N00173-23-R-GD01 0001.docx

N0017323RGD01

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

CLIN 0002

The CLIN extended description has changed from:

Other Direct Costs in support of CLIN 0001. None fee bearing.

To:

Other Direct Costs in support of CLIN 0001. None fee bearing. Offerors shall propose $7,509,425 for this CLIN.

SECTION J - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

The following have been modified:

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 – Personnel Qualifications Attachment 2 – Statement of Work Attachment 3 – Past Performance Questionnaire Attachment 4 – Cost Spreadsheet Attachment 5 – Small Business Participation Commitment Document Attachment 6 – Direct Labor Rate Substantiation Table Attachment 7 – RFP Questions and Answers

Exhibit A - CDRLs

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

SECTION L

SECTION L

L-1 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS/OFFERS

The Offeror shall submit all information required by this solicitation. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the solicitation may result in the Offeror being deemed non-responsive and therefore not eligible for award.

The Offeror’s proposal shall be based on the requirements contained in this solicitation (including those documents, exhibits, and other attachments to the solicitation identified in Section J). Offeror’s are required to submit a proposal encompassing all items listed in Section B of this solicitation.

Each Offeror shall submit only one proposal which represents its best approach to meeting the requirements of the solicitation. No alternative proposals will be accepted by the Government.

In order to allow for procurement lead time and a fair and equal evaluation of all proposals submitted under this competitive solicitation, all proposals shall be based on a contract start date of October 2023. This date is only an estimate of the anticipated contract start date and will be used for the purpose of evaluation only. A definitive start date will be incorporated at time of contract award.

(1) Background

The Government contemplates award to one (1) Offeror with a single prime contract as a result of this solicitation.

(2) Solicitation Security Classification

This solicitation is unclassified.

(3) Proposal Delivery Information

Offeror’s are instructed they may submit questions in response to this solicitation until 15 days after proposal posting.

Proposals in response to this solicitation will ONLY be accepted via electronic transmission in DoD SAFE. Offerors, and subcontractors as necessary, shall contact the Contract Specialist 2-3 business days prior to the day it intends to submit a proposal in order to obtain a DoD SAFE drop-off request. Subcontractors shall follow the same procedure if they need to submit proprietary rate information.

All reference to proposal “pages” in this section refer to the electronic version only. No paper copy proposals shall be submitted.

Proposals in response to this solicitation not received by the date and time specified on the SF33 will be considered late, as defined by FAR 52.215-1. Timeliness of receipt of proposals will be determined based on the receipt time in DoDSAFE.

L-2 PROPOSAL VOLUME REQUIREMENTS

This section delineates general information and requirements to be followed in the preparation of the Offeror’s proposal. An Offeror’s failure to comply with the content requirements will be considered during evaluation and will result in a lower evaluation rating or ineligibility for award.

An Offeror’s proposal shall be sufficiently detailed to enable Government Evaluation Board Members to make a thorough evaluation and sound determination as to the prospective Offeror’s ability to perform in accordance with the stated requirements based on the Offeror’s proposal submission alone.

The Offeror’s proposal shall be specific, detailed and complete so as to clearly demonstrate to the Government that the Offeror has a thorough comprehension of and capability to perform all aspects of the solicitation requirements to include but not limited to technical capability, management approach, and efficiencies, as required by the SOW and all other sections and attachments contained in the solicitation.

Offeror’s should assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their abilities, experience, or knowledge and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror's proposals ONLY. The Contractor should not presume that data previously submitted, or presumed to be known (e.g., data or services previously submitted or performed for the Government), will be considered as part of the proposal. The Government does not assume the duty to search for data to cure deficiencies it finds in proposals. Failure to conform to all requirements of this solicitation may form the basis for rejection of the proposal.

General statements such as but not limited to, “the Offeror understands the method for performing the engineering efforts (or any portion thereof) and can or will comply with the requirements of the solicitation”, "the Offeror utilizes standard IT industry support methodologies” and "ensures the highest response rates” will be considered inadequate. The Offeror’s proposal must address all topics described in the following section(s).

The Proposal MUST include the following information in Volume V to be eligible for award.

Standard Form 33 (SF 33), “Solicitation, Offer and Award,” the Offeror shall complete, sign, and submit the SF 33 with blocks 12 through 18 populated, as well as all sections with applicable fill-ins. Submission of a signed offer to the Government constitutes agreement and acceptance of the solicited terms and conditions. The representative who signs this form must be authorized to contractually bind the company providing the offer. The Offeror must also include and acknowledge all amendments. The information contained in SF 33 is exempt from the font and spacing requirements identified under Section L-2 (2).

