Attachment 06 - Questions and Answers..pdf

Questions and Answers in Response to N0018926RB003Rev0001

1. Question: In reference to Step One Submission Requirements, the government requires verification that the contractor possesses an active Secret Facility Clearance Level (FCL) at the time of Step One submission and limits the Step One narrative to three pages. Will the Government allow the FCL verification documentation to be submitted as an attachment or appendix outside of the three page limit for the Step One response?

a. Response: Yes, per the instructions found in Section A – Solicitation/Contract Form, in addition to the three (3) pages permitted for the Step One response, a quoter shall provide (1) verification that they are a current SeaPort-NxG contract holder, including the SeaPort contract number; (2) verification that they possess an active Facility Clearance Level (FCL) at the Secret level at the time of Step One submission and; (3) attest that the prime contractor has a facility within 25 miles of the National Capital Region (NCR), and these verifications will not count toward the three (3) page limit.

2. Question: The solicitation states that Step One submissions are due on 02 June 2026 and that Step Two submissions are due on 11 June 2026. However, we were unable to identify a timeline within the solicitation for when the Government anticipates notifying interested sources regarding viability determinations and invitations to proceed to Step Two. Can the Government clarify the anticipated timeframe for issuing Step One viability notifications?

a. Response: The Government anticipates issuing Step One viability notifications as soon as practicable following the Step One submission deadline. While the Government intends to complete its review expeditiously, no specific notification date can be guaranteed.

3. Question: Will the Government consider extending the Step Two submission deadline by two weeks, to ensure viable offerors have adequate time to prepare comprehensive non-cost and cost submissions following notification?

a. Response: The Government issued an amendment 01 June 2026 that extended the Step One submission deadline to 08 June 2026 at 12:00 PM (EST) and the Step Two submission deadline to 16 June 2026 at 12:00 PM (EST). The Government is not extending the deadlines any further at this time.

4. Question: On page 39 of the solicitation, under the reference to FAR 52.217-8, the threshold is written as “$100.000.” Can the Government please confirm whether the intended threshold is “$100,000”?

a. Response: On page 39 of the solicitation, “$100.000 (FAR 52.217-8)” should read

“$100,000 (FAR 52.217-8).”

5. Question: Section B states that ‘the number of manhours for any labor category may be utilized by the contractor for any other labor category if necessary in performance of the contract.’ Section L/M also states that no deviations from the estimated Level of Effort in Section B are permitted. For quote preparation and cost evaluation purposes, shall quoters propose the exact labor category hours shown in Section B, and should the labor-category flexibility be understood as applying only after award during task order performance?

a. Response: For quote preparation and cost evaluation purposes, quoters shall propose the exact labor category hours shown in Section B. The labor-category flexibility should be understood as applying only after award during task order performance

6. Question: The Section B LOE tables identify labor categories, and the PWS Personnel Qualifications clause requires personnel to meet applicable experience, education, or background requirements. However, detailed qualifications appear to be provided only for key personnel. Will the Government provide labor category descriptions, minimum qualifications, and experience, education, and certification requirements for all non-key labor categories listed in Section B?

a. Response: Please see Attachment 08 – Labor Category Descriptions and Qualifications to Supplement the Performance Work Statement.

7. Question: The QASP references ‘Government Labor Category Descriptions’ for qualified personnel surveillance. However, detailed qualifications appear to be provided only for key personnel in the solicitation materials. Will the Government provide labor category descriptions, minimum qualifications, and experience, education, and certification requirements for all non-key labor categories listed in Section B?

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

8. Question: For cost realism purposes, can the Government confirm whether it will evaluate labor using the Section B labor category hours exactly as provided, 100% straight time, and the Government-facility/contractor-facility ratios stated in Section L?

a. Response: Labor will be evaluated using the exact level of effort specified in Section B, on the basis of 100% straight time, and using the 0% Contractor / 100% Government facility ratios. Pursuant to the solicitation, quoters must map their internal corporate labor categories to the solicitation labor categories and provide substantiation for those corporate rates. The method of cost realism analysis remains at the discretion of the Contracting Officer.

9. Question: Will the Government evaluate realism primarily at the solicitation labor category level, the quoter’s mapped corporate labor category level, or both?

a. Response: Pursuant to the solicitation, quoters must map their internal corporate labor categories to the solicitation labor categories and provide substantiation for those corporate rates. The Government evaluates the realism of the required solicitation labor categories by reviewing the rates and supporting documentation (such as actual employee rates) provided for the quoter's mapped corporate labor categories. The method of cost realism analysis to be used is at the discretion of the Contracting Officer.

10. Question: Section M states that the Government will evaluate the quoter’s approach to successfully accomplish the requirements of the solicitation, including the PWS, and will analyze each aspect of Performance Approach provided under Section L. Should quoters assume all PWS tasks 4.1 through 4.12 are evaluated holistically without individual task weighting, or are any PWS tasks or Performance Approach elements of greater importance to the Government?

a. Response: The Government will evaluate the Performance Approach as a whole for adequacy and feasibility in successfully accomplishing all requirements identified in the PWS.

