2.06a - N0018924RZ0140001.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 answ er the questions received and revise the RFP accordingly.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

S 1 49

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

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 05-Mar-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 N0018924RZ014

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

08-Feb-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 X is extended, 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

05-Mar-2024

CODE

NAVSUP FLC NORFOLK CONTRACTING

NORFOLK OFFICE

ATTN: S SOLLENBERGER

5450 CARLISLE PIKE BOX 2020

MECHANICSBURG PA 17050-2411

N00189 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE

See Item 6

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

N0018924RZ014

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 30 - BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

The following have been added by full text:

Q&A

Q1. The COST CLIN is only for FFP TOs. Will the government update CLIN 0003 to include Travel (and ODCs if FAR 15.404-4 is not included) for CPFF CLINs?

A1. The travel and ODC CLIN has been updated to reflect ordering via both FFP and CPFF type task orders.

Q2. There are no time periods attached to the CLINs in Section B and there appears to be only one option period.

Will the government confirm that CLINs 0001 - 0003 are for the base period of 60 months and CLINs 1001-1003 are for the 6 month option period?

A2. Please refer to Section F for the appropriate dates

Q3. Will the government please confirm that the language referenced below applies to the estimated hours at the task order level and not the IDIQ level?

“Any hours expended in excess of the Estimated Total Hours shall be excluded from all fee computations and adjustments.”

A3. This applies at the TO level.

Q4. Will the government please clarify what the "solicitation pricing pages" are in the below referenced section? If they have not been provided in the RFP, will the government please include them in the amendment?

“The Cost Proposal in Volume II shall include the solicitation pricing pages completed by the offeror. The Government shall not be responsible for compensating the contractor for any costs tied to solicitation requirements but not factored into the proposed prices, either by the contractor’s intention or by mistake.”

A4. Section B where the CLINs are listed.

Q5. In addition to level of effort, there are several factors Offerors need to consider for pricing to include: (1) actual position location, (2) whether the position is on a Government site or a contractor site, and (3) whether the type of order is CPFF or FFP.

Question: As the Government is requesting pricing totals based on the level of effort listing in Section B and the CLIN structure, which are both CPFF and FFP, will the Government please provide details on the location for each position and indicate Government site or Contractor site for each position? If not, will the Government provide a single location and whether the position is Government-site/Contractor-site for all Offerors to use as the basis for price evaluation?"

A5. All positions are at a Government site, San Diego, CA, and will be utilized as the basis for price evaluation.

Additional locations, use of contractor site, and task order type will be determined at the task order level.

Q6. Will the government provide a pricing sheet or template for how they would like offerors to respond to pricing instructions in order to provide uniformity in cost proposals?

A6. There is no standardized pricing template. Please follow requirements specified in Section L “Instructions to Offerors”: “The Cost Proposal in Volume II shall include the solicitation pricing pages completed by the offeror and a complete and detailed breakdown of the offeror’s cost plus fixed fee (CPFF) CLIN with all supporting documentation. The offeror’s cost proposal shall not deviate from the level of effort set forth in Section B of the solicitation. The cost proposal shall support the non-cost proposal. The cost proposal shall include all elements of cost and such other cost information as considered appropriate to support the offeror’s proposal. The burden of proof for establishing the realism of all proposed costs rests with the offeror. Offeror’s shall not lock out spreadsheets, so that formulas are not visible or link to other spreadsheets where the Government cannot access the underlying value.

All calculations and formulas shall allow the Government to view all numerical values in the calculations or shall link to cells in the same spreadsheet that allow the Government to view the values.”

Q7. Will the Government provide the minimum amounts required for indemnification and medical liability insurance?

A7. $1,000,000.00.

Q8. Please confirm that the General Liability and Indemnification and Medical Liability minimum coverage amounts required at the IDIQ level will be sufficient for all task orders required under this contract.

A8. The minimum coverage should cover and exceed minimum amounts in all task order places of performance/countries.

Q9. Please confirm that we may make minor changes to the format of the past performance information form to improve readability of the information (e.g., bolding, spacing) as long as we do not change the basic structure.

A9. Yes, as long as you still adhere to the following requirements listed in Section L: "Each “page” is defined as one sheet, 8 ½” x 11”, with at least one inch margins on all sides, using a font with Lines shall, at a minimum, be single-spaced." “Past Performance Information Form,” including any continuation sheets may be completed with point size of 10 or greater. Pages submitted in excess of the page limitations described above will not be evaluated. The Navy may exercise discretion in determining which specific pages are considered to be in excess of the page limitations.”

Q10. Is the $350,000 amount in each performance year the plug for both travel and materials? If not, will the Government provide a separate number for materials?

A10. This $350,000.00 is a combined number for travel and materials annually.

