AMENDMENT_0001.pdf

OMB Approval 2700-0042

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1 2

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

0001 7 OCT 2014 N/A N/A

6. ISSUED BY CODE N00178 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)

CODE

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division Attn: Code 022 17632 Dahlgren Road, Suite 157 Dahlgren, VA 22448-5100

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No. Street, county, State and ZIP: Code) (4) 9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

N00178-14-R-4000

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

(TO BE COMPLETED BY OFFERORS) 17 September 2014

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

CODE FACILITY CODE

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

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

Offers 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 one (1) copy 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 DATA 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 data 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.

(4) 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.)

THIS AMENDMENT PROVIDES ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS RECEIVED BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON

01 OCTOBER 2014 AND PROVIDES REPLACEMENT PAGE 87 TO SECTION L.

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

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

BY _____________________________________________

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 30-105 STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

PREVIOUS EDITION UNUSABLE Computer Generated Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

N00178-14-R-4000 Amendment 0001 PAGE 2

1. Replacement Page 87 in Section L is provided as Attachment 1. In Section 5.4.1 under the RULES FOR ESTABLISHING ZONE PRESENCE, changed Paragraph (2) to read: (information changed is in BOLD/UNDERLINED):

(2) The OFFEROR has performed work under a contract awarded from one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices in the Zone (reference ordering clause in Section G). The OFFEROR has performed work under a subcontract in the Zone that supports one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices. If claiming a subcontractor to demonstrate presence the Offeror must identify the prime contract number that was awarded by a Seaport-e Ordering Office; OR"

2. Attachment 2 to this amendment provides the answers to all questions that were received by close of business on 01 October 2014.

Attachments:

1) Replacement Page 87

2) Questions and Answers, 25pages

CONTINUATION SHEET REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE

N00178-14-R-4000 /AMENDMENT 0001 Page 87 of 97

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

5.4 VOLUME I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL:

5.4.1 Presence

To demonstrate Presence in the Zone(s) that the Offeror is proposing, the Zone Presence Form at Attachment J.1 to this solicitation MUST be included in the Technical Proposal.

NOTE: A separate Zone Presence Form must be submitted for each Zone being proposed.

RULES FOR ESTABLISHING ZONE PRESENCE:

There are seven Zones – Zone 1 Northeast; Zone 2 National Capital; Zone 3 Mid Atlantic; Zone 4 Gulf Coast; Zone 5 Midwest; Zone 6 Southwest; and Zone 7 Pacific Northwest. To establish presence the Offeror must demonstrate that:

(1) The OFFEROR has a locally established office in the Zone; OR

(2) The OFFEROR has performed work under a contract awarded from one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices in the Zone (reference ordering clause in Section G). The OFFEROR has performed work under a subcontract in the Zone that supports one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices. If claiming a subcontractor to demonstrate presence the Offeror must identify the prime contract number that was awarded by a Seaport-e Ordering Office; OR"

(3) The OFFEROR’S subcontractor has a locally established office in the Zone.

NOTE: ALL OFFERORS MUST HAVE AN ESTABLISHED OFFICE IN THE UNITED STATES.

PRESENCE DEFINITIONS:

(1)The definition of local office is an office within the geographical Zone(s) identified in H.1 that is 1) in existence at the time the RFP closes; 2) is in business to provide the support found in the Functional Areas identified in the SOW; and 3) staffed by employees employed by the OFFEROR who proposes on the RFP, or at least one of the Offerors subcontractors.

A HOME OFFICE IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR EITHER THE OFFEROR OR A SUBCONTRACTOR

CANNOT BE USED TO ESTABLISH PRESENCE.

(2) Contract means meaningful work performed for one or more of the Seaport-e ordering activities sites and field activities (USAF, US Army, and other Federal Agencies contracts WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED for establishing presence, they may be used to demonstrate technical capability or past performance but not for establishing presence) in one or more of the Functional Areas.

(3) A contract must have been awarded by a Seaport-e Ordering Activity in the ZONE BEING PROPOSED ON. Just performing work in the Zone under a contract awarded in a different Zone will not meet the presence criteria (for example the contract was awarded by NSWC Dahlgren (Zone 2) and required work in San Diego, CA (Zone 6) as part of the requirement, the offeror has not established presence in Zone 6 because the contract was AWARDED in Zone 2).

(4) If using a subcontract to establish presence the prime contract must have been awarded by an authorized Seaport-e ordering activity in the Zone being proposed on.

(5) An order on a GSA contract placed by a qualifying Seaport-e Ordering Activity may qualify as a contract if it is relevant to the Functional Areas of the SOW.

(6) Authorized Seaport-e Ordering activities are: Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Military Sealift Command, Strategic Systems Programs, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Office of Naval Research, and the United States Marine Corps.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 1 of 25

ATTACHMENT 2

Q.1 There were numerous questions regarding Page 81 and the approved couriers that have access to the base for delivery.

A: Standard overnight couriers such as Federal Express and UPS have access to the base. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that the courier that they will be using has access to the base.

