Section III Instructions to Offerors 11_04_2021.pdf

80NSSC22R0001 Section III – 52.212-1

1.0 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

(FEB 1998)

2.0 LISTING OF PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

3.0 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (Apr 1984)

4.0 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (Sep 2006)

5.0 1852.233-70 PROTESTS TO NASA (Dec 2015)

6.0 ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL MARKING AND DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

7.0 VIRTUAL INDUSTRY DAY CONFERENCE

8.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS (GENERAL)

8.1 VOLUME I: MISSION SUITABILITY PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

8.2 VOLUME II: PAST PERFORMANCE PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

8.3 VOLUME III: PRICE PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

8.4 VOLUME IV: MODEL CONTRACT INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION III – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1.0 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

(FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The Offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the Offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the Offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses:

https://www.acquisition.gov/browsefar

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clauses:

https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/NFS.pdf

(End of provision)

2.0 LISTING OF PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

I. Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1)

NUMBER TITLE AND DATE

52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest (Jun 2020)

52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper (May 2011)

52.204-7 System for Award Management (Oct 2018)

52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (Jan 2011)

52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)

52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)

52.204-17 Ownership or Control of Offeror (Aug 2020)

52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020)

52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications (Dec 2014)

52.209-10 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Nov 2015) https://www.acquisition.gov/browsefar https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/NFS.pdf

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items (Oct 2018)

52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification (Apr 1984)

52.224-2 Privacy Act (Apr 1984)

52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating To Iran—Representation And Certification (Jun 2020)

52.227-14 Rights in Data – General (May 2014)

52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Dec 2013)

52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (Oct 2004)

52.237-1 Site Visit (Apr 1984)

II. NASA FAR Supplement (48 CFR CHAPTER 18)

NUMBER TITLE AND DATE

1852.204-76 Security Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources (Jan 2011) **See PCD 21-01**

1852.209-71 Limitation of Future Contracting (Dec 1988)

1852.215-84 Ombudsman (Nov 2011)

1852.215-84, Alt 1 Ombudsman (Jun 2000) **See PCD 19-03**

1852.223-70 Safety and Health Measures and Mishap Reporting (Dec 2015)

1852.223-72 Safety and Health (Short Form) (Jul 2015)

1852.223-75, Alt1 Major Breach of Safety or Security (Feb 2006)

1852.237-70 Emergency Evacuation Procedures (Dec 1988)

1852.237-72 Access to Sensitive Information (Jun 2005)

1852.237-73 Release of Sensitive Information (Jun 2005)

1852.242-72 Denied Access to NASA Facilities (Oct 2015)

3.0 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (Apr 1984) The Government contemplates award of a single, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, Firm- Fixed-Price and Fixed Price completion basis or FFP level of effort contract resulting from this solicitation.

(End of provision)

4.0 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (Sep 2006)

(a) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from:

NASA Shared Service Center (NSSC) Procurement Operations Division Attn: Shanjaril L. Black Building 1111 Jerry Hlass Road Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000

(b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above no later than 1 day of filing a protest with the GAO.

5.0 1852.233-70 PROTESTS TO NASA (Dec 2015)

(a) In lieu of a protest to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), bidders or Offerors may submit a protest under 48 CFR Part 33 (FAR Part 33) directly to the Contracting Officer for consideration by the Agency. Alternatively, bidders or Offerors may request an independent review by the Assistant Administrator for Procurement, who will serve as or designate the official responsible for conducting an independent review. Such reviews are separate and distinct from the Ombudsman Program described at 1815.7001.

(b) Bidders or Offerors shall specify whether they are submitting a protest to the Contracting Officer or requesting an independent review by the Assistant Administrator for Procurement.

(c) Protests to the Contracting Officer shall be submitted to the address or email specified in the solicitation (email is an acceptable means for submitting a protest to the Contracting Officer).

Alternatively, requests for independent review by the Assistant Administrator for Procurement shall be addressed to the Assistant Administrator for Procurement, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 20546-0001.

