N00024-19-R-2300-0003.docx

N0002419R2300

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

The following items are applicable to this modification:

The purposes of this amendment to solicitation N00024-19-R-2300 are as follows:

1) Under Section H, update the following contract requirements:

· H-228-H002, Insurance-Property Loss or Damage-Liability to Third Persons—Basic

· H-246-H001, Calibration System Requirements

2) Under Section I, add or update the following clauses:

· 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment

· 52.244-6, Subcontracts for Commercial Items

· 252.203-7003, Agency Office of the Inspector General

· 252.203-7004, Display of Hotline Posters

· 252.225-7021, Trade Agreements

3) Under Section K, add the provision entitled 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment;

4) Under Section L, clarify the instructions to offerors and update the following provisions:

· 252.215-7008, Only One Offer

· 252.215-7010, Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data;

5) Under Section M, remove redundant language; and

6) Move the provision 252.225-7031, Secondary Arab Boycott of Israel, from Section C to Section K.

Accordingly, the solicitation is amdended as follows:

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

The following have been modified:

H-228-H002 Insurance-Property Loss or Damage-Liability to Third Persons—Basic (NAVSEA) (Oct 2018) (Modified) (Jun 2019)

(a) The Contractor shall not, unless otherwise directed or approved in writing by the Government, carry or incur the expense of any insurance against any form of loss of or damage to the vessels or to the materials or equipment therefor to which the Government has acquired title or which have been furnished by the Government for installation by the Contractor. The Government assumes the risks of loss of and damage to the vessels and such materials and equipment which would have been assumed by the underwriters if the Contractor had procured and maintained throughout the term of this contract, on behalf of itself and the Government, insurance with respect to the vessels and such materials and equipment for full value against prekeel and postkeel laying risks (i) under the forms of Marine Builders Risk (Navy FormSyndicate) policy, including the rider attached to the "Free of Capture and Seizure" clause thereof, and War Damage policy, both as set forth in the pamphlet entitled “Standard Forms of Marine Builders Risk (Navy Form-Syndicate) and War Damage Insurance Policies referred to in the Vessel Contracts to the Bureau of Ships”, dated 23 November 1942,”, or (ii) under any other policy forms which the Government shall determine were customarily carried or would have been customarily carried by the Contractor in the absence of the foregoing requirement that the Contractor not carry or incur the expense of insurance, provided, that the Government does not assume any risk with respect to loss or damage compensated for by insurance or otherwise or resulting from risks with respect to which the Contractor has failed to procure or maintain insurance, if available, as required or approved by the Government; provided, further, that under the above identified policies or under this requirement the Government does not assume any risk with respect to, and will not pay for any costs of the Contractor for the inspection, repair, replacement, or renewal of any defects themselves in the vessel(s) or such materials and equipment due to (A) defective workmanship, or defective materials or equipment performed by or furnished by the Contractor or its subcontractors or, (B) workmanship, or materials or equipment performed by or furnished by the Contractor or its subcontractors which do(es) not conform to the requirements of the contract, whether or not any such defect is latent or whether or not any such nonconformance is the result of negligence; provided, further, that under the above identified policies or under this requirement the Government does not assume the risk of and will not pay for the costs of any loss, damage, liability or expense caused by, resulting from, or incurred as a consequence of delay or disruption of any type whatsoever. No requirement of this contract shall operate to subject the Contractor to a liability for which the Government has assumed the risk hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Contractor shall bear the first [Offeror to insert “$100,000” if proposing the deductible to be an unallowable cost to the contract, or “$200,000” if proposing the deductible to be an allowable cost to the contract] of loss or damage from each occurrence or incident the risk of which the Government otherwise would have assumed under the requirements of this paragraph [if the Offeror is proposing the deductible to be an unallowable cost, insert the following language: “and said deductible amount shall be expressly unallowable and excluded from any payments made pursuant to this contract”].

