NNH16ZCQ001K-CIS_Amendment 02_Q and A.pdf

No. Question Answer

Section 15.2 of Appendix O indicates a deliverable for: "Detailed technical review of industry state-of-the-art best practices in the following testing scenarios listed in Section 6." Are awarded Industry organizations expected to review their own "best practices"? or are they expected to review "best practices" from across industry?

Both. Awarded Industry organizations are expected to review their own "best practices" and "best practices" from across industry.

In Section 6 of Appendix O, NASA describes how capability studies will inform an "industry best practices reference guide". Can NASA provide detail on how it would use this reference guide in future LEO, MEO, or GEO missions?

The guide supports the objective of identifying capabilities and industry best practices which may inform future NASA commercialization efforts.

Section 11 of Appendix O requires offerors to complete a Corporate Contribution Worksheet using BAA Attachment F - Corporate Contribution Worksheet. This attachment appears to be missing from both Appendix O and the Omnibus BAA. Can NASA provide this document to offerors?

See the newly uploaded Attachment D on SAM.gov.

Section 13.1 of Appendix O states that proposal files may be zipped into one .zip file or uploaded individually, suggesting that submissions will comprise of multiple PDF files. Whereas Section 14 states that "the required sections of the proposal must be submitted as "one... PDF file". Can NASA confirm that the cover letter, volumes, attachments should comprise of separate PDF documents, while sections within volumes should be one PDF file? If this is not NASA’s intention, can NASA clarify how the required proposal cover letter, volumes, sections, and attachments should be submitted?

Volumes 1-3 shall be a single PDF under the page limits provided in Table 1. Attachments A-E shall be individual PDFs. The entire proposal shall be a .zip folder containing all Volume PDFs.

See updated Appendix O Table 1 for acceptable file types.

Section 14.5 of Appendix O states: "the Offeror... shall address all topics identified in the SOW."

Reference to the "SOW" appears to be a clerical error for “SOO”, as relevant topics are identified in Section 6 - Capability Study and Demonstration Statement of Objectives. Can NASA confirm that it intends offerors to address topics identified in the SOO (Statement of Objectives)?

Confirmed. Offerors should address topics identified in SOO.

Section 14.6 of Appendix O requires offerors to submit documentation regarding Intellectual Property. Table 1 (page 24) does not list "Intellectual Property" as one of the required proposal sections/volumes. Can NASA clarify where offerors should include this documentation as part of their proposals?

Offerors shall comply with Section 14.6 and complete Section H.8 IDENTIFICATION AND

REPRESENTATION OF DATA WITH RESTRICTIVE

OR LIMITING MARKINGS of the Model Contract regarding Intellectual Property declarations.

Can NASA confirm what "other considerations in this appendix O" refer to in terms of eligibility? See Appendix O, Section 10 Eligibility Information and Other Considerations. Other eligibility information is also included in the omnibus portion of this BAA.

Can NASA provide offerors a copy of the NASA Guidebook for Proposers? The referenced link appears to be defunct.

Please see the 2022 Guidebook for Proposers Responding to a NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO):

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms /files/nasa_guidebook_for_proposers_- _feb._2022.pdf

Section 17.4 describes NASA's initial funding for the research contracts. Does NASA anticipate that follow on funds will be available for capability studies?

The $600,000 funding amount in Appendix O is the available funding for all cumulative contract awards, not individual contract awards. No additional funds will be provided for these Appendix O awards; however, there may be future opportunities annually under the NextSTEP 2 BAA should funds become available.

Section 12 of Appendix O states that NASA has a potential “Unequal Access to Information” OCI concern that the successful prime contractor (or first tier subcontractor(s)), may have access to another companies’ proprietary, business confidential, or financial data/nonpublic Government sensitive information, which may give rise to an unfair competitive advantage in future competitions.

Can NASA provide detail on the types of information that might be made available to an awardee and in what context?

Types of information that might be made available to an awardee is existing sensitive data. Sensitive data is controlled under GSFC 52.227-99 RIGHTS IN DATA (NOV 2018) and protected under NFS 1852.237-72 ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INFORMATION (JUN 2005). OCI plans should be put in place in the event that an Offeror believes a conflict with any other work may exist.

To perform a capability study, does NASA believe it is necessary for an awardee to receive company or Government sensitive information which may give rise to an unfair competitive advantage in future competitions?

Offeror will provide their own sensitive information. In the event that the Government offers Government-sensitive information, such data will be protected under GSFC 52.227-99 RIGHTS IN DATA (NOV 2018) and NFS 1852.237-

72 ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INFORMATION (JUN

2005).

The Omnibus BAA contains Export Control Guidelines. To perform a capability study, does NASA believe it is necessary for an awardee to receive or generate information or technology controlled by the Export Administrations Regulations (EAR)?

Offeror will need to define the export classification to the data they provide to NASA.

NASA will protect data accordingly.

To perform a capability study, does NASA believe it is necessary for an awardee to receive or generate information or technology controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations

(ITAR)?

Offeror will need to define the export classification to the data they provide to NASA.

NASA will protect data accordingly.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_guidebook_for_proposers_-_feb._2022.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_guidebook_for_proposers_-_feb._2022.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_guidebook_for_proposers_-_feb._2022.pdf

Does "NASA intends to award two or more contracts for studies" indicate that each study will be completed by two or more companies (i.e., multiple contracts per study), or that each of the four studies will be completed once but at least two contracts will be awarded (i.e., a 1-3 or 2-2, 1-2-1, or 1-1-1-1 study split among two, three, or four contracts).

Based upon funding, awards to multiple Offerors per study area may be feasible.

“Offerors may provide a single proposal that addresses any, multiple, or all of the four major objectives listed above.” There will only be one contract award per Successful Offeror. That award may include one, two, three, or all four of the proposed study areas if selected.

Is the $600,000 the cap for a single company no matter how many studies they propose to complete, the cap for a single company only if they propose to complete all four studies, or the cap for all awardees and all studies together?

See Appendix O, Section 17.4: “NASA has allotted an initial $600,000 to the total cumulative awards under this first thrust area as defined in Appendix O.” It is the cap for all awardees and all studies together.