N00421-15-R-0011-0001.docx

N00421-15-R-0011

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The following have been modified:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Section A - Solicitation/Contract Form

Contract Specialist:

Sotanya Rushing

(301) 757-1829 sotanya.rushing@navy.mil

Procuring Contracting Officer:

Daniel Chambers

(301) 757-9796 daniel.chambers@navy.mil

CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE: TO BE DETERMINED AT CONTRACT AWARD

(1) This acquisition is a small business set aside competition that will result in placement of a Single Award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract. Both completion and term Task Orders will be issued under this Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC). NAVAIR clause 5252.211-9503 LEVEL OF EFFORT (COST REIMBURSEMENT) (NAVAIR)(DEC 2012) will be included in term Task Orders.

(2) The Product/Service Code (PSC) for this procurement is R425.

(3) The resulting Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC) will have an ordering period of three (3) years.

(4) This contract has cost plus fixed fee, and cost reimbursement (non-fee bearing) line items.

(5) The contractor will be required to have a TOP SECRET facility clearance. See the Performance Work Statement (PWS), Attachment (1) and Attachment (2) for the specifc clearance needed for personnel. The contractor will not be permitted access to classified information until a final DD254 is incorporated as an attachment to the contract award.

Amendment 0001: All changes are highlighted in yellow for Section L

1. Section L

a. Updated 2.0 Proposal Format

b. Updated 3.0 Proposal Content and Volumes

c. Updated 3.0 Past Performance, Paragraph 3.1

d. Updated Section 4.3 Cost/price Information, Paragraph 4.3.4.3.2

2. Attachments

a. Attachment( 2), Section 19.2.1: applicability paragraph was adjusted so that the number of Aviation SME's was changed from four (4) to five (5) FTE positions.

b. Attachment (2), Section 7.2: changed "Senior System Analyst" to "System Analyst" to match Attachment (1).

c. Attachment (2), Section 8.1: changed "Engineering Technician I" to "Engineering Technician II" to match information in Attachment (1).

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

L-1 CONTENT OF PROPOSALS

PART A: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 This Single Award Indefinite Quantity Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) is a 100% Small Business set-aside. Only Small Businesses will be considered for award of this requirement. Proposals from Large Businesses will not be considered. The successful Prime Offeror must perform at least 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel as defined in Volume 1, Section 1.8. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 541712, which has a small business size standard of 1,500 employees.

1.2 The Offeror is required to submit sufficient information concerning the following areas to enable Government personnel to fully ascertain capabilities of the Offeror to perform the requirements. The proposal must be sufficient in detail and scope to permit evaluation and provide the evaluators a clear understanding of the Offeror’s capability to meet or exceed the defined elements as required by the solicitation. All proposals must clearly and convincingly demonstrate that: (1) the Offeror has a thorough understanding of the requirements and associated risks; (2) the Offeror is able, willing, and competent to devote the resources necessary to meet the requirements; and (3) the Offeror has valid and practical solutions for all requirements and potential risk areas. The Offeror must respond to all requirements of the solicitation and not alter or rearrange the solicitation. The Offeror has the burden of proof to demonstrate compliance with all the evaluation factors and or subfactors identified in this solicitation. The Offeror is advised that the Government may incorporate into the final contract any portions of the Offeror’s proposal deemed beneficial to the Government. With the exception of the Cost/Price Volume, no cost or pricing information should appear in any Volume. Alternate proposals are not acceptable.

1.3 In presenting material in the proposal, the Offeror is advised that quality of the information provided is more important than quantity. Clarity, brevity, and logical organization should be emphasized during proposal preparation. The Offeror is responsible for presenting enough information to allow the Government to evaluate the proposed work effort, support, and approach, as well as the cost/price proposal without opening discussions. Statements that the prospective Offeror understands, or can and/or will comply with, the specifications, and paraphrasing the requirements or parts thereof without supporting information will be considered inadequate by the Government, and may result in a rating of unacceptable.

1.4 The Offeror must include any data that illustrates the adequacy of the various assumptions, approaches, and solutions to problems. Failure to clearly address a specific factor or subfactor may be considered a deficiency. There is no need to repeat information in more than one volume if an overlap exists; the detailed information must be included in the most logical place and summarized and referenced in other areas. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentation materials beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal is neither necessary nor desired.

1.5 The Offeror is expected to comply with all requirements of the RFP. The Government advises the Offeror that taking exception or deviating from any term or condition of the RFP may make an offer unacceptable, and the proposal unawardable, unless the RFP expressly authorizes such an exception or deviation with regard to that specific term or condition. The Government may consider any exception or deviation to any term or condition of the RFP that is not expressly authorized by the RFP to be a deficiency.