6.0 ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL MARKING AND DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

All proposals in response to this solicitation shall be delivered electronically in the manner set forth below no later than the date and time stated on the solicitation marked to the attention of:

NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) Attention: Shan Black RFP No. 80NSSC22R0001 Shanjaril.L.Black@nasa.gov

(a) The Offeror shall submit its proposal via NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Electronic submissions shall not contain hidden formulas, tables, be locked, be protected, or contain links to data not included in the electronic copy. All electronic submissions should be searchable and should not contain scanned documents, except those documents that must be provided in their native format (e.g., signature pages, prior award fee letters for past performance, DCAA/DCMA approval letters, as applicable). The Offeror shall ensure documents are free from viruses and malware, as documents determined by NASA to contain a virus or malware will not be opened or evaluated.

(b) To ensure execution of proposal files submittal, Offerors interested in submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation are highly encouraged to notify Shan Black of their intent to submit a proposal at least 48 hours prior to the intended submission date, at the following email address: Shanjaril.L.Black@nasa.gov. The Offeror should courtesy copy (cc) Justin Fraser at Justin.S.Fraser@nasa.gov on this communication. Neglecting to send a notification will not preclude Offerors from submitting a successfully executed proposal.

(c) The Offeror shall submit all proposal files to:

https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/c777ddc0412f4c9785ced7eb2bfc468a

The Offeror shall follow instructions regarding proposal submission found at:

https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/other/EFSS-Box-Offeror-Proposal-Submission- Instructions.pdf

(d) Electronic file names shall be limited to letters, numbers, and single spaces, with the exception of the period that is required before the file extension (e.g., .pdf), in order to successfully upload and download files from the EFSS Box system. The Offeror shall not use special characters “/” or “\” in file names. The Offeror shall clearly label the contents of the file and include the name of the Offeror and Teaming/Partnership name (if applicable) in the file name.

Examples of acceptable file names are as follows (not specific to this solicitation):

Offeror name-solicitation number-MS Volume.doc Offeror name - solicitation number - PP Volume.pdf Offeror name - solicitation number Price Volume.xlsx

Individual files cannot exceed 150GB per file. Unless specifically authorized by the solicitation instructions, alternate proposal submissions shall not be submitted.

(e) Immediately after all files have been uploaded and the proposal has been submitted in its entirety, the Offeror shall notify Shan Black at the following email address:

Shanjaril.L.Black@nasa.gov with a listing of all documents that were submitted via EFSS Box.

The Offeror shall courtesy copy (cc) Justin Fraser at Justin.S.Fraser@nasa.gov on this communication. If any problems are experienced with the EFSS Box system (e.g., login, file https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/c777ddc0412f4c9785ced7eb2bfc468a https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/other/EFSS-Box-Offeror-Proposal-Submission-Instructions.pdf https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/other/EFSS-Box-Offeror-Proposal-Submission-Instructions.pdf transfer), please contact Shan Black and a courtesy copy Justin Fraser via e-mail as soon as possible.

(f) The Offeror is responsible for ensuring proper submission of its proposal designated in the solicitation by the date and time specified in the solicitation (see FAR 52.215-1(c)(3)). The Government is not responsible for any failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of documents submitted using electronic means, including the missing of any submission requirements and established deadlines. Please note that uploading documents via EFSS Box and the transmission of the files from the Offeror to the Government may not be instantaneous. To ensure timely delivery, the Offeror is encouraged to submit its proposal at least 24 hours prior to the due date specified in the solicitation. The electronic submission of the proposal shall contain all information required by the solicitation to be determined responsive.

(End of Provision)

7.0 VIRTUAL INDUSTRY DAY CONFERENCE

(a) A virtual industry day meeting will be held on November 16, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. Potential Offerors must monitor the SAM.gov website for any changes to the date or time of the virtual industry day meeting.

(b) Potential Offerors are required to register for the Virtual Industry Day Conference no later than November 11, 2018, 3:00 p.m. Central Time by contacting Shanjaril.L.Black@nasa.gov.

Microsoft Teams is required to access the visual presentation portion of the conference. Potential Offerors will receive via email the link for the visual presentation portion of the meeting, along with the call-in telephone number. Potential Offerors are encouraged to log in to Teams at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time to view the presentation.

