Solicitation_Amendment 0001.docx

HQ003420R0319

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The required response date/time has changed from 09-Aug-2021 12:00 PM to 13-Aug-2021 12:00 PM.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Table of Contents has changed from:

Exhibit/Attachment Table of Contents

to:

Exhibit/Attachment Table of Contents

The following have been added by reference:

The following have been modified:

52.212-1 ADDENDUM

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFEROR-COMMERICAL ITEMS (FEB 2012) “ADDENDUM’”

GENERAL

Washington Headquarters Services (WHS)/ Acquisition Directorate (WHS/AD) is releasing this solicitation electronically only, through beta.Sam’s website. This electronic version of the Request for Proposal (RFP) is the official version for this acquisition. No hard copy of this solicitation will be issued. Offerors will be notified of any and all applicable amendments to this solicitation electronically. Offerors shall submit their proposals electronically. Any proposal received after the due date and time specified for receipt will be considered late and will be rejected.

The Government anticipates award of a Single Award Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract along with Task Orders 1 (DISA Location), and 2 (DFAS Locations) (Government reserves the right to issue additional task orders when applicable) to the responsible Offeror(s) that submits the best value offer, which means the offer that is most advantageous to the Government based upon the evaluation factors discussed later in this Request for Proposal (RFP).

All Offerors must comply with the following instructions for proposal format and content. Proposals that do not comply with these instructions may be deemed non-responsive and may render the Offeror ineligible for award. The Offeror shall submit documentation illustrating its approach for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation.

Proposals must be clear, coherent, and prepared in sufficient detail for effective evaluation of the Offeror’s proposal against the evaluation criteria. The documentation shall address all aspects of this solicitation and include the Offeror’s approach to performing and satisfying the requirements specified in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Offerors shall map all quoted labor categories to the positions proposed and include this information in Volume III -Technical Approach and Capability, and Volume V- Price. Proposed personnel must meet all PWS requirements for the PWS-defined position they will fill, and they must also meet all of the criteria contained in the pricelist description of the particular labor category under which they are quoted. In addition, the pricelist description of a quoted labor category must provide for all of the skills and experience of the PWS position to which it corresponds. Failure to comply with this section will make the quote non-responsive.

The quote must comply with the entire solicitation. The offeror shall not take exception to any solicitation term. A proposal that takes exception to any solicitation term or proposes on terms different than the solicitation shall be considered ineligible for award.

Vendors are hereby instructed that, regardless of any language that may be used in this solicitation, the Department is NOT conducting this procurement under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15, “Contracting by Negotiations.” This procurement is being conducted under FAR Part 12, “Acquisition of Commercial Items” and FAR Part 16.5 “Indefinite-Delivery Contracts.”

QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES TO SOLICITATION

All questions, concerns, or requests for clarification for this RFP shall be submitted electronically to whs.ncr.ad.mbx.essd-services-branch@mail.mil by Friday July 14, 2021 at 3:00PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST). No phone calls are permitted. No comments, questions or inquiries shall be made of any Government person other than the points of contact listed above. Questions received after this date and time may not be responded to by the Government. All emails shall be clearly labeled in the subject line of the email with the RFP Number: HQ0034-20-R-0319: Nurse Staffing Questions. Offerors shall clearly identify the specific section of the solicitation to which each question relates when submitting questions. Reference should be made to the solicitation Section Heading, page number of the solicitation, and specific location on the page (e.g., third paragraph) in order to facilitate the Government’s response to each question. Questions shall be submitted in a Microsoft Excel file following a format similar to the table below:

Questions and Responses will be provided to all Offerors via beta.SAM’s website. If amendments to the final solicitation are issued, all Offerors must acknowledge the amendments by signing the accompanying Standard Form (SF) 30 and returning the signed SF 30 for all amendments issued with the Offeror’s proposal submission. Failure to acknowledge all amendments issued by the Government may result in the proposal submitted in response to the solicitation being found non-responsive by the Government.

Only written amendments to the solicitation issued in accordance with the above procedures are effective to amend the solicitation and bind the Government. Verbal responses to questions shall not bind the Government and shall not alter the solicitation’s terms.

