Att. L-09 REV 1 - Sections L & M Text Amendment 1 updated 9 Oct 2026.pdf

Attachment L-9 RFP Sections L & M

Section L - Instructions, Conditions, & Notices to Offerors or Quoters

1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

IMPORTANT: In order to be considered for contract award under this procurement, the Offeror shall possess a Defense Security Service SECRET facility clearance, SECRET personnel clearances and SECRET safeguarding capability at the time the proposal is submitted. The Offeror must have access to, or maintain a dedicated SECRET Test Facility. The physical construction of any SECRET facility must comply with DoD 5205.07-M Vol 3.

The Government may visit the Offeror’s facility, and any subcontractor’s facilities, at any time upon request during proposal evaluation. Failure to grant the Government access for a facility visit may result in the proposal being found unacceptable.

The Offeror (and any subcontractors performing SECRET-level work) shall not be:

• Under foreign ownership or control

• Under a special security agreement

• Restricted in access to Compartmented Information, Cryptographic Materials or Systems, Restricted

Data, or Formerly Restricted Data.

Any proposal that includes redlines, conditions of offer, or any other deviation from the solicitation requirements may be rejected by the Government.

Each Offeror is required to submit a complete and detailed proposal that clearly demonstrates an understanding of, and compliance with, all of the solicitation requirements. Proposals shall contain only material directly relevant to this acquisition. Offerors shall submit all information required by this solicitation, including any documents, exhibits, and other attachments referenced in Section J. Proposals shall encompass all the Contract Line Items (CLINs) identified in Section B of this solicitation. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE

INSTRUCTIONS OR CONFORM TO ALL REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THIS

SOLICITATION MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF THE OFFEROR’S PROPOSAL.

Proposals submitted in response to the solicitation must contain a comprehensive and detailed description of all relevant aspects of the proposed effort. Offerors shall not assume that previously submitted data or prior experience presumed to be known to the Government (e.g., previous projects performed for the Government;

data or services previously submitted or performed for the Government) will be considered as part of the proposal. Only information explicitly included in the Offeror’s proposal will be evaluated.

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 which merely paraphrase the solicitation in whole or in part do not constitute compliance with the requirements for proposal content as such the Government may find the proposal to be unacceptable. Discussions of each topic in the proposal shall exhibit continuity and logical progression.

The Government may use automated or AI‑enabled tools to assist in the administrative processing of proposals, including document ingestion, compliance checks, and organization of proposal materials. These tools will not independently evaluate, score, or rate any portion of an offeror’s proposal. All evaluation findings and ratings will be made exclusively by Government personnel.

For proposal purposes, the estimated date of Award is noted in L-211-H001. The Government reserves the right to award sooner or later if necessary. The start and end dates will be updated accordingly upon Award.

1.2 GOVERNMENT-WIDE POINT OF ENTRY (GPE)

This solicitation will be made available only through the Government Point of Entry System for Award Management (SAM) website at https://sam.gov. From time to time, the Government may post additional information to the SAM website relating to this solicitation (e.g. responses to questions, solicitation amendments, etc.). It is the responsibility of prospective Offerors to monitor the SAM.gov website for any such information.

1.3 COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT

Unless otherwise specified, the Naval Sea Systems Command Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) and Contract Specialists are the sole Government points of contact for this acquisition.

Ms. Roxie Thomas Procuring Contracting Officer roxie.p.thomas.civ@us.navy.mil

Mr. Isaac Paultz Primary Contract Specialist isaac.c.pautz.civ@us.navy.mil

Ms. Liz Bonilla-Sotomayor Secondary Contract Specialist liz.c.bonilla-sotomayor.civ@us.navy.mil

1.4 AVAILABILITY OF ATTACHMENTS AND OFFEROR’S LIBRARY

The Government will make available to Offerors an Offeror’s Library containing information to assist in the preparation of a proposal. The Offeror’s Library will also contain certain solicitation attachments that cannot be posted to the GPE. Documents in the Offeror’s Library may contain classified data and/or technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title, U.S.C. Section 2751 et seq. or Executive Order 12470).

1.4.1 Access Prerequisites and Required Documentation

To request access to the Offeror’s Library, the Offeror must first submit the following three (3) documents via email to ALL Government Points of Contact identified in Section L.1.3:

1. A completed DD Form 254 (Attachment J-1)

2. A completed and duly executed Terms of Use Agreement (TOUA) (Attachment J-12)

3. A completed Information Center Account Activation form (Attachment L-10)

The subject line of the email should read:

“Company Name - N00024-26-R-5246 (ECDIS) Offeror’s Library Set Access Request”

In the body of the email, the Offeror shall confirm the name and email address of the designated company representative(s) identified on Attachment L-10 who is authorized to receive account credentials and access to the Offeror’s Library Set materials.

