HT0015-21-R-0016 Amendment 2.docx

HT001521R0016

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 31-Mar-2021 05:00 PM to 20-May-2021 05:00 PM.

The solicitation issue date has changed from 26-Feb-2021 to 22-Apr-2021.

The following have been modified:

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JUN 2020)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code(s) and small business size standard(s) for this acquisition appear elsewhere in the solicitation. However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(b) 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. Offers may be submitted on the SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, offers must show--

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions, including alternative line items (provided that the alternative line items are consistent with subpart 4.10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation), or alternative commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers:

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that offers or revisions are due.

(2)(i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and--

(A) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of offers; or

(B) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was the only proposal received.

(ii) 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) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the offer wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(4) 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.

(5) Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers. Oral offers in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers, subject to the conditions specified in the solicitation concerning facsimile offers. An offer may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for receipt of offers, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the offer.

(g) 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 from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be 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.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept any item or group of items of an offer, unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the offer.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation. Beta Sam: https://beta.sam.gov/.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST (https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/).

(ii) Quick Search (http://quicksearch.dla.mil/).

(iii) ASSISTdocs.com (http://assistdocs.com).

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock Point (DoDSSP) by--

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Unique entity identifier. (Applies to all offers that exceed the micro-purchase threshold, and offers at or below the micro-purchase threshold if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).) The Offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation "Unique Entity Identifier" followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the Offeror's name and address. The Offeror also shall enter its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, if applicable. The EFT indicator is a four-character suffix to the unique entity identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the Offeror to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see FAR subpart 32.11) for the same entity. If the Offeror does not have a unique entity identifier, it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for unique entity identifier establishment directly to obtain one. The Offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a Government contract when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the unique entity identifier.

(k) Reserved.

(l) Debriefing. If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall 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 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 items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror.

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

(End of provision)

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items (revision)

The subparagraphs below in FAR 52.212-1 are revised as follows:

52.212-1(c), Period for Acceptance of Offers, is replaced as follows: The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its quotation firm for 180 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotation.

52.212-1(e) Multiple Offerors, is replaced as follows: Single Offer. Respondents shall submit one offer presenting terms and conditions for commercial items/services satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. In the event a respondent submits more than one offer, only the last complete offer submitted prior to the due date and time for offers will be evaluated.

52.212-1(l), Debriefing, is replaced as follows: Debriefing. When requested by an unsuccessful offeror, a brief explanation of the basis for the award decision shall be provided pursuant to FAR 15.506.

52.212-1(b), Submission of Offers, is replaced with the subsequent paragraphs below:

1. REQUEST FOR QUOTES (RFQ). This solicitation is a Request for Quotes (RFQ). The terms “quoter” and/or “quote” are used interchangeably with the terms “offeror” and/or “offer.” All instances of “quoter,” “quote,” “offeror,” and/or “offer” refer to an offeror submitting an offer in response to this solicitation.

2. RFQ AMENDMENTS. Any amendments made to this RFQ before the time set for receipt of quotations will be posted to BetaSam eBuy. It is the offeror’s responsibility to check the website periodically for any amendments to this RFQ. Contractors must acknowledge each amendment issued under this solicitation (if any) within their offer submission.

3. PRE-CLOSING INQUIRIES. All questions concerning this RFQ shall be submitted at any time, but no later than 04 May 2021 via email to Charles Wang at peichang.wang.civ@mail.mil. Responses to inquiries will be provided in the form of a Notice or an Amendment and posted to the BetaSam website. The Government need not respond to inquiries submitted after the question due date. It is the offeror's responsibility to bring to the attention of the contracting officer at the earliest possible time, but prior to the closing date, any ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or conflicts between the PWS and other solicitation documents attached hereto or incorporated by reference.

4. RESTRICTIONS ON DISCLOSURE AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Offerors are responsible for providing proper legends or markings on the information provided to the Government to clearly identify proprietary or confidential business information that have restrictions on disclosure. All submissions should be well-marked to clearly indicate any special handling instructions.