Q11. Are Offerors required to provide material lists and costs as well as other direct costs? If yes, how will the Government ensure equitable price evaluation?

A11. This is not a requirement. Please utilize the $350,000 plug in your proposal development.

Q12. Please confirm that local time is Eastern Time

A12. Yes, local time is Eastern Standard Time.

Q13. Will the Government remove Firm Fixed Price (FFP) labor CLINs 0002 and 1002 from Section B on pages 5- 6? If not, does the Government want separate pricing for this FFP CLIN that includes the additional risk attributable to this contract type?

A13. These CLINs will remain as they are a mechanism for task order creation once the IDIQ is awarded. No pricing needs to be provided for these CLINs. The total ceiling price for the IDIQ, all FFP and CPFF task orders, should be priced against the CPFF CLINs utilizing the LOE provided.

Q14. The PWS requires that the contractor provide managerial support and direct supervision of all personnel with direct on-site management functions, but there is no program manager-type position provided in the estimated level of effort in Section B. Will the government please add this necessary position?

A14. Program Manager added. See revised LOE table in Section B.

Q15. If the list of LCATs provided under Section C is illustrative only, how will the government address LCATs at the task order level that are not included in Section C at the IDIQ level?

A15. All bill rates will be evaluated for cost/price reasonableness at the Task Order Level.

Q16. OCI Questions: Question (a): Does the Government want Offerors to certify if there is or is not an OCI?

Question (b): Does the Government require a Mitigation Plan from all Offerors? Question (c): In which Proposal Volume (Volume I or II), does the Government want Offeror’s to provide the OCI indication and documentation?

Will the Government accept this as an Attachment in the Volume indicated? Is there any page limit?

A16. Instructions were added to section L under the management approach section on completing the OCI Mitigation Plan. This will be an attachment to this section, with a 5-page limit (that does not count towards the 10 page limit of the management approach itself). Please also see the NOTICE OF INCLUSION OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST CLAUSE (SEP 2015) at the beginning of Section L for additional Instructions on what needs to be included in your OCI Mitigation plan that provide answers questions a and b.

Q17. Is an Executive Summary (1-page) required to be included in each Volume?

A17. Yes

Q18. If a subcontractor is Time and Material (T&M) to the Offeror, will the Government confirm this information from the subcontractor is not required and that a cost narrative and compensation plan are not required? If these are required, please confirm the subcontractor can submit it via a separate sealed package directly to the Government.

A18. Yes. With regard to cost type subcontractors, they may submit an un-sanitized proposal via email to the contracting officer.

Q19. In addition to determining SCLS applicability, does the Government also require Offerors to identify which positions may be covered under the California Exempt Employee Law that includes minimum salary requirements for exempt personnel located in California?

A19. Please provide if necessary to your proposal development.

Q20. Will the government provide evaluation criteria definitions for how they will rate the performance approach and management approach?

A20. The evaluation ratings will be assessed consistent with the DoD Source Selection Procedures and the standard rating tables within.

Q21. Given the length of the PWS and its tasks in the RFP (4 pages), will the government allow 5 additional pages in the Performance Approach response page limit to adequately respond to all PWS tasks?

A21. No, the current amount of pages should suffice to adequately respond.

Q22. “The offeror’s methodology to re-creating, developing, implementing, and/or maintaining dashboards and reports as required throughout the PWS, to include obtaining the requisite Data Service Agreement for access to the data needed.” Can the Government please provide and/or clarify the below with regards to the referenced Data Service Agreements?

a. Is the tool to be leveraged for these dashboards Government-provided or Contractor-provided? If contractor provided - are there certain provisions/restrictions/requirements associated with this tool?

b. Can the Government please clarify what types of organizations DSAs must be collected from (e.g., other federal entities, academia, industry, etc.)?

c. Does the Government expect the Contractor to negotiate the terms of the DSA or will the Government assume this responsibility?

d. Will the data obtained contain protected information?

A22. Answers provided below:

a. Government Provided

b. They may be from other federal government entities, state government entities, academia, or industry

c. This will be a government responsibility

d. The data may contain protected information

Q23. This section states: “The offeror shall demonstrate relevant past performance or affirmatively state that it possesses no relevant past performance. Relevant past performance is experience within the past three (3) years that is the same as or similar to the scope and magnitude of the work described by this solicitation.”

Given that task orders are to be subsequently issued as a result of the overarching IDIQ, and there is no defined magnitude of these subsequent task orders, can the Government please better define an annual dollar value that is to be considered relevant in magnitude?

A23. $5 million per year

Q24. This section states: “Contract references for IDIQ contract vehicles shall provide the basic contract number and task order number. Such references that do not provide this information will not be reviewed or considered. For example, an IDIQ contract number, GSA Schedule contract, or BPA number will not be considered since performance occurs at the task order level. A singular task order number under one IDIQ contract equates to one effort. The Government is evaluating a maximum of three (3) efforts.”

