ISC_Questions_ _Answers_27_Oct_15.docx

Solicitation HDTRA2-15-R-0005 “Instrumentation Test Support”

Questions and Answers dated 27 October 2015

Question 1: Is there a Government estimate of Level of Effort?

Answer 1: For Sample Task Order 1 the level-of-effort is approximately 8 man-years.

For Sample Task Order 2 the the level-of-effort is approximately is 1.37 man-years.

Question 2: Is there an incumbent for this need? What is the contract number?

Answer 2: Yes (Honeywell Technologies Solutions Inc.) The contract no., is HDTRA2-06-D-0001.

Question 3: What is the historical staffing level?

Answer 3: Historical average man-year per year, over the 10 year period, range form 24 34 man-years depending on test support level.

Question 4: Over the 132 months of base and option performance and a cost range between $5K and $12M per year, there is no way to create a cost proposal. Can the Government provide sufficient detail of the expectations, staffing, statement of work, work loads, and historical man hour requirements to allow creation of a cost estimate?

Answer 4: The services are being procured on an Idnefinite Delivery (used to acquire services when the exact times of future deliveries are not known at the time of contract award)/Indefinite Quantity (provided for an indefinite quantity, within stated limits, of services during a fixed period) type basis. Offerors are not expected to propose staffing, statement of work, workloads, and historical man hours requirements for the entire contract. Per Section L instructions, paragraphs L.5.2 & L.5.4 a cost proposal is required for the Sample Task Orders 1 and 2, attachments 2 & 3 in Section J.

Question 5: Are the sample task orders for single tests for a single program or is it for continuing service throughout the year for multiple programs?

Answer 5: Sample Task Order 1 is for the general administration and management of the overall contract (to include Property). The period of performance is five years. Sample Task Order 2 is for five test events over one year (14 Aug 2016 through 13 July 2017).

Question 6: How many tests are supported each year? What are the scales of the tests?

Answer 6: Number of tests varies from 30 to over 100 each year. The scale of test varies from 8 data channels to over 200 data channels per test.

Question 7: What key personnel are required? Based on the solicitation, it appears there may be a requirement for Physicists, Chemists, Biologists, Engineers, and demolition experts in addition to lab and field technicians, administrators, computer programmers, and test officers that can support any type of CBRNE tasking.

Answer 7: Offerors shall propose the appropriate mix of personnel based on the SOO and on the technical requirements of Sample Task Orders 1 and 2.

Question 8: Support is required for a host of test ranges but there is only a description of performing inventories at locations other than KAFB and WSMR. What amount of travel is required to these other locations? How long and how frequent are test events that must be supported away from Albuquerque?

Answer 8: The Government Furnished Equipment/Property is available to support testing at the locations stated in paragraph 2.0 of SOO. Historically, GFE has been stored near KAFB and transported to all other test locations as necessary. Sample Task Order 1 provides for GFE administration. Note that the contract is an ID/IQ type contract, so specific travel locations and durations will be defined on each task order and vary based on Test locations and requirements. Majority of test support will be conducted at KAFB and WSMR.

Question 9: The Master Government Property List includes hundreds of Contractor Acquired Property items. Are proposers expected to provide this equipment? Can the Government provide a key for the location codes listed in the Excel spreadsheet?

Answer 9: The equipment listed on the Master Government Property List will be transferred from the existing contract to the contract resulting from this solicitation. In place of a Key, all contract GFE is generally located where work is being accomplished: Contractor's offices located near Kirtland AFB (KAFB); KAFB: Chestnut Site, GRABsite, and TEAMSite; White Sands Missile Range (WSMR): Contractor's offices, Stallion Command Center, SHIST Site, Alternate SHIST Site, Capitol Peak, Storage yard; Eglin AFB, and Nevada National Security Site (NNSS): various test sites. The contractor may be required to obtain Contractor Acquired Property (CAP) based on future task order requirements.

Question 10: The cost proposal includes the phrase, “priced one level below the Summary Cost level”. What does this mean?

Answer 10: Offeror’s shall provide a cost proposal itemized in sufficient detail to identify labor categories; labor hours; overhead rate and base the rate is applied to; fringe rate and base the rate is applied to; materials; equipment; travel; other direct costs; G&A rate and base the rate is applied to; fee rate and base the rate is applied to; etc., to allow the government to evaluate the appropriateness and reasonableness of the proposed costs. Reference attached Sample Cost Proposal Spreadsheet for itemizing costs one level below the Summary Cost level. Reference Section L, paragraph L.5.4 Cost or Pricing Information and Supporting Documentation for associated/additional information. Offeror’s cost proposal breakout/spreadsheet(s) shall be in Microsoft Excel format and include formulas used in the calculations.

