N0017324RBZ02_Amendment 0002.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30-105-04EXCEPTION TO SF 30

APPROVED BY OIRM 11-84

STANDARD FORM 30 (Rev. 10-83) Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

The purpose of this Amendment is to make the follow ing changes:

- Update Attachment 9.

- Update Attachment 8 to update paragraph numbering.

- Update Section F PoP for CLINs 0001-0004.

- Update language in Section L-11-1.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

S 1 18

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 01-Apr-2024

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA15C. DATE SIGNED15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Street, County, State and Zip Code) X N0017324RBZ02

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

07-Mar-2024

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

X The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offer is extended, X is not extended.

Offer must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN

REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(B).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

10A. MOD. OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO.(If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

01-Apr-2024

CODE

NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY

4555 OVERLOOK AVE SW

WASHINGTON DC 20375

N00173 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE

See Item 6

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

N0017324RBZ02

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

The following Delivery Schedule item for CLIN 0001 has been changed from:

DELIVERY DATE QUANTITY SHIP TO ADDRESS DODAAC /

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

29-SEP-2029

N/A N/A

FOB: Destination

To:

DELIVERY DATE QUANTITY SHIP TO ADDRESS DODAAC /

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

27-SEP-2029

The following Delivery Schedule item for CLIN 0002 has been changed from:

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

29-SEP-2029

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

27-SEP-2029

The following Delivery Schedule item for CLIN 0003 has been changed from:

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

29-SEP-2029

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

27-SEP-2029

The following Delivery Schedule item for CLIN 0004 has been changed from:

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

29-SEP-2024

CAGE

POP 28-SEP-2024 TO

27-SEP-2029

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

L-1 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Access to classified information is not required to submit a proposal for this effort. However, prospective Offerors shall have the required facility clearance in accordance with attached DD254 (Attachment 3) at the time of proposal submission and, at a minimum, key personnel available with final DoD granted personnel security clearances required for performance of the contract.

Offerors shall make a statement of compliance with all security requirements set forth in the attached DD254. An inability to meet security requirements at the time of proposal submission will result in an offer being deemed nonresponsive and eliminated from the competition.

L-2 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

If Government-Furnished Property (GFP) is required for the performance of any task order under this effort, the task order will clearly identify what is required and the time it is necessary for uninterrupted performance of the effort.

The items identified in any applicable task order will be managed in accordance with GFP regulations.

GFP is not required for this initial task order.

L-3 INQUIRIES CONCERNING THE RFP

Offerors may submit inquiries, questions or comments relating to this solicitation within 14 calendar days from the solicitation issue date via email to the Contract Specialist and PCO:

brandon.s.zellers.civ@us.navy.mil jason.d.calandruccio.civ@us.navy.mil

The e-mail subject line shall read: “N00173-24-R-BZ02_Questions”

The Government will consider all correspondence, but will not issue individual responses; instead, if appropriate, a solicitation amendment and/or responses will be issued via Sam.gov. No questions will be accepted via phone.

Individual meetings with firms will not be scheduled. Voicemails with questions and/or requests for meetings will not receive a response. Questions received after 14 calendar days will not be answered. Offerors are cautioned against directing any questions concerning this RFP to technical personnel at the Naval Research Laboratory.

L-4 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

All proposals shall be submitted in accordance with FAR 52.215-1- Instructions to Offerors - Competitive Acquisition, Alternate 1.

All proposals must be submitted via email to:

Brandon Zellers, email: brandon.s.zellers.civ@us.navy.mil Jason Calandruccio, email: jason.d.calandruccio.civ@us.navy.mil

Proposals submitted in any other method than email will not be accepted.

Offerors must submit a proposal by the closing date and time provided in block 9 of the SF33. To be timely, the proposal must be received in its entirety in the designated e-mail inbox by the closing date and time provided in block 9 of the SF33. A proposal that resides on a Government e-mail server, but has not appeared in the designated e-mail inbox by the due date and time provided in block 9 of the SF33 will be considered late unless the exception at FAR 52.215-1(c)(3)(ii)(A)(1) applies.