(b) Unless otherwise directed by the Government, the Contractor shall procure and thereafter maintain with respect to each of the vessels Collision Liability and Protection and Indemnity Liabilities Insurance (GovernmentSyndicate Form), as set forth in the aforesaid 23 November 1942 pamphlet, if available, in an amount equal to (i) eighty percent (80%) of the sum of the target price of the vessel and an amount estimated by the Government to represent the value of materials and equipment furnished by the Government for installation by the Contractor, or (ii) Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000), whichever shall be less. The Government will indemnify the Contractor against liabilities (including expenses incidental thereto) to third persons which, but for the limitation on amount specified in this paragraph, would have been covered by such Collision Liability and Protection and Indemnity Liabilities Insurance, and which are not compensated for by insurance or otherwise, provided such liabilities are represented by final judgments or by settlements approved in writing by the Government. The Contractor shall not, however, be so indemnified against liabilities with respect to which the Contractor has failed to procure or maintain insurance, if available, as required or approved by the Government. The Contractor shall promptly notify the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) of each suit or action filed and each claim made against which the Contractor may be entitled to indemnification under this paragraph. The Contractor shall furnish the ACO with copies of all papers received with respect to each suit, action or claim and, if requested by the Government, shall authorize representatives of the Government to settle, or direct or take charge of the defense of, such suit, action or claim. In the absence of such request, the Contractor shall diligently proceed with such defense. The Government's liability under this paragraph (b) and the Collision Liability and Protection and Indemnity Liabilities Insurance forms set forth in the pamphlet entitled "Standard Forms of Marine Builders Risk (Navy Form Syndicate) and War Damage Insurance Policies, referred to in Vessel Contracts of the Bureau of Ships, dated 23 November 1942, is subject to the availability of appropriated funds at the time a contingency occurs. Nothing in this contract shall be construed as implying that the Congress will, at a later date, appropriate funds sufficient to meet deficiencies.

(c) The cost of the insurance required by paragraph (b) of this requirement is included in the target price or price, as applicable, and the cost of all other insurance which may be required or approved pursuant to this clause will be considered allowable costs under this contract. If the Government should require or approve the cancellation of any such insurance, the Contractor will promptly pay to the Government the amount of all unearned premiums refunded to the Contractor, but only to the extent that such premiums shall have been reimbursed to the Contractor by the Government or included in the pricing structure of the contract (firm fixed price or incentive type arrangement, as applicable).

(d) All insurance which is or may be required or approved pursuant to this requirement shall be in such form, in such amounts, for such periods of time, and with such insurers as the Government may from time to time require or approve, provided the Contractor shall be named as an insured and shall be entitled to payment of any loss or damage as its interests may appear. The policies or certificates of insurance shall be deposited with the ACO.

(e) In the event of loss of or damage to any of the vessels or any of the materials or equipment therefor which may result in a claim against the Government under the insurance requirements of this contract, the Contractor promptly shall notify the Contracting Officer of such loss or damages, and the Contracting Officer may, without prejudice to any other right of the Government, either:

(i) Order the Contractor to proceed with replacement or repair in which event the Contractor shall effect such replacement or repair. The Contractor shall not invoice for such costs and shall maintain separate accounts, by job order or other suitable accounting procedure, of all incurred segregable, direct costs (labor and material) and allocable indirect expenses. The ACO will establish a separate contract line item for the purposes of reimbursing the Contractor’s allowable and allocable costs associated with any insurance claim submitted pursuant to this requirement. The Contractor shall maintain such separate accounts until the parties agree to an equitable adjustment for the direction ordered by the Contracting Officer or the matter is conclusively disposed of in accordance with the Disputes clause. The Contractor shall submit to the Contracting Officer a request for reimbursement of the cost of such replacement or repair together with such supporting documentation as the Contracting Officer may reasonably require, and shall identify such request as being submitted under this insurance requirement. If the Government determines that the risk of such loss or damages is within the scope of the risks assumed by the Government under this requirement, the Government will reimburse the Contractor for the reasonable, allowable cost of such replacement or repair, plus a reasonable profit, less the deductible amount specified in paragraph (a) of this requirement. The parties agree that the negotiation of a reasonable profit will consider the complexity of the replacement or repair efforts, as well as the facts surrounding the cause of the insurance event. Payments by the Government to the Contractor under this insurance requirement are outside the scope of and shall not affect the pricing structure of the contract (firm fixed price or incentive type arrangement, as applicable), and are additional to the compensation otherwise payable to the Contractor under this contract; or

(ii) In the event the Contracting Officer decides that the loss or damage shall not be replaced or repaired,

(A) Modify the contract appropriately consistent with the reduced requirements reflected by the unreplaced or unrepaired loss or damage, or

(B) Terminate the construction of any part or all of the vessel(s) under the clause of this contract entitled "Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed-Price)" (FAR 52.249-2).

(f) The coverage provided by this requirement is extended geographically to include material or equipment to which the Government has acquired title or which has been furnished by the Government and is located in the following contractor facilities or in transit between facilities:

(None)

The Contractor may request the Contracting Officer to extend the geographical coverage of this requirement to newly acquired or leased facilities which are to be used in the performance of this contract.