Given that this contract is to be awarded as a single IDIQ with multiple task orders, and it is unlikely that one single task order will be comparable in scope and/or magnitude to the sum of the task orders, can the Government please modify this requirement to allow for past performance references that may be comprised of multiple task orders, be allowed, if awarded under an IDIQ-type contract that is NOT a GSA Schedule contract or BPA number?

A24. The Government request that in accordance with the instructions in Section L, only a singular task order be provided. The current language does provide some flexibilities to address the types of concerns the vendor raises here as it does call for an aggregated evaluation of past performance references. So that an offeror who may not have a single past performance reference that is comparable in scope/magnitude may nonetheless demonstrate comparable scope/magnitude as a result of our aggregated evaluation of all of the references.

Q25. “In order to receive credit for the past performance of an affiliate, the Offer must clearly demonstrate that the affiliate will be meaningfully involved in performance of the solicited contract. That is, the resources of the affiliate, (e.g., workforce, management, facilities, or other resources that demonstrably contributed to the affiliate’s performance on the submitted project(s)) will be provided or relied upon by the Contractor for contract performance on the solicited requirement to an extent that warrants attribution of the affiliate’s past performance to the Offeror.”

Given the current restrictions around page count and each past performance information form, can the government please confirm that the explanation related to meaningful involvement can be contained within the Executive summary, and excluded from page count?

A25. Yes.

Q26. Can the government confirm that remote employees/employees not located at NHRC can attend orientation virtually? Can the government provide an estimate of the Orientation duration?

A26. Yes. The orientation lasts half a day.

Q27. Can the Government please confirm the level of detail required for subcontractor submissions, and additionally provide sealed package submission instructions for them?

A27. Per Section L, “the documentation substantiating the accuracy of the subcontractor’s proposed indirect rates is also required. Acceptable documentation may include the following:

(1) Copies of current or prior fiscal year DCMA Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA), the offeror’s Forward Pricing Rate Proposal (FPRP), Provisional Billing Rate Approval or Provisional Billing Rate Submission, whichever is most recent.

(2) If none of the documentation identified in paragraph (1) above is available, historical indirect data, to include provisional rates, actual incurred rates, and annual incurred cost claims (if submitted), shall be provided for the three years prior to the offeror's current fiscal year. This data should include the all of the Offeror's indirect rates as applicable to the Offeror's accounting system. If quoting indirect rates significantly different from recent incurred rates, offerors shall include a detailed explanation and supporting cost data (including budget information). If the offeror is quoting subcontracts on other than a CPFF basis, the offeror should submit information as to whether the rates for the subcontractors are fixed based on a firm bilateral agreement with the subcontractor or merely proposed.

In addition, the offeror shall explain why it believes the subcontractor can perform at those rates. If the offeror is quoting subcontracts on other than a CPFF basis, the offeror should submit information as to whether the rates for the subcontractors are fixed based on a firm bilateral agreement with the subcontractor or merely proposed. In addition, the offeror should explain why it believes the subcontractor can perform at those rates.” “Subcontractor cost breakdowns may be submitted separately.”

Subcontractor should submit their cost breakdowns in accordance with the instructions in section L: “Initial proposals and any modifications thereto are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer by email, shaina.m.sollenberger.civ@us.navy.mil, on or before the closing date and time cited elsewhere in this solicitation.

Faxes, hard copy, and/or responses through Navy Electronic Commerce Online (NECO) or any method other than email are not acceptable. Proposals shall comply with the detailed instructions for the format and content of the proposal contained herein; proposals that do not comply may be considered unacceptable and may render the proposal ineligible for award. All electronic files and versions of proposals shall be submitted in Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel or Word) formats and be in an unlocked and searchable format. The offeror shall be responsible for ensuring that its submissions are virus free.

NOTE: Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be valid for a minimum of 180 days from the solicitation closing date.”

Q28. Reference: PWS C.2.1 states “All task orders issued under this base Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) - contract will be Cost Plus Fixed-Fee (CPFF).” Section M (a) states “The Government intends to award a single award CPFF Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) with the ability to issue CPFF or FFP task orders”. Section B CLIN structure includes CLIN’s X002 and X003 both of which refer to “FFP” Task Orders.

Section L contains “FAR 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT” which states the contract type as “Cost Plus Fixed Fee”.

Will the Government please confirm if the intent is to issue only CPFF task orders as stipulated in the PWS, or does it intend to also issue FFP? If so, will the Government please update the solicitation for consistency?

With respect to the TORPs, can the government clarify the contract type? CPFF for the IDIQ? CPFF or FFP for TOPRs?

