Government Answers to Offerors Questions - N00024-24-R-6231_9.05.24.pdf

Question

Number Document Page #

Section/

Paragraph Question Proposed Action/Change Government Answers

1 Solicitation N/A N/A

Can you confirm if both COMSEC & SIPRNET are required for the prime contractor? We have seen similar efforts accept proximity to the customer as a suitable method for secure information exchange.

Proximity to the customer is not a suitable method for secure information exchange. SIPRNET is necessary.

2 Solicitation 1 Block 9

Based on the GFI not having been issued pre-RFP, and RFP GFI now becoming available to prospective Offerors following approval of the Terms of Use agreement of the RFP, respectfully request an extension to the proposal due date, from 9/23/24 to 90 days after issuance of the GFI to all prospective Offerors that have requested the GFI.

The proposal due date extension request is denied. The Government will not extend the due date for proposal submission.

3 Solicitation 132 Section L 1.0 Is NISPOM not applicable or applicable?

NISPOM is applicable. Please see Solicitation Amendment 1, Section L 1.0 for updated language which aligns with the DD 254.

4 Solicitation 133 Section L 1.0

Can Offerors request access to all classified documents, after the specified timeline in Section L 1.0 of the solicitation? The solicitation currently states within ten (10) calendar days of RFP release.

Offerors can request access to all classified documents past the 10 day requirement, however the Government will not be extending the proposal due date if an Offeror requests the classified documents later than 10 days after RFP release. Please see

Solicitation Amendment 2, Section L 1.0 for updated language.

5 Solicitation 137, 171 Section L 1.7

RFP Section L 1.7 states the SDP is located in the appendix and has a page limit of 5 pages. No SDP Rationale is mentioned.

L-227-H002 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NAVSEA) (p170) states in part:

"The initial SDP shall not be subject to the technical proposal page limitation of the solicitation....Offerors shall also submit an SDP rationale...

The SDP rationale is subject to the technical proposal page limitation of the solicitation and shall not exceed 5 pages."

Could the government please clarify the location of both the SDP and SDP

Rationale in the Proposal and the page limitation of each?

As stated in RFP Section L 1.7, right above the “Appendix Documents” table: “The below items are considered as being part of the appendix to Volume I and do not count against the page limit stated above”. SDP and SDP Rationale are part of the appendix to Volume I.

The “Appendix Documents” table under RFP Section L 1.7 is updated to read as:

- "Software Development Plan (SDP) rationale”. See RFP clause L-227-H002 (b) on page 170 for requirements.

-In addition, added “SDP” with “none” page limitation

SDP: see RFP Section L 2.1.2.7 on page 145 for requirements.

6 Solicitation 16, 21 Section C 3.0.2, C3.2.1.1

Is contractor-site SIPRNET access required prior to award of the contract, or is only the ability to setup a SIPRNET network, along with the requisite

COMSEC, required?

Per RFP Section C, SOW paragraph 3.0.2: COMSEC & SIPRNET are not required at contract award but need to have the ability to setup a SIPRNET since it is required and will be needed for performance of the contract.

7 Solicitation 69

E-246-W004

(NAVSEA) (OCT

2018).

Final inspection and acceptance at receipt is appropriate for this clause.

Recommend this clause change to, “Final inspection and acceptance shall be made by the COR and/or DCMA within 15 days after receipt.”

E-246-W004 (NAVSEA) (OCT 2018) is updated to read as such “Final inspection and acceptance shall be made by the COR and/or DCMA within 15 days after receipt.”

8 Solicitation - A0002 7, 17 Section L 2.1.4 Please clarify where CPAR evaluation documents should be provided in

Volume I.

Request an Appendix Document be added to provide CPAR evaluations with a page limit of None.

Per RFP Section L 2.1.4, CPARS are part of Factor 4 which is part of Volume I. Per

RFP Section L 1.7, Volume I has a total page limit of 200 pages.