Small Business Subcontracting Plan, The Offeror’s attention is directed to Section I clauses FAR 52.219-9 and DFARS 252.219-7003 entitled “Small Business Subcontracting Plan” and FAR 52.219-16 entitled “Liquidated Damages – Small Business Subcontracting Plan.” As prescribed in FAR 19.708, Offeror’s other than small business concerns shall submit a small business subcontracting plan which once approved, shall be made part of any contract resulting from this solicitation. The information contained in the Small Business Subcontracting Plan is exempt from the font and spacing requirements.

Sections A through K “Solicitation, Offer and Award”: Offeror’s must fill in all areas of the solicitation listed as Offeror fill-ins. The information in Sections A through K is exempt from the font and spacing requirements.

Section B, Supplies or Services and Prices: Offeror’s shall complete all pricing (including Section B Table B-1), including proposed costs and fees, in WHOLE DOLLARS only. The information in Section B is exempt from the font and spacing requirements.

Section K, “Representation, Certifications and Other Statements of Offeror’s”: The Offeror shall complete all requirements in Section K of this Solicitation. The information in Section K is exempt from the font and spacing requirements.

The Offeror shall include a signed statement, on the Offeror’s letterhead, stating that the associated proposal:

a) Is for all requirements as stated in the solicitation (including all attachments, appendices, exhibits, and amendments);

b) Is made without qualification, condition or exception to any terms and conditions appearing in the solicitation; and

c) Is valid for a period of one-hundred and eighty (180) days from the date established for the receipt of proposals.

(1) PROPOSAL CONTENT:

The Offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table below. The titles and contents of the volumes shall be as defined in this table, all of which shall be within the required page limits and with the number of copies specified in the table. The contents of each proposal volume are described in the paragraphs noted in the table.

Proposal Organization

1 = Word AND PDF 2 = Excel (unlocked, all formulas traceable)

The proposal volumes discussed below shall be accompanied by a cover letter (letter of transmittal) prepared on the company’s letterhead stationery. The cover letter (letter of transmittal) shall identify the contractor’s name, address, UIED #, cage code, business size and all enclosures being transmitted. It shall be used only to transmit the proposal and shall include no other information. The cover letter shall be in accordance with FAR 52.215-1, paragraph (c)(2).

The proposal shall contain all the pertinent information in sufficient detail to permit evaluation. The proposal should be detailed and complete in order to clearly demonstrate that the Offeror has a thorough comprehension of all technical and other requirements. If an Offeror fails to comply with content requirements, its proposal may be downgraded for failure to follow instructions.

(2) PAGE SIZE AND FORMAT

A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches. Pages shall be single spaced. Except for the reproduced sections of the solicitation document the text size shall be no less than 12 point font. Use at least 1 inch margins on the top and bottom and each side. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. In the upper right header of all pages, the Offeror shall include the following information: RFP #, volume #, volume title, and page #.

Legible tables, charts graphs and figures shall be used wherever practical to depict organizations, systems and layout, implementation schedules, plans, etc. These displays shall be uncomplicated, legible, and shall not exceed 11 X 17 inches in size. Larger pages that would normally be provided as a paper foldout pages shall count as two pages for each side; double sided shall count as four pages. Foldout pages may only be used for large tables, charts, graphs, diagrams and schematics not for pages of text. For tables, charts, graphs and figures the text shall be no smaller than 8 points. These limitations do not apply for the Volume III – Cost Spreadsheet (Excel).

Within all Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, the Offeror shall use formulas and functions to the maximum extent possible and avoid using output type “value only” cells. Excel sheets shall be developed in an organized manner, that allows for the Government evaluator to easily trace all functions/formulas and to recreate the spreadsheet. Spreadsheets shall not be protected.

No hyperlinks to external documents shall be allowed within the proposal. Proposals shall not be supplemented by any additional package or reference documents.

(3) COST OR PRICING RELATED DATA

All cost or pricing data shall be addressed ONLY in the Cost/Price Proposal (Volume V) and Contract Documentation Volumes. Cost trade-off information, work hour estimates, and material kinds and quantities may be used in other volumes only as appropriate for presenting rationale for alternatives or design and trade-off decisions. No cost or pricing information shall be included in the Offeror's forwarding letter or in any part of its submitted Volume I- Non-Cost.

(4) CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Proposals shall not contain classified information.

(5) FILE NAMING CONVENTION

Offeror’s shall name files using the naming conventions mentioned in the Proposal Organization table above. Each file must be stored in a folder that corresponds to the proposal volume it represents. The files within the folder must be named in an unambiguous manner, using plain text language, which facilities accessing the files for evaluation. Offeror’s shall insert the file name in the header of each document.

