N0018926QL202 QA.pdf

N0018926QL202 Q&A

1. The referenced area reads “Contracting companies awarded a Contract as part of this effort SHALL not: Advertise award of Contracts via any media outlet (or by any other means) to anyone, including: -Banks, or other Investment firms”. Does this include data reporting of pipeline to support lines of credit?

Answer: No. The restriction is strictly intended to prevent public marketing, press releases, commercial advertisements, or promotional announcements regarding the contract award. It does not prohibit the confidential disclosure of contract award data or pipeline metrics to banks, financial institutions, or investment firms when required to support routine business operations, such as securing lines of credit, obtaining performance bonds, or standard financial auditing. Any such disclosures must be conducted under appropriate non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements to protect sensitive program information.

2. Is there an incumbent contract for this requirement?

Answer: Yes, the incumbent is NISGA'A TEK LLC.

3. The table in the referenced area suggests that two Sr. Software Engineers would take on the entire Statement of Work. Is this the Government’s intention? If not, are vendors permitted to apportion FTE and LCATs with carte blanche to accomplish the Statement of Work?

Answer: No, it is not the Government’s intention to limit the execution of the entire Statement of Work strictly to two Senior Software Engineers. The inclusion of the "Sr.

Software Engineer" title is the Government's anticipated labor category and historical manning.

4. Must the prime contractor possess an active Top Secret Facility Clearance (FCL) at the time of proposal submission, or may this requirement be satisfied through a cleared subcontractor?

Answer: Yes, the prime contractor must possess an active Top Secret Facility Clearance (FCL) at the time of proposal submission. This requirement cannot be satisfied or sponsored through a cleared subcontractor.

5. If a Joint Venture submits an offer, must the Joint Venture entity itself possess a Top Secret Facility Clearance, or may the requirement be met through one or more Joint Venture members?

Answer: No, the Joint Venture (JV) entity itself is not required to possess an active Top Secret Facility Clearance (FCL) at the time of proposal submission. The security clearance requirement is met if all individual partners/members comprising the Joint Venture possess the required active Top Secret FCL.

6. If a Joint Venture is proposed, may one Joint Venture partner serve as the Facility Security Officer (FSO) and manage all security administration for the contract?

Answer: Yes. In accordance with SBA regulations (13 CFR 121.103) and DoD security policies governing National Industrial Security Program (NISP) operations, an unpopulated Joint Venture is permitted to utilize the Facility Security Officer (FSO) and security administration staff of one of the participating JV partners to manage and administer the security program for the contract.

7. If one Joint Venture member currently possesses a Facility Security Officer and an active facility clearance, will that satisfy the solicitation’s security administration requirements, or are there additional requirements applicable to the Joint Venture entity?

Answer: No, simply having one Joint Venture (JV) partner with an active Facility Security Officer (FSO) and facility clearance does not completely satisfy the contract’s security administration requirements. When submitting a proposal as a Joint Venture (JV), the offeror must provide a formally executed JV Agreement and a detailed legal organizational chart. These documents must satisfy both Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations to confirm security eligibility and business structure.

8. May all TS/SCI-cleared personnel be provided by a subcontractor or Joint Venture partner, or must some or all personnel be employees of the prime contractor or Joint Venture entity?

Answer: No, all TS/SCI-cleared personnel cannot be provided solely by a subcontractor.

While subcontractors and Joint Venture (JV) partners may provide cleared personnel to support the contract, the offeror must comply with standard federal self-performance and subcontracting limitations. If a standard Prime contractor is bidding, the Prime contractor is bound by FAR 52.219-14 (Limitations on Subcontracting) (for set-aside contracts) and general procurement rules.

9. Is an active Facility Security Officer required within the prime contractor or Joint Venture entity, or may that function be performed by a cleared teaming partner or Joint Venture member?

Answer: The exact requirement depends on whether the offeror is bidding as a standard Prime-Subcontractor team or as a Joint Venture (JV). **See Question #7

10. Are resumes and named key personnel required with proposal submission, or may they be submitted after award?

Answer: No, resumes and named key personnel are not required at the time of proposal submission.

11. Are letters of commitment required for proposed personnel?

Answer: No.

12. Will past performance and relevant experience of subcontractors and/or Joint Venture partners be evaluated as part of the technical evaluation?

Answer: Yes, please refer to page 41 of the RFQ.