Offerors are responsible for ensuring the Government’s receipt of a complete proposal by the closing date and time provided in block 9 of the SF33. Proposal submission shall be in Adobe, Microsoft Word and Excel formats.

Offerors are advised that the Government may be unable to receive other types of electronic files (e.g., .zip files).

Due to file size limitations, it is recommended that Offerors submit proposals in separate e-mails. Each e-mail shall identify the solicitation number, volume number, series number of the email, and Offeror name in the subject line so the Government can easily determine whether all emails have been received (e.g. RFP #_Offeror Name_Vol. #_ series # of #):

“N00173-24-R-BZ02_AB Corp_Vol. I_1 of 5”

Proposals shall not contain classified data.

The anticipated award date for solicitation purposes is September 2024.

L-5 PROPOSAL CONTENT

In presenting material in the proposal, the Offeror is advised that quality of information is more important than quantity. Clarity, brevity, and logical organization should be emphasized during proposal preparation. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to present enough information to allow the various technical and management approaches, as well as price, to be meaningfully evaluated without discussions. The Offeror shall include any data necessary to illustrate the adequacy of the various assumptions, approaches, and solutions to problems. Unnecessary elaborate brochures or other presentation materials beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal is neither necessary nor desired.

(a) Proposal Acceptability

Comprehensive responses to the requirements of this Request for Proposals (RFP) are required to enable the Government to evaluate the Offeror’s understanding of, capability and approaches to accomplish the stated requirements. Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the instructions herein, and nonconformance with the specified required content may be cause for rejection of the proposal. Offerors are advised that material submitted in excess of that required herein will not be evaluated.

The Offeror’s proposal must include all data and information requested by this Request for Proposal (RFP) and it must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The Offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the RFP, SoW, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) and all other attachments.

Non-conformance with the instructions provided in this RFP may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

Alternate proposals that depart from stated requirements will not be considered and shall not be submitted.

The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience, and will base its evaluation entirely on the information presented in the Offeror’s proposal with the exception of past performance information.

(b) The proposal shall be valid for no less than 180 days from the date of RFP closing. The Offeror shall make a clear statement that the proposal is valid until the applicable date as referenced in the RFP.

L-6 PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION

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 specified in the table. The contents of each proposal volume are described in the paragraphs noted in the table.

PROPOSAL VOLUME* VOLUME TITLE PAGE LIMIT** ELECTRONIC

COPIES***

Cover Letter Cover Letter 2 1 Volume I Technical Proposal 50 (all factors combined)

Resumes not part of page limit

Volume II Past Performance 20 1 Volume III Small Business

Participation No Limit 1

Volume IV Cost/Price No Limit 1 Volume V Small Business

Subcontracting Plan No Limit 1

Volume VI Contract Information No Limit 1

*Each Volume, including Cover Letter shall be in the following format: “Volume #_Company Name”

**Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read, and will not be considered and will not be included in the evaluation of the proposal. 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, staffing plans, resumes and letter of commitments.

***File packaging of electronic documents. All of the proposal files may be compressed (zipped) into one file or may be submitted as separate uploads in their native format, i.e. doc, xls, ppt, etc., All price breakout information to aid in the cost/price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel 2010 or higher.

(a) PAGE SIZE AND FORMAT

Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches, not including foldouts. 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 header of all pages, the Offeror shall include the following information: RFP #, volume # and 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. For tables, charts, graphs and figures the text shall be no smaller than 8 points.

These limitations do not apply to Volume IV – Cost Spreadsheet (Excel). Provide Microsoft Office Excel formulas in any spreadsheets. Within all Excel spreadsheets, the Offeror shall use formulas and functions to the maximum extent possible and avoid using output type “value only” cells. Spreadsheets shall not be protected.