Personnel Limits: Access is strictly limited to a maximum of two (2) individuals per Offeror, and a separate Information Center Account Activation form must be completed and submitted for each individual.

1.4.2 Authentication Credentials (CAC and ECA Requirements)

Access to the secure Offeror’s Library portal is protected by DoD Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and requires two-factor identity authentication. Each designated individual requesting account access must possess either an active DoD Common Access Card (CAC) or an approved External Certificate Authority (ECA) Certificate.

1. Mandatory Credential Reporting on Attachment L-10:

• Offerors must accurately populate all required credential identification data on Attachment L-10

(Information Center Account Activation Form) for each representative.

• If the representative holds an active DoD Common Access Card (CAC), the Offeror must provide the individual's DoD Identification Number / Electronic Data Interchange Personal Identifier (EDIPI) and card expiration date as requested on Attachment L-10.

• If the representative does not possess a DoD CAC, the representative must obtain an approved ECA certificate prior to account activation, and the Offeror must record the ECA Certificate Issuer (CA), Certificate Serial Number, Subject Distinguished Name (DN), and Certificate Expiration Date on Attachment L-10.

2. Account Provisioning Restriction:

• The Government will not issue username/password combinations alone for library entry. Account provisioning will fail if valid CAC or ECA identity credentials cannot be verified against the submitted Attachment L-10.

1.4.3 Instructions for Obtaining a DoD ECA Certificate

Prospective Offerors whose designated representatives do not already possess an active DoD CAC must obtain a DoD-approved Medium Assurance (or Medium Token/Hardware Assurance) digital certificate through the DoD External Certificate Authority (ECA) Program.

• Official DoD ECA Program Information: Detailed program information, vendor guidance, and certificate policies are maintained on the DoD Cyber Exchange External Certificate Authority (ECA) Program.

Approved ECA Certificate Authorities (CAs) DoD-approved ECA certificates must be purchased directly from one of the authorized commercial providers:

• WidePoint (formerly Operational Research Consultants / ORC):

o Website: https://eca.orc.com o Contact: ecahelp@orc.com | (800) 816-5548

• IdenTrust, Inc.:

o Website: https://www.identrust.com/certificates/eca o Contact: helpdesk@identrust.com | (888) 882-1104

Step-by-Step Acquisition Process

NOTE: The following instructions provide general guidance for obtaining an External Certificate Authority (ECA) certificate. It is the sole responsibility of the Offeror to follow the most current procedures and requirements as published on the official DoD Cyber Exchange website or by their selected certificate vendor. The Government assumes no liability for the accuracy or currency of the steps outlined below and will not be liable for any delays or costs incurred by the Offeror during the ECA acquisition process.

1. Application Submission: The applicant accesses the approved ECA vendor portal, selects the appropriate certificate type (e.g., ECA Medium Assurance Identity and Encryption certificate pair or Medium Token Assurance), and completes the online application.

2. Identity Verification & Proofing: The applicant must complete identity verification. Depending on the assurance level selected, this requires:

• Completing identity verification paperwork;

• Having the forms notarized by a certified Notary Public or validated in-person before an authorized Trusted Agent / Registration Authority; and

• Verifying company authorization and organizational affiliation.

3. Submission of Documentation: Notarized verification packets, corporate documentation, and identity validation forms must be mailed or securely transmitted to the vendor per vendor-specific instructions.

4. Certificate Retrieval & Hardware Provisioning: Once the vendor verifies identity and processes payment, retrieval credentials (activation PINs/passwords) are provided. If a hardware-based token (FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic USB token or Smart Card) is required, the vendor will ship the physical device, after which the certificate is installed and tested.

Timeline & Lead Time

• Standard Processing Window: The process to obtain an ECA certificate typically takes between three (3) to ten (10) business days (approximately 1 to 2 weeks), accounting for identity verification, notarization, physical document mailing, vendor review, and token delivery.

• Planning Caution: Offerors are strongly cautioned that expedited processing cannot be guaranteed. Offerors without existing CAC or ECA credentials must initiate certificate procurement immediately upon solicitation release to avoid missing the library access deadline.

Associated Costs:

• All costs and fees associated with acquiring and maintaining ECA certificates and necessary hardware (tokens, smart cards, readers) are the sole financial responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed by the Government.

• Current commercial vendor pricing typically ranges as follows (subject to vendor changes):

o Digital Certificate (1-Year to 3-Year validity): Approximately $150 to $270 per year per user for Medium or Medium Token Assurance identity/encryption certificate pairs.

