Solicitation HT9425-24-R-0130_Amendment 001.docx

HT942524R0130

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 30 - BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

The following have been added by full text:

RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS

1. How many read points are anticipated?

Response: We anticipate approximately 21 read points. However, this number may vary slightly. A good estimate would be 20 read points, with a range of plus or minus 5.

2. How are end items anticipated to be tracked?

Response: End items will be tracked in two ways:

a. At the Entry Control Point (ECP), items will be detected using a portal system.

b. In the laboratory, specimens stored in 1.5-2 mL vials will not be individually tracked, but rather scanned for inventory management purposes.

3. How many vials are expected to be tracked?

Response: We expect to track approximately 250,000 vials.

4. Are vials stored in liquid or vapor phase nitrogen? If so, what percentage is at -80C and in liquid or vapor phase nitrogen?

Response: Vials are stored at temperatures of -80°C and higher. We require an RFID system that can function in a temperature range from room temperature down to -80°C. No vials are stored in liquid or vapor phase nitrogen.

5. How many racks?

Response: The number of racks will vary depending on the type of racks used. We have approximately 3,100 boxes, with each box containing about 81 vials. The exact number of racks will depend on the rack configuration chosen.

6. How do we integrate with BSAT (API, direct database, file swap, etc.), and is information moving both directions (to and from BSAT)?

Response: You will work directly with the DOD BSAT Database Administrator for integration details. Specific information about the integration method and data flow will be provided during that collaboration.

7. What are the current inventory processing times that we need to reduce by 10-fold?

Response: Currently, a complete inventory takes approximately one month (750 man-hours) to complete.

8. Do you intend to have another contact for ongoing support?

Response: At this time, we do not plan to have an additional contact for ongoing support. We will require basic maintenance and technical support from the vendor during the initial year (post implementation) to ensure the system is operational.

9. Obtaining ATO is outside of the control of the bidder. Our experience is that it may take up to a year or more.

Response: The requirement to have an Authorization to Operate (ATO) has been removed from the solicitation. However, the Offeror must demonstrate compliance with the Defense Information Assurance Risk Management Framework (DIARMF) to be considered for award.

10. Period of performance may not be sufficient to obtain ATO.

Response: The requirement to have an Authorization to Operate (ATO) has been removed from the solicitation

11. Solicitation appears to ask for continuous maintenance, SOO 5.a. third bullet from bottom, but Period of performance is only 6 months.

Response: The initial contract period is 6 months. Maintenance and Technical support is required for the first year post implementation.

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The following have been modified:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Requiring Activity: United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)

Program Name: Enhancing Inventory Management and Biosecurity Surveillance Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP)/solicitation for a Research & Development (R&D) requirement.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 334419 - Other Electronic Component Manufacturing

Product Service Code: AJ11 - General Science and Technology R&D Services; General science and technology.

Government Points of Contact (POC):

Contracting Officer: Ms. Emily K. O’Hara Organization/Agency: U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) Email: emily.k.ohara.civ@health.mil

Contract Specialist: Ms. Deborah L. Hagan Organization/Agency: USAMRAA Email: deborah.l.hagan.civ@health.mil

Proposal Submission: Proposals shall only be electronically submitted to the primary POC via e-mail, Not later than 26 August 2024 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The e-mail must have a subject title of “HT942524R0130 proposal submission.” The Offeror is responsible for verifying receipt by the POC. One electronic copy shall be submitted for each proposal volume. Each proposal volume should be a separate attachment.

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

CLIN 0005 is added as follows:

Maintenance and Technical support

FFP

Post-deployment, the contractor will provide ongoing maintenance and technical support for the RFID system to ensure its continuous operational efficiency. This includes regular system updates, troubleshooting assistance, and potential future enhancements to adapt to changing requirements or advancements in technology.

Period of Performance: 12 months.

FOB: Destination

NET AMT

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

The following Acceptance/Inspection Schedule was added for CLIN 0005:

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

The following Delivery Schedule for CLIN 0005 has been added:

POP 01-APR-2025 TO

31-MAY-2026

BLDG 1425 PORTER STREET

FORT DETRICK MD 21702-5711

FOB: Destination

HT0980

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Solicitation Questions

Questions concerning this Request for Proposal are due not later than 1:00pm Eastern Time on 12 August 2024. Questions shall be submitted in writing to the Contract Specialist, Deborah Hagan via email at deborah.l.hagan.civ@health.mil and the Contracting Officer, Emily O’Hara at emily.k.ohara.civ@health.mil by this closing date and time. The Government will issue a solicitation amendment containing answers. The e-mail must have a subject title of “HT9425-24-R-0130 Solicitation Questions.”