Q.2 There were also numerous questions regarding Section L and what needs to be submitted (Reference 5.0, Pages 85 through 90 of the solicitation).

A: All offerors must include the following documentation in their submission:

VOLUME 1 – COST PROPOSAL to include (one original only):

(1) Cover Letter to include all items listed in 5.2 on page 85 of the solicitation;

(2) a complete copy of the solicitation signed with all fill-in sections completed (reference paragraph 5.3 of the solicitation);

(3) a cost proposal to include all items listed in 5.5 on Page 90 (Cost Savings Approach, Ceiling Unit

Price for Item 7000, and the Compensation Plan);

(4) Attachment J.2 Summary of Fill-ins

VOLUME 2 – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL to include (one original only):

(1) Copy of Cover Letter to include all items listed in 5.2 on page 85 of the solicitation;

(2) Zone Presence Form(s) (Attachment J.1);

(3) Technical Depth and Breadth;

(4) Management Approach & Subcontracting

(5) Past Performance

(5) If an offeror is a large business, they must also include a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. If the offeror is a Small Business then a Subcontracting Plan is not required.

Q.3 Reference: a. H.10 Savings Clause, RFP page32. Paragraph B defines how to calculate the Maximum Pass Through Rate. Basically it says to add up all indirect costs and fee and divide by the price of the labor subcontract.

b. Section M, Factor 3 Cost/Price, RFP page 95. The RFP identifies maximum pass through rates for Outstanding through Unsatisfactory ranging from 4% to 8%.

Question: We would expect that the calculation defined by Reference a would result in an answer of about 125% more or less, i.e. we would add 25% indirect costs and fee to the labor subcontract. However, Reference b indicates the value to be significantly lower. We suspect that Reference b is intended to be the fee portion of the calculation.

Please clarify.

A: Pass through refers to the amount that the prime contractor adds to their subcontractor’s cost. The pass through can consist of all fee, all indirects, or any combination of the two. However, the total pass through amount applied can not exceed 8% or an “Unsatisfactory” rating will be assigned to the offeror’s proposal making them ineligible to be considered for award.

Q.4 Please clarify Section M.4.0 Factor 1 Technical Depth and Breadth – is an Outstanding rating for a Large Business 18-22 functional areas in ALL zones proposed (cumulative) or 18-22 in EACH zone proposed?

A: Offerors need to establish presence in each zone that they are requesting. The demonstration that an offeror has the technical ability to perform the functional areas in the Statement of Work is cumulative and is not related to each individual zone.

Q.5 Proposal Format, Paragraph L.4.2, page 84: Will the Government accept proposals printed double-sided?

A: Yes, proposals printed double-sided will be accepted.

Q.6 Proposal Format, Paragraph L.4.3, pages 84 to 85: Are the page limits for each volume EXCLUSIVE of the title page and table of contents?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 2 of 25

A: A title page and table of contents would count towards the page limitations.

Q.7 Cover Letter, Paragraph L.5.2, page 85: Please confirm that offerors are to submit only one (1) original copy for each volume:

Volume I: Cover Letter Zone Presence Technical Depth & Breadth Management Approach & Subcontracting Past Performance Volume II:

Cover Letter Signed RFP Cost Savings Approach Ceiling Unit Compensation Plan

Attachment J.2

A: Yes, only one copy of each volume is required.

Q.8 Presence, Paragraph L.5.4.1, page 87: Our subcontractor has multiple offices in various zones. Can we use the same subcontractor to establish multiple zones?

A: Yes, the same subcontractor can be used if they have locally established offices in multiple zones. On the Attachment A, you would need to enter the subcontractor’s name, address, and phone number for their locally established office in each zone.

Q.9 Technical Depth and Breadth, Paragraph L.5.4.2, page 88: Is the personnel matrix INCLUDED or NOT INCLUDED in the 15-page count of the Technical Depth and Breadth section?

A: The matrix would be included in the 15 page limitation.

Q.10 Checklist: Please confirm that offerors are to follow the Checklist in terms of content and sequence (of contents) for each volume.

A: The checklist provided on the Seaport e homepage (www.seaport.navy.mil) is a reference document that summarizes the information that must be included in an offeror’s proposal as specified in Section L. It is preferred that the sequence of documents be in accordance with the checklist but as long as the offeror has included all of the required documents specified in Section L in their proposal submission, there is not a mandatory sequence that must be followed.

Q.11 Reference: Section L paragraph 2.2 on RFP page 82 of 97. Questions:

(a) Is it the Navy’s intent that offerors submit 4 separate volumes, paragraphs a through d (for a small business) or 5 volumes, a through e (for a large business)?

(b) Or is it acceptable to submit two volumes, Technical Proposal (paragraph b) and Cost Proposal (paragraphs a, c and d for a small business, plus e for a large business)?