1.4.4 Verification and Access Provisioning

Upon receipt, the Government will review and verify the duly executed TOUA and the DD Form 254. Following successful verification, the Government will process the Information Center Account Activation form (Attachment L- 10), grant access to the Offeror’s Library Set, and notify the Offeror via email that access has been provisioned. If the Government identifies any deficiencies or issues with the submitted DD Form 254 or TOUA that prohibit or delay access, the Government will notify the Offeror with details of the specific concerns to be resolved.

Throughout the procurement, any updates or additional Offeror’s Library materials will be provided to the same company representative(s).

1.4.5 Prime Contractor Responsibility and Subcontractor Restrictions

Access to the Offeror’s Library will be provided only to the Prime Offeror. The Government will not grant access to subcontractors, prospective subcontractors, suppliers, or any other non‑prime entities.

The Prime Offeror is solely responsible for executing a TOUA with each subcontractor before sharing any solicitation documents, data, or materials obtained from the Offeror’s Library.

The Prime Offeror must ensure that all technical and controlled data provided to subcontractors is handled, stored, protected, and distributed in full compliance with the TOUA, the DD Form 254, NISPOM (32 CFR Part 117), DFARS 252.204-7008/7012, and all applicable solicitation terms.

1.4.6 Deadline for Access Requests

The deadline to request access to the controlled solicitation documents and Offeror’s Library shall be 21 OCTOBER 2026.

Requests for access received after this deadline may not be considered, and the Government will not extend the proposal due date as a result of an Offeror’s failure to timely obtain required credentials (CAC or ECA) or timely submit a compliant request for access to the Offeror’s Library.

1.4 SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

Offerors shall submit written questions and comments related to this solicitation using the Offeror’s Question Submittal Form (Attachment L-1). For ease of Government review and to minimize response time, Offerors shall submit this form in the original file format. Do not convert the form to Portable Document Format (PDF).

To ensure the Government understands the context of the question, 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 amendments). In the event of a discrepancy between a response to a bidder’s question and the content of the solicitation, the solicitation shall take precedence.

Offerors shall not submit comments, questions, or inquiries to any Government representative other than the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialists identified in Section L 1.3.

Offerors may submit questions or request clarification of any aspect of this solicitation. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to bring to the attention of the Contracting Officer at the earliest possible time, but prior to the closing date, any ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or conflicts between the SOW or PWS (as applicable) and other solicitation documents attached hereto or incorporated by reference. Each question should identify solicitation number, document, page number, paragraph number or other identifier relating to the question. Questions without this information may not be answered. Acknowledgment of questions received will not be made

Offeror’s questions and associated responses will not be posted publicly. The Government will post Offeror’s questions and responses to the Offeror’s Library and/or directly to those Offerors who have an executed TOUA and meet the security requirements detailed herein.

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 claim. If the Government concurs with this identification, the Government will respond only to that potential Offeror. If the Government does not concur with this identification, it will inform the submitting Offeror and will not provide any further response. The Offeror may resubmit the question without the proprietary marking.

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. Only written questions will receive a response.

The deadline for receipt of questions is 4 NOVEMBER 2026. Any questions received after this date may not be answered prior to the deadline for the receipt of proposals.

Failure of the Government to answer questions received after the date stated in the original solicitation release will not constitute a reason to extend the due date of the proposal.

1.4.1 UNCLASSIFIED QUESTIONS

Submit written unclassified questions related to this solicitation via email to the PCO and Contract Specialist identified in Section L 1.2 above. Reference “N00024-26-R-5246 Question from [name of Offeror]” (without quotes or brackets) in the subject line of the message using Attachment L-1.

If an Offeror considers its question to be proprietary in nature, Reference “N00024-26-R-5246 PROPRIETARY Question from [name of Offeror]” (without quotes or brackets) in the subject line of the message using Attachment L-1.

1.5 SOLICITATION SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

This solicitation is unclassified, although some information provided in conjunction with this solicitation may be classified. The Government does not anticipate a need for Offerors to submit classified material in any proposal volume. All employees of the Offeror working on the classified portions of its proposal shall have active security clearances at the appropriate classification level. Offerors must provide a completed DD Form 254 (Attachment J-1) in order to gain access to and handle classified materials. Offerors must meet all clearance requirements detailed in the DD Form 254 (Attachment J-1) by the time of contract award. All classified material must be handled in accordance with the 32 CFR Part 117 in the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) (DoD 5220-22-M) and Industrial Security Regulation (DoD 5220.22-

R). OFFERORS SHALL NOT PLACE ANY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN ANY PORTION OF

ITS PROPOSAL.

1.6 AWARD WITHOUT DISCUSSIONS

Pursuant to 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.