11. Question: PWS Section 3.0 states that support services shall be provided onsite with Government-furnished equipment and that offsite work may be required when deemed necessary by the Government within 25 miles of the NCR. Section L states that pricing should assume 0% contractor facility and 100% Government facility performance for all labor categories. For proposal and pricing purposes, should quoters assume all labor will be performed onsite at Government facilities, with any offsite or remote work allowed only if directed or approved by the Government after award?

a. Response: Quoters should assume all labor will be performed onsite at Government facilities, with any offsite or remote work allowed only if directed or approved by the Government after award.

12. Question: PWS Section 3.5 identifies Crow Canyon as the current helpdesk tool and ServiceNow as the new helpdesk tool. For proposal planning and pricing, can the Government provide the anticipated ServiceNow implementation timeline and clarify the contractor’s expected responsibilities, if any, for requirements gathering, configuration, workflow development, data migration, testing, user training, reporting/dashboard development, and cutover support?

a. Response: The Government anticipates that Crow Canyon Nitro will sunset prior to the anticipated task order performance start date. It is anticipated that data will have been migrated and UAT completed for the initial roll out of ServiceNow prior to performance start. The contractor will be responsible for some development, optimization, workflow development, continuous improvement, etc. of ServiceNow to ensure that it is fully implemented. Additionally, Customer Service Techs will be using ServiceNow as their primary ticketing system.

13. Question: PWS Section 4.2 provides for a maximum 30-day transition overlap and states that the transitioning contractor shall be responsible for full performance at the end of the transition period. For proposal and pricing purposes, should quoters staff all Section B labor categories at full proposed levels beginning on the first day of the period of performance, or may quoters propose a phased staffing ramp during the transition period provided full performance is achieved by the end of the 30-day transition?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

14. Question: As Section L requires Step 2 quoters to describe a transition support plan and methodology, can the Government confirm whether the current incumbent has prepared or is required to prepare a Knowledge Transfer Plan or similar transition-out artifact under the predecessor task order? If such documentation exists, will the Government provide it, or a sanitized version of it, to all Step 2 quoters to support a common understanding of transition requirements? If it will not be provided prior to quote submission, should quoters assume these materials will only be made available to the awardee after award?

a. Response: Relevant Government-owned materials may be provided to the successful quoter after award, as determined appropriate by the Government.

15. Question: PWS Section 4.8.1 states that the contractor may be requested to directly interface with NMCI, NESD, and DISA JSP. Can the Government clarify the contractor’s expected responsibilities versus enterprise service provider responsibilities for ticket intake, triage, escalation, status tracking, SLA follow-up, VIP support, desktop support, endpoint/network issue resolution, and closure authority?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

16. Question: The RFQ states that this requirement is being solicited among SeaPort-NxG contract holders and instructs offerors to submit responses by email. Can the Government confirm whether all solicitation documents, amendments, and Q&A responses will be distributed only by email/SAM.gov, or whether they will also be posted through the SeaPort-NxG portal or PIEE?

a. Response: Solicitation documents, amendments, and Q&A responses will be distributed only by email/SAM.gov.

17. Question: Section J lists Attachments 01 through 05. Can the Government confirm that the solicitation package is complete as issued and that no additional attachments, templates, pricing worksheets, labor category descriptions, personnel qualification matrices, or transition/knowledge-transfer materials are intended to be provided for Step 2 quote preparation?

a. Response: Amendment N0018926RB0030003 adds Attachment 06 – Questions and Answers, Attachment 07 – Pricing Spreadsheet, and Attachment 08 – Labor Category Descriptions and Minimum Requirements.

18. Question: Section L requires quoters to complete the Past Performance Information Form provided as Attachment 05 and states that the forms count toward the Volume I page limit. May quoters recreate Attachment 05 within their proposal file, provided all fields, headings, and requested information are preserved, or must quoters complete and insert only the Government-provided PDF form?

a. Response: Quoters may recreate Attachment 05, provided all fields, headings, and requested information are preserved. If the document is recreated, all formatting instructions, such as parge margins and font size limitations, as detailed in the solicitation are still applicable.

19. Question: Section L excludes the cover sheet, table of contents not to exceed one page per volume, and dividers from the Volume I page limit. Please confirm whether an acronym list and/or list of tables/figures would count toward the 20-page Volume I limit.

Alternatively, may quoters include a list of tables/figures within the one-page table of contents without that page counting toward the 20-page limit?

a. Response: Quoters may include a one (1) page acronym list that will not count towards the twenty (20) page Volume I limit.