1. PROPOSAL VOLUMES REQUIREMENTS

I

ADMINISTRATIVE VOLUME

Cover Letter, Representations & Certifications, Tax Identification Number, CAGE Code and DUNS Number, OCI certification, Listing of all subcontractors, the completion of Clauses/Provisions such as FAR 52.204-5, 52.204-26, 52.209-2, 52.209-11, 52.212-3 Alt 1, 52.219-1 Alt 1, and FAR 52.219-28, Validity Statement, and Signed SF 1449 for solicitation and amendments as applicable.

No Page Limit

1. Commitment Letters – Key Personnel

1. Contract Award Reference of $3M or greater annually in support of Nurse Staffing

1. NAICS code – Offeror’s business size information relative to the solicitation’s designated NAICS.

No Page Limit

III

TECHNICAL APPROACH AND CAPABILITY VOLUME

1. Technical Approach & Capability, Management Approach and Staffing Plan

1. Personnel Matrix (Attachment 4)

1. Key Personnel/Resumes

1. Key Personnel Qualifications Requirements (Attachment 8)

1. 10 pages

1. No page Limit

1. No page Limit

0. Instructions for Proposal Submissions: This section of the Instruction 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 make the proposal ineligible or result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

0. Sufficient Detail Proposals shall comply with the following guidelines:

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

0. Address the factors and their related elements as listed in FAR 52.212-1 and FAR 52.212-2 of the solicitation.

0. 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.

0. 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.

0. 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.

0. Validity Statement The Offeror shall make a clear statement that the proposal is valid for 120 calendar days. In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals.

0. Physical Appearance of Submissions

· Elaborate brochures or documentation, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired.

· Proposals will be submitted in electronic copies.

· No models, mockups, or videotapes will be accepted.

A.1.3.1 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 limitation for their respective volumes.

A1.4 Page Format Restrictions and Limitations

0. Page and Font Size Text shall be single- spaced on an 8.5 x 11 inches paper format, with a minimum one-inch margin all around. Pages shall be numbered consecutively. A page printed on both sides shall be counted as two pages. No foldout pages shall be used. Page limitations shall be treated as maximum. Pages submitted in excess of the page limitations stated throughout this document will be removed and not evaluated. The excess pages will be deleted from the electronic copy of the proposal. Documents incorporated by reference or as attachments to the proposal shall be included in the overall maximum page lengths and will not be considered or evaluated if they exceed the maximum page.

Font size shall be twelve (12) point Times New Roman. Bolding, underlining, and italics may be used to identify topic demarcations or points of emphasis. Graphic presentations, including tables, while not subject to the same font size and spacing requirements, shall have spacing and text that is easily readable. Lettering within tables, charts, graphs, and figures shall be no smaller than ten (10) point Times New Roman. Margins on all four edges of each sheet will be at least one-inch. Proprietary statements, security markings, and page numbers shall be placed within the defined margin area. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. In the event discussions are held, these page format restrictions shall apply to the Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs).

0. Labeling The number of pages shown in the table above should be submitted in electronic format. Responses to Administrative, Pass/Fail Criteria, Technical Approach & Capability, Past Performance, and Price shall be in separate electronic folders (files). A cover letter shall be inserted in each folder (file), clearly marked as to the RFP identification, date of submittal, acknowledgement of any amendments, the Offeror’s name, address, Taxpayer ID number, CAGE code, and the Offeror’s POC name, phone, and email. The cover letter shall not count against any page limitation. Pages that exceed the maximum page length above shall not be evaluated or considered by the Government.

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

· past performance questionnaires

· past performance questionnaire point of contact list

· cover pages

· RFP cross-reference matrix

· teaming arrangements

· letters of commitment

· past performance consent letters

· client authorization letters

· tables of contents

· glossaries

· lists of figures, tables, or drawings

· tabs

· dividers

· blank pages

0. Indexing Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents to delineate the sections within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections.

0. Electronic Submission All offerors shall submit complete proposals by Momday August 16, 2021 by 12:00PM, EST. All offerors shall submit electronic proposals of each volume via email to: whs.ncr.ad.mbx.essd-services-branch@mail.mil. There is a 10MB limit for all electronic submission per email.