(c) Attendance at the virtual industry day meeting is recommended; however, attendance is neither required nor a prerequisite for proposal submission and will not be considered in the evaluation.

(d) No questions regarding the acquisition will be answered during the virtual industry day meeting. Questions shall be submitted in accordance with the provision entitled Designated Point of Contact. The presented charts, as well as a list of all firms participating in the virtual Industry Day Conference, will be made available to all potential Offerors using the SAM website (https://SAM.gov).

8.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS (GENERAL)

(a) Leveraging A New Enterprise Operating Model To align with the Agency’s evolving and dynamic needs and to establish a long-term vision for creating a more modern, more responsive Government – one that prioritizes mission outcomes, service delivery, and effective stewardship, NASA is shifting its operating model to buy more like an enterprise, and less like individual NASA Centers to meet core mission goals. A NASA enterprise procurement delivery model is defined as an Agencywide acquisition strategy that will encompass the requirements at each Center and combine resources into one acquisition to serve all Centers, and move away from sustaining the full array of acquisition activities at every location.

(b) Proposal Agreement: In providing these instructions, the Government will solicit only the information necessary to permit a comprehensive evaluation of the Offeror’s ability to perform the requirements of this procurement and to provide the Source Selection Authority with a thorough assessment from which to make a source selection decision. The Offeror’s proposal must:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the overall and specific requirements of the Draft RFP’s Performance Work Statement (PWS);

• Convey the Offeror’s capabilities for executing that understanding into how it will accomplish the requirements in the Draft RFP or PWS;

• Provide, in detail, the plans, methods and risks for doing so; and

• Provide, as requested herein, the price associated with doing so.

The Offeror’s proposal shall be specific, detailed, and comprehensive enough to clearly and fully demonstrate an understanding of the requirements and the inherent risks associated with the objectives of this procurement. It is inadequate to simply state that the Offeror understands and will comply with the specifications, or to paraphrase the specifications such as: “standard procedures will be employed to…” or “well-known techniques will be used for…” The proposal shall explain comprehensively how the Offeror proposes to perform the PWS, as well as, the techniques and procedures the Offeror proposes to implement.

The proposal must demonstrate an understanding of and ability to meet all of the requirements set forth in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) referenced herein, convey the company’s capabilities for transforming understanding into accomplishment; provide in detail, the plans and methods for so doing; and provide, as requested below, the price associated.

Since only the proposal submitted in response to this solicitation will be evaluated, Offerors should make certain that their proposal is complete with regard to the information provided. Data previously submitted, or presumed to be known, e.g., previous projects performed for the Government, will not be considered in the evaluation unless that information is physically contained in the proposal.

Proposals shall be presented in four (4) separate electronic volumes:

• Volume I (Mission Suitability)

• Volume II (Past Performance)

• Volume III (Price)

• Volume IV (Model Contract)

Vol. Title Page Limit Electronic

Copies

I Mission Suitability

II Past Performance

(Excluding Questionnaire)

III Price

IV

Model Contract (Cover Letter, Signed SF1449, Attachments, Representations and Certifications, OCI

Mitigation Plan)

Cover Letter, Singed SF1449, Attachments and Reps and Certs:

Unlimited

OCI Plan: 15

Table III-1

(c) Page Limitations and Formatting: Page limitations for each volume of the proposal are specified in Table III-1 above. All pages in each volume shall be numbered sequentially with Arabic numerals for contents subject to page limitations and lower-case Roman numerals for title pages, tables of contents, and acronym lists.

A page is defined as one side of a sheet, 8 ½” x 11”, with 1-inch margins on all sides, using Times New Roman font, not smaller than 12-point size, single line spacing, and in single column format. A 12-point Times New Roman font shall be utilized for all standard text with normal kerning (spacing between individual characters). All graphics, tables, charts, diagrams, figures, images, inserts, etc. shall be 12-point Times New Roman font.