1.6 DEFINITIONS: The following terms used throughout this document are defined as follows: “Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract" describes the contracted effort in its entirety. A “Task Order (T.O)” is an individual order placed to perform specific tasking under the IDIQ contracted effort. A “Principal Subcontractor” is defined as a subcontractor who provides at least 10% of the proposed total cost/price (excluding the Offeror’s profit/fee), for the contract. “Team member” is defined as those entities that make up a joint venture or any other partnership or teaming arrangement formed for the purpose of responding to this solicitation. “Critical team member” is defined as one of the entities of the Offeror that performs a critical function (Critical function refers to any task that will be performed by key personnel) in the performance of the resulting contract, whether it is technical or financial, and/or that have important roles in any high or medium risk areas identified in the Offeror’s proposal. A "contingent hire" is an individual who has committed, under a signed letter of intent, to being employed by the Offeror if the Offeror is awarded the Contract. A "current employee" is an individual who is currently employed by the identified company. A "prospective hire" is an individual that the Offeror has committed to hiring if the Offeror is awarded the Contract whose identity may not be known until after Contract award.

1.7 QUESTIONS: Offerors may submit questions requesting clarification of solicitation requirements by emailing the Contract Specialist at sotanya.rushing@navy.mil and the Procuring Contracting Officer at daniel.chambers@navy.mil. It is requested that all questions be received within 10 calendar days of the date this solicitation is issued. PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

2.0 PROPOSAL FORMAT

2.1 Written proposals must be formatted using a Times New Roman 12 pt. normal font (no reduction permitted), single-spaced with 1-inch margins all around, and formatted for standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper. All pages must be numbered with both section and page numbers. When foldout pages are used, they must not exceed 11 x 17 inches and will be counted as one (1) page. Drawings may be provided separately and may be any size but should be folded to approximately 8.5 x 11 inch standard size and will count as one (1) page. Graphs shall be presented in no smaller than a 10 pt. font and should contain a grid, which allows values to be read directly from the graph to the same accuracy that a 10 x 10 to the ½ inch grid provides. Graphic resolution, including data presented in tables or charts, should be consistent with the purpose of the data presented.

2.2 The Offeror shall provide one complete copy of the written proposal to the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) as electronic files (CD-ROM). Electronic files shall be fully compatible with Microsoft Office 2007 and for information not supported by MS Office products, with the latest Adobe Acrobat reader on a CD-ROM or with the latest Adobe Acrobat reader and delivered on Microsoft Window’s compatible CD-ROMs. The Offeror will ensure that the Cost/Price Volume is provided on a separate CD-ROM. Each CD-ROM is to be labeled with the content and the Offeror’s name. If a discrepancy exists between the original paper copy of the proposal and the electronic copy, THE PAPER COPY WILL TAKE PRECEDENCE.

2.3 The Offeror must present proposal information in a manner that facilitates a one-to-one comparison between the information presented and this Proposal Instruction. Proposal information must be structured such that its paragraph number/letter is identical to the Proposal Instructions paragraph number to which it is responding, although the Offeror may add lower tier subparagraphs. The Offeror must provide reasons it will not provide information for a particular paragraph. The proposal information instructions are structured by paragraph numbers where first, second, third, and fourth parts correspond to the volume, section, and element, etc., in the Offeror’s proposal.

3.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT AND VOLUMES

3.1 Each volume of the proposal shall be submitted as one original and additional copies as specified in the table below. The table below supersedes the copies requested in Block 9 of the Standard Form (SF) 33. All volumes of the original proposal shall be delivered to the address provided in Section 4.0 prior to the closing date/time stated in this Solicitation. Page limitations for each Volume and Annexes, if any, are also specified in the table below. Title page and table of contents pages do not count towards page limit. Proposal pages beyond the specified maximum limit will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation. Offerors are strongly encouraged to use tabs and dividers within volumes in order to facilitate ease of review.

1 Original/ 3 Paper Copies/ 1 Electronic Copy

3.3 Each proposal shall contain the following volumes:

· Volume 1 Executive Summary

· Volume 2 Technical Proposal

· Volume 3 Past Performance

· Volume 4 Cost/Price

· Volume 5 Exceptions, Deviations, and Waivers

· Annex 1 OCI Disclosure and Mitigation Plans (if applicable)

· Annex 2 Prime’s Breakout of Performance

3.4 Each volume shall contain the following:

· Cover and title page

· Title of proposal and proposal number as applicable

· Offeror’s name, address and POC

· RFP number

· Proposal Volume number

· Copy number

· Table of Contents (The table of contents must provide sufficient detail to enable easy location of important elements)

4.0 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

4.1 Clearly mark all packages with the solicitation number and appropriate volume number. The submission date for all Volumes and Annexes shall be no later than the date and time specified in Block 9 of Standard Form 33 of the RFP.

