HDTRA2-15-R-0004-01_Final.doc

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. Offerors are responsible for submitting proposals and any proposal modifications/revisions to the designated office by the date and time specified in the solicitation. Proposals received after this exact time will NOT be considered unless it meets one of the exceptions stated in Federal Acquisitions Regulation (FAR)52.215-1(c)(3).

L.1.0 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

L.1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

L.1.1.1 Point of Contact

The Contract Specialist (CS) is the primary point of contact for this acquisition.

The CS for this acquisition is:

Susan McDaniel

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

J4COQ

Phone: (505) 853-0865

Email address: susan.j.mcdaniel.civ@mail.mil The Contracting Officer (CO) for this acquisition is:

Herbert A. Thompson, Jr.

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

J4COQ

Phone #: (505)-846-8799

Email: herbert.a.thompson8@mail.mil

Offerors are instructed to address all questions or concerns regarding this solicitation via email to susan.j.mcdaniel.civ@mail.mil with the subject line Questions Concerning HDTRA2-15-R-0004. Questions regarding this solicitation must be received no later than 20 July 2015 .

L.1.1.2 Debriefings

L.1.1.2.1 Preaward Debriefings

Offerors excluded from the competitive range or otherwise excluded from the competition before award may request a debriefing. Offerors may request a pre-award debriefing by submitting a written request to the CO for debriefing within three (3) calendar days after receipt of the notice of exclusion from the competition. The Government shall make every effort to debrief unsuccessful Offerors as soon as practicable.

L.1.1.2.2 Post-award Debriefings

Offerors may request a debriefing by providing a written request to the CO. The CO will notify Offerors of the source selection decision within three (3) calendar days after award. Offerors that desire a debriefing must request one in writing within three (3) calendar days after receipt of the CO notification. To the maximum extent practicable, debriefings will be conducted within five (5) calendar days after the Offeror’s request.

L.1.1.3 Discrepancies

If an Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain errors, omissions, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the CO in writing with supporting rationale. The Offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussion. If, during the evaluation period, it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government to hold discussions, the discussions will be held with only those Offerors determined to be in the competitive range.

L.1.2 ORGANIZATION/DISTRIBUTION/NUMBER OF COPIES/PAGE LIMITS

The Offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table 1-2 below. The titles and contents of the volumes, as well as the page limitations shall be as specified in the table. In the event that the table conflicts with the detailed instructions in the paragraphs that follow, the detailed instructions shall take precedence.

Table 1-2 – Proposal Organization

a. The proposals shall be submitted electronically, via e-mail to the contract specialist susan.j.mcdaniel.civ@mail.mil no later than 3:00 pm mdt on 24 July 2015.

PLEASE NOTE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN FAR 52.215-1.

L.1.3 PROPOSAL FORMAT

L.1.3.1 Guidance

This section of the Information to Offerors (ITO) 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 ITO and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. Non-compliance with the instructions provided in the ITO may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

L.1.3.2 Sufficient Detail

Proposals shall comply with the following guidelines:

· Be complete and respond directly to the requirements of the solicitation.

· Address the factors, subfactors, and their related elements as listed in Section M of the solicitation.

· Be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated assertions. Extraneous, repetitious, or wordy submissions are not desired and could result in lower ratings.

· Do not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet the requirements.

· Assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of the Offeror’s capabilities and experience, and will base its evaluation only on the information presented in the Offeror’s proposal.

L.1.3.3 Validity Statement

The offeror is requested to complete the proposal validity date in block 12, Section A of the solicitation, with not less than 120 days. In addition, the Offeror shall make a clear statement that the proposal is valid for the duration of the acceptance period. In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals.

L.1.3.4 Physical Appearance of Submissions

· Proposals will be submitted in electronic format via email.

L.1.3.5 Page Format Restrictions and Limitations

L.1.3.5.1 Page Limitations

Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal. In the event discussions are held, page limitations may be placed on responses to ENs. Page limits, if specified for EN responses, will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the Offerors.

L.1.3.5.3 Pages Counted Each page shall be counted except the following:

· cover pages

· tables of contents

· revision matrix

· Small Business Subcontracting Plan

· Glossaries.

L.1.3.7 Electronic Copies

a. Electronic copies of each volume shall be submitted via email and shall be clearly marked as to volume number, title, RFP identification, and the Offeror’s name. Offerors are responsible for ensuring electronic copies are virus-free.

b. Submit an electronic copy of each volume compatible with the following available Government equipment and software products:

- Pentium Class PCs

- Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0

- Microsoft Office Excel 2003*

*All cost information, with the exception of the cost narrative, must lend itself to review and analysis by the Government and must be submitted in Microsoft Excel format. Offerors shall include formulas and working links to the maximum extent practicable.

Note:

The electronic copy shall be in Adobe Acrobat (except for Microsoft Excel) portable document file (pdf) searchable text format.