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

(b) COST OR PRICING RELATED DATA

All cost or pricing data shall be addressed ONLY in the Cost/Price Proposal (Volume IV) 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 tradeoff decisions.

(c) CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Proposals shall not contain classified information.

(d) INDEXING

Each volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs (one-level) within that volume.

(e) GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, and with an explanation for each.

Glossaries do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

L-7 PROPOSAL VOLUME CONTENTS

COVER LETTER

The proposal volumes discussed below shall be accompanied by a cover letter (letter of transmittal), identifying the Offeror’s name, address, Unique Entity Identification number (UEI#), Cage Code, business size, contact information for personnel authorized to negotiate and sign contract documents with respect to your proposal, 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,(c)(2).

L-8 VOLUME I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The Technical Volume includes Factors 1 through 3 and shall be organized according to the following general outline:

(a) Table of Contents

(b) List of Tables and Drawings

(c) Glossary

(d) Technical Proposal addressing the 3 Technical Factors:

Factor 1 – Technical Understanding and Capability Factor 2 – Management Capability Factor 3 – Staffing and Personnel Qualifications

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

L-8-1 FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING, CAPABILITY, AND APPROACH

The Offeror shall address each of the task areas of the SoW separately, demonstrating its understanding and ability to perform the required areas.

The Offeror shall discuss key/critical aspects and challenges associated with the proposed tasks along with its strategy to address/mitigate.

The Offeror shall provide a narrative description that clearly demonstrates the company’s experience on projects of similar size, scope and complexity to those required in the SoW. The documentation should be sufficient to support 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 the Task Requirements.

The narrative description shall include examples of specialized knowledge, capabilities, experience and qualifications, such as internal initiatives, certifications, trainer programs, Government or private industry contracts, joint research projects, participation in industry organizations, and membership in Government councils or other applicable venture.

While the proposal must demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of the requirements, Offerors must also demonstrate the feasibility of their approach to meet those requirements. Clear identification is the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

Proposal content that appear to be unreasonable, unrealistic, unsupported, unclear, and/or deficient will be evaluated IAW Section M. Offerors shall identify technical uncertainties and assumptions within the requirements set forth in this solicitation and provide specific courses of action for their resolution. Offerors are cautioned that failure to provide the necessary information may result in their ratings being downgraded accordingly.

L-8-2 FACTOR 2 – MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY

The Offeror shall include in its proposal a Contractor's Management Plan (CMP) defining the contractor's approach to implementing the contract. In the CMP, Offerors shall address their overall management approach and ability to plan, manage, and execute all efforts required by the SoW, including, but not limited to, quality control, risk management, systems engineering, software development, configuration management and subcontract management.

Offeror shall describe processes to be used by technical leadership to ensure specific subtasks are being performed effectively and efficiently.

1. The Offeror shall provide a narrative description of their overall management approach on tasks similar to those identified in the SoW and should address the following:

a. Ability to plan, manage, and execute all efforts required by the SoW under this contract, including, but not limited to, managing personnel, controlling utilization of resources, tracking deliverables, monitoring performance and obtaining Government feedback.

b. The Offeror shall describe processes to be used by Offeror’s technical leadership to ensure specific tasks are being performed effectively and efficiently.

c. The Offeror shall describe their corporate structure and ability to manage a high performing team, describe the procedures in place for monitoring and controlling costs, and also demonstrate how the Offeror will be successful in undertaking these management and cost control efforts.

2. The Offeror shall provide an organization chart that demonstrates:

a. The location of this work in the Offeror’s organization and

b. Demonstrate how this effort will receive sufficient corporate-level attention during performance.

3. The Offeror shall provide a transition plan that documents the Offeror’s:

a. Ability to execute on the first day of the first task order (only acclimation/gaining familiarity with NRL is allowable as there is no budget for training);

b. Transfer of work control and information;

c. Compliance with NRL security regulations; and

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

a. The proposed Transition Plan shall 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 will be evaluated on the Offeror’s ability to complete all the transition activities within 45 days after contract award.

