Instructions to Offerors - INTAC - 12 06 2021.pdf

Evaluation Criteria Individual Terrorism Awareness Course (INTAC)

Instructions to Offerors

1. FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS, ADDENDA

As required in FAR 52.212-1(b), Submission of offers, the offeror shall also include the following information in their proposal package:

1. Factor 1: Technical Approach

• Offerors are required to present their technical approach to successfully complete all the tasks listed in the PWS, in a substantive and meaningful way. Include any assumptions or constraints made. The Government is also interested in the Offeror’s assessment of the difficulties and risks it may encounter and its approach to dealing with them while still successfully performing the work. The Offeror shall identify the plan to mitigate the identified risks.

• The Offerors are required to present an approach to transition activities via a Transition-in Plan, including the process and planned activities for conducting a safe, orderly transition; minimizing impacts on continuity of operations; identifying key issues that may potentially arise during transition and offer potential solutions; and planed interactions with the incumbent Offeror, incumbent employees, and other Government stakeholders.

2. Factor 2: Management Approach/Staffing Approach

• The Offeror shall provide a management and staffing approach to monitor and manage a workforce capable of accomplishing all the requirements listed in the PWS efficiently and effectively, to ensure timely quality work. Provide an approach to managing multiple task orders requirements covering a wide variety of tasking areas, utilizing multiple skill sets.

• The Offeror shall provide an organizational chart, delineating lines of management authority, supervision, span of control, and accountability for the management and oversight of the contract. The organizational chart should clearly identify the structure, qualifications, and certifications for each key personnel. The Offeror shall identify the key personnel and the methods used to ensure the retention of personnel during the entire period of performance of this contract. Provide commitment letters for key personnel. The organizational chart and the commitment letters are not included in the page count. Explain relationships between corporate and on-site management/administration; and between the prime and its subcontractors. Describe the management of subcontractors, and their integration into the overall structure.

• Each Offeror will identify ‘Key’ personnel to meet this requirement IAW the PWS. The Offeror shall provide resumes for the proposed key personnel. The proposed key personnel are considered essential to the work being performed under this contract and may, with the consent of the contracting parties, be changed from time to time during the contract by adding or deleting personnel or facilities, as appropriate.

Before removing or replacing any of the specified individuals or facilities, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, before the change becomes effective.

• The Offeror shall provide a draft Quality Control Plan that demonstrates how quality as outlined in the PWS will be met.

3. Factor 3: Small Business Participation

• All offerors, regardless of business size, shall submit a small business participation plan for this solicitation. The Government’s goal for small business participation is 20% of the total contract’s value.

• The large prime Offeror shall provide a Small Business Subcontracting Plan in order to be eligible for award. FAR 19.704, Small Business Subcontracting Plan Requirements, and FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, list the required contents of small business subcontracting plans, which must include an offeror's percentage goals for subcontracting work to small business concerns and a description of the efforts the offeror will make to ensure small business concerns have an equitable opportunity to compete for subcontracts. Small business offerors are exempt from this requirement.

4. Factor 4: Past Performance

Offerors shall submit past performance information for a maximum of 3 contracts the same or similar in nature, size and complexity to the services procured under this solicitation, completed or on-going within the last 3 years from the release date of this solicitation. On-going contracts must be at least 50% complete or have been in place for at least one year as of the release date of this solicitation. Note: If a contract submitted for evaluation has option years, the base year shall be 50% complete.

For each past performance references, the Offerors shall provide a project narrative and reference information in narrative form to address each of the bullets below. All points of contact, addresses, telephone numbers, data, fax numbers, etc. should be verified by the offeror prior to submission to the Government as part of the offeror’s proposal. Points of contact should be knowledgeable of past performance from a contractual, managerial, and technical perspective.

