ITSS_DRAFT_Sections_L_and_M__Seaport_N00024-16-R-3125.pdf

L-001 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

1.0 GENERAL

This solicitation is a Request for Proposals (RFP) provided in accordance with the Fair Opportunity procedures outlined in FAR Subpart 16.505(b)(1()(iv). The Government anticipates issuance of a single cost plus fixed fee (CPFF) task order (TO) for Information Technology Support Services (ITSS) for the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock Division.

It is the offeror's responsibility to bring to the attention of the Contracting Officer at the earliest possible time, but prior to the solicitation closing date, any ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or conflicts between the PWS and other solicitation documents attached hereto or incorporated by reference. Offerors shall submit inquiries within the SeaPort Portal within ten (10) calendar days of solicitation issuance.

Although the Government may respond to inquiries received after the 10th calendar day if time permits, the Government will not extend the proposal due date based solely on untimely inquiries.

2.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

Proposal Due Date: Proposals shall be submitted within the Seaport portal no later than the date and time specified in block 9 of [page 1 of] this solicitation.

Proposal Acceptance Period: Proposals offering an acceptance period of less than 180 calendar days may be rejected as incomplete and unacceptable.

Alteration of Solicitation: Offerors shall respond to the solicitation as posted. Offerors who alter the solicitation (except for completing appropriate “fill-in” blocks and certifications) or whose proposals do not conform to the requirements of the solicitation may be eliminated from the competition.

Proposal Information: Offerors shall not presume the Government has knowledge outside of information provided in the proposal. Additionally, offerors are advised statements such as “the offeror understands”, “the offeror has a long history of outstanding support”, “standard procedures shall be used”, “well known techniques shall be employed” or any paraphrasing of the solicitation, shall be considered inadequate to demonstrate experience, knowledge of, or compliance with solicitation requirements. Offerors are encouraged to provide specific and concise information to validate all assertions.

Start Date Estimate (for Proposal purposes): In order to allow for procurement lead time and a fair and equal evaluation of all proposals submitted under this competitive procurement, all proposals shall be based on a contract start date referenced in Section F. This date is only an estimate of the anticipated contract start date and shall be used for the purpose of proposal evaluation only. A definitive start date shall be incorporated into the TO award document.

Subcontractor Submissions (as/if applicable): Offerors are advised the information/instructions in this Section apply EQUALLY to subcontractor submissions; regardless of subcontract type or magnitude.

Subcontractor compliance is the responsibility of the prime contractor.

3.0 PROPOSAL FORMAT

To facilitate efficiency and consistency in proposal evaluation, the following guidance is mandatory.

Proposals shall be organized and labeled in accordance with the factors identified below Submissions shall be Microsoft Office Compatible (Word and/or Excel) or Adobe Software Submissions shall not include hyperlinks.

Zip files shall not be submitted.

Submission text shall be Times New Roman or Arial font with a minimum character size of 11.

Submissions shall be formatted to standard 8.5 x 11” office paper with a minimum of 1-inch margin.

Spreadsheets shall be formatted for printing on 8.5 x 11 inch paper in landscape format. Minimum font size shall be 10.

Graphics and pictures count towards page limitations identified below All spreadsheets provided SHALL INCLUDE ALL CALCULATIONS IN THE CELLS (i.e. show formulas). REVIEWERS MUST BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT CELLS ARE INVOLVED IN

CALCULATING RESULTS

Each proposal volume shall include a table of contents, which is excluded from any page limit specified below.

Each proposal volume shall include a cover page, which is excluded from any page limit specified below. The Cover Page shall identify the solicitation number, amendment number, proposal volume and title, proposal validity length and the Offeror’s name.

Proposals shall include page numbers.

There shall be no page markings with restrictive legend prohibiting the copying and pasting of text for Government use specific to this acquisition.

All files must be submitted in the following formats:

Non-Cost_Company Name_Document Name_Vol# Example. Non-Cost_ABC Inc_1a Personnel_Vol I Example: Non-Cost_ABC Inc _2 Past Performance_Vol I

Cost_Company Name_Document Name_Vol# (or Attachment Number) Example: Cost_ABC Inc_Cost Narrative_Vol II

Although the Government reserves the right to waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received, the Government may also reject any proposal not conforming to the requirements of this section as unacceptable and ineligible for further consideration.