1.7 PROTECTING CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Pursuant to DFARS 252.204-7008(c)(1), prospective Offerors are advised proper safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is considered a special standard of responsibility for this solicitation. See FAR subpart 9.1. Failure to properly safeguard and mark Controlled Unclassified Information in a prospective Offeror’s proposal in accordance with applicable regulation and policy (to include Executive Order 13556, the Defense Acquisition Regulations Supplement and DoD Instruction 5200.48) may preclude the Contracting Officer from being able to provide the required affirmative determination of responsibility. If the Contracting Officer is unable to affirmatively determine the prospective Offeror to be responsible, the prospective Offeror will be ineligible for award.

2.0 GENERAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

The completion and submission to the Government of an offer shall indicate the Offeror’s unconditional acceptance of the terms and conditions in the solicitation.

Offerors shall take care to submit a legible, neat, orderly, concise and comprehensive proposal. 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. The use of brochures shall be minimized and if used will count against page limits.

2.1 PROPOSAL STRUCTURE, FORMAT, AND PAGE COUNTS

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

VOLUME TITLE/DESCRIPTION PAGE LIMIT

I Technical Approach 50 II Management Approach 25 III Past Performance See Note 1 IV Cost/Price Proposal None V Standard Form (SF) None

30/SF33/Completed RFP

Note 1: The total page limit for this volume will vary depending on the number of subcontractors for which the Offeror must provide past performance information. The past performance narrative for the Offeror shall not exceed five (5) pages in length. The past performance narrative for applicable subcontractors (see Section L 3.3) shall not exceed two (2) pages in length for each subcontractor. Therefore, the page limit for this volume shall be (5 + 2x), where x represents the number of applicable subcontractors. For further details, see the instructions for Volume III.

Paragraph 3 of this section identifies specific items that will be exempt from the page count limitations set forth above. In addition, the following proposal content will be exempt from the page count limitations:

• Cover letter

• Table of contents

• Title pages

• Index pages

• Tabs

• Glossary

• Attachment J-5 Small Business Subcontracting Plan

• Attachment J-6 DFARS 252.227-7017 Data Rights Assertions List (Hardware)

• Attachment J-7 DFARS 252.227-7017 Data Rights Assertions List (Software)

• Attachment J-8 DFARS 252.227-7028 Data Rights Assertions List

• Attachment J- 9 Commercial Technical Data (TD), Commercial Computer Software (CS), or

Commercial Computer Software Documentation (CSD) – Government Use Restrictions

• Attachment J-10 Note B – Table 2 (Navy ECDIS AN/SYN-1 Hardware Peripherals) Pricing

• Attachment J-12 Terms of Use Agreement

• Attachment L-2 Proposal Cross Reference Matrix

• Attachment L-3 Integrated Master Schedule (Submitted by Offeror)

• Attachment L-5 Basis of Estimate (BOE) (Submitted by Offeror)

• Attachment L-6 Contract-wide Staffing Plan (Submitted by Offeror)

• Attachment L-7 Software Development Plan (SDP) (Submitted by Offeror)

• Attachment L-8 Contractor Award Announcement Information

The Government may consider any failure on the part of an Offeror to comply with these instructions to be an indication of how the Contractor will comply with contract requirements during contract performance.

Therefore, the Government encourages Offerors to contact the PCO and Contract Specialist via the Bidder’s Question Process outlined in Section L.1.4.

2.2 LABELING & ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS (PIEE)

Each proposal volume shall be submitted electronically through the PIEE Solicitation Module. Each volume shall be placed in its own top‑level folder, with clearly labeled subfolders for all required elements, attachments, and supporting documents identified in this section.

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, and CUI designation.

All information relating to contract cost or pricing data shall be included only in the Cost/Price Proposal Volume. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL OFFERORS INCLUDE CONTRACT COST AND PRICING DATA IN VOLUMES I, II, and III. In the event that cost and pricing data are included in Volumes I, II, and III that data will be excluded from the evaluation.

2.3 PAGE SIZE AND FORMAT

The narrative material in each proposal shall be single-spaced, formatted to 8.5x11 inch paper with one-inch margins in Times New Roman 12-point font. Text within tables, diagrams, pictorial charts, or graphic material may use no smaller than 8-point font in Times New Roman or Arial typeface.

Any revisions to Offerors’ proposals (if required) shall be submitted in two (2) forms: (1) a final clean revised document; and (2) a redlined document outlining the Offeror’s changes. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to provide any additional instructions regarding revisions to Offerors’ proposals via letter.

Every section, figure, and table shall be numbered; paragraphs within sections do not need to be numbered.

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 for clarity, shall not be included in the material presented on the foldout sheet. Foldout pages shall fold entirely within the volume and shall not exceed 11 × 17 inches. Each non-blank side of a foldout page will count as two (2) pages for page count purposes. Foldouts for the entire proposal are limited to a total of 25 foldout sheets. Foldout sheets contained in the Cost/Price Proposal (Volume IV) do not count towards the 25-sheet foldout limit.