20. Question: Section L provides Government-estimated ODC amounts for evaluation, and Section B includes ODC CLINs supporting both O&M and RDT&E service CLINs. Should quoters allocate ODCs across O&M and RDT&E CLINs in any specific manner, or use the Government-provided annual ODC amounts exactly as stated?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

21. Question: Given that Amendment 0001 reissued this solicitation after a cancellation and established a Step Two quote due date of 11 June 2026, while the original proposal timeline provided was 21 calendar days, can the Government extend the Step Two quote due date by one week to ensure the same amount of proposal development time?

a. Response: See response to Question 3.

22. Question: Would the Government consider extending the Step Two due date by at least five business days following issuance of the Government’s responses to questions and any applicable amendment, to allow quoters adequate time to incorporate the Government’s clarifications into compliant, realistic, and complete non-cost and cost quotes?

a. Response: See response to Question 3.

23. Question: One of the requirements of the Step One Submission is verification that the

Contractor currently possesses an active Facility Clearance Level (FCL) at the Secret level.

Can the Government please confirm that submission of a report pulled from the National Industrial Security System (NISS) is sufficient verification and may be submitted as a password protected attachment to the Step One Submission (as the report is labeled CUI).

a. Response: Submission of a report pulled from the National Industrial Security System (NISS) will be considered sufficient verification of the required FCL and may be submitted as a password protected attachment to the Step One Submission, so long as the password is appropriately provided, as well.

24. Question: Please verify that substantiation documentation for Seaport, facility clearance, and facility does not count towards the page limit in Stage One.

a. Response: See response to Question 1.

25. Question: The solicitation references personnel qualifications within NAVSUP 5252.237-

9401 in the Performance Work Statement; however, we were unable to locate a separate attachment or section identifying the minimum qualification requirements for the proposed labor categories. Can the Government please clarify whether minimum personnel qualification requirements and/or labor category definitions will be provided for this effort?

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

26. Question: Does the Government require a specific file naming convention for the Step 1

Viability Determination or the Step 2 Volumes?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

27. Question: Given the quick turnaround time between Step 1 and Step 2 submission, the review of answers to questions, and to ensure we provide a high-quality response that addresses all Step 2 requirements, we respectfully request a two-week extension of the current due date from June 11 2026 to June 25, 2026?

a. Response: See response to question 3.

28. Question: Will the Government permit a minimum font size of 10-point for text within graphics and tables?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

29. Question: Could the Government please clarify in which Volume quoters should include the Section K Representations and Certifications (Reps & Certs)?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

30. Question: In which volume of Step Two should offerors submit the SF30 form?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

31. Question: When including the Past Performance tables within the Volume I Non-cost quote, can the offeror include the fields from the table but use a format in compliance with RFQ requirements?

a. Response: See response to Question 18.

32. Question: Could the Government please provide the historical level of effort (LOE) such as labor hours or number of FTEs utilized under the incumbent contract?

a. Response: Question not relevant for purposes of submitting a quotation. As stated in the solicitation, “The quoter’s cost quote shall not deviate from the level of effort set forth in Section B of the solicitation.”

33. Question: Section 4.1 of the PWS lists 4 key personnel however, these positions cannot be found in Section B of the Solicitation's Level of Effort (LoE) table. Can the Government please clarify?

a. Response: The key personnel from Section 4.1 of the PWS can be mapped to the following positions found in Section B of the Solicitation’s Level of Effort (LOE) table: Program Manager (PgM) maps to Program Manager; Cybersecurity Lead maps to Cyber Security Administrator; Database Administrator (DBA) maps to Database Administrator, and Help Desk Manager maps to Senior Help Desk Help/Tier 3.

34. Question: The LCATs in Section B of the solicitation do not include qualification requirements, such as education and number of years of experience. Can the Government provide the LCAT qualification requirements?

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

35. Question: FAR 52.232-10, Payments Under Fixed Price Architect Engineer Contracts, is included in the solicitation. This clause applies to Fixed Price architect engineer contract types and is not applicable to a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract. Would the Government please confirm its intent regarding the inclusion of FAR 52.232 10 and consider removing it from the solicitation?

a. Response: Per Amended Solicitation N0018926RB0030003, FAR 52.232-10 has been removed.

36. Question: The "Payment of Fixed Fee" clause states: "If substantially fewer than ** hours of technical effort are employed, the fixed fee shall be equitably reduced to reflect the reduction of work." Would the Government please define what is meant by the term "substantially fewer"?

a. Response: The Government has not established a specific numerical threshold for the term “substantially fewer.” Any determination regarding whether technical effort is substantially fewer than the stated level of effort, and any associated equitable reduction in fixed fee, would be determined based on the specific facts and circumstances of task order performance and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resultant task order.

37. Question: The PWS only outlines Labor Category Requirements/Qualifications for those Labor Categories identified as "Key Personnel." In order to ensure accurate comparison across proposed pricing, would the Government please confirm Labor Category Requirements/Qualifications for all Labor Categories? Alternatively, would the government please confirm the attached Labor Category Requirements/Qualifications are applicable to those Labor Categories not identified as Key Personnel?

