RFQ 9531BM24Q0020 - UAS Fleet Mgmt Software.pdf

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 1 of 10

ATTACHMENT 1 - SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

UAS Fleet Management Software

1.0 BACKGROUND

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a federal agency mandated by Congress to investigate all aviation accidents and selected accidents/incidents in other modes of transportation and report the results of those investigations.

The agency’s mission is primarily accomplished through the investigation of transportation accidents. The NTSB employs unique investigative techniques that include the use of emerging technologies such as small uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to conduct the following:

A. Accident site documentation of transportation related accidents.

B. Aerial photography/videography of transportation accident sites.

C. Mapping and photogrammetry of transportation accident sites.

Until recently, the NTSB has been operating the UAS program under a proof of concept with limited flight crew and resources. Operating a fleet of only five aircraft, four active crew, and a program lead (system administrator), all documentation of fleet assets and personnel has been done manually using rudimentary spreadsheets and database tools. This archaic and inefficient paper documentation process places the agency at risk in properly maintaining a robust safety management system (SMS) required of all federal flight programs.

The NTSB currently has no centralized system for the tracking and management of fleet assets, flight information, and flight crew training, qualification, and proficiency records. All aircraft assets and program administration must be authenticated and stored securely, safely, and dependably. By providing centralized management of aircraft and crew, the NTSB will improve internal operating efficiencies in conducting mission and support activities, as well as responses to related FOIA requests.

The NTSB has recently commissioned the UAS Flight Operations Program, procuring additional aircraft, contracting for a dedicated training site, and approving additional training and resources. The program’s growth has more than doubled its aircraft assets from 5 to 12 and is tripling its personnel from 5 to 15. This growth requires a robust and secure fleet management solution.

Implementation of a solution for both aircraft and program management will serve to improve the effectiveness and integrity of NTSB investigations. We seek a cloud based, Software as a Service (SaaS) or Platform as a Service ( PaaS)Tea solution that provides our investigators an efficient and accurate means of UAS fleet management

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 2 of 10 and workflow process management through the use of automation, integrated accountability mechanisms and real time data analysis.

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall provide all software, labor, and materials to implement its COTS solution to be fully functional and to meet the requirements of this SOW, including testing and demonstration, and provide training to NTSB users. The contractor shall also provide software maintenance in the form of upgrades and technical support.

3.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1 System Functionality and Features

At a minimum, the delivered capability of the software shall be:

• Customizable UAS fleet management cloud-based software.

• Proven to handle complex UAS fleet management tracking capabilities.

• Allows tracking of both physical aircraft assets, as well as flight crew.

• Track multiple type UAS, no matter the manufacturer, in one comprehensive and customizable system.

• Allows for customizable suite of checklists and forms editable by the system admin and accessible for use by flight crew.

• Allows system administrator to assign and monitor case workflow.

• Allows for automatic capture and complete system of records for all flights conducted by all agency owned aircraft.

• Allows for customizable suite of checklists and forms editable by the system admin and accessible for use by flight crew.

• Ability to easily transfer custody of aircraft from pilot to pilot from the system.

• Capable of tracking unlimited flight crew within the system.

• Initially able to support 15 UAS aircraft and scalable for future growth.

• Cost based on “per aircraft” pricing model, not “per pilot.”

• Allows administrator to set specific roles and permissions, to allow various users level specific access to this system.

• Allows for email and/or text message notification to specific users when UAS missions are created or flown, or when assets are added, transferred, or removed.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 3 of 10

• Allows real time tracking of flights, aircraft, and flight crews that may be located at various locations across the country.

• Able to import flight information for included aircraft and flight crews when flown outside of the “home” piloting application.

• Browser based iOS and Android supported.

• Mobile app availability.

3.2 Audit Trail

The system must have an audit trail. The audit trail shall include tracking all persons (using login and password) who accessed the system/file and the actions performed (print, view, etc.). All audit trail items must be time stamped with a time based on a hardware based tamperproof trusted time clock provided as part of the system.

System must have variable user rights as assigned by the System Administrator (SA).

3.3 Training

Contractor shall provide training to NTSB staff before the authorization of payment.

Training shall be adequate to the needs of the typical systems user and administrator.

