Amendment 1_RFP 75N96022R00001.pdf

RFP Number : RFP 75N96022R00001 Amendment 1

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OFFICE OF ACQUISITIONS

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER: RFP 75N96022R00001

Amendment No.: 1

Date of Issuance: July 8, 2022

The above numbered Request For Proposal (RFP) is amended as set forth below. The hour and date specified for receipt of proposals remains unchanged. Proposals are due at 4:30 p.m. EST on July 29, 2022.

Any offeror submitting a proposal MUST acknowledge receipt of this amendment on the face page of the proposal.

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERORS AT THE TIME OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER.

Amendment #1 revises the RFP as stated below:

1. Attachment 10 has been revised (2 revisions). Revisions are underlined and provided in bold.

2. FAR Clause 52.217-9, Option To Extend the Term of the Contract (March 2000) has been updated to reflect the correct period of performance.

3. HHSAR Clause 352.239-74 has been incorporated in full text.

4. All questions submitted regarding the subject solicitation and the Government’s response are provided herein.

Revised clauses are provided as follows:

FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000)

a. The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

b. If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

c. The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 7 years and 6 months.

(End of clause)

HHSAR 352.239-74 , ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY

(December 2015)

a. Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973(29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all electronic and information technology (EIT) supplies and services developed, acquired, or maintained under this contract or order must comply with the "Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards'' set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the "Access Board'') in 36 CFR part 1194. Information about Section 508 is available at http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 . The complete text of Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards.

b. The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order are identified in the Statement of Work or Specification or Performance Work Statement. The contractor must provide any necessary updates to http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards

- 2 -the submitted HHS Product Assessment Template(s) at the end of each contract or order exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (see FAR 2.101) when the contract or order duration is one year or less. If it is determined by the Government that EIT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

c. The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract are: (For reports): E205.1. (For Software):

Technical Criteria: E207.1, E207.2, E207.2.1, E207.3, and Functional Performance Criteria: 301.1, 302.1 through 302.9.

d. In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new EIT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies or services, the Contracting Officer may require that the contractor submit a completed HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the EIT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. Instructions for documenting accessibility via the HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template may be found under Section 508 policy on the HHS Web site: ( http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 ). If it is determined by the Government that EIT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

e. If this is an Indefinite Delivery contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a Basic Ordering Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include EIT supplies or services will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order. In those cases, the Contractor may be required to provide a completed HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the EIT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. Instructions for documenting accessibility via the HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template may be found at HHS Section 508 Compliance Information. If it is determined by the Government that EIT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the provided documentation, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(End of clause)

RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED

Question 1: RFP- Technical Discussions, b. Personnel, 4. Curriculum Vitae, page 68 - Can the Government confirm if the curriculum vitaes can be placed in an Appendix?

Response: Yes, the curriculum vitaes can be placed in an Appendix.

Question 2: RFP – L.2.C.3.b.A, page 71: b. Cost Elements

Depending on your system, you must provide breakdowns for the following basic cost elements, as applicable:

A. Materials and services. Provide a consolidated priced summary of individual material quantities included in the various tasks, orders, or contract line items being proposed and the basis for pricing (vendor quotes, invoice prices, etc.). Include raw materials, parts, components, assemblies, and services to be produced or performed by others. For all items proposed, identify the item, and show the source, quantity, and price. Conduct price analyses of all subcontractor proposals. Conduct cost analyses for all subcontracts when certified cost or pricing data are submitted by the subcontractor.

Will the Government confirm that a cost analysis is not required for a subcontractor who is not cost-reimbursable to the Prime?

http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html

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Response: A cost analysis is required regardless of the contract type.

Question 3: RFP – L.2 C.12, Page 83: 12. Subcontractors. f: “A complete cost proposal in the same format as the offeror's cost proposal.” Will the Government confirm that Item f. is separate from the Commitment Letter requirements?

Response: The Government confirms that Item f. is separate from the Commitment Letter requirements.

Question 4: RFP-L: Are there special instructions should a sub-contractor need to submit a sealed package?

Response: Subcontractor shall follow the instructions as described in the Attachment 1.

Question 5: RFP- J, Informational Attachments, page 52: The included links to both Attachment 18:

Commitment to Protect Non-Public Information Contractor Agreement and Attachment 20: Employee Separation Checklist” directs individuals to a page that says, “The page you're looking for doesn't exist.” Can the Government provide updated links to these websites?