(c) The paragraph would seem to indicate only one hard copy of the proposal volumes is required. Is this correct?

http://www.seaport.navy.mil/

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 3 of 25

A: All offerors must include the following documentation in their submission: a complete copy of the solicitation signed with all fill-in sections completed (reference paragraph 5.3 of the solicitation); a technical proposal; a cost proposal; and a cover letter. If an offeror is a large business, they must also include a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. If you go to the “Proposal Content” area of Section L, starting with paragraph 5.0, a complete description is provided of the documents that must be included in an offeror’s submission. Only one copy of the proposal needs to be submitted.

Q.12 Reference: Section L paragraph 4.3 on RFP page 84 of 97. Question: The paragraph would seem to be incomplete. Paragraph 2.2 on page 82 requires more than the Cover Letter. Please clarify.

A: The paragraph is not incomplete – the additional information continues on page 85 of the solicitation.

Q.13 Page number: 86; paragraph number or identifier: 5.3.1.1; Question (2 parts): 1. we are basing our price on a 1920 hour billable year, is that all right? 2. do you want the price for the base year only or do you want the highest rate which would be the last option year rate after being escalated for 4 years?

A: The rate would be based on a manyear so if your company uses 1920 hours as a manyear, that would be fine. Escalation can be applied to the hourly rate – you would just need to ensure that the calculations provided in your cost proposal show how the escalation was applied.

Q.14 If as a small business we are forming a small business team consisting of all small businesses, is a subcontracting plan required?

A: No, Subcontracting Plans are for Large Businesses only.

Q.15 Page 84 section 4.2 paragraph 2): Would the Government like a CD with our electronic proposal included within our package? Please confirm that only 1 copy of each volume is required?

A: No CD is required. One Copy of each volume is required.

Q.16 Reference the RFP paragraphs 2.2 page 82, 4.3 page 84 and 5.3 page 86 which indicate the proposal will include "a signed completed RFP", "one entire completed copy (signed by the offeror) of the RFP" and "one copy of the entire solicitation". Reference the RFP paragraph 2.2 on page 82 which includes "A Word version of fill-in documents associated with the solicitation will be posted on the Seaport e homepage for download.

(www.seaport.navy.mil or https://auction.seaport.navy.mil/Bid/Login.aspx)". The downloaded document is FILL_IN_PAGES.docx.

Question: Does the completion and submittal of the FILL_IN_PAGES.docx per reference b satisfy the reference a requirement to submit a completed signed RFP?

A: The SF33 needs to be included with the other fill-in pages. The SF33 has to be signed. All of the fill-in pages need to be included in the full copy of the solicitation along with the other requirements of the solicitation.

Q.17 Page number: 42, 61 and 62, paragraph number or identifier: 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications (May 2014) paragraph (b). Question (2 parts): FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management is incorporated by reference per page 42 and so the block "(i) Paragraph (d) applies" at the bottom of page 61 should be checked. Please confirm that. Also as a completed copy of the RFP is required to be included in our offer, we would nevertheless like to additionally complete the individual representations and certifications in the solicitation.

Is this acceptable?

A: Yes you should submit a completed copy of the Reps and Certs (see also 5.3.3 on page 86).

Q.18 Page 87 Paragraph 5. Regarding Zone presence, our question is regarding the following statement "(2) The OFFEROR has been awarded a contract from one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices in the Zone (reference ordering clause in Section)". Which establishes presence, the place of performance for the project or the place of contracting office who awarded the contract?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 4 of 25

A: A contract must have been awarded by a Seaport-e Ordering Activity in the ZONE BEING PROPOSED ON. So the answer would be the zone of the Seaport-e Ordering Activity. Also see Paragraph (3) on Page 87 under the Presence Definitions.

Q.19 Section 4.0: Proposal Format: Volume II: Cost/Price Proposal: Evaluation Factor 3:

a) Is the unit price for CLIN 7000 the highest labor category/bill rate corporately charged to fiscal date? b) Should multiple labor category CLIN 7000 be provided?

A: The ceiling rate proposed must be the highest fully burdened labor rate for a single labor category from the current accounting year. Only one labor category is to be used.

Q.20 On page 88, Section 5.4.2 a Technical Depth and Breadth requires specifying the functional areas the offeror proposes to perform, but does not require the functional areas be zone-specific, i.e., it appears to require discussion based solely on FA and not specific FAs to be performed in specific zones. On page 93, Section M 3.2 Evaluation Process, says “Those proposals rated as Satisfactory or better in Management Approach and Subcontracting and Past Performance will then be rated as to Technical Depth and Breadth in each Zone the offeror proposed on by comparing the overall merits of the proposal against the requirements in the SOW.” Does this mean the Technical Capability section of the proposal should be segregated into technical breadth and depth for each zone proposed?

A: An offeror’s technical proposal is first evaluated to ensure that the presence criteria has been met for at least one of the zones that is being proposed. If so, the proposal is then evaluated to determine if technical capability has been demonstrated for the functional areas being proposed. It is not necessary to segregate technical depth and breadth for each zone proposed.