(End of text)

The following included by full text have been revised:

H-246-H001 CALIBRATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (NAVSEA) (JUN 2019)

(a) Definitions:

(1) Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE). Includes all devices used to measure, calibrate, gage, test, inspect, diagnose, or otherwise examine materials, supplies, and equipment to quantitatively or qualitatively determine compliance with specifications and tolerances, engineering drawings, technical orders, technical manuals, or use requirements and instructions.

(2) Calibration Standard. A measuring instrument or artifact used as a reference to establish and maintain the accuracy of other measuring instruments or artifacts. Calibration standards may be used to calibrate other standards of lesser accuracy or to calibrate test and measurement equipment directly.

(3) Calibration. The comparison of a measurement system or device of unverified accuracy with a measurement system of known and greater accuracy to detect deviation of the unverified measurement system from required performance specifications (of the unverified measurement system or device) and to quantify all measured values to applicable units of the international system of units.

(4) Calibration Service Providers. Commercial calibration activities and other government agencies that provide calibration services to the Navy and Marine Corps as a major line of business.

(5) Commercial Service Providers. Suppliers of Navy test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment, including original equipment manufacturers, who may calibrate their own products but are not engaged in calibration as a major line of business, and other commercial laboratories that provide low volume, model specific, or unique parameter calibration services.

(6) Measurement Traceability. The property of a measurement result that can be related to a national or international measurement standard through a documented, unbroken chain of calibrations, each with a stated measurement uncertainty. Individual measurement results must be traced through an unbroken chain of calibrations to accepted references, such as: U.S. national standards such as, the U.S. Naval Observatory, ratio and consensus standards, natural physical constants, or the national standards of other countries correlated with U.S. national standards as held or directed by National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Defense (DoD) approved sources.

(7) The End of Period Measurement Reliability. The probability that all the applicable measurement quantities of a test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment are within tolerance at the end of the calibration interval assigned to the given test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment.

(8) Calibration Interval. The periodicity between calibrations that is assigned to achieve Navy end of period measurement reliability objectives for test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment.

(9) The Probability of False Acceptance. The probability that a test used to verify that a measurement quantity is within specified tolerances results in an incorrect acceptance decision.

(10) The Probability of False Rejection. The probability that a test used to verify that a measurement quantity is within specified tolerances results in an incorrect rejection decision.

(11) The Test Uncertainty Ratio (TUR). The ratio of the difference between the upper and lower tolerance limits for a measurement quantity subject to calibration, to the difference between the upper and lower 95 percent uncertainty limits for the measurement process used for calibration.

(b) Test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment and automatic test systems are used to monitor and test systems, equipment, devices, and the environmental conditions under which these systems and personnel operate. The accuracy of Navy and Contractor test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment and automatic test systems used for quantitative and qualitative measurements are ensured through measurement traceability. The Contractor is required to ensure that all test, measurement and diagnostic equipment used for quantitative or qualitative measurements is maintained and calibrated in accordance with U.S. national standards ANSI/NCSL Z540.3 Requirements for the Calibration of Measuring and Test Equipment, dated 3 Aug 2006 or ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (2nd Edition), dated 15 May 2005 or the national standards of other countries correlated with U.S. national standards held by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and designated as an approved source by the Department of the Navy METCAL Executive Agent.

(c) Calibration certification to Navy standard NAVSEA 04-4734B, Navy and Marine Crops Calibration Laboratory Audit/Certification Manual, 1 Dec 2006, is acceptable in place of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3 and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditations. ANSI/NCSL Z540.3 and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditations must be performed by an U.S. headquartered accreditation body that is a signatory of the Navy Calibration Cooperative Agreement. Calibration accreditation must include the parameters required to execute the calibration at appropriate ranges and tolerances. A calibration certificate meeting the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 or ANSI/NCSL Z540.3 must be provided with the returned calibrated unit. The calibration certificate must be evaluated to confirm that the calibration was performed within the laboratory's accreditation scope. For activities certificated to NAVSEA 04-4734B, calibrations must be evaluated to confirm that the calibration was performed within the laboratory’s NAVSEA certification, and calibration event records shall be provided to the Government upon request. Calibration intervals that deviate from NAVSEA OD 45845, Metrology Requirements List (METRL), shall reflect TMDE end of period reliability greater than 72%. TMDE reliability data shall be provided upon request. TURs shall be greater than 4:1 or ensure a probability of false acceptance of 2% or less and a probability of false rejections of 15% or less. Calibration procedures and methods used by the contractor shall be provided to the Government upon request.

(d) All calibrations supporting this contract shall meet the requirements of OPNAVINST 3960.16. If the Contractor subcontracts or outsources the initial or reoccurring calibration of test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment, the respective calibration laboratory must also meet the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c).

