnership letters of commitment(s), etc., may be included to support your commitment to small business utilization. Enforceable commitments shall be specific to the subject requirement and include signatures by both parties.

4. Describe the specifics on how the offeror’s firm intends to maximize the utilization of small businesses within this acquisition. What plans of action will the offeror execute to ensure maximum participation for small businesses? The offeror shall articulate how small businesses will participate through performance as a small business prime offeror and/or first-tier small business subcontracting only. Second and third-tier small business subcontractors will not be considered towards the total small business participation percentage in this factor.

5. DISA is focused on removing barriers to entry for small businesses. The number one barrier is the facility site clearance (FCL). Part of maximizing the utilization of small businesses is to remove barriers. This solicitation and any resultant contract require the prime contractor to sponsor at least two FCLs for small businesses during the base year. To be rated “Acceptable” offeror shall provide a written guarantee that they will sponsor two or more FCLs to small business during the first two years of performance of a resultant contract.

6. Demonstration of success in the utilization of small business. The SBPP shall provide demonstrations of success in utilization of small businesses.