Q.21 Section M 3.0 General, page 92, Factor 2: Past Performance, says “In the case of an Offeror that does not have past performance information, or with respect to which information on past contract performance is not available, the offeror shall receive a neutral rating on the factor of past performance.” Section M, 3.2 Evaluation Process, paragraph (c) on page 93, says “ … proposals rated as Satisfactory or better in Management Approach and Subcontracting and Past Performance will then be rated as to technical Depth and Breadth in ….” Where does the “neutral” rating fit into the evaluation process? Is it higher than or equal to Satisfactory so that new companies can compete successfully without any past performance information? Would subcontractor past performance information be preferred rather than none at all?

A: Past performance information should be provided for the offeror – this information can be from when the offeror performed as a prime contractor or a subcontractor (reference paragraph 5.4.3 on page 89). If the company is newly formed and does not have any past performance of its own, then information can be provided for key personnel of the company. An offeror with no past performance information will receive a neutral rating and the rest of the proposal will be evaluated.

Q.22 How is this type of proposal evaluated? We have chosen to reply to 12 of the 22 functional areas for our proposal. Is the down selection process based on a contractor’s ability to perform all or part of those services they respond to?(i.e. We are selected as the vendor in areas 1, 5, and 6 but not for the remaining functional services?)

A: Section M of the solicitation explains how proposals will be evaluated. It identifies how many functional areas a company will have to demonstrate ability in for an Outstanding, Good, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory rating.

Q.23 Will the bidding on the functional areas in which we are “weaker” decrease our overall strength in the areas we are most experienced (“strong”) in?

A: The offeror’s ability for each functional area is evaluated independently of one another.

Q.24 Section 5.4.2 (a) = Does the 15 page limit include the optional matrix insert?

A: Yes, the page limitation does include the matrix.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 5 of 25

Q.25 Regarding pricing, do we need to submit individual labor categories?

A: The highest fully burdened rate for a single labor category needs to be provided (reference 5.3.1.1 on page 86).

Q.26 Are we to submit a full burden rate?

A: Yes, the rate must be fully burdened.

Q.27 We have a home office listed as corporate cleared facility by DSS and we also have an office located in Fairfax, VA which is also a cleared facility with few of our staffs. However, this office is being sublet to us by the prime contractor. Both location would be considered Zone 2. Can we use these locations as Zone 2 ?

A: An office located in a home can NOT be used to establish presence (reference 5.4.1 of the solicitation on page 87). If using an office to establish presence, it must be a locally established office that is in existence at the time the solicitation closes; is in business to provide the support described by the solicitation’s functional areas; and is staffed by employees of the offeror or at least one of the offeror’s subcontractors.

Q.28 Page 90, section 5.5, item (b) states “Ceiling Unit Price for CLIN 7000. The offeror SHALL provide a breakdown of the derivation of the ceiling unit price, including...the escalation used,...”. The reference document provided, “4. Sample of Cost Breakdown for CLIN 7000”, does not show any application of out year escalation.

Are offerors to show the application of proposed escalation in out years in the “Ceiling Unit Price for CLIN 7000”?

Or is escalation only demonstrated in required fill-ins?

A: Any escalation applied to the ceiling rate should be included in the breakdown provided in the offeror’s cost proposal.

Q.29 Page 85, item 5.2 (Cover Letter) states, “The cover letter shall be submitted with (1) the Original signed proposal; and (2) the copy of the technical proposal.” Please confirm the government requires only one submission of both the Technical Proposal volume and Cost Proposal volume and no duplicate/additional copies nor electronic versions (i.e., DVD, CD-ROM) are required.

A: That is correct.

Q.30 Reference pg 60 and 61 of the solicitation fill-ins for item 52.204-3 (d), (e) and (f). How does the government want these fill-ins completed ? Replace applicable “*” with “[X]” and delete the other “*” ? Or only replace applicable “*” with “X”?

A: An “X” can be placed next to the applicable designation.

Q.31 Reference pg 84, section 4.2 states “10-point (Times New Roman font) in the text”. In reviewing prior year solicitations and Q&A, the font requirement was 12-point. Please confirm that 10-point font is in fact correct and desired for fy14 rolling admissions proposal format.

A: The current solicitation document rules as far as what is required. The solicitation states 10-point.

Q.32 Is the Government requesting three separate binders (one for the cover letter, one for the technical proposal and one for the cost proposal) for the hard copy submission? Or should all three sections be bundled together in one binder?

A: The technical proposal needs to be in a separate volume from the cost proposal. The remaining documents can be provided in one binder as long as they are clearly identified.

Q.33 The checklist provided by the Government indicates the cover letter should be duplicated within the cost proposal. Please confirm that is correct?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 6 of 25

A: The submission needs to have a cover letter and a copy of the cover letter should be included with the technical proposal.

Q.34 Is the Government requesting only one hard copy original submission or should we provide additional copies as well?

A: Only one hard copy original is required.

Q.35 In the evaluation of the Management Approach and Subcontracting, the Government indicated an Unsatisfactory rating would be given to offerors that do not have any subcontracting/teaming agreements in place.