A28. Task Orders can be CPFF or FFP. PWS corrected.

Q29. Can the Government confirm that the OCI Mitigation Plan is required at the Task Order Level only vs. at the time of the RFP response?

A29. OCI Mitigation Plan is required for the IDIQ at time of RFP response as a whole and will apply to all Task Orders issued off this IDIQ. Section L has been updated to clarify this.

Q30. Can the Government please confirm that 10-point font is acceptable for graphics?

A30. 10-point is acceptable for graphics.

Q31. For the Labor Categories listed, is the contractor able to substitute experience for the education?

A31. Yes, see revisions in the PWS (C.5.3.3, 10-13, 15-16, 22).

Q32. For pricing purposes, are there FTE labor category estimates by location?

A32. No. All FTE labor category estimates are based off a location of on government site in San Diego, CA.

Q33. “Performance Approach is more important than Management Approach. Management Approach is more important than Past Performance.”

“For all non-price factors (other than Past Performance), an offeror’s proposal must be determined to be Acceptable or better in order to be eligible for award. A rating that is less than “Acceptable” in any nonprice evaluation factor and/or less than “Satisfactory Confidence” in the Past Performance evaluation factor will render a Offer ineligible for award consideration as submitted.”

“The Government intends to award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose proposal represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors in the solicitation.”

The above evaluation criteria appear to be in conflict. Can the Government please confirm that this is a best value evaluation, and not a past performance-price trade off evaluation?

A33. This is a best value trade off.

Q34. Given the Performance Approach is considered to be the most important factor of the solicitation, the language that the Performance Approach is to be evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis, appears to be in conflict. Can the Government please clarify how the Performance Approach and Management Approach will be weighted and evaluated?

A34. The evaluation ratings will be assessed consistent with the DoD Source Selection Procedures and the standard technical rating tables within.

Q35. If the Performance approach is to be evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis, can the Government please provide definitions of Acceptability for the Performance Approach, as well as Adjectival Ratings definitions for the Management Approach – aka – what defines an Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and/or Unacceptable Management Approach?

A35. The Performance Approach will not be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis, but will instead be evaluated as part of a best-value trade-off award decision on an adjectival basis consistent with the DoD Source Selection Procedures and the standard technical rating tables within.

Q36. Can the Government please provide confidence ratings definitions for the past performance evaluation – for example – what classifies as “Very Relevant,” “Relevant,” “Somewhat Relevant,” or “Not Relevant”?

A36. The evaluation ratings will be assessed consistent with the DoD Source Selection Procedures and the past performance standard rating tables within.

Q37. We request that the government consider extending the due date of the response by 3 weeks from the time the Q&A’s are released.

A37. Question period has been extended to 12:00pm EST 4 March 2024 and RFP extend to 18 March 2024.

Q38. Is it anticipated that work will be performed in government biosafety level 3 and 4 labs? Is the government expecting contractor personnel with experience in BSL 4 work?

A38. No, it is not anticipated that work will be performed in biosafety level 3 or 4.

Q39. Occupational Health Requirements. All personnel occupational health expenses are the responsibility of the Contractor and shall not be approved as ODCs

These costs could be substantial. If they are not included as ODCs related to the performance of the contract, would the government provide some indication of positions and quantities that would allow Contractors to estimate the cost for bidding purposes?

A39. Some examples of occupational health responsibilities include an annual evaluation with an occupational health doctor, vaccinations against bloodborne pathogens, and annual mask fit testing. There may be international travel that requires additional vaccinations.

Q40. Please confirm that there is no incumbent contractor in place.

A40. This is a new requirement.

Q41. C.2.20. Other Direct Costs (ODC) are expected in support of the research efforts at NHRC. ODCs may include, but are not limited to: equipment, research supplies, shipping/transportation fees, dry ice, consulting services, invited travel, training/certification fees not previously listed in the contract/task orders as required by the work sponsor to meet the needs of a research project, and incentives for research participation (i.e. gift cards). All ODC costs must be processed in accordance with NHRC procedures and approved/endorsed by the COR in writing prior to the Contractor incurring any costs.

Would the government please indicate what training/certification fees there are that the Contractor is expected to cover?

A41. Professional certifications or any training/certification that is necessary to complete the tasks of the position.

Q42. Subcontracts as defined in C.2.22 and C.2.23 are more indicative of vendors or independent contractors. Can offerors assume that in the context of this section that a subcontract in this section is not the same as the term “subcontractor” referenced in Section L?

A42. A subcontractor is referring to any performance not by the prime contractor is considered a subcontract.

Q43. The government states that the total hours of 1912 per person is inclusive overtime and subcontracting hours.

Would the government please explain this statement further given the breakdown in Section C.2.26?

A43. The level of effort table has been revised.