2.4 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposals in response to this solicitation shall be submitted to the Government no later than the time specified in Block 9 of the SF 33 (13 January 2027). Offerors are advised that, due to ongoing mission requirements, the Government has no intention of extending the proposal due date. All submissions shall be provided by the date and time specified in Block 9 to ensure consideration for award. “Local time” shall refer to the time zone for Washington, DC.

Offerors are instructed to submit their proposal electronically via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) application located at https://piee.eb.mil. Mail (hard copies and CDs) offers, telegraphic offers, or facsimile offers will not be considered. Late proposals WILL NOT be considered. Partial proposals or attachments WILL NOT be considered. Offerors are advised to consult FAR 15.208 related to timely receipt of proposals.

Offerors intending to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation are advised to ensure a representative of their organization registers at the PIEE website within five (5) working days of solicitation release, and that the Proposal Manager role in the Solicitation Module is approved for the Offeror’s representative. A vendor registration guide for obtaining access to the PIEE Solicitation Module is posted to the Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy website at: https://dodprocurementtoolbox.com/site-pages/solicitation-module.

Proposals sent through proprietary or third-party File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites will not be accepted.

For instructions on how to post an offer, please refer to the Posting Offer demo:

https://pieetraining.eb.mil/wbt/sol/Posting_Offer.pdf.

Upon submission, the Offeror should receive a system notification of successful proposal submission from PIEE. Offerors are strongly encouraged to confirm receipt of the proposal materials with the Contracting Officer or Contract Specialist prior to the proposal submission due date and time. The inability of an Offeror to confirm receipt does not relieve the Offeror of its responsibility to submit its proposal by the due date and time.

Offerors shall address their package with the RFP number and Offeror’s company name. The Offeror is responsible for ensuring it drops off its proposals and generates a drop-off time prior to the proposal submission date and time. In the event of a dispute of proposal time submission, the submittal date and time documented in PIEE shall serve as the official time that the proposal was submitted to the Government. Late proposal submissions will be handled in accordance with FAR 52.215-1.

Proposals must be submitted as individual and clearly labelled to which Volume the file is in relation to:

Volume I Technical, Volume II Management Approach, etc. A separate file shall be submitted for each Factor.

Do not compress files (e.g., .zip, .rar, .7z) as the PIEE portal does not support these file formats.

All files uploaded must be scanned to ensure that there are no computer viruses within the file. The files shall be in a format that is compatible with and capable of being opened in the most current Microsoft Office Suite or Adobe Acrobat. The proposal shall have separate files. All spreadsheets shall be in Microsoft Excel format such that each mathematical equation is obvious and traceable. No fields or documents shall be password protected. If files are compressed, the necessary decompression program must be included. All Microsoft Excel files shall be completely readable and editable such that the Government may readily ascertain the validity of the pricing or other data contained therein with no locked cells.

All viewgraphs shall be submitted in Microsoft PowerPoint format. All text and proposal narrative shall be submitted in Microsoft Word format. All schedules shall be submitted in Microsoft Project format. Offerors shall not embed sound or video files into the electronic files. All data and tables shall be submitted in a printable format.

Offerors’ proposals submitted via the PIEE Solicitation Module shall not contain CLASSIFIED

INFORMATION.

2.5 MAJOR SUBCONTRACTOR PROPOSALS

For the purposes of this solicitation, major subcontractors are defined as any subcontractor proposed to perform 20% or more of the total hours under CLINs x009, x010, and x014. However, where otherwise minor subcontractors cumulatively perform more than 60% or more of the total hours under x009, x010, and x014 CLINs, all subcontractors performing under cost-reimbursable arrangements are considered major subcontractors and must propose as such.

Major subcontractors may submit proposals or supporting information directly to the Government. Major subcontractors shall not submit proposals by mail, courier, or sealed envelope. All major subcontractors must follow the same submission requirements described in Section L.2.4 for the Prime Offeror and must submit their proposals electronically via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) Solicitation Module.

Major subcontractors shall ensure their PIEE submission is clearly addressed with the RFP number, subcontractor’s company name, and the Prime Offeror’s company name with whom they are supporting.

Major subcontractors are responsible for submitting their proposals in PIEE by the due date and time listed in Block 9 of the SF 33. The Prime Offeror is responsible for coordinating with its major subcontractors and ensuring all required submissions are completed on time. If any major subcontractor fails to submit its proposal by the deadline, the entire proposal, including the Prime’s, may be deemed unacceptable.

Prime Offerors shall identify in Volume IV – Price Proposal any major subcontractor that will submit its proposal separately in PIEE. All subcontractors that do not meet the definition of major subcontractor are minor subcontractors.