Question 11: Utilization of SDVOSB is impossible to plan using information provided in the solicitation as there is inadequate detail for the scope, material acquisition requirements, technical expertise within the whole range of RDT&E for anything dealing with CBRNE. Can the Government provide sufficient detail to allow some guess as to what skills are essential and what dollar figure would constitute 5% of the contract value?

Answer 11: Socioeconomic commitment is based on the cumulative total of the two sample task orders. Offerors should apply their best judgment to calculating the cost estimates for work performed by SDVOSB firms similar to the cost estimating utilized to calculate the cost of work self-performed and subcontracted to other non-SDVOSB firms.

Question 12: What type of software support is needed? What languages? What level of development?

Answer 12: Software support ranges from hardware level integration to systems/application development as well as analysis of systems and sensor performance data. Microsoft Visual Studio and MatLab are the primary tools; however, some projects will require knowledge of the National Instruments LabView and DASYlab development environments as well as the Linux and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The level of development is dependent upon task requirements.

Question 13: What type of COTS instrument modification R&D is needed? Electrical engineering? Software engineering? Applications?

Answer 13: Dependent upon task requirements, modifications can include hardware (electrical), systems hardware (module or component) and supporting software integration, as well as complete application development.

Question 14: Sample Task Order 1 includes Laboratory Space-what kind of laboratory? chemical, bioweapon, electronics, explosives? Environmentally Controlled Storage Space-what kind of storage? Files, chemicals, explosives, radioactive material?

Answer 14: The laboratory space needed is environmentally controlled for electronics. The storage space is for GFE/GFP and files.

Question 15: Welding equipment is included in GFE. Does the contractor need to provide a certified welder?

Answer 15: Certified welder may be required based on task order requirements.

Question 16: Please clarify the number of printed originals and printed copies for volumes II and III. Currently you ask for 5 originals of Volume II and 3 copies of Volume III. (RFP paragraph L.1.2, Table 1-2).

Answer 16: Volume II revised to: 1 electronic (original) and 4 printed copies. Volume III revised to: 1 electronic (original) and 2 printed copies. Volume IV revised to: 1 electronic (original) and 2 printed copies.

Question 17: Would the Government consider single column format? (RFP paragraph L.1.3.5.1, p. 52).

Answer 17: No

Question 18: Please clarify if title pages are counted in the page count RFP paragraph L.1.3.5.3).

Answer 18: No, title pages are not counted in the page limitation. Reference revised paragraph L.1.3.5.3.

Question 19: Would DTRA accept a hand delivered proposal from a company with access to the DTRA facility?

Answer 19: Due to heighten security measures, hand-carried proposals will not be accepted.

Question 20: The Socio-Economic Commitment template seems to indicate the Government’s evaluation of small business utilization will be based on usage of small businesses on the 2 sample task orders only. Would the Government consider basing Small Business Utilization on the Total IDIQ Contract Ceiling value instead of the sample task orders being priced? The scope of the tasking on the 2 sample task orders is very specific and may not adequately reflect the scope anticipated to be allocated to small businesses?

Answer 20: The sample tasks are representative of task orders expected under the contract, and include QA, Logistics, Equipment Calibration, Maintenance, Cabling, Personnel Transportation, etc. that would appear to be tasks that could be performed by small businesses sufficient to meet the current RFP socio-economic commitment goals.

Question 21: Please confirm that Offerors are only expected to submit pricing/cost for the Sample 1 & 2 Task Orders only, and that Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices is not expected nor required to be completed by Offerors.

Answer 21: Correct

Question 22: The RFP does not provide a specific template which Offerors should submit pricing for the 2 sample task orders. Does the Government have a desired template which Offerors should submit sample task pricing or should Offerors define the template for submission of sample task pricing.

Answer 22: Reference Answer 10.

Question 23: If Section B Tables are required to be populated CLIN 0006 and CLIN 0012 for Data and Reports do not define which costs should be included in these CLINs. Typically costs associated with required reporting are assumed to be part of standard contract performance and are Not Separately Priced (NSP).

Answer 23: Correct, CLIN 0006 and 0012 are Not separately Priced (NSP).

Question 24: The RFP does not define the anticipated start date and duration that Offerors should use in pricing Sample Task 1.

Answer 24: Period of performance for Sample Task Order 1 is five years.