4.2 Offerors shall not submit proposals by facsimile or electronically via email. Offerors shall submit proposals via United States Postal Service, through a commercial carrier or hand carried to the address below:

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Sotanya Rushing, Code: AIR-2.5.1.6 22473 MILLSTONE Road, Building 505 Patuxent River, MD 20670-1604

Hand carried proposals may be delivered to the address above, attention to Sotanya Rushing, Contracting Specialist.

5.0 PROPOSAL PACKAGING

The Offeror shall package the proposal volumes in cartons or equivalent packaging containers in the most efficient manner possible, grouping like volumes to the maximum extent possible. Each container shall be single person portable. One container shall include all Original Proposal volumes including the original/signed documents submitted as part of Volume 1 Executive Summary.

Each carton should include a packing slip detailing the contents to include the volume number, title, and copy number. Each carton should be stamped or marked “For Official Use Only” and “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104”.

6.0 CLASSIFIED DATA

All proposals must be UNCLASSIFIED.

7.0 SOLICITATION CHANGES

For any changes and additional information regarding this solicitation, please see the following website and perform a search for the solicitation number: http://www.navair.navy.mil/doing_business/open_solicitations

PART B SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

1.0 VOLUME 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

NOTE: THIS VOLUME SHALL NOT CONTAIN ANY REFERENCE TO COST OR PRICE ASPECTS OF THE OFFER.

1.1 The purpose of the Executive Summary is to provide the evaluators with an overview of the Offeror’s proposal and strategy. The Offeror shall include the following in this volume:

1.2 OFFEROR SUMMARY TABLE: The Offeror shall complete the table below. The Offeror should include all subcontractors and team members who will be involved with the performance or management of the contract and list all sites where the work will be performed. If a teaming or subcontracting arrangement is proposed, identify the work share, distribution elements, and ratios that each contractor will perform using the table below. Also, provide a definition of the legal relationship between the entities if it is other than a Prime/subcontractor relationship.

Contractor Name (Indicate Prime, Team Member or Sub)

1.3 Signed SF33 for the basic solicitation and each amendment, including completion of any RFP clause or provision that requires a fill-in or response.

1.4 Signed Representations, Certifications and Acknowledgements and/or registration into the System for Award Management (SAM). The Offeror shall include an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) disclosure and OCI Mitigation Plans as Annex 1, if applicable based on Offeror’s completion of NAVAIR Provision 5252.209-9511.

1.5 Affirmation of no Exceptions, Deviations, or Waivers if Volume 5 is not being submitted as part of the proposal.

1.6 Guarantee the length of proposal validity (at least 180 days after proposal submission).

1.7 Written consent from principal subcontractors and critical team members that will allow the Government to coordinate potential past performance and/or cost/price issues with the Offeror.

1.8 A summary of the Offeror’s Breakout of Performance (Annex 2), shall display Prime’s ability to perform 50% or more of the cost of contract incurred for personnel with its own employees for each period of performance.

2.0 VOLUME 2: TECHNICAL

NOTE: THIS VOLUME SHALL NOT CONTAIN ANY REFERENCE TO COST OR PRICE ASPECTS OF THE OFFER.

2.1 Understanding of the Work and Technical Approach

2.1.1 Performance Work Statement (PWS) Approach

2.1.1.1 The Offeror shall provide all information and data required to conduct a thorough and complete technical evaluation. Provide a written narrative of the proposed understanding and capability to perform the requirements of the PWS. The narrative should address the PWS paragraph items listed in the Table below. The Offeror’s response is in no way limited to items listed in this table. The narrative shall include the elements set forth below:

2.1.1.1.2 The narrative should identify the procedures and methodology (if applicable) to accomplish each task, relevant experience performing similar tasks, and identification of any areas that may impacts successful performance.

2.1.1.1.3 Identify any areas that may impact successful performance based on the Offeror's knowledge of the work.

-Discuss approach to project management, project tracking, and requirement development working in teams with government and/or military personnel.

4.3.1, 4.3.3, 4.3.4, 4.3.5

· Discuss understanding of the project support functions.

· Discuss approach to efficiently provide project support for multiple projects with variable support requirements.

· Discuss understanding of and experience with the design of hardware systems similar in nature to the systems to be developed for this effort.

· Discuss any software development standards, processes, or training used for software development.

· Discuss approach to efficiently provide project support.

