Transport Tranche 0 Draft RFP Q and As (Round 1).pdf

SDA-SN-20-0008 –

Transport Tranche 0 Q&A Round 1

Q1. What is the overall budget for the “up to 3 awards” of the SDA Space Transport Layer Tranche 0?

A1. The SDA has no intention of providing budget information in support of this RFP. Offerors should develop their Firm Fixed Price for the requirements contained in the DRFP and refine their bid following final RFP release.

Q2. Will more detail regarding the risk evaluation be provided?

A2. SDA will provide feedback on all aspects of your proposal, including risk, during the debriefing process. SDA will not provide information regarding any current or planned NDSA related risk assessments in support of this RFP.

Q3. There are multiple references to “Section 0” in Attachment 1 but we are unable to find Section 0. Please provide pointers to the intended material.

A3. Bad references occurred during in the Word -> PDF conversion. Links will be corrected in the Final RFP.

Q4. In Attachment 2, Section 2.C, Subcontractor Proposal: "The awardee is responsible for compiling and providing all subcontractor proposals for the PCO." Does this imply, this only applies to successful bidders after contract is awarded?

A4. The subcontractor proposal requirement applies to everybody. The requested information should be provided with the initial proposal.

Q5. In the RFP Section B, Payment Milestones CLIN 0002 refers to closure of PDR. Please confirm that this reference is meant to be the System PDR.

A5. The reference is meant to be the System PDR.

Q6. In Section B (page 7 of the Draft RFP) there is reference to Exhibit A, but Exhibit A does not appear to be provided. Please provide intended material and/or state when it will be made available.

A6. Exhibit A will be provided with the Final RFP.

Q7. Is the CLIN structure only reflective of the payment milestones, or are the WBS and pricing to be structured in alignment with the CLIN structure?

A7. SDA welcomes feedback on the milestones, but in the final RFP offerors are expected to propose to the milestones provided by the SDA. The WBS structure does not need to align with the CLIN structure.

Q8. What is the process to receive classified material? When will classified documents/materials be provided?

A8. Detailed instructions for access to the Bidder's Library and for proposal submission will be included with the release of the final RFP.

Q9. Will the documents listed in Attachment 1, Appendix C be included in a bidder’s library?

A9. Offerors should feel free to suggest any and all information they believe would be valuable to be included in the Bidder's Library. These suggestions will be considered by SDA and adjudicated prior to, or with, final RFP release. SDA will also determine whether the use of hardcopy documents or electronic references will best suit the solicitation process.

Q10. The last payment milestone ends with L&EOP and checkout. What is the scope of checkout with respect to validation of satellite operation, integration / interoperability demonstration with other satellites, system operation, and capstone events?

A10. The proposer should expect checkout to demonstrate that the operations team can command the SVs and manage the health of the vehicles, any necessary on-orbit calibration activities are performed, and that payloads have been shown to function properly.

Interoperability checkout will be confirming that links between different SVs function and that data is routed appropriately. As these areas, including interoperability, should all have been verified on the ground prior to launch, the expectation is that on-orbit checkout will focus on demonstrating that nothing has failed during launch and deployment and anything that could not be fully on the ground.

Q11. The Government Furnished Information (GFI) list is missing some other items that will be beneficial to bidders. Could a Security Classification Guide and a description of anticipated Optical Terminal 2020 test results be added to the GFI list? Even if the Optical Terminal 2020 test results are not available in time for source selection, this information would be valuable for awardees to integrate into their program planning.

A11. Offerors should feel free to suggest any and all information they believe would be valuable to be included in the Bidder's Library. These suggestions will be considered by SDA and adjudicated prior to or with final RFP release.

Q12. How will SDA facilitate access by Tranche 0 contractors to OISL designs/products demonstrated in SDA’s OISL Risk Reduction Demo?

A12. Offerors are expected to understand the current state-of-practice in OISL development and demonstration. Information made available to SDA with Unlimited and/or Government Purpose Data Rights can be included in the Bidder's Library if offerors so request.

Q13. When does SDA anticipate releasing the final RFP?

A13. On or about 1 May 2020.

Q14. How long will industry have from final RFP release to proposal delivery?

A14. 30 Days

Q15. When is SDA’s anticipated contract ATP?

A15. On or about 10 August 2020.

Q16. Will SDA provide input on anticipated Tranche 0 contract funding level to guide offerors’ proposal solutions?

A16. The SDA has no intention of providing budget information in support of this RFP. Offerors should develop their Firm Fixed Price for the requirements contained in the DRFP and refine their bid following final RFP release.

Q17. Regarding the contract payment approach, while the contract defines milestone payments tied to completion of tasks, can the offerors propose performance based payments in lieu of those milestone payments?

A17. Offerors will receive payments based on completion of the milestones contained in the RFP. SDA has not yet decided whether to allow payments for completion of additional milestones to be proposed by the offeror. This decision will be made prior to final RFP release.

Offerors are required to follow the final RFP instructions.

Q18. Page 38 of Attachment 1, Security, states TBD, expected SECRET/NF, DD 254. Can we assume this will just be for the performance of the program, or will the proposal need to be submitted as such?

A18. SDA encourages unclassified proposals wherever possible, however detailed proposal submission instructions will be contained in the final RFP.

Q19. Page 6 of Attachment 2 states that the offeror must submit a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) proposal. Attachment 1 makes clear that many requirements are not complete or specified, and, for example, development and negotiation will be necessary to meet the OISL interoperability requirement with an unspecified set of other vendor(s). These tasks are very difficult to scope in an FFP proposal. Would SDA consider entertaining some form of Cost-Plus vehicle?

A19. At this time, SDA is not considering a Cost-Plus contract vehicle.

Q20. What mix of options and numbers of satellites does SDA expect contractors to bid?

A20. Offerors may bid on only Group A space vehicles, only Group B space vehicles, or on both groups of space vehicles.

Q21. Will SDA allow bidders to include contractors and vendors that are commercial/international entities?

A21. Offerors may include partners as they see fit based on their proposed solutions to SDA requirements.