Training shall fully cover all user functionality with additional training to be provided to the system administrator on the administrative functions. The Contractor shall also provide technical training to NTSB IT staff, as necessary. Training shall include technical and application software, functional operation, and administration responsibilities of the installed system. Technical training for NTSB staff shall address the responsibilities related to system operation and management, security, problem identification, and problem resolution. Functional training shall include all system functionality. All training shall be conducted by using - MS Teams or similar tool.

The Contractor shall provide user manuals and technical documentation in PDF format. As updates to the manual occur, electronic copies shall be provided at no cost as long.

3.4 Software Maintenance

The Contractor shall provide annual software maintenance of its software solution.

The software maintenance offered and performed under this contract shall be comparable to the software maintenance provided to the Contractor’s commercial customers. The first period of software maintenance shall be included in the purchase of the software solution and shall be in effect for 12 months from the date of contract award. Thereafter, software maintenance shall be provided in 12 month increments upon the exercise of priced option years.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 4 of 10

3.5 On-Call Technical Support

Contractor shall provide access to a web-based Support Portal or shall be available to provide technical support over telephone. Customer support shall be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

3.6 Project Manager

The contractor shall provide a qualified and experienced Project Manager who has experience working with the federal government.

3.7 Self-Attestation

The Contractor must self-attest that its software is compliant with the Federal Government-specified secure software development practices by signing the attached (RFQ Attachment 5) Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Secure Software Development Attestation Form and submitting the Form with its quote.

4.0 TASKS

4.1 Kick-off Meeting

The vendor shall attend a formal Contract Kick-off Meeting with NTSB representatives to introduce its software and team members that will be working throughout the duration of the Demonstration and Training phases. The Kick-off Meeting shall be utilized by all parties to discuss expectations, timelines, contractual issues, and technical matters. After meeting, the vendor shall demonstrate a fully operational system.

4.2 Project Plan

The Contractor shall submit to the NTSB a Project Plan describing the steps it will take to deliver a fully operational software system configured to meeting the requirements of this Statement of Work. The NTSB reserves the right to review and suggest changes/revisions to the Project Plan.

4.3 Implementation

The Contractor shall perform all work to configure, test and demonstrate for NTSB acceptance a fully operational software system.

4.3.1 Testing & Demonstration

The Contractor shall perform testing of the configured and implemented software system to ensure it is operating properly.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 5 of 10

Upon completion of testing, the Contractor shall demonstrate for NTSB acceptance a fully operational software system.

4.3.2 Training

The Contractor shall provide training and documentation as described in section 3.3.

5.0 DELIVERABLES

The following are a list of deliverables associated with this work:

• A kick-off meeting regarding this software and the tailored configuration will take place after contract award.

• Project plan for software implementation and tailored configuration, acceptance trial, training and other facets associated with this effort shall be delivered no later than 14 days after date of kick-off meeting.

• Bi-Weekly project status updates during the Implementation phase.

• Contractor documentation of the tailored configuration.

• Client acceptance of the tailored configuration.

• Any documents and reports associated with acceptance trial.

• Training and training materials as identified in Section 3.3.

6.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The total period of performance will include one (1) base period and four (4) one-year option periods, for a total period of performance of up to five (5) years.

The NTSB anticipates issuing the purchase order by the end of fiscal year 2024. For planning purposes, anticipated periods of performance dates are as follows:

Base Year: September 20, 2024 – September 19, 2025

Option Year 1: September 20, 2025 – September 19, 2026

Option Year 2: September 20, 2026 – September 19, 2027

Option Year 3: September 20, 2027 – September 19, 2028

Option Year 4: September 20, 2028 – September 19, 2029

7.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work shall be performed remotely.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 6 of 10

8.0 SECTION 508

E201 Application E201.1 Scope ICT that is procured, developed, maintained, or used by agencies shall conform to the Revised 508 Standards.

E205 Electronic Content E205.1 General Electronic content shall comply with E205.

E205.2 Public Facing Electronic content that is public facing shall conform to the accessibility requirements specified in E205.4.