2.1.2 Sample Task

The Offeror shall provide written response to the Sample Task provided below. The purpose of the Sample Task is to assist in evaluating the Offeror’s understanding of the PWS, ability to perform the requirements of the contracted effort, and to identify any unique processes or capabilities the Offeror would improve performance to the Government’s benefit. The Offeror’s estimate of the labor hours required to complete the Sample Task will be evaluated against the Offeror’s solution as part of an evaluation of the Offeror’s understanding of the requirement.

Unique methods of resolving problems identified in the Sample Task below are encouraged, however, be mindful of the need for timely accomplishment of the objectives with minimal risk to program achievement, schedule and cost. The Offeror shall provide a written response of the Offeror’s proposed technical approach and capability to perform the requirements of the Sample Task.

Sample Task Description:

The Simulation Division is developing a high fidelity flight simulator of a cargo helicopter that is to be used for flight test support and familiarization training. The contractor has been tasked with developing the software for this simulation system. The scope of the contractor’s support for this effort includes:

· Designing, coding, integrating and testing the software.

· Managing the software development effort; developing and tracking derived requirements.

· Developing and delivery of all software support documentation, including system documentation, SETR review materials, and operation and maintenance documentation.

The software development effort is scheduled to be completed in 16 months, followed by 4 months of testing and discrepancy resolution. For this sample task:

· Discuss the approach and process to be used for this software development effort.

· Identify the tasks required to develop the software for this system based on the system description and assumptions listed below. Estimate the hours required to complete each task, organized according to labor category. Do not provide cost data.

· Estimate the workforce requirement to complete the project in required time frame (number of individuals for each labor category). Identify any special workforce requirements.

· Identify risks to successful completion of this effort.

System Description:

· Aircraft being simulated is a cargo helicopter with no integrated weapons systems.

· Avionics systems included in this air-vehicle include GPS/INS, RADALT, TACAN, VOR, ILS, TAWS, ARC-210 radio, LINK-16, IFF, RADAR, and FLIR.

· Hardware-in-the-loop aircraft hardware to be used in the simulator include: two mission computers (MC), 4 Multi-Function Displays (MFD), 2 cockpit input units (keysets), and a mission systems card reader.

· Commercial systems to be used in the system include: an image generator with a FLIR channel, a control loading system for the primary controls, an aural cuing system, a radar simulation system, and video processing, recording, and playback systems.

· The simulation will use separate computers/processors for Instructor Operation Station (IOS) software, Airframe model, Avionics models, and the Distributed Simulation interface.

· The crew-station contains a number of panels, switches, levers, and lights, that are connected to a shared memory system thru digital input (DI), digital output (DO), analog input (AI) and analog output (AO) devices.

· The simulator will have the capability to be integrated with Navy simulated battlespace environments and interoperate with using DoD distributed protocol interfaces.

· The simulator will have a capability to participate in distributed simulation events in support of operational testing and training.

Assumptions:

· The contractor will manage the software development effort and track software requirements. The contractor will be required to work closely with a government Simulation Division team managing the overall project as well as the customer.

· The government will manage and provide as GFE all system level requirements. The contractor will be responsible for developing and tracking all derived requirements related to the software development.

· Project Reviews will be conducted in accordance with the Systems Engineering Technical Review (SETR) process. Planned events include a System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR).

· Source code for an airframe model is provided as GFE, but the aero performance needs to be updated to account for a new sensor mounted to the fuselage and changes to the airframe weight distribution and fuel capacity.

· The aircraft uses common sensors and communications systems. Source code for existing navigation, communication, and surveillance system models will be provided as GFE. This software will require modification to accommodate its use in a different air-vehicle or to integrate into the chosen system architecture.

· IOS software will be built using source code from an existing IOS for a different aircraft of a similar type. The IOS will need to be updated to reflect aircraft specific information and customer graphical user interface change requests.

· Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for communicating with hardware-in-the-loop avionics will be provided as GFE. Communication with avionics hardware is done primarily thru standard aircraft data busses (MIL-STD-1553, ARINC-429, etc.).

· All commercial simulation systems (Image Generator, FLIR, RADAR, Aural Cueing, Control Loading, and Video Playback/Recording) have been selected and procured by the government. ICD’s for the commercial systems to be used in the simulator will be provided as GFE.

· While the image generation system has been selected and performance requirements established, follow on support for integration of special features such as moving models and atmospheric conditions will be required.

· The simulation system will use three existing out-the-window visual databases and sensor databases. Additional detail will be added to a new area of interest in one of the databases. The labor required to create the new detail is estimated to be 2000 hours.

· The government will manage interfaces to all hardware and commercial systems used in the simulator and will provide Interface Control Documents with Application Programming Interfaces (API) to the contractor as GFE.

· The Navy simulated battlespace environments and DoD distributed protocol interfaces are developed by the government and will be provided to the contractor as GFE.

