RFI_Industry Day Questions Answers-N0018925HQITUSFFC.pdf

Questions & Answers- Opportunity N0018925HQITUSFFC

1. Is this opportunity a potential follow-on to N0017821D8989-N0018924F3018, awarded in March 2024?

Answer: Yes

2. Is the intent to procure this opportunity via full and open, or as a SB set-aside?

Answer: A determination has not been made at this time.

3. Is there a change in scope with this effort since it is a follow on to N0017821D8989-N0018924F3018 awarded in March 2024 with more option years to be exercised?

Answer: The overall scope of the requirement has not changed; however, the manner in which the program is ran and the specificities associated with such have either changed or been further strengthened.

4. Per the RFI and Industry Day Notice - HQ IT file provided by the Government, "Submissions are not to exceed six (6) typewritten pages in no less than 12-font." Does the page count include cover page, table of contents, exhibit / figure list, and acronym table? Or are these pages not counted toward the six-page limit?

Answer: The cover page, table of contents, exhibit / figure list, and acronym table are not counted towards the six-page limit.

5. Does the 12-point font size limit apply to the disclosure statements, page numbers, and titles in the file's headers and footers?

Answer: We do ask that you stick to a 12-size font for ease of our customer’s review but it is not mandatory.

6. Will the industry day vendor attendee list be posted?

Answer: Yes

7. The education requirements in Section 5.0: Some of the Personnel Qualifications do not align with the Specialty Area Codes in Section 7.0 Cyber Security Work Force per the DoDD 8140. Will the government clarify the education requirements for all positions and verify that they align with the 8140?

Answer: Further elaboration on this question needed in order to provide an adequate response.

8. Will the honorable Navy sponsor the awardee a facility clearance? Thank YOU in advance for your support.

Answer: We currently expect for the contractors to have an active Top Secret clearance in order to be eligible for award.

9. In the draft PWS, there are three Functional Description areas labeled 3.13 (Converged Infrastructure Support, Information System Security Support, and Cabling Support). To minimize confusion and facilitate writing to the requirements, would the government consider renumbering the Functional Description areas to reflect 21 total Functional areas?

Answer: No

10. Is there going to be a transition grace period?

Answer: A determination has not been made at this time.

11. Are you looking for us to transfer away from VWARE?

Answer: No

12. In regard to RMF, does the Government want us to adhere to the PWS or for the Contractor to provide Solutions?

Answer: The contractor is able to provide solutions in regard to RMF.

13. Are there currently any hiccups for the current administration in regard to older systems? Do you anticipate major changes?

Answer: It is too early to determine; however, as polices/procedures emerge, information will be relayed.

14. Can you provide why this Task Order is being solicited again when it was just awarded?

Answer: Please see answer to Question 3.

15. Can the contract be a COST contract instead of FFP?

Answer: We currently anticipate an FFP contract but a final determination has not been made.

16. Can the contractor provide their recommended FTEs for the contract and deviate away towards the FTEs listed in the PWS?

Answer: Yes, if the contract remains an FFP type, the contractor can submit their own labor mix;

however, the labor mix identified should cover all tasks associated with the PWS.

17. Will Government provide CONOPS?

Answer: No

18. In regard to Emergent Tasks, will the Government add this to the PWS?

Answer: No

19. In regard to Contingency, will the Government add this to the PWS?

Answer: Further elaboration on this question needed in order to provide an adequate response.

20. Can the contractor provide FTE’s who work remotely? Can this be added to the PWS?

Answer: No

21. Do all positions require TOP Secret Security Clearance?

Answer: No, the level of security clearance that the position should entail are listed in the PWS.

22. Will you require any corporate certifications?

Answer: Personnel must meet certifications.

23. Are any of the positions considered “Critical” other than the lead positions?

Answer: No

24. Does the current recommended FTE’s support 24/7 and emergency support?

Answer: Yes

25. Can you explain what the typical “on-call” time is in regard to the contract in hours/days?

Answer: On-call are during off hours or weekend. This occurs if a system is down. The duration is dependent on how long it takes to restore operational capability

26. Will the Government require the contractor to submit resumes?

Answer: Resumes are not expected at this time.