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

38. Question: RFQ, Section L, section III, (2) Volume II - Cost Quote, paragraph (b), page 38 states that ‘Separate cost and pricing information shall be submitted for each time period specified in the pricing pages of the solicitation’ and that offerors shall submit ‘solicitation pricing pages completed by the quoter.’ We do not see a separate pricing template beyond the Section B text. Please confirm whether the Government intends to provide a separate pricing spreadsheet template, or whether completion of the Section B CLIN tables and inclusion of period-by-period cost detail within the Volume II narrative satisfies this requirement.

a. Response: Please see Attachment 07 – Pricing Spreadsheet.

39. Question: RFQ, Section A, page 3 states “Upon conclusion of the Governments evaluation of Step One submissions, the Contracting Officer will notify those interested sources determined to be nonviable that they are eliminated from further consideration, and invited interested sources determined to be viable to submit a quote in accordance with instructions for Step Two submission requirements”. Does the Government have an anticipated date when they intend to notify offerors of their viability determination?

a. Response: See response to Question 2.

40. Question: RFQ, Section L, Section II, paragraph (5) states that Volume I must use a font size of 12 or greater, with the specific exception that “the ‘Past Performance Information Forms’ may be completed with a point size of 10 or greater,” and further allows continuation sheets for additional information beyond what fits on the form. Please clarify whether this exception is intended to apply only to the font size used within the Past Performance Information Form fields (i.e., offerors should use the form as provided, without changing its margins or layout), or whether offerors are permitted to adjust the formatting of the Past Performance Information Form itself (e.g., margins, spacing, field sizes) in order to meet the overall Volume I page and margin requirements.

a. Response: See response to Question 18.

41. Question: Section B(d) states “The number of manhours for any labor category may be utilized by the contractor for any other labor category if necessary, in performance of the contract." Section L and Section M both state: “No deviations from the estimated Level of Effort included in Section B are permitted." Given that Section B appears to allow flexibility in reallocating manhours between labor categories as needed for successful contract performance, will the Government allow whether bidders are permitted to propose a different allocation of the Level of Effort among labor categories in their proposal if it better supports technical objectives and performance? Allowing this flexibility would enable bidders to tailor their and for optimal results and innovation, which could benefit the Government.

a. Response: See response to Question 5.

42. Question: Section L(c): "Supporting data for 'other direct costs' shall include an itemization of those costs and an explanation and justification for each cost so itemized."

And section L(h): " and Section M: "The Government's estimated ODCs (plus applicable burden) shall be used for the purpose of evaluating the cost quote. Therefore, quoters shall use these estimates in preparing their cost/price quote." Given that Section L(h) and Section M require offerors to use the Government's fixed ODC estimates for evaluation purposes, can the Government confirm that offerors are not required to provide a detailed itemization or justification for ODCs in their cost proposal, and may simply use the Government-provided estimates as instructed including the appliable burdens?

a. Response: Confirmed. For the ODC CLINs identified in the solicitation for which the Government has provided estimated amounts, quoters shall use the Government-provided ODC estimates in preparing their cost/price quote.

Quoters are not required to provide itemization or justification for the Government-provided ODC amounts. However, quoters shall identify and support any proposed applicable burdens (e.g. material handling and/or G&A) applied in accordance with the solicitation instructions.

43. Question: Section B(c) states that the Estimated Total Hours "exclude holidays, sick leave, vacation days and other absences," but the labor category tables use 1,920 hours per year, which is typically understood to include those absences in a standard work year. Can the Government clarify whether the 1,920 hours per year is intended to represent total hours worked (excluding holidays, sick leave, and vacation), or if it is the standard annual hours for a full-time employee (which would normally include those absences)?

a. Response: The 1,920 hours represents the Government’s standard annual productive hours assumption for a full-time equivalent employee for evaluation and estimating purposes. Quoters shall use this assumption in developing their labor estimates as applicable to the requirements of the solicitation.

44. Question: The PWS (i.e. Task 4.2) contains detailed requirements for both transition-in and transition-out support. However, the Level of Effort (LOE) tables and narrative in Section B do not specify whether the estimated LOE includes hours for transition activities. Can the Government clarify if the LOE provided in Section B is intended to cover all transition activities required by the PWS?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

45. Question: RFQ, Page 37, Section L, II. Requirements for Quote Content, Paragraph (5) Page Limitations states "The cover sheet, table of contents (not to exceed one page per volume), and dividers will not count toward the page limit." Please confirm that the Government is allowing one page each for the cover sheet and table of contents (for two pages total).

a. Response: The Government is allowing one page each for the cover sheet and table of contents. The solicitation language has been amended to clarify.

46. Question: RFQ, Page 38, Section L, III. Quote Content, Paragraph (b) Past Performance states "The "Past Performance Information Form" is an attachment to the solicitation.