· A cross-platform middleware that supplies an interface abstraction for Distributed Simulation support will be provided to the contractor as GFE.

· Software libraries will be provided as GFE for simulation processes such as timing, 1553, ARINC 429, shared memory interfaces, and input/output. Proprietary contractor libraries will not be used. Software Test events will include 1) a preliminary software test event (with pilot and instructor inputs), 2) an initial customer acceptance test event, and 3) a final customer acceptance test event. System, sub-system, and regression testing will be performed at the contractor’s discretion. All software testing is to be performed in an integration space at Patuxent River NAS.

· After system delivery to a CONUS military installation more than 150 miles from Patuxent River NAS, three weeks of on-site software support will be required for final system checkout and operation training.

· Software will be written in C++ in the Microsoft Studio design environment, which is provided as GFE on GFE computers connected to the Simulation Division’s RDT&E unclassified network.

This Sample Task response shall include the following:

2.1.2.1 A description of the approach that would be taken to complete the tasking described.

2.1.2.2 A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and an associated schedule for each of the separate milestones to support the approach.

2.1.2.3 Briefly discuss any documents required to complete the tasking. The actual document names are not required.

2.1.2.4 A breakdown of the hours proposed to complete the tasking, by labor category, and a description of the duties and responsibilities of each labor category to show how their contributions would lead to the success of the project. Provide a labor total along with justification for the allocated hours.

2.1.2.5 Provide a detailed breakdown of the travel and materials that would be required for this effort.

2.2 WORKFORCE AND KEY PERSONNEL

2.2.1 Key Personnel Resumes

2.2.1 For the purposes of NAVAIR Clause 5252.237-9501, key personnel are those who will be performing in the Key Labor Categories, which can be found in Section C: PWS Paragraph 11.0 Personnel Qualifications, Attachments (1), and (2). For any proposed Key Personnel, Offerors shall provide a resume of the work assignments, training, etc., that demonstrates the experience and specialized qualifications of each key person proposed (Multiple resumes may be required for Key Labor Categories that have more than 1,920 hrs/year). Resumes shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

· Employee name

· Years of employment experience in chronological order including narrative description of duties and responsibilities

· Current position, title and employer

· Educational history

· Institution name, degree or certification earned, and year for all degrees or certifications earned

· Current level of security clearance and status (final, interim, or pending)

2.2.1.2 The Government may check educational background to verify degrees or certifications received.

2.3 MANAGEMENT AND TRANSITION PLAN

The Offeror shall submit a written narrative of the Offeror’s understanding and capability to perform the requirements of the PWS including all associated subtasks as described below.

2.3.1 Management Approach

Offerors shall address in sufficient detail the following:

2.3.1.1 Adequacy of management and resources to support the technical requirements of the solicitation and ability to function as a viable and productive partner with the Government;

2.3.1.2 Proposed lines of responsibility, authority, and communication through which the tasks will be managed.

2.3.1.4 Description of Task Order Processing Plan, proposing labor mix, lead times for proposal submittal.

2.3.1.7 The Offeror’s proposal should address the requirements found in the indicated PWS paragraphs listed in the table below.

PWS

Section¶ Management Items to Address

2.3.2 Usage of Teaming, Personnel, and Subcontractors

Offerors shall present in sufficient detail the following:

2.3.2.1 Subcontract Management Plan. Prime Contractor shall detail how the subcontractors will be managed to ensure cohesive integration into the overall management approach; Description of the integration of the teaming partners into the overall management approach and how the Offeror will leverage their strengths to increase value to the customer through technical leadership, quality assurance, and process improvement;

2.3.3 Transition Plan

The services under this solicitation are vital to the Government and must be continued without interruption. The Offeror is required to submit a written narrative delineating a transition plan based on a 30 day transition period beginning after award, but prior to the start of the period of performance of the contract, which ensures a smooth workplace changeover from an incumbent. The plan should take into consideration the following elements as well as any additional elements deemed necessary by the Offeror:

2.3.3.3 The Transition Plan should specify all transition activities to be carried out as well as the date to be completed. Dates for completion shall be identified as days from award. The date of award will be considered “Day 0”. Subsequent days shall be identified as “Day 1, Day 2 …Day 30” respectively. All transition activities shall be completed 30 days post award (“Day 30”).