(d) Proposal Due Date and Copies: Proposal due dates are specified in Table III-2 below. Please note that the due date for Volume II, Past Performance is requested earlier than the remainder of the proposal.

DUE DATE VOLUME TITLE TIME DUE

1/28/2022 I Mission Suitability

2:00 pm Central Time

1/19/2022 II Past Performance

2:00 pm Central Time

1/28/2022 III Pricing 2:00 pm Central Time

1/28/2022 IV Model Contract

2:00 pm Central Time

Table III-2

(e) Deadline for comments to the Draft RFP: Any comments regarding the Draft RFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Shanjaril Black, Contracting Officer, at Shanjaril.L.Black@nasa.gov November 22, 2021, 2:00 PM Central time. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a Government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some Draft RFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation.

The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final RFP.

8.1 VOLUME I: MISSION SUITABILITY PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

The Mission Suitability Volume shall be organized into four sections as outlined in Table III-3. The information to be addressed in each section is identified below.

MISSION SUITABILITY VOLUME ORGANIZATION

Section Title

MS-1 Management Approach

MS-2 Technical Approach

MS-3 Staffing Approach

MS-4 Phase-In Approach Table III-3

MS-1: Management Approach

1. The Offeror shall describe its management approach, in accordance with DRD MA- 01, Contract Management Plan and DRD MA-02, Financial Management Reporting for organizing and managing the work under this contract in an effective and efficient manner while minimizing overall program risk and maximizing service delivery and customer satisfaction. As part of this discussion, the Offeror shall describe its approach for ensuring that the Agency and NSTEM goals, objectives, and characteristics of success are realized. In addition:

a. The Offeror shall provide a detailed description of the responsibilities and authorities for management of this contract, from top-level through intermediate management to lower levels management. The Offeror shall include such elements as the span of control and lines of communication.

b. The Offeror shall describe its proposed interfaces with teaming arrangement partners, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black

Universities and Colleges (HBCUs), and identify the specific PWS sections the prime and each teaming arrangement partner is proposed to perform.

c. The Offeror shall clearly delineate and describe all interfaces with NASA STEM personnel and subcontractors.

d. The Offeror shall discuss the processes for resolving priority conflicts for resources and functions within the organization.

e. The Offeror shall provide their organizational structure and how it contributes to executing the required services; facilitating seamless service delivery with other Enterprise Service Contractors; integrating the various services outlined in the PWS; assuring overall control of the contract effort with minimal dependency on the Government; and supporting the Government’s organizational and governance structure.

2. The Offeror shall describe the independence and degree of autonomy of the Program

Manager, clearly stating the manager's reasons for and methods of accessing corporate officials and his/her control over essential resources/functions necessary to accomplish the work.

a. The Offeror shall describe the Program Manager's key personnel (delineating the span of control and duties of personnel who have supervisory responsibilities) and demonstrate capability to operate as a team

b. The Offeror shall describe Program Manager and key personnel proposed and submit resumes for all proposed key personnel

c. Hired from incumbents (if any)

d. Transferred from within the Offeror’s own organization

e. Recruit staff not currently employed

f. Subcontractor

g. Other sources

h. The Offeror’s shall provide a backup plan that describes the approach the

Offeror would take if its Program and key personnel staffing approach was not successful.

3. The Offeror shall describe their approach for financial management reporting across a variety of STEM integrated services, programs, and products. Specifically, the Offeror shall describe accounting and financial reporting processes for providing detailed reporting at the center, program and project levels including, but not limited to, projecting and tracking costs and hours to ensure that dollar and labor resources realistically support program and project schedules.

4. The Offeror shall describe their approach for identifying and adopting evolving business practices, education and performance standards, STEM research and best practices.

5. The Offeror shall provide a Quality Assurance approach that shall identify the Offeror’s approach to ensuring quality services throughout the duration of the contract. Specifically, the Offeror shall identify the procedure(s) for continually monitoring, surveilling, identifying and correcting deficiencies and adherence to

NASA Strategy for STEM Engagement 2020-2023. The approach shall provide data transparency for services and describe how the Offeror will use the data to improve services. The approach shall describe the Offeror's method (e.g., 100% inspection, planned sampling, random sampling, customer complaints, or incidental inspections, etc.) to determine whether performance requirements in the PWS and proposed by the Offeror are met.