The forms will count toward the Volume I page limit described above." The attached Past Performance Information Form is in PDF format. Will the Government provide this document in Microsoft Word format to allow offerors to compile their responses within the form?

a. Response: See Attachment 05 – Past Performance Form in Microsoft Word format.

47. Question: RFQ, Page 39, Section L, III. Quote Content, Paragraph (a) states "The quoter shall use the following amounts (plus applicable G&A and Material Handling) for ODCs..." Can the Government clarify if the section lettering should be listed as (i) and the subsequent paragraph (i) "Any and all subcontracts identified in the on-cost shall be identified and priced in the cost quote..." should be listed as (j).

a. Response: Page 39 of the solicitation has been amended to change paragraph (a) to be labeled as paragraph (i) and paragraph (i) to be labeled as paragraph (j).

48. Question: 01 - Performance Work Statement, Page 5. Task 4.1 Program Management 1) list 4 labor categories as key personnel for the task order. Two of the four labor categories does not match the labor categories provided in the LOE table of section B.

Can the Government clarify which of the LOE labor categories the Cybersecurity Lead and Help Desk Manager maps to?

a. Response: See response to Question 33.

49. Question: 01 - Performance Work Statement, Page 22 Personnel Qualifications (a) states

"Personnel assigned to or utilized by the Contractor in the performance of this Order shall, as a minimum, meet the experience, educational, or other background requirements set forth in the Performance Work Statement and Personnel Qualifications and shall be fully capable of performing in an efficient, reliable, and professional manner." Besides the four labor categories identified as key personnel no other personnel qualification was provided in the solicitation and attachments for any of the labor categories identified in Section B LOE. Can the government provide the personnel qualification requirements for the labor categories identified in Section B LOE.

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

50. Question: 01 - Performance Work Statement, Page 22 Personnel Qualifications (a) states "Personnel assigned to or utilized by the Contractor in the performance of this Order shall, as a minimum, meet the experience, educational, or other background requirements set forth in the Performance Work Statement and Personnel Qualifications and shall be fully capable of performing in an efficient, reliable, and professional manner." Besides the four labor categories identified as key personnel no other personnel qualification was provided in the solicitation and attachments for any of the labor categories identified in Section B LOE. Can industry assume personnel qualifications for these labor categories follow standard labor category qualifications for the DoD?

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

51. Question: 01 - Performance Work Statement, Page 01 Introduction states "DUSN (M) ITD is seeking contractor support to maintain and operate DUSN (M) ITD owned systems and applications" and Page 01 Background states "developing, operating, and maintaining IT systems and applications". Can the government provide more information on DUSN (M) ITD owned systems and applications, for example, a list of the applications, total # of applications, life cycle phase for the applications, i.e. development, sustainment, modernization?

a. Response: The Government utilizes several applications including SQL for the backend, .net, Microsoft IIS, and SharePoint.

52. Question: 01 - Performance Work Statement, Page 02, Scope states "An estimated 20-30 ATOs are supported under this requirement." Can the government provide the estimated number of servers, databases, and applications supported under this requirement?

a. Response: There are currently 10 ATOs, approximately 70 servers, and 8-10 applications.

53. Question: RFQ, Page 38, Section L, III. Quote Content, Volume II- Cost Quote, Paragraph

(c) states "the supporting data for "other direct costs" shall include an itemization of those costs and an explanation and justification for each cost so itemized"; however, on Page 39, Paragraph (a) states "The quoter shall use the following amounts (plus applicable G&A and Material Handling) for ODCs. These estimated amounts will be used as common evaluation amounts for evaluation purposes only in determining the total evaluated cost of a quote". Given that Offerors are to utilize the Government provided estimates for ODCs which have not been itemized, would the Government consider striking the requirement for an itemization, explanation, and justification of ODCs?

a. Response: See response to Question 42.

54. Question: The Step One evaluation states that an interested source will be determined viable if its experience demonstrates the ability to provide services consistent with the PWS, but also states that a source could be determined nonviable based on its experience relative to other interested sources. Will the Government consider revising the Step One evaluation criteria to determine viability solely on whether an interested source demonstrates experience similar in size and scope to the PWS requirements?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

55. Question: Section F - CLIN 3009 currently lists “05 Jul 2030 to 04 Jul 2031.” Should this be “16 Jul 2030 to 15 Jul 2031” to align with the other optional CLINs?

a. Response: CLIN 3009 has been updated to reflect a period of performance of 16

July 2030 to 15 July 2031.

