RFI_0001 Compiled Questions and Responses_20210514.docx

SEPS RFI

Industry Submitted Comments and Questions

1) Government Added Information:

Definition. Task-order contract means a contract for services that does not procure or specify a firm quantity of services (other than a minimum or maximum quantity) and that provides for the issuance of orders for the performance of tasks during the period of the contract.

Please be advised, as stated in the RFI, the Government anticipates award of a single source IDIQ for this effort. In accordance with FAR Subpart 16.5, the appropriate type of indefinite-delivery contract may be used to acquire services when the exact times and/or exact quantities of future deliveries are not known at the time of contract award. The included PWS reasonably describes the general scope, nature, complexity, and purpose of the services the Government will acquire under the contract for this effort. Indefinite-quantity contracts permit flexibility in both quantities and delivery scheduling and ordering of services after requirements materialize. Once the single source IDIQ contract is awarded, Individual task orders will be issued describing all services to be performed within the scope of the IDIQ contract PWS and specify the specific period of performance.

2) Regarding OCI. Will the award of a SOF Enterprise Professional Services (SEPS) prime contract prevent the awarded prime contractor from performing work on other USSOCOM or SOF AT&L contracts as a prime or subcontractor?

Response: Yes, the resulting award may prevent the awarded prime contractor from performing work on other USSOCOM or SOF AT&L contracts as a prime or subcontractor. Currently, the Government is in the process of finalizing the OCI requirements.

3) There are 50 million-dollar professional services companies that do not have individual contracts with 75 or more FTE and therefore they could not meet the transitioning and support requirements cited in this RFI. How does the Government expect SDVOSBs that operate at the $16.5 million NAICS 541611 code to meet the 75 FTE requirements?

Response: This section of the RFI, Amendment 0001, is revised.

4) Regarding Logistics Management Services – Clarify the type of service you are requiring. Are you asking for a single solution?

Response: See revised RFI Amendment 0001, “Logistics Management Services requirements are removed”.

5) Professional Services – What does simulation services mean?

Response: The simulation services in the RFI is removed, See revised RFI Amendment 0001 “simulation services” is removed.

6) Education and Training – This requires further clarification.

Response: See revised RFI Amendment 0001, “Education and Training” is removed.

7) Is there an incumbent?

Response: Yes. This effort will be the follow on for the SWMS-C IDIQ Contract No H92222-17-D-0004.

8) What exactly are you seeking?

Response: See Response provided to #1.

9) Are you looking for someone to develop the training?

Response: See Response provided to #6.

10) Are WOSB prohibited from participating in this opportunity?

Response: See revised RFI Amendment 0001, Page 1, Para. 2. This acquisition is currently in the market research stage and is being contemplated as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-aside. The final determination has not been made.

11) Are you looking for someone to facilitate the training?

Response: See Response to #6.

12) What is the methodology – virtual or in person? f. What certifications are required?

Response: See Response to #6.

13) For “Scientific and management education” – What are you looking to achieve? Is this for faculty, staff, military, civilian employees?

Response: See Response to #6.

14) Where specifically is the training to be conducted – CONUS or OCONUS?

Response: See Response to #6.

15) “The Command has specific authorities and responsibilities…” – Is the command conducting the training and we are supporting?

Response: See Response to #6.

16) What is the subject matter for this training? IT? Security? Something else?

Response: See Response to #6.

17) Do we have access to specific faculty members?

Response: See Response to #6.

18) For what are we training?

Response: See Response to #6.

19) Education and Training: What training platform(s) are you currently using?

Response: See Response to #6.

20) Education and Training: How often are the in-person training courses, if any?

Response See Response to #6.

21) Education and Training: What are the credential requirements for the faculty?

Response: See Response to #6.

22) Which contract vehicles are the Government considering for this effort?

Response: SOCOM anticipates awarding its own contract vehicle (single source IDIQ) for these requirements, see response to #1.

23) Are there any key personnel designated at the BPA Level?

Response: Key personnel requirements at the IDIQ level have not been determined at this time. A blanket purchase agreement is not anticipated to be a part of this contract, see response to #1.

24) What are the rules and restrictions if proposing as a JV?

Response: The Government does not prescribe to industry how they will team or otherwise form business arrangements to propose to opportunities. Proposed teaming arrangement must comply with existing statutory and regulatory limitations as governed by the SBA.