A date shall be placed on each page of the proposal corresponding to the date of the initial proposal. If a Final Proposal Revision (FPR) is required as a result of discussions, all revised pages shall contain revision numbers and corresponding date.

(6) FINAL PROPOSAL REVISIONS (IF NECESSARY)

The changes in text from original proposal submission shall be identified by tracked changes in the electronic files provided. A note/comment identifying the associated question from discussions shall be included. Offeror’s are not required to resubmit the full responses provided during discussions. The Offeror’s responses to the questions asked during discussions shall be incorporated by updated text in the FPR submission as applicable, and incorporated by reference using a note/comment to reference the applicable response(s) provided during discussions. References to applicable discussion questions shall be identified in all applicable sections of your FPR. It is acceptable to replace excel files in their entirety and explain any changes in the word document text. In the event of any inconsistencies between the FPR and discussion question responses, the FPR shall take precedence.

(7) PAGE COUNT

The page count shall include all material with printed matter and figures. Each page shall be counted except for the following: cover pages, table of contents, cross reference tables, tabs, glossaries, acronym lists, subcontractor/teaming agreements, past performance questionnaires, CPARS reports, transmittal letters, staffing plans, transition plans, resumes, and letter of commitments. 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 TOC. Every page, except those marked as blank, shall be numbered. If the proposal exceeds the page limit identified, the Government will remove all pages exceeding the specified page count from the back of the proposal prior to the evaluation.

(8) PROPOSAL PREPARATION BY NON-EMPLOYEE

In the event that any portion of the proposal is written by someone who is not a bona fide employee of the firm that is submitting the proposal, a certificate shall be furnished and signed by an authorized official of the Offeror’s firm and shall indicate the following details.

· The Person’s Name

· The Person’s Employment Capacity

· The Person’s Employer

· The Relationship of that Person’s Employer to the Offeror; and

· The Portion of the Proposal that was Written by that Person

This certificate requirement applies to both the prime and any subcontractors. The certification will not count against page count and shall be provided in Volume V. Although legible, neat, orderly, and comprehensive proposal(s) are required, elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond that which is sufficient to present a complete and effective explanation are not desired.

L-3 VOLUME I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The Technical Volume should be specific and complete. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. Your responses will be evaluated against the Technical Capability Factor including Subfactors defined in Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award. Using the instructions provided below, provide as specifically as possible the actual methodology you would use for accomplishing/satisfying the technical capability factor.

(1) VOLUME ORGANIZATION

The Technical Volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

i. Introduction (2 Pages)

ii. Table of Contents

iii. List of Tables and Drawings

iv. Glossary

v. Technical Proposal (48 Pages)

a. FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL

· Subfactor 1: Technical Understanding

1. The Offeror shall demonstrate its specific knowledge, capability, and approach (for both Prime and Subcontractors) to perform all aspects of the requirements in accordance with Attachment 2 – Statement of Work.

2. The Offeror shall provide sufficient details and convincing rationale that address how the Offeror intends to meet the requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of its facilities, capabilities, or experience. The Offeror shall assume that simply rephrasing the Government’s requirements will indicate a low confidence that the requirements are understood.

3. The Offeror shall demonstrate, in detail, their specific experience, knowledge, capabilities, and approach (for both prime and subcontractors) to accomplishing the requirements in the SOW.

4. The Offeror shall include sufficient details to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of the technical proposal. The proposal must demonstrate the Offeror’s overall understanding of the scope of work and all requirements, and shall document the approach to and feasibility of performing the work as described in the SOW. Clear identification is the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

5. Offerors shall identify technical uncertainties and assumptions within the requirements set forth in the solicitation and provide specific courses of action for their resolution. Offeror’s proposals shall include detailed examples of specialized knowledge, capabilities, experience, and qualifications, such as internal initiatives, certifications, training programs, prior or current Government or private industry contracts, join research projects, participation in industry organizations, and/or membership in Government councils or other applicable ventures.

6. The Offeror shall also describe the company’s experience in performing relevant projects with scientific and technical tasks similar in size, scope and complexity to the areas required in the SOW. The documentation should be sufficient to demonstrate both the prime and any subcontractors’ breadth and depth of experience as it relates to the SOW and should clearly demonstrate the relationship between the company’s experience and the tasks required; prior or current programs in the areas; and technical understanding of all areas. Simply restating text from the SOW will not be acceptable. Offeror’s shall provide sufficient detail to demonstrate experience in scope and similarity to the requirements as detailed in the SOW.