Proposal Due Date

Not later than 1:00pm Eastern Time on 26 August 2024.

General Instructions

This section provides general guidance for preparation of the proposal as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal. The Offeror’s proposal must include all requested data and information and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The proposal shall also be compliant with all requirements as stated in the Government’s Statement of Objectives (SOO).

If applicable and IAW FAR 35.007(c), any subcontracting/teaming arrangements contemplated by the Offeror must be presented in detail. The details should disclose those portions of the task which will be subcontracted and the anticipated organizations with which subcontracting or teaming arrangements are planned. Since there is a direct relationship from the Price proposal to the Project Management Approach, teaming and functional capabilities, and Technical proposal, the Offeror shall cross-reference enough information on subcontracting/teaming arrangements to allow for a thorough proposal review from a technical and management perspective. The Offeror shall include evidence (e.g., statement of intent to enter into a teaming agreement) of subcontractor relationships.

The Offeror shall submit documentation illustrating its approach for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Proposal must be clear, coherent, and prepared in sufficient detail for effective evaluation of the Offeror’s proposal against the evaluation criteria. This documentation should cover all aspects of this solicitation. Proposal must clearly demonstrate how the Offeror intends to accomplish the project and must include convincing rationale and substantiation of all claims. The Offeror shall support its proposal in sufficient detail for the Government to understand and evaluate the nature of the approach. In its evaluation, the Government will consider the degree of substantiation of the proposed approaches in all proposal volumes. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements. The Offeror shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of the Offeror’s facilities and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror’s proposal.

Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete effective response to the solicitation are not desired.

A proposal acceptance period of 120 days after the solicitation closing date (Block 9 on Standard Form 33) shall be specified in Block 12 of the Standard Form 33, Solicitation, Offer, and Award. The Offeror’s proposal volumes must include a statement that the proposal shall remain open for a minimum of 120 days from the date of submission.

The Offeror is prohibited from modifying any documents, printed or electronic, associated with this solicitation and any amendments in any way, shape or form, unless specifically authorized to do so. If the Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the Contract Specialist listed via electronic mail with supporting rationale.

If proprietary information is included in a proposal, the Offeror shall mark its proposal accordingly (see section titled ‘Confidential Information’ below).

All proposal information is subject to verification by the Government. Falsification of any proposal submission documents or statements may subject the Offeror to civil or criminal prosecution under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code (U.S.C.).

The Offeror must comply with FAR Clause 52.204-7 System for Award Management (SAM). In complying with this clause, the Offeror must ensure that ALL representations and certifications contained in Solicitation Section K are completed and uploaded to its SAM record by the date specified for proposal submission. It is recommended that the Offeror allows sufficient time to complete the SAM registration process (or update a current SAM record). Registration instructions may be obtained, and online registration may be accomplished, at www.sam.gov. This includes the online representations and certifications located within SAM. An Offeror that does not have an active SAM record for “All Awards” or has a record that does not include all representations and certifications required in Section K may not be considered for award.

Any data previously submitted in response to another solicitation to USAMRAA or another agency shall be assumed to be unavailable during this proposal evaluation and source selection process. Proposal data shall not be incorporated into this proposal by referring to another proposal or other source.

The Government will not reimburse the Offeror for costs incurred as a result of preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this solicitation.

Any request for “Change Pages” by the Government shall be submitted by the Offeror via electronic submission. The changed text shall be highlighted to identify changes made from the original proposal.

Formatting Instructions

Proposal Format: The Offeror shall provide their proposal in electronic format as noted below. The proposal shall be submitted in Arial or Times New Roman font, size 12, single-spaced, with 1-inch margins on 8.5 x 11 inch pages. This mandatory font size is not applicable to figures and/or charts. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. All electronic proposal documents shall be in searchable Adobe (.pdf) format compatible with Adobe Acrobat XI Pro, except for the Price Breakdown Spreadsheet, which shall be in Excel (.xls) format. The Price Breakdown Spreadsheet shall be submitted in MS Excel 2003 or higher, but not greater than MS Excel 2010 format. The firewall utilized by the Government contracting office does not authorize or accept zip files.

Legible tables, charts, graphs, and figures shall be used wherever practical to depict organizations, systems and layout, implementation schedules, plans, etc. These displays shall be uncomplicated, legible, and shall not exceed 11 x 17 inches in size. The 11 x 17 pages may only be used for large tables, charts, graphs, diagrams and schematics, not for pages of text. For tables, charts, graphs and figures, the text shall be no smaller than 10-point font.