(e) Calibration service providers and commercial service providers, and all of their employees, who supply or calibrate Navy test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment, shall be certified or accredited to the requirements of the NAVSEA manual or the ISO or ANSI specifications cited in paragraphs (b) and (c).

(End of text)

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

The following have been added by reference:

The following included by reference have been revised:

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

The following have been added by reference:

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

General Instructions and Information

Each Offeror shall prepare and submit a proposal that is sufficiently detailed and complete to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of—and compliance with—all of the requirements of this solicitation. Proposals shall contain all of the information required by this solicitation and must encompass all of the line items set forth in Section B. Proposals shall be based on the requirements contained in this solicitation, including those documents, exhibits, and other attachments to the solicitation identified in Section J. Failure to follow the solicitation instructions or conform to all requirements outlined in this solicitation may result in rejection of the proposal.

Government-Wide Point of Entry

This solicitation will be made available only through the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website at https://www.fbo.gov. From time to time, the Government may post additional information to the FBO website relating to this solicitation (e.g. responses to questions, solicitation amendments, etc.). It is the responsibility of prospective Offerors to monitor the FBO website for any such information.

Availability of Attachments, Specifications, and Other Documents

The Government will post on the government-wide point of entry (i.e., the FBO website) all publically releasable attachments, specifications, and other documents referenced in this solicitation. Certain FFG(X) technical data under this solicitation will be marked Distribution Statement D – Distribution authorized to DoD and U.S. DoD contractors only, and may be classified up to the SECRET level. Documents in the solicitation package that are marked with Distribution Statement D will be available on FBO to only those prospective offerors that are authorized to access export controlled documents. Access to the export controlled access level on FBO requires the prospective offeror to hold a current certification through the Defense Logistics Agency Logistics Information Service’s Joint Certification Program. Classified materials will be distributed directly to authorized companies only. Documents in the bidder’s library may contain technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title, U.S.C. Section 2751 et seq. or Executive Order 12470). All prospective offerors seeking access to Distribution D or classified attachments must follow the instructions provided in the notice for this solicitation posted on the FBO website. From time to time, the Government may post additional information to FBO (e.g. responses to questions, updated documents, etc.). It is the responsibility of prospective Offerors to monitor FBO for any such information. The deadline to request access to the controlled solicitation documents and the FFG(X) bidder’s library shall be the same as the deadline to submit bidder’s questions regarding this solicitation.

Communications with the Government

Unless otherwise specified, Offerors shall submit all communications regarding this solicitation via email to the cognizant Naval Sea Systems Command Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist, who are the sole Government points of contact for this acquisition:

Contracting Officer

Mr. Shawn Fu shawn.fu@navy.mil

Contract Specialist

Ms. Kelli Bryan kelli.bryan@navy.mil

Submission of Questions and Comments

The Government invites Offerors to submit written questions or comments relating to the solicitation. Offerors shall submit comments, questions, or inquiries only to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist identified in this solicitation. Do not submit communications to any Government representative other than the Contracting Officer or Contract Specialist. Only written questions may receive a response. The Government is not obligated to respond to all submissions.

Format for Questions

Offerors shall submit written questions and comments related to this solicitation using the Bidder’s Question Submittal Form, Attachment L-1, for this solicitation. For ease of Government review and to minimize response time, Offerors shall submit this form in the original, editable file format. Do not submit the form in Portable Document Format (PDF). To ensure that the context of the question is clearly conveyed, Offerors shall detail the applicable document name, document date or version, page, paragraph, clause or other specific citation to which the question applies. Information contained in the Government’s responses to bidder’s question shall not supersede any information contained in the solicitation, including any amendments thereto. In the event of a discrepancy between a response to a bidder’s question and the content of the solicitation as amended, the latter shall take precedence.

Distribution of Responses

The Government intends to distribute bidder’s questions and associated responses via posting to the Federal Business Opportunities website. Any question or response that contains classified or controlled unclassified information will not be posted publicly, but rather will be distributed directly to authorized prospective bidders or posted under export-controlled and explicit access procedures on FBO.

Proprietary Questions

In the event that a prospective Offeror wishes to submit a comment or question that the prospective Offeror believes addresses a subject that is specific or proprietary to the Offeror, then the Offeror shall mark the question accordingly on the submission form and provide justification to support its assertion. If the Government concurs with the assertion that the question contains proprietary content, the Government will respond only to that prospective Offeror. If the Government does not concur, it will inform the submitting prospective Offeror and will not provide any further response. The prospective Offeror may resubmit the question without the proprietary information, or provide further justification for the Government's consideration.

