IVS CS ITO_draft07152024.docx

CUI//SP-PROCURE

RFQ:

Attachment 4 – Instructions to Offerors (ITO)/Basis for Award

CUI

ATTENTION

Controlled by: AFLCMC Controlled by: HNCP CUI Category: PROCURE Distribution/Dissemination Control: NOFORN, FEDCON POC: Gregory M Broussard; gregory.broussard.1@us.af.mil

ATTENTION

All individuals handling this information are required to protect it from unauthorized disclosure.

Handling, storage, reproduction, and disposition of the attached document(s) must be in accordance with 32 CFR Part 2002 and applicable agency policy.

Access to and dissemination of Controlled Unclassified Information shall be allowed as necessary and permissible to any individual(s), organization(s), or grouping(s) of users, provided such access or dissemination is consistent with or in furtherance of a Lawful Government Purpose and in a manner consistent with applicable law, regulations, and Government-wide policies.

Standard Form 901 (11-18) Prescribed by GSA/ISOO | 32 CFR 2002

UNIFIED PLATFORM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Instructions to Offerors/Basis of Award

27 June 2024

1.0 INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

1.1 This is a competitive selection conducted in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.5. The intent of this action is to award this contract under the Software DevSecOps Services Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA). It is not a source selection that is subject to FAR 15.3 procedures.

1.2 Any quote submitted in response to this Request for Quote (RFQ) must be in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Software DevSecOps Services multiple award BOA, requirements as stated in the RFQ and attachments, and the accompanying Statement of Objective (SOO), dated 27 June 2024. All claimed capabilities to meet the requirements shall be realistic and are subject to verification by the Government. Non-conformance with these instructions may result in rejection of the quote or an unfavorable quote evaluation or being deemed ineligible for award. The Contracting Officer (CO) will select the best submission(s) which conform(s) to the RFQ requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by the submission instructions), and is judged, based on the evaluation factors, to represent the best value to the Government. This may result in an award to a higher rated, higher priced Offeror, where the decision is consistent with the evaluation factors, and the CO reasonably determines that the technical approach and demonstrated capability of the higher priced Offeror outweigh the price difference.

1.3 Offerors must clearly identify any exception to RFQ terms and conditions and shall provide complete supporting rationale. The Government reserves the right to determine if any such exceptions are unacceptable. Any exception determined unacceptable by the Government may result in the Offeror’s quote being determined unacceptable and ineligible for award. This information shall be provided in the format and content of the table below within the Offeror’s quote cover letter. If no exceptions are taken, the Offeror must include a statement stating so within the quote cover letter.

BOA RFQ Exceptions

RFQ

Document

SOO, ITO,

evaluation factor, etc.

1.4 If an Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the CO in writing with supporting rationale as well as the remedies the Offeror is asking the CO to consider as related to the omission or error.

1.5 Offerors must be registered and active in the System for Award Management SAM database. If registration is not active at the time of award, the Offeror will not be eligible for award. Offerors may obtain information on registration at https://sam.gov and/or https://www.acquisition.gov.

1.6 The work to be performed under this contract/order is up to the Top-Secret level. The prime contractor and their subcontractors must have a FCL from the Defense Security Service Facility Clearance Branch to the level of clearance of personnel they employ on day one of the contract (see SOO for personnel clearance requirements). The Contractor and Subcontractors shall have valid Facility Clearances established at time of quote and provide proof at time of quote. The prime contractor and their subcontractors must have a Top Secret Facility Clearance (FCL) from the Defense Security Service Facility Clearance Branch on day one of the contract and Top-Secret safeguarding on day one of contract if utilizing their own SCIF to perform classified work.

1.7 The Government intends to award: One (1) nine-month Base Period, and three (3) nine-month Option Periods for a total of 36 months if all options are exercised. The Government anticipates one (1) contract award based on strength of quotes for this effort. The Government anticipates a manpower need of six (6) FTE. Contract type for the anticipated contract is Firm Fixed Price (FFP) with a –Not to Exceed CLIN for Travel. The Contractor shall design (including all proposed labor categories) and staff an initial team of full-time equivalents (FTE) to support UP Infrastructure based on the requirements described in the SOO.