9 Exhibit A, CDRLs 2 CDRLs

Please confirm the SOW References (Block 5) to CDRL A002. SOW

3.4.10 and 3.23 are misidentified for the IPMDAR or the SOW excludes the CDRLs.

Please 1) update Form 1423 with correct SOW reference, or 2) Update the

SOW.

CDRL A002 Block 5 is updated to read as such: "SOW Para 3.2.1, 3.2.3, 3.2.5", which will be reflected in Amendment 3.

10 Solicitation - A0002 11 Section L 2.1.2.1 Is the SEMP requested in item d. expected to use the DID outlined in

CDRL A038?

Confirm the SEMP Deliverable to be provided according to L 2.1.2.1.

Similar to the IMS, and WBS dictionary, remove the SEMP deliverable from page count and add as an appendix to Volume I.

SEMP requirement is specified per RFP Section C SOW paragraph 3.3.1. SEMP does not have page count. RFP Section L 1.7, Appendix Table is updated accordingly which will be reflected in Amendment 3.

Attachment 4 and

Solicitation - A0002 1, 10

Attachment 4 and

Section L 2.1.1..1

There is no GFP identified within Attachment 4. Was this intentional?

According to L-2.1.1.1, “Any GFI or GFP/E/M required to complete the

STEB baseline development, shall be identified. Note that any GFI or

GFP/E/M listed above what is listed in Attachments 3/4 will constitute an exception to the solicitation and may render the proposal ineligible for award.”

Since the Attachment is blank, does this mean that the USG intends to not provide GFP?

Clarify if the omission of GFP in attachment 4 was intentional.

If not, please provide updated Attachment 4 or confirm vendors shall propose GFP.

The Government intends to not provide GFP, therefore it was intentional. GFP requirement is specified per RFP Section L 2.1.1.1

12 Solicitation - A0002 17 Section L 2.1.4

Solicitation does not appear to be clear on whether Past Performance

Questionnaires are required for programs with CPARS evaluations, as third paragraph directs “Offerors shall fill in page 1 and 2 of the Past

Performance Questionnaire for each customer and include as part of their proposal.”

Confirm that Past Performance questionnaires are not required for program examples with CPARS past performance evaluations

Per RFP Section L 2.1.4 second paragraph: "If CPARS are not available, Offerors shall provide Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) to their customers for completion…"

13 Solicitation - A0002 8, 24 Section L 2.0, L

2.3.2

Is pricing information permitted in Volume III?

L 2.0 states, “NO COST INFORMATION SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN

ANY VOLUME OTHER THAN VOLUME II.”

L.2.3.2 requires the completion of the SF33 and solicitation fill-ins in

Volume III which will include cost/price information.

Revise Section L2.0 statement to state, “NO COST INFORMATION

SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN ANY VOLUME OTHER THAN

VOLUME II and III”

This update will be made in Amendment 3.

14 Solicitation - A0002 10 Section L 2.1.1.1

The requirement for a Sample Task BOM is missing from the page limitations in the Appendix Table within Section L 1.7.

Please confirm that the Sample Task BOM is required and is excluded from the page count limitation.

Update L-1.7 to include the Sample Task BOM and its removal from page count limitations.

Per RFP Section L 2.1.1.1 fourth paragraph: "The BOM will be included in the

Volume I Appendix and is not subject to any page count limitations." RFP Section L

1.7, Appendix table is updated accordingly.

15 Solicitation - A0002 24 Section L 2.3.1 Incorrect solicitation number is referenced.

Change “solicitation “N00024-24-R-6230" to “solicitation N00024-24-R-

6231" in Section L para. 2.3.1.

This update will be made in Amendment 3.

16 Solicitation - A0002 N/A N/A

The mod indicates “The purpose of this Amendment (A0001) to

Solicitation N00024-24-R-6231 is to update Section L 1.0.” however there are additional changes. For example, all information below 2.3.8 in Section

L has been removed.