5. CONTRACTOR TEAMING ARRANGMENT (CTA), PRIME CONTRACTOR/SUBCONTRACTOR(S) ARRANGEMENT OR JOINT VENTURES (No page limits). The offeror’s technical submission shall clearly identify the proposed relationship and responsibilities between the CTA members, or the prime/subcontractor(s), or joint venture partners, as applicable.

(a) CTA. Provide a CTA identifying each team member’s (vendor) role and responsibility for the work being performed at the order level and describe how the arrangement will satisfy the RFQ requirements. Indicate which team member will be the CTA team leader. Each member must and offer a portion of the proposed technical solution.

(b) Prime/Subcontractor(s) Arrangement. Offeros proposing as a prime contractor with key major subcontractors, shall provide a summary describing the role of the prime contractor and the subcontractor(s) that are being proposed for work under this contract. The prime vendor shall also clearly identify the proposed relationship and responsibilities between the prime and subcontractor(s).

(c) Joint Venture. Offerors who are structured as a Joint Venture (JV) or Limited Partnership entity must provide a copy of the JV or partnership agreement with their quotation. JVs and partnerships must register and complete online Representations and Certifications in the SAM website for the JV or partnership entity itself. Each individual JV member or partner must also be individually registered on the SAM website and have completed and current Representations and Certifications online. The Contracting Officer may at any time request additional documentation/information relating to any JV or partnership, including information that demonstrates the relationship between the members, the proposed roles and responsibilities of each member, and the contractual relationships that bind the members to performance under the JV/partnership. Failure to submit any of the requested information may result in an Offeror’s offer being rejected or the Offeror being found not responsible.

6. NO UNNECESSARY ELABORATION AND FORMATTING. Elaborate brochures or documentation, bindings, detailed artwork, pictures, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired.

7. ELECTRONIC REFERENCE DOCUMENTS. All referenced documents for this solicitation will be available on the Beta Sam website (https://beta.sam.gov/).

8. QUOTATION CONTENT AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: To ensure timely and equitable evaluation of quotations, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all RFQ requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale.

9. FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION:

(a) Each offer shall be legible, single-spaced, Times New Roman font, no smaller than 12 font size, no less than 1 inch margins, which can be printed on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper. Tables, charts, graphics or similar items shall not contain any font size less than 8.

(b) The acceptable electronic formats are Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word except for pricing and questions. Pricing tables shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel (as shown in the sample pricing tables in the price submission section). All Adobe PDF documents and Microsoft Word/Excel documents shall be submitted with the ability to highlight and copy the text/data of the document. Any documents submitted that are protected in such a way which does not enable the ability to highlight/copy/paste the text/data will not be accepted. All Microsoft Word/Excel documents shall be fully readable by Microsoft Office Version 2013.

(c) For any sections of an offer with a defined page limit, pages exceeding the specified limit will be removed and not forwarded for evaluation.

(d) The completion and submission of an offer to the Government shall indicate the offeror’s unconditional agreement to the terms and conditions in this RFQ unless exceptions are specifically addressed in the offer submission.

10. Offer SUBMISSION: All offers shall be uploaded to Beta Sam (https://beta.sam.gov/) under the applicable RFQ so the entire offer is received in the system by the time and date set for receipt of offers. No paper or emailed submissions will be accepted. Any subsequent instructions contained herein referring to written requirements shall be construed as documentation that is submitted electronically via Beta Sam. When uploading the offer to Beta Sam, each part below shall be a separate file and labeled accordingly to include the vendor name. The offer shall consist of five (5) distinct parts listed below:

PART I – Summary/Administrative PART II – Technical PART III – Past Performance PART IV – Price PART V – Small Business Participation Commitment

The following table summarizes the quotation submission:

Submission Cover Letter Master Table of Contents

SF 1449

Fill-ins for RFQ Provisions Completed Reps & Certs if not in SAMS Acknowledged Amendments OCI Avoidance or Mitigation Plan (when applicable) See Below No Limit

No Limit No Limit No Limit

Table of Contents Experience & Personnel Qualifications/Resume Management Plan (Address CTAs, Prime-Subcontractor Arrangements or Joint Ventures (if applicable)) Draft Quality Control Plan Draft Transition-In Plan 30 (excludes plans) No Limit

No Limit

Ref para 12(b)(2) below: Excluded from 10 page limit are any letters, metrics, customer surveys, independent surveys, etc.