• Project Description

• Project Start & Ending Date

• Offeror’s role in the Project

• Contract Number

• Contract Value/Actual Awarded Amount

• POCs, Phone, Fax, Address, Email

• Performance recognition documents

USACE PPQ Form, is provided for the offeror to submit to the client for each contract the offeror includes in its proposal for Factor 4 – Past Performance. Ensure correct phone numbers and e-mail addresses are provided for the client point of contact. Completed PPQs should be submitted with the offeror’s proposal. If the offeror is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a contract(s) before proposal closing date, the offeror should complete and submit with the proposal the first page of the PPQ, which will provide contract and client information for the respective contract(s). The offeror should follow-up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If the client requests, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government’s point of contact, Giorgiana Chen via email at Giorgiana.Chen@usace.army.mil before the due date for proposal submission. Offerors shall not incorporate by reference into their proposal PPQs previously submitted for other Request for Proposals (RFP). However, this does not preclude the Government from utilizing previously submitted PPQ information in the past performance evaluation.

The past performance evaluation will be accomplished by reviewing aspects of an Offeror’s recent and relevant Past Performance, focusing on the performance which is relevant to the effort as it relates to the services being procured under this solicitation.

The Government reserves the right to use both the information provided in the Offeror’s Past Performance Volume and information obtained from other sources of information for evaluating past performance. Other sources may include, but are not limited to past performance information retrieved through the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS), including Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), using all CAGE codes/DUNS numbers of team members (partnership, joint venture, teaming arrangement, or parent company/subsidiary/affiliate) identified in the offeror’s proposal, inquiries of owner representative(s), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), other sources available to the Government, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), interviews with Program Managers, Contracting Officers, and other Government representatives, as well as any other known sources not provided by the offeror.

5. Factor 5: Price

The Offeror must provide the Pricing Schedule (in Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet format) must be completely filled out in order to be further considered for award.

Microsoft Excel spreadsheets shall not be read only or password protected. All formulas, lookup tables, and links shall be intact, and no links shall exist to files not included with the submission. Spreadsheets shall not contain hidden worksheets. PDF or flat files will not be considered adequate. Failure to comply with these formatting requirements may result in rejection of your proposal. Offerors shall perform a virus check prior to proposal submittal.

It is expected that all contracts awarded will be based upon adequate price competition;

therefore, the Offeror is not required to provide certified cost/pricing data with its proposal. If, after receipt of the proposals, the PCO determines that adequate price competition does not exist in accordance with FAR 15.403-1, the Offeror shall provide certified cost/pricing data as requested by the Contracting Officer.

The Pricing Worksheet calculates an aggregate total for each year, based on the government’s anticipated annual quantity; which will be the Evaluated Price for that year.

The Total Overall Evaluated Price, for the purposes of evaluation will be the aggregate of the Evaluated Prices for each year.

The prices proposed for each year cannot be adjusted except for instances where the labor categories are subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards and a revision is permitted under the provisions of FAR Clause 52.222-43. Therefore, offerors are cautioned to include inflation where warranted.

The Estimated Quantity provided on the Pricing Schedule are for evaluation purposes only. The Government reserves the right to re-allocate unused quantity provided the total contract value remains under the contract capacity ceiling.

Assumptions: Describe any assumptions used to develop the proposed price and the complete rationale behind each assumption. Any exceptions taken to the terms and conditions of the RFP shall be stated in the price proposal. For each exception, the Offeror shall identify the term or condition, state the reason for the exception, and provide any other information concerning the exception. The Offeror is advised that any exception taken to the terms and conditions of the RFP may adversely impact their evaluation rating. The Government reserves the right not to accept any exceptions to this RFP.

Proposal Submittal Instructions

2. Cover Letter: The proposal shall be accompanied by a cover letter prepared on the company’s letterhead stationery. The cover letter shall identify all enclosures being transmitted and shall be used only to transmit the proposal and shall include no other information except for acknowledging amendments as an attachment. If there are amendments to the RFP, provide, as an attachment to the cover letter, acknowledgment of any amendments. The attachment to the cover letter will only be allowed to address amendments. This cover letter is not included in the page count.