EXCEPTION – SPECIAL FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW): The SOW shall follow unique formatting so that it will not create any errors when it is incorporated into the Government’s contract writing system. The SOW shall be in Times New Roman font, size 10 and shall not contain a table of contents or any images imbedded into the document. Only basic tables with single, thin borders and no shaded cells created in Microsoft Word are accepted. The font must be black without any highlighting with 1-inch margins. Text and tables must be left-aligned.

If requested, revisions shall be submitted with revised text in readily identifiable print (e.g., boldface or underlines) and line bar in margin. Revised pages shall be numbered, dated, and submitted in the same format specified herein. Narrative explanations are not acceptable other than as replacement pages. The Government will reevaluate only those changed portions.

File Size: The Government's recommended maximum size for email attachments is 10MB. The maximum size limit applies to one large attachment or the sum total size of several attachments included in a single email. The Government's recommendation for an Offeror submitting attachments that are larger than 10MB is to contact the POC for the solicitation to coordinate proposal submission via DoD SAFE. DoD SAFE is a web-based tool that provides authenticated DoD CAC users and guests (unauthenticated users) the capability to securely send and receive large files, including files that are too large to be transmitted via email. Guests can receive files from CAC users and send files to CAC users (only if CAC users requested files). Notification is achieved via email. Up to twenty-five (25) files not exceeding 8GBs total can be uploaded at one time. The Offeror shall notify the solicitation POC via email a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours in advance to coordinate proposal submission via DoD SAFE.

Page Limits: Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. Page limitations exclude resumes and bibliographic data for key personnel. Proposal pages are limited to those stated in the chart below. The page limitation for the Project Management section of Volume II does not include any Microsoft Project charts or graphs used to document the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) and/or Contractor Work Breakdown Structure (CWBS). All pages of each volume shall be numbered by section and dated. For any sections of a proposal with a defined page limit, pages exceeding the specified limit will be removed and not forwarded for evaluation. Failure to submit all documents concurrently and in accordance with these instructions may result in elimination from further consideration and evaluation.

The Government intends to award a single firm fixed priced contract.

The Offeror’s proposal shall consist of three (3) separate and distinct volumes. Each volume shall be appropriately titled and include the solicitation number. The page limits of each proposal volume are as follows:

Volume

Volume

Project Development Plan (PDP)

Statement of Work

Other Requirements

Proposed Level of Effort

Project Management Approach – Evaluation Factor II

Project Management Plan & Organizational Chart (includes Risk Management Program (RMP), CWBS, and IMS)

Volume

General Volume Content

To the greatest extent possible, each volume of the proposal shall be written on a standalone basis so that its content may be evaluated with a minimum of cross-referencing to other sections of the proposal. Information required for proposal evaluation which is not found in its designated volume or section will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

The information in each volume should be specific and complete. The proposal shall be in a clear, concise form, presenting complete, effective methods and approaches for satisfying the requirements. It shall be in sufficient detail to reflect a complete understanding of the work to be accomplished and permit a thorough analysis. Responses will be evaluated as outlined in Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award. All of the requirements specified in the solicitation are mandatory. By submitting a proposal, the Offeror represents that its firm will be responsible for meeting the requirements specified in the solicitation. It is not necessary or desirable for the Offeror to restate this in its proposal. Do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the solicitation.

PLEASE NOTE: All price information shall be addressed ONLY in the Price Volume. Do not address price in any other Volume.

Indexing: Each volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections. Table of Contents/Indices do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms: The Technical and Price volumes shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with an explanation for each. Glossaries do not count against the page limitations.

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 the Offeror’s submissions contain information that it 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) _______.”

Volume I - Administrative Volume

SF33 Cover Page

The Offeror shall fill out page 1 of the Standard Form (SF) 33, Solicitation, Offer and Award. The Offeror shall fill out blocks 12 through 18 accordingly:

The Government requires a minimum acceptance period of not less than 120 calendar days. The Offeror shall complete Block 12 with full cognizance of the minimum acceptance period of 120 calendar days. “Acceptance Period” means the number of calendar days available to the Government for awarding a contract from the date specified in this solicitation for receipt of an offer. The offer may specify a longer acceptance period than the Government’s minimum requirement but shall not specify a shorter period.

