Instructions and Evaluation Factors.docx

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

1.1 General Instructions: This section provides general guidance for preparing proposals, as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal. Throughout this section, the term “Offeror” means the prime contractor submitting the proposal. The Offeror’s proposal must include all data and information requested and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. Any Offeror who submits an incomplete package may be considered non-responsive. The offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the Request for Proposal (RFP). A proposal that is sufficiently documented to support cost/price and technical requirements in a complete, orderly and detailed manner will enable the Government to perform a thorough and fair evaluation. Non-compliance with the instructions and RFP may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation and may be grounds to eliminate the proposal from consideration for contract award.

Offeror’s must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale along with providing any assumptions in their proposals.

1.2 Competition will be limited to a competitive small business set aside. For this acquisition, selection of the best value Offeror(s) will be made using Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procedures with the technical factors evaluated on an "acceptable/unacceptable" basis.

1.3 Discussions are not anticipated.

1.4 The Offeror is notified that the Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in relation to the proposal preparation.

1.5 The Offeror shall submit an unclassified proposal, which demonstrates its ability to perform and meet the requirement in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

1.6 Proposal shall conform to all the requirements of this RFP IAW FAR Part 15.101-2.

1.7 Proposal will be reviewed for responsiveness prior to being technically evaluation. Proposals found to be non-responsive, the Offeror will be notified immediately and will include the reason.

1.8 The National Guard has determined this effort to be a professional service. For ancillary labor categories proposed that are non-exempt from the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) under this requirement, price using the wage determination for the specific location the individual will be assigned. Go to https://wdolhome.sam.gov/ to locate the applicable wage determination. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall reflect the use of current, updated fringe benefit rates. The Contractor’s wage rate shall comply with the Department of Labor (DOL) wage rate minimum requirements for the area in which the work is to be done. The Contractor shall specify the city, state, and country in which the work will take place. This is necessary so that the appropriate DOL rates can be provided. Where multiple places of performance apply, provide a separate wage determination for each place of performance that is required under this RFP. The contractor shall comply with FAR 52.222-41 -- Service Contract Labor Standards in developing its proposal and performance of the contract.

1.9 Offerors are not authorized to include in proposals citations for, or linkages to, websites.

1.10 By responding to this RFP, the Offeror agrees to meet all the requirements adhere to all terms, conditions, and provisions incorporated herein.

1.11 Questions regarding this Request For Proposal (RFP) shall be directed to Harvetta Taylor by email ONLY at harvetta.r.taylor.civ@mail.mil . All correspondence shall reference W912L6-21-R-0005.

1.12 Quotation Submission Instructions. The Government will only accept electronic proposal submission.

Each proposal volume shall be clearly identified and shall begin at the top of a page. All pages of each volume shall be sequentially numbered from 1 to ‘x’, with ‘x’ being the final page of the volume, inclusive of all appendices and attachments. Proposals shall conform to the following characteristics:

Margins – Top, Bottom, Left, Right – 1” Gutter – 0” From Edge – Header, Footer 0.5” Page Size, Width – 8.5” Page Size, Height – 11” Font: Arial Font Size: 12 pt Font Size for Charts, Illustrations and Tables: No less than 8 pt

NOTE: 11x17 folded pages are acceptable for tables/graphic representations; however, each 11x17 page counts as two pages.

1.9.1 Ensure that all volumes are submitted in response to this RFP. The proposal shall be structured in a manner that clearly addresses the requirements for this RFP. Responses that are overly verbose or include marketing material are not desired.

The Offeror shall submit the proposal to the Contract Specialist at Harvetta.r.taylor.civ@mail.mil no later than the submittal due date listed below.

1.9.2 The closing date and time for submittal of proposal is 29 July 2021, 3:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST).

1.9.3 The Offeror’s proposal shall consist of three volumes to include Volume 1 Technical and Management, Volume 2 Price and Volume 3 – Compliance and Responsibility. The Offeror shall submit an unclassified proposal which demonstrates its ability to perform and meet the requirements in the PWS, enclosed with this solicitation. The following factors will be evaluation in this effort.

a. Factor 1 – Technical and Management Sub-Factor 1 – Personnel Management Sub-Factor 2 – Technical Approach

b. Factor 2 – Price

** Proposal shall not contain classified information and hyperlinks within documents are prohibited.

1.9 Quotation Format and Content Requirements. The Offeror proposal volumes shall each be a separate attachment with the appropriate document name/title meeting the format requirement stated in chart below.

Volume/Title

1.10 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL CONTENT:

1.11.1 Volume 1, Technical and Management – The Technical and Management Volume shall be organized by element and shall address the corresponding sections and tasks in the PWS. The Offeror shall provide a realistic, descriptive solution for successfully performing the required tasks and evidence that the Offeror has the current capability and resources to meet the requirements defined in the PWS.

1.11.1.1 Element 1 – Personnel Management. The Offeror shall discuss their approach for obtaining personnel in support of this requirement and provide resumes that are sufficient enough in detail to determine whether proposed personnel possess the stated skills and ability to perform tasks as defined within the PWS. The Offeror shall address the approach to compensation and describe the fringe benefit plan, to include corporate paid time-off (leave) policies, for ensuring the level of effort is considered reasonable in anticipation of leave during contract performance. The Offeror shall address the approach to mitigate any potential for personal services during contract administration. The Offeror shall provide resumes and evidence of commitment of proposed personnel, including acceptance of salary and benefits offered.