L.1.3.8 Cost Information

All cost information shall be addressed ONLY in the Contract Cost Volume III. All labor rates shall be rounded to the nearest penny. All cost information, with the exception of the cost narrative, must lend itself to review and analysis by the Government and must be submitted in Microsoft Excel format, with working formulas when possible. Offerors shall include formulas and working links to the maximum extent practicable.

L.1.3.9 Volume Designation

Information required for proposal evaluation that is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted form the proposal. 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. Exceptions to the above include only socio-economic commitment information and Organizational Conflicts of Interest assertions which must be submitted in Volume I but may be cross-referenced in other volumes.

L.1.3.10 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

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

L.2.0 VOLUME I –PROPOSAL DOCUMENTATION

Volume I consists of the offer to enter into a contract to perform the desired work and information for the Government to prepare the contract document and supporting file.

L.2.1 SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

Completion of Blocks 12 through 16 and signature and date for Blocks 17 and 18 of the Standard Form (SF) 33 is required. Offerors must also submit a completed Section B, CLIN structure. Signature by the Offeror on the SF 33 constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept.

L.2.2 AUTHORIZED OFFEROR PERSONNEL

Provide the name, title, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the company and division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to the Offeror’s proposal and who can obligate the Offeror contractually. Also identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government.

L.2.3 GOVERNMENT OFFICES

Provide the mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and facility codes for the cognizant Contract Administration Office, DCAA, and Government Paying Office. Also provide the name, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address for the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO).

L.2.4 COMPANY DIVISION ADDRESS, IDENTIFYING CODES AND APPLICABLE DESIGNATIONS

Provide the company’s/division’s street address, county, and facility code; CAGE Code; DUNS number; Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), size of business (large or small); and labor surplus area designation.

L.2.5 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DD) FORM 254 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Provide information relative to offeror’s facility clearance and the contact information for the offeror security office.

L.2.6 INFORMATION REQUIRED BY DFARS CLAUSE 252.227-7017 IDENTIFICATION AND ASSERTION OF USE, RELEASE, OR DISCLOSURE RESTRICTIONS (JUN 1995) If applicable, the Offeror shall include 252.227-7017 paragraph (d) chart, in full-text, filled-in/completed.

L.2.8 REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFEROR(S) (SECTIONS K AND L)

The Offeror is responsible to ensure that all representations, certifications, acknowledgements, and statements provided in accordance with Sections K and L are provided in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov

L.2.9 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

IAW FAR 19.704 and DFARS 219.704 Other than small business Offerors shall submit a small business subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 52.219-9 and DFARS 252.219-7003

L.2.10 PREAWARD ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

a. The Contracting Officer has determined this contract may give rise to potential conflicts of interest due in part to contractors currently providing support to DTRA, who may have access to information that could potentially provide an unfair competitive advantage. Moreover, the nature of the work required by this contract could provide the awardee access to information that could potentially provide an unfair competitive advantage for future contracts. Offerors are directed to FAR Subpart 9.5 for detailed information concerning organizational conflicts of interest.

b. Each offeror must include in Volume I of its proposal either;

(1) a statement certifying that, to the best of its knowledge, it is not aware of any facts which create any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest relating to the award of this contract, or

(2) a statement that describes concisely all relevant facts concerning any past, present, or planned interest (financial, contractual, organizational, or otherwise) relating to the work to be performed under the proposed contract and bearing on whether the offeror has a possible organizational conflict of interest.

c. The Contracting Officer may require further relevant information from an offeror and may, at his discretion, permit an offeror to clarify errors or omissions in relevant information or in a statement required by (b) above. Refusal to provide a statement required by (b) above, refusal to provide further relevant information required by the Contracting Officer, or the misrepresentation of any relevant information will result in disqualification of an offeror from further consideration for award of a contract under this solicitation.

d. Relevant information regarding possible organizational conflicts of interest will not be treated like an separate evaluation factor, however, it will be addressed during the evaluation of proposals. Relevant information regarding each offeror will be analyzed by the Contracting Officer in accordance with FAR 9.5 in order to determine whether a potential conflict exists and if so, what actions are necessary to avoid or otherwise resolve the potential conflict.

e. The Contracting Officer will use all relevant information submitted by the offeror, and any other relevant information known to DTRA, to determine whether a potential conflict exists. If the Contracting Officer determines that a potential conflict exists, the conflict must be avoided or otherwise resolved through the inclusion of a special contract clause or other appropriate means. Although the terms of any special clause are subject to negotiation, it is likely that the contract will include a clause substantially the same as DTRA Clause 252.209-9000 which is included in Section H of the contract.

L.3.0 VOLUME II – Technical

L.3.1 GENERAL

The Technical Volume should describe the Offeror’s capability to satisfy the requirements of this solicitation. The proposal should be prepared simply and economically, providing straightforward, concise delineation of the technical capabilities to satisfactorily perform the contract being sought. Particular proposal strengths or unique approaches should be emphasized. Asserted capability and/or intent to meet the requirements must be supported by detailed descriptions of approach and personnel qualifications. The Government will not assume that an Offeror possesses any capability unless specified in the proposal.