Page limitations identified shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, excess pages shall not be read or considered in proposal evaluation. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, the sheet shall be counted as two pages. Graphs, charts, and tables are included in the page count. The following are not included in the page limitations:

Title/Cover Pages Tables of contents OCI Statement Teaming agreements, letters of intent for key personnel or subcontractors/consultants, and subcontract agreements

4.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT

Volume I: Non- Cost Proposal Submissions shall:

Include a Table of Contents;

Include page numbers;

Include responses for each Factor/Subfactor as specified below; and Not include price/cost information.

Factor 1: Technical Capability: The submission requirements for Factor 1 are outlined in the three subfactors as described below.

Subfactor 1a: Personnel

1. Offerors shall submit resumes for key personnel positions outlined in the labor category information attachment (Attachment J-01). Offerors shall submit a sufficient number of resumes to perform the Section C (PWS) estimated level of effort (LOE) for each key personnel category. The Government’s LOE estimate assumes 1920 labor hours per man year. Offerors shall specify man year assumptions when providing resumes.

Resumes shall contain the following:

Labor Category Name Current Employer Education/Experience (list any diplomas and/or degrees, institution, year obtained) Level of Current Security Clearance Relevant work experience (list each job title, dates of employment (month/year), the employer, and a brief synopsis of each job to demonstrate its relevance to the current requirement/position) Maximum length of 2 pages each

A signed letter of intent shall be submitted for all proposed personnel who are not currently employed by the offeror or a proposed subcontractor. Only contingency hires with “letters of intent” will be considered in the evaluation. For follow-on efforts where the offeror is not the incumbent, a proposed plan to hire incumbent personnel is not sufficient without letters of intent.

Resumes for subcontractors proposed as key personnel shall be included in this section, with the present company affiliation clearly identified. All of the requirements of this section shall apply to the use of subcontractor personnel, as well as prime contractor personnel.

2. Complete and submit the Personnel LOE Hour Matrix (Attachment L-01) to demonstrate a complete technical approach from a personnel perspective. Offerors’ completed spreadsheets shall address all hours estimated in the LOE table provided in Section C. Offerors are cautioned the proposed Personnel LOE Matrix must propose the same mix and amount of hours as that of the cost proposal.

Discrepancies between the labor mix identified in the non-cost and cost proposal may result in a lowering of the adjectival rating in the non-cost proposal and/or a cost realism adjustment.

3. Finally, the offeror shall provide an affirmative statement within the Personnel Subfactor that all proposed non-key personnel meet the minimum education and experience requirements specified for each non-key labor category.

Subfactor 1b: Management approach to accomplish PWS Requirements

1. Offerors shall submit a narrative to address their overall management approach and ability to plan, manage and execute all efforts required by the PWS (as the Prime contractor or as a Joint Venture). The narrative shall include a discussion of the processes, methodologies and tools to be used by TO leadership to ensure specific Performance Areas (PAs) are performed effectively and efficiently.

Each PA must be addressed independently as well as within an integrated overall PWS perspective - to demonstrate depth of understanding of each PA and to illustrate understanding of overlap between PAs.

Offerors shall provide specific evidence of proposed management and execution tools, processes and methodologies. Specific examples shall include previous contract numbers for cross-reference purposes.

The Offeror shall describe the number, location, and function of their indirect charge support personnel. If support personnel are proposed for direct charge, the function of these personnel shall also be discussed.

2. If subcontracting or teaming is proposed, the offeror must submit a Subcontract Management Plan (SMP) using a team consisting of approved SeaPort-e team subcontractors under the offeror’s basic MAC Subcontract Provisions. The offeror’s SMP shall describe the corporate processes and techniques used to manage subcontractor performance (technical, schedule, and cost), billing and reporting. The SMP shall be fully consistent with other portions of the proposal to include resumes submitted and the cost proposal volume. The SMP shall only include subcontractors priced in the cost proposal. If subcontractors are not included in the cost proposal, they should not be referenced in any part of the proposal as they will not be considered for evaluation purposes. ALL non‐prime personnel are considered subcontractor personnel (e.g. consultants are subcontractors). The offeror shall address the technical reason(s) for selecting each subcontractor; identify the portions of the PWS that shall be subcontracted; the contractual relation with the subcontractor; and any previous working relationships with proposed subcontractors.