Response:

Attachment 18: pdf is now attached, and the updated link is provided below:

https://oamp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/DGS/contracting-forms/Nondisclosure.pdf

Attachment 20: pdf is now attached, and the updated link is provided below:

https://ocio.nih.gov/aboutus/publicinfosecurity/acquisition/Documents/Emp-sep-checklist.pdf

Question 6: Attachment 2 – Statement of Work, General Requirements: Can the Government confirm if there will be a transition-in period for a new awardee?

Response: A transition period is not anticipated because the data that the contractor will work with in performance of the subject contract is raw data that resides on NIEHS servers..

Question 7: Attachment 6 – Additional Proposal Instructions: RFP-75N96022R00001 outlined page requirements for CVs and the Sample Scenario but did not outline the maximum number of pages for the Technical Volume response. Can the Government confirm how many pages are allotted for the technical response?

Response: The page limit for the Technical Proposal is 150 pages. This does not include appendices (which include CV’s).

Question 8: Attachment 6 - Additional Proposal Instructions, page 3, General Requirements #7: The government may require the Contractor to provide access to tools available on the open market to conduct government work (e.g., Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, Qiagen). To price these ODCs, can the government provide the number of licenses required?

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Response: The offeror should propose the most appropriate approach and types of bioinformatic tools needed to provide solutions to the Government’s bioinformatic analysis challenges and requests.

Contractor access through a government license is not anticipated. However, a significant number of bioinformatic open source software tools for analysis of raw data are available on public web sites.

Historically, software tool sites such as Galaxy Community Hub at https://galaxyproject.org, GSEA (https://ww.gsea.msigdb.org), NCBI (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) , UCSC Genome Browser (https:// genome.ucsc.edu) and KEGG pathway analysis (https://www.genome.jp) have been used in the current contract. Other software may be purchased or developed as needed by the offeror. For costing purposes, offerors could consider purchase of 1 to 2 seats per commercial software package if needed.

Question 9: Attachment 6 – Additional Proposal Instructions, page 2, Part II: Mandatory Criteria: Can the Government confirm if the VPAT/ACR go in an Appendix?

Response: Yes, the Government can confirm that the VPAT/ACR may go in an Appendix in a clearly marked section for Mandatory Criteria .

Question 10: Attachment 10 - Additional Business Proposal Instructions and RFP, page 1 and page 11: Attachment 10: “In order to estimate the total effort and cost for each year of the contract, offerors are to assume a start date of September 24, 2023…” RFP: “The period of performance of this contract shall be from September 20, 2023 through September 19, 2024…” To correctly estimate the total effort and cost for each year of the contract, can the government confirm which date is correct?

Response: The period of performance of this requirement shall read as described in the RFP ARTICLE F.1.

as follows: September 20, 2023 to September 19, 2024.

Attachment 10 has been revised to reflect the period of performance stated above.

Question 11: Attachment 10 – Additional Business Proposal Instructions, page 3: Option for a 6-month extension - If necessary, a separate option may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-8 at the end of the contract to extend the period of performance for 6 months beyond Year 7 of the contract. Provide a separate cost spreadsheet for this 6-month extension using the same rates in existence for Year 7. Can the Government confirm if the pricing for the Optional 6-month extension at the end of the contract needs to also be on the provided Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Costs (plus fee) w/Excel Spreadsheet?

Response: Yes, the Option for a 6-month extension should be provided with the Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Costs (plus fee) w/Excel Spreadsheet.

Question 12: Pg. 11 (RFP) and pg. 20 (RFP attachment) - Can NIEHS kindly confirm the assumed start date for budgeting purposes? Page 11 of the RFP states a September 20 start date and page 20 of the RFP attachments states a September 24 start date.

Response: Please see response to question 10 above.

Question 13: Can NIEHS please confirm if there is a ceiling for this contract?

Response: A contract ceiling is not applicable for this requirement.

https://galaxyproject.org/ https://ww.gsea.msigdb.org/ https://genome.ucsc.edu/ https://genome.ucsc.edu/ https://www.genome.jp/

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Question 14: Pg. 58 (RFP) and pg. 10 (RFP attachment). Can NIEHS please clarify if the proposal must use the 23,010 direct labor hours stated in Section A, part D (p58) for the purposes of estimation, the 46 projects at 500hr each given in section B of attachment 10 or are we permitted to generate time estimates using historical and subject matter expert data based on the SOW (number and types of projects) given in attachment 2?