6. In addition to the minimum essential critical positions required to meet all of the requirements of PWS, the Offeror may propose additional minimum essential critical positions. If proposed, the Offeror shall provide the rationale for identifying these positions as critical, as well as a description for each position. The description shall include the position title, to whom the position reports, summary of duties and responsibilities, any specific requirements/certifications or licensing, and minimum education and minimum experience required for the position. In addition, Offerors shall provide written position qualifications for any additional labor categories envisioned for this requirement. Offerors shall address the minimum requirements in the position description, to include the necessary experience, summary of duties and responsibilities, specific requirements/certifications or licensing, minimum education and minimum experience required for the position. Each position qualification shall not exceed ½ page in length. If accepted by the Government, proposed additional minimum essential critical positions will be incorporated into the resultant contract in Attachment 04, Labor Category Position Descriptions.

MS-2: Technical Approach

1. The Offeror's shall describe its Technical Approach in accordance with DRD MA-03 Contract Management Review demonstrating an understanding of the requirements to successfully execute the PWS across all NASA locations. The Technical Approach shall address PWS Sections V. CLIN I – Core Requirements and Section VI.

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Task Orders in enough detail to clearly and fully demonstrate that the Offeror understands how to execute the requirements including the Offeror’s:

a. Approach for administering a semester and year-round internship and fellowship program to engage national and international students, educators, and faculty, with a special emphasis on outreach to those from underrepresented and underserved groups, in authentic NASA learning opportunities.

b. Approach for designing and administering authentic learning experiences for students, educators, and faculty to gain real-world NASA STEM experience, professional development and career enhancement.

c. Approach for providing and coordinating resources, expertise, and tools necessary to implement NASA K-12 and collegiate level competitions and challenges aligned with NASA technical disciplines.

d. Approach for designing, implementing and/or supporting a variety of K-12 and college STEM experiences encompassing formal and informal learning environments, after-school and summer programs, youth serving organizations, science centers, and museums to provide NASA unique STEM learning opportunities for students.

e. Approach for designing, implementing and/or supporting strategies, methodologies, and technologies that promote pre-service, in-service, informal educators and higher education faculty use of NASA-related content in their instructional environments.

f. Approach for providing resources and expertise to support and strengthen NASA’s collaborations and partnerships with higher education institutions through sustained investments in research and technology development critical to NASA’s future and America’s technological and economic competitiveness.

g. Approach for providing resources and expertise for creating, designing, developing, and publishing STEM content and products aligned with NASA’s missions, national learning standards, research-based pedagogy, instructional design and learning theory.

h. Approach for award and grant support and coordination for project managers and technical officers in accordance with NASA Shared Services (NSSC) requirements.

i. Approach for developing and implementing strategies to inform, engage, promote and recruit a diverse pool of student applicants, with a focus on underrepresented and underserved populations, for NASA Office of STEM Engagement activities.

j. Approach for executing data collections, performance monitoring and evaluation services for the OSTEM enterprise utilizing government systems.

k. Approach for ensuring continuous integration and optimization of business processes, practices and strategies across the OSTEM portfolio of work.

2. The Offeror shall identify the most significant technical risks. Risk factors may be those inherent in the work and/or unique to the Offeror's chosen approach. General areas of possible risk that are of concern to NASA are technical, schedule, cost, and security (including personnel, information technology). The identification of risks is the responsibility of the Offeror. The Offeror's discussion of a risk factor shall provide the Offeror's approach to managing the risk, the probability of the risk, impact and severity, time frame and risk acceptance or mitigation.

3. The Offeror shall describe any new or innovative STEM learning research, practices, strategies, techniques, or technologies. The Offeror shall fully describe each learning research, practice, strategy, technique, or technology and explain how it will impact performance of the PWS under the proposed contract. Efficiencies and risks shall be quantified where possible.