L-8-3 FACTOR 3 – STAFFING AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

Staffing Approach -

To allow the Government to understand your approach to providing and retaining a qualified workforce, the Offeror shall address the following:

(a) Address your approach to ensuring a technical understanding of the requirements by your hiring manager which enables your company to interview and select qualified technical personnel.

(b) Describe potential challenges in finding hard to fill labor categories that could occur and risk mitigation strategies that could be utilized.

(c) Describe the Offeror’s approach to retaining personnel.

(d) Describe the approach and provide convincing evidence that the company has, or has the ability to obtain, the non-key personnel for the first Task Order as described in Attachment 2 - Personnel Qualifications.

(e) Staffing Plan (First Task Order) - Offerors shall use Attachment 2 – Personnel Qualifications to summarize proposed personnel and current resources to address the needs for the first task order.

(d) Provide your subcontracting team breakout for the first task order, if proposed as follows:

Subcontractor Teaming Partner

CAGE Code (if available)

Subcontract Type % of Total Labor Hours Performed

Key Personnel (First Task Order) -

Attachment 2 – Personnel Qualifications includes all possible labor categories needed for the duration of IDIQ period of performance known at this time. Level of effort (LOE) and Key Personnel will be specified at the task order level, as applicable. This proposal should contain ONLY the personnel (non-key and key) needed for the first task order as identified in the sections below.

The following table identifies Key Personnel for the first task order. The Offeror shall submit one resume per Key Personnel identified IAW Attachment 2, as well as a statement to the percentage of time the Key Personnel will be assigned and working on the first task order. The Offeror shall not submit resumes for non-key personnel.

Required Key Personnel Resumes:

Labor Category 1 Network Engineer Senior Technical Specialist IV (Final DoD granted Top Secret with SCI eligibility.)

2 Computer Networking and Database Subject Matter Expert IV (Final DoD granted Top Secret with

SCI eligibility.)

3 Information Assurance SME IV (Final DoD granted Top Secret with SCI eligibility.)

4 High Performance Computing (HPC) SME IV (Final DoD granted Top Secret with SCI eligibility.)

5 Computer Scientist IV (Final DoD granted Top Secret with SCI eligibility.)

6 Business Analyst IV (Final DoD granted Top Secret with SCI eligibility.)

Each resume shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

-Employee name

-Current level of security clearance (i.e. TS/SCI, TS, Secret w/ SSBI, Secret, or none) and status

-Current position, title, and employer

-Job titles, employer, and dates, to include the month and year, of employment experience in reverse chronological order, and a narrative description of duties and responsibilities.

-Educational history: Degrees and certifications earned, including the institution name, name/title of degree or certification earned, and year for all degrees or certifications earned

The Government may check educational background to verify degrees or certifications received. If the qualification (i.e. education, experience) does not readily or easily compare to the minimum qualification stated in the Personnel Qualifications attachment, the Offeror shall provide an explanation as to the equality of the proposed qualification to meet the minimum qualification.

Subcontract agreements and/or Letters of Intent shall be provided for all consultants, subcontractors and personnel not currently on staff if fulfilling a key position.

Resumes, subcontract agreements, and letters of intent do not count against page limit.

L-9 VOLUME II - PAST PERFORMANCE

L-9-1 FACTOR 4 - PAST PERFORMANCE

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

(a) Table of Contents

(b) Glossary

(c) Introduction

(d) Questionnaires and/or CPARS reports

(e) Previous Contracting Narratives

In addition to below, the Government may review any other sources of information for evaluating past-performance.

Other sources may include, but are not limited to past performance information retrieved through the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) and the Federal Awardees Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), using the CAGE codes of the Offeror and any team members (subcontractors, partnership, joint venture, teaming arrangement, or parent company/subsidiary/affiliate) identified in the Offeror’s proposal, and any other known sources not provided by the Offeror. While the Government may elect to consider data from other sources, the burden of providing detailed, current, accurate and complete past performance information rests with the Offeror.