56. Question: Section K includes representations, certifications, and other statements that appear to require quoter completion. Will the Government please clarify whether prime quoters are required to complete and return Section K in its entirety and if so, please confirm the required submission method (e.g. Volume I, Volume II, or separate attachment)

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

57. Question: Section L.II.(5) instructs offerors to use a font with a point size of 12 or greater.

The instructions provide one exception to the font size for the "past performance information form" which may be completed with a point size of 10 or greater. Will the Government provide an additional exception so that all tables, figures, charts, and graphics in the proposal may be completed with a point size of 10 or greater?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

58. Question: The section requires that any subcontractors identified in the non-cost quote be identified and priced in the cost quote however, the solicitation does not appear to specify how quoters should indicate proposed subcontractors that have been approved under the quoter's Seaport NxG team through the current manual teaming request process. Will the Government please clarify whether documentation should be included with the quote to demonstrate that the teaming request was submitted and approved.

a. Response: Quoters shall comply with the solicitation instructions regarding identification and pricing of subcontractors in the cost/price quote. The solicitation does not require submission of documentation demonstrating submission or approval of Seaport NxG teaming requests as part of the quotation. However, quoters are responsible for ensuring compliance with Seaport NxG and applicable ordering procedures regarding subcontractor participation.

59. Question: Section L states that Volume II shall include "any and all subcontracts identified in the non-cost quote..." and that "subcontractor costs breakouts may be submitted separately." Will the Government please clarify whether proposed subcontractors are required or permitted to submit their cost/price breakouts directly to the Government as a sealed/separate package? If so, will the Government please confirm the required submission method and whether a separately submitted subcontractor package must follow the same Volume II Cost/Price Quote requirements applicable to the prime quoter?

a. Response: Subcontractor cost breakdowns, when provided, may be submitted as separate documentation within the Prime Quoter’s Volume II cost/price quote.

The solicitation does not provide for subcontractors to submit cost or price information directly to the Government as a separate submission. Any subcontractor cost/price breakouts, if provided, may be submitted as separate documentation within the Prime Quoter’s Volume II submission package.

60. Question: Please confirm which vulnerability, compliance, and reporting tools the contractor will have access to at award, including ACAS, VRAM, MDE, Nessus, SCAP, Splunk, SolarWinds, and eMASS.

a. Response: The contractor will have access to ACAS, VRAM, MDE, Nessus, SPLUNK, Solar Winds, and eMASS.

61. Question: The PWS references Crow Canyon as the current help desk tool, ServiceNow as the new help desk tool, and elsewhere references an internally developed SharePoint ticketing product. Please confirm the authoritative ticketing system at award and whether the contractor is responsible for migration, configuration, data cleanup, or ServiceNow implementation.

a. Response: See response to Question 12.

62. Question: In the PWS the Government quotes the NAVY FAR reference about Personnel

Qualifications to state that “Personnel assigned to or utilized by the Contractor in the performance of this Order shall, as a minimum, meet the experience, educational, or other background requirements set forth in the Performance Work Statement and Personnel Qualifications and shall be fully capable of performing in an efficient, reliable, and professional man.”. However, the PWS only lists experience, educational, or other background requirements for the four Key Personnel. Will the Government be providing further guidance for the Non Key Personnel?

a. Response: See response to Question 6.

63. Question: Will the Government provide a one-week extension to the submission deadline for Step Two proposals?

a. Response: See response to Question 3.

64. Question: The instructions state, “The cover sheet, table of contents (not to exceed one page per volume), and dividers will not count toward the page limit.” Will the Government please permit Offerors to include a one-page Executive Summary excluded from the page limit?

65. Question: Will the Government please permit tables and figures to be in 10 pt font?

66. Question: The cost quote instructions state, “The supporting data for "other direct costs" shall include an itemization of those costs and an explanation and justification for each cost so itemized.” The cost quote instructions also provide the ODC amounts for submission which will be used as common evaluation amounts. Since the Government provided the ODC amounts for submission, can the Government please delete the requirement to submit supporting data for "other direct costs"?

a. Response: See response to Question 42.

67. Question: PWS 4.2 states “For a maximum of thirty (30) days prior to the end of the incumbent Order PoP, the incumbent contractor will provide support to the transitioning contractor to enable the transitioning contractor to learn the procedures and processes associated with the tasks of this PWS” and “The transitioning contractor shall be responsible for full performance of the PWS tasks at the end of the transition period.”

What is the end date of the incumbent contractor’s task order PoP?

a. Response: Quoters should base their transition planning on the requirements of the solicitation, including the transition period described in the PWS, rather than the incumbent task order’s period of performance.

68. Question: In Section B of the RFP, the Base Period reflects hours for full man-years, yet PWS 4.2 states the incoming contractor takes full performance after the end of the 30-day transition period which implies the outgoing contractor will maintain full performance during the transition period. Will the Government please clarify/confirm if Offerors should reduce the base year hours to reflect 11 months of full performance and 1 month of transition which would be at no cost to the Government?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

69. Question: Regarding the requirement for support associated with the “Navy Secretariat

System,” can the Government provide additional clarification on the specific system(s) referenced under this requirement?

a. Response: See response to Question 51.