Documentation for Subfactor 1b shall be limited to 7 single‐sided pages.

Subfactor 1c: Mobilization and continuity of services

1. Mobilization: Offerors shall submit a detailed plan to indicate the firm’s plan to mobilize services upon notification of award. The plan shall address all administrative and logistics requirements of the contract (requirements in JPAS and receipt of CACs, installation access, etc.). The plan shall also address proposed subcontract arrangements and how you will ensure personnel, prime or subcontractor, are ready to begin performance upon notification of award.

The plan shall include, but not be limited to start date (notification of TO issuance), end date (date fully operational / end of transition period), and detailed Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM) with measurable elements that include any necessary Government action(s). The transition plan shall be consistent with the offeror’s technical approach and cost proposal. Specific elements to consider include:

a. Transition team responsibilities

b. Initial technical and contract administration interfaces

c. What specific services, support, or other items (i.e. GFI/GFF/GFE) does the offeror assume the Government will provide

d. Identify risks in accomplishing transition of this requirement in a seamless manner and identify specific risk mitigation measures to be implemented

e. Costs associated with implementation of the proposed transition plan shall be clearly identified in the cost/price proposal

Offerors should consider the solicitation/TO performance requirement to be fully operational within 30 calendar days of notification of TO issuance. Proposals offering realistic shorter timeframes may be evaluated more favorably and/but the shorter timeframe(s) will be incorporated in TO award and offeror’s performance will thus be evaluated accordingly (e.g. CPARS evaluation).

2. Continuity of Services: Provide a detailed plan to replace personnel [when necessary] to prevent an interruption in services for the Government. The plan shall address all administrative and logistics requirements in place to prevent an interruption of services for the Government when replacement of personnel is necessary. The plan shall account for replacement of personnel with both Secret and Top

Secret clearances.

Offerors should consider the performance requirement to replace personnel within 45 calendar days.

Proposals offering shorter timeframes may be evaluated more favorably and/but the shorter timeframe(s) will be incorporated in TO award (QASP will include revised timeline).

3. Phase-out: Offerors shall submit a phase-out plan to address transition services at the end of TO performance. The plan shall assume the offeror is transitioning services to a different contractor and shall include a phase-out timeline of 30 days. The plan shall address all administrative and logistics requirements of the contract (requirements in JPAS and surrender of CACs, etc.) for both prime and subcontractor personnel.

Phase-in, replacement of personnel and phase-out plans shall include a timeline using calendar days.

Documentation for Subfactor 1c shall be limited to 15 single-sided pages.

Factor 2: Past Performance The Government will evaluate relevant amd recemt Past Performance of the Prime offeror as well as subcontractors proposed to perform a major portion of the requirement.

Offerors shall complete the Past Performance Information Form (Attachment L-0X) for Factor 2.

Offerors are advised that major subcontract past performance is not a substitute for past performance from the prime offeror.

The Government intends to utilize existing sources of information such as the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) and Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS). Thus, the Government may or may not contact the points of contact listed by offerors, and may limit the number of references it decides to contact. The Government is also free to contact references other than those provided by the offeror to evaluate past performance.

Volume II: Cost Proposal Submissions shall:

Include responses for each Factor/Element as specified below; and Only include responses for each Factor/element as specified below.

Factor 3 - Cost The cost/price proposal shall be a separate volume comprised of the Cost Narrative, the Cost Summary and additional supporting information. Required submittals/information and considerations are as follows:

(1) Prime offerors shall submit a completed Cost/Price Summary (Attachment L-03) that incorporates all subcontractor costs (to the extent known by the Prime). The Summary spreadsheet shall include all formulas that demonstrate how the rates and burdens were applied. ALL PROPOSED COSTS SHALL BE IN WHOLE DOLLARS. Offerors shall also ensure they fill out the Tripwire Sheet included with the Cost Summary worksheet.

(2) Offerors are reminded the staff proposed in the technical proposal must be the same staff proposed in the cost proposal.