Table of Contents SF 1449, Schedule of Supplies/Services, CLIN Pricing Pricing Sheet Template No Limit No Limit Prices go on Supplied Template Only

11. REQUIRED CONTENTS. Each Part is described in the sections directly below.

(a) PART I – SUMMARY/ADMINISTRATIVE SUBMISSION. Submit original electronic copy, no additional copies required.

(1) Cover Letter (3 page limit). Offeror shall submit a cover letter separate from Parts II, III, IV, and V. The cover letter shall include a brief summary and provide a point of contact (POC) (include name, title, email and phone number) who is authorized to conduct negotiations on behalf of the vendor, and should demonstrate the offeror’s intent to be bound to any resultant award for this RFQ. Any assumptions forming the basis of the offer, or any exceptions taken to the Government’s requirements shall be clearly identified in the cover letter.

(2) Master Table of Contents (No page limit). Include a master table of contents of the entire quotation.

(3) Standard Form (SF) 1449. Complete blocks 12, 17a, 30a, 30b, and 30c. In doing so, the offeror accedes to the terms and conditions as written in the solicitation.

(4) Provisions/Representations and Certification Fill-ins. Complete the necessary fill-ins and certifications in RFQ provisions and in the on-line Representations and Certifications at www.sam.gov. For other provisions and clauses in the RFQ, the offeror is required to submit the pages that require an offeror fill-in.

(5) RFQ Amendments. Submit an acknowledgment of the all RFQ amendments, if issued.

(b) PART II – TECHNICAL SUBMISSION (30-page limit, excluding specific plans identified below with separate page limits, no page limit for resumes): Consists of a technical offer in narrative format addressing paragraphs (a) through (f) below. * Include one (1) additional redacted copy to exclude the company name. When proposing a contractor teaming arrangement or joint venture, address the requirements of paragraph 6(a) above. The PWS is representative of the overall requirements. The offeror is to submit a technical offer clearly articulating HOW they intend to achieve their offered technical solution by addressing each of the subparagraphs below, ensuring their responses are in the same order listed below.

(1) The offeror’s Technical (Non-Price) offer shall clearly reflect how it proposes to comply with the performance requirements identified in the chart below regardless of the Government’s estimated effort. The Technical (Non-Price) offer, including any supporting documentation is to be clear and concise. A complete offer shall address all items in the Instructions to offerors. The Technical (Non-Price) offer shall be a clear articulation of HOW the offeror will achieve the objectives and tasks of the PWS as articulated in the chart below.

B. PWS 5.1.2 Describe the capability to provide up to 8,900 Secure Messaging SaaS subscriptions/licenses/ connections (further referred to as ‘subscriptions’) for MHS licensed healthcare providers assigned to non-MHS GENESIS MTFs supported by help desk/service operations including a toll-free number, workflow, database, and account management support, and analysis/reporting support for MHS providers, staff, and beneficiaries as part of the SM SaaS subscription offering.

C. PWS 5.1.3 Describe your approach in establishing and maintaining a sign on (SSO) link for SM SaaS using the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) DS Logon authentication methodology D. PWS 5.1.11 Specific Task The contractor shall support MHS GENESIS Patient Portal fielding by disabling the SM SaaS capability as designated by the DHMSM go-live schedule.

E. PWS 5.4 Describe the plan and approach to develop and deliver on-site as well as virtual training.

1. Describe how your proposed Key Personnel will contribute to successful completion of this project. Also, through narrative and illustration, describe the overall staffing structure and how this will ensure successful completion of the contract.

1. Describe how your proposed personnel labor mix can execute cybersecurity, training, program management and all other required tasks as specified in the PWS.

1. Provide a legend that corresponds to all personnel referenced in the PWS if your naming convention for personnel differs from the Government’s descriptions as provided in the PWS and estimated level of effort.

B. Describe your detailed staffing approach that will lead to the successful accomplishment of the requirement.

C. 1.5.1.1 Transition-in Period Describe the plan to transition in and ensure successful provision of service during transition of service provider PWS 1.5.1.1 Transition-In Period.

