Section L_Draft.docx

A. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION (Section L)

1. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. The offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table (Table 2.A below). The titles and contents of the volumes shall be as defined within this table, all of which shall be within the required page limits and with the number of copies as specified within Table 2.A. Each volume shall be separately bound in slant D three-ring binders. The contents of each proposal volume are described within Table 2.A below.

1. Each volume shall be submitted hard copy and electronically. Any portion of the proposal that is changed (as a result of negotiations or proposal revisions) should be annotated and dated. Each volume shall be clearly labeled with its Title and a copy number (e.g., copy 1 of 3).

1. Each paragraph should be single-spaced and shall be separated by at least one blank line. A standard, 12-point minimum font size applies. Arial or New Times Roman fonts are required. Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size no less than 8-point and may be produced in landscape mode.

1. The following volumes of material shall be submitted:

Table 2.A - Proposal Organization

Hard Copy/ Electronic

PAGE LIMIT

NOTE: Pages that exceed the required page limitations will not be evaluated. Additional pages over the maximum allowed will be removed or not read and will not be evaluated by the Government.

2. PROPOSAL FILES

a. Format. The submission shall be clearly indexed and logically assembled. Each volume shall be clearly identified and shall begin at the top of a page. All pages of each volume shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date and Request for Proposal (RFP) number in the header and/or footer. A Table of Contents should be created using the Table of Content feature in MS Word. MS Word (doc) files shall use the following page setup parameters:

The following additional restrictions apply:

b. File Packaging. DO NOT submit your proposal on a flash drive or Compact Disk-Rewritable (CD-RW) media. The content and page size of electronic copies must be identical to the hard copies. For electronic copies, indicate on each Compact Disc (CD) the volume number, title, solicitation number, date and offerors name. Use separate files to permit rapid location of all portions, including subfactors, exhibits, annexes, and attachments, if any. The offeror shall submit volumes I through V in electronic format, using recordable CDs. Each volume shall be in a different directory on the CD. DO NOT use file compression software. The electronic copies of the proposal shall be submitted in a format readable by Microsoft 365 as applicable. If there are any discrepancies between the hard copies and the electronic copies of the proposal, the hard copies will be used for evaluation. All electronic documents shall be searchable. One copy must be unlocked in order to export the winning offeror’s information into government contract writing systems. Files shall also be in read-only format, using PDF files. All price breakdown information to aide in the cost/price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel 365. **Please note – Self extracting *.exe files are not acceptable.

c. Content Requirement. All information shall be confined to the appropriate file. The offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters, sufficient to define the proposal in a concise manner, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal. Each file of the proposal shall consist of a Table of Contents, Summary Section, and the Narrative discussion. The Summary Section shall contain a brief abstract of the file. Proprietary information shall be marked clearly. The following shall be included in the Narrative discussion:

3. VOLUME I – Transition, Management, and Technical Approach. This volume shall not exceed the number of pages specified in Table 2.A. The volume shall be organized into the following sections:

a. Section 1 – Subfactor 1 (Transition). This subfactor evaluates the offeror’s proposed transition efforts. The Offeror shall provide information to substantiate the following:

1. 1.1.a. The Offeror shall provide a transition plan. The Offeror shall provide a detailed STIV phase-in transition plan and correlated milestone chart that describes how the Offeror intends to manage transition during this period and be fully operational upon formal contract handover from the incumbent contractor. The expected phase-in period shall not exceed 60 days. (PWS 3.1.5)

1. 1.1.b. The Offeror shall provide a list of risks associated with contract transition (such as transfer of classified information, GFP/GFI, etc.) and describe their proposed mitigation approach for each. (PWS 3.1.5, PWS 3.4.3)

1. 1.1.c. The Offeror shall identify key staff positions. (PWS 3.1.1.c, PWS 3.5.7)

b. Section 2 – Subfactor 2 (Management Approach). This subfactor evaluates the offeror’s proposed management approach. The offeror will provide information to substantiate the following:

1. 1.2.a. The Offeror shall provide an organization structure (inclusive of subcontractors) that identifies the number of personnel, labor categories and job descriptions. (PWS 3.1.1)

1. 1.2.b. The Offeror shall provide an organizational flowchart showing clearly defined lines of responsibility, clearly defined levels of decision authority, location of personnel, and communications/interfaces. (PWS 3.1.1)

1. 1.2.c. The Offeror shall provide a plan to hire and retain proposed specialized and technical skills, staffing level, and knowledge base required to achieve requirements through the life of the contract. This plan shall also include the Offeror’s mitigation strategy for handling potential funding shortfalls and subsequent reprioritization of manpower and logistics support resources. (PWS 3.1.1.c, PWS 3.5.7)