Any proposal received after the exact time specified for receipt of proposals shall be treated as a late submission in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-1. Text and graphics portions of the electronic copies shall be in a format readable by Adobe (.PDF), MS Word 2010. Data submitted in spreadsheet format shall be readable by Adobe (.PDF), MS Excel 2010. All responses to the solicitation shall be in separate files and volumes corresponding to the evaluation factors identified in the above Proposal Submission Chart. Offerors are solely responsible for ensuring that the proposal is successfully submitted to WHS/AD and successfully received by WHS/AD by the proposal due date and time.

0. Pricing Data/Cost Information Price information shall be addressed in Volume V – Price and the Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) structure listed in the RFP No. HQ0034-20-R-0319. All labor rates shall be rounded to the nearest dollar. All price information must be submitted in the attached price template.

0. Cross Referencing & Volume Designation Information required for proposal evaluation that is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal. Each volume, other than the Price 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 teaming arrangements, letters of commitment, socio-economic commitment information and Organizational Conflicts of Interest assertions which must be submitted in Volumes I – IV, but may be cross- referenced in other volumes.

0. Confidential Information The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and its amendments have resulted in an increasing number of requests from outside the Government for copies of contract qualifications and proposals submitted to federal agencies. If an Offeror’s submissions contain information that he/she believes should be withheld from such requestors under FOIA on the grounds that they contain “trade secrets and commercial or financial information” [5 USC§552(b)(4)], the Offeror should mark its submissions in the following manner:

· The following notice should be placed on the title page: “Some parts of this document, as identified on individual pages, are considered by the submitter to be privileged or confidential trade secrets or commercial or financial information not subject to mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Material considered privileged or confidential on such grounds is contained on page(s) .”

· Each individual item considered privileged or confidential under FOIA should be marked with the following notice: “The data or information is considered confidential or privileged, and is not subject to mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.”

1. ADMINISTRATIVE (VOLUME I)

Volume I, Administrative Volume shall include a cover letter, Representations & Certifications, Tax Identification Number, CAGE Code and DUNS Number, Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) certification, and the completion of Clauses/Provisions such as FAR 52.212-3 Alt 1, 52.219-1, and FAR 52.219-28.

If applicable, the Offeror shall identify any subcontractors/teaming partners and provide corresponding CAGE Code in this volume.

1. PASS/FAIL Criteria (VOLUME II)

The Government is requesting the following information for the following elements, which will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. If your proposal receives a fail for any of the below criteria, it will not be evaluated any further and will be determined to be unawardable.

(1) The Offeror shall submit Letters of Commitment for all proposed Key Personnel, with the proposal submission by the proposal due date established in the latest version of the solicitation. The date of signature on the commitment letters shall be within 10 calendar days of the proposal due date. If revised offers are requested or required, the letters of commitment shall be updated and signed within 10 calendar days of the due date of the revised offer. Each commitment letter shall affirmatively state: (1) that the key personnel granted permission to the prime contractor to use his/her resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV), and (2) is willing to work for the proposing Offeror on the instant solicitation.

(2) The offeror submits contract award reference(s) in support of Nurse Staffing of $3M or more annually.

(3) The offeror shall submit evidence that their small business size standard corresponds to the NAICS code assigned to this contract. This requirement is a 100% set-aside for Small Business concerns under NAICS code 621399, “Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners.” The Government will verify this information via the System for Awards Management (SAM). If the government determines that an offeror is not a Small Business concern under NAICS code 621399 on the proposal due date and time, no further evaluation will be performed and the offeror will not be considered for the award.

Commitment Letters for Key Personnel Instructions: Commitment letters for all Key Personnel shall be submitted with the proposal submission by the proposal due date established in the latest version of the solicitation. The date of signature on the commitment letters must be within 10 days of the proposal due date. If revised offers are requested or required, the letters of commitment shall be updated and signed within 10 calendar days of the due date of the revised offer. Commitment letters shall affirmatively state: (1) that the key personnel granted permission to the prime contractor to use his/her resume, and (2) is willing to work for the proposing offeror on the instant solicitation. The Offeror shall not propose key personnel it has no ability to supply.