D. The contractor shall report, respond, and mitigate suspected breaches as defined by the DHA Privacy & Civil Liberties Office Breach Reporting Instructions.

1. If the offeror is teaming with other businesses to perform work on this contract and any of those entities shall perform work greater than or equal to 10% of the overall proposed contract price, the offeror shall clearly define and provide the percentage of work share to be performed by offeror and each subcontractor(s). Provide a chart, illustration, table or combination thereof ,which depicts:

1. The division of work between the prime and any subcontractors. Non key personnel do not need to be named per se, however, information must be provided to determine whether the prime or which subcontractor will provide the personnel for those positions and how the support will be divided amongst the requiring activity.

1. The division of work as it relates to the management structure. Key personnel shall be referenced by name. Information must be provided to determine whether the prime or which entity will provide the personnel for those positions.

1. Provide a copy of any teaming, subcontracting or similar agreement if entities other than the prime will perform work on this contract greater than or equal to 10% of the overall proposed contract price.

1. Provide a statement of facts surrounding the division of work regarding the offer preparation as it relates to the prime contractor and any other entities performing work on this contract greater than or equal to 10% of the proposed contract price.

(c) PART III – PAST PERFORMANCE SUBMISSION (10-page limit): Past performance references are limited to no more than four (4) total, including references for subcontractors and joint venture partners. Submit an original electronic copy, no additional copies required. Submit evidence of past performance to include the following:

(1) Recent and Relevant Contract References. Offerors shall provide a written narrative discussing each recent contract reference for any customer (government or non-government) which the offeror considers relevant in demonstrating their ability to perform the RFQ requirements. A recent contract must have been performed within the last five (5) years prior to the issuance date of this the RFQ. A relevant contract is for services that are for the same or similar requirements in this RFQ in terms of magnitude, scope, and complexity. (See extended recent and relevant definitions in addendum to 52.212-2. Include the following information for each contract reference.

a. Company/Division name

b. Type of Services being performed or Title of Project

c. Contracting Agency/Customer

d. Contract Number/Task Order Number

e. Contract Dollar Value (list by contract period and overall total)

f. Period of Performance (include dates for each contract period of performance; for completed contracts include completion date).

g. Place(s) of Performance (if multiple places, list all locations)

h. Customer name, mailing and e-mail addresses, and telephone number of the contract administrator POC (i.e. contracting officer, contracting officer representative (COR), program manager, etc.). NOTE: Current POC info must be validated by the offeror – the Government will not perform this effort.

i. Include a detailed description of the contract services and the offeror’s rationale asserting relevance to the magnitude, scope and complexity to the requirements in this RFQ.

j. If only a portion of a contract reference is relevant to this RFQ, the offeror should specify which portion of that contract reference is relevant.

To assist us is determining how relevant an effort is, following is a list of several aspects, not inclusive of all aspects, that we may consider when considering how relevant a prior effort is to the work we require. This is a non-inclusive list of items that we may consider, we may consider other aspects. Your effort need not meet all the below to be considered. For each effort, describe how, if applicable, your effort involved the below:

- Prime Contractor experience providing software as a service (SaaS) of a secure messaging system;

- Experience implementing and supporting a global user base across all time zones;

- Provided personnel that have implemented policies and performed practices to comply with provisions contained in DoDD 8140;

- Experience as an External IT Service for the DOD as defined in DODi 8510.01 DOD RMF and CNSSI 1253;

- Experience with Cyber Security Compliance to meet IT Security / IAVA Compliance;

- Experience with achieving RMF Accreditation and Authorization (e.g., ATO, Annual Review and Risk Assessments);

- Experience collaborating with multiple vendor partners all working toward common Governmental goals;

- Experience with DoD-compliant Information Assurance (IA) controls to identify and restrict access to sensitive data;

- Application of experience to implement HIPAA compliant medical systems;

- Experience with sustainment activities including operations, maintenance and engineering activities including proactive monitoring and after-hours support;

- Experience performing on site and virtual training sessions on a continual basis for product functions and user roles content;

- Experience provide Service Desk Support to provide 24x7x365 support services that includes account management services, connectivity issues and support to clinical providers and patients; and

- Establishment and maintenance of Enterprise Single Sign-on capability with the DoD DS logon authentication.