However, if an offeror is capable of performing the services proposed without subcontractors it seems as if they would be penalized by the Government. Please clarify the intent.

A: It is not required that an offeror have any team members. If a company does have team members, they will be evaluated regarding the status of the teaming agreements.

Q.36 Does having people work at a client location qualify us as having a local office?

A: No, the office must be a locally established office staffed by employees of the prime contractor or one of the team members.

Q.37 The cover letter asks us to specify the DCAA Contact. Our system is not DCAA audited but have been audited by the third party and is compliant and audit ready. Should we specify the name of the third party.

A: You need to identify the DCAA office that has cognizance for the area that your company is located. You can get this information by clicking on the “Locator” tab of the DCAA website (http://www.dcaa.mil).

Q.38 Can a company add teammates post award OR is the team that we propose the team that we have to bid with throughout the life of the contract?

A: If a company receives a prime contract award, they can request the addition of team members at any time.

Q.39 Reference 5.4.2(a) of Additional Instructions to Offerors (pg 88) – Are Offerors required to identify an individual per Functional Area proposed or can they just provide 4 resumes? Will the Offeror be evaluated more favorably if they submit one individual per functional area?

A: The solicitation requires that the offeror “identify a minimum of one individual per Functional Area proposed either in a resume of in the matrix” – page 88.

Q.40 Reference 5.5(b) of Additional Instructions to Offerors (pg 90) – Ceiling Unit Price for CLIN 7000 – if an Offeror utilizes a subcontractor’s rate in developing the Ceiling Unit Price, is providing the prime’s indirect burdens to be applied to that rate sufficient for this section, or would the subcontractor be required to submit details on the derivation of their rate? If the subcontractor’s detailed information is required, and they consider this to be proprietary, are they able to submit this directly to the government?

A: The breakdown of the labor rate must be included. If the offeror is using a subcontractor’s rate, the breakdown can be provided either by a sealed envelope included in the prime contractor’s proposal submission or directly to the Government. The breakdown must be received by the deadline of 2:00 P.M.

Dahlgren time on October 23rd. The envelope would need to clearly identify that the rate is being provided in support of the proposal submitted by the prime contractor. In the prime’s cost proposal, they would need to show the fully burdened rate being proposed by the subcontractor and the pass through that was being applied.

http://www.dcaa.mil/

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 7 of 25

Q.41 ZONE PRESENCE FORM This attachment states, “PLEASE NOTE THAT HOME OFFICES MAY NOT BE USED TO ESTABLISH PRESENCE – THE OFFICE MUST BE A LOCALLY ESTABLISHED OFFICE.” If an Offeror’s Home Office is also a Locally Established Office, at which it is providing services to the Navy or other Government agencies, can it be used to establish presence? It would seem that it is not cost effective to require that an Offeror establish an additional office to establish presences. Will the Navy change this requirement to include Home Office if the Offeror is also providing contractor-site services to perform services for the Federal Government?

A: If an office is located in a residence, it does not meet the definition of a locally established office and can NOT be used to establish presence in a zone.

Q.42 Page 81 of 97; 2.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS; The RFP states, “Due to the relative remoteness of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, located at Dahlgren, Virginia, there have been a few instances where proposals sent via one-day service still were not received in a timely manner.”How long does a one-day service typically take to be received by the Government? Does the Government have guidelines/suggestions for a specific overnight service and/or the amount of time necessary to deliver the proposal if using an overnight service?

A: If an offeror chooses to submit their proposal via an overnight courier, they would need to address the timeline for delivery to that courier. No guidelines or recommendations can be provided as to which overnight courier to use.

Q.43 Page 84 of 97, section 4.2; Does the Government intend for the Volumes to be submitted in separate three-ring binders?

A: If an offeror is going to use binders, it is preferred that three-ring binders be used with no spiral binding.

Q.44 Page 84 of 97, Section 4.3; The RFP states, “The offeror is required to submit one entire completed copy (signed by the offeror) of the RFP in their proposal.” Will the Government confirm the signed portion should be the SF-33? Does the Government intend to receive this requirement in a separate three-ring binder from the proposal submission?

A: The SF33 should be signed in Block 17. The signed SF-33 is part of the completed solicitation that needs to be included in the offeror’s submission.

Q.45 Page 85 of 97, section 5.2: Will the Government clarify in which volume the Cover Letter should be included or if it should be submitted as a separate file/binder?

A: The cover letter should be included with the completed and signed RFP and a copy of the cover letter needs to be included with the technical proposal.

Q.46 Page 86 of 97, section 5.3; Will the Government confirm the required items from Sections 5.3, 5.3.1, 5.3.2, and 5.3.3 are to be included in the completed copy of the RFP?

A: Yes, they must be included in the signed and completed solicitation document. The breakdown of the ceiling rate must be included in the offeror's cost proposal.