E205.3 Agency Official Communication Electronic content that is not public facing shall conform to the accessibility requirements specified in E205.4 when such content constitutes official business and is communicated by an agency through one or more of the following:

● A. An emergency notification;

● B. An initial or final decision adjudicating an administrative claim or proceeding;

● C. An internal or external program or policy announcement;

● D. A notice of benefits, program eligibility, employment opportunity, or personnel action;

● E. A formal acknowledgement of receipt;

● F. A survey questionnaire;

● G. A template or form;

● H. Educational or training materials; or

● I. Intranet content designed as a Web page.

E205.4 Accessibility Standard (WCAG 2.0) - Electronic content shall conform to Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 (Incorporated by reference, see 702.10.1).

E206 Hardware E206.1 General. Where components of ICT are hardware and transmit information or have a user interface, such components shall conform to the requirements in Chapter 4.

E207 Software E207.1 General Where components of ICT are software and transmit information or have a user interface, such components shall conform to E207 and the requirements in Chapter 5 Exception from E207.1 General: Software that is assistive technology and that supports the accessibility services of the platform shall not be required to conform to the requirements in Chapter 5.

E207.2 WCAG Conformance User interface components, as well as the content of platforms and applications, shall conform to Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 (incorporated by reference, see 702.10.1).

Exceptions from E207.2 WCAG Conformance:

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 7 of 10

● Software that is assistive technology and that supports the accessibility services of the platform shall not be required to conform to E207.2.

● Non-web software shall not be required to conform to the following four Success Criteria in WCAG 2.0: 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks; 2.4.5 Multiple Ways; 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation; and 3.2.4 Consistent Identification.

● Non-Web software shall not be required to conform to Conformance Requirement 3 Complete Processes in WCAG 2.0.

E207.3 Complete Process for Non-Web Software Where non-Web software requires multiple steps to accomplish an activity, all software related to the activity to be accomplished shall conform to WCAG 2.0 as specified in E207.2.

E208 Support Documentation and Services E208.1 General Where an agency provides support documentation or services for ICT, such documentation and services shall conform to the requirements in Chapter 6.

E301 General E301.1 Scope. The requirements of Chapter 3 shall apply to ICT where required by 508 Chapter 2 (Scoping Requirements), 255 Chapter 2 (Scoping Requirements), and where otherwise referenced in any other chapter of the Revised 508 Standards or Revised 255 Guidelines.

E302 Functional Performance Criteria

302.1 Without Vision. Where a visual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user vision.

302.2 With Limited Vision. Where a visual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that enables users to make use of limited vision.

302.3 Without Perception of Color. Where a visual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one visual mode of operation that does not require user perception of color.

302.4 Without Hearing. Where an audible mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user hearing.

302.5 With Limited Hearing. Where an audible mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that enables users to make use of limited hearing.

302.6 Without Speech. Where speech is used for input, control, or operation, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user speech.

302.7 With Limited Manipulation. Where a manual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous manual operations.

302.8 With Limited Reach and Strength. Where a manual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that is operable with limited reach and limited strength.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 8 of 10

302.9 With Limited Language, Cognitive, and Learning Abilities. ICT shall provide features making its use by individuals with limited cognitive, language, and learning abilities simpler and easier.

503 Applications

503.1 General Applications shall conform to 503.

503.2 User Preferences Applications shall permit user preferences from platform settings for color, contrast, font type, font size, and focus cursor.

Exception from E503.2 User Preferences: Applications that are designed to be isolated from their underlying platform software, including Web applications, shall not be required to conform to 503.2.

503.3 Alternative User Interfaces. Where an application provides an alternative user interface that functions as assistive technology, the application shall use platform and other industry standard accessibility services.

503.4 User Controls for Captions and Audio Description Where ICT displays video with synchronized audio, ICT shall provide user controls for closed captions and audio descriptions conforming to 503.4.

503.4.1 Caption Controls Where user controls are provided for volume adjustment, ICT shall provide user controls for the selection of captions at the same menu level as the user controls for volume or program selection.

503.4.2 Audio Description Controls. Where user controls are provided for program selection, ICT shall provide user controls for the selection of audio descriptions at the same menu level as the user controls for volume or program selection.

602 Support Documentation

602.1 General.Documentation that supports the use of ICT shall conform to 602.

602.2 Accessibility and Compatibility Features. Documentation shall list and explain how to use the accessibility and compatibility features required by Chapters 4 and 5. Documentation shall include accessibility features that are built-in and accessibility features that provide compatibility with assistive technology.