MS-3: Staffing Approach

1. The Offeror shall provide a complete staffing approach that shows how it will fill the staff requirements. The staffing approach shall describe how the Offeror intends to staff this effort and how the approach will allow the Offeror to meet the future requirements (e.g., IDIQ Task orders, etc.) of this contract. The staffing approach shall include a comprehensive hiring plan which presents the expected number of personnel to be hired from incumbents (if any), those to be transferred from within the Offeror’s own organization, and those from other sources. The Offeror shall describe what effort will be undertaken to recruit staff not currently employed by the Offeror. Additionally, Offeror’s shall provide a backup plan that describes the approach the Offeror would take if its primary staffing approach was not successful.

The staffing approach shall also include:

a. Approach to attain a fully knowledgeable and trained workforce which is in place at contract start and maintain it during the performance period of the contract

b. Sources for obtaining qualified applicants (e.g., existing corporate staff, incumbent personnel, college recruiting, employment services)

c. Approach for staffing fluctuating workload requirements both upward and downward

d. Approach to ensure that sufficient expertise exists (e.g., certifications and documented training)

e. Approach to ensure pre-employment screenings, security clearances, and badging requirements will be completed prior to contract start

f. Percentage of qualified incumbent employees anticipated to be captured

MS-4: Phase-in Approach

1. The Offeror shall provide a phase-in plan in accordance with DRD MA-06, Phase-In Plan describing steps to be followed in the short-term (45 day) transition from the incumbent contracts and agreements.

a. Specifically, the Offeror’s phase-in plan shall emphasize continuity of services, schedules, labor and resources for Internships and Fellowships, Challenges and Competitions, and STEM Engagement activities during the 45-day transition period.

b. The Offeror shall describe its approach for transitioning services from the current OSTEM contracts and cooperative agreements to this effort. In addition, this section, shall address:

i. The benefits and approach to mitigating any concerns/risks associated with transitioning services from multiple contracts and cooperative agreements to this contract.

ii. Plans for continuity of operations to ensure minor interruptions at a minimum of current and ongoing schedule of STEM services and programs.

iii. The Offeror’s Information Technology (IT) security plan in accordance with DRD MA-05 Information Technology (IT) Security Plan and Reports to ensure that IT security reporting requirements are met for all IT systems utilized during work associated with the Contract

8.2 VOLUME II: PAST PERFORMANCE PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Offerors are requested to provide information for no more than 5 previous Government contracts, completed or current, whose effort is recent and relevant to the effort required by this solicitation. Recent and Relevant are defined as follows:

a) “Recent” is defined as a contract in-progress or completed within the last 3 years. If the Offeror has not had 5 Government contracts within the last 3 years, information on recent and relevant subcontracts and/or commercial contracts may be submitted.

b) “Relevant” is defined as a contract that is of similar scope, magnitude, complexity to the requirements as set forth in this solicitation.

i. Scope: Experience in the areas defined in this PWS.

ii. Magnitude: The measure of the similarity of the volume, dollar value and/or duration of the work actually performed under the Offeror’s submitted contracts to the PWS.

iii. Complexity: The measure of the similarity of technical difficulty, managerial intricacy and/or required coordination of efforts and disciplines performed by the Offeror in its submitted contracts to this PWS. For complexity, not only will the tasks performed by the Offeror be considered, but also the Offeror’s ability to coordinate tasks (e.g., managing across multiple sites/installations).

Offerors should provide a detailed explanation demonstrating the similarity of the contracts to the requirements of this solicitation; a detailed description of the work performed for the contract; and the role performed, including whether the Offeror acted as a prime contractor, subcontractor or a teaming arrangement partner. Offerors are responsible for the accuracy of all data provided. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to clearly and completely demonstrate in its proposal the relevancy of each of the referenced contracts as relevant in terms of scope, magnitude and complexity to the current procurement. Past performance information regarding predecessor companies and teaming arrangement partners that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement may be provided as past performance submissions.

The Offeror is requested to provide a Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment 14) to a reference at the organization that awarded the contract. It is requested that the reference, not the Offeror, email the completed Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment 14) BY JANUARY 19, 2021, 2:00 PM, CENTRAL TIME, directly to Shan Black, NASA Shared Services Center, e-mail: Shanjaril.L.Black@nasa.gov.

