Amendment_1_-_RFP___NIHES201800001.pdf

Amendment 1 – Questions and Answers to RFP NIHES201800001 Title: The Sister Study: Environmental and Genetic Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Date: January 11, 2018

1. RFP p. 83: Offerors are directed to include a separate section of the Technical Proposal entitled “Human Subjects.” Can this section be included as an appendix to the Technical Proposal?

Response: Yes, offerors may include this section in an Appendix. Please ensure it is clearly marked.

2. RFP p. 69: Offerors are directed to address the requirements on RFP pp. 70-76 in a separate section of the Technical Proposal entitled “Information Security.” Can this section be included as an appendix to the Technical Proposal?

3. RFP p. 109: Requires the evaluation of a Data Sharing Plan. Can the Data Sharing Plan be included as an appendix to the Technical Proposal?

4. Attachment 1, p. 2: Formatting instructions require the font size to be 10 to 12 points. Will the government accept a font size of 8 points or larger for graphics?

Response: Yes, a font size of 8 points or larger is acceptable for graphics.

5. Attachment 3, p. 15: The Technical Model Plans require that a budget estimate be submitted. How will these budget estimates be used in the cost/price evaluation? Will the budget estimates for the six plans be considered as additional effort to that priced in Task Order 1?

Response: The SOW, page 15, indicates that offerors should provide a step-wise approach, to include a budget, for the six model plans. Attachment 6 – “Additional Business Proposal Instructions” also instructs offerors to provide separate costing information for each of the six model plans. The model plans are not specifically intended to be part of the “Core Task Activities” of Task Order 1, but are intended to represent a portion of the variety of work that will be performed under the ID/IQ as a whole. The model plans provide an additional method for offerors to demonstrate their understanding of the complexities of the work contained within the ID/IQ contract. Therefore, the budget estimates for the six model plans will not be considered as additional effort to that priced in Task Order 1. The budget estimates for the model plans are “sample budgets” provided to demonstrate understanding of the ID/IQ contract.

Please also refer to page 65 of the RFP, paragrpah 2(a)(4) which discusses the separation of the Technical and Business Proposals, and instructs offerors to include only direct costs in the Technical Proposal. In accordance with this directive, offerors should only include the direct costs associated with Task Order 1, the Sample Ancillary Tasks, and the model plans in the Technical Proposal. Full cost/budget information should only be provided in the Business Proposal.

6. Attachment 5, p. 5: Technical Evaluation Criteria 5 requires a draft IT Security Plan. Can the draft

IT Security Plan be included as an appendix to the Technical Proposal?

Response: Yes, offerors may include the draft IT Security Plan in an Appendix. Please ensure it is clearly marked. We suggest that you include a notation that the information is in response to Technical Evaluation criterion 5.