1.7.1 Period of Performance. The price quote must be submitted for a one 9-month base period plus three 9-month option periods. The anticipated period of performance is as follows:

1.8 Offerors may submit questions via email on or before 26 July 2024, 11:00 AM, CST time to the following points of contact: Ms. Marisa Flores, Contract Specialist at marisa.flores.2@us.af.mil, and Mrs. Karin Werner, the undersigned Contracting Officer at karin.werner.1@us.af.mil. An amendment to the solicitation with the Government Response(s) to questions will be issued within 10 days (estimated) from the date of receipt.

1.9 QUOTES:

1.9.1 The quote shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The quote should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, but rather, shall provide convincing rationale and examples, where necessary, to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror's quote.

1.9.2 All quote information shall be submitted in either MS Word or MS Excel format along with one searchable PDF. Offerors shall submit one (1) electronic copy of their quote via email on or before the RFQ closing date of 09 August 2024, 11:00 AM, CST, to the following points of contact: Contract Specialist Ms. Marisa Flores at marisa.flores.2@us.af.mil, and Contracting Officer Mrs. Karin Werner at karin.werner.1@us.af.mil. Quotes received after this time and date listed will not be considered or evaluated for receipt of award. The Government will not be responsible for any failure of receipt of the quote or any failure to the Offeror to verify receipt of the quote.

1.9.3 Offerors submitting a quote in response to this RFQ shall submit an Administrative Volume, Quality of Service Volume (Factor 1), Price Volume (Factor 3) and Vendor Diversification statement (Factor 4). All volumes must be submitted as separate attachments. Note: Factor 2: Oral Presentations/Portfolio Review, will be required only if selected to move forward in the evaluation process. Offerors will be contacted by the Contracting Officer if selected.

1.9.4 Quotes shall be single-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 paper, have a minimum of one-inch margin all around and not less than Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Foldouts may only be used for tables, figures, and charts, on 11 x 17 paper and not less than Times New Roman 10 pt. font. Offerors shall number each page.

1.9.5 The following table identifies the page limits to which Offerors must adhere. Pages in excess of these page limits will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the quote. Offerors must submit their quote in accordance with the table below. All submissions shall reference the complete RFQ number.

Subfactors:

1.1 Technical Excellence/Approach

1.2 Personnel Qualifications

1.3 Staffing Plan and Onboarding Schedule

1.9.6 Page limits do not include covers for volumes, tables of contents, glossaries of abbreviations and acronyms, indices, title pages, cross reference indexes, section dividers/tables if they are inserted solely to provide ease to the reader in locating parts/sections of the quote, and pages marked “This page intentionally left blank”.

1.10 VOLUME I: ADMINISTRATIVE, Offerors shall provide a cover letter with their quote to include current points of contact (Contract Manager and Program Manager) that are authorized to obligate the firm, mailing address, current e-mail address and phone number, and a statement that the company does or does not take exception to any of the requirements of this order. In the event that an offeror is planning to propose a teaming, mentor/ protégée, or a subcontracting relationship, a narrative statement must also be included for the additional organizations as well as a clear delineation of tasks that they will be expected to support. Offerors shall also confirm quote validity for 120 days. Limited to no more than one (1) page.

1.11 VOLUME II: QUALITY OF SERVICE (FACTOR 1)

1.11.1 All narratives should be specific and complete; legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. Offerors shall be as specific as possible when describing the actual methodology proposed for accomplishing/satisfying the SOO requirements. All the requirements specified in the RFQ are mandatory. By submitting a quote, the firm is indicating that it can and will perform all the requirements specified in the RFQ. Do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the RFQ.

1.11.2 Relative importance of Factors: Factor 2 (Oral Presentation/Portfolio Review) is equally important as Factor 1 (Quality of Service); when combined, Factors 1, 2 and 4 are significantly more important than Factor 3(Price). The importance of these factors will be applied to the team which the offeror proposes. The results will be evaluated and awarded accordingly.