Contract Award Reference Instructions: The Offeror shall submit contract reference(s) in support of Nurse Staffing of $3M or more annually. If a teaming arrangement is proposed, the $3M cannot be satisfied by multiple team members. It must be met by one team member that can satisfy the $3M requirement. The Government will not accept two or more smaller contracts that combined exceeds the annual $3M or more threshold. The contract reference shall include contract/delivery order number, contract type, program name, total contract cost, short description of work performed, reasons why the project is considered relevant by the offeror, names, email addresses, and valid telephone numbers for the POC for the contract.

1. FACTOR 1 - TECHNICAL APPROACH AND CAPABILITY (VOLUME III) (10 page limit)

For the IDIQ, the offeror shall submit sufficient information for the Government to make a comprehensive evaluation of the offeror’s technical approach and capability in meeting the requirements listed in the attached performance work statement requirements for successful performance of the IDIQ. The proposal shall describe the methods and techniques used to complete each task, and discuss managing all aspects of this requirement to include the following elements listed below:

Management Approach: The offeror shall describe their proposed management approach through Program Management Controls, submission of a Staffing Plan, and Key Personnel. This volume must not contain any reference to cost; however, resource information such as data concerning labor categories, subcontracts, etc. must be provided to demonstrate the Offeror's understanding of the requirement.

Staffing Plan: The offeror shall provide a narrative describing how qualified personnel will be provided as required by the PWS. The offeror shall describe their company’s historical ability to retain personnel and how this will be utilized to meet the requirements of this PWS. The offeror shall describe their overall staffing and recruiting process utilized to attract, retain, and maintain qualified personnel at optimal staffing levels to accomplish IDIQ requirements over the life of the IDIQ.

Phase-In Plan: The Government will evaluate the Offerors phase-in plan that adequately describes an approach to provide a smooth, uninterrupted phase-In, which shall take place during the initial 30 calendar days upon contract award.

Personnel Matrix (Attachment 4): The offeror shall provide a Personnel Matrix to detail how the staffing levels were derived. The staffing matrix shall include a breakout of hours by labor category for each performance period, i.e., transition, base year, each option year, and total. The matrix shall provide a detailed list of labor categories to be utilized under this order. Offerors shall ensure the matrix is consistent with their proposal. Inconsistencies between the staffing matrices may result in the Offeror’s proposal being ineligible for award.

Key Personnel (No page limit): Offerors shall provide a resume for each of the proposed Key Personnel identified in PWS Section 1.6.12. The resume shall demonstrate how the personnel meets or exceeds the personnel requirements listed in Section 1.6.12 of the PWS and the proposed IDIQ labor categories. Resumes shall contain the following information:

• Name of key personnel

• Role the individual will play on the IDIQ; e.g. Area Nurse and Standing Ordering Physician

• Proposed IDIQ labor category

• Citizenship

• Education to include degree(s), degree-granting institution, date degree awarded, and specialization

• Certifications, professional licenses, and professional affiliations

• Total years of experience, and total years of experience related to IDIQ PWS requirements (by employer), to include the month and year (for example: OCT 2015 – SEP 2018)

• Work assignments, to include location/organization, start and end dates (include month and year; for example:

OCT 2015 – SEP 2018) of each assignment, responsibilities for each assignment, and a brief description of how each assignment relates to the PWS requirements

• Percentage of time available to the IDIQ

Submitted resumes must meet all of the requirements of the IDIQ labor category under which they are proposed.

The Offeror shall demonstrate how the Key Personnel meet the required personnel qualifications by color coding the required qualifications as follows:

For the Area Nurse Manager, IAW PWS Section 1.6.12, the Offeror shall color code how their respective candidate meets the required Education, Years’ of Experience, and Description of Responsibilities, as stated in Attachment 4 of this solicitation. Education shall be identified by highlighting this information in blue. Years’ Experience shall be highlighted in red. The Offeror’s respective candidate resume must also display the capability to provide the Description of Responsibilities by highlighting this information in orange.

