Questions and Answers N0016721R0004-Amendment 0001.pdf

Questions and Answers

N00167-21-R-0004

Question 1. In accordance with Section L part 4.3.2, “The Offeror shall submit proposed pricing for Section B.

Proposed Costs and Fee shall be provided for each applicable CLIN identified in the solicitation.” Please provide instructions in Section L regarding how offerors should prepare cost proposal estimates for CLIN 0004 along with details on the expectations for the post award meeting (i.e. remote or in-person with location, number of days, etc.). Please also include in Section M how costs for this CLIN 004 will be evaluated in the context of the Cost Volume.

Answer 1: The description for CLIN 0004 has been revised. The Government will not revise Section M because the information pertaining to how the Government will conduct its Cost Evaluation applies to the costs the offeror will propose for CLIN 0004. See Amendment 0001.

Question 2. Please confirm that a cost-plus fixed fee completion contract is anticipated. If so, B-216-H006 FEE TABLE should be deleted.

Answer 2: B-216-H006 Fee Table has been removed. See Amendment 0001.

Question 3. In Scope of Work Section 2.1, the five “applicable documents” should be made available with the published solicitation. Please explain how these electronic documents will be made available to offerors?

Answer 3: These documents are now included as Attachments in Section J. Reference Document 2.6 has been added. See Amendment 0001.

Question 4. Attachment 8 is missing from the published solicitation. Please provide the proper copy of Attachment 8.

Answer 4: Attachment 8 is uploaded. See Amendment 0001.

Question 5. Attachment 3, the Cost Summary Format, contains two worksheets, one is entitled “Material”. The material to be proposed for this solicitation is found in part 4.3.6 of Section L. Please remove this worksheet since material costs are prescribed elsewhere in the solicitation.

Answer 5: The Government provided Attachment 3, the Cost Summary Format, containing two worksheets, one entitled “Material,” in order to allow for offerors to submit their proposed costs for material. Additionally, the Government has revised the information provided in Section L.4.3.6. Offerors are advised that the estimate provided in Section L.4.3.6 is an estimate for travel. Offerors are also advised to carefully review the updated instructions pertaining to proposed material costs.

Question 6. Attachment 5, the Government Labor Hours, shows a base year and four option years. This solicitation has no option efforts, and is a five (5) year base effort. Please correct this attachment to reflect Base Years 1 through 5.

Answer 6: Attachment 5, Government Labor Hours is revised. See Amendment 0001.

Question 7. FAR clause 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards, is incorporated into this solicitation. That clause does not apply to this effort because over 80% of the hours to be performed will be performed by professional, exempt employees. Please remove this FAR clause from the solicitation

Answer 7: FAR clause 52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards has been removed. See Amendment 0001.

Question 8. FAR 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent rates for Federal Hires, is incorporated into this solicitation.

FAR 52.222-41 is not applicable for the reasons indicated above, and neither is FAR 52.222-42 per the prescribing clause. Please remove this FAR clause from the solicitation and contract.

Answer 8: 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent rates for Federal Hires has been removed. See Amendment 0001.

Question 9. FAR 52.246-18, Warranty of Supplied of a Complex Nature, is incorporated into this solicitation. This clause is for fixed price contracts and should be removed. Please remove this FAR clause from the solicitation and contract.

Answer 9: FAR 52.246-18 Warranty of Supplied of a Complex Nature remains in the solicitation. Please be advised that the prescription for use of this FAR Clause allows for use with research and development contracts, like the one contemplated with this Solicitation.

Question 10. There is a special clause, L-215-H004, Instruction for Pricing CDRLs, is incorporated into this solicitation. CLIN 0003 “CDRLs - Data Deliverables in accordance with DD 1423s attached to this document” is NSP per Section B of the solicitation. As just noted, these CDRLs fall under an unpriced CLIN 0003. Please remove this requirement from the solicitation and contract.

Answer 10: The Government is required to use Clause L-215-H004, Instructions for Pricing CDRLs, in all procurements where CDRLs are required. Further, this clause remains in the solicitation.

Question 11. What are Previously approved Single Process Initiative (SPI) processes as called out in special clause M-215-H003? If these do not exist, please strike this clause from the solicitation and contract.

Answer 11: The Government is required to include this clause in all competitive procurements. SPI is essentially a method to reduce or consolidate multiple contractor processes and save money. In other words, if the offeror has used/implemented an SPI process that was previously accepted by DoD, then such processes may be proposed. Additionally, please review DFARS 215.404-71-5. Further, this clause will remain in the Solicitation.