1.11.3 Relative importance of Subfactors: Within Factor 1, Subfactor 1.1 (Technical Excellence/Approach) is equally important as Subfactor 1.2 (Personnel Qualifications); and when combined, Subfactors 1.1 and 1.2 are significantly more important than Subfactor 1.3. The importance of these Subfactors will be applied to the team which the offeror proposes.

1.11.4 Quality of Service submissions must consist of all defined subfactors and not exceed a page count of seven (7).

1.11.5 Subfactor 1.1 Technical Excellence/Approach:

1.11.5.1 Offerors shall submit a technical approach written specifically for the team which they propose to accomplish the associated product line requirements stated in the SOO of this RFQ.

1.11.5.2 The technical quote must set forth the Offeror’s proposed approach to providing the IVS capabilities required, including the objectives, mission, function, and backlog items described in SOO Sections 1.0 and 2.0. The technical quote must make it clear that the Offeror understands the project requirements and associated complexity.

1.11.5.3 As part of their technical approach, Offerors shall submit a matrix which matches or maps proposed personnel to corresponding IVS Team function and backlog items. The goal of the matrix is to understand how each proposed team member is aligned to accomplish the function and backlog items of the SOO and that each is accounted for with the team mix.

1.11.6 Subfactor 1.2 Personnel Qualifications:

1.11.6.1 Offerors shall submit the resumes for (3) Persons for the team including 2 KPPs (Cloud Architect and Cloud/Software Engineering SME) and 1 Cloud/Application Engineer as described in Section 3.2 of the SOO.

· (2) KPP resumes must reference experience, credential, clearance, and certification requirements set forth in SOO Section 3.3.

· (1) Cloud/Application Engineer resume must demonstrate experience with the function and backlog items to which they are aligned in the Technical Approach Matrix.

1.11.6.2 KPP team members are expected to be retained for the entirety of the contract. KPPs shall also submit a letter of commitment that, should the contract be awarded to the Offeror, they will remain on contract for the base period. Note: Resumes do not count towards the page count, however, resumes are limited to no more than two (2) pages each.

1.11.7 Subfactor 1.3 Staffing Plan and Onboarding Schedule:

1.11.7.1 The Staffing Plan must set forth the Offeror’s proposed approach to staffing for the requirements of the SOO, including the titles of each of the labor categories proposed and proposed level of effort for each member of the Offeror’s team. The staffing plan must also address clearance requirements and location for each proposed team member as described in Sections 3.4 and 5.1 of the SOO.

1.11.7.2 Onboarding Schedule. Of the proposed team members, 3 must start within the 21 calendar days following contract award. KPPs are counted as part of the 3 and are required to begin work on the day the contract begins. The remaining 40% of the team members shall start no later than 30 days after contract award. Onboarding Schedule should address onboarding timeline of each proposed team member.

1.12 Debriefings. Offerors excluded at any time during the competitive selection process will be afforded the opportunity to request information and brief explanation on the basis for award in accordance with FAR 13.106-3(d).

2.0 EVALUATION OF QUOTES/BASIS OF AWARD(S):

2.1 Award(s) will be made in accordance with the BOA terms and conditions, ordering guide, the procedures specified in the RFQ, and the Offeror(s) whose quote(s) result in the best value to the Government. A contract may be awarded to the Offeror who is deemed responsible IAW FAR 9.1, as supplemented, whose quote conforms to the RFQ’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by the RFQ instructions) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors and subfactors, to represent the best value to the Government.

2.2 The Government intends to award a single contract to provide UP Infrastructure support against this RFQ. The Government reserves the right, however, to make fewer or no awards if that is determined to be in the best interest of the Government. The Government reserves the right to award additional orders for up to 120 days after quote submission. If additional awards are made, they will be with those Offerors who did not receive the initial award, but to the next best rated Offeror whose quote was submitted for the effort. Note - should the Government decide to make additional awards directly related to this RFQ, Offerors will be required to validate their original quote. The Government intends to make an award based on the initial quote submissions without revisions. Therefore, each offer should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a technical and price standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to hold interchanges if, during the evaluation, it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government. Interchanges are fluid exchanges between the CO and the Offerors that may address any aspect of the quote and may or may not be documented in real time. If the Government conducts interchanges, it will be through use of an interchange notice (IN). Offeror responses to INs will be considered in making the award selection decision. Interchanges may be conducted with one, some or all Offerors, as the Government is not required to conduct interchanges with any or all contractors responding to this RFQ.