· Subfactor 2: Personnel Qualifications

1. The Offeror shall provide all personnel with the particular expertise and experience in accordance with Attachment 1 – Personnel Qualifications. The Offeror shall demonstrate its ability to provide qualified personnel with acceptable experience levels. The Offeror is instructed to propose utilizing the skill mix and labor categories identified in section L and Attachment 1. The Offeror is instructed to propose exactly the hours identified in the Section L table. The Offeror is instructed that any deviation from the total quantity of hours or deviation from the individual labor categories annual required hours will not be evaluated and will be ineligible for award.

2. The Offeror’s proposal shall demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to provide personnel to carry out the SOW in accordance with Attachment 1. Offeror’s proposals shall document the following, specifically:

1. The experience of all proposed personnel;

2. The qualifications of proposed key personnel;

3. The availability of all personnel to support the effort on a full-time permanent basis (for all full-time employees only); and

4. The proposed personnel’s ability to span the total requirements (60 months).

The Offeror’s proposed Key personnel must be currently employed by the Offeror or the Offeror must provide documentation showing their immediate availability upon contract award. A statement of commitment by the Offeror stating the proposed personnel will be committed to the effort in its entirety is required, the statement shall include the proposed percentages each will be performing against the resulting contract and shall be signed by all proposed key personnel not currently employed by the Prime Offeror. The Offeror’s proposed key personnel shall be available for work efforts on the first day of the task order period of performance start date. The proposed non-key personnel shall be available for work efforts within two weeks of after the task order period of performance start date.

The Offeror’s Key Personnel commitment shall include names along with their labor category, proof may include commitment letters from Key Personnel or proof of current employment with the company. It is critical that the Offeror has properly committed key personnel with relevant experience and qualifications to complete the proposed work rather than just “corporate history” that does not transfer to the existing personnel who will perform the proposed work. Key personnel tasking levels shall be substantiated by name in the cost volume rather than generic labor categories. Resumes are required for all proposed key personnel.

A labor category crosswalk shall be provided, if the names of the offeror’s proposed labor categories differ from the RFP stipulated labor categories.

· Subfactor 3: Management Capability

1. Offeror shall demonstrate its approach and ability to effectively manage all efforts under this solicitation and resultant task orders. Topics shall include: controlling personnel, controlling utilization of resources, tracking deliverables, monitoring performance and obtaining Government feedback. Offeror shall describe processes to be used by Offeror’s technical leadership to ensure specific subtasks are being performed effectively and efficiently.

2. Offeror shall provide an organization chart that demonstrates the location of this work in the Offeror’s organization and demonstrate how this effort will receive sufficient corporate-level attention during performance. The plan shall describe the Offeror’s corporate structure and ability to manage a high performing team, describe the procedures in place for monitoring and controlling costs, and also demonstrate that the Offeror will be successful in undertaking these management and cost control efforts.

3. Provide a narrative description of your management strategy to manage this effort successfully including organizational structure, staffing plan, transition plan and critical management systems. (See Subfactor 3 definition in Section M-2)

4. The Offeror’s proposal shall demonstrate the capacity to routinely and rapidly respond to the general science, engineering, and support requirements of a research laboratory.

5. The Offeror’s proposal shall detail the sufficiency of the Offeror’s staff to accommodate program changes within the scope of the SOW.

6. The Offeror’s proposal shall detail the Offeror’s management plan, which should include a description of how the different tasks can be effectively and efficiently managed with minimum demands upon Government personnel. It should include, as applicable: management experience and involvement, quality control, risk management, systems engineering, hardware development, configuration management and subcontract management.

7. The Offeror shall also provide a narrative description of its management experience on projects with scientific, engineering and technical efforts similar to those required in the SOW. This description should clearly demonstrate how the contractor’s management plan defines the company’s management efforts resulted in its ability to meet performance requirements, cost, and schedule goals on projects of similar size and complexity.

8. Staffing Plan: The Offeror’s proposal shall detail the Offeror’s staffing plan for all proposed key personnel and non-key personnel. Only Key Personnel shall be specifically identified by name in the staffing plan, all other proposed staff shall be identified by labor category. A list of the Government’s minimum requirements for Key Personnel and the role they shall exhibit during the execution of this contract is included in Attachment 1. All personnel and their respective tasks shall cross-reference with SOW tasking’s. The Offeror is cautioned that staffing plans for individuals and all proposed tasks must propose the same mix and amount of hours as that of the cost proposal. Discrepancies between the labor mix identified in the technical and cost/price proposal may result in a lowering of the adjectival rating in the technical proposal or a cost realism adjustment.

The Offeror shall provide a mapping of any company-specific labor categories it, or one of its Subcontractors, proposes in the Staffing Plan to the Government labor categories defined in the Labor Category Qualifications provided as an attachment in Section J, if necessary. This mapping shall include a description, similar in detail to the Government labor categories, of the requirements/qualifications associated with each company-specific labor category contained in the Offerors Staffing Plan, including company-specific labor categories proposed by subcontractors.