Q44. The normal work schedule listed is 11.5 hours rather than an 8-hour normal work schedule. Hours over 8 hours would be considered overtime that would require approval. Would the government please confirm the intent that these hours can be covered by staggering staff work hours?

A44. The hours listed in C.2.30 are NHRCs normal business hours not the employees shift hours. The expectations is that contractor employees will work 8hrs within that 11.5 hour window.

Q45. C.2.34. Contractor Furnished Items: The Contractor must provide any ergonomic evaluations and supply furniture necessary for ergonomic support.

Please confirm that this expense intended to be provided on an as-needed basis.

A45. Correct, ergonomic evaluations and supplies are to be provided by the contractor on an as-needed basis.

Q46. C.4.6.6. Collect, test, analyze and archive specimens from ongoing surveillance programs and special investigations for environmental samples and human samples among military personnel or civilians (recruits, forces afloat, deployed forces, outbreaks of concern, DoD dependents and border populations); this may entail being on board a Naval vessel.

Does the Analytical testing have to be done at a specific lab? Can this work be outsourced to a third party?

A46. Analytical testing is performed at NHRC, no outsourced to a third party.

Q47. Will the contractor be responsible for the storage of samples off-site? How long are samples expected to be stored or will these be stored at an NHRC facility?

A47. No, they will be stored at NHRC.

Q48. Is this requirement a requirement for all personnel working on this contract, or would the government consider this requirement to be a requirement for key personnel? If so, which personnel is considered key personnel for this requirement?

A48. NHRC cannot answer this question as the requirement is not indicated in the question.

Q49. Contractor personnel shall be US citizens

Is this also a requirement for any support vendors?

A49. This depends on the type of work and location but there are instances where this may not be required.

Q50. The Contractor must have demonstrated experience working within a United States (US) military medical R&D environment.

Is the requirement that the proposed personnel have this experience or the offeror company?

A50. The offeror company

Q51. Given that most of these metrics are either 100% or close to 100%, how would a contractor achieve a CPAR of higher than satisfactory if they perform within the required levels?

A51. Not necessary to proposal development.

Q52. We understand to be eligible for an award, offerors must have an accounting system that has been audited and determined adequate for determining costs but because of the small number of small business vendors that have a completed DCAA audit, would the government consider accepting a CPA opinion letter confirming that the Offeror's accounting system is compliant? Third-party certified public accounting firms can audit a company’s accounting system to confirm they have an accounting system that is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract in accordance with FAR 16.301-3(a)(1) as such, a letter from such a firm should also be considered adequate.

A52. See revisions to Sections L and M.

Q53. As an unpopulated Joint Venture (JV) would not have an approved accounting system please confirm that Joint Venture offerors only require a member of the JV to have an approved accounting system

A53. According to the SBA the Prime contractor within the JV would be completing the billing and therefore would need to have the approved accounting system. See revisions to Sections L and M.

Q54. Please advise if all members of a Joint Venture need to have the FWA at the time of proposal submission.

A54. All members of the JV would be required to have the FWA.

Q55. There are several references in this section to “subcontractor”. Can bidders assume that the term “subcontractor” as used in Section L is that of a teaming partner and as such able to perform more of the work than that defined in C.2.22?

A55. A subcontractor is referring to any performance not by the prime contractor is considered a subcontract.

Q56. Can the Government please provide more instruction on what information it would like included in the offeror’s response to address the security level verification requirement?

A56. Language updated in section L to “Personnel Screening: A management plan to ensure personnel have the appropriate review and/or clearance obtained to perform the services of the Task Order PWS.”

Q57. Can the Government provide a list of the prior Data Service Agreements that have historically been required?

A57. Prior Data Service Agreements have been with other federal government entities, state government entities, academia, or industry. The government will be responsible for negotiating the terms of the Data Service Agreements.

Q58. For the pricing purpose, could the Government provide the estimated hours yearly for the Assistant Laboratory Technician (student intern) instead of a range: 1,434 to 2,868 hours yearly)?

A58. See revised Level of Effort table in Section B.

Q59. Should the number of FTEs for the Assistant Laboratory Technician (student intern) be 0.75 FTEs (1,434 hours) or 1.5 FTEs (2,868 hours) instead of 3 FTEs listed in Section B?

A59. See revised Level of Effort table in Section B.

Q60. Please confirm that in an SBA approved mentor-protégé joint venture relationship, the mentor having an approved DCAA accounting system meets the requirements of this RFP.

A60. Yes The Mentor should be the one with all approved systems including Accounting and will do all the billing.

See revisions to Sections L and M.

Q61. Section L, pg. 81, "To demonstrate its past performance, the offeror shall identify up to three (3) of its most relevant contracts or efforts within the past three (3) years and provide any other information the offeror considers relevant to the requirements of the solicitation. "

Would the government please clarify what is meant by "efforts?" Can the Offeror provide references for Cooperative Agreements and/or Grants?