Question 12. DFARS 252.204-7020, NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements, is missing from this solicitation. It should be included in accordance with the interim rule and to avoid any confusion once the contract is awarded. Please add DFARS 252.204-7020 to this solicitation.

Answer 12: DFARS 252.204-7020 NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirement has been added. See Amendment 0001.

Question 13. Special clause G-232-H002, Payment Instructions and Contract Type Summary, part (b) identifies the contract as Cost Reimbursable for CLINS 0001 and 0002. It should identify CLINs 0001, 0002, and 0004.

Please make this correction.

Answer 13: G-232-H002, Payment Instructions and Contract Type Summary has been updated. See Amendment 0001.

Question 14. The third sentence of Section 4.6 of the SOW is confusing, which states, “The Bill of Materials for any delivery shall be submitted for approval prior to ordering of any items Packing Materials and Shipping to and from Navy facilities will be required.” Also, the requirement to have the material approved prior to ordering may negatively impact the schedule and process flow. Please delete this sentence from Section 4.6 of the SOW.

Answer 14: The third sentence of Section 4.6 of the SOW has been revised. See Amendment 0001.

Question 15. Section 8.0 of the SOW, as currently written, may cause potential schedule delays. The requirement to have the IT material approved prior to ordering may negatively impact the schedule and process flow. To mitigate potential schedule impacts, an exception should be added to the language of Section 8.0 which excludes the contractor from having to notify the COR for any purchases of IT related materials which will be incorporated as a component or subsystem of a required deliverable item.

Answer 15: The Government will not agree to this recommended change, and SOW Section 8.0 remains unchanged.

Question 16. There is some conflicting language in the solicitation regarding the method of proposal delivery, as section L 2.1 states email or DoD-SAFE will be sufficient, while L 2.2 states email only. Will email be sufficient, or does NSWC prefer the use of DoDSAFE?

Answer 16: L.2.2 has been updated – See Amendment 0001.

Question 17. In Section L part 4.1.3.4, it is stated that: The Offeror shall provide a Transition Plan that describes the proposed start-up process in detail, including all steps the Offeror intends to take in order to assume responsibility from the incumbent Contractor (if applicable). The Start-up Plan shall be consistent with the Offeror’s Technical Capabilities and Experience, and Cost/Price Proposal. As the incumbent, we do not need or have a transition plan. To remain compliant with the solicitation, how is the incumbent to price the transition plan if it will not be a cost to the government? Additionally, how will this transition plan be evaluated in Section M? If no transition plan is required, it will provide a cost savings to the Government, and these cost savings should be scored more favorably.

Answer 17: As stated in Section L 4.1.3.4, the transition plan is required only if applicable (“The Offeror shall provide a Transition Plan that describes the proposed start-up process in detail, including all steps the Offeror intends to take in order to assume responsibility from the incumbent Contractor (if applicable).” (emphasis supplied)).

Question 18. Section L, part 4.3.6 includes instructions to burden the prescribed travel and material costs. Please revise the table to include only the unburdened travel and material costs, and a total unburdened amount.

Answer 18: Section L 4.3.6 has been revised to include only travel. See Amendment 0001.

Question 19. In Section L, par 4.1.2, the Solicitation states: The Offeror shall divide the Staffing Plan into the required tasks, listing each task in the order in which it appears in the SOW. Does this mean that the staffing pan [sic] must show a row for each task and person separately, and therefore the cost proposal must contain price details by task in the same manner? Or is it acceptable to list all of the tasks that an employee is proposed to support along with estimated hours on a single line in the staffing plan? If the latter, the cost proposal would only contain cost data by year. If the former, the cost proposal would also need to be broken out by task, as well as by year, making for an unwieldly cost proposal for preparation and review. If it is the former, does the Government have an estimate for the percentage of work expected under each task area?

Answer 19: The Government provided Attachment 5, which provided the estimated number of labor hours for each labor category. The staffing plan provides columns for the information required from the contractor.

Question 20. Will a Master’s level degree, or Ph.D. in Mathematics meet the corresponding required or desired qualifications for the Principal Engineer category if the individual’s dissertation was fluids research related to Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture?

Answer 20: Attachment 6, Personnel Qualifications is revised. See Amendment 0001.

Question 21. Please provide details in Section M of how the goals (as found in Section L, 4.1.4 Subfactor D - Small Business Participation) for those socio-economic categories listed will be evaluated when compared against the tendered Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) and Small Business Subcontracting Plan (SBSP)?

Answer 21: Additional information added to 3.1.3.2 of Section M for the Small Business Participation evaluation factor. The Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required in accordance with FAR 52.219-9 and is not an evaluation factor. See Amendment 0001.