If any amendments to the solicitation are issued, the Offeror must acknowledge each amendment number and date in Block 14 of the SF 33. Failure to acknowledge all solicitation amendments may render the Offeror ineligible for award.

The Offeror’s legal name and address in Block 15A on the SF33 must match the information for the Offeror in the System for Award Management at http://www.sam.gov including the corresponding Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code number and Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (PLEAE NOTE: the address listed in Block 15A will be the official mailing address used by the Government for letter correspondence, if necessary).

The name, title, signature and date identified in Blocks 16, 17 and 18 must be an authorized representative with authority to commit the Offeror to contractual obligation.

Executive Summary of the Overall Proposal

The Offeror shall include an Executive Summary describing the overall proposal and company approach to fulfill this requirement, excluding price information.

Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Offeror (Solicitation Section K)

The Offeror shall complete and submit the required information in Section K of this solicitation for the listed provisions as part of the Administrative Volume. Failure to submit, complete, or sign the required representations, certifications and other statements may render the offer ineligible for award.

Organizational Conflict of Interest Certification and/or Mitigation Plan

The Offeror shall complete the attached OCI Certification (Solicitation Attachment 1- Deliverable 6) and provide (if necessary) an OCI Avoidance or Mitigation Plan. The Offeror shall properly complete the OCI Certification, to include providing the required comparative analysis, certification, and signature. If an OCI concern is present, the Offeror’s mitigation plan shall reasonably address the OCI concern. Failure to submit a properly completed OCI certification may render the offer ineligible for award.

Contractor Recommended Surveillance

The Contractor shall prepare and implement a written Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) (Solicitation Attachment 2 – QAP Template_Deliverable 4) to ensure that all activities of the project are managed in a sound, reasonable way in conformance to the Government's requirements; and that all deliverables produced are acceptable prior to delivery to the Government. Under this QAP, the Contractor shall provide for the Government or its designee to audit the Contractor and/or its Subcontractors for quality assurance purposes. The Contractor shall provide evidence of the quality agreement. The Contractor shall provide the initial QAP no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the contract POP start date. For subsequent submissions, the Contractor shall update the QAP as needed (quarterly at a minimum) and provide it to the Government. The Contractor shall also update and provide the QAP within fifteen (15) calendar days of the Government’s request.

Volume II - Technical Volume

General

The Technical Volume shall not contain any reference to price; however, information concerning labor hours and categories, consultant services, travel requirements, materials and equipment needed, and, if applicable, subcontractor(s) shall be contained in the Technical Volume in sufficient detail so the Government may adequately evaluate the Offeror’s understanding of the requirements.

Cover Page

The cover page shall identify the Solicitation number, Offeror name and mailing address, Point of Contact (POC) name, and contact information. The Offeror shall provide a POC who is authorized to hold discussions/negotiations with the Government and has the full authority to bind the Offeror to a contract. Information required includes: First name, last name, title, e-mail address, phone number, and level of authority.

Executive Summary of the Technical Volume, Table of Contents, and Glossary

The Offeror shall provide an executive summary to include a concise narrative summary of the technical volume, including significant risks, and a highlight of any key or unique features, excluding price. Any summary material presented here shall not be considered as meeting the requirements for any portions of other sections of the proposal. A table of contents and glossary of abbreviations or acronyms shall be included in the volume.

Factor I - Technical Approach

The Technical Approach shall describe in detail how the Offeror proposes to fulfill all requirements established in the Government-provided SOO (Attachment 8 – Statement of Objectives). The Technical Approach shall include a description of all significant subcontractor(s) contributions.

The Offeror shall provide a PDP describing how all proposed activities will be managed in a sound, reasonable way to achieve the Government’s objectives and how the Offeror will ensure that all deliverables (Solicitation Attachment 9 - Deliverables) produced will be acceptable prior to delivery to the Government.

Statement of Work

The Offeror shall provide a Statement of Work (SOW) as part of the proposed technical approach. The Offeror shall provide a SOW that is consistent with the proposed technical approach and the Government’s SOO. A SOW sample template is provided as Solicitation Attachment 10 – SOW Template. The SOW will be incorporated into the contract by full text and should provide greater detail than the technical approach and demonstrate how the technical approach is to be accomplished in a task-oriented manner. The SOW shall follow unique formatting so that it will not create any errors when it is incorporated into the Government’s contract writing system. The SOW shall be in Times New Roman font, size 10 and shall not contain a table of contents or any images imbedded into the document. Only basic tables with single, thin borders and no shaded cells created in Microsoft Word are accepted. The font must be black without any highlighting with 1-inch margins. Text and tables must be left-aligned. Elements of the SOW will be incorporated into the QAP post-award. (Solicitation Attachment 2 – Deliverable 4).