Redlines, Conditions, and Deviations

The Government will not entertain any proposed revisions to the terms and conditions contained in this solicitation submitted as part of Offerors’ proposals, including any attachment or exhibit referenced therein. Therefore, any offer that includes “redlines,” condition(s) of offer, or any other deviation from the requirements of the solicitation may be rejected by the Government. As such, Offerors shall submit in accordance with this section any questions or suggestions related to the terms and conditions of this solicitation prior to the deadline for questions.

Deadline for Questions and Comments

The deadline for receipt of questions is specified in the provision in this section entitled L-215-H007, “Submission of Questions by Offerors—Alternate I.” The Government cannot guarantee that any questions received after the prescribed deadline will be answered prior to the due date for receipt of proposals.

Unclassified Questions

Written unclassified questions related to this solicitation shall be submitted electronically as follows:

TO: Contracting Officer CC: Contract Specialist SUBJECT: Name of Offeror Question for N00024-19-R-2300

See paragraph 1.3 above for the contact information for the Government points of contact.

Classified Questions

Questions concerning classified attachments or otherwise containing classified content shall be submitted in accordance with the solicitation DD Form 254 and its associated security classification guides, and the DoD 5220.22M National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). Offerors shall submit classified questions only in hard copy via Federal Express (FedEx) delivery. When submitting classified questions, Offerors shall notify the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist via email in advance of delivery and provide the FedEx tracking number for the classified shipment. Offerors shall mark each package containing classified content as follows:

Shipping Address

Commander Naval Sea Systems Command Attn: SEA 02232 1333 Isaac Hull Ave SE Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376

Marking

FFG(X) DD&C Question for N00024-19-R-2300 Do Not Open in Mail Room Contact: SEA 02232 / 202-781-1087

Solicitation Security Classification

This solicitation is unclassified, although some information provided in conjunction with this solicitation may be classified at the SECRET level and will be released only to those Offerors possessing a security clearance at the appropriate level. Accordingly, Offerors must have a valid U.S. security clearance of SECRET or higher in order to respond to this solicitation. All classified material must be handled in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) (DoD 5220-22-M) and Industrial Security Regulation (DoD 5220.22-R). All employees of Offerors working on the classified portions of a proposal shall have active security clearances at the appropriate classification level. Classified responses to this solicitation are allowed, but Offerors shall provide any classified information in a separate binder (classified annex), segregated from the unclassified portions of the proposal. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure classified data handling does not impact successful delivery of the proposal within the prescribed due date. Offerors shall not place any classified information in any portion of its proposal other than the classified annex. Offerors must meet all clearance requirements detailed in the DD Form 254 by the time of contract award.

Definition of Major Subcontractor

For the purposes of this solicitation, a major subcontractor is defined as any subcontractor proposed to perform design or construction-related scope (i.e., efforts in support of design or construction of the ships rather than solely supplying a completed CFE component such as an engine) valued at $20 million or more per ship. A major subcontractor does not include equipment or material subcontractors unless the subcontractor is also proposed to perform design or construction-related scope with a value that meets the defined threshold.

Award Without Discussions

Per the provision under this section entitled FAR 52.215-1, “Instructions to Offerors – Competitive Acquisition,” the Government intends to award a single contract on the basis of a proposal submission without conducting discussions with Offerors, but reserves the right to conduct discussions per FAR 15.306, “Exchanges with Offerors After Receipt of Proposals,” if determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. Each Offeror shall submit only one proposal. No alternate proposals will be accepted, and the submission of multiple proposals will result in rejection of the proposal. Therefore, each Offeror’s proposal submission shall contain the Offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government may contact any, all, or a limited number of Offerors with questions concerning their proposals as permitted under FAR Part 15. Upon the conclusion of discussions, if they occur, the Government will request Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs) from all Offerors still within the competitive range.

Notification of Use of Government Support Contractors as Nongovernment Advisors

The firms identified below are Government support contractors that may serve as nongovernment advisors to the Government source selection team during the evaluation of proposals received in response to this solicitation.

Identification of Government Support Contractors

· Alion Science and Technology

· Ventus Solutions

· ICI Services

· Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

· Gryphon Technologies

Consent Statement

In the event that an Offeror objects to the use of any of the firms identified, the Offeror shall provide written notification via email to the Contracting Officer specifying the firm(s) to which the Offeror objects and detailing the reasons for the objections. This notification must be submitted no later than 10 calendar days after the solicitation release date found in Block 5 of the SF 33. Otherwise, Offerors shall submit a signed statement in the Technical Proposal providing consent for the identified firms to access information contained within proposals submitted in response to this solicitation. Offerors shall prepare the consent statement using the sample format below. The statement shall be signed by the individual that signs the Price Proposal cover letter, or an individual with equivalent authority within the Offeror’s company. The consent statement is exempt from the page count limitations of the proposal.