QUESTIONAIRES AND/OR CPARS REPORTS –

Offerors shall provide Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) (Attachment 6 – Past Performance Questionnaire) and/or CPARS Reports with their proposal for a maximum of 3 relevant efforts either completed or ongoing within the last five years as of the date of this solicitation release.

If an Offeror anticipates utilizing a subcontractor, teaming arrangement, joint venture, etc., the Offeror may submit Past Performance Questionnaires and/or CPARS Reports for the subcontractor, teaming partner, etc, but the maximum of 3 relevant efforts still applies.

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 SoW for this solicitation. The identified contracts can be with Federal, Commercial, or other customers. For each contract, the Offeror shall identify at least one customer Points of Contact (POCs), and provide the phone number, and e-mail address for each.

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 Contract Specialist on or before the proposal due date.

Electronic submission is the only acceptable method.

The Offeror’s past performance volume shall contain electronic 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.

PREVIOUS CONTRACTING 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 scope for this past contract/Task Order relates to this solicitation in size, scope, 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.

L-10 VOLUME III – SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

L-10-1 FACTOR 5 - SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

VOLUME ORGANIZATION

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 III. 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.

SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION PLAN

All Offerors, including small businesses, 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’s assessment of small business participation and commitment will be measured to determine if small business participation is maximized where applicable. 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," 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 Offerors, including small businesses and those who are DoD Comprehensive Test Program participants, shall submit a small business participation plan as a part of their proposal. The final Small Business Participation Commitment Document (Attachment 7 – Small Business Commitment Document ) will be incorporated into the contract award. In accordance with DFARS 215.304(c)(i), small business participation is an evaluation factor under Section M-3, Factor 5 of this solicitation for both other than small and small business Offerors.

Offerors shall address the below elements in their small business participation plan and must demonstrate their proposed approach as to how they will meet all stated small business participation requirements for this contract.

The Small Business Participation Plan shall not reference any other volume for information. All information required within the Small Business Participation Plan must be contained within this document. The Offeror’s proposed small business participation plan shall address the following elements:

1. The extent of participation of small business firms (including those in socioeconomic categories as defined in FAR Part 19) in terms of the percentage of the total acquisition value.

For calculating small business participation goals and dollar values, the “Total Acquisition Value” (TAV) is the Offeror’s total proposed cost/price. The Government must be able to verify that each percentage is based on the total acquisition value. The percentage of work performed by small businesses that qualify in multiple socioeconomic categories may be counted in each category. Also, this information shall be provided for each period of performance of the contract (separately for the base and each option period). If the Offeror submits zero percentages, the Offeror shall provide a detailed explanation to address how the Offeror will attempt to achieve small business participation where zero percentages are presented.

2. Small business participation planned for this acquisition: Identification by company name, time frame, type of business, products/services, nature of commitment, dollar value and percent of TAV of the small business utilization planned for this acquisition. Use Table 4 in the Small Business Participation Commitment Document to fulfill this requirement.

L-11 VOLUME IV - COST/PRICE PROPOSAL

L-11-1 FACTOR 6 - COST/PRICE PROPOSAL

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

- Table of Contents

- Glossary

- Introduction

- Cost Proposal (Task Order) (Attachment 9 – Cost Proposal Format, Task Order)

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

While the Government anticipates establishing reasonableness of pricing through adequate price competition and does not require submission of certified cost or pricing data, Offerors must provide clear and concise explanations of their pricing methodology and their labor and burden estimating practice and are cautioned against unbalanced and unrealistic pricing.