The Staffing Plan Narrative shall describe how the proposed personnel have the required knowledge and capabilities to execute the proposed technical approach. When read together with the other parts of the Offeror’s Technical and Management Volume, the Offeror’s Staffing Plan should demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to successfully meet the requirements of Section C herein. The Offeror shall not be penalized for use of Subcontractors, but shall describe in the narrative how the proposed team provides optimal balance between size, manageability, and support capability while maintaining an integrated approach

The staffing plan shall include identified, contingent hire (candidate is not currently employed by the Offeror or major subcontractor, but is identifiable by documentary evidence), and unidentified (candidate is not currently employed by the Offeror or major subcontractor and documentary evidence is not available) employees. For any contingent hire personnel on the staffing plan, who do not currently work for the Offeror or major subcontractor, the Offeror shall provide documentary evidence of the individual’s availability to support these requirements (e.g., work agreements, contracts, and letters of intent). Work agreements, contracts, letters of intent and other relatable staffing support documentation shall not count toward the Volume I page limitation.

9. Transition Plan: The Offeror’s proposal shall detail the Offeror’s strategy for assuring a smooth and effective transition between the Offeror’s proposed personnel and the incumbent’s personnel into the ongoing system development, maintenance, and operations efforts.

The proposed Transition Plan shall document:

a. the Offeror’s plan for the transition of personnel (contractor personnel shall have the necessary skill set and be able to execute on the first day of the contract, only acclimation/gaining familiarity with NRL is allowable, there is no budget for training);

b. the Offeror’s transfer of work control and information;

c. the Offeror’s compliance with NRL security regulations; and

d. the Offeror’s method for processing and assigning tasks during the phase-in/phase-out periods.

The proposed Transition Plan shall also address how the Offeror will implement adequate measures to coordinate communications with the Awardee and NRL staff in order to ensure minimal impact during the transition process. The proposal shall detail the Offeror’s ability to complete all the transition activities within 90 days after contract award.

To ensure that Volume I is evaluated strictly on its merit, no cost information is to be included in this proposal.

L-4 VOLUME II – PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

(1) VOLUME ORGANIZATION

The Past Performance Volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

i. TABLE OF CONTENTS

ii. GLOSSARY

iii. INTRODUCTION

iv. SECTION I – PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRES AND TRANSMITTAL LETTERS

v. SECTION II –PREVIOUS CONTRACTING NARRATIVES

Past Performance Volume II shall be specific and complete.

The Government reserves the right to use contract performance data provided in the Offeror’s proposal and additional contract performance data obtained from other sources, such as the Government’s Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) database, personnel knowledge and from the points of contact identified by the Offeror in its proposal.

(2) SECTION I: RECENT AND RELEVANT PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE

Offeror’s shall provide NRL Past Performance Questionnaires and/or CPARs reports with their proposal (attached to the RFP) for no more than five relevant efforts within the last five (5) fiscal years as of the date of this solicitation release.

Offeror’s considered to be a “large business” are required to address historical compliance with the requirements of FAR Part 52.219-8 (Utilization of Small Business Concerns) in a separate narrative not to exceed one page. In addition, large businesses are required to address historical compliance with the requirements of FAR Part 52.219-9 (Small Business Subcontracting Plan) and DFARS 252.219-7003 (Small Business Subcontracting Plan, DOD Requirements) in a separate narrative not to exceed one page.

The contracts identified should demonstrate in-depth knowledge and successful implementation of contracts of similar scope and complexity to this solicitation. Similar scope and complexity means having performed the types of support efforts identified in the Statement of Work for this solicitation. The identified contracts can be with Federal, Commercial, or other customers. For each contract, the Offeror shall identify at least one of the following customer

Points of Contact (POCs): Program Manager (PM), Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). The Offeror shall provide the current address, phone number, and e-mail address for each POC.

Offeror shall submit one (1) Past Performance Questionnaire, provided as Attachment 3 in Section J, to each of its customer POCs identified in the Recent and Relevant Past Performance References. In order to expedite the assessment process, the Offeror may complete the "Contract Information" portion of the Past Performance Questionnaire for the convenience of the customer POC. The Offeror shall not, however, complete any other section of the Past Performance Questionnaire. The questionnaire shall be provided to the customer POC with instructions to complete and submit it directly to the Contracting Specialist, Graham Irby, at graham.irby@nrl.navy.mil on or before the proposal due date. Electronic submission is required. The Offeror's past performance volume shall contain copies of the first page of the Customer's Questionnaire and the transmittal letters.