13. Will any portion of the work be authorized for remote or hybrid performance, or is all work required to be performed on-site?

Answer: Yes, hybrid performance is authorized for unclassified portions of the Statement of Work, subject to Contracting Officer Representative (COR) approval.

14. Will Government Furnished Equipment, Government Furnished Information, and access to the existing PCTE development environment be provided upon contract award?

Answer: Yes to all.

15. Are there any additional limitations on Joint Venture arrangements or subcontracting beyond the applicable SBA regulations and the limitations on subcontracting identified in the solicitation?

Answer: No. There are no additional agency-specific limitations, restrictions, or barriers placed on Joint Venture (JV) arrangements or subcontracting under this solicitation. To be considered compliant, offerors must adhere strictly to the standard federal rules identified in the solicitation and governed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and the National Industrial Security Program (NISP).

16. The PWS labor category table identifies two (2) Senior Software Engineers; however, the qualifications immediately following the table are identified as “Subject Matter Expert (C2/CO).” Please confirm whether the Subject Matter Expert (C2/CO) education, experience, certification, and clearance requirements apply to the two Senior Software Engineer positions. If not, please provide the minimum education, years/type of experience, certifications, clearance, and other required qualifications for each Senior Software Engineer position.

Answer: Please refer to question # 3.

17. Are the two Senior Software Engineer positions considered Key Personnel? If so, are vendors required to identify proposed personnel and submit resumes with the quote? If resumes are required, please provide any required resume format, content requirements, and page limitations.

Answer: Please refer to question # 10.

18. Please clarify whether this requirement is a new requirement or a follow-on/recompete of an existing contract or task order. If this is a follow-on requirement, please identify the predecessor contract/task order number.

Answer: Follow on contract to N0018921P0584.

19. If this requirement is a follow-on or recompete, please provide, to the extent releasable, the incumbent contractor name, predecessor contract/task order number, current period of performance, current contract value and/or annual obligated value, and incumbent staffing level/level of effort.

Answer: The incumbent is NISGA'A TEK LLC, and the contract number is N0018921P0584. The current period of performance ends on September 25, 2026, not inclusive of the 6-month extension. The current contract value is $2,429,913.60. The incumbent's staffing level/level of effort includes two (2) Cybersecurity Engineers - SME

III.

20. The solicitation requires pricing information to be submitted in Microsoft Excel;

however, a Government-provided pricing spreadsheet/template was not included with the solicitation package. Will the Government provide a pricing template? If not, may vendors use their own Excel pricing format, provided it clearly identifies labor categories, labor hours, fully burdened labor rates, extended prices, and pricing for the base period, all option periods, and the FAR 52.217-8 extension period? Additionally, please confirm whether the Government has established assumed annual productive hours/level of effort per FTE that vendors should use for pricing purposes.

Answer: The Government will not provide a pricing template. Vendors may use their own Excel pricing format.

21. The PWS states that there are no travel requirements; however, the PWS also anticipates support for shipboard, underway, or worldwide training and exercises as assigned. Please clarify whether these activities may require contractor travel. If travel is anticipated, please provide the anticipated frequency and locations and clarify whether travel costs should be included in the FFP CLIN pricing or will be separately authorized and reimbursed.

Answer: No travel from primary duty location. Support to Fleet is provided on location via doctrine.

22. Please clarify the anticipated primary duty location(s) for the two Senior Software Engineer positions and the expected allocation of effort among the Government locations identified in the PWS and DD Form 254. Additionally, please confirm whether any telework or remote performance is authorized under this requirement.

Answer: NAVAL INFORMATION WARFIGHTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER NW

NSA, RELAY RD BLDG 14. CHESAPEAKE, VA 23322-4102 (90%); NAVAL

INFORMATION WARFIGHTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER, 7941 BLANDY RD

STE 500, NORFOLK, VA 23551-2419 (5%); NAVAL INFORMATION WARFARE

TRAINING GROUP NORFOLK HQ, LITTLE CREEK, 2555 AMPHIBIOUS DR.,

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23455-3297 (5%). Telework is authorized for these positions in accordance with the newly updated PWS Section 3.2 through 3.5. While the engineers must be available for on-site collaboration and tasks requiring physical presence at the specified command locations, routine software development and direct support efforts may be performed via authorized telework utilizing Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE) and secure VDI/VPN connections.