70. Question: Additionally, can the Government provide any available workload metrics or historical data related to webpage risk assessment support activities?

a. Response: Question not relevant for purposes of submitting a quotation.

71. Question: The PWS States: “The contractor shall assist the IAM in consolidating DON web site and URL investments to reduce the infrastructure footprint, in order to better protect operational security, privacy of information and information security.” For the website consolidation requirements, can the Government provide the current inventory and/or estimated quantity of websites anticipated to be included within the consolidation effort?

a. Response: The Government maintains a significant number of websites / URLs.

The consolidation efforts are what are in the best interest of the Government;

there is not a burn down curve.

72. Question: Will the Government please provide the assigned DCWF roles for the LCATS listed in Section B?

a. Response: Cyber Workforce roles are not applicable to these positions.

Additionally, see response to question 6.

73. Question: If an Offeror does not currently possess a DCAA-approved accounting system, but has an accounting system capable of supporting cost-reimbursement contracts and is awaiting a Government audit, will the Government consider the Offeror eligible for award provided sufficient evidence of accounting system adequacy is submitted, such as a Pre-Award Accounting System Survey (SF 1408)?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

74. Question: If an offeror is not approved in Step 1, can that offeror still submit a Step 2 proposal?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

75. Question: Will the Government consider a firm fixed price contract instead of Cost Plus?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

76. Question: When completing the Past Performance Information Form, does the Government want the entire period of performance noted or only performance within the last five years?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

77. Question: Section L states that the 'Past Performance Information Form' and any continuation sheets will count toward the Volume I 20-page limit. Given that these forms can require significant detail to adequately demonstrate relevance, would the Government consider excluding the Past Performance Information Forms from the 20-page limit to allow Offerors sufficient space to detail their Performance Approach?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

78. Question: The Government lists a Cybersecurity Lead as key personnel in the PWS;

however in the solicitation, Section B, Level of Effort, a Cybersecurity Lead is not listed.

Should Contractor use the Cybersecurity Administrator position (as listed in the solicitation) as a Key position?

a. Response: See response to Question 33.

79. Question: The Government lists a Helpdesk Manager as key personnel in the PWS;

however in the solicitation, Section B, Level of Effort, a Helpdesk Manager is not listed.

Should Contractor use the 1 of the 2 ACTR Help Desk (Tier 2) positions (as listed in the solicitation) as a Key position?

a. Response: See response to Question 33.

80. Question: The Period of Performance for Option Line Item 3009 is listed as "05 Jul 2030 To 04 Jul 2031", whereas all other Option IV CLINs (such as 2009 and 2010) are listed as "16 Jul 2030 To 15 Jul 2031". Will the Government confirm if this is an error and if the dates for CLIN 3009 should be revised to align with the rest of Option IV?

a. Response: See response to Question 55.

81. Question: Section L limits Volume I (Non-Cost Quote) to 20 pages, but explicitly states that the "Past Performance Information Forms" and any continuation sheets will count toward this limit. Given that three required past performance references can easily consume 6 to 9 pages, this severely restricts the space available to articulate a comprehensive Performance Approach. Will the Government consider excluding the Past Performance Information Forms from the 20-page ceiling, or allowing them to be submitted as an un-paginated appendix?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

82. Question: Level of Effort table mandates a baseline allocation of 1,920 hours per period for the "SME 3" labor category. However, PWS Task 4.10 states that the use of specialized SMEs requires "specific written approval of the COR... prior to commencement of work". Could the Government clarify if the "SME 3" listed in the LOE is intended to be a standing, full-time baseline position, or if it is an ad-hoc role that will only be funded/utilized upon specific COR direction?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

83. Question: Would the Government please confirm that the ODC estimates ($200,000 per year, and $100,000 FAR 52.217-8) are exclusive of applicable G&A and Material Handling indirect rates, and offerors are to include these indirect loads in addition to the baseline amounts?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

84. Question: Could the Government provide what date Offerors will be notified of whether they are viable competitors of award?

a. Response: See response to Question 2.

85. Question: Please confirm that Cover pages and TOC are out of the total three (3) page count for Step One Viability.

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

86. Question: For Step Two, please confirm that headers/footers/graphics/tables can be 10

pt. font as this is the requirement for Step One.

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

87. Question: How many of the approximately 20-30 ATOs are currently active versus in some stage of renewal, and will eMASS package access be granted to the incoming contractor during the transition period?

a. Response: There are currently 8-10 active ATOS; all are in Rev 4 to Rev 5 migration, and eMASS will be available.

88. Question: The PWS specifies a July 16, 2026 start date with a 30-day transition overlap period. Will the government facilitate facility access and badging for incoming contractor personnel prior to the start date, or should offerors account for a badging lead time within their transition plans?

a. Response: Facility access and badging for contractor personnel are subject to applicable installation security procedures and timelines. Quoters should plan for appropriate onboarding and badging lead time and shall be prepared to commence full performance in accordance with the period of performance start date.