3.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

Offerors shall provide the information requested in the following paragraphs in the volumes indicated. Each volume shall be written as a stand-alone to the greatest extent possible, minimizing the amount of cross-references to the other volume. However, cross-referencing within a proposal volume is permitted where its use would conserve space without impairing clarity. If additional information is provided in other volumes or sections, Offerors shall provide clear references to the location in the proposal where the information may be found. Any information required for each Proposal Evaluation Factor, that is not included in its designated volume, will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

An Offeror’s proposal shall be sufficiently detailed to enable Government evaluation members to make a thorough evaluation against specific factors established in Section M, and to arrive at a sound determination as to whether or not the prospective Offeror will be able to perform in accordance with the stated requirements.

Discussions of each topic in the proposal shall exhibit continuity and logical progression. Data shall be organized to enable Government personnel to thoroughly evaluate the proposal. A concise, legible, neat, orderly and comprehensive proposal is required. The Government does not assume the duty to search for data to cure problems it finds in proposals. Failure to conform to all requirements of this solicitation may form the basis for rejection of the proposal.

The Offeror shall complete the Proposal Cross Reference Matrix, Attachment L-2, mapping the specific sections of the Offeror’s proposal to the corresponding subsections of this solicitation, specifically Sections L and M. A cross-reference to the Evaluation Criteria of Section M is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as evidence that such Criteria have, in fact, been satisfied. This Attachment will not count toward the proposal page count limits set forth in the RFP. The Offeror may expand upon the Proposal Cross Reference Matrix Attachment L-2 if needed.

1.1 VOLUME 1: FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL APPROACH

Do not include cost or price information in this volume. The information contained in this volume shall enable Government personnel to thoroughly evaluate and arrive at a sound determination of whether or not the proposal meets the requirements of the solicitation. To this end, this volume shall be specific, detailed, and complete enough to demonstrate clearly and fully that the Offeror understands the objectives and has a thorough understanding of the solicitation requirements for accomplishing the efforts under this solicitation and the technologies involved. Proposals may include block diagrams, flow diagrams, sketches, drawings, schematics, and interface descriptions required to describe the Offeror's proposed concept. The technical section must be sufficient to show how the Offeror proposes to comply with the Government's requirements and must include a full explanation of the methodology and procedures to be followed. The Offeror must also identify and evaluate any risks associated with the Offeror’s proposed approach and propose mitigation steps to minimize the Government’s risk in accepting the Offeror’s proposed solution.

The Offeror shall clearly state any and all assumptions made in developing the proposed solution. Attachments J-2 and J-3 provide a complete list of all Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Furnished Information (GFI) that the Government intends to provide under this contract. The Offeror shall not assume the use of any GFE or GFI not listed in Attachments J-2 and J-3.

The Technical Approach Volume shall address the following elements:

• Element 1: Software Engineering Support Approach

• Element 2: Hardware Engineering Support Approach

• Element 3: Integration Approach

• Element 4: Staffing Plan Approach

1.2 ELEMENT 1: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING SUPPORT APPROACH TECHNICAL

SOLUTION

The Offeror shall provide a clear and comprehensive description of its software engineering approach— encompassing sustainment, development, and design—and detail the methodology for accomplishing all requirements defined in Section C. This section must include a full explanation of the proposed procedures, a Software Development Plan (SDP) rationale justifying the approach for a multi-platform environment, and an evaluation of associated risks with corresponding mitigation steps. The rationale shall address, at a minimum, Open Architecture (OA), Commonality of Hardware/Software/Firmware and Interfaces, Cybersecurity, and prospective Critical Program Information (CPI) with current protection rationale. Additionally, the Offeror shall describe its approach to providing the Government early and continuous insight into the process, its reuse philosophy to reduce costs and schedules, and its strategy for minimizing inter-component dependencies to improve maintainability and reduce integration risk.

The Offeror shall identify all technical data and software to be delivered and shall submit any assertions of restrictions on the Government’s rights in accordance with DFARS 252.227‑7017. For each assertion, the Offeror shall:

• Identify the specific data or software to which the assertion applies;

• State the rights category being asserted; and

• Indicate whether the Offeror is willing to provide greater rights (e.g., GPR or Unlimited Rights) and the associated price for the Government to obtain those rights.

The Offeror shall describe how its proposed technical approach ensures compliance with these data‑rights requirements and supports the Government’s ability to maintain, modify, and sustain Navy ECDIS software throughout the program lifecycle.

The Offeror shall describe its corporate capability and previous experience in providing complex engineering services, including software design, development, sustainment, detailed technical documentation, and troubleshooting for Navy ECDIS or systems of similar complexity. This demonstration must highlight the specific capabilities and resources used to support testing efforts necessary for Navy ECDIS interfaces. To substantiate software reliability claims, the Offeror shall provide historical metrics as evidence of build stability prior to delivery on previous projects of similar scope.