Q.47 Page 87 of 97, section 5.4.1 Presence (2); This section states, “The OFFEROR has been awarded a contract from one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices in the Zone (reference ordering clause in Section G). The OFFEROR has been awarded a subcontract in the Zone that supports one of the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices. If claiming a subcontract to demonstrate presence the Offeror must identify the prime contract number that was awarded by a Seaport-e Ordering Office.” If the Navy is looking to expand best practices and the exceptional delivery of professional services, please explain the rational for not allowing the Offeror to claim contracts and/or

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 8 of 25 subcontracts from the Federal Government other than the authorized Seaport-e ordering offices. This limitation appears to limit Offeror abilities to provide services based on work performed for the Navy exclusively.

A: This is only one of three criteria that can be used to establish presence in a zone. Only the authorized ordering commands use Seaport e so if a contract or subcontract is being used to establish presence in a zone, that contract or subcontract must have been issued by one of the authorized ordering commands. There are two other criteria that can be used to establish presence in a zone (having a locally established office in the zone or having a subcontractor with a locally established office in the zone).

Q.48 Page 89 or 97, section 5.4.3; This section states, “PAST PERFORMANCE (Not to exceed 3 pages): The Offeror will provide no more than three past performance references that reflect recent relevant contract experience by the Offeror performed within the last 3 years ...” Would the Government clarify whether three pages is allowed per performance reference or three pages total for all references?

A: A total of 3 pages for all references.

Q.49 Page 89 or 97, Section 5.4.3; This section states, “The Offeror will provide no more than three past performance references that reflect recent relevant contract experience by the Offeror performed within the last 3 years that demonstrate the ability to handle (relevance to) the functional areas the Offeror is proposing on.” Are the three past performance references required to be from the Prime contractor? Or can the Offeror provide past performance references in which one of its subcontractors is the Prime and the Offeror is a subcontractor on that contract?

A: The past performance reference needs to be work that was performed by the offeror but it can be either as a prime contractor or a subcontractor.

Q.50 Page 81, Section 1.0, Introduction; Will the government confirm that Government Answers to prior year’s questions are to be leveraged as guidance for the current proposal?

A: The answers to the previous solicitations can be used as guidance – any requirements stated in the current solicitation would take precedence.

Q.51 Page 85, Evaluation Factor 2: Past Performance; Will the government please clarify whether the limit is 3 pages for each of the 3 past performances (e.g. total 9 pages for the section), or is it 1 page for each past performance (e.g. 3 total pages for the section)?

A: A total of 3 pages can be submitted for this section.

Q.52 Page 87, Section 5.4.1; Please verify what is meant by “locally established office.” Would a client work site be accepted or does it have to be a corporate office?

A: The locally established office must be staffed by employees of the prime contractor or one of their team members. A client’s work site would not be considered as a locally established office.

Q.53 Section Reference: Page 94, Paragraph 2 Question: As teaming is not a requirement for the proposal, if a small business plans to submit a bid without teaming partners or subcontractors, is the evaluation criteria in “Management Approach and Subcontracting, C.

Subcontracting/Teaming Arrangements” not applicable or will the this result in the contractor receiving an “Unsatisfactory” rating?

A: Page 85 states that small businesses only need to address this section of the evaluation factor if they are proposing subcontractors. If no subcontractors are proposed, this section would not be applicable.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 9 of 25

Q.54 Page 88, Section 5.4.2; Is there a requirement for the task examples to be for Seaport e contracts? Is there any rating preference given for task examples from Seaport e contracts?

A: The tasks referenced need to demonstrate relevance to the functional areas being proposed. The tasks do not have to be from work performed under Seaport e contracts so no rating preference would be given.

Q.55 Page 93, Section 4.0 Factor Rating Scale; For small businesses, do we need to provide relevant experience in 3 or more functional areas for each zone of the zones proposed? Or is the requirement for relevant experience in 3 or more functional areas for all zones proposed?

A: It would be relevant experience in 3 or more functional areas for all zones proposed.

Q.56 Page 88, Section 5.4.2; Do the resumes need to contain the same information required for the optional personnel matrix (i.e.: company name, years with the company, primary Zone work location, years of applicable professional experience, percent of time proposed, proposed functional area assignments, and level of security clearance)?

A: Yes, the same information would be required.

Q.57 Page 89, Section 5.4.3; Per client request, they are requiring us to only provide the Contracting Officer’s contact information for all three Past Performance contacts requested in this solicitation. Is this acceptable?

A: It is requested that all of the information specified in paragraph 5.4.3 be included for past performance references.

Q.58 Page 88, Section 5.4.2; In regards to the time proposed column required in the optional matrix demonstrating how additional personnel would be used: Would an individual listed in this matrix with a percent of time proposed at 0 or 20% be evaluated less favorably than an individual at 75% or 100%?

A: The resumes/matrix will be evaluated as to the balance of the staffing to ensure that there are qualified personnel who can perform the functional areas being proposed. It is not recommended that an offeror include an employee if their time proposed would be 0%.