For the Standing Orders Physician, IAW PWS Section 1.6.12, the Offeror shall color code how their respective candidate meets the required Education, Years’ of Experience, and Description of Responsibilities, as stated in Attachment 4 of this solicitation. Education shall be identified by highlighting this information in blue. Years’ Experience shall be highlighted in red. The Offeror’s respective candidate resume must also display the capability to provide the Description of Responsibilities by highlighting this information in orange.

Key Personnel Requirements Qualifications: The Offeror shall complete the Key Personnel Qualifications Requirements document (Attachment 8) by filling in the qualifications and tasks as stipulated in the PWS for each specific Key Personnel position and providing a description the identifies how the proposed personnel meets those qualifications and any prior experience or relevant information pertaining to the performance of the tasks identified

Note. Resumes for Key Personnel, Key Personnel Requirements Qualifications and Personnel matrix under Technical Approach and Capability shall not count against the page limitation.

1. FACTOR 2 - PAST PERFORMANCE (VOLUME IV) – (3 page limit for each reference)

The Government is requesting that the Offeror provide up to three (3) past performance contract references that reflect recent and relevant experience. Recent experience is defined as that completed within the past four (4) years from the proposal due date with twelve (12) months of the period of performance completed. Relevant experience is defined as that which is similar in scope, size, and complexity to the work described in the attached Performance Work Statement and contract type. Past performance contract references can come from the Offeror or the subcontractor, as long as they served as the Prime Contractor for the past performance reference. If the Offeror submits recent and relevant projects performed by a subcontractor as a past performance reference the Offeror must also explain how the subcontractor significantly contributed to the performance of the referenced project, and how the Offeror expects the subcontractor to significantly contribute to the successful performance of the solicited work.

All past performance references shall include contract/delivery order number, contract type, program name, total contract cost, short description of work performed, reasons why the project is considered relevant by the Offeror, names, email addresses. Past Performance contract value references also must be at least $3M for the total contact. For those references where a PPQ will be submitted the offeror shall also include a valid telephone numbers for the person completing the PPQ.

Past performance contract references must be completed by the customer, Contracting Officer Representative (COR), or the Contracting Officer using the Past Performance Questionnaire's (PPQs). PPQs are required for contracts not listed in Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS).

The Offeror shall provide Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) to its customer references and instruct them to email the completed Questionnaires to whs.ncr.ad.mbx.essd-services-branch@mail.mil for evaluation. Questionnaires must be received via email no later than the date and time specified in Block 8 on page 1 of the solicitation to the specified email addresses above. Questionnaires that are not received by the due date and time may not be evaluated.

1. FACTOR 3 - PRICE FACTOR (VOLUME V) Pricing Template (Attachment 6)

The IDIQ will be awarded as a Hybrid contract consisting of Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) and Time and Material (T&M) contract line items (CLINs). The Offeror shall propose pricing by completing the MS Excel Pricing Template (Attachment 4) and submitting it in MS Excel format as Volume V of its proposal. The Offeror shall not submit Volume V in PDF document format. The Pricing Matrix contains three tab categories entitled (1) Price Schedule Summary, (2) Fixed Price Services for Task Order 1 – DISA and (3) Fixed Price Services for Task Order 2 – DFAS and (4) Other Direct Costs, which must be completed by the Offeror. All proposed ‘total’ CLIN pricing shall be rounded up to the nearest whole dollar amount (i.e., $6,558.53 shall be entered as $6,559.00).

The Offeror shall also provide pricing in Section SF 1449 – CONTINUATION SHEET of the solicitation.

Firm-Fixed-Priced: All proposals should include the labor mix and hours appropriate and necessary for the offeror to complete the required work for each period of performance. The offeror shall propose pricing by submitting Price - Volume V in the attached Pricing MS Excel Template.

Time and Material: The Offeror is not required to propose prices for Time and Material Travel CLIN. The Government will provide a not-to-exceed amount based on the Government’s estimates for material costs, lodging, shipping, travel location(s), and estimated days.

Other Direct Costs (ODC): The offeror must complete the attached excel spreadsheet (tab 3) for ODC’s. Government will provide a not-to-exceed amount based on the Government’s estimates for equipment and supplies.