602.3 Electronic Support Documentation. Documentation in electronic format, including Web-based self-service support, shall conform to Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 (incorporated by reference, see 702.10.1).

602.4 Alternate Formats for Non-Electronic Support Documentation. Where support documentation is only provided in non-electronic formats, alternate formats usable by individuals with disabilities shall be provided upon request.

603 Support Services

603.1 General. ICT support services including, but not limited to, help desks, call centers, training services, and automated self-service technical support, shall conform to 603.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 9 of 10

603.2 Information on Accessibility and Compatibility Features. ICT support services shall include information on the accessibility and compatibility features required by 602.2.

603.3 Accommodation of Communication Needs. Support services shall be provided directly to the user or through a referral to a point of contact. Such ICT support services shall accommodate the communication needs of individuals with disabilities.

9.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

The Contracting Officer (CO) has the overall responsibility for this agreement. The CO alone, without delegation, is authorized to take actions on behalf of the Government to modify the agreement terms, conditions, requirements, specifications, and delivery schedules.

The Contracting Officer for this requirement is:

P. Matt Hazlinsky Acquisition Division, Office of the Chief Financial Officer Email: matt.hazlinsky@ntsb.gov Phone: 202-314-6205

The Contracting Officer will appoint a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for the contract to assist in monitoring the work. The COR is responsible for the technical administration of the contract and technical liaison with the contractor. The primary duties of the COR are to monitor the contractor’s performance to ensure that all technical requirements are met by the delivery date or within the period of performance, to inspect and accept services, as well as to review and approve invoices.

The COR is NOT authorized to issue technical instructions that:

• Institute additional work outside the scope of the contract

• Cause an increase or decrease in the estimated cost of the contract

• Alter the period of performance

• Change any of the other express terms or conditions of the contract

The COR for this requirement is:

TBD

mailto:matt.hazlinsky@ntsb.gov

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 1, Section C – Statement of Work, Page 10 of 10

10. INVOICES

Contractor shall bill for 100% of Line Item (CLIN) 0001 upon acceptance of the fully functioning and operational software and after providing training to NTSB staff.

Thereafter, the Contractor shall bill for 100% of each CLIN for the respective option years upon option exercise.

[END OF SECTION]

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 2, Section L, Page 1 of 5

ATTACHMENT 2 -

SECTION L – QUOTE INSTRUCTIONS

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) solicits your quote for a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Fleet Management Software in accordance with Section C – Statement of Work of the Request for Quote (RFQ).

This Request for Quotations (RFQ) will result in the award of a purchase order using the procedures authorized by FAR 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Award will be made to the Quoter whose quote conforms to the RFQ and represents the best value quote based on an evaluation of price and non-price factors.

Solicitation Question and Answer Instructions Written questions concerning this solicitation must be submitted by 4:00PM EST on September 16, 2024 via e-mail to P. Matt Hazlinsky, Contracting Officer, at matt.hazlinsky@ntsb.gov.

Answers to all questions will be provided through an amendment to the Request for Quote

(RFQ).

Electronic Dissemination of RFQ Documents Access to this RFQ and amendments will be provided electronically to Quoters through the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website. All Quoters are cautioned that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have received all issued amendments by monitoring the FBO website.

Quotes Quotes must be submitted and received no later than the time and date specified in Block 8 of the SF1449. Close of business is considered 4pm EST. LATE QUOTES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Quotes submitted with inadequate information may be found unacceptable.

Contractors are required to meet all the requirements of the RFQ, including but not limited to instructions, conditions/notices, and requirements in the SOW. Quotations should address each factor(s) and sub-factor(s) as described below. Quotations that fail to address the essential requirements of this RFQ or are unrealistic in terms of technical content, schedule commitment, or price will be deemed to have an inherent lack of technical competence or indicative of a failure to comprehend the requirements, or the complexity and risks associated with the requirements. Stating that your company meets the requirements of the solicitation is not sufficient. The Government may reject any quotation that is so lacking in competence or in understanding the requirements that without a major reformation of the quotation it is not adequate for evaluation purposes. Alternate/conditional quotations may result in a quotation being rejected as non-responsive.