The Offeror shall demonstrate its ability to manage development, integration, and sustainment across diverse and multiple platforms and interfaces. This description must detail the Offeror’s approach to maintaining the configurability and adaptability of software architecture and algorithms while ensuring consistent performance and backward compatibility with all existing variants of Navy ECDIS hardware. The Offeror shall provide specific details on its methodology for sustaining, managing, and controlling a single-source baseline that accommodates multiple integration requirements and simultaneous baselines across all versions of the system.

The Offeror shall provide a software build plan detailing how each build will be planned, developed, integrated, tested, and delivered. The plan shall explain the objectives and content of each build, including features, fixes, and technical-debt items, while defining the planned build schedule and cadence. It shall further detail the development and integration workflow, the automated testing processes and tools utilized prior to integration, and the methods for collecting and analyzing data from pre-integration testing. Finally, the plan must define clear entry and exit criteria for build acceptance and identify all documentation and artifacts that will accompany each delivered build.

The Offeror shall provide a plan for long-term software sustainment and the reduction of life-cycle maintenance costs, including the specific process used to resolve Software Trouble Reports (STRs) within the single-source library. This description must include how STRs are triaged, assigned, tracked, and closed, as well as how fixes are verified and documented. The Offeror shall also explain how STR data is analyzed and applied to improve the quality and stability of future builds.

1.3 ELEMENT 2: HARDWARE ENGINEERING SUPPORT APPROACH TECHNICAL

SOLUTION

The Offeror shall provide a comprehensive Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing, and Sustainment Plan that covers the entire lifecycle from design and development to production and long-term sustainment. The Technical Proposal must be specific and complete, clearly demonstrating a thorough comprehension of the solicitation requirements and the capability to perform them in accordance with Section C. The Offeror shall describe its overall hardware production and sustainment approach, illustrating the intended method for accomplishing each requirement. Additionally, the Offeror must discuss its relevant corporate experience in performing engineering, integrated manufacturing, and hardware production work of comparable size and complexity to Navy ECDIS, providing this information only as needed to support the proposed technical approach.

The Offeror shall describe its approach to manufacturing engineering and integrated production planning, detailing how it will plan, control, and execute a fully integrated manufacturing effort to meet specified performance requirements. This section must include a manufacturing plan and work flowchart demonstrating throughput and major process activities from contract award through the shipment of the first item, encompassing inspection, component-level testing, and acceptance testing in compliance with SOW Section

5.2.1. The Offeror shall detail its production line readiness, manufacturing technologies intended for use, and its capability to achieve production schedule goals. Furthermore, the Offeror must describe its process for managing changes or deviations to the Government-provided Technical Data Package (TDP), specifically explaining how Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) will be evaluated, implemented, and controlled in accordance with SOW Section 3.9.1.3

The Offeror shall detail its material acquisition and control system, explaining how it tracks material orders, monitors delivery status, and utilizes automated features within its management information systems to communicate and resolve identified delays. In accordance with Section F, the Offeror must provide a detailed production schedule for the first delivery of each item—excluded from the page count—showing the timeline in weeks for long lead material procurement, item production, manufacturing acceptance testing, and a Production Readiness Review (PRR) prior to the first production items. The Offeror shall also identify associated schedule and manufacturing risks. For any manufacturing technologies or tasks carrying a medium to high risk of successful completion, the Offeror must provide a detailed risk description, an evaluation of likelihood and consequence regarding cost, schedule, and performance, mitigation steps, contingency plans, and root cause analysis methodologies. The Offeror shall describe the project management control tools used to manage this schedule performance.

The Offeror shall describe its quality management and acceptance test approach to ensure all delivered production systems are of high quality, free of defects, fully operational, and compliant with the Prime Item Development Specification (PIDS). This description must verify the Offeror's test capabilities and clearly explain how the proposed quality management approach meets the requirements of ANSI/ASQC/ISO Q9001:2000 for ensuring the production quality of all delivered systems.

1.4 ELEMENT 3: INTEGRATION TECHNICAL SOLUTION APPROACH

The Offeror shall submit a full Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) as Attachment L-3, created in Microsoft Project (.mpp) format, which will be excluded from the page count. Assuming a notional contract award date of 24 Sept 2027, the IMS must be consistent with and traceable to all other proposal parts, meeting the requirements of Section C, paragraph 3.2.3. The schedule shall clearly define the critical path and include all meetings, reviews, and Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) deliverables required by the SOW. At a minimum, the IMS shall detail at least three subtask levels under each primary task, displaying predecessor and successor mapping. Additionally, the Offeror shall identify any areas of schedule risk within the IMS and provide corresponding mitigation plans.