(3) The total TO hours identified in section C for pricing purposes refer to labor categories required to execute the technical aspects of the PWS. Other corporate and local-level management as well as general and administrative support to include administrative/financial/clerical, program control, and contract business management/administration (to include progress report preparation) are considered to be overhead in nature except for those oversight or administrative functions performed by the prime contractor's proposed Program Manager. The offeror is, however, permitted to propose such effort as a direct charge if it is in accordance with its standard DCAA-approved practice to do so and a DCAA approval letter is provided with the cost proposal. Such hours SHALL BE ADDED to the total number of technical hours proposed. The labor category to be used is “MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT”. If no “Management and Support” hours are proposed, the hours will NOT be allowed as a direct charge under the resulting Task Order. The proposed level of effort should be reflected in the Section H clause SEA 5252.216-9122 LEVEL OF EFFORT - ALTERNATE 1 (MAY 2010). This requirement applies equally to the prime and any subcontractor(s), if applicable.

(4) Accounting System: In order to obtain a cost-reimbursement type contract, the awardee(s) accounting system must be considered adequate by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). Accordingly, an offeror's cost proposal must provide information regarding their accounting system and whether it has been deemed adequate by DCAA or if their accounting system is currently being reviewed by DCAA and will be deemed adequate prior to award.

(5) Offerors and each subcontractor are required to provide the DCAA branch office for their company, with the name, phone number, and email address of the cognizant DCAA point of contact who is familiar with their company. Contractors are required to provide an explanation if known discrepancies exist between the contractor's proposed costs and DCAA recommendations.

(6) The Offeror and each Subcontractor are required to provide supporting cost information clearly labeled "COST INFORMATION - COMPANY NAME" to facilitate easy identification and transmittal to DCAA personnel. In preparing the cost proposal, it is essential the offeror breakout and identify separately for each year of the Task Order, the types of cost elements listed below. Supporting cost information shall include, but is not necessarily limited to:

(a) Labor Categories: If an Offeror's proposed labor category differs in name from those listed in Section B, a chart should be included which identifies how these categories correspond to the ones listed in the solicitation.

(b) Escalation: The Offeror shall identify any escalation rates utilized in the preparation of their cost proposal, and should provide historical information pertaining to the actual escalation rate experienced over the past three (3) year period.

(c) Indirect Rates: Offerors should list proposed indirect rates, DCAA recommended rates, and historical actuals (audited and unaudited) for the past three years. If proposed rates reflect negotiated forward pricing rates, a copy of the current forward pricing rate agreement should be provided. If the rates are not negotiated forward pricing rates, then the basis for the proposed rates should be explained. Existing / Recent Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) or audit reports. Absent such agreements/reports, the offeror (and subcontractors) shall state the basis of proposed indirect rates. Substantiating documentation may be subsequently requested by the Government. The above information may be used by the Government for purposes of a cost realism analysis.

(d) Facilities Capital Cost of Money: If this cost element is proposed, the offeror should provide information pertaining to the derivation of the FCCOM costs (i.e. FCCOM factors and application bases).

(e) Fee: Identify the fee rate and total amount proposed and identify the various cost elements to which the fee is being applied.

(f) Support Costs: These costs represent material, travel and incidental subcontracting costs. For proposal purposes, the estimated base amounts for support costs have been pre-established and specified in Section B. Offerors are required to clearly identify as part of their proposal any indirect markup rates (i.e. G&A and material handling) which will be applicable to base support costs. The proposed amount for CLINs identified as Support Cost CLINs in Section B, shall include the estimated base amount and the offeror's proposed markup costs, which will be used for evaluation purposes. It is intended to reimburse support costs on the basis of actual reasonable and allowable costs. If an offeror fails to identify, as part of its proposal, an indirect cost rate(s) that would otherwise be applicable to one of the support cost items, it shall not be allowed to invoice for the indirect rate(s) after award since the evaluation of its offer did not include that rate(s). At the time of task order award, the task order will reflect the stated support cost estimate plus any applicable proposed markup costs, which were considered in the evaluation of the offer.

(7) A signed “letter of intent” with salary information shall be submitted for all proposed key personnel who are not currently employed by the offeror or a proposed subcontractor.

(8) The Cost/Price narrative shall not exceed 10 single-sided pages and shall provide any additional explanation or clarifications to facilitate assessment of the above documentation. This requirement does NOT apply to subcontractor submissions.

As noted previously, it is the responsibility of the prime contractor to ensure ALL SUBCONTRACTORS provide the information required above, regardless of the subcontract pricing arrangement. If subcontractors do not comply, this shall be indicative of the prime contractor’s inability to control subcontractor performance and may impact non-cost proposal adjectival ratings (e.g. Subfactor 1c).