In this procurement, the Government will perform a cost realism analysis of each Offeror’s proposed costs. The burden of cost credibility rests with the Offeror to demonstrate the realism of its proposed costs; as such, the Offeror (including Subcontractors) shall submit substantiating cost data for every cost element it proposes (e.g., direct labor, fringe rate, overhead rate, G&A rate, subcontract costs, etc.). Providing insufficient information to substantiate the realism of an Offeror’s proposed costs may result in a cost adjustment and/or the offer may no longer be considered for award. It is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor to ensure that ALL SUBCONTRACTORS provide information at this same level of detail regardless of the subcontract pricing arrangement.

COST OR PRICING DATA REQUIREMENT –

In accordance with FAR 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-4(a), data other than certified cost or pricing data may be required to support a determination of price reasonableness. Data should be provided in accordance with FAR 15.403-5. If, after receipt of proposals, the Contracting Officer determines that there is insufficient data available to determine price reasonableness, and none of the exceptions in FAR 15.403-1 apply, the Offeror shall be required to submit additional cost or pricing data.

IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT’S COST REALISM ANALYSIS, OFFERORS ARE

INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE THEIR ACTUAL INCURRED DIRECT LABOR RATES FOR THE PAST

THREE CONTRACTOR FISCAL YEARS If NO FORWARD PRICING RATE AGREEMENT IS

AVAILABLE. SALARY DATA FOR PERSONNEL PROPOSED MAY BE SUBMITTED IN LIEU OF

CORPORATE LABOR RATES IF CORPORATE LABOR STRUCTURE DOES NOT SUPPORT.

IF THESE HISTORICAL RATES WERE AUDITED, REVIEWED OR APPROVED BY DCAA OR DCMA,

OFFERORS ARE INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE SUPPORTING DCAA DOCUMENTATION (AUDITS,

FORWARD PRICING RATE RECOMMENDATION (FPRR), FORWARD PRICING RATE AUDIT

(FPRA), ETC.

THIS DATA SHALL BE PROVIDED ON CORPORATE LETTERHEAD AND SIGNED BY THE

COGNIZANT REPRESENTATIVE.

If, after receipt of proposals, the Contracting Officer determines that there is insufficient data available to determine price reasonableness, and none of the exceptions in FAR 15.403-1 apply, the Offeror shall be required to submit certified cost or pricing data.

COST/PRICE PROPOSAL –

The Offeror shall propose cost for them first Task Order. The SoW for the first Task Order is set forth as Attachment 8 – Task Order Statement of Work , respectively.

Offerors are notified that the first task order and corresponding SOW represent real work and are not intended to represent a sample task order, ROM, or to satisfy a minimum guarantee. The Government intends to negotiate or award this task order based on initial proposal submissions.

No pricing information should be included in the technical proposal information.

The Offeror shall submit a cost proposal for the Task Order using the format provided at Attachment 9 - Cost Proposal Format, Task Order, respectively. The spreadsheet shall be submitted as an Excel workbook, complete with working functions/formulas. The spreadsheet shall not pull any data from sources outside the file. Offerors may add Tabs to the workbooks as necessary to demonstrate how individual cost elements were developed. The spreadsheet may be modified to comply with and properly reflect an Offeror’s accounting system/estimating practices. The Offeror is responsible for ensuring formulas and calculations are correct and intact.

The Prime Contractor and all subcontractors shall provide the information required in Attachment 9 - Cost Proposal Format, Task Order. All subcontractors are instructed to provide a completed sanitized Attachment 9 - Cost Proposal Format, Task Order as part of the prime proposal and to send an unsanitized version, showing the build-up of rates (if applicable), directly to the Government POCs identified in Section L-3.

TASK ORDER LEVEL-OF-EFFORT (LOE) –

The estimated level of effort for the Task Order is provided in the table below. The provided distribution shall be used by the Offeror in preparing the Task Order cost proposal. If the Offeror uses labor category terminology other than that used in the table below, the Offeror shall provide a matrix clearly relating their proposed labor categories to those in the table below.