3.0 VOLUME 3: PAST PERFORMANCE

3.1 The Offeror shall submit three (3) summaries of past performance similar in size, scope, and/or complexity, which are ongoing or were completed within the last five (5) years for itself and its principal subcontractors and critical team members, if any. Commercial contracts may be included. All summaries should be efforts that were performed by the prime contractor. These summaries shall provide the following:

· Contract Number/Delivery Order Number

· Contract Type

· Procuring Agency

· Program Name

· Total Contract Cost

· Brief description of work performed

· Period of Performance

· Valid name, phone number, and email address of Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representative

· Small Business Subcontracting Goals and actual accomplishment information (applicable only if Offeror is a large business)

· Brief description of performance in delivering quality services in each of the following areas: 1) meeting technical requirements, i.e., the quality of technical performance, e.g., performing analysis, design, testing, etc., 2) meeting schedule requirements, i.e., schedule performance, e.g., on time or late delivery, modification of original schedules and reasons for any changes, etc., 3) controlling contract cost, i.e., cost performance, e.g. within contract cost, under contract cost, over contract cost, and reasons for any overruns, etc., and 4) managing the contracted effort, i.e., program management, e.g. cooperation with customer, subcontract management

3.2 For all contracts identified, the Offeror will complete items numbered 1 through 8 on page 1 of the Past Performance Questionnaire Package for Services (Attachment P5) and forward the 2 pages to that contract customer’s Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). All questionnaires shall be forwarded with enough lead-time so that the Government can receive responses concurrent with the closing date of the solicitation. The Offeror shall send past performance package submittal instructions to the customers. This submittal information is provided at the top of the questionnaires to facilitate the Offeror’s effort in meeting these instructions. The Offeror is not required to conduct follow-up actions with regard to this questionnaire. The Government will make its best effort to ensure that the customers have received and will respond to the questionnaires. The Government may send any other questionnaires as necessary.

3.3 Offerors are advised that the Government may independently obtain and evaluate past performance data and/or verify small business subcontracting goals and actual accomplishment data, by way of the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS); Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs); Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS); Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS); other databases; interviews with Program Managers, Contracting Officers, Fee Determining Officials, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), or other individuals; as well as, or in addition to, all recent and relevant past performance data provided by the Offeror. The Government reserves the right to contact, or elect not to contact, any or all of the sources provided by the Offeror. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Offeror to explain the relevance of any past performance data provided. Furthermore, the Government does not assume the duty to search for data to explain or remedy any inconsistencies it finds in the information provided by the Offeror. The burden of providing thorough and complete past performance information remains with the Offeror.

3.4 If the Offeror does not have any past performance, it shall provide an affirmative statement stating it has no past performance.

3.5 Offerors shall provide written consent from their principal subcontractors and critical team members in Volume 1 that will allow the Government to coordinate their past performance issue(s) with the prime Offeror. If Offerors do not submit such written consent, then the Government will address any past performance issues directly with the subcontractor and the Offeror will forfeit the opportunity to participate in any related discussions. Consequently, for any subcontractors that do not provide such written consent, provide a point of contact (name, address, phone number, and email address) with whom the Government may coordinate these issues and obtain any responses as needed.

4.0 VOLUME 4: COST/PRICE

4.1 Volume Content:

(a) This Volume shall contain the information requested below and shall include a copy of Section B with the Contract Line Item (CLIN) and Sub-CLIN Unit Prices and for evaluation purposes, the Total Prices filled in (Supplies and/or Services and Prices and/or Costs) using the estimated quantities value in the solicitation and the instructions below. Section B prices shall be provided separately in one digital data copy in MS Office 2007 Excel format on CD-ROM media. Offerors shall submit their cost/price proposal utilizing the CLIN Breakout Spreadsheet (Attachment P6). The Offeror shall submit a fully completed Attachment P6. The Attachment P6 spreadsheet shall be formatted on letter size (8.5 X 11) paper. The proposal shall be unprotected and unlocked, with formulae intact to show mathematical operations.

(b) All cost/price and cost/price supporting information shall be contained in section B of the cost/price proposal. No price or pricing information shall be included in any other technical volume, including cover letters. Offerors are responsible for submitting sufficient information to enable the Government to evaluate fully their cost/price proposal.

4.2 Ground Rules and Assumptions

(a) As this is a competitive acquisition with adequate price competition anticipated, any cost/price documentation requested shall not be certified cost or pricing data in accordance with FAR 15.406-2. However, in the event that adequate price competition does not exist after receipt of proposals, the Government reserves the right to request additional cost or pricing data as necessary from both the Offeror and subcontractors and may conduct negotiations with the Offeror, pursuant to FAR Part 15.403-4, in order to ensure a reasonable and realistic cost/price. Further, in accordance with DFARS 215.371-3(b)(2), if a single offer is received, at the Contracting Officer’s discretion, certified cost or pricing data may be required to be submitted subsequent to proposal receipt. Offeror shall acknowledge the requirement to provide additional cost or pricing information and certify the data prior to award if/when requested by the Government.