The cover letter shall include the following information:

• Solicitation name/number;

• Offeror’s name and address, point of contact (phone number and e-mail), the Offeror’s Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS);

• Date of Proposal

• A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation.

• Names and contact information of persons authorized to negotiate on the Offeror’s behalf with the Government in connection with this solicitation.

• The Offeror shall make a clear statement in their proposal that the proposal is valid for no less than 60 calendar days from the closing date of the solicitation.

• The Offeror shall also include a statement that no exceptions have been taken to the solicitation, or list exceptions. If the Offeror finds it necessary to take exception to any of the requirements specified in this solicitation, the Offeror shall clearly identify the applicable Volume and exceptions with a complete explanation of why the exception was taken, what benefit accrues to the Government (if any), and its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, cost, and specific requirements of the solicitation. Each exception shall be specifically related to each paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Offerors are cautioned that taking an exception may render the offer ineligible for award. This information shall be provided in the format below.

• The Offeror shall sign the letter.

• Include the name, title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal.

Proprietary information submitted in response to this solicitation shall be clearly marked as such and will be protected from unauthorized disclosure as required by Subsection 27 of the Office of Procurement Policy Act as amended (41 U.S.C.423) as implemented in the FAR. Any unmarked proprietary information will be considered releasable under the restrictions of the Freedom of Information Act.

3. Amendments to Solicitation: The Government intends to respond to questions by amendment to the solicitation. The Offerors must submit all questions via email to Amanda Eaton, Contracting Officer and Giorgiana Chen, Contract Specialist.

If this RFP is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this request by the day and time specified in the amendment(s). A single memorandum attached to the cover letter acknowledging all amendments is the preferred method of acceptance. This memorandum is not included in the page count.

4. Format: The purpose of these instructions is to prescribe the format of proposals and describe the approach for the development and presentation of proposal data. The Government intends to make an award based on initial offers.

Volume 1

• Factor 1: Technical Approach

• Factor 2: Management Approach/Staffing Approach

• Factor 3: Small Business Participation

• Factor 4: Past Performance

Factors 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be evaluated and will each receive an adjectival rating.

Volume 2

• Factor 5: Price

The volumes are to be submitted as separate file attachments and properly identified.

The Offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table

Solicitation Document

Page/Paragraph Requirement/Portion Rationale & Impact

Solicitation Section

Applicable Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the requirement or portion to which exception is taken

Describe the rationale and impact of the exception below. The titles and contents of the volumes shall be as defined in the table, all of which shall be within the required page limits and with the number of copies, as listed in the RFP. The content of each volume is described in the RFP and is listed in the table below:

Volume Volume Title Page Limit

1 Volume 1 – Factor 1: Technical Approach

Volume 1 – Factor 2: Management Approach/Staffing Approach

Volume 1 – Factor 3: Small Business Participation

Volume 1 – Factor 4: Past Performance

25 Pages (Total)

2 Volume 2 – Factor 5: Price Unlimited

All proposals are to be submitted as file attachments to the POCs listed for this requirement. Ensure that the file is properly named for the contents.

Ensure that the files are not a zip file when preparing your proposal.

Table 1: Proposal Organization Table

5. Page Limitations: Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal. Blank pages, title pages, cover pages, table of contents, tab indexing, glossaries, list of tables and figures, and subcontractor consent letter(s) are not included in page limitation. Legible tables, charts, graphs, and figures may be used to depict organizations, systems and layout, implementation schedules, plans, etc.

Page Size and Format: A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. Page size shall be 8½ x 11 inches.

Title Page (not included in the page count): Each volume must include a title page. The title pages must show:

• Solicitation Name/Number

• Name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address of the Offeror (only one copy for all required volumes)

• CAGE/DUNS

• Acknowledgement of any amendments as an attachment as described above.

Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections and will not count against page limitations.

6. Applicable Provisions and Clauses: The attached provisions and clauses are applicable to this requirement. Complete all applicable provisions.

7. Contractor Representatives: Complete Attachment “Contractor Representatives”.