Further, ANY COST PROPOSALS (of the prime or their subcontractors) NOT CONFORMING TO THE

REQUIREMENTS ABOVE MAY BE DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE AND MAY RENDER THE

PRIME OFFEROR’S PROPOSAL INELIGIBLE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

Subcontractors may submit any of the required cost proposal information directly to the Government. All other submission requirements (format, content, due date, etc.) are the same for subcontractors.

Volume III: Solicitation Fill-ins / Contract Documentation Submissions shall:

Only include responses for each element as specified below.

Completion of all solicitation provision/clause fill-ins

Consent from all subcontractors; consent for the Government to contact past performance points of contact.

OCI Statement / Mitigation Plan

Completed DCAA Rate Check Form (Attachment L-

M-001 EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

The Government intends to evaluate cost and non-cost factors to select the proposal representing the best value to the Government. This fair opportunity selection process will allow for tradeoffs between non-cost factors and cost, and will thus allow the Government to select other than the lowest priced proposal or other than the highest technically rated proposal for task order award. Non-cost factors will be evaluated adjectivally; as outlined in Attachment M-01 Seaport Adjectival Rating Schema. Cost will be evaluated in accordance with FAR Subpart 15.404 Proposal analysis.

The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a task order based on initial proposals.

Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the offeror's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. However, in accordance with clause H-5 of the basic contract, the Government may contact any, all, or a limited number of offerors with questions concerning their responses as permitted under FAR Part 16.

Each offeror shall be evaluated relative to the following.

1.0. EVALUATION FACTORS:

FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

SUBFACTOR 1a – Personnel SUBFACTOR 1b – Management approach to accomplish PWS SUBFACTOR 1c – Mobilization and continuity of services

FACTOR 2 – PAST PERFORMANCE

FACTOR 3 – COST

1.1 RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION FACTORS:

Factor 1, Technical Capability, will be given more weight than Factor 2, Past Performance. Within Factor 1, subfactors 1a-1c are of equal importance. The non-cost evaluation factors (Factors 1 and 2), when combined, are more important than Factor 3, Cost. However, as the merit of the non-cost factors becomes more equal, cost becomes more of a deciding factor in determining the best value.

FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

The Government will evaluate each offeror's technical capability to perform the requirements in the solicitation, considering the offeror's Personnel, Management Approach and Ability to mobilize and ensure continuity of services.

Subfactor 1a: Personnel Key Personnel will be evaluated in terms of experience, education and training as stated in the target and/or minimum qualifications in the labor categories listed in Section J Attachment J-01 Labor Category Information. The Government will evaluate the resumes submitted by each offeror by comparing the education and experience of proposed personnel against the qualifications indicated and the requirements outlined in the PWS.

Subfactor 1b: Management approach to accomplish PWS

The Government will evaluate subfactor 1b in terms of how well an offeror’s proposal demonstrates a thorough understanding of and capability to meet, the Government’s requirements as established in the

PWS.

This subfactor will serve to evaluate the offeror's ability to perform the technical and non-technical aspects of contract performance. The Government will evaluate whether the Offeror demonstrates a management plan and structure that offers an integrated team with a coordinated approach to work performance, demonstrates a clear understanding of contract reporting requirements and assures quality long term support.

Subfactor 1c: Mobilization and continuity of services The Government will assess the offeror’s ability [as proposed] to mobilize and maintain provision of continuous quality services throughout the life of the contract. Unclear and unsubstantiated elements of the plan will be assessed as increasing the risk of unsuccessful performance.

Offerors will be evaluated on whether there is a sound basis for subcontracting the work, selecting and determining the involvement of their proposed subcontractor(s), and whether their Subcontractor Management Plan demonstrates a clear process in the management and use of subcontractors in accomplishing the required tasks.

Overall, the Government will evaluate the effectiveness of each offeror's technical approach to perform the requirements in the solicitation upon notification of TO award, when replacement of personnel is necessary and in the phase-out period; including the use and management of subcontractors, as applicable.

Offerors who demonstrate mature and effective timelines and plans will receive a higher rating.