2.3 The Government evaluation process is as follows:

2.3.1 Step 1: The CO will review all quotes to determine if they are responsive to the RFQ requirements. A responsive quote is one that meets all the terms, conditions, and specifications of the RFQ. Offerors must provide all documents listed and comply with all submission instructions for their quote to be considered “responsive” to this RFQ.

2.3.2 Step 2: The Government Technical Team, including A&AS team members, will then evaluate all offers determined by the CO to be responsive to the RFQ requirements. The Technical Team will evaluate Volume II Factor 1 of each contractor’s quote to determine which offer presents the best value to the Government.

2.3.3 Step 3: Only Offerors which receive a rating of Excellent in either Subfactor 1.1 or 1.2 with a rating of at least Good in all other Factor 1 Subfactors will be eligible to be invited to Factor 2, Oral Presentations/Portfolio Review, a continuation of the technical evaluation to be performed by the team. Note that the Oral Presentations/Portfolio Review is a continuation of the technical evaluation and participation is mandatory to be eligible to receive an award. Based on the number of Excellent Ratings, the CO may choose to also invite Offerors with Good Ratings to the Oral Presentation phase.

2.3.4 Step 4: The Contracting Officer (CO) will select the best submission(s) which conform(s) to the RFQ requirements and is judged, based on the evaluation factors, to represent the best value to the Government. This may result in an award to a higher rated, higher priced Offeror, where the decision is consistent with the evaluation factors, and the CO reasonably determines that the technical approach and demonstrated capability of the higher priced Offeror outweigh the price difference.

3.0 EVALUATION RATINGS:

3.1 The following adjectival ratings will be used to annotate the technical evaluations and will form the basis of the assignment of ratings for Volume II, Factor 1 (Quality of Service). The threshold value is the minimum acceptable value for each criterium, while the objective value is the ideal. The offeror is not required to meet both, as the objective parameters are considered superior (e.g. If objective criteria are met, they may be used to displace threshold qualifications.)

3.1.1 Subfactor 1.1 - Technical Excellence/Approach

3.1.2 Subfactor 1.2 - Personnel Qualifications

meet threshold credential, clearance, and certification requirements.

3.1.3 Subfactor 1.3 - Staffing Plan and Onboarding Schedule

Onboarding schedule exceeds the required start timeline of personnel.

Onboarding schedule meets the required start timeline of personnel.

Onboarding schedule does not meet the required start timeline of personnel.

3.2 VOLUME II: ORAL PRESENTATIONS/PORTFOLIO REVIEW (FACTOR 2)

3.2.1 If invited to the Oral Presentations/Portfolio Review, Offerors shall have 15 minutes to provide Oral Presentations on their Technical Approach with supporting artifact(s) specific to an applicable team. This will be followed by an additional 20 minutes of pre-established knowledge-based set of questions targeted at proposed team’s skillsets. KPPs attendance in the Oral Presentation/Portfolio Review is required. Only proposed team members are allowed to respond to the knowledge-based questions in the Oral Presentation.

3.2.2 There will be no follow-up session for further questions after this part of the oral presentation, nor will the Government be answering any offeror questions, except those necessary to clarify the Government's questions or resolve procedural issues. Oral presentations will be conducted remotely via video connection and/or teleconference. The Government will communicate with the most highly rated offerors to schedule the dates and time. Please note: the allotted time may be subject to change.

3.2.3 The following adjectival ratings will be used to annotate the technical evaluations and will form the basis of the assignment of ratings for Factor 2 – Oral Presentation/Portfolio Review.

3.3 VOLUME III: PRICE (FACTOR 3)

3.3.1 Cost and Pricing Data are not required under this competitive acquisition; but, if only one quote is received, cost and pricing data may be required (which may include other than cost and pricing data or certified cost and pricing data). The Offeror, however, shall submit a complete B-Table Pricing Template (Attachment 2) and include in this Volume (Attachment 2 will not be included in the page count.) Any cost or pricing information submitted shall be addressed ONLY in this Volume.