The Government reserves the right to limit or expand the number of references it decides to contact and to contact other references than those provided by the Offeror. The Government reserves the right to consider any questionnaire received after the due date and contact those offices that do not respond to the questionnaire.

(3) SECTION II: PREVIOUS CONTRACTING EFFORT NARRATIVES

For each of the Past Performance Questionnaires and/or CPARs reports submitted, the Offeror shall also provide a Previous Contracting Effort Narrative detailing the following information in Volume II:

i. Describe how the effort for this past contract/task order relates to this acquisition in scope, size, and complexity.

ii. Describe significant achievements, challenges, or obstacles that were encountered during contract performance and the measures taken to overcome them.

iii. Provide performance criteria/measures that were applied in evaluating performance, for each contract identified. The performance criteria/measures should be specific and show the target performance levels that are/were set forth under the applicable contracts as well as the level of performance achieved, for the most recent period of performance of each contract.

NOTE: The Government reserves the right to use contract performance data provided in the Offeror’s proposal, and additional contract performance data obtained from other sources, such as the Government’s CPARS database, personnel knowledge and from the points of contact identified by the Offeror in its proposal. The Government reserves the right to use this information in part and whole for both the Prime Offeror and any/all subcontractors. The Government will review the overall Past Performance picture before making an award decision and this section will be evaluated accordingly.

L-5 VOLUME III – SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

Subcontractor/teaming agreements shall be included in this volume. The Offeror shall submit letters of intent, teaming agreements or other evidence of commitment by Subcontractors to support the successful Offeror's team as part of Volume IV. Failure to submit letters of intent, teaming agreements, or other evidence of commitment by named Subcontractors, or failure to name Subcontractors, may be deemed by the Government to present a significant risk to the Offeror's ability to perform the work required under this solicitation

(2) SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION PLAN:

In order to gather data to assess the contractor’s small business participation in accordance with FAR 52.219-8, the contractor shall develop and submit a Small Business Participation Plan. The Small Business Participation Plan is separate from the FAR requirement for a Small Business Subcontracting Plan and is required from both small and large businesses. The contractor shall ensure that Small Business Subcontracting Plan submissions are consistent with the Small Business Participation Plan information, if a Subcontracting Plan is required. This Small Business Participation Plan shall reference specific details of how the contractor will utilize small business participation as the prime or as first tier subcontract level throughout the period of performance of the contract. The Small Business Participation Plan shall provide percentage of total work performed by small business compared to the total contract value.

All Offeror’s, including small business, that submit proposals as a prime contractor are required to propose on the extent of their inclusion of small businesses in the performance of the contract, including: small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, HUBZone small business, and service-disabled veteran-owned small business. The Government will assess the Offeror’s small business participation and commitment to determine if small business participation is maximized. Small business participation is a separate and distinctly different requirement from the FAR 19.704 requirement for the Contracting Officer to review and accept an Offeror‘s subcontracting plan. The small business participation plan is an actual commitment document that addresses the extent of small business utilization in the performance of a contract, as outlined in DFARS 215.304(c)(i). The small business participation plan outlines the "specifics" or the "how" or the "details" of the Offeror’s firm intentions to maximize the utilization of small businesses within this acquisition. The Offeror shall articulate small business contributions to contract performance at the prime contract through first tier subcontract levels. Second and third tier small business subcontractors will not be considered towards the total small business participation percentage.

All Offeror’s shall submit a small business participation plan as a part of its proposal. The final small business participation plan will be monitored as a measure of contract compliance in accordance with Section G. The final small business participation plan will be incorporated at contract award within Section J.

In accordance with DFARS 215.304(c)(i), small business participation is an evaluation factor under Section M-5 of this solicitation for both other than small and small business Offeror’s.

The Small Business Participation Plan shall not reference the Subcontracting Plan (if required) or any other volume for information; all information required within the Small Business Participation Plan must be contained within this document.

L-6 VOLUME V – SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

(1) SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN: A subcontracting plan is required (FAR 52.219-9) for Other than Small Businesses only.

Offeror’s are required to submit an individual subcontracting plan. The contracting officer will review subcontracting plans on an acceptable or unacceptable basis for compliance with FAR 19.704, FAR Clause 52.219-9 (Alternates and Deviations) and DFARS 252.219-7003. A subcontracting plan is unacceptable if it does not clearly meet the requirements of FAR 19.704, FAR Clause 52.219-9 (Alternates and Deviations), and DFARS 252.219-7003. The subcontracting plan shall be included in the offer, and the approved subcontracting plan shall be incorporated into the contract.