The maximum email file size that the NTSB e-mail server can accept, including attachments, is 35 megabytes (MB). Quoters may segregate offers and submit in separate e-mails if the combined file size of the offer will exceed 35MB.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 2, Section L, Page 2 of 5

As a reminder, it is the Quoter’s responsibility to confirm the Government has received their offer prior to the offer submission deadline.

In order to be eligible for a contract award, you must be registered and have “active” status in the System for Award Management database (www.sam.gov).

Instructions for Preparation of Quotes -

Quote Organization Quoters shall respond to all requirements of this solicitation. Quotes submitted with inadequate information may be found unacceptable. For this solicitation, Quoters shall submit quotes in two

(2) separate volumes as follows:

(1) Volume I -Technical Section: Include all information requested under paragraph “Volume I: Technical Section.” Exclude any references to price in the Technical Section.

(2) Volume II - Price Section: Include all information requested under paragraph “Volume II:

Price Section”.

Requirements for Quote Content

Include the following for both Volumes:

(1) Cover sheet containing the Quoter's name, address, phone number, e-mail, website address;

title of Quoter's quote, NTSB Solicitation Number; and quote Volume Number.

(2) "Table of Contents" which provides enough detail to quickly locate key elements of the Quote.

Volume I: Technical Section

Include all information required for evaluation. Exclude references to price. The Quoter is responsible for including details to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of the quote strictly from a technical standpoint.

Technical Section Content

The Quoter shall provide the following information in response to the solicitation in the format specified below:

1. Corporate Experience

Quoters shall submit at least two (2) examples of recent and relevant experience implementing the software proposed in response to this solicitation. For each experience reference listed, provide a brief description of the contract, total contract value, contracting organization, contract http://www.sam.gov/

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 2, Section L, Page 3 of 5 number, contractual and technical point of contact, phone number, and e-mail. Contracts listed may include those entered into with the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial customers.

Include the following information for each contract:

(1) Customer Name and Address

(2) Contract Number

(3) Contract Award Date and Completion Date

(4) Contract Type

(5) Total Contract Period of Performance and Dollar Value

(6) Contracting Office Points of Contact (name and telephone number)

(7) Technical Office Points of Contact (name and telephone numbers)

(8) Brief Description of Services

2. Software Capability

The Quoter shall submit a listing of product features and specifications for its proposed software.

Quoters shall address in detail the ability of its proposed software to meet the requirements set forth in paragraph 3.0 Technical Requirements and provide any supplemental documentation necessary to fully describe the capabilities of its proposed software system. Documentation shall be comprehensive to allow the NTSB to make a determination as to the capability of the proposed software to meet the NTSB’s requirement as well as identify features beneficial to the

NTSB.

Based on the software capability information provided and all other information contained in the quote, the NTSB reserves the right to request a software demonstration from the quoter for evaluation purposes. If requested, the demonstration shall be performed remotely via video teleconference. Quoters are not entitled to a software demonstration.

3. Software License Agreement(s)

If the Quoter requires Government acceptance and signature of its standard commercial terms or End User License Agreement, the Quoter shall submit the terms with its quote. The NTSB will evaluate the Quoters’ terms to determine the terms appropriate for Government contracts and to ensure there are no inconsistencies or conflicts with Government terms and conditions. Quoters that are unwilling to modify or revise its commercial terms and conditions to satisfy a federal government customer, or to accept the government terms and conditions contained in this RFQ as taking precedence over its commercial terms may be excluded from consideration for award.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 2, Section L, Page 4 of 5

4. ICT Accessibility

1 Provide an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for each commercially available Information and Communication Technology (ICT) item offered through this contract.

Create the ACR using the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template Version 2.1 or later, located at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat. Complete each ACR in accordance with the instructions provided in the VPAT template. Each ACR must address the applicable Section 508 requirements referenced in the Work Statement. Each ACR shall state exactly how the ICT meets the applicable standards in the remarks/explanations column, or through additional narrative. All "Not Applicable" (N/A) responses must be explained in the remarks/explanations column or through additional narrative. Address each standard individually and with specificity, and clarify whether conformance is achieved throughout the entire ICT Item (for example - user functionality, administrator functionality, and reporting), or only in limited areas of the ICT Item. Provide a description of the evaluation methods used to support Section 508 conformance claims. The agency reserves the right, prior to making an award decision, to perform testing on some or all of the Offeror’s proposed ICT items to validate Section 508 conformance claims made in the ACR.