Other Requirements

The Offeror shall provide:

· Detailed descriptions of the hardware's capabilities, including compatibility with different tag types and environmental conditions specific to laboratory settings.

· Software Specifications: Comprehensive details of the software's features, including data management, reporting capabilities, and user interface.

· Tag Specifications: Detailed information on the tags, including type (passive, active, semi-passive), frequency, memory capacity, and suitability for different materials and environmental conditions (e.g., -80oC or liquid nitrogen).

· Compliance and Standards: Provide evidence that the tags meet industry standards and regulatory requirements, especially concerning biosecurity and safety in laboratory environments. Implement all required security controls as specified in NIST Special Publication 800-53, tailored to the system's FIPS 199 impact level.

· The Offeror shall demonstrate the ability to comply with the requirements in the SOO.

· The Offeror must demonstrate compliance with the Defense Information Assurance Risk Management Framework (DIARMF) to be considered for award.

· The Offeror must demonstrate compliance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) to be considered for award.

Proposed Level of Effort

The Offeror shall complete the Proposed Level of Effort (LOE) template. (Solicitation Attachment 3 – Proposed LOE) as part of the technical approach. The Offeror shall propose the level of effort that is appropriate for its technical approach. The Offeror shall provide a listing of the labor categories to be utilized and the levels of effort proposed for each labor category. Labor categories and levels of effort shall be proposed for the Prime contractor as well as its subcontractor(s). The proposed level of effort should include a reference to the Offeror’s SOW section(s) for which each labor category is proposed. Levels of effort shall be in terms of hours and full-time equivalents for the duration of the period of performance. Levels of effort shall not include price information.

Factor II - Project Management Approach

The Offeror shall submit a Project Management Approach that effectively demonstrates a clear and concise description of how the Offeror will incorporate or provide for flexibility in the performance of their proposed SOW that will enable adaptation to unexpected or unplanned events.

Project Management Plan & Organizational Chart

The Offeror shall provide a PMP and Organizational Chart as part of the proposed project management approach.

The Offeror shall provide a detailed Contractor developed PMP (with an organizational chart) which addresses the requirements stated in the Government’s SOO and the requirements of the solicitation, and that includes (but is not limited to) a RMP, CWBS, and IMS; and addresses project scope, activities, schedule, and risks. This PMP shall represent how the Offeror plans to manage, track, and evaluate the entire work scope of this award. The PMP shall integrate all necessary functions and processes, including program management; development of comprehensive Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant systems; test and evaluation; and product life cycle support. The PMP shall consist of control policies and procedures in accordance with standard industry practices for project administration. The Offeror shall include a non-binding estimated 5-year lifecycle cost for the proposed technology, including all assumptions and rationale used to generate the life cycle estimate. (Deliverable 3 - PMP & Organizational Chart (includes IMS, CWBS, and RMP)

Risk Management Plan

The Offeror shall provide a RMP as part of the proposed project management approach. The project management plan shall include a separate Risk Management Plan that highlights potential risks that may arise during the life of the contract, each risks’ impact on price, schedule and performance, and an appropriate mitigation plan. This plan should reference relevant Statement of Work sections, where appropriate. The proposed project management plan, when accepted by the Government, will be incorporated into and become a material part of the contract at time of award. For that reason, this project management plan, with risk management plan addendum, shall be a standalone document. (Deliverable 3 - PMP & Organizational Chart (includes IMS, CWBS, and RMP)

Contract Work Breakdown Structure

The Offeror shall provide a CWBS as part of the proposed project management approach (Deliverable 3). The Offeror shall submit a CWBS and CWBS Dictionary using the Department of Defense Standard Practice Work Breakdown Structures for Defense Materiel Items - MIL-STD-881F (Attachment 4 MIL-STD-881F). The maximum CWBS expected is Level 4. The Offeror shall extend CWBS elements as needed to obtain the depth and breadth required to define the contract scope and to accurately describe the proposed effort. The CWBS shall correlate with the SOW, Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs), and IMS. The CWBS shall not include dollar values.