Response: As stated on page 58 of the RFP the estimation provided is for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY and is provided as a point of reference to allow offerors a better understanding of the general scope of this effort from the Government's perspective. This estimate of effort is not to be construed as either mandatory or necessarily the best technical approach. It is the offeror's responsibility to ensure the actual hours and labor categories proposed is appropriate to accomplish the requirements and is consistent with the SOW.

The Uniform Cost Assumptions given in Section B of Attachment 10 correspond to the SOW and are to be used to develop cost estimates for each year of the contract. See response to Question 10 regarding updates made to Attachment 10.

Question 15: Pg. 10 (RFP attachment). We noted in the sample scenario a discrepancy in hours between activity 1 and 2 and the hour estimates in section B of attachment 10. Can NIEHS please clarify if project meeting time with the Government was included in activity 1 or are there other unaccounted activities that would be included in this deliverable that are not specified in activity 2?

Response: The purpose of the sample scenario is to examine the offeror’s technical approach and should not be used as assumptions for costing purposes. The Offeror is encouraged to fully detail their approach to the sample scenario and provide information on the various tasks/considerations undertaken to provide a clear and appropriate deliverable to the government.

Question 16: For estimation of project management time, can NIEHS please specify the anticipated meeting frequency with NIEHS staff and anticipated contractor staff attendance?

Response: There will be standard monthly meetings; for costing purposes assume that the PI and two other staff will attend. In addition, there may be ad hoc bi-monthly meetings for active projects and quarterly updates for less complex requirements as needed.

Question 17: In the Sample Scenario 500h is given in the activity estimate for Activity 1 while 150h is given for Activity 2 and a total of 800h for the whole of the project. Can NIEHS please clarify the range of anticipated hours for each activity (i.e., provide more detail as to the tasks required), including how many meetings with the Government are expected.

Response: See response to Question 15 for sample scenario inquiries and the response to Question 16 for the Government’s response concerning the number of meetings. The Offeror is encouraged to fully detail their approach to the sample scenario and provide information on the various tasks/considerations undertaken to provide a clear and appropriate deliverable to the government.

Question 18: Pg. 1 (RFP attachment). In the SOW item number 8 support for study designs license-based software is listed for supporting analysis. Can NIEHS please specify if contractor will be issued access through the government license or if Offeror is expected to purchase a license with contract funds.

Response: The offeror should propose the most appropriate approach to provide solutions to the Government’s bioinformatic analysis challenges and requests. For the purposes of the proposal, the offeror

- 6 -can propose the type of bioinformatic tools they would need and the number of seats they anticipate using their subject matter expertise and experience with this type of analysis. Contractor access through a government license is not anticipated. For additional information regarding licenses, see the Government’s response to question #8 above.

Question 19: Pg.69, Section L.2.c.2 and L.2.c.3 - Please confirm that a certificate of current cost and pricing data is not required as NIEHS is anticipating adequate competition in accordance with

FAR 15.403-1.

Response: The Government confirms that a certificate of current cost and pricing data is required. Offerors shall use instructions under L.2.c.3—"Certified Cost and Pricing Data” on page 70 of the RFP.

Question 20: Attachment 10. Please confirm that the Business Proposal has no page limitation.

Response: The Government confirms that the Business Proposal has no page limitation.

Question 21: RFP page 50, item c, at the top of the page, states that “The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed five years.” Should that be seven years?

Response: As described in Article F.1. on page 11 of the RFP, The anticipated base period of performance of this contract shall be from September 20, 2023 through September 19, 2024 with six additional one-year options. The Government has amended the RFP to incorporate revised FAR Clause 52.217-9.

Question 22: RFP page 65, item 18c states that “The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are stated in the clause at 352.239-74.” However, item b of that clause states: “The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order are identified in the Statement of Work or Specification or Performance Work Statement.” What are the standards applicable to this solicitation?

Response: The RFP has been amended to incorporate HHSAR clause 352.239-74 containing the Section 508 accessibility standards.