(b) The cost of general purpose items required to conduct normal business operations will not be considered allowable Other Direct Charges. The following types of general purpose costs, required to conduct normal business operations, are not directly reimbursable: the cost and associated costs for telephones and telephone charges (except for project-related telephone charges for performance of this contract, which, per contractor's DCAA-approved accounting system, may be directly reimbursed under communication expenses), modems, typewriters, reproduction machines, word processing equipment, personal computers, computer software, Internet access charges, facsimile machines, commercial carrier charges, pagers, and other general purpose office equipment and office supplies.

(c) The Offeror shall provide sufficient information to support its cost/price as well as an explanation of all ground rules and assumptions that impact the cost/price estimates. Any apparent imbalances in the pricing, high or low proposed prices/costs as compared to historical data, or any other anomalies should be fully explained. Topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to, investments, programmatic variables (e.g., inflation/escalation, location, make/buy decisions, prime/subcontractor relationships, and business base concerns), etc.

4.3 Cost/Price Information

4.3.1 Regardless of the type of CLINs (e.g., CPFF, CPIF, CPAF or FFP) under the solicitation, the Offeror shall fully disclose the build-up of cost/price of each CLIN.

4.3.2 When completing Attachment P6, the Offeror (e.g., prime vendor) shall not utilize any fully burdened hourly rates when pricing the labor of its employees.

4.3.3 Subcontractors and team members shall provide a Attachment P7 delineating the build-up of rates to the Government.

4.3.4 In preparing the cost/price proposal, the Offeror shall ensure the submittal is easy to understand and includes the following:

4.3.4.2 Reasonableness and Consistency between the Technical and Cost/Price Volumes. The Offeror shall demonstrate that the unit prices and the total proposed price/cost are reasonable, realistic, and commensurate with the work required by the solicitation and the technical and management approaches identified in the Technical Volume of the proposal. Show traceability with the CLINS, SubCLINs, the PWS, proposed effort, proposed manning levels, and the costs/prices. Refer to specific sections in the Technical Volume as needed to illustrate the consistency between the Cost/Price Volume and the Technical Volume. The Offeror shall explain any inconsistency between promised performance and cost/price, as well as any appearance of unbalanced pricing, in the proposal.

4.3.4.3 Provide a narrative that addresses any assumptions made during the preparation of the cost/price proposal and discuss the basis for the cost elements below listed:

4.3.4.3.1 Direct labor rates by category. The Offeror and proposed subcontractors are required to submit labor rates for proposed individuals. The Offeror and proposed subcontractors shall provide payroll verification for currently employed proposed personnel and contingent offer letters outlining salary information for contingent hires. Verification of direct labor rates shall be provided for current employees; this could consist of, for example, screen-captures (or equivalent) from the Offeror’s payroll system or a form containing the title, direct labor rate and a signed certification by an authorized representative of the company. Offerors retain discretion with respect to the documentation provided to substantiate the direct labor rates of current employees; however, the Government must be able to calculate the employee’s current hourly rate based on the information provided. If any of the rates utilized by the Offeror or any subcontractors differ from the payroll verification, a justification shall be provided for the difference. For any prospective hires, provide information to substantiate the rates proposed. If composite or category averages are proposed, provide a breakdown of how rates are developed. Offerors shall also indicate the number of hours subject to uncompensated overtime. Finally, as applicable, provide a narrative to describe the use of uncompensated overtime.

4.3.4.3.2 Escalation on labor. Offerors, including subcontractors, shall address escalation for all labor categories, and shall provide rationale for the specific escalation rate used. Offerors that do not include escalation, or an explanation as to why it was not included, may be considered unrealistically low and may have their proposals adjusted upwards by the Government for cost realism purposes.

4.3.4.3.3 Indirect costs (i.e. Overhead, Fringe Benefits, General and Administrative (G&A), etc.), including a description of pools to which indirect rates are applied. If available, the Offeror and proposed subcontractors shall provide the most current DCAA Provisional Billing Rate Approval Letter, DCAA Final Billing Rate Approval Letter, and/or DCAA Forward Pricing Rate Agreement or Recommendation (FPRA/FPRR). If DCAA has not reviewed the rate information for an Offeror or one of its subcontractors, the Offeror shall submit a detailed justification of the proposed indirect rates, including details regarding the basis of estimate that may be helpful to the Government in conducting cost realism analysis. If any of the rates utilized by the Offeror or any subcontractors differ from the DCAA information, a justification shall be provided for the difference, including any supporting cost data (i.e., budget information). Finally, prime contractors and all subcontractors shall provide the last three (3) years of actual indirect information.

4.3.4.3.4 When the Offeror or any subcontractor elects to claim Cost of Money (COM) as an allowable cost, the Offeror shall submit a DD Form 1861 and show the calculations of the proposed amount.