Q.59 Page 88, Section 5.4.2 EVALUATION FACTOR 1 - TECHNICAL CAPABILITY a. Technical Depth and Breadth ( 15 pages): “…The Offeror may provide examples of tasks performed in the functional areas to illustrate technical expertise by the Offeror or a proposed subcontractor (if so CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHETHER

THE OFFEROR PERFORMED THE TASK OR IDENTIFY WHICH SUBCONTRACTOR PERFORMED THE

TASK). The Offeror shall provide 4 resumes TOTAL for personnel to illustrate a nucleus of technical expertise.

Any individual resume shall not exceed 2 pages in length. If the Offeror wants to present additional personnel or augmenting subcontractor personnel to support the functional areas proposed, provide a matrix demonstrating how the additional proposed personnel will support the functional areas proposed. Identify a minimum of one individual per Functional Area proposed either in a resume or in the matrix…” Please confirm our understanding that there is no minimum or maximum number of “examples of tasks performed in the functional area” to be provided in this section, for each Functional Area. In the section that states, “If the Offeror wants to present additional personnel or augmenting subcontractor personnel to support the functional areas proposed, provide a matrix demonstrating how the additional proposed personnel will support the functional areas proposed,” (PART 1) please confirm our understanding that the Offeror may provide background information and experience for (an unlimited number of) “additional personnel” in the Matrix (which will count against this section’s 15-page allocation), but Offerors are limited to providing a total of only four (4) resumes at two (2) pages each; (PART 2) Will the government accept “examples of tasks” performed by proposed personnel (or “additional personnel”) to demonstrate work within a Functional Area, if those tasks were performed prior to joining the Offeror? A total of only four (4) resumes does not seem sufficient to “illustrate a nucleus of technical experience” across all proposed Functional Areas. Would it be possible to provide additional resumes?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 10 of 25

A: There is no minimum or maximum number of examples of tasks that can be referenced within the 15 page limitation for this section. If a person is an employee of the prime contractor, examples of tasks that the person performed before becoming an employee of the prime contractor can be referenced. No more than 4 resumes can be provided but additional personnel can be referenced in the matrix.

Q.60 Page 89, Section 5.4.3, Evaluation Factor 2 – Past Performance; Please clarify if Offeror is to provide “no more than three past performance references” in total? Or are Offerors providing no more than three references for each Functional Area proposed? If there is a limit of three (3) references total, please clarify how Offerors’ Past Performance will be evaluated, if limited to providing only three (3) formal past performance references, which may not demonstrate work within all proposed Functional Areas?

A: A total of 3 past performance references can be provided. As stated in Section M of the solicitation, past performance is evaluated on the quality of service, schedule, and business relationships.

Q.61 Page 84, Section 4.0, Proposal Format; Please confirm our understanding that font and size requirements have been established as Times New Roman, 10-point font for the entire submission. This marks a change from the previous Rolling Admissions, which called for Times New Roman, 12-point font requirements. Because fonts inside tables and graphics (especially) are difficult to control, is it acceptable for tables and graphics to have a different font (like Arial or Arial Narrow), and be of smaller than 10-point font size, as long as the table or graphic remain reasonably legible?

A: Offerors must abide by the requirements of the current Rolling Admissions solicitation. The font for all documentation submitted in a proposal must be 10-point (Times New Roman).

Q.62 Page 84, Section 4.2: Does the Government want Volumes I (Technical) and II (Cost/Price) in the same binder for hard copy submission, or would it like to have the volumes in separate binders?

A: The technical proposal should be in a separate binder.

Q.63 Page 85, Volume I description: The checklist provided for the proposal shows the Technical Proposal including the Cover Letter, calling the Cover Letter section A. The Checklist also shows the Cover Letter as part of the Cost Proposal. Section L of the RFP does not include the Cover Letter as part of the either the Technical or Cost Proposal, but a separate requirement. Would the Government prefer the structure in Section L, or the structure delineated in the proposal checklist? Referencing question 2 above, if proposals are being submitted in two separate binders then it may make sense to include the cover letter in both Volumes.

A: The checklist is a reference document only – offerors need to follow the structure outlined in Section L of the solicitation. Since the technical proposal should be in a separate binder, a copy of the cover letter should be included with the technical proposal.

Q.64 Page 84, Section 4.2, Proposal Format; Is the minimum size for text for all graphics/tables/charts/pictures 10 point and must the font be Times New Roman? Is it permissible to include just the standard header and footer information within the 1” margins (page number, date, volume title, etc)?

A: The 10 point Times New Roman font must be used for all documents submitted. It is permissible to include the standard information in the 1” margin for the header and footer.

Q.65 Is the offeror to submit the one complete RFP (with SF33 and fill-ins completed) as a separate volume? Or is it to be an attachment or appendix to the Cost/Price Volume?

A: The technical proposal needs to be in a separate volume from the cost proposal. The remaining documents can be provided in one binder as long as they are clearly identified.

Q.66 Is it acceptable to use a team partner/subcontractor’s past performance as one of the 3 required for the submittal?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 11 of 25

A: It is preferred that the past performance references be for the prime contractor.

Q.67 Resumes are excluded from the page count. Is the personnel matrix also excluded from the page count?

A: The matrix would count towards the 15 page limit.