3.3.2 The offeror shall complete and submit the B-Table Pricing Sheet (Attachment 2) within this Volume. The B-Table Sheet will be incorporated and attached to the contract. The price quote should provide supporting cost data to include labor categories and labor rates (rounded to two decimal places), as applicable and in accordance with the B-Table Pricing Sheet within the RFQ.

3.3.3 The Offeror shall complete cost tables for the base period and all option years. Offerors failing to submit B-Table Pricing Sheet with quote will not be considered for award.

3.4 PRICE (FACTOR 3)

3.4.1 General Instructions. The price should support the quote submitted in response to this RFQ and will be evaluated based on the (1) Total Evaluated Price (TEP) and for (2) completeness and (3) reasonableness. Offerors whose price is determined to be incomplete or unreasonable will not be considered for award. Compliance with these instructions is mandatory and failure to do so could result in the rejection of the quote.

(a) Total Evaluated Price. The TEP for award purposes will be the sum of all CLINs as outlined in Attachment 3 – B-Table Pricing. The Government is providing NTE Amounts for Travel and Surge, and these amounts are included with Attachment 3– B-Table Pricing and shall not be altered. Travel and Surge amounts provided will be factored into the TEP.

(b) Completeness. The quote will be reviewed to determine the extent to which all the price elements have been addressed. The Offeror’s quoted price and other information will be evaluated to ensure continuity and traceability of prices to the technical volume and between the initial quote and any revisions thereto.

(c) Reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the Government that a prudent person would pay in the conduct of competitive business. The Government will determine prices fair and reasonable through the use of one or more of the price analysis techniques at FAR 15.404-1(b)(2).

3.4.2 Cost/Price using Fiscal Years. Quotes shall be based on the Contract Year (CY) as set forth in Table 3-1. The CY is as follows (PoP dates below are estimated and may change based on task order award; PoP base period and option periods are firm timeframes):

3.4.3 Format and Specific Content. The Cost/Price Volume(s) shall be prefaced by a table of contents and shall specify, by page number, where each cost format and each piece of narrative data is located. The Cost/Price Volume(s) shall provide comprehensive narrative support for the cost/price quote(s). In addition, offerors shall provide a Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) summary.

3.4.4 Offerors shall provide a fixed price for each contract Line Item number (CLIN) with rates.

3.4.5 Any cost or pricing information submitted shall be addressed ONLY in this Volume.

3.4.6 Offerors shall propose the skill level (Entry Level, Journeyman, Senior, or Master) for each labor category/position required. The offeror shall explain how the proposed labor hour’s skill mix has been derived.

3.4.7 Other Information. This section shall include other information that will further support the offeror's cost volume. The offeror shall include a general discussion of the ground rules and assumptions used to develop the proposed prices. All assumptions, scope limitations and/or qualifications of the cost/price quote shall be addressed and explained. The offeror shall list each exception to the instructions provided in the solicitation and each qualification of the Cost/Price Volume, if any. The offeror shall provide complete rationale for any exceptions.

3.5 VENDOR DIVERSIFICATION (FACTOR 4)

3.5.1 General Instructions. Offerors shall provide a document which describes current and previous prime contracts and subcontracts with Unified Platform within the last two calendar years. Performance data and ratings are not required for this factor. Offerors who have no recent history working with UP may simply make a short statement in this volume.

3.5.2 The Vendor Diversification Factor has been added to increase contractor ecosystem diversity. This factor aligns with the UP Acquisition Strategy to promote competition, vendor participation, workforce resilience and reduce cybersecurity risk.

3.5.3 Offerors who have less than two (2) active prime contracts with UP will receive preference in this section. This would not preclude an offeror who has a current or previous contract from being selected, nor would it cause an otherwise unacceptable or less attractive quote to be selected.

3.5.4 The following adjectival ratings will be used to annotate the technical evaluations and will form the basis of the assignment of ratings for Factor 2 – Oral Presentation/Portfolio Review.