A61. Efforts are any binding agreement requiring the entity to perform certain activities in exchange for financial compensation or assistance, and may include any contractual type of agreements for the provision of goods/services and/or grants or co-operative agreements. Any grants/co-operative agreements used as past performance references should include sufficient detail demonstrating how the entity’s performance under the grant/co-operative agreement is relevant to the required contractual services to be provided to the Government under this requirement and should also include reference information to enable the Government to obtain and assess the quality of the entity’s performance under the reference.

Q62. There was no plug value provided for ODCs on the RFP. For the proposal purpose, would the Government provide non-to-exceed ODCs amounts by year?

A62. The $350,000 annually is for both travel and ODCs.

Q63. The RFP states that Offerors are responsible for determining which of their proposed labor categories are covered by the SCLS and they shall specify if any SCLS covered labor categories in their cost proposal along with providing the applicable wage determination schedule and revision number. However, neither FAR clause 52.222- 41 Service Contract Labor Standards nor specific DOL wage determination are included on the solicitation. Would the Government confirm this contract is subject to SCLS?

A63. This is not a SCLS requirement as these are all professional services.

Q64. Would the Government confirm if the travel amounts provided in Section M are inclusive of contractor's applicable burden already or contractors should add its applicable burden to these amounts?

A64. Please apply your applicable burden to these amounts.

Q65. Will the proposed labor rates on the IDIQ level be the ceiling rates for the task order requirements?

A65. Proposed Labor Rates are only for ceiling development and will not be used as ceiling rates for task orders.

Q66. Would the Government provide the position descriptions of the labor categories.

A66. Please see section C.5 of the PWS for labor category descriptions and education requirements.

Q67. 52.217-8 Ordering Period: 8/21/2029 – 2/28/2030 exceeds 6 month. According to 52.217-8 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, the extension of performance shall not exceed 6 months. For pricing purpose, can the government confirm the number months that contractors should use to prorate hours for the option ordering period?

A67. 52.217-8 is a 6 month period. PoP has been corrected to reflect 6 month duration.

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The required response date/time has changed from 11-Mar-2024 12:00 PM to 18-Mar-2024 12:00 PM.

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

CLIN 0003

The CLIN description has changed from OID Research Support Services to ODCs and Travel.

The CLIN extended description has changed from:

Firm Fixed Price Task Orders. ODCs and Travel.

To:

ODCs and Travel

CLIN 1003

The CLIN description has changed from OID Research Support Services to ODCs and Travel.

The CLIN extended description has changed from:

Firm Fixed Price Task Orders. ODCs and Travel.

To:

ODCs and Travel

The following have been modified:

SECTION B

METHOD OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION (SEP 2015)

DO NOT use the "submit bid" button on NECO to submit your proposal.

Offerors shall follow the method of proposal submission set forth in the Section L “Submission of Proposals”.

LEVEL OF EFFORT (COST TYPE CONTRACT) (SINGLE AWARD IDIQ) (SEP 2015)

(a) The Estimated Total Hours to be ordered under this contract during the contract ordering period is based upon the

Labor Category Number of FTEs Estimated Hours per Year (1,912 hours per

FTE)

Program Manager 1 1,912

Microbiologist 1 1,912

Senior Microbiologist (supervisory) 1 1,912

Serologist 1 1,912

Immunologist 1 1,912

Epidemiologist I 1 1,912

Epidemiologist II 1 1,912

Bioinformaticist 2 3,824

Preventative Medicine Physician 1 1,912

Infectious Disease Physician 1 1,912

Quality Assurance Supervisor 1 1,912

Quality Assurance Specialist 1 1,912

Safety and Logistics Supervisor II 1 1,912

Safety and Logistics Supervisor I - Biosafety & Biorepository

1 1,912

Biosafety and Logistics - Purchasing, Shipping and Receiving Technician II

1 1,912

Biosafety and Logistics Technician I 2 3,824

Biosafety and Logistics Technician II 2 3,824

Database Programmer 1 1,912

Senior Database Programmer 1 1,912

Administrative Assistant 1 1,912

Senior Finance Manager 2 3,824

Laboratory Medical Director .50 956

Senior Laboratory Manager 1 1,912

Molecular Laboratory Supervisor II 1 1,912

Molecular Laboratory Supervisor I 1 1,912

Sequencing Laboratory Supervisor I 1 1,912

Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor II 1 1,912

Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor I 1 1,912

Serology Laboratory Supervisor I 1 1,912

Medical Laboratory Technologist II 2 3,824

Medical Laboratory Technologist I 2 3,824

Research Laboratory Technician II 6 11,472

Research Laboratory Technician I 10 19,120

Assistant Laboratory Technician (student intern 10-20 hours per week)