Integrated Master Schedule

The Offeror shall provide an IMS as part of the proposed project management approach. The Offeror shall provide an IMS that documents the critical path, major milestones, tasks/activities, duration, lead/lag/slack time, and schedule relationships. The IMS shall be directly traceable to the SOW, CWBS, and CLINs. The IMS is intended to be used as a tool for daily progress tracking of the program. Tasks/activities should roll-up to increasingly higher summary levels. All tasks/activities in the IMS shall be logically linked together showing predecessor/successor relationships. The tasks/activities shall be sufficient to account for the entire program under contract. In addition to a high level presentation in PDF format as part of the Project Management submission, the Offeror shall utilize an electronic copy of the schedule for submission (the latest version of Microsoft Project) of schedule data in ‘Read Only’ format that shows all formulas and links for review. Dates delineated in the IMS and Section F shall become contractually binding and will be adjusted accordingly, based on actual contract award. Refer to the IMP and IMS Preparation and Use Guide (Attachment 5 – IMP-IMS-Guide-2023) for development of the IMS.

Key Personnel

Resumes/Letters of Intent for Key Personnel: For all Key Personnel, the Offeror shall provide an attachment to the Technical Volume naming the suitably qualified individuals proposed to fill Key Personnel positions along with a description of the portion of the SOW that each individual is proposed to perform. In addition, the Offeror shall submit resumes for all individuals proposed to fill Key Personnel positions. These resumes shall include a list of relevant training, education, and certifications. Proof of such may be requested prior to beginning work. Do not submit resumes for all labor proposed – only submit resumes for Key Personnel. For those individuals proposed as Key Personnel who are not current employees of the Offeror’s company, include a signed letter of intent. The Offeror shall not propose consultants or subject matter experts as Key Personnel.

Factor III – Past Performance

The Government may evaluate past performance on previous contracts by examining information provided by Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs), records contained in the Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), including but not limited to data obtained from the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), or other sources of information. The Past Performance evaluation will assess the Offeror’s likelihood of success in meeting the solicitation requirements. Past Performance will consist of three aspects for evaluation: recency, relevancy, and quality. The Offeror will be assigned an “acceptable” or “unacceptable” rating for past performance. First the Government will evaluate the Offeror’s past performance history to determine its recency. Recency is critical to establishing the relevancy of past performance information. A “recent effort” is defined as a contract that has been performed within five (5) years of the issue date of the solicitation. Next, the Government will evaluate the Offeror’s past performance history to determine how relevant a recent effort accomplished by the Offeror is to the requirement to be acquired through this solicitation. Common aspects of relevance include similarity of service/support, complexity, dollar value, and contract type. Lastly, the Government will evaluate the Offeror’s past performance history to determine the quality of work performed and assess the level of expectation that the Offeror can successfully perform the required effort. Absent any recent and relevant past performance history or when the performance record is so sparse that the quality of work cannot be determined the Offeror will not be rated “unacceptable” on past performance. The Government may use data obtained from other sources, including data in Government files or data obtained through interviews with personnel familiar with the contractor and their current and past performance under Federal, State or Local government or commercial contracts for same or similar services. Data used in conducting performance risk assessments shall not extend past five (5) years prior to the issue date of the solicitation, but may include performance data generated during the past five (5) years without regard to the contract award date.

Volume III - Price

Factor IV - Price

The Offeror shall submit its proposed pricing for a Firm-Fixed Price contract.

General Information

The price proposal shall be an integrated with descriptions of estimating techniques and allocation methods that correlate in sufficient depth with the SOO/SOW, CWBS, IMS, and CLINs when applicable. Estimating technique(s) used to create the proposal shall be clearly identified. When responding to the Price Volume requirements in the solicitation, the Offeror and associated subcontractor(s) may use any generally accepted estimating techniques, including contemporary estimating methods, commercially available parametric models, in-house developed parametric cost models, etc., to develop their pricing. Failure to submit all information requested in the summary spreadsheet format below may result in rejection of your proposal.

The price proposal shall utilize a Microsoft Excel compatible spreadsheet for submission of pricing information that shows all formulas, calculations, and links for review.

The price proposal shall show proposed dollar values for each CLIN, and for the entire period of performance of the effort proposed.

The price proposal shall include any necessary equipment to be purchased/leased or facility modifications necessary to execute the proposed efforts.

Cover Page

The cover page shall identify the Solicitation number, Offeror name and mailing address, POC name, and contact information. The Offeror shall provide a POC who is authorized to hold discussions/negotiations with the Government and has the full authority to bind the Offeror to a contract. Information required includes: First name, last name, title, e-mail address, phone number, and level of authority.

Table of Contents and Glossary

A table of contents and glossary of abbreviations or acronyms shall be included in the volume.

Written Budget Justification

The Offeror shall provide a detailed explanation of its proposed pricing that supports the pricing included in the Price Breakdown EXCEL spreadsheet.