1. 1.2.d. The Offeror shall describe how they will address overtime, surge, and prioritization of manpower resources. (PWS 3.3.1.6, PWS 3.3.7)

1. 1.2.e. The Offeror shall describe their approach to subcontract management to include minor mods and acquiring and executing annual service and support agreements. (PWS 3.1.1.d, PWS 3.2 (1st paragraph), PWS 3.9.2)

1. 1.2.f. The Offeror shall describe their process for managing the support resources, technical data, spares, support equipment, maintenance, Government-Furnished Property (GFP) accountability, device status reporting, minor modifications, and technicians to ensure normal and surge trainer availability requirements. (PWS 3.4.1, PWS 3.4.3, PWS 3.9.2)

1. 1.2.g. The Offeror shall describe their process for purchasing, inventory control, and inventory reporting. (PWS 3.4.1, PWS 3.4.3)

c. Section 3 – Subfactor 3 (Technical Approach). This sub-factor evaluates the offeror’s proposed technical approach. The offer will provide information to substantiate the following:

1. 1.3.a. The Offeror shall describe their proposed approach to meet the TADSS availability (Ao=95%) and contracted mission requirements. (PWS 3.3.1)

1. 1.3.b. The Offeror shall describe their process for maintaining technical documentation, configuration management (hardware and software), and system status updates. (PWS 3.5.2, PWS 3.3.1.1)

1. 1.3.c. The Offeror shall describe their process for activating new training sites. (PWS 3.3.5)

1. 1.3.d. The Offeror shall describe their process for obtaining and maintaining an Authorization to Operate (ATO) and Authorization to Connect (ATC) for TADSS devices and support equipment. (PWS 3.2.3)

1. 1.3.e. The Offeror shall describe their STIV planned approach that provides effective solutions to forecast, identify, monitor, and resolve deficiencies due to supply chain challenges, Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS), obsolescence, material shortage issues and systemic problems within the current TADSS. (PWS 3.4.10)

4. VOLUME II – Past Performance. This volume shall contain past performance information regarding similar contracts. This volume shall not exceed the number of pages specified in Table 2.A plus five pages for each major subcontractor, excluding Past Performance Questionnaire Forms. This volume shall contain all Government and/or commercial contracts for the prime offeror and each major subcontractor in performance or awarded during the past three years, from the issue date of this RFP, which are relevant to the efforts required by this solicitation. Relevant efforts are defined as services/efforts that are the same as or similar to the effort NAICS code 541330 Exception 01 required by the RFP. Data concerning the offeror shall be provided first, followed by each proposed major subcontractor, in alphabetical order. The volume shall also contain the written consent of major subcontractors to allow the disclosure of its subcontractor’s past performance information to the Government. In addition, letters of commitment shall be included for all major subcontractors for their past performance to be considered. This volume shall be organized into the following sections:

a. Section 1 – Contract Descriptions. This section shall include the following information in the following format.

1) Contractor/Subcontractor place of performance, CAGE Code and DUNS Number. If the work was performed as a subcontractor, also provide the name of the prime contractor and Point of Contact (POC) within the prime contractor organization (name, and current address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers).

2) Government contracting activity, and current address, Procuring Contracting Officer’s name, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers.

3) Government’s technical representative/Contracting Officer’s Representative and current email address, telephone, and fax numbers.

4) Government contract administration activity and the Administrative Contracting Officer’s name, and current e-mail address, telephone, and fax number.

5) Government contract administration activity’s Pre-Award Monitor’s name, and current e-mail address, telephone, and fax numbers.

6) Contract Number and, in the case of Indefinite Delivery type contracts, GSA contracts, and Blanket Purchase Agreements, include Delivery Order Numbers.

7) Contract Type (specific type such as Fixed-Price (FP), Cost Reimbursement (CR), Time & Material (T&M), etc.). In the case of Indefinite Delivery contracts, indicate specific type (Requirements, Definite Quantity, and Indefinite Quantity) and secondary contract type (FP, CR, T&M, etc.).

8) Awarded price/cost.

9) Final or projected final price/cost.

10) Original delivery schedule, including dates of start and completion or work.

11) Final or projected final, delivery schedule, including dates of start and completion of work.

b. Section 2 – Performance. This section shall provide a specific narrative explanation of each contract listed in Section 1, Contract Description, describing the objectives achieved and detailing how the effort is relevant to the requirement of this RFP.

1) For any contracts that did not/do not meet original schedule or technical performance requirements, provide a brief explanation of the reason(s) for the shortcomings and any corrective action(s) taken to avoid recurrence. The section shall list each time the delivery schedule was revised and provide an explanation of why the revision was necessary. All Requests for Deviation and Requests for Waiver shall be addressed with respect to causes and corrective actions.