Sample Format for Consent Statement

Offeror’s Name hereby consents to (Offeror to list all firms for which consent is given) viewing, as nongovernment advisors, the information contained in this proposal and performing in an advisory capacity during the proposal evaluation process.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

While each of the identified firms will be bound by the terms of nondisclosure agreements that have been executed with the Government, Offerors may contact the identified firms directly to establish separate nondisclosure agreements prior to proposal submission. Offerors may obtain the points of contact for the identified firms by contacting the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist.

Notification of Use of Contractor Facility in Source Selection

Offerors are advised that the Government intends to conduct certain aspects of the source selection within secure, access-controlled spaces at a support contractor facility.

Proposal Preparation Requirements

Offerors shall carefully read the proposal preparation requirements outlined in this section. If any aspect of these instructions requires clarification, the Government encourages Offerors to submit an inquiry using the process outlined in paragraph 1.4 of this section.

Proposal Guidelines

Proposals submitted in response to the solicitation must contain a complete description of all pertinent aspects of the effort proposed by the Offeror. General statements such as, “the Offeror understands,” “the Offeror can or will comply with the requirements,” “standard procedures will be used,” “well-known techniques will be used,” or statements that merely paraphrase the solicitation in whole or in part do not constitute compliance with the requirements for proposal content. Data previously submitted to the Government outside of this solicitation process or presumed to be known (e.g., data previously submitted to or efforts previously performed for the Government) cannot be considered as part of the proposal unless explicitly incorporated into the proposal. Discussions of each topic in the proposal shall exhibit continuity and logical progression. Additionally, Offerors shall take care to submit a legible, neat, orderly, concise and comprehensive proposal. Descriptions within each section of a proposal should be self-contained so as to minimize the need to refer to the other sections of the proposal. Where the need to refer to other proposal sections exists, such references must clearly identify the applicable section, page and specific location of the information (e.g. paragraph, figure, table, etc.). The Government is not responsible for locating missing or improperly referenced data. Elaborate brochures or artwork, expensive paper or bindings, or expensive visual or presentation aids beyond those sufficient to present a complete and comprehensive proposal are unnecessary. Clarity is essential. Offerors shall minimize the use of brochures; any brochures, if used, will count against page limits. Offerors should structure proposals such that the information provided for a given section is comprehensive and concise.

Proposal Structure and Page Limits

Each Offeror shall submit paper hard copies and separate electronic copies on CD or DVD media in the quantities specified herein for each volume. All copies must contain the same information and formatting as the original volume. In presenting material in these volumes, Offerors are advised that the quality of information is significantly more important than quantity. Offerors must strictly observe the page limitations for each volume. Pages in excess of the applicable page limit will be removed by the Contracting Officer from the back of the respective volume prior to evaluation. The excess pages will not be read or evaluated. It is not necessary to supply the maximum number of pages allowed; fewer pages may be submitted. Offerors shall organize proposal content sections using index pages or tabbed index divider pages with clear cross-referencing to the table of contents. All pages shall be consecutively numbered within each volume (e.g., 1, 2, 3 …), with the exception of the Volume V Price Proposal and Volume VI Model Contract. For the Price Proposal volume only, pages must be numbered consecutively within each section, but page numbering may restart at the beginning of each section. The Model Contract volume should retain the numbering formats of the source solicitation documents, if applicable.

Offerors shall structure proposal submittals such that the required content is organized into separate volumes as follows:

*Offerors shall not provide hard copies of the Volume II Design Appendix or Volume IV Classified Design Appendix. However, Offerors must format the electronic proposal content for Volumes II and IV in a manner that allows for the content to be printed.

Page Limit for Classified Technical Annex

The Classified Technical Annex does not have its own page limit as the information contained in the Annex is intended to represent classified material that cannot be included in an unclassified volume. As a result, information presented in the Classified Technical Annex will count towards the page limit for the volume that the information supports. For example, if the Offeror submits the Classified Technical Annex with 12 pages of Technical Proposal narrative information, then the page limit for Volume I will be reduced by 12 pages (i.e., from 100 pages to 88 pages).