Price Breakdown

The price proposal (Attachment 6 – Price Proposal) shall include a price breakdown by Government Fiscal Year (1 October – 30 September) for the entire period of performance for all objectives identified in the SOO. Shown below is the format of the tables the Offeror shall use. Option CLINs and subcontractor efforts shall be reflected separately, but will include at a minimum, the information requested in the spreadsheet below. Totals from detailed spreadsheets must track to the summary spreadsheet.

SUMMARY SPREADSHEET

FY24

FY25

Direct Labor (Fully Burdened)

Subcontract(s) (If applicable)

Material and Supplies

Material Handling (Storage & Shipping

Travel – If applicable

Equipment – If applicable

Other Direct Costs

TOTAL PRICE

The Offeror shall address the following pricing elements in sufficient detail to demonstrate the reasonableness of the proposed price:

Direct Labor. Provide estimated hours by labor category and Government fiscal year. Explain the method used to determine the estimated hours necessary for each effort. Indicate if the proposed rates are based on actual or projected rates for current employees. Indicate the escalation factor used and first month(s) for each Government fiscal year to which the escalation factor is applied. Level of effort activities shall be expressed in man-hours. Define the number of man-hours that equal a man-year. A sample table is shown below. Total labor price/hours should track to summary spreadsheet.

Fully Burdened Direct Labor Price by Labor Category and by Fiscal Year (FY24 and FY25)

Subcontract Price (If applicable). The Offeror shall provide an analysis of how it determined subcontractor price to be fair and reasonable and the basis for their determination. Reference FAR Part 15.404. The Offeror shall provide sufficient information regarding the subcontractor price analysis that the Government may recreate the analysis and come to the same conclusion. To the maximum extent practicable, subcontractor price proposals should be in the same format as the prime. Total subcontractor price should track to summary spreadsheet. A sample table is shown below.

Subcontractor Price by Fiscal Year

Materials and Supplies. Provide a detailed listing of materials and supplies, quantity, unit price, and basis of estimate (e.g., vendor quotes, catalog pricing, subcontractor estimates). Competitive historical price information of prior purchases is adequate. For all sole-sourced materials and supplies, provide a consolidated price summary of individual material quantities being proposed and the basis of estimate. A sample table is shown below. Total materials and supplies price should track to summary spreadsheet.

Materials and Supplies

Travel If applicable, provide the purpose, origin, destination, and duration of travel. The offeror is encouraged to read FAR 31.205-46 regarding allowable travel costs. A sample table is shown below. Total travel price should track to summary spreadsheet.

Travel

Equipment. Provide a list of all proposed equipment to be purchased in support of the contract. The list shall include equipment description, manufacturer, manufacturer’s address, model and stock number, and estimated unit price. A sample table is shown below. Total equipment price should track to summary spreadsheet.

Equipment

Other Costs. List direct costs not included in the above categories. (i.e., preservation, and packaging). Provide basis of estimate for each.

Indirect Costs. Provide current price for indirect costs for all efforts proposed.

(End of Proposal Submission)

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

BASIS FOR AWARD

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

1. General Basis for Contract Award

The Offeror’s proposal shall be complete, shall arrive by the date and time indicated in the solicitation notice, and shall be compliant with all solicitation preparation instructions. This acquisition is competitive, and the Government intends to award a contract using the policies and procedures in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation. In order to determine which Offeror represents the best value to the Government, a best value trade off process will be conducted. Best value means the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Government’s estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement.

2. Proposal Evaluation

The Offeror’s proposal shall be compliant with the requirements of the solicitation. If a proposal is incomplete or received late (in part or in full) the proposal may not be evaluated. A proposal judged unsuitable in terms of technical capability, or price may be rejected as indicating a lack of understanding of the requirements. The Government will evaluate only one (1) proposal from each prime offeror.

3. Areas of Evaluation

The Government intends to award a single contract through the issuance of this RFP. Evaluations shall be an assessment of the proposal and the offeror’s ability to perform the perspective contract successfully. In this assessment all offerors shall be evaluated solely on the factors specified in this solicitation. To receive consideration for award, offerors must achieve a minimum rating of “Acceptable (Green)” for Evaluation Factor I (Technical Approach), a minimum rating of “Acceptable (Green)” for Evaluation Factor II (Project Management Approach), and a minimum rating of “Satisfactory Confidence” or “Unknown Confidence (Neutral)” for Evaluation Factor III (Past Performance). The Government will evaluate the factors independently of each other and each factor listed below is in descending order of importance. The non-cost factors when combined are significantly more important than price.