2) The section shall also contain any Cure Notices or Show Cause Letters received on each contract listed and a description of any corrective action implemented by the offeror or proposed subcontractor. The section shall indicate if any of the contracts listed were terminated and the type and reasons for the termination.

c. Section 3 – Small Business Participation Past Performance. This section shall contain information substantiating the Offerors’ past performance in complying with FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns, maximizing opportunities for U.S. small business subcontractors. This section shall also contain a statement indicating whether any negative information has been reported in the past six years concerning the Offerors’ past compliance with FAR 52.219-8. If any such negative information has been reported, the section may contain explanations or comments responding to such negative information. Offerors with no prior contracts containing FAR 52.219-8 shall certify the same.

d. Section 4 – New Corporate Entities. New corporate entities may submit data on prior contracts involving its offices and employees. However, in addition to the other requirements in this section, the offeror shall discuss in detail the role performed by such persons in the prior contracts cited. Information should be included in the files described in the sections above. Letters of Commitment shall be included in the proposal for these employees in order to be considered.

e. Submissions. Offerors are discouraged from providing points of contact with another contractors’ facility, i.e., in case an offeror (or one of his/her team members) is in a subcontract with another contractor who has submitted a proposal on the same requirement. Offerors shall provide and submit the prime contract number and all Governmental agency POCs in lieu of subcontract numbers or prime contract POCs in situations as described above.

5. VOLUME III - Cost/Price. The volume shall be organized into the following sections:

a. Electronic Copy. Cost DVD-R requirements: Files contained on the Cost DVD-R may not be password protected. Electronic links are only permissible within the Cost Volume. If files contain links, the links must be intact and maintained through all revisions. The Offeror shall not include pivot tables in Excel spreadsheets. The Offeror shall provide a completed Section B Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs and shall complete

b. Compliance. Failure to comply with the RFP requirements for Cost information may result in an adverse assessment of an offeror’s proposal and reduce or eliminate its chance of being selected for award. Offerors shall ensure that the information presented in this volume is consistent and correlates with the information contained in the other proposal volumes. Also, the Offeror shall ensure that the information submitted in this volume is consistent with and fully supports the amounts set forth in the SF33 and continuation sheets.

c. General Instructions. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.402 and 15.403-1, certified cost or pricing data are not required based on the fact that adequate competition is expected for this procurement. Information other than certified cost or pricing data may be provided in contractor format providing that sufficient information is made available. Information submitted shall be prepared following the instruction in FAR 15.403-5. If after receipt of proposals the Contracting Officer determines that there is insufficient information available to determine price reasonableness and none of the exceptions at FAR 15.403-1 apply, the Offeror may be required to submit cost or pricing data. Additionally, in the event that adequate competition is not obtained, the Contracting Officer may incorporate FAR 52.215-20 entitled, “Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other Than Cost or Pricing Data,” into the solicitation and request a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data. There are no page limitations for this volume. Proposal information included in this volume which is not directly related to Cost will be disregarded.

6. VOLUME IV – Small Business Participation.

a. The Offeror shall demonstrate small business participation by detailing its proposed approach to meet the requirements under the Small Business Participation factor by addressing the following areas in its Small Business Participation Commitment Document:

(1) Proposed Small Business Participation Plan in performance of the potential contract (applies to both Other Than Small Businesses and Small Businesses)

(2) Commitment to Small Business

a) Payment Procedures (applies to both Other Than Small Businesses and Small Businesses)

b) Compliance with Small Business Subcontracting Plans (applies to Other Than Small Businesses only)

(3) Commitment to Small Business

a) The Offeror shall include a written statement of its established procedures to ensure timely payments to small business subcontractors in accordance with FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (for those contracts under which it was required within the past three years from the closing date of this solicitation). If not required in any recent contracts, the Offeror shall so state.

(b) For Other than Small Businesses ONLY. Compliance with terms and conditions of FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (if required on recent contracts). The Other than Small Business Offeror shall provide three Individual Subcontracting Reports (ISRs) for recent contracts (within the past three years from the closing date of this solicitation) that required a subcontracting plan. If not required in any recent contracts, the Offeror shall so state. If the Offeror has less than three recent contracts, the Offeror shall provide the most recent ISR for each contract it has, and state that the Offeror does not have three recent contracts.

7. VOLUME V – Solicitations, Offer and Award Documents, and Certifications/Representations

Certifications and Representations – Each offeror shall complete (fill-in and signatures) the solicitation sections indicated below using the file (without modification to the file) provided with the RFP. An authorized official of the firm shall sign the SF 33 and all certifications requiring original signature. An Acrobat PDF file shall be created to capture the signatures for submission.

Solicitations, Offer and Award Documents and Certifications/Representations shall not be addressed separately from that submitted in VOLUME V – SOLICITATIONS, OFFER AND AWARD DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS /REPRESENTATIONS.