Page Count Exclusions

The detailed proposal content instructions identify specific items that are exempt from the page count limitations set forth above. In addition, the following proposal pages are exempt from the page count limitations:

· Cover letter

· Table of contents

· Executive Summary

· Title pages

· Index pages

· Tabs

· Glossary

· Regulatory body correspondence

· Items identified as “associated products” to be provided in the Design Appendices

· DFARS 252.227-7017 Assertions List

· DFARS 252.227-7028 Assertions List

· Commercial Restrictions List

· Supplemental Information Statement

· Non-Standard or Commercial Licenses Attached to the Commercial Restrictions List

· Consent Statement for Use of Government Support Contractors as Nongovernment Advisors

· Facility qualifications or certifications

Classified Technical Annex and Classified Design Appendix

The Government anticipates that Offerors will need to submit classified information as part of the proposal submissions. All classified information must be contained in the Classified Technical Annex (Volume II) or Classified Design Appendix (Volume IV). Classified proposal volumes must be appropriately marked and delivered per the requirements of the solicitation DD Form 254 and its associated security classification guides (SCGs), and the DoD 5220.22M National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). The Defense Security Service (DSS) administers and implements the defense portion of the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) and Offerors may refer to the NISP website for guidance on security-related matters. In preparing the classified volumes, the Offeror shall follow the following procedures:

· Provide cross references between the classified volumes and the unclassified volumes

· Page, paragraph, table, graphic, and figure markings shall conform to the requirements in Chapter 4 of the NISPOM

· Strictly apply protocols in the SCGs and the DD Form 254 to determine the classification level of proposal content

Binding, Labeling, and Packing

Offerors are responsible for the condition of delivered proposals. Boxes and binders and the contents thereof that are delivered to the Government broken apart or in an otherwise disorderly fashion will be reassembled by the Government with an emphasis on expediency. The Government is not responsible for proper reassembly of such proposals. Thus, binders may not be reassembled as originally sent or intended.

Binders

Offerors shall submit all volumes in three-ring binders with index tabs or tabbed index divider pages separating each section. Each proposal section shall start on a new page. Each volume shall contain a table of contents that lists the sections, subsections, and page numbers. Each volume shall also include a glossary explaining all abbreviations and acronyms used in the volume.

Special Instructions for Classified Proposal Volumes

Classified volumes of the proposal shall be separated from unclassified proposal content and bound in red binders if SECRET or blue binders if CONFIDENTIAL. Do not use red or blue binders for any unclassified volumes. Classification markings shall conform to the requirements of the DD Form 254 and the NISPOM. Classified proposal binders shall be appropriately marked on the front, back, and spine with the highest level of classified material contained therein. Offerors shall wrap and package the classified proposal binders separately from the unclassified portions of the proposal. In the event that classified information is found within any unclassified volume of the proposal, the classified pages will be removed and any impacted pages will not be evaluated. This may render the Offeror’s proposal unacceptable.

Labeling

The first page of each proposal volume shall display the information required by FAR 52.215-1(c)(2) and shall also contain the volume number, volume title, security classification level of the volume and serial/copy number. If an Offeror wishes to restrict the disclosure or use of its proposals, the Offeror shall use the legend permitted by FAR 52.215-1(e) and prominently indicate the specific pages and paragraphs that contain proprietary information. Each page of an Offeror’s proposal shall be labeled with the Offeror’s name, solicitation number and date corresponding to the date of the proposal.

Packing

Offerors shall pack and submit all proposal binders in cardboard (or equivalent) boxes that may be lifted and handled manually. Offerors should observe a reasonable maximum weight for each box and avoid overloading any single box. Boxes must be sequentially numbered with the box numbers marked on all sides of each box, and written on all sides of the outside wrapper, if necessary. Submit all copies of electronic media in a single box. If submitting more than one box, include in one of the boxes a master packing list summarizing the contents (i.e., volume number, copy number, and volume name) of each box, by box number. For the boxes containing Volumes V, VI, and the Volume I Technical Proposal Addendum, Offerors shall ensure that address and/or identification labels (other than those required by the shipping carrier) are reasonably discreet to protect the nature of the contents, and shall affix said labels to no more than two sides of each box. These packing instructions also apply to all subcontractor submissions.

Segregation of Cost or Pricing Data

All information relating to contract cost or pricing data shall be included only in the section of the proposal designated as the Price Proposal Volume. Under no circumstances shall Offerors include contract cost and pricing data in Volumes I through IV. In the event that cost and pricing data are included in Volumes I, II, III, or IV, that data will be excluded from the evaluation.

Electronic Versions of Proposals

Unless otherwise stated in this solicitation, Offerors shall ensure that electronic versions of proposals do not contain any substantive information not included in the paper versions. In the event of a discrepancy between the paper version and electronic version of a proposal, the electronic version will govern. Electronic proposal submissions and supporting information shall be submitted on CD or DVD media in a format that can be accessed using a standard PC-compatible CD/DVD drive. The Government will not accept submissions on any other electronic media, such as flash memory cards or USB flash drives. Prior to submittal, the Offeror shall ensure that all CD/DVD media do not contain computer viruses or other malware.