3 1,434 to 2,868 hours yearly

Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator 20 38,240

Clinical Research Coordinator I 11 21,032

Clinical Research Coordinator II 6 11,472

Clinical Project Manager 2 3,824

Statistician 1 1,912

Clinical Research Nurse 2 3,824

Clinical Program Manager 1 1,912

Behavioral Health Scientist II 1 1,912

Data Analyst II 1 1,912

Data Analyst I 1 1,912

SAS Programmer 1 1,912

Research Associate 2 3,824

Research Assistant 2 3,824

Student Intern 2.5 4,780

Regulatory Affairs Scientist 1 1,912

(b) For the purposes of paragraph (e) below, the Estimated Total Hours shall be the number of hours associated with the base ordering period as increased by the number of hours associated with any exercised option ordering periods.

(c) The Estimated Total Hours include overtime and subcontracting hours but exclude holidays, sick leave, vacation days and other absences.

(d) CPFF task orders resulting from this contract may be either term or completion type. The number of hours expended per month under each resulting term-type task order shall be commensurate with the pursuit of performance of the task order’s statement of work, provided that such fluctuation does not result in the utilization of the task order hours prior to the expiration of the task order. The number of hours for any labor category may be utilized by the contractor for any other labor category if necessary in performance of the contract.

(e) The contractor shall not be obligated to accept orders beyond the contract’s Estimated Total Hours, except that the Contracting Officer may place orders in excess of the Estimated Total Hours until the contract’s total estimated cost has been expended. In that the contract’s fixed fee is to be paid out at an hourly rate based on the contract’s Total Estimated Hours, the government will not be obligated to pay fee on any hours ordered in excess of the Estimated Total Hours. Any hours expended in excess of the Estimated Total Hours shall be excluded from all fee computations and adjustments. The Contracting Officer may also place orders in excess of the total estimated cost until the Estimated Total Hours have been expended. In no event, however, will the Contracting Officer, pursuant to this paragraph (e), place orders in excess of the Estimated Total hours if the Contracting Officer has placed orders in excess of the total estimated cost. Nor will the Contracting Officer, pursuant to this paragraph (e), place orders in excess of the total estimated cost if the Contracting Officer has placed orders in excess of the Estimated Total Hours. The Contracting Officer may extend the contract period in order to place orders up to the total estimated cost and the Estimated Total Hours.

(f) If at any time during this contract the contractor expends in excess of 85% of the available estimated manhours of direct labor (at the contract and task order levels), the contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer in writing. Nothing herein shall be construed to alter or waive any of the rights or obligations of either party pursuant to the clause entitled “Limitation of Cost” and/or “Limitation of Funds.”

(g) For any resultant fixed-price task orders, the hours proposed shall be considered against the contract’s Estimated Total Hours.

(h) It is understood and agreed that for each CPFF task order issued under this contract, the number of hours and the total dollar amount for each labor category specified in the task order are estimates only and shall not limit the use of hours or dollar amounts in any labor category which may be required and provided for under an individual task order. Accordingly, in the performance of any CPFF task order, the contractor shall be allowed to adjust the quantity of labor hours provided for within labor categories specified in the order provided that in so performing the contractor shall not in any event exceed the ceiling price restrictions of any order, including modifications thereof.

PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE (CPFF SINGLE AWARD IDIQ) (SEP 2015)

The fixed fee for work performed under this contract is $__*__ provided that approximately __**__ hours of technical effort are employed by the contractor in performance of this contract. If substantially fewer than __**__ hours of technical effort are employed, the fixed fee shall be equitably reduced to reflect the reduction of work. The Government shall make monthly payments of the fixed fee at the rate of $__***__ per direct labor hour invoiced by the contractor. For the purposes of tracking the contract’s total fixed fee, the “fixed fee” associated with any fixed-price task order will be the product of the above rate(s) multiplied by the total hours proposed for the task order. All payments shall be in accordance with the provisions of FAR 52.216-8, “Fixed Fee,” and FAR 52.216-7, “Allowable Cost and Payment.” Payments shall be subject to the withholding provisions of Paragraph (b) of FAR 52.216-8, provided that the total of all such monthly payment shall not exceed eighty-five (85%) percent of the fixed fee. Any balance of fixed fee due the contractor shall be paid to the Contractor, and any over-payment of fixed fee shall be repaid to the Government by the Contractor, or otherwise credited to the Government at the time of final payment.