The Government shall use the terms and definitions described under “RATING STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS.”

4. Proposal Revisions

The Contracting Officer may request or allow proposal revisions to clarify and document understandings reached during negotiations. The Contracting Officer is required to establish a cut-off date only for receipt of final proposal revisions. The request for final proposal revision shall advise the Offerors that the final proposal revision shall be in writing and that the Government intends to make award without further revisions.

5. Evaluation for Award

Volume II - Technical Volume

General

The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that it does not contain any reference to price. The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that information concerning labor hours and categories, travel requirements, materials and equipment needed, and, if applicable, subcontractor(s) are contained in the Technical Volume in sufficient detail so the Government may adequately evaluate the Offeror’s understanding of the requirements.

Cover Page

The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that the cover page identifies the Solicitation number, Offeror name and mailing address, POC name, and contact information. The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that the Offeror provided a POC who is authorized to hold discussions/negotiations with the Government and has the full authority to bind the Offeror to a contract. The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that the following required information is included: First name, last name, title, e-mail address, phone number, and level of authority.

Executive Summary of the Technical Volume, Table of Contents, and Glossary

The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that the Offeror provided an executive summary to include a concise narrative summary of the technical volume, including significant risks, and a highlight of any key or unique features, excluding price. Any summary material presented here shall not be considered as meeting the requirements for any portions of other sections of the proposal. The Technical Volume will be reviewed for evidence that a table of contents and glossary of abbreviations or acronyms has been included in the volume.

Factor I - Technical Approach

The Offeror’s technical capabilities will be evaluated for the degree to which the Offeror demonstrates its ability to fulfill all requirements established in the Government-provided SOO.

The PDP will be evaluated for the degree to which the Offeror documents how all proposed activities will be managed in a sound, reasonable way to achieve the Government’s objectives and how the Offeror will ensure that all deliverables produced will be acceptable prior to delivery to the Government.

Statement of Work

The proposal will be reviewed for evidence that the Offeror provided a SOW as part of the proposed technical approach. The Offeror’s SOW will be evaluated for the degree to which it is consistent with the proposed technical approach and the Government’s SOO. The SOW will be evaluated for the degree to which it provides greater detail than the technical approach and demonstrates how the technical approach is to be accomplished in a task-oriented manner. The SOW will be reviewed for evidence that it follows unique formatting so that it will not create any errors when it is incorporated into the Government’s contract writing system. The SOW will be reviewed for evidence that it is in Times New Roman font, size 10 and does not contain a table of contents or any images imbedded into the document. Only basic tables with single, thin borders and no shaded cells created in Microsoft Word are accepted. The SOW will be reviewed for evidence that the font is black, and without any highlighting, and with 1-inch margins. The SOW will be reviewed for evidence that the text and tables are left-aligned. Elements of the SOW will be incorporated into the QAP post-award. (Solicitation Attachment 2 – Deliverable 4).

Proposed Level of Effort

The proposal will be reviewed for evidence that the Offeror completed the Proposed Level of Effort Template (Solicitation Attachment 3) as part of the technical approach. The proposed level of effort will be evaluated for the degree to which it is appropriate for its technical approach. The proposed level of effort will be evaluated for the degree to which the Offeror provided a listing of the labor categories to be utilized and the levels of effort proposed for each labor category. The proposed level of effort will be evaluated for the degree to which the labor categories and levels of effort have been proposed for the Prime contractor as well as its subcontractor(s). The proposed level of effort will be evaluated for the degree to which it references the Offeror’s SOW section(s) for which each labor category is proposed. The proposed level of effort will be evaluated for the degree to which the levels of effort are in terms of hours and full-time equivalents for the duration of the period of performance. The proposed level of effort will be reviewed for evidence that it does not include price information (e.g., labor category rates or labor costs).

Factor II - Project Management Approach

The proposal will be evaluated for the degree to which the Project Management Approach effectively demonstrates a clear and concise description of how the Offeror will incorporate or provide for flexibility in the performance of their proposed SOW that will enable adaptation to unexpected or unplanned events.

Project Management Plan & Organizational Chart

The proposal will be reviewed for evidence that the Offeror provided a Project Management Plan and Organizational Chart as part of the proposed project management approach. The Offeror’s proposal will be evaluated for the degree to which it provided a detailed Contractor developed PMP (with an organizational chart) which addresses the requirements stated in the Government’s SOO and the requirements of…