Confirm A0001 contains all changes to Section L and please provide a conformed copy of the RFP in Word to facilitate fill-ins.

Amendment A0001 updates only Section L 1.0. All information after Section L 2.3.8 is still required.

17 Solicitation 134 Section L 3.2.1

The AIMTC website has had a problem which prevents downloading of the

GFI located there. Since there has been a delay in receipt of GFI, request the government extend the Q&A deadline, and also extend the proposal due date.

Extend deadline for questions and proposal due date, due to GFI distribution delays.

All GFI files were deleted and re-uploaded them and are fully functionally available for downloading. An extension will be provided in Amendment 3.

18 Solicitation - A0002 158

Section L 2.3.8 and all Section L related clauses

Will the Government please confirm that all Section L information/ clauses after L 2.3.8 is still required?

Yes, all Section L information/clauses after L 2.3.8 is still required. The intention of

Amendment A0002 is to update Section L 1.0.

19 Solicitation - A0002 N/A N/A Will the Government provide a current conformed copy of the solicitation with all sections?

Yes, the latest conformed copy of the solicitation with all sections will be posted.

20 Solicitation - A0002 14 Section L 2.1.2.6

Will the Government clarify whether the desired "10% minimum overall small business participation goal" is calculated as 10% of total proposed subcontracting dollars or 10% of proposed total contract value (TCV)?

10% of proposed total contract value.

21 Solicitation 4 Section B Does CLIN 0001 consist of labor pricing only (no development or prototype material)?

CLIN 0001 requirements are specified per RFP Section C SOW paragraph 3.0 and description is specified per SOW paragraph 3.1.1. No material pricing should be included with CLIN 0001.

22 Solicitation 4 Section B

Is CLIN 0002 intended to include direct material required for CLIN 0001 development and prototyping? If not, where is the CLIN 0001 material to be accounted for in the Attachment JS-3 Cost Element Table?

CLIN 0002 requirements are specified per RFP Section C SOW paragraph 3.0 and description is specified per SOW paragraph 3.1.2. Additionally see Section L 2.2.2 and Section L 2.2.2.2.

23 Solicitation - A0002 8 Section L 2.1.1.1

Paragraph 2.1.1.1 requires the BOM be included in the Volume I

Appendix. The Volume I Appendix Table in Amendment 2 does not include a line item for the BOM. Note that including the BOM in Volume I would be in conflict with 2.0, which states “NO COST INFORMATION SHALL

BE SUBMITTED IN ANY VOLUME OTHER THAN VOLUME II”.

Would the Government specify whether the BOM is part of the Volume I

Appendix documents, and if it is, should it just include the BOM without pricing?

See response in question #14 related to BOM. Per RFP Section L 2.0. "NO COST

INFORMATION SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN ANY VOLUME OTHER THAN

VOLUME II." The BOM should be submitted without pricing.

24 Solicitation - A0002 7, 12 Section L 1.7, L

2.1.2.4

The Table of Appendix Documents lists 3 resumes at 2 pages each for a total of 6 pages, and 4 Letters of Intent at 2 pages each for a total of 8 pages.

Section 2.1.2.4 provides 3 key personnel positions, and requires a resume and letter of intent for each position.

Please confirm that there should be 3 resumes, 2 pages each, and 3 (not 4)

Letters of Intent, up to 2 pages each, for a total of 6 pages for resumes and 6 pages for Letters of Intent.

Confirmed three (3) signed letters of intent. RFP Section L 1.7, Appendix table is updated accordingly which will be reflected in Amendment 3.

25 Solicitation - A0002 7, 8 Section L 1.7.1

Paragraph 1.7.1 states “…tabs are to be used for chapter breaks…”, followed by “…Pages excluded from the page count must contain only material pertinent to the page heading or be blank and marked

"Intentionally Left Blank.” Index pages and Tabs are required and shall be cross-referenced to the table of contents.”