All Offerors should address historical compliance with the requirements of FAR Part 52.219-8 (Utilization of Small Business Concerns) in their submissions.

An Offeror that does not have recent and relevant past performance to provide for consideration shall affirmatively state that it does not have recent and relevant past performance for the Government to consider.

NOTE: In the case of an Offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the Offeror shall be determined to have unknown (or “neutral”) past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, a neutral rating shall be considered “Acceptable.”

The burden of providing thorough and complete past performance information remains with the Offeror.

8.3 VOLUME III: PRICE PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

ALL information relating to price data shall be included in Volume III. The price proposal shall cover all aspects of the proposed effort. The price data shall support the level of resources (products and services) required to complete the requirements of this contract.

Offerors shall submit the following:

a) Completed Attachment 02, Price Schedule and sufficient detail to support and explain all proposed costs, giving figures and narrative explanation.

b) Core Services (Contract Level Funded): Education Support Services –

Reference Attachment 16, Historical Data for a historical narrative intended to give the Offeror a snapshot of the general average efforts in each of the areas identified in the PWS. The historical data is only intended to give an idea of the historical scope and is not a definitive statement of the work. Offerors shall provide pricing delineated in Attachment 02, Price Schedule. Offerors may price transactions based on the utilization of onsite personnel, offsite personnel, or a combination of both.

c) IDIQ (Task Orders): Education Support Services – Fixed Price completion basis or FFP Level of Effort. Offerors shall complete Attachment 02, Price Schedule, which provides the Government’s estimate of labor hours and labor categories required for the complete solicitation requirement. The Government cannot guarantee the estimated quantities of man-hours shown for individual labor categories or the total estimated staff hours. The Labor Category titles used in this solicitation and/or below table may not match the titles used by a particular firm. The Offeror may propose different labor categories; however, the Offeror shall clearly indicate its proposed differences and provide supporting written rationale.

Offerors shall propose fully burdened rates inclusive of profit for every labor category and Center. Failure to provide a price for every labor category and Center may result in the offer not being considered for award The Offeror shall also identify in the price schedule all non-exempt labor categories and provide sufficient supporting data for the Government to evaluate and verify they are in accordance with the current wage determinations.

d) Phase-In Services. In accordance with Paragraph XIV of the PWS, the Offeror shall provide a price for Phase-In services. This will include all expenses (e.g., travel, labor, per diem) associated with the Phase-In services, including travel and the Phase-In plan. Phase-In services will be incorporated into the Base Period of the Basic Contract. The performance period under the resultant contract will begin upon completion of the 45-day Phase-In Period.

e) Travel: Travel will be ordered and funded by the Government, when required.

Travel is only reimbursable for Government directed requirements. Routine travel in support of program and contract management responsibilities shall be considered when developing the fixed unit prices and fixed labor rates. Travel related to the Phase-In Services will not be reimbursed and shall be included as part of the Phase-In Price.

Unbalanced Pricing. Unbalanced pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more line items is significantly over or understated as indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques. Offerors shall provide documentation, including data, calculations and supporting rationale, for any apparent unbalanced pricing which will be used to determine if the proposed prices are balanced.

8.4 VOLUME IV: MODEL CONTRACT INSTRUCTIONS

ALL information relating to the Model Contract shall be included in Volume IV. Offerors shall submit the following:

a) Proposal Cover Letter

The following information shall be provided on the proposal cover letter:

Authorized Offeror Personnel: Provide the name, title, telephone number, facsimile number, and e-mail address of the individual who can obligate your company contractually. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government and who can answer questions regarding your proposal.

Company/Division Street Address: Provide company/division’s street address, county and facility code; size of business (large or small); and labor surplus area designation.