52.212-2 ADDENDUM

52.212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014) ADDENDUM

1. BASIS FOR CONTRACT AWARD

Unless all offers are rejected, the Government intends to award a Single Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, is determined to be the best overall value, price, and other factors considered. The Government may select for award the Offeror whose price is not necessarily the lowest, but whose technical proposal and/or past performance is more advantageous to the Government and warrants the additional cost. Offerors must satisfy the requirements described in the Performance Work Statement (PWS), as well as other Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements.

Proposals shall be reviewed, evaluated, and awarded in accordance with the evaluation criteria identified in this document. Proposals that take exception to any requirement, state assumptions or impose requirements not in or contrary to the solicitation or otherwise qualify the proposal, shall not be considered and shall be deemed unacceptable for award.

1. PASS/FAIL CRITERIA

The Government will evaluate a proposal ONLY IF the offer/proposal satisfies all of the following elements, which will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis*:

1. Commitment Letters for Key Personnel

1. Contract Award Reference of $3M or greater annually in support of Nurse Staffing.

1. Verification of Small Business Size Standard under NAICS code 621399, “Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners”

*The Government will fully evaluate only those offers that receive a "pass" for the element; however, a "pass" for the element does not guarantee award. Offerors will only be eligible for award after an evaluation is conducted in accordance with the criteria set forth in FAR 52.212-2 of this solicitation. If the offeror receives a “fail” for the element listed above, the offeror’s proposal will not be evaluated further.

2.1. Commitment Letters for Key Personnel

2.1.1 Mandatory: Commitment letters for all key personnel must be submitted with the proposal submission by the proposal due date. The date of signature, by Key Personnel, on the commitment letters must be within 10 days of the proposal due date. The letter of commitment shall affirmatively state: (1) that the key personnel granted permission to the prime contractor to use his/her resume, and (2) is willing to work for the proposing offeror on the instant solicitation.

2.2 Contract Award Reference

2.2.1 The offeror submits contract award reference(s) in support of Nurse Staffing of $3M or more annually. If a teaming arrangement is proposed, the $3M cannot be satisfied by multiple team members. It must be met by one team member that can satisfy the $3M requirement. The Government will not accept two or more smaller contracts that combined exceeds the annual $3M or more threshold. The contract reference shall include contract/delivery order number, contract type, program name, total contract cost, short description of work performed, reasons why the project is considered relevant by the offeror, names, email addresses, and valid telephone numbers of a POC for the contract.

2.3 Verification of Small Business Size Standard

2.3.1 The offeror shall submit evidence that their small business size standard corresponds to the NAICS code assigned to this contract. The Government will verify this information via the System for Awards Management (SAM). If the government determines that an offeror is not a Small Business concern under NAICS code 621399 on the proposal due date and time, no further evaluation will be performed and the offeror will not be considered for the award.

1. EVALUATION FACTORS

The award of the base IDIQ contract will be determined by evaluations and ratings under the below Factors. The overall IDIQ total proposed price will be based upon Attachment 6 - Pricing Template.

The evaluation of the base IDIQ will be based on an assessment of the Offeror’s proposal. Proposals shall be evaluated on the factors listed below. Technical Approach & Capability, and Past Performance are equal, and when combined are significantly more important than Price; however, Price is a substantial Factor. As offerors become more equal under Factors 1 and 2, price (Factor 3) will become more significant in the award decision.

Factor 1 – Technical Approach & Capability Factor 2 – Past Performance Factor 3 – Price

1. FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL APPROACH & CAPABILITY

The Government will evaluate the adequacy of the Offeror’s approach as demonstrated by the proposed technical approach and capabilities. The proposal shall be sufficiently complete to demonstrate how the Offeror will meet the IDIQ PWS requirements throughout the performance period. The Government will evaluate the offerors technical approach and capabilities to include the Management Approach, Staffing Plan, Phase-in Plan, Personnel Matrix, and Key Personnel resumes. Data previously submitted, or presumed to be known, i.e., descriptions of previous projects performed for the Government, cannot be considered as a part of the proposal unless physically incorporated in the proposal. Clarity, completeness and conciseness are essential.