(2) The following does not apply to Small business concerns, the Small Business Subcontracting Plan (see FAR 52.219-9, and DFARS 252.219-7003 or 252.219-7004, as applicable), submitted by Large Business Offeror’s, shall meet the requirements of FAR Part 19 and DFARS Part 219 and at a minimum, the 5% congressional mandate on small business utilization.

L-7 VOLUME IV – COST PROPOSAL

The Cost Volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

i. Table of Contents

ii. Glossary

iii. Introduction

iv. Cost Proposal

a. A narrative by cost element.

v. Supporting Documentation

a. Supporting documentation may include: Facilities cost of money calculation, signed Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA), Forward Pricing Rate Recommendation (FPRR), provisional billing rate agreement, payroll information, escalation calculation, approved accounting system, approved purchasing system, approved estimating system, indirect cost pool description, subcontractor cost evaluations, subcontractor quotes, etc.

The Cost Volume IV - Microsoft Excel spreadsheet shall be organized in accordance with Attachment 4 (additional sheets may be used). Edits to the spreadsheet to comply with an Offeror’s accounting system/estimating practices are allowed but the Offeror’s populated spreadsheet should maintain the formatting of all rows and columns as found in Attachment 4.

Offerors shall provide separate price information containing prices for each and every line item as designated in the solicitation and should ensure that all certifications and representations within Section K of the solicitation have been accurately completed

(2) COST INFORMATION

Approximately two years (year 1 and 2) of the overall labor and material cost will be utilized for Task Order 1, which will be issued at the time of contract award.

To assist the Government in determining cost reasonableness/realism for this effort, the Offeror shall provide sufficient detailed cost information with the proposal to make this determination. In preparing the cost proposal, it is essential that the Offeror breakout and identify separately for each year of the contract, the following types of cost elements listed below.

The following is a non-exclusive list which serves as an example of the various types of cost elements which may be applicable:

Direct Labor Costs:

(1) Information including the name, title, and actual hourly rate shall be provided by the Offeror for each individual proposed for the labor categories identified in Section L (Offerors are to propose on the labor categories and hour estimates provided as the Level of Effort, L-12. Offerors who propose other than what is specified in the solicitation may be considered nonresponsive.) If the Offeror proposes direct labor rates based on a composite rate structure, then the Offeror should clearly identify the basis of the composite.

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

(3) The Offeror shall identify any escalation rates utilized in the preparation of their cost proposal, and should provide historical information pertaining to the actual escalation rate experienced over the past three (3) year period (if available, if the Offeror has less than three (3) years, provide as many as possible).

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

(5) Offerors shall provide a narrative explaining how each proposed labor category pay rate is derived.

Subcontracting Costs: The proposal shall include subcontract cost data in the same level of detail as provided for the Offeror. Any subcontracting costs shall be supported. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that this support documentation is received by the Government within the timeframe (i.e. closing date) established for this solicitation.

Consultants: If applicable, provide a detailed listing of consultants expected to be used, rationale for selection and associated costs which are proposed for reimbursement. Include those items of costs associated with consultants (i.e. hour’s proposed and hourly rate). A copy of the consultant agreement with the Offeror shall also be provided by the Offeror.

Indirect Rates: Offerors shall list the cost elements that comprise the overhead, general and administrative expenses, and the other indirect pools. All indirect rates shall be summarized. Offerors shall list proposed indirect rates, DCAA recommended rates, and historical actuals (audited and unaudited) for the past three (3) years. If proposed rates reflect negotiated forward pricing rates, a copy of the current forward pricing rate agreement shall be provided. If the rates are not negotiated forward pricing rates, then the basis for the proposed rates shall be explained.

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

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

Other Direct Costs: These costs represent material, travel and incidental subcontracting costs. For proposal purposes, the estimated base amounts for support costs have been pre-established and specified in Section B. Offerors are required to clearly identify as part of their proposal any indirect markup rates (i.e. G&A and material handling) which will be applicable to base support costs. The proposed amount for CLINs identified as Other Direct Cost (ODC) CLINs in Section B, shall include the estimated base amount and the Offeror’s proposed markup costs, which will be used for evaluation purposes. It is intended to reimburse support costs on the basis of actual reasonable and allowable costs. Lastly, it should be noted that all Other Direct Costs are non-fee bearing costs. The Offeror shall propose the Section B specified ODC amount in its proposal. The RFP specified amount in inclusive of Indirect Rates, so the Offeror’s proposed ODC amount shall not exceed that value.

Accounting System: In order to obtain a cost-reimbursement type contract, the Offeror’s accounting system must be considered adequate by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). Accordingly, an Offeror's cost proposal must provide information demonstrating their accounting system has been found to be (or is in the process of being found to be) adequate by DCAA. Subcontractors proposed on a cost basis must also have a DCAA approved accounting system, or a signed letter indicating that the subcontractor will utilize the Prime’s accounting system.