Company/Division’s Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code.

b) Signed SF 1449, Acknowledge Amendments (if applicable), and Other Documents: Include in this section a signed SF1449 and acknowledge receipt of all RFP amendments. Offerors shall either provide completed Representations and Certifications or confirmation that the information is current in the System for Award Management

(SAM).

c) Period of Acceptance of Offers: FAR clause 52.212-1 (c), Period for Acceptance of Offers, is 240 calendar days.

d) 52.212-3 Representations and Certifications (Section II)

e) Summary of Exceptions: Offerors are to clearly detail any exceptions taken and the rationale for the exceptions taken to the RFP in this section. Please note that exceptions taken to the RFP may render the Offeror’s proposal unacceptable to the Government.

f) Financial Capability: In this section of the narrative, the Offeror shall provide a copy of its audited financial statements and accompanying notes for the last two fiscal years. In addition, the Offeror shall provide information documenting the amount of established and/or available credit, the financial institution extending the line and the dollar amount (if any) presently in use. At the Offeror’s discretion, additional information demonstrating the financial capability of the firm to perform this contract may be included.

g) Notice of Potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest

1) Notice. The Contracting Officer has determined that this acquisition may give rise to an organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Accordingly, the attention of prospective Offerors is invited to FAR Subpart 9.5 --Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest. The Contracting Officer shall not award a contract until NASA determines any conflict of interest is reasonably resolved. The Contracting Officer has the sole authority to determine whether an organizational conflict of interest exists and to determine whether the organizational conflict of interest has been reasonably resolved. The OCI plan will not be evaluated as part of mission suitability. However, before being eligible to receive an award, the Offeror shall submit an acceptable OCI plan (including mitigation plans for any identified OCIs). As such, the Government may communicate with any Offeror at any time during the evaluation process concerning its OCI plan.

2) Description of Potential Conflict.

a) Unequal access to information. Contractor may have access to another company’s proprietary, business confidential or financial data and/or non-public Government sensitive information, which would give to an unequal access OCI;

b) Impaired Objectivity: Contractor may be required to perform technical reviews or provide consultation services on its own offers, products, or services (or those of its affiliate(s) or competitor(s)) provided under a different contract(s), which could create an impaired objectivity OCI; and

c) Biased ground rules. The contractor in the course of performance under the NSTEM Services Contract, may in some fashion establish important "ground rules" for another NASA contract, where the same contractor may be a competitor. For example, the NSTEM Services Contractor may be involved in the drafting of a statement of work, specification, or evaluation criteria for a future NASA procurement. This could slant key aspects of a procurement in its own favor, to the unfair disadvantage of competing Offerors.

3) Responsibility of Offeror. (1) Applying the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5, each Offeror shall assess whether there is an organizational conflict of interest associated with the proposal it submits. The Offeror must explain the actions it intends to use to resolve any organizational conflicts of interest it finds in the Government‘s assessment and its own assessment. If its proposed resolution involves a proposed limitation on future contracting, the Offeror shall include the clause at NFS 1852.209-71 ―Limitation of Future Contracting in its proposal. If the proposed resolution involves use of mitigation techniques, the Offeror shall include an Organizational Conflicts of Interest Mitigation Plan in its proposal. Offerors may include the clause at NFS 1852.209-71 as well as a mitigation plan.

4) Offerors are encouraged to inform the Contracting Officer of any potential conflicts of interest, including those involving contracts with other Government organizations, in their proposal. The contracting officer will use this information to determine whether resolution of those conflicts will be required.

5) If the Offeror‘s proposed action to resolve an organizational conflict of interest is not acceptable, the Contracting Officer will notify the Offeror, providing the reasons why its proposed resolution is not considered acceptable and allow the Offeror a reasonable opportunity to respond before making a final decision on the organizational conflict of interest.

6) Representation. By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that –

a) There are no relevant facts that could give rise to an OCI, as defined in FAR Part 2; or

b) The Offeror has disclosed all relevant information regarding any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

7) Termination for default. If the successful Offeror was aware, or should have been aware, of an OCI before award of this contract and did not fully disclose that conflict to the Contracting Officer, the Government may terminate the contract for default.

8) Waiver. The agency reserves the right to waive the requirements of FAR

Subpart 9.5, in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.503, Alternate I.

(End of clause)

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