Management Approach: The Government will evaluate the Management Approach for soundness of approach, understanding of the requirement, and completeness, effectiveness, and efficiency. The Offeror’s Management Approach to meeting the PWS requirements needs to demonstrate to the Government that the proposed approach will meet the schedule and performance requirements.

Staffing Plan: The Government will evaluate and assess the offeror’s staffing approach to meet the Government’s requirements and how the Offeror plans to attract, select, hire, and retain qualified personnel capable of successfully meeting the PWS requirements, and how that plan minimizes the impact on contract performance.

Key Personnel Resumes: The Government will evaluate the offeror’s proposed Key Personnel and resumes to determine if the proposed personnel have the required clearance level, qualifications, and experience as indicated in the PWS.

Key Personnel Qualifications: The Government will review the Offeror’s submitted resumes for Key Personnel, listing the individual’s name, education, experience, and certifications.. The Government will verify that each resume specifies which PWS Part 5 tasks the individual will perform, and the individual’s proposed duties and responsibilities. The Government will further review Key Personnel qualifications; proposed key personnel who exceed the required qualifications, or meet or exceed the preferred qualification, will be evaluated more favorably than those proposed key personnel who only meet the required qualifications

Personnel Matrix: The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s level-of-effort and labor mix and rationale for soundness of approach, understanding of the requirement, and completeness, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Phase-in Plan: The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s phase-in plan that adequately describes an approach to provide a smooth, uninterrupted Phase-in, which shall take place during the initial 60 calendar days upon contract award.

Note. Commitment letters, Resumes for Key Personnel and Personnel matrix under Technical Approach & Capability (Volume III) shall not count against the page limitation.

1. FACTOR 2- PAST PERFORMANCE

Past performance is a measure of the degree to which the Offeror satisfied its customers in the past and complied with Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, as identified as the Prime Contractor. The Government may contact some, all or none of each Offeror’s customers to ask, among other things, whether: (1) the Offeror is capable, efficient, and effective; (2) the Offeror’s performance conformed to the terms and conditions of its contract;

(3) the Offeror was reasonable and cooperative during performance; (4) the Offeror was committed to customer satisfaction; (5) the Offeror was able to hire and retain qualified personnel to the satisfaction of the customer; and

(6) if they would select the same Contractor or a different Contractor, given the opportunity.

The Government may also use other information available from other sources to evaluate the Offeror’s past performance, which may include, but not limited to: Past Performance Questionnaire, Federal, State and local Government agencies, Better Business Bureaus, published media, electronic databases such as the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) and the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS). The Government may include firsthand experience of the evaluators with the Offerors in this evaluation. The Government reserves the right to limit or expand the number of references it decides to contact and to contact references other than those provided by the Offeror.

1. FACTOR 3- PRICE

In accordance with FAR 15.404-1, Proposal Analysis Techniques, proposals will be evaluated to determine if they are fair and reasonable. The offeror’s price must be found to be fair and reasonable in order to be eligible for award. Price will not be scored or received an adjectival rating. The total evaluated price will include all Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) listed in Section SF 1449 – CONTINUATION SHEET, except for CLINs associated with travel.

For evaluation purposes only, the total evaluated price is the sum of the following for the hybrid contract:

Firm Fixed Price (FFP) CLINs: Total prices submitted for (a) all ordering periods, and (b) the six-month extension authorized by FAR clause 52.217-8. For purposes of determining the evaluated price for the six month 52.217-8 extension, the six month 52.217-8 extension is calculated as one-half of the total price of the final ordering period. The Government may determine that a proposal is unacceptable if the prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of the ordering periods, does not obligate the Government.

**The FFP rates will become a part of the contract which the offeror cannot exceed.

Time & Materials (T&M) CLINs: The Offeror is not required to propose prices for Time and Material CLINs.

Travel: The government will provide a not-to-exceed price based on the Government’s estimates of lodging, shipping, travel location(s) and estimated days. The T&M cost of the contract will be added into the total evaluated price.