(2) Quality and Satisfaction Rating of Contracts: Provide any information currently available (letters, metrics, customer surveys, independent surveys, etc. (excluded from 10 page limit) that demonstrates customer satisfaction with overall job performance and/or quality of completed and/or ongoing contracts. In addition, explain corrective actions taken in the past, if any, for substandard performance and any current performance problems. (See 52.212-2(d)(4))

(3) If an offeror has no past performance history of relevance, the offeror must state affirmatively it possesses no past performance history of relevance.

(4) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) (RFQ Atch 2): PPQs shall be used by the offeror in obtaining and providing past performance information for the government. The government requires the offeror send a PPQ to each of their POCs for each contract reference identified in the Past Performance Submission. The offeror is responsible for sending the PPQ, transmitted with the Past Performance Evaluation Cover Page contained in the same PPQ attachment to their references for the references to complete and sign. The Offeror shall ensure that each reference identified completes a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ). If a company was a subcontractor to a prime on a contract, then the responsible government oversight manager may complete the PPQ instead of the prime. The questionnaire shall be submitted directly to the Government from the reference. However, the responsibility to send out and track completion of the PPPQs rests solely with the Offeror. Completed PPQs shall be emailed in PDF format to Charles Wang at peichang.wang.civ@mail.mil. THE RESPONSIBILITY RESTS SOLELY WITH THE OFFEROR TO FORWARD THE PPQ(S) TO THE CONTRACT REFERENCE POC(s) AND CONDUCT FOLLOW-UPS TO ENSURE THEY ARE COMPLETED, SIGNED, AND SUBMITTED TO CONTRACTING OFFICE POINT OF CONTACT IDENTIFIED ABOVE BY THE PROPOSAL DUE DATE.

If offeror wishes to use information on work it performed as a subcontractor, the past performance information must show what the offeror (not the prime) did, how well or poorly the offeror (not the prime) performed, and when the offeror (not the prime) did the work.

Past Performance Submission: Recent Contract References

A. Provide recent contract(s) must have been performed within the last five (5) years prior to the issuance date of this the RFQ.

B. Provide recent Prime Contractor for a SaaS secure messaging system with the capabilities defined in the PWS.

C. Offerors shall provide a written narrative discussing each recent contract reference for any customer (government or non-government) which the offeror considers relevant in demonstrating their ability to perform the PWS requirements.

Past Performance Submission: Relevant Contract References

A. A relevant contract is for services that are for the same or similar requirements in this RFQ in terms of magnitude, scope, and complexity.

B. (See extended recent and relevant definitions in addendum to 52.212-2. Include the following information for each contract reference.

C. The Government will determine how relevant a recent effort accomplished by the offeror is to the present effort. Consideration will be given to: similarity of service/support, complexity, dollar value, use of key personnel, and the role of the offeror’s involvement in the effort (for example, a prime contractor role vs. subcontractor role or one where the offeror performed critical tasks vs. minor or optional tasks).

Quality and Satisfaction Rating of Contracts

A. Provide any information currently available (letters, metrics, customer surveys, independent surveys, etc. (excluded from 16 page limit) that demonstrates customer satisfaction with overall job performance and/or quality of completed and/or ongoing contracts. In addition, explain corrective actions taken in the past, if any, for substandard performance and any current performance problems. (See 52.212-2(d)(4)) B. If an offeror has no past performance history of relevance, the offeror must state affirmatively it possesses no past performance history of relevance.

C. The Government will determine the overall quality of the offeror’s past performance. The Government will review all past performance information collected and determine the quality of the offeror’s performance, general trends, and usefulness of the information and incorporate these into the performance confidence assessment.

D. Achieve System Availability (Ao) thresholds as determined by SLA’s.

E. Provide Cyber Security with 100% Compliance to meet IT Security / IAVA Compliance.

(d) PART IV – PRICE SUBMISSION (No page limit). Submit original electronic copy, no additional copies required.

(1) Pricing Sheet Template (RFQ Atch 1). The offeror shall complete the Pricing Sheet Template.