27. Will the Government provide certifications that contracted employees must have?

Answer: Yes, the Government will provide certifications that the contracted employees shall possess.

28. Some qualifications that were requested often change and are invalid. Is it the Governments expectation that the contracted employees must possess the previous qualifications along with the new qualifications or are you looking for the contracted employees to only possess the current certifications?

Answer: Contractor should have the latest approved certification

29. Do you plan on having a Program Manager or will you rely on a liaison?

Answer: The Government has not made a determination at this time.

30. The PWS states that 6 (six) packages are being serviced. Will there by an additional packages to service?

Answer: This depends on requirements or changes.

31. Is the Government going to identify the positions that are subject to Service Contract Labor Standards

(SCLS)?

Answer: Yes, the Government will identify the positions that are subject to SCLS.

32. Do you have to respond to the RFI/SS to submit a proposal?

Answer: No, you do not have to submit a response to the RFI/SS in order to submit a proposal.

33. Will the government entertain cost + fixed fee (CPFF) pricing instead of fixed firm pricing?

This is truly a staffing contract, which should be a cost plus fixed fee.

For this contract, CPFF allows for a balance between the undefined "on-call" ad-hoc additional requirements proposed by the customer and the expectation for contractors to "take it out of hide" to pay for these requirements in a fixed firm pricing model.

Key Benefits of CPFF Contracts:

1. Cost Recovery for the Contractor- The government reimburses all allowable and allocable costs, reducing the financial risk to the contractor.

-Beneficial for highly uncertain efforts where costs may fluctuate (e.g., R&D, evolving IT or cybersecurity support).

- Ensures the contractor can continue work without financial loss, as long as costs are reasonable and allowable under FAR Part 31.

2. Guaranteed Profit Margin

- The fixed fee is pre-negotiated and does not change based on incurred costs.

- Even if costs increase or decrease, the contractor still earns the same fixed fee.

- Reduces the incentive to cut corners since profit is not tied to cost-cutting measures.

3. Flexibility for Uncertain or Evolving Workloads

- Ideal when requirements are not fully defined at contract award.

-Allows for scope adjustments without major contract renegotiation.

- Used in R&D, cybersecurity programs, engineering services, and IT projects where innovation or change is expected.

4. Government Cost Control (Compared to Other Cost-Reimbursement Models)

- Unlike Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee (CPIF) or Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) contracts, the government does not have to track fluctuating fees.

- Government knows the maximum contractor profit upfront, improving budget predictability.

- Reduces risk of excessive spending compared to other cost-based models.

5. Encourages Long-Term Collaboration

- Since profit is not based on reducing costs, the contractor is incentivized to work closely with the government to achieve mission success.

- This model is particularly useful in complex, long-term government programs like defense, intelligence, and infrastructure projects.

Answer: Please see answer to Question 15.

34. Given that this contract will require 43 full-time employees (FTEs) to support, we would typically expect a Program Manager to ensure effective oversight, contract performance, compliance with contractual requirements, and program management reporting required by the customer. The customer also stated that they desire status reporting of sub projects and tracking when the current project is mothballed and personnel are transitioned to new ad-hoc projects, further reinforcing the necessity of dedicated program management. However, we noticed that the RFI does not list a Program Manager as a key personnel role.

Could you confirm whether:

1. The government envisions a Program Manager as part of the staffing structure?

Answer: Please see answer to Question 29.

2. If not explicitly required, would an offeror be permitted to propose a Program Manager as part of its organizational approach to managing contract performance?

Answer: The offeror should submit a staffing approach to perform tasks outlined in the PWS.

3. If a Program Manager is allowed, would their cost be billable as direct labor, or would it be considered an indirect cost?

Answer:s Please see answer to Question 29.

35. Are you able to provide a timeframe on when the Navy will decide whether or not the Subj solicitation will be small business set-aside or full and open? This information was not provided at the industry day.

Answer: It is too soon to determine how the subject requirement will be solicited.

36. Are there incumbents for the contract? Which contracting company is currently fulfilling the contract?

Answer: Yes, the current contract is being performed by Centuria Corporation.