Question 25: The RFP does not define the anticipated start date that Offerors should use in pricing Sample Task 2.

Answer 25: Reference Answer 5 and revised Sample Task Order 2 SOW dated October 19, 2015.

Question 26: Considering the high level of work described in the SOO, are we correct to assume that the Service Contract Act does not apply?

Answer 26: Correct.

Question 27: The RFP does not define the anticipated award/start date for the IDIQ Contract.

Answer 27: The anticipated start date is 1 June 2016.

Question 28: For pricing purposes, will the government please provide a date for contract start for the IDIQ and Sample Tasks 1 and 2?

Answer 28: Reference Answer 5, 24, 25, and 27.

Question 29: For pricing purposes, what is the period of performance for ST 1?

Answer 29: Reference Answer 5 & 24.

Question 30: Are we correct in assuming that resumes are out of page count for the sub-factors in the Mission Capability volume?

Answer 30: Reference revised paragraph L.1.3.5.3.

Question 31: This section states “For subcontractors/teaming partners the relevancy determination will focus on the present and past performance work history as it relates to the specific scope of work the subcontractor/teaming partner is proposed to do for this effort.” Section M.2.2.2 requires all past performance citations to have a value greater than $1 million. Would the government consider replacing the dollar threshold for critical subcontractors/teaming partners with “… (contracts of scope and complexity similar to the specific scope of work the subcontractor/teaming partner is proposed to do for this effort.”? (RPF page 62 and 63, RFP Section M.2.2 and M.2.2.2) Answer 31: In accordance with paragraph M.2.2, for subcontractors/teaming partners the relevancy determination will focus on the present and past performance work history as it relates to the specific scope and revelvancy category(ies) of work the subcontractor/teaming partner is proposed to do for this effort.

Question 32: Since critical subcontractors/teaming partners may be involved on a team for only one of the relevancy categories in section M.2.2.1, would the government consider modifying the definitions of “relevancy” in M.2.2.2 as they relate to critical subcontractors/teaming partners to “… as in the category or categories above similar to the specific scope of work the subcontractor/teaming partner is proposed to do for this effort.”? (RFP page 63, RFP Sections M.2.2, M,2.2.1 & M.2.2.2).

Answer 32: In accordance with Paragraph M.2.2, for subcontractors/teaming partners, the relevancy determination will focus on the present and past performance work history as it relates to the specific scope of work and relevance category(ies) the subcontractor/teaming partner is proposed to do for this effort.

Queston 33: The last sentence refers to a MS PowerPoint attachment. Will the government please provide this attachment? (Attachment 3, Sample Task Order 2, paragraph 1.0 last sentence).

Answer 33: Reference revised Sample Task Order 2 SOW, dated 19 October 2015.

Queston 34: How far is it from the fiber-connection J-Box to the most distant camera location? (Attachment 3, Sample Task Order 2, Figure 3).

Answer 34: 750 ft.

Queston 35: The sixth figure “Instrumentation Set-up Structure Layout” shows accelerometer locations on four walls. Is the wall adjacent to the blast room to be instrumented with accelerometers? If so, gage predictions for that wall are not provided in Table 2 “Instrumentation Set-up Gage Range Predictions.” Will the government please provide this information? (Attachment 3, Sample Task Order 2, Figure 6, Table 2).

Answer 35: Reference revised Sample Task Order 2 SOW, dated 19 October 2015.

Queston 36: Can we modify the format of this attachment to rearrange the information into a more compact format to allow adequate discussion of items 5 through 8 within the three-page limit? (Attachment 7, Past Performance Information, L-1).

Answer 36: No.

Question 37: Will the government please provide the email POC in item 6 that is now highlighted in yellow? (Attachment 8, Past Performance Questionaire, L-2).

Answer 37: email for POC is: rudy.p.chavez.civ@mail.mil Question 38: What is the data acquisition software used.

Answer 38: The primary DTRA Data Acquisition System (DAS) is an in-house design comprised of multiple vendor hardware components, modules, and boards. The DAS system is based on modern PC hardware technology. The core DAS control application software is also a government owned product and was developed utilizing the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, 2010, and 2013 software development environment. The core application was written in Microsoft’s VB.Net and C++ languages. All source code, with the exception of the vendor specific hardware drivers, will be available for software maintenance and future development activities. Additionally, DTRA has developed other specialized task specific DAS and support system applications that were developed with the Mathworks MatLab and National Instruments Labview development environments. All source code for these systems, with the exception of the vendor specific hardware drivers, will be available for software maintenance and future development activities.