(2) Note. The Offeror shall not include any pricing data of any kind in any other part of the offer submission (i.e., Part II, Technical Submission, and Part III, Past Performance).

(e) PART V – SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT (Minimum 30.60% Small Business Participation)

(1) All Offerors, both small and large businesses, are required to submit Small Business Participation Commitment information. This solicitation requires that at least 30.60% of the overall work (total offer) be performed by small business(es). Offeror shall state which of the following its status includes:

(2) If Offeror is other than a small business Offeror shall submit Small Business Participation Commitment information which shall include the following:

a. Listing of all proposed subcontractors, their CAGE code, and respective type of business concern in the format below. Any subcontractor identified as a Small Disadvantaged Business (with the exception of an Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC) or Indian Tribe IAW 52.219-9(d)(1)(i)) MUST have an active SBA certification of their status at the time of offer. Active HUBZone SBA certification is also a requirement at time of offer.

· Required Information:

· Company

· Cage Code

· Business Category: (Large; Small; SDB* (to include 8(a)s); Women Owned; HUB Zone*; Veteran Owned; Service Disabled Veteran Owned) (*Must be SBA Certified)

b. Percentage of the overall work for this contract that each small business subcontractor will be performing.

(End of Addendum)

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

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

1. Technical (Technical Approach, Experience & Personnel Qualifications, and Management Approach), offer must be technically “Acceptable” or higher to be eligible for award;

2. Past Performance, offer must have other than “Limited” or “No” Confidence past performance rating to be eligible for award; and

3. Price.

*This is a full tradeoff best value evaluation process between past performance, technical, and price. Past performance is the most important factor where past performance is more important than technical, and technical is more important than price.

Factor 1, Past Performance, will be evaluated as Substantial Confidence, Satisfactory Confidence, Limited Confidence, No Confidence, or Neutral Confidence.

Factor 2, Technical (Technical Approach, Experience & Personnel Qualifications, and Management Approach), will be evaluated on an Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Unacceptable basis.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options as well as FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items revision

FAR 52.212-2(d) is added with the subsequent paragraphs below:

1. BASIS FOR AWARD: Award will be made to the Offeror providing an offer that is deemed most advantageous to the Government with a trade-off between Factor 2 – Past Performance factor, Factor 1 – Technical, and Factor 3 – Price, where past performance is more important than technical, and technical is more important than price.

(a) The Government intends to award a competitive, firm-fixed priced (FFP) contract without discussions. However, the Government reserves the right to initiate discussions. Offerors shall provide their best, complete offer upon initial submission. This is a competitive full Trade-Off best value evaluation process conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15. By submission of its offer, the offeror accedes to all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors. The government reserves the right to award a contract to other than the lowest Total Evaluated Price (TEP) offeror and to other to the most highly rated offeror. The evaluations will be based on the EVALUATION process set forth below.

(b) Consideration for Award. To receive consideration for award the Total Evaluated Price (TEP) must be determined fair, balanced, and reasonable. Offers evaluated as technically Unacceptable, and/or “Limited” or “No” Confidence determined for past performance, are ineligible for award. The trade-off may result in an award to other than the highest past performance rated offer, or other than the lowest TEP, and/or other than the highest technical rated offer. A single award will be made to the responsible offeror that is found to meet the basis for award and determined to represent the best overall value to the Government.

Award will be made to the offeror who proposes the Best Value. Best value will be determined by trading off for all offers other than those who are unacceptable, with Past Performance being more important than Technical, and Technical being more important than Price.

If Offeror is not a Small Business, then offer must contain a plan that sets aside a minimum of 30.60% of the total offer as a Small Business Participation to be awardable.

2. EVALUATION: Offers evaluated as “Unacceptable” for technical factor and/or and/or “Limited” or “No” Confidence for past performance are ineligible for award and will not be further considered.

Evaluation Approach:

2.1. Part 1 Technical (Non-Price) Offer: Offeror's technical submission volume shall address three elements of Factors 1 Technical: Technical Approach, Experience & Personnel Qualifications, and Management Approach. The following criteria will be used to evaluate the technical submissions in accordance with the definitions in the charts below. The Offeror shall submit a written technical offer which effectively demonstrates the Offeror understands the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and provides a successful technical solution for the prospective task order. The offer shall not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to demonstrate how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements.