Lot I To be specified at time of award xx,xxx */** Lot II To be specified at time of award xx,xxx Lot III To be specified at time of award xx,xxx Lot IV To be specified at time of award xx,xxx Lot V To be specified at time of award xx,xxx */**

SECTION C - DESCRIPTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The following have been modified:

PWS

STATEMENT OF WORK/PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER (NHRC) OPERATIONAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES (OID)

RESEARCH & SURVEILLANCE SUPPORT SERVICES INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDIFINITE QUANTITY

(IDIQ)

C.1. GENERAL INFORMATION

C.1.1. This Statement of Work (SOW)/Performance Work Statement (PWS), located in Section C of the base contract, applies to all subsequent task orders issued under this base contract.

C.1.2. Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) is a Navy Medical Research and Development (R&D) Command charged with conducting medical research, development, testing infectious disease samples, evaluation, and surveillance to enhance deployment readiness of Department of Defense (DOD) personnel worldwide.

C.1.3. Infectious diseases are a constant threat to the readiness of US military forces at home and abroad. Given the dynamic nature of global pathogenic transmissibility, diseases that may have once been confined to remote areas of the world are carried to new areas with relative ease. Expeditionary forces are especially susceptible due to their exposure to areas/regions of high risk and the potential for rapid, high volume transmission among close quartered personnel. In support of disease risk assessment and prophylactic clinical responses such as vaccine and drug therapeutics, research efforts require basic and applied research support for understanding etiologic agents underlying infectious diseases, epidemiological investigations following outbreaks, advanced characterization methods and validation of methods for rapid diagnoses, and developing and testing new technologies for pathogenic detection and viral mutagenic prediction. The recent prevalence of newly emerging, highly publicized novel disease pandemics has further strengthened the demand for expanding surveillance efforts.

As the Navy hub for the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division, Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Department (AFHSC-GEIS), the NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases (OID) Directorate conducts on-going, laboratory-based surveillance of US military populations in unique environments to quantify and study the etiology of infectious illnesses. Test specimens are collected from ongoing surveillance programs and from special investigations of febrile illnesses and pneumonia among military personnel or civilians (recruits, forces afloat, deployed forces, outbreaks of concern, and border populations). In addition to the utilization of portable, rapid assay technologies to identify pathogens in the field, test specimens and limited epidemiologic data, when approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), are provided to the NHRC laboratory where diagnostics and, in some instances, in-depth pathogen characterization is conducted. Results are provided to sponsors, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, local investigators and collaborators and, when applicable, county health units in order to guide proper responses that ultimately affect both the readiness of US forces and the safety of public health.

The OID Directorate supports NHRC’s mandate as a Navy Medical Research and Development Command to conduct medical research, development, testing, evaluation, and surveillance to enhance deployment readiness of DOD personnel worldwide. OID researchers use existing administrative data to investigate deployment-related and operationally-relevant health, career, and occupational issues, as well as health care systems and processes, that impact Warfighter readiness.

The Contractor shall provide all personnel, supervision, and other items necessary to provide laboratory technical services, statistical analysis, study coordination, fiscal analysis, quality control and assurance, safety and logistics, sample collection, administrative and program management support for operational infectious disease surveillance, accredited clinical laboratory testing, diagnostic evaluations, clinical research support and scientific research services as defined in this SOW/PWS except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

This acquisition will involve comprehensive scientific research and development services over the full period of performance. The required acquisition may involve, but will not be limited to: developing, refining, and executing the full spectrum of data-related tasking; examining the impact of case management services and source of delivered health care services on health care costs, patient outcomes, and health care system efficiencies; understanding injury prevention, injury identification, and injury reduction across a military career; investigating the longitudinal medical and career outcomes of en route care providers and patients; and identifying and then understanding other deployment health-related concerns.

C.2. ASSUMPTIONS AND CONSTRAINTS

C.2.1. All task orders issued under this base Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) - contract will be Cost Plus Fixed-Fee (CPFF) or Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP). All task orders issued under this contract will be for non-personal services.

C.2.2. Over the course of the contract period of performance (POP)/ordering period, the Government will issue task order proposal requests (TOPRs). Either level of effort severable or non-severable task orders may be issued under this contract. Non-severable task orders will be issued for services that must continue from start through completion in order for the Government to receive a benefit. Severable task orders are for services where the Government receives a benefit during the period for which services are performed, regardless of when or if the services are severed. Each task order will include the task order type deemed appropriate by the Government. The TOPRs will also include the required assurances for human subject research (HSR), if applicable.

C.2.3. Contractor personnel are recognized as Non-Critical Sensitive [ADP/IT-II] positions when the contract scope of work requires physical access to a federally controlled base, facility or activity and/or requires access to a DoD computer/network, to perform unclassified sensitive duties. At a minimum, each Contractor personnel must be a US citizen and have a favorably completed NACLC or T3 or T3R equivalent investigation to obtain a favorable determination for assignment to a non-critical sensitive position. Refer to SUPTXT204-9400 (9-18) herein.