23. Please identify the Government-furnished equipment, software, systems, licenses, development environments, PCTE/VTD accounts/access, and other technical resources that will be provided to contractor personnel. Are vendors expected to furnish any hardware, software licenses, development tools, or other technical resources that should be included in the FFP price?

Answer: For GFE-centric requirements like PCTE/VTD, the Government generally provides the core cloud infrastructure, baseline software, platform access accounts, physical workspace, access to multiple network domains (e.g., NIPR, SIPR, or closed test enclaves), and the required computers. However, as a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) vendor, you remain responsible for keeping your personnel productive and managing any corporate overhead, tools, or compliance mechanisms required to support their schedules when they are not utilizing the government-provided physical workspace.

24. The PWS requires the contractor to provide a fully qualified workforce on the first day of contract performance. Will the Government provide a transition-in or onboarding period for activities such as security/clearance crossover, badging, account provisioning, PCTE/VTD access, Government system access, and knowledge transfer? If so, please identify the anticipated transition period and clarify whether transition activities are included within the base-period FFP.

Answer: On the first day of the contract, contractor personnel must have all their required security clearances and professional certifications ready to go. The Government will not provide a transition period.

25. For an offeror proposing significant subcontractor or teaming-partner personnel, may the offeror provide the applicable team member's recruiting, retention, and three-year historical attrition data for the personnel and scope that the team member will perform, or must all staffing metrics provided under the Staffing Approach be those of the prime vendor?

Answer: Yes, the proposal may include prime and subcontractor/teaming intentions.

26. The QASP references Weekly and Monthly Activity Reports, while the PWS identifies recurring monthly reporting requirements. Please clarify whether a separate Weekly Activity Report is required. If so, please provide the required content, format, and submission frequency for the Weekly Activity Report.

Answer: The QASP has been revised to reflect the updated requirement of Monthly Activity Reports.

27. The PWS identifies two (2) Senior Software Engineers in the labor category table, while Sections 8.1 through 8.6 describe a broader range of PCTE development, Fleet support, cyber training, experimentation/doctrine, readiness reporting, and Mission Area Directorate support. Please confirm whether the two identified personnel represent the Government's total anticipated staffing/level of effort for this requirement, or whether vendors are expected to propose additional personnel and/or labor categories necessary to accomplish the full PWS. If additional staffing is anticipated, please provide the Government's estimated staffing level/LOE by labor category or functional area.

Answer: The two (2) Senior Software Engineers in the labor category table represents historical information as to staffing and is performance based. Vendors should, however, quote staffing levels based on what they anticipate is needed to successfully support the mission requirements of the PWS and are not limited by that historical information.

28. Wage Determination 2015-4341 Rev. 35 is incorporated as Attachment 05, and FAR 52.222-42 identifies “Information Technology Specialist (Information Security/Customer Support) GS-2210-12” as the equivalent federal class. Please confirm whether the Government considers the positions supporting this effort to be service employees subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards and the incorporated Wage Determination, or bona fide exempt professional positions. If SCA-covered, please identify the applicable Wage Determination occupation code(s) for each labor category.

Answer: FAR 52.222-42 State of Equivale4nt Rates for Federal Hires, per its terms, is for information only. The Contracting Officer has determined that the SCLS applies to this acquisition and therefore has incorporated the applicable Wage Determination. The Contracting Officer has not determined that any positions are exempted as professional services. "Mapping" of labor categories to exempt definitions in a proposal is the responsibility of the vendor. For questions regarding the SCA/SCLS compliance it is recommended the vendor consult with the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division and/or legal counsel of their choosing.

29. The vendor is required to complete a Past Performance Information Form (Attachment

03) for each reference submitted. Please confirm whether the completed Past Performance Information Forms count against the 12-page limitation for Volume I, Factor III, or are excluded from the page count.

Answer: The completed Past Performance Information Forms count against the 12-page limitation for Volume I, Factor III.

30. Vendors must request that their references submit completed Past Performance Report Forms (Attachment 04) directly to the Government by the solicitation due date. If a reference does not submit its form by the due date despite the vendor’s timely request, will the vendor’s quote be adversely affected? Will the Government consider CPARS assessments or other existing past performance data in lieu of, or in addition to, the forms?

Answer: Yes. If a Past Performance Report Form is not submitted by the due date, the vendor's quote may be adversely affected. The Government will consider CPARS assessments in addition to the Past Performance Report Forms but not in lieu thereof.