Labor Category Key Personnel Site Clearance Year 1

Hours Year 2 Hours

Year 3 Hours

Network Engineer Senior Technical Specialist IV

Yes GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

IT Computer Networking and Database SME

IV

Yes KTR TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Information Assurance SME IV Yes KTR TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

IT High Performance Computing SME IV Yes GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Business Analyst IV Yes KTR TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Computer Scientist IV Yes GOV TS/SCI 3840 3840 3840

Subcontracts Administrator III No KTR Secret 1920 1920 1920

Program Senior Director IV No KTR TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Network Engineer Technical Specialist IV No GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Business Operations Analyst II No KTR TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Administrative Assistant III No GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Contracts Negotiation Manager IV No KTR Secret 960 960 960

Systems Administrator IV No GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Program Manager IV No GOV TS/SCI 5760 5760 5760

Systems Engineer III No GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

IT SME IV No KTR Secret 3840 3840 3840

Systems Engineer IV No GOV TS/SCI 5760 5760 5760

Computer Scientist III No GOV TS/SCI 7680 7680 7680

Computer Scientist II No GOV TS/SCI 1920 1920 1920

Computer Scientist IV No GOV TS/SCI 3720 3720 3720

Computer Scientist IV No GOV Secret 7560 7560 7560

Web Project Manager III No GOV Secret 1920 1920 1920

Web Software Developer III No GOV Secret 1920 1920 1920

Financial Analyst II No GOV Secret 1920 1920 1920

Network Administrator IV No GOV Secret 2880 2880 2880

***NOTE: 1,920 hours is used a full time equivalent (FTE)

OTHER DIRECT COSTS (ODC) –

ODC will be included in the total evaluated cost. ODC will be cost-reimbursable and not include fee. ODCs will contain costs that are unique to the project that are presently unknown. ODC's do not include subcontractor labor and/or management costs.

The Offeror shall utilize the following “Plug” data for the respective cost proposal spreadsheet and apply any relevant indirect costs. The calculated amounts (ODC “plug” amounts plus indirect costs) from the spreadsheet may be used to complete Section B pricing (Task Order only).

TASK ORDER ODC –

ODC Type Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Travel $408,206 $420,433 $433,026 Material $3,000,000 $3,000,000 $3,000,000

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION –

The Offeror shall provide a narrative describing the basis of estimate and any assumptions made by cost element to include:

- Direct Labor Rates:

Methodology and rationale for determining direct labor rates, salary ranges and/or direct labor rate composite(s), as applicable. If the Offeror does not currently have employees to fulfill the duties under a specific labor category under which they want to propose, the Offeror must explain its methodology for establishing prime contractor labor rates for such categories.

- Indirect Rates:

Unless the Offeror has an agreement with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) on forward pricing or provisional billing rates, the Offeror shall attach the latest indirect cost projections showing the details used in the computation of all the indirect rates used in this offer (i.e. dollar amounts for various accounts compromising overhead, General and Administrative (G&A), etc. pools).

° If the Offeror’s indirect rates have been audited by any Government agency, the Offeror shall state by whom the audit was made and when, the rates approved, and the period for which they are effective. The Offeror shall submit a copy of the latest signed forward pricing rate agreement including all applicable rates. If the proposed rates are significantly different, the reason(s) shall be stated. The name, address, and phone number of the Government agency that performed the audit shall be provided. The projected indirect rates for subsequent periods shall be provided.

° Provide a methodology used in computing indirect costs. Identify all indirect cost rates (such as, fringe benefits, labor overhead, material overhead, G&A, Cost of Money (COM), etc.) and applicable allocation bases. If composite rates are used, provide the calculations used in deriving the composite rates.

- Escalation:

Methodology used to compute escalation over the Task Order’s three year period.

-Subcontractors

If the Offeror’s proposed approach includes subcontractor(s), the Offeror shall include a copy of subcontractor’s cost proposal utilizing attachment 9 - Cost Proposal Format, Task Order, and the prime contractor’s cost/price analyses completed in accordance with FAR 15.404-3(b). Subcontractors may submit the proposal under separate cover directly to the Contracting Office.