The Offeror shall describe a non-generic, Navy ECDIS-specific Systems Engineering (SE) and System of Systems (SoS) approach that manages multiple requirement sets, interfaces, and warfare areas. This description must explain how performance and interface requirements are allocated to a balanced system design and flowed down to hardware and software engineering teams. The approach shall demonstrate how the Offeror will manage new or evolving requirements at the SoS level—including coordination with sensor and contact suppliers—and communicate effectively with multiple platform organizations. Furthermore, the Offeror must explain its System Security Engineering (SSE) process for designing a system protected against external threats and vulnerabilities. The Offeror shall demonstrate its operational understanding of Navy ECDIS Program Integrated Product Team (IPT) and Working Group (WG) requirements by detailing how its SE process will dictate role allocation, team selection, and necessary personnel qualifications.

The Offeror shall detail its plan and relevant experience using Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) or interfacing automated tools to execute a structured SE process. The Offeror must explicitly describe how it will provide the Government with continuous insight and oversight through early design disclosure and direct access to contractor tools, documents, and databases. To support these SE efforts, the Offeror shall explain any planned virtualization of the Navy ECDIS system. Concurrently, the Offeror must demonstrate its ability to manage multiple simultaneous software builds within a single-source library, describing the specific tools and processes utilized to optimize, standardize, and control software development across all system variants.

The Offeror shall provide a Configuration Management Program Plan (CMP) demonstrating its understanding of acquisition CM requirements and detailing its experience successfully initiating programs compliant with SOW Section 3.9.1.1. The proposal shall describe how the implemented CM Program will effectively manage baseline configurations, track design changes, and seamlessly execute the Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) process.

The Offeror shall detail its approach and previous experience regarding the testing of manufactured and Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products of similar complexity, particularly electronic components. The testing methodology must ensure all submitted items are fully operable, function properly, and meet the specification requirements of the provided or Government-approved revised Technical Data Package (TDP).

This approach must comprehensively align with SOW requirements for First Article Testing (Section 5.1.2), Manufacturing Acceptance Testing (Section 5.3.5.2), and Final Acceptance Testing (Section 5.3.5.3).

1.5 ELEMENT 4: STAFFING PLAN APPROACH TECHNICAL SOLUTION

The Offeror shall submit a comprehensive Technical and Staffing Proposal that provides sufficient detail to allow the Government to evaluate the proposal in accordance with the evaluation criteria established in Section M. The proposal must be clear, concise, and directly address the execution of the requirements outlined in Section C (Performance Work Statement / Statement of Work).

The Offeror shall submit a detailed Staffing Plan, Attachment L-6, that explicitly demonstrates the Offeror’s ability to successfully meet all requirements of Section C. The Staffing Plan shall describe the Offeror’s methodology for structuring and managing personnel, including how the proposed approach achieves an optimal balance between overall team size, management span of control, and technical support capability. The plan must detail how the Offeror will maintain a fully integrated approach across all task areas to ensure seamless execution.

Within the Staffing Plan, the Offeror must provide a detailed personnel roster that identifies the proportion of proposed named individuals versus unnamed (e.g., "To Be Hired") personnel. The proposal should clearly identify specific personnel who are committed to the effort, distinguishing them from generic labor categories or positions that require future recruiting.

For all Level-of-Effort (LOE) CLINs, the Offeror shall provide a master labor mix that includes labor categories, hours, distribution of effort, and the rationale supporting the proposed mix. If the Offeror proposes any deviations from the Government-recommended LOE labor mix, the proposal must explicitly identify and isolate these deviations. The Offeror must clearly identify the deviation and provide a comprehensive narrative analyzing the associated risks and benefits. The Offeror must fully justify why the proposed labor mix and labor hours are appropriate to accomplish the mission requirements.

The Offeror shall propose a labor mix for all engineering services as described in Section L, paragraph 3.5.1.

The response shall include detailed job descriptions that outline the skills, abilities, and levels of experience for all proposed personnel. Additionally, the Offeror shall describe its corporate availability of qualified personnel to ensure the continuous provision of Engineering Services throughout the contract period, detailing a specific plan to recruit and ramp up staffing if necessary.

The Offeror must also include a comprehensive assessment of implementation risks associated with their proposed staffing and technical approach. The proposal must identify potential risks to successful execution, including transition or initial staffing hurdles, and present detailed, actionable mitigation strategies to address and overcome them.

Finally, the Offeror shall clearly articulate the continuity of relevant corporate experience within their proposed workforce. The proposal must identify the extent to which personnel proposed for this contract contributed to the Offeror’s previous relevant experience and highlight proposed individuals who have previously supported the hardware and software development efforts of similar size and complexity.