Offeror responses will be evaluated against the factors defined in Section M, “Evaluation for Award.” Using the instructions provided below, provide as specifically as possible the actual methodology that would be used by the Offeror for accomplishing and satisfying these subfactors. All the requirements specified in the solicitation are mandatory. By submitting a proposal, the Offeror is representing that its firm is capable and committed to performing all the requirements specified in the solicitation.

L.3.2 TECHNICAL APPROACH

The Offeror should provide a technical approach and personnel resume(s) demonstrating that the proposed personnel possess the following qualifications necessary to perform the SoW requirements:

· Experience (5+ years) as Inspector and Escort on START and NST treaties

- Experience (5+ years) providing Inspector and Escort linguists training on START/NST treaties

- Experience (5+ years) providing course instruction on START/NST treaties

- Experience (5+ years) planning, preparing and participating in NST mock inspections and Staff Assistance Visits (SAVs) implementing START/NST treaties

- Experience (5+ years) developing START/NST training and certification requirements and supporting training materials; providing certification training and serving as a certification board advisor for the START/NST certification board process

- Experience (5+ years) providing treaty implementation support to the U.S. interagency groups which support the U.S. delegation to the New START Bilateral Consultative Commission (BCC)

- Experience (2+ years) in derivative classification and the marking and dissemination of classified arms control inspection reports

- Experience (2+ years) in the use of Excel to track and manage training requirements

- Experience (1+ years) working with Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint to manage organizational mailboxes and calendars.

- Proficient in Russian at all three Defense Language Proficiency Test equivalent levels of Reading-3/Listening-3/Speaking-2+

· - Experience (2+ years) in web site design and management

L.4.0 VOLUME III – COST

L.4.1 GENERAL

The Offeror shall provide a cost proposal that is consistent with the technical approach provided in Volume II. The proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing straightforward, concise delineation of capabilities to satisfactorily perform the contract being sought.

These instructions are to assist the Offeror in submitting data other than certified cost or pricing data that is required to evaluate the reasonableness, realism, and completeness of the proposed costs. Compliance with these instructions is mandatory and failure to comply may render the Offeror’s proposal ineligible for award. Offers should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate their reasonableness. The burden of proof of credibility of proposed costs and prices rests with the Offeror.

Data beyond that required by this instruction shall not be submitted unless the Offeror considers it essential to document or support the cost position. All information relating to the proposed cost and price, including the required supporting documentation must be included in the section of the proposal designated as the Cost Volume (Volume III). Under no circumstances shall this information and documentation be included elsewhere in the proposal.

In accordance with FAR 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-3(a) and as detailed below, data other than certified cost or pricing data is required. However, if after receipt of proposals it is determined that adequate price competition does not exist, certified cost or pricing data may be required (reference FAR 15.403-4). The Offeror shall provide current, complete, and accurate cost or pricing data within the calendar days specified in the Contracting Officer’s request.

L.4.2 COST NARRATIVE

L.4.2.1 Assumptions The Cost Narrative shall identify all assumptions derived by the Offeror relating to estimated cost and shall reference the applicable paragraph and page number in the Technical Volume (Volume II) of the proposal that provides a corresponding discussion of the particular assumption.

L.4.2.2 Inconsistencies

A cost proposal is presumed to represent an Offeror’s best effort to respond to the solicitation. Any inconsistency, whether real or apparent, between promised performances and cost, shall be explained in the cost narrative. For example, if the intended use of new and innovative techniques is the basis for an abnormally low estimate, the nature of these techniques and their impact on cost should be explained. Any significant inconsistency, if unexplained, which raises a concern on the fundamental understanding of the nature and scope of the work required may be grounds for rejection of the proposal or grounds for adjusting the probable cost. The burden of proof as to cost-credibility rests with the Offeror.

L.4.3 COST OR PRICING INFORMATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

The offeror shall provide a detailed cost proposal for accomplishing the requirements that is consistent with the technical approach provided in Volume II. The cost proposal shall delineate labor hours, labor categories and fully burdened labor rates to include profit. The cost proposal shall also delineate the travel costs,. The offeror shall provide a total price per CLIN, to include the base and option periods. All dollar amounts shall be rounded to the nearest dollar.

L.4.4 Travel

The offeror shall include proposed travel costs (travel destinations, durations, lodging, per diem, etc.). The indirect rates applied to travel shall be clearly delineated in the proposal. Offerors are reminded that Section G, clause 252.216-9005, establishes travel as a non-fee bearing cost element. No fee shall be applied to travel amounts.

Evaluated price will be the base period and all option periods combined.

End of Section L

(End of Summary of Changes)