Subcontracts shall include the following information if sending directly to Government contracting POC:

- Email Subject: “N0017324RBZ02_Sub-Cost Proposal (Task Order)__SUB NAME_PRIME

NAME”

- Document Name: “N0017325RBZ02_Sub-Cost Proposal (Task Order)_SUB NAME_PRIME

NAME”

- Uncompensated Overtime:

The Offeror shall submit its policy on uncompensated overtime (see FAR 52.237-10), including the practices used to estimate uncompensated overtime.

- Verification of Accounting System:

To be eligible for award, Offerors must have verification from the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or the DCMA of an accounting system that has been audited and determined adequate for determining costs applicable to this contract in accordance with FAR 16.301-3(a)(1). As such, the Offeror must provide contact information (i.e., phone number, address, email address) of its representative at its cognizant DCAA or DCMA agency, a copy of the DCAA Audit Verification report stating that DCAA has approved the accounting system, or provide a completed Checklist on the Pre-Award Survey of Prospective Contractor Accounting System (SF 1408) (Attachment 5 – SF 1408 Pre-Award Survey) for submission to DCAA. If the Offeror does not have audit verification of an adequate accounting system but is certain that its accounting system has been found adequate in accordance with FAR 16.301-3(a)(1), NRL will contact the cognizant audit representative to verify the adequacy of the Contractor’s accounting system. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to provide with its proposal current and correct contact information. If, after reasonable efforts, the Government is unable to obtain audit verification from the contact provided, the offer will be rejected.

- Financial Capacity:

Apparent successful Offerors are subject to a responsibility determination in accordance with FAR Subpart

9.1. The Offeror shall indicate if it has the necessary financial capacity, working capital, and other resources to perform the contract without assistance from any outside source. If not, indicate the amount required and the anticipated source.

L-12 VOLUME V – SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

A subcontracting plan is only required for Other than Small Businesses (FAR 52.219-9).

All other than small business concerns under the NAICS code and corresponding size standard assigned to this solicitation must submit a subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 52.219-9, which will be incorporated into any resultant contract. This is NOT part of the evaluation of this factor, but shall be submitted at time of proposal in this Volume. All apparently successful offerors that are considered other than small businesses must submit an acceptable subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 52.219-9 to be eligible for award.

L-13 VOLUME VI – CONTRACT INFORMATION

SECTION A: SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM -

The Contractor shall complete blocks 15 and 16, and sign and date blocks 17 and 18 of the solicitation, and if applicable, block 14 for acknowledgement of all amendments. Signature by the Offeror on the solicitation constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept.

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.

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 OFFERORS -

Completed representations, certifications, acknowledgements, and statements.

SECTION L: INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS -

Any information required to be submitted regarding assertions.

OTHER -

Security Requirements: Offeror shall make a statement of compliance with all security requirements set forth in Attachment 3 – DD Form 254. An inability to meet security requirements at the time of proposal will result in an offer being deemed nonresponsive and eliminated from the competition.

Exceptions to the Solicitation: FAR 52.215-1(c)(2)(iii) states that page 1 of an Offeror’s proposal must show a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation.

Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as factors. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the solicitation may result in the Offeror being ineligible for award. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and must provide complete supporting rationale.

L-14 POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Pursuant to FAR 9.5 and the definitions provided therein:

(a) 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.

(b) 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.

(c) Description of the Effort

This contract is for research and development activities 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 impact, directly or indirectly, on the Contractor’s decision making process.

(d) Disclosure Statement

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 Offerors should refer to FAR 9.5 for policies and procedures for avoiding, neutralizing, or mitigating organizational conflicts of interest. If the Offeror is not aware of any circumstances of this nature, then the Offeror shall provide a statement stating such.

The Government will…