1.11.1.2 Element 2 – Technical Approach. The technical approach shall demonstrate an understanding of the work, including creativity and thoroughness of the objectives presented in the PWS, addressing specific tasks and planned execution of the project. Specifically the Offeror is to address the following areas to clearly demonstrate an understanding of the PWS:

(a) Provide 24/7 access to critical incident event counseling, per PWS 5.5.2.

(b) Coordinate referrals for Soldiers and/or family members, per PWS 5.5.4.

(c) Maintain systems of record and update medical readiness databases, per PWS 5.5.1, 5.5.5, 5.5.8, and 5.5.9

1.11.3 Volume 2, Price: The Offeror shall, at a minimum, complete Exhibit 3 - OFFEROR’S PROPOSED PRICE BREAKDOWN and provide the necessary additional narrative to support the proposed pricing. The price volume is the only volume that shall include price data. The proposal shall consist of all information to support proposed prices. The price volume shall clearly state the labor categories traceable to the task defined in the PWS, hours proposed and wages/rates. The Offeror proposal shall include a narrative to support the basis of the proposed price and explain any assumptions made in the proposed price. The price excel sheet shall contain a summary total and a final total for contract price. Prices shall be rounded to the nearest dollar in calculation. Certified cost and pricing data are not required; however, the Government reserves the right to request information other than certified cost and pricing data prior to award.

1.11.4 Volume 3, Compliance and Responsibility: The Offeror shall submit the following as part of this volume

(a) Section 1 - Annual Representations and Certifications. Offeror Representations, Certifications, and the Submission of Other Information shall be completed via the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov).

(b) Section 2 - Points of Contact. A list of Offeror points of contact including Name, Title, Phone Numbers, E-mail Addresses, Fax Numbers (if any). In particular, the Offeror shall provide a list of individuals with authority to contractually bind the company who may be contacted during and after the evaluation period.

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

1. Basis for Award This is a Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15.101-2, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable, as supplemented by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) PGI 215.101-2-70, and DoD Source Selection Procedures, Appendix A. These regulations are available electronically at the ACQUISITION.GOV site. The Government will select the proposal(s) with the lowest total evaluated price from among those rated as “Acceptable” for all Technical Sub- Factors. A contract will be awarded to the Offeror deemed whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by this solicitation) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors and sub-factors, to represent the lowest price technically acceptable proposal. While the Government will strive for maximum objectivity, the source selection process, by its nature, is subjective; therefore, professional judgment is implicit throughout the entire process. The Government intends to award one (1) contract and reserves the right to award without discussions.

2. Evaluation Factors.

The evaluation factors that establish the requirements of acceptability are set forth in this section. The technical factors will be rated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. All Offerors who pass the technical factors will be treated equally except for their prices. Award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors. Award will be made to the technically acceptable Offeror with the lowest price, which is deemed responsible in accordance with the FAR 15.101- and whose proposal conforms to the solicitation requirements.

3. Evaluation Process.

The Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection process will be used. Offeror’s technical proposal will be evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. If the lowest priced proposal was deemed technically acceptable, no other proposal will be evaluated. By submission of its offer, the Offeror accedes to all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations, and certifications, and technical requirements. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being determined non-responsive and thereby excluded from further consideration.

4. Distribution.

Distributed material will be identified as source selection sensitive and distribution will be strictly limited to appropriate personnel, and shall be encrypted where practicable. Should any Offeror object to its proprietary information being shared between source selection evaluators and advisors via commercial email as described above, advise the Contracting Officer using the contact information above.

5. Solicitation Requirements, Terms and Conditions.

Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as factors or sub-factors. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the solicitation may result in the Offeror being determined ineligible for award. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation’s terms and conditions and must provide complete supporting rationale. The Government reserves the right to determine any such exceptions unacceptable.

Evaluation Factors Factor and Sub-factors.

Proposals are evaluated on an “acceptable” or “unacceptable” basis. In order to be considered awardable, there must be an acceptable rating in every non-price factor/sub-factor. Evaluation will be based upon the evaluation factors and sub-factors described below:

a. Factor I – Technical Sub-Factor 1: Personnel Management Sub-Factor 2: Technical Approach

b. Factor II- Price

Both shall be determined acceptable by the Contracting Officer prior to any award made under this solicitation IAW the LPTA process.

FACTOR I- TECHNICAL. The Government technical evaluation team will evaluate the technical proposals on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. Failure to meet the specified requirements of the solicitation will result in an offer being considered “unacceptable”.

Table 1. Technical Acceptable/Unacceptable Rating Method

The proposals will be evaluated against the following technical factor criteria:

Sub-Factor 1: Personnel Management: The Offeror’s approach to management of personnel, to include staffing the contract, and mitigation of conflicts of interest will also be evaluated to determine the feasibility of successful contract performance as well as identification of any potential risks or impact on performance. This evaluation will include a review of the depth and breadth of personnel qualifications and demonstrated experience in performing services of the nature required by the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for this effort.

Sub-Factor 2: Technical Approach: The Offeror’s approach to delivering the required services will be evaluated for the likelihood that it will lead to the successful accomplishment of the tasks contained in the PWS.

FACTOR II- PRICE.

6. The Government will select the proposal with the lowest total evaluated price from among those proposals rated as “Acceptable” for all Technical Sub- Factors and awarded to the Offeror deemed responsible whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by this solicitation) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors and sub-factors, to represent the lowest price technically acceptable.

7. Evaluation of Compliance and Responsibility. Annual Representations and Certifications. Offeror Representations, Certifications, and the Submission of Other Information completed via the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov will be assessed for compliance with requirements applicable to this RFP.