2.1.1. The evaluation process for the Technical (Non-Price) Part, will consider the following elements:

1) Understanding of the Problem - The offer will be evaluated to determine the extent to which it demonstrates a clear understanding of all tasks involved in solving the meeting the deliverables and/or exceeding the requirements presented in the PWS and the extent to which uncertainties are identified and resolutions proposed.

2) Feasibility of Approach - The offer will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the proposed approach to address the requirements presented in PWS is adequate and the end results achievable for the requiring activity. Risk associated with the approach will also be considered in this element. The offer will be evaluated to determine the level of confidence provided the Government with respect to the offeror's methods and approach in successfully meeting and/or exceeding the requirements of PWS in a timely manner.

3) Completeness - The offer will be evaluated to determine whether the offeror’s methods and approach have adequately and completely considered, defined, and satisfied the requirements specified in PWS. The offer will be evaluated to determine the extent to which each identified requirement of PWS has been addressed (i.e., met and/or exceeded) in accordance with the offer submission instructions of the solicitation.

2.1.2. The three elements of Factor 1 – Technical, Technical Approach, Experience & Personnel Qualifications, and Management Approach, shall be evaluated for Strength(s), Weakness(es), Risk(s), and Deficiency:

· Strength is an aspect of an offeror's proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that will be advantageous to the Government during contract performance.

· Weakness means a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

· Risk is manifested by the identification of weakness(es), considers potential for disruption of schedule, increased costs, degradation of performance, the need for increased Government oversight, and/or the likelihood of unsuccessful contract performance.

· Deficiency is where a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of weaknesses in a proposal increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level. A proposal is INELIGIBLE for award if a one or more “Deficiency(ies)” are found in any Sub-factor.

2.1.3. The technical rating reflects the degree to which the proposed approach meets or does not meet the minimum performance or capability requirements, based on the table listed below, with consideration of the understanding of the problem, feasibility of the approach, and completeness of a technical offer, and through an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, risks and deficiencies of a technical offer.

2.1.4. Rating Method for Factor 1 – Technical

TECHNICAL APPROACH RATINGS

2.2. Part 2 Past Performance (Non-Price):

The Government will evaluate recent and relevant past performance and the quality of the services provided to make its assessment as how likely the offeror will successfully execute the contract. In conducting the past performance evaluation, the Government reserves the right to use both the information provided in the offeror’s past performance offer volume and information obtained from other sources available to the Government, to include, but not limited to, the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), or other databases; interviews with Program Managers, Contracting Officers, and Fee Determining Officials; the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), and commercial sources. The past performance evaluation considers each offeror’s demonstrated recent and relevant record of performance and the quality of that performance in supplying products and services that meet the contract’s requirements. As a reminder, it is incumbent upon offerors engaged in a joint venture, teaming arrangement or similar business arrangement that a signed agreement by the responsible parties be provided that clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of that arrangement and demonstrates how that they will have meaningful involvement in the contract effort.

2.2.1 There are three aspects to the past performance evaluation: 1) Recency, 2) Relevancy (including context of data), and 3) Quality of Products or Services.

1. Recency: The Government will evaluate the Recency of the offeror’s past performance. Recent contracts are those with any performance taking place within five years immediately prior to the issuance date of solicitation. Efforts that are not recent will not be considered.

1. Relevancy: The Government will determine how relevant a recent effort accomplished by the offeror is to the present effort. Consideration will be given to: similarity of service/support, complexity, dollar value, and the role of the offeror’s involvement in the effort. Efforts that are not relevant will not be considered.

1. Quality of Products or Services: The Government will determine the overall quality of the offeror’s past performance. The Government will review past performance information collected and determine how well, or poorly, an offeror performed.

2.2.2 As stated immediately above, the performance assessment of the offeror consists of an evaluation of recent and relevant past performance information available, regardless of its source, as well as the quality of the products or services provided. The Government will consider Recency, Relevancy and the Quality of Products or Services as a whole for Past Performance submission by the offeror and, subsequently, assign an overall rating to the offeror’s collective Past Performance (per table below).