OFFERORS AND EACH SUBCONTRACTOR ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE DCAA BRANCH OFFICE FOR THEIR COMPANY, WITH THE NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS OF A COGNIZANT DCAA POINT OF CONTACT WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THEIR COMPANY. THE CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION IF KNOWN DISCREPANCIES EXIST BETWEEN THE CONTRACTOR'S PROPOSED COSTS AND DCAA RECOMMENDATIONS.

(3) GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. As part of your Cost Proposal submission, the Contractor is required to complete the Labor Rate substantiation table (See Section J) and provide all pertinent supporting information (DCAA Audit or rate check information) to facilitate the cost realism analysis of your proposed direct labor rate and all indirect rates (i.e. G&A, Overhead, etc.).

2. Offerors are cautioned that proposals unrealistically high or low in cost may be deemed reflective of an inherent lack of technical competence, or indicative of a failure to comprehend the complexity and risks of the proposed work, and may be grounds for rejection of the proposal.

L-8 VOLUME IV – CONTRACT INFORMATION

The Contract Information Volume IV shall be organized according to the following general outline:

i. Table of Contents

ii. Glossary

iii. Introduction

iv. Contract Information

(2) CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

SECTION A: SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The Contractor shall complete blocks 15 and 16, and sign and date blocks 17 and 18 of the solicitation. Signature by the Offeror on the solicitation constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept. The "original" copy should be clearly marked separately and should be provided without any punched holes.

The Offeror shall make a clear statement in Section A of the proposal documentation volume that the proposal is valid 180 days from the date of the solicitation closing date. Also, include all amendments signed.

SECTION B: SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

Refer to Section B of the solicitation and complete fill-ins.

SECTION H: SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Offeror’s shall make an affirmative statement that no OCI exists, if applicable.

SECTION K: REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENT OF OFFEROR’S

Completed representations, certifications, acknowledgements, and statements.

SECTION L: INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFEROR’S

Any information required to be submitted regarding assertions.

OTHER: SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Offeror shall provide proof of compliance of all security requirements set forth in the DD254 Attachment.

L-9 POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Pursuant to FAR 9.5 and the definitions provided therein:

Definitions: Organizational Conflict of Interest: FAR 2.1 defines “Organizational Conflict of Interest” as a situation in which “…because of other activities or relationships with other persons, a person is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the Government, or the person’s objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or a person has an unfair competitive advantage.” For the purposes of this contract, the term Organizational Conflict of Interest means that a relationship exists between the Contractor (including the successor-in-interest, assignee or affiliated divisions, subsidiaries, employees, Consultants, or Subcontractors, hereinafter referred to as “Contractor”) and another in which the underlying interests of the Contractor and the other party directly or indirectly (1) may influence, affect or diminish the Contractor’s ability to give impartial, technically sound, objective assistance, conclusions, advice or recommendations, or may otherwise result in a biased work product to or for the Government, or (2) may result in an unfair competitive advantage.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this clause is to ensure that the Contractor (1) does not obtain an unfair competitive advantage over other parties by virtue of its performance of this contract, and (2) is not biased because of its current or planned interests (financial, contractual, organizational or otherwise) which relate to the work under this contract.

Description of the Effort: This contract is for Research and Development services in support of various NRL Programs. In the performance of this contract, the Contractor may be required to make certain findings, conclusions and recommendations to the Government. The Contractor may also be required to have access to other Contractor’s proprietary data in order to make those findings, conclusions and recommendations to the Government. Because the Government requires total objectivity and impartiality in performance of this contract, the Contractor must be free from any biased influences and interests, which will affect, directly or indirectly, on the Contractor’s decision-making process.

Disclosure Statement: Offeror’s shall submit a statement within its cover letter in affirmation or negation whether they have an OCI conflict regarding this solicitation. If the Offeror is aware of circumstances that may hinder its ability to render impartial, technically sound, and unbiased assessments, recommendations and/or evaluations; or that circumstances exist that may result in the appearance that it may have any unfair competitive advantage, the Offeror shall provide a full disclosure statement. The statement must describe, in a concise manner, all relevant facts concerning any past, present, or currently planned interest (financial, contractual, organizational, or otherwise) relating to the work to be performed hereunder and bearing on whether the Offeror has a possible organizational conflict of interest with respect to: (1) impartial, technically sound, and unbiased assessments, recommendations and/or evaluations, or (2) being given an unfair competitive advantage. Prospective Offeror’s should refer to FAR 9.5 for policies and procedures for avoiding, neutralizing, or mitigating organizational conflicts of interest.