Q.68 In which section of the proposal should the personnel matrix be presented?

A: The matrix would be include in the technical proposal under the technical depth and breadth section.

Q.69 The solicitation specifies 8.5x11 paper with 10 point Times New Roman Font. May the offeror provide the personnel matrix on larger sized paper given the quantity of information that will be provided?

A: The page size and font requirements must be adhered to for all documents being submitted in the proposal.

Q.70 Can an 8 point Times New Roman font be used for the personnel matrix?

A: No, the font must be the 10 point Times New Roman.

Q.71 RFP Section L.4.3 Volume I – Technical Proposal (page 85); Will the Government allow an Executive Summary as part of the Technical Volume?

A: If included, it would count towards the page limitation.

Q.72 RFP Section L Additional Instructions to Offerors 1.0 Introduction states (page 81): “ The period of performance of the base period shall be approximately 4 years from date of contract award.” Does the Government intend to include additional Option Periods at the end of the 4 year base period?

A: No, there are no plans to include options in the contract.

Q.73 RFP Section L Additional Instructions to Offerors 2.2 (Page 82) AND RFP Section L Additional Instructions to Offerors 5.0. Will the Government allow Offerors to include volume Table of Contents, Response Matrices, and Acronym Lists to assist with Proposal Evaluation?

A: If these are included, they will count towards the page limitations.

Q.74 RFP Section L.2.0, (Page 81) Will the Government allow Offerors to submit their hard copy proposals by more than one carrier to ensure delivery by the due date and time?

A: It is preferred that only one copy of an offeror’s proposal is submitted.

Q.75 RFP Section L 5.3.1.1 (page 86) If the highest labor rate is from one of the prime offeror’s subcontractors , it will naturally include a proprietary Direct Labor rate, overheads and G&A. How does the government want the subcontractor to submit their proprietary cost breakdown? Must the Sample CLIN sheet provided in the solicitation be completed by the subcontractor and submitted along with its proprietary information or is a narrative representation of the rate build-up sufficient?

A: If the offeror is using a subcontractor’s rate, the breakdown can be provided either by a sealed envelope included in the prime contractor’s proposal submission or directly to the Government. The breakdown must be received by the deadline of 2:00 P.M. Dahlgren time on October 23rd. The envelope would need to clearly identify that the rate is being provided in support of the proposal submitted by the prime contractor. In the prime’s cost proposal, they would need to show the fully burdened rate being proposed by the subcontractor and the pass through that was being applied. The Sample of the ceiling rate breakdown was provided as a reference document to assist offerors. If a subcontractor’s rate is to be used, the rate must be provided in the same level of detail as specified in the solicitation and the sample reference document.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Page 12 of 25

Q.76 . Presence (Section L, Paragraph 5.4.1, Page 87). Is it acceptable to have a Non-Seaport contract to qualify for this section?

A: If using a contract to establish presence in a zone, the contract just needs to have been awarded by one of the authorized ordering offices located in the zone – it does not have to be a Seaport e contract.

Q.77 Regarding page 7, paragraph 3.6, “Software Engineering, Development, Programming and Network Support.”

Does the Offeror have to prove capabilities in all areas or is the Offeror able to prove capabilities in part of this functional area, such as Network support, to satisfy the requirement? Regarding page 8, paragraph 3.12, “Information System (IS) Development, Information Assurance (IA), and Information Technology (IT) Support.”

Does the Offeror have to prove capabilities in all three areas including IS, IA, and IT or is the Offeror able to prove capabilities in part of this functional area, such as IT support, to satisfy the requirement?

A: An offeror would need to demonstrate their ability to perform work described in a functional area. If there are multiple areas of work performed under a functional area, the offeror would need to demonstrate their ability in at least one of the areas described.

Q.78 Page 76 paragraph 3: "(v) Name, title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent shall be accompanied by evidence of that agent's authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office." What is required for evidence of an agent's authority? For example, if the agent is the company president will there be any evidence required?

A: Offerors need to ensure that the person who signs in block 17 of the SF33 has the authority to bind the company to any resultant contract. If the company’s president is the signer, it would be assumed that they would have the authority to commit their company to any resultant contract.

Q.79 Page 19: “Have a designated electronic business point of contact in the System for Award Management at https://www.acquisition.gov;” Should “www.acquisition.gov” be “www.sam.gov”?

A: The link reference is included in the DFARS Wide Area WorkFlow Payment Instructions dated May 2013 and that part of the clause is not editable.

Q.80 Page 26: “For Task Order solicitations competition restrictions for Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business, or 8(a) Businesses, the Prime Contractor must perform at least 50% of the work (See FAR 52.219-14).” Please clarify the 50% requirement in light of the letter from Seán F. Crean, Director, SECNAV Small Business Office, page 5, number 16: “16) 51% for the Small Business on a team NDAA FY13 now allows a small business that subcontracts to another small business to count toward the 51% Limitation on Subcontracting.”

A: The FAR has not yet been revised to make any changes to the 50% requirement so the current guidance from…