FACTOR 2 – PAST PERFORMANCE

Past Performance is a measure of the degree to which the offeror satisfied its customers in the past and complied with Federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Past performance information will be used to evaluate an offeror’s actions for similar or directly related work. The Government will assess relevancy (similar or directly related) based on the scope, complexity (contract type, duration, etc.) and magnitude of the past performance.

The information to be considered may include the offeror's record of (1) conforming to specifications and standards of good workmanship; (2) containing and forecasting costs on any previously performed cost reimbursable contracts; (3) administrative aspects of performance; (4) history for reasonable and cooperative behavior; and (5) commitment to customer satisfaction and business-like concern for interests of the customer. While past performance information for major subcontractors will be considered, more weight will be given to the prime offeror’s past performance information over its subcontractor(s)' past performance information. In no circumstance will subcontractor past performance serve as a substitute for prime offeror past performance.

Ultimately the Government will assign a Past Performance Confidence Rating in line with guidance in Attachment M-01, Seaport Adjectival Rating Schema.

FACTOR 3 – COST

The Government will evaluate cost proposals in accordance with FAR Subpart 15.404 Proposal analysis.

The cost assessment will include an analysis of the realism and completeness of the cost data and the traceability of the cost to the offeror's technical proposal. Pertinent cost information, including but not limited to DCAA recommended rates for such costs as direct labor, overhead, G&A, etc., as necessary and appropriate, will be used to arrive at the Government’s determination of the most probable cost to be incurred in the performance of this task order.

If proposed costs are considered to be unrealistic, including unrealistic labor and indirect rates, the offeror's proposed costs may be adjusted upward to reflect more realistic costs. Based on the analysis performed, an evaluated cost for the offeror will be calculated to reflect the Government's estimate of the offeror's most probable costs. Cost to the Government is an offeror's evaluated cost (including proposed fee) for the entire period of performance. This evaluated cost will be used in making an award recommendation. Therefore, any inconsistency, whether real or apparent, between the technical proposal and cost should be explained in the supporting cost data volume. The burden of proof for cost credibility rests with the offeror. Offerors are cautioned that to the extent proposed costs appear unrealistic; the Government may infer a lack of understanding of the requirements, increased risk of performance and/or lack of credibility on the part of the offeror.

The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total evaluated costs for the total period of performance including options. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the options. To assist the Government in performing cost analysis in accordance with

With respect to the Support Costs identified in Section B, these costs reflect all other direct costs which are not labor costs. For proposal purposes, the estimated base amounts identified for the support costs (travel and incidental material) have been pre-established in Section B. It should be noted all support costs are non-fee bearing costs. For evaluation purposes, the Government will add proposed indirect costs to the base estimate support cost amounts specified in Section B of the RFP. The resultant order will use the Government’s base estimate as contained in the RFP plus applicable proposed indirect costs. The resultant Task Order NTE will be inclusive of any indirect rates the offeror has identified in its proposal, and were considered in evaluation of that offer. An example would be when the offeror's approved accounting system includes application of a material handling fee to direct material costs and then application of a G&A rate to the subtotal of direct materials plus the material handling fee. If proposed indirect rates on support costs are not considered realistic based on information available to the Contracting Officer (from DCAA or other sources), the proposed rates may be adjusted for realism when applied for evaluation purposes. If an offeror fails to identify, as part of its proposal, an indirect cost rate(s) that would otherwise be applicable to one of the support cost items, it shall not be allowed to invoice for the indirect rate(s) after award since the evaluation of its offer did not include that rate(s).

2.0 BASIS OF FAIR OPPORTUNITY SELECTION:

As previously established, the Government will evaluate both cost and non-cost factors and may make tradeoffs between non-cost factors and cost. The basis for award of a task order as a result of this solicitation will be an integrated assessment by the Contracting Officer of the results of the evaluation as outlined above. The integrated assessment will include consideration of the strengths, weaknesses and deficiencies of the proposals (including significant and minor stregnths and weaknesses). Ultimately, the objective of the fair opportunity selection process is to assess the offeror's capability to meet the Government’s requirements in a cost effective manner. The Government reserves such right of flexibility in conducting the evaluation as is necessary to assure placement of a TO in the Government's best interest.

In summary, the TO resulting from this solicitation will be awarded to the responsible offeror whose proposal, conforming to the solicitation, provides the greatest overall value to the Government in terms of its current requirement.