Please confirm that these requirements are only applicable if the proposal is submitted as a printed/hard copy proposal. If not, please clarify what constitutes a “Tab” before a chapter break in a digital/electronic document.

The proposal shall be submitted through PIEE. The use of the words of tab just refers to any organization function to provide a divide between sections.

Government Answers to Offerors Questions Form - N00024-24-R-6231 - Submarine Tethered Expendable Buoy (STEB)

26 Solicitation - A0002 8 Section L 1.7.2

Section 1.7.2 states “All files submitted to the Government shall be compatible with Microsoft Office 2016.” and “All text shall be in Microsoft

Word 2016 (or compatible) or searchable Adobe Acrobat Portable

Document Format (PDF).”

Please confirm the Government considers searchable Adobe Acrobat

Portable Document Format files (PDFs) to be compatible with Microsoft

Office 2016.

Confirmed searchable Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format files (PDFs) to be compatible with Microsoft Office 2016.

27 Solicitation - A0002 7 Section L 1.7

The paragraph preceding the Table of Appendix documents states, “The below items are considered as being part of the appendix to Volume I and do not count against the page limit stated above.”

Please confirm the Administrative Documents (such as the Table of

Contents, Glossary of Terms, Acronyms List, Cross Reference Matrix, etc.)

may be placed at the front of the proposal (as is standard in most proposals and documents) while still being considered as being part of the appendix to

Volume I and therefore not included in page count?

Confirmed

28 Solicitation - A0002 23 Section L 2.3.1

In Volume I, the Table of Appendix Documents includes a requirement for a Table of Contents and Glossary. In Volume II, there is no requirement for a Table of Contents or Glossary. In Volume III, Section 2.3.1 Cover Letter, Item 10 requires a Table of Contents and Glossary to be included in the

Cover Letter. Please confirm if adding a Table of Contents in Volume II

Narrative at the front of the volume is acceptable.

Confirmed, that is acceptable.

29 Solicitation - A0002 17 Section L 2.1.4 Would an additional CPARS or past performance questionnaire from a non-major subcontractor be considered as part of our team past performance?

The total numbers of CPARS/PPQs can't exceed the requirements specified per RFP

Section L 2.1.4

30 Solicitation - A0002 7 Section L 1.7 Can the Government confirm that index pages are considered

"Administrative Documents?" and therefore not included in page count?

See response in question #27

31 Solicitation N/A N/A

Based on the summation of the above questions and unknowns with RFP

Amend 002, request a three-week extension to the Proposal Due Date to allow time for the Government to provide responses.

The three week extension request is denied. However, a extension will be provided in

Amendment 3.

32 Solicitation N/A Section L Are offerors required to provide and submit with proposal a signed solicitation and signed amendments?

Yes, this is required as stated in Section L 2.3.3

33 Solicitation 137 Section L 1.0

Does the restriction of the use of subcontractors with foreign ownership include large defense contractors within the Five Eyes (FVEY) community that have successfully mitigated all FOCI under an SSA with the Defense

Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and have maintained security compliance IAW the National Industrial Security Program

Operating Manual (NISPOM) for the safeguarding of classified information?

Yes, the restriction of the use of subcontractors includes ownership within FVEY. As stated in Section L 1.0, subcontractors shall not be under an SSA; however a Proxy

Agreement (PA) is acceptable.

34 Solicitation-A0003 159

252.215-7009

Proposal Adequacy

Checklist

Please confirm the requirement of the Proposal Adequacy Checklist since the solicitation does not require the submission of certified cost or pricing data.

Request deletion

Concur, certified cost or pricing data is not required with proposal submission;

however the clause will remain in the Solicitation in the event certified cost or pricing data is required due to no competition. If competition is received this clause will be deleted at award.

35 Solicitation N/A N/A

Can offerors type out some of the unclassified information stated in the classified document into a WORD document on their unclassified machine for use in proposal writing? Concur with request.