Other Direct Costs (ODC): The offeror must complete the attached excel spreadsheet (tab 3) for ODC’s. The Government will provide a not-to-exceed amount based on the Government’s estimates for equipment and supplies.

1. RATING METHODS

1. FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL APPROACH AND CAPABILITY

Combined Technical/Risk Rating Method: The combined technical/risk rating includes consideration of risk in conjunction with the strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, uncertainties, and deficiencies in determining technical ratings. Each proposal shall be given a rating identified in Table 1 that reflects the degree to which the proposed approach meets or does not meet the threshold performance or capability requirements through an assessment of the relative strengths, deficiencies, weaknesses and significant weaknesses, and risks to successful performance.

Table 1. Combined Technical/Risk Rating Method

BLUE

Outstanding Proposal indicates an exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements and contains multiple strengths, and risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

PURPLE

Good Proposal indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements and contains at least one strength, and risk of unsuccessful performance is low to moderate.

GREEN

Acceptable Proposal meets requirements and indicates an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements, and risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate.

YELLOW

Marginal Proposal has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements, and/or risk of unsuccessful performance is high.

RED

*Unacceptable Proposal does not meet requirements of the solicitation, and thus, contains one or more deficiencies, and/or risk of unsuccessful performance is unacceptable. Proposal is unawardable.

*NOTE: If an offeror is determined “unacceptable” under Factor 1 – Technical Approach & Capability, the offeror’s proposal will be considered unacceptable overall and shall not be considered for award.

1. FACTOR 2 PAST PERFORMANCE

There are three aspects to the past performance evaluation: recency, relevancy, and quality (including general trends in contractor performance and source of information).

Step 1 – Recency. The first step is to evaluate the recency of the offeror's past performance. Recency is generally expressed as a time period during which past performance references are considered relevant, and is critical to establishing the relevancy of past performance information. Performance of each reference must be completed within the last four (4) years of the proposal due date to be considered recent.

Step 2 – Relevance. The second step is to determine how relevant a recent effort accomplished by the offeror is to the effort to be acquired through the source selection. The relevancy rating evaluates the aspects of an offeror's recent history of contract (or subcontract) performance that would provide the most context and give the greatest ability to measure whether the offeror will successfully satisfy the current requirement. There are four levels of relevancy as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Past Performance Relevancy Rating Method

If the offeror submits recent and relevant projects performed by a subcontractor as a past performance reference the offeror must also explain how the subcontractor significantly contributed to the performance of the referenced project and how the offeror expects the subcontractor to significantly contribute to the successful performance of the solicited work.

Step 3 - Quality of Products or Services. The third aspect of the past performance evaluation is to establish the overall quality of the offeror's past performance (see FAR 15.304(c)(2)). The past performance evaluation conducted in support of a current source selection does not establish, create, or change the existing record and history of the offeror’s past performance on past contracts; rather, the past performance evaluation process gathers information from customers on how well the offeror performed those past contracts. The past performance confidence assessment rating is based on the offeror's overall record of regency, relevancy, and quality of performance. In conducting a performance confidence assessment, each Offeror shall be assigned one of the ratings in Table 3.

In the case of offerors for which there is no information on past contract performance or where past contract performance information is not available, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on the factor of past contract performance (see FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv)). In this case, the offeror's past performance is unknown and assigned a performance confidence rating of "neutral."

Table 3 .Performance Confidence Assessment Rating Method

Satisfactory Confidence Based on the Offeror’s recent/relevant performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the Offeror shall successfully perform the required effort.

Neutral Confidence No recent/relevant performance record is available or the Offeror’s performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned. The Offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on the factor of past performance.

Offerors that receive a rating of No Confidence under Factor 2 shall be considered unacceptable overall and shall not be further evaluated or considered for award.

FACTOR 3 PRICE. The price factor will not receive a rating, but the evaluated price must be found to be fair and reasonable in order to be eligible for award as indicated in Factor 3 - Price Proposal. The pricing evaluation will be based on price analysis techniques found in FAR 15.404-1- Proposal Analysis Techniques to determine if they are fair and reasonable. If an offeror price is not found to be fair and reasonable, the offeror will not be eligible for award.

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