2 Describe your approach to incorporating universal design principles to ensure ICT products or services are designed to support disabled users.

3 Describe plans for features that do not fully conform to the Section 508 Standards.

4 Describe "typical" user scenarios and tasks, including individuals with disabilities, to ensure fair and accurate accessibility testing of the ICT product or service being offered.

5. Self-Attestation Form

The Quoter must self-attest that its software is compliant with the Federal Government-specified secure software development practices by signing the attached (Attachment 5) Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Secure Software Development Attestation Form.

Volume II: Price Section

6. Past Performance

Quoters shall ask their reference(s) provided under Factor 1, Corporate Experience, to complete the past performance questionnaire (Attachment 4) and submit it directly to P. Matt Hazlinsky at matt.hazlinsky@ntsb.gov. It is the Quoter’s responsibility to ensure that Past Performance Questionnaires are completed and timely submitted by customer references, and that correct names, addresses and phone numbers are provided in the responses for each reference. A Quoter will not be penalized in the evaluation with an unfavorable rating for the failure of its Corporate Experience references to complete and submit the Past Performance Questionnaires. The https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 2, Section L, Page 5 of 5

Government may contact Quoters’ customer references or use other references/information to verify past performance.

7. Price

Quoters must provide pricing for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) in the RFQ. Quoters that fail to price all other line items may be excluded from consideration for award. The NTSB will evaluate the total price including the base requirement (CLIN 0001) and all option CLINs, but will also consider pricing of individual CLINs as the NTSB is not obligated to exercise any/all option CLINs. If the Quoter’s product is sold as an annual license and not a perpetual license, price the annual cost of the license in the option years CLINs.

8. Quoter Representations and Certifications

Include a completed and signed SF1449 and Pricing Schedule in this Volume. Include completed FAR 52.212-3 Offeror’s Representations and Certifications in this Volume.

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 3, Section M, Page 1 of 2

Attachment 3 -

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

Basis for Award

The Government intends to award one (1) purchase order to the responsible Quoter whose quote conforms to the RFQ, will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other non-price factors considered, such that it provides the best value to the Government. Best value is defined as the procurement process that results in the most advantageous acquisition decision for the Government that is performed through an integrated assessment and trade-off analysis between price and non-price factors.

The Government reserves the right to reject any or all Quotes if such action is in the public interest.

Under a best value procurement, the NTSB may reasonably determine that the superior capability merits a higher price. The NTSB may also reasonably determine that the Quoter with other than the highest capability in non-price factors is the best value. The Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in Quotes. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions. Quoters are cautioned that they must submit a best quote with the initial quote.

Responsibility Determination In order to be eligible for award, the Contracting Officer must determine that the Quoter is responsible according to the standards of FAR 9.1, "Responsible Prospective Contractors".

Evaluation Process

The following factors will be evaluated by the Government:

QUOTE PART # FACTORS TITLE

I Technical Quote 1 Corporate Experience 2 Software Capability 3 Software License Agreement(s) 4 ICT Accessibility 5 Self-Attestation II Business Quote 6 Past Performance 7 Price

The NTSB will evaluate the above factors for each quoter as well as conduct a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 Evaluation of quotations or offers to determine the Quoter that represents the best value to the NTSB. Software Capability is the most important technical factor, followed by ICT Accessibility and Corporate Experience. The Software License Agreement(s) will be reviewed to determine that it conforms with Federal Government terms. If revisions are required and the contractor is not willing to modify the terms to satisfy an agency of the Federal Government, it may be eliminated from consideration for award. The Self- Attestation form will be reviewed to ensure the quoter has self-attested to developing the quoted

RFQ 9531BM24Q0020, Attachment 3, Section M, Page 2 of 2 software in conformity with the secure software development practices and standards referenced in the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Secure Software Development Attestation Form. Quoters that are not able or willing to self-attest to meeting the practices and standards may be eliminated from consideration for award. Technical and Past Performance, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. In order to be eligible for award, pricing quoted must be determined to be fair and reasonable.

Attch 3 - Section M.pdf