4.3.4.3.5 Profit/Fee: The Offeror and subcontractors shall identify profit/fee rates and total amounts proposed and identify the various cost elements to which the profit/fee is being applied. Profit, Base, Award, and Incentive fee rates, as applicable in Section B, shall be clearly distinguishable. Profit/Fee shall not be applied to ODCs. Profit/fee for the prime contractor's work shall not exceed 8.00% for proposed Cost Plus Fixed Fee Labor. Fee rates greater than these are unallowable and will therefore make an offer unawardable.

Prime contractors are required to flow down their maximum fee rate to all subcontractors. For example, if the Prime’s fee rate is 7.5%, the proposed subcontractor would have to propose the 7.5% rate.

Additionally, the resulting contract will have the following fee opportunities. Offerors are required to propose and then utilize throughout the term of the contract the fee % for each applicable category.

Labor: Cost Plus Fixed Fee %

These fee percentage should be proposed as part of the Offeror’s P6 (Subcontractor P7) submittal.

4.3.4.3.6 Other Direct Costs (ODCs) by specific cost element (i.e. Travel & Material). Offerors shall utilize the Not-To-Exceed (NTE) amounts provided by the Government in Section L-2, paragraph 1.0 for ODCs. If it is the contractor’s accounting practice to apply (and invoice for) burdens with regards to ODCs, then the contractor shall propose the ODC NTE amount that are inclusive of the applicable burdens.

4.3.4.3.7 The Pass-through rate shall not exceed 8.00%. The Pass-Through Rate is defined as the cumulative amount of the two elements listed below divided by the price paid to the subcontractor or the vendor. Other than the two elements, no additional costs, charges, indirect rates, or profit/fees may be proposed or applied to prime or subcontract costs.

(i) Any and all indirect costs and applicable profit/fee applied to the subcontractor's proposed cost by the prime contractor, including, but not limited to, program management, subcontract management, invoice processing, quality assurance, overhead, material handling charges, G&A, burdens and mark-ups, (fill-in to identify any other costs);

(ii) Any and all prime contractor fee applied to the subcontractor's proposed labor.

4.3.4.3.8 Any other information needed to explain the Offeror’s or subcontractor’s estimating practices.

4.3.5 If subcontractors are proposed, provide the same information required for the prime contractor. The cost/price proposal shall be unprotected and unlocked, with formulae intact to show mathematical operations.

4.3.6 As this requirement contains cost type pricing arrangements, the Offeror shall also provide documentation verifying that it has a DCAA approved Cost Accounting System or state that its Cost Accounting System has not been approved by DCAA, pursuant to the requirement at FAR 16.301-3(a)(3). It is the Offeror’s responsibility, when acting as a prime contractor, to ensure that each subcontractor with a proposed cost-reimbursement subcontract type has an adequate accounting system. If a subcontractor does not have an adequate accounting system, they should be priced on a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) or Time-and-Materials (T&M) basis. The prime contractor shall provide a list of all subcontractors by name and shall specify the type of subcontract (i.e., CPFF, FFP, T&M, etc.). For those subcontractors who will be priced on a cost-type basis, documentation verifying possession of a DCAA approved Cost Accounting System shall be provided.

4.3.7 If the Offeror requires the use of consultants in its proposal, the consultant cost shall be captured under the appropriate labor pricing arrangement rather than the ODCs pricing arrangement. The proposed consultants are required to submit a cost/price proposal. The cost/price proposal shall have formulae intact to show mathematical operations.

4.4 Limitation on Subcontracting: This requirement is being set-aside for Small Business. Provide a breakout to demonstrate how the prime contractor will perform at least 50% of the cost of contract incurred for personnel with its own employees for each period of performance in accordance with FAR clause 52.219-14. Cost of contract incurred for personnel includes direct labor cost, overhead that has only direct labor as its base, and the small business’s General and Administrative (G&A) rate multiplied by the labor cost.

4.5 Use of Government Furnished Property:

Attachment (5), “Scheduled Government-Furnished Property (SGFP)”, specifies the Government Property to be furnished and will be issued at the task order level when applicable.

Attachment (6), “Requisitioned Government-Furnished Property (RGFP)”, is used to specify Government Property authorized for contractor requisition from DoD supply sources and will be issued at the Task Order level when applicable.

If the Offeror proposes/requires the use of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Government Furnished Information (GFI) other than that specified in the above-referenced attachments, then the Offeror shall provide:

· A complete description of the required GFE/GFI including part number and serial number, if applicable.

· Where the GFE/GFI is to be located.

· The name, organization, completes address and telephone number of a cognizant Government point of contact.

· In the case of GFE/GFI accountable to…