Question 39: What is the data acquisition software operating system and version Answer 39: Primarily, all DTRA DAS systems utilize the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. However, there are some support systems that utilize the Microsoft Windows XP operating system as well as the Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Linux operating system.

Queston 40: What’s the approximate equipment turnover per year.

Answer 40: DTRA does not have a program for planned equipment obsolescence. DTRA will continue to utilize systems and equipment until the following conditions exist.

Question 41: During Pre-proposal conference it was mentioned some equipment manufacturers don’t continue to support during the 5-year life cycle. Is there a plan to find secondary market support to maintain that equipment.

Answer 41: Reference Answer 40. DTRA will utilize the secondary market for support until costs escalate beyond the original value. If there are no replacement parts available, DTRA may cannibalize the equipment to continue or extend the operational lifetime.

Question 42: Will structure design be a requirement for the contractor performing this effort?

Answer 42: No, however, the ISC may need to communicate/interaction with construction contractor and other DTRA contractors to perform their portion of the effort.

Question 43: Will heavy equipment licenses be required?

Answer 43: The contractor will need to be properly licensed for any equipment, heavy or otherwise, they operate.

Question 44: Does the DTRA have a Configuration Management System.

Answer 44: DTRA Standard Operating Procedures related to the Configuration Management System will be provided to the successful offeror.

Question 45: Will broadband/internet access be allowed in the contractor space at Stallion Control Center?

Answer 45: No.

Question 46: Is wildlife a consideration in test fielding activities.

Answer 46: Yes, DTRA’s Environmental Office will provide direction should there be any wildlife concerns for any test fielding.

Question 47: Confirm the 3 day processing period does NOT apply to proposals delivered by commercial carriers such FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc., and are considered timely if delivered and received on 16 November 2015, prior to 12:00 PM Mountain Time.

Answer 47: Paragraph 3 of DTRA clause 252.204-9000 revised (the 3 day processing, security, screening, and delivery of proposals to DTRA designated office apply to commercial carriers such FedEx, UPS, DH, Airborne, UPS, USPS, and other commerical carriers). Proposals are due 16 Nov 2015, by 12:00 PM Mountain Time.

Question 48: Is the 3 day processing period, business days or calendar days?

Answer 48: The 3 day processing period is calendar days.

Question 49: Are the resumes counted against the 20 page count?

Answer 49: Reference Answer 30.

Question 50: Are resumes to be prepared in the 2 column format?

Answer 50: No.

Question 51: Does the Government anticipate additional Amendments?

Answer 51: No additional Amendments are anticipated unless other changes are warranted.

Question 52: Does the Government anticipate an extension the due of proposals?

Answer 52: The Government does not anticipate an extension to the due date.

Question 53: It’s our understanding that the following DTRA Directives and Instructions have been canceled: b. DTRA Directive 5200.1, Information Security Program, c. DTRA Directive 5200.02, Personnel; Security Program., d. DTRA Directive 5220.01, Operations Security Program., e. DTRA Directive 5200.08, Physical Security Program., j. DTRA Instruction 5200.1, Information Security Program Instruction., k. DTRA Instruction 5200.1, Personnel Security Continuous Evaluation and Reporting Program., l. DTRA Instruction 5240.06, Counterintelligence Awareness, Briefing and Reporting Programs. Are there subsequent directives and instructions to replace the canceled directives?

Answer 53: The DTRA Directives above are active, except for DTRA Instruction 5200.1, Information Security Program Instruction., and DTRA Instruction 5200.1, Personnel Security Continuous Evaluation and Reporting Program which are deleted. Reference revised Sample Task Order 1 and 2, paragraph 2.4.

Question 54: For a proposal of this size most companies will prepare for submission two complete sets of the requested proposal originals, copies, and CDs. Because hand delivery is specifically excluded in this bid we must ship one set, call DTRA for confirmation of delivery, then, if the shipment went astray ship the second set. Since this proposal is due on Monday November 16, and since DTRA will not be open and will not accept proposals over the weekend, this would mean the original would need to be shipped on Thursday November 12 and receipt by DTRA verified on Friday morning November 13. If delivery is not confirmed then the backup would be shipped on Friday November 13 for delivery before noon on Monday November 16. Would DTRA consider extending the proposal due date by two days until Wednesday November 18 to accommodate the time required for this process?

Answer 54: The due date for proposals remains unchanged.

Solicitation HDTRA2-15-R-0005 Page 9