Labeling

Each CD/DVD shall be labeled with the solicitation number, proposal volume number and title, the Offeror’s name, date of submittal, security classification level, serial/copy number, any restrictive marking permitted by the FAR (see FAR Part 15), and “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104.” The Offeror shall also submit a hardcopy directory listing with each CD/DVD submitted. All unclassified CD/DVDs shall be marked “Unclassified.” Classified CD/DVDs markings shall conform to the requirements of the DD Form 254 and the NISPOM.

File Formats

Unless otherwise required by the specific proposal content requirements outlined in this solicitation, Offerors shall submit electronic files in the formats prescribed herein.

Drawings

Drawings shall be submitted in both a file format compatible with AutoCAD 2013, and in PDF format, unless otherwise specified.

Integrated Master Schedule

The Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) shall be submitted in the Offeror’s native electronic file format in addition to PDF.

Other Content

In general, all other files submitted to the Government shall be compatible with Microsoft Office 2016. All text and proposal narrative shall be submitted in Microsoft Word format. All spreadsheets shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel format with all mathematical equations used for calculations visible and traceable. All viewgraphs shall be submitted in Microsoft PowerPoint format. All schedules shall be submitted in Microsoft Project format. No fields or documents may be password protected. Offerors shall not embed sound or video files into the electronic files. All Microsoft Excel files shall be completely readable and editable such that the Government may readily ascertain the validity of the pricing and formulas, or other data contained therein. All data and tables shall be submitted in a printable format. A duplicate set of all proposal files in PDF format may be submitted only as a supplement to the Microsoft Office format files. All Adobe Acrobat files shall be word-searchable to the maximum extent practicable.

File Structure

Separate files shall be used to enable rapid retrieval of all contents, including exhibits, appendices, and attachments, if any. Each volume shall be organized into directories within the CD/DVD that duplicate the volumes and partitions used in the paper version of the proposal.

Page Size and Format

The narrative material in each proposal shall be single-spaced, typed, or printed in 12-point Times New Roman font. Text within tables, diagrams, pictorial charts, or graphic material may use no smaller than 8-point font in Times New Roman or Arial font. Paper, excluding foldouts, shall be 8 1/2 × 11 inches (standard letter size) with a minimum margin of 1 inch around the page. Drawings in the Design Appendix may be submitted in standard AMSE Y14.1M sizes.

Numbering

Every section, figure, and table shall be numbered. Paragraphs within sections need not be numbered.

Double-Sided Printing

Per FAR 52.204-4, proposal material shall be presented on double-sided pages only. Each double-sided page count will count as two pages.

Fold-Out Sheets

Foldout sheets may be used for charts and graphs where necessary to depict organization, layout, or implementation schedules. Foldouts shall be uncomplicated to preserve clarity. Extensive written text or tabular data, beyond that reasonably required, shall not be included in the material presented on the foldout sheet. Foldout pages shall not exceed 11 × 17 inches and shall fold entirely within the volume. Each non-blank side of a foldout sheet will count as two pages for page count purposes. Foldouts for the Technical Proposal (Volume I) are limited to a total of 25 foldout sheets.

Proposal Submission

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must be received by the Government no later than the time and date specified herein. Please note that this solicitation establishes staggered delivery dates for technical and non-technical volumes. Specifically, Volumes I through IV are due prior to Volumes V and VI. The time and date specified in Block 9 of the SF 33 refers to the deadline for receipt of Volumes I through IV, but Offerors must meet the proposal receipt deadlines for all proposal volumes in order to for the entire proposal to be considered timely.

Proposal Due Dates

Proposal volumes must be received by the Government no later than 12:00 PM local time on the due dates indicated. “Local time” refers to the time zone for Washington, DC. Failure to submit any one proposal volume by the required deadline will render that Offeror’s entire proposal submission late, regardless of whether other volumes are submitted timely.

Due Date for Volume I Addendum

The Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) required by paragraph L.4.1.3.1, labor curves required by paragraph L.4.1.3.2, and Factor 4 Data Rights narrative and artifacts required by paragraph L.4.1.4 are not subject to the due date for Volumes I through IV. Rather, this content shall be submitted in an addendum to Volume I with the same due date as that for Volumes V and VI. Content in the Volume I addendum will count towards the overall Volume I page limit, unless an exception applies.

Proposal Validity

At a minimum, each proposal shall remain valid at least through September 30, 2020.

Method of Submission

The preferred method of…