Instructions_to_Offerors.docx

1. FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021) (TAILORED)

This provision has been tailored to this procurement:

All references herein to “offerors” shall be construed as “vendors” and all references to “offers” or “bids” shall be construed as “quote.” Paragraph “c” of FAR Part 52.212-1 is amended as follows: “The vendor agrees to hold the prices in its quote firm for 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.”

1. 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 (Block 10 on SF1449) in the solicitation.

1. Submission of quotes

Vendors shall submit their Quote in Two (2) Volumes: (Detailed below) Volume I: Business Solution; and Volume II: Price Quote

Quotes in response to this Solicitation must be submitted by July 2, 2025 at 11:00AM Central Time. Quotes must be submitted electronically via email to Taylor Wisneski at taylor.wisneski@noaa.gov volumes shall be submitted in two (2) separate files in the same email.

All quotes MUST be submitted to the email address referenced herein only.

All questions shall be submitted via email by June 18, 2025 at 3:00PM Central Time to taylor.wisneski@noaa.gov.

It is the quoter's sole responsibility to ensure that any quote, to include any other email correspondence, transmitted to the specified Government representative(s) is received prior to the due date specified herein. The quoter's are highly encouraged to contact the RFQ's specified Government representative(s) prior to the RFQs date for receipt of quotes to ensure the Government receipt of the transmitted quote and to ensure quote eligibility. Quotes received after the date and time specified in the RFQ may render it ineligible for consideration or evaluation.

Content Requirements Electronic copies shall include all information required for evaluation, excluding any reference to price. Each side of a single sheet of double-sided text is considered a page, such that a single sheet of 8 ½ x 11-inch paper is two pages of the 15-page total, exclusive of dividers and any single sheet front or back cover. A cover sheet, table of contents, and list of acronyms, will not be included in the page count. Pages submitted above this page count will not be read or considered part of the evaluation. Each page in this volume shall be separately numbered. Font type shall be Times New Roman size 12 point. No substitutions of font type will be allowed, except as expressly identified herein. No reduction of font size will be allowed in the quote. Graphics (including tables) in the quote may use size 10-point Times New Roman font. Costly, complex presentations are neither required nor desired. No columnar or newspaper style grid (columns) pages will be allowed.

The following volumes of material shall be submitted for each quote:

· Volume I – Business Solution (Page Limit: 15 pages)

· Volume II- Price Quote –

Vendors shall submit a Technical Proposal that clearly provides sufficient information for the Government to determine its level of confidence in the ability of the vendor to perform the requirements of the RFQ based on an assessment of the vendor’s technical approach, and management approach.

Confidence ratings are as follows:

High Confidence – The Government has high confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a satisfactory unit, and will be successful in providing the requirements of this contract.

Some Confidence – The Government has some confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a satisfactory unit, and will be successful in providing the requirement of this contract.

Low Confidence – The Government has low confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a satisfactory unit, or will be successful in providing the requirement of this contract.

Vendors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of them and that it will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Non-Price Business Solution; as such, the Non-Price Business Solution must be fully self-sufficient and provide all necessary information for a comprehensive evaluation.

To be acceptable, the quote must meet all of the requirements of this Solicitation. Failure to follow instructions regarding the format and content of the quote may result in the quote not being considered for award. Quotes that merely offer to perform in accordance with the requirements of the SOW, merely state that requirements are understood and will be complied with, paraphrase the SOW or parts thereof, or use phrases such as “standard industry practices will be employed” and “well established techniques will be employed,” etc., may be considered unacceptable responses.

Volume I- Business Solution

A. Technical Approach

The Technical approach must be sufficient enough so as to show how the vendor proposes to accomplish the effort described in the SOW, including a full explanation of the procedures and techniques to be followed.

· The vendor shall present a Technical Approach that clearly demonstrates the vendor’s understanding and ability to build and/or provide the power monitors described in Attachment I – Statement of Work.

Volume II- Price Quote

The price quote shall be submitted separately from Volume I, Business Solution.

The vendor shall provide a completed SF1449 (page 1 of solicitation, blocks 17a, 30a, 30b, and 30c), along with acknowledgment of any solicitation amendments, within Volume II, Price Quote. In addition to completing FAR 52.209-11, FAR 52.209-12, FAR 52.204-24, and FAR 52.204-26, the vendor must complete all other fill-in clauses.

(End of Provision)

2. FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (OCT 2014) ADDENDUM

This provision has been tailored to this procurement:

(a) The Government intends to award a Firm-Fixed Price contract as a result of this solicitation in accordance with FAR Part 12 and FAR Subpart 16.505 to the responsible vendor whose quote, conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

The evaluation will consider the Non-Price Business Solution and Price. Non-Price Business Solution will be considered to be significantly more important than Price. The Government will utilize a tradeoff process under the best value continuum

The Government intends to evaluate the quotes and award a contract based on the vendors initial quote; therefore, the vendors initial quote should contain the vendors best terms from a Non- Price Business Solution and Price standpoint.

The Government intends to award without discussions; however, the Government may conduct discussions if determined necessary and in the best interest of the Government.

The Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall price to achieve only slightly superior capabilities. As non-price factors approach equality, price, as an evaluation factor, becomes increasingly more important.

The quotes will be evaluated on the criteria listed below:

Volume I- Business Solution The business solution factors, when combined are significantly more important than price.

Technical Approach The Vendors overall technical approach will be evaluated to assess the Government's level of confidence in the vendor’s understanding of, approach and ability to successfully perform the requirements as described in FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services - Addendum- Technical Approach.

Volume II – Price Quote Price evaluation of reasonableness will be determined through comparison with other quoted prices as well as other elements. A price/cost realism analysis will not be performed. The degree of its importance will increase commensurately with the degree of equality among the business solution factors.

The total overall and evaluated price will be calculated by adding the sum of the base period and all option period CLINs.

Pricing shall be complete and in accordance with FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors- Commercial Products and Commercial Services and address pricing for all CLINs. A quote that does not fully address pricing for all CLINs will not be evaluated for award.

In addition, in order to assess the responsibility of each vendor, the Government, in accordance with FAR 9.104-1(d), will review vendors’ records found in the System for Award Management (SAM) and the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) to determine if vendors have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options 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). Each vendor’s proposed option period rates will be compared to their base period rates to determine whether or not the option period rates are reasonable.

(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)