89. Question: The PWS identifies Oracle WebLogic, Oracle Access Management, and Oracle Forms and Reports as tools in use. Are these currently running in production and maintained under this contract, or are they legacy systems in the process of being rationalized or consolidated?

a. Response: Those are legacy systems that were migrated to SQL.

90. Question: The PWS references approximately 1,500 wireless assets. Are these managed through a government-provided MDM platform, and if so which platform is currently in use?

a. Response: Microsoft Intune is the platform currently in use.

91. Question: The PWS lists both Crow Canyon (current) and ServiceNow (new) as helpdesk tools. Has the migration to ServiceNow begun, and what is the anticipated timeline for full cutover? Will the incoming contractor be responsible for completing the migration?

a. Response: See response to Question 12.

92. Question: The PWS lists Crow Canyon Asset Management as the new inventory tool. Has this been deployed, and what is the current state of asset data migration from the existing SharePoint-based inventory system?

a. Response: See response to Question 12.

93. Question: Regarding the VERINT EFM Community platform listed in Section 3.5, what is the current use case for this tool within DUSN(M) IT operations?

a. Response: This is used for internal surveys across the Office of the Secretary of the Navy.

94. Question: The PWS references both SolarWinds and Splunk as SIEM tools. Are both currently deployed and actively monitored, or is one primary and the other supplementary?

a. Response: Both are currently deployed and actively monitored.

95. Question: Will the incoming contractor have access to current BSO12 budget allocations, outstanding seat orders, and NGEN/NGEN-R inventory records during the 30-day transition overlap period with the incumbent?

a. Response: Yes.

96. Question: Could the Government please provide explicit instructions as to what subcontractors should be providing as part of the subcontractor’s Cost Quotation.

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

97. Question: Will the Government be providing additional Cost Quotation instructions post Step One down select? Such as a pricing sheet or should Offerors expect to provide our own?

a. Response: See response to Question 17.

98. Question: Will the Government confirm that the cost proposal shall only contain labor hours and cost based on a 2,080 work year for evaluation purposes and that no evaluation advantage will result when uncompensated overtime is proposed?

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

99. Question: Will the government provide Breakdown of user counts by sites?

a. Response: No, 90% of users are in the NCR.

100. Question: Will the government provide breakdown of VIP user counts by sites?

a. Response: No, 90% of users are in the NCR.

101. Question: Are there users outside of the NCR that need to be supported?

a. Response: Yes.

102. Question: Will the government publish the bidder’s library that provides the listing of all applications, their technology stacks, and approximate users accessing those?

a. Response: Question not relevant for purposes of submitting a quotation.

Relevant system information will be provided to the successful contractor, as determined necessary by the Government, during task order performance.

103. Question: How many applications are on the AWS/Azure cloud environments.

Please provide the breakdown referencing details from the above question?

a. Response: At this time, the Government does not maintain applications in the Azure environment; however, the Government is evaluating opportunities in the future.

104. Question: What percentage of the IT assets are on-prem vs the cloud environment? Please provide the breakdown.

a. Response: The Systems branch maintains all assets in the cloud.

105. Question: The PWS lists current and planned tools (e.g., Crow Canyon, ServiceNow, Splunk, SolarWinds, Nessus, MDE, SharePoint Online, AWS/Azure, Web Inspect). Are there any planned tool changes, consolidations, or enterprise directives

(e.g., ServiceNow standardization, SIEM consolidation) we should assume over the period of performance?

a. Response: See response to question 12.

106. Question: The PWS notes an estimated 20–30 ATOs supported under this requirement. Can the Government provide a breakdown of current ATO status (e.g., new ATOs vs. re authorizations vs. continuous monitoring) and any prioritized systems or timelines we should plan against?

a. Response: See response to Question 52.

107. Question: Will the government consider an extension to Step II

a. Response: See response to Question 3.

108. Question: When will bidders of Step 1 hear the results from their submissions?

a. Response: See response to Question 2.

109. Question: Amendment 0001, Section I, FAR 52.217-8, states the Contracting

Officer may exercise the option by written notice "within fifteen (15) days of task order expiration." The original solicitation stated "within 30 days of task order expiration."

Please confirm which timeframe applies.

a. Response: The solicitation is clear on its face.

110. Question: Section B paragraph (d) states: "The number of manhours for any labor category may be utilized by the contractor for any other labor category if necessary in performance of the contract." Does this flexibility extend across CLINs (i.e., between O&M CLINs 2001/2003/2005/2007/2009/2011 and RDT&E CLINs 2002/2004/2006/2008/2010/2012), or is it limited to within each CLIN?

a. Response: See answer to Question 5.

111. Question: The PWS references an "Administrative Assistant" role in context of general support (Task 4.10.6). The Section B LOE table includes 1,920 hours per year for "Administrative Assistant." Is this position subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards (formerly Service Contract Act),…