25) Can you please provide information on the RFP release date?

Response: See revised RFI Amendment 0001. The Government is anticipating issuing a draft (only) solicitation on or around June 28, 2021 with the final solicitation to follow during the month of September 2021.

26) Can you please confirm the competition type (i.e., Small Business, Full-Open, 8(a) Set-Aside, SDVOSB)?

Response: See response to #10.

27) Can you please confirm the Contract Vehicle(s) targeted i.e., and what is the acquisition strategy?

Response: See Response to #1.

28) How can we learn more about this opportunity in more personalized detail?

Response: See RFI Amendment 0001.The Government plans to conduct an industry day during the month of July 2021 and detailed information will be provided in advance.

29) Can we set-up an industry brief to match our company capabilities to your current and future requirements?

Response: See response to #28, and reference RFI instructions for submitting responses specific for this effort. If you are looking to pursue other opportunities supporting USSOCOM, please refer to the eSOF platform at the following link: https://www.socom.mil/SOF-ATL/Pages/BusinessOpportunitiesOffice.aspx

30) Please provide us with the names of the POCs we can talk to about this opportunity?

Response: The contracting officer listed in the RFI is the Point of contacts for this opportunity.

31) Can you provide us any information on how the current incumbent(s) (if any) is performing?

Response: No, the Government will not comment on how the current incumbent is performing.

32) What challenges have you experienced during the last tenure of this opportunity?

Response: The Government issued solicitation with the evaluation criterion will inform offerors on what the Government values in terms of evaluation purposes.

33) Who is the Program Official and Program/Project Manager for this opportunity? If identified, can we have name, email and/or phone number?

Response: See response to #30.

34) Would you or the Program/Project Manager be interested in meeting with us to understand how we can help the Government save time and money on this program through innovation solutions?

Response: See responses to #28, #29, and #30.

35) Who is writing the requirement, the acquisition folks or the customer/end-user?

Response: The Government is writing the requirement.

36) Who will evaluate the bid/proposal and what are the criteria?

Response: See response to #32, and the Government has no intention of disclosing evaluation team member information.

37) Who are the POCs in the customer’s operational level organizations?

Response: See response to #30.

38) How the incumbent(s) currently performing and what are their ratings over the life of the current contract?

Response See response to #31.

39) What companies are current vendors in the customer’s organization and does the customer have any preference to any of these vendors for this current opportunity as primes and/or as teammates?

Response: The Government does not prescribe to industry how they will team or otherwise form business arrangements to propose to opportunities.

40) What are the Governments/customer hot buttons?

Response: The Government’s requirements are outlined in the PWS and additional detail will be provided for each subsequent task order.

41) What does the customer fear going wrong?

Response: The Government does not understand the context of this question.

42) Why is the Government seeking to commercial contracting to meet the requirements of this opportunity?

Response: The Government routinely requires advisory and knowledge-based support services in supporting its core functions.

43) Is the SWMS‐C contract the predecessor contract for this effort?

Response: See Response to #7.

44) Will the Special Operations Forces Core Support (SCS) MA-IDIQ prime contractors be permitted to bid the SEPS effort?

Response: Yes. There is no preclusion for SCS prime contractors to bid on other USSOCOM efforts; however, see response to #2. ( Any OCI issues for specific opportunities will have to be analyzed in terms future OCI will be addressed in accordance with the terms of the solicitation.)

45) Will the OCI requirements under the SEPS effort allow for a Joint Venture comprised of a majority member without a current prime contract with USSOCOM, and a minority member with a prime contract with USSOCOM, to be eligible for award?

Response: See Response to #2.

46) Will the awardee of this effort be subsequently ineligible to receive a Prime contract with USSOCOM during the performance of the SEPS effort?

47) Similarly, will the subcontractors to the prime contractor awarded this effort of this effort also be ineligible to receive a Prime contract with USSOCOM during the performance of the SEPS effort?

48) Will the Prime contractor be precluded from subcontracting with any company that bids for or is awarded a contract with USSOCOM during the performance of this contract?

49) Similarly, will the subcontractors of the awardee also be precluded from subcontracting with any company that bids for or is awarded a contract with USSOCOM during the performance of this contract?

Response: See Response to #2.

50) Would the Government please specify whether the presence and potential for conflicts will be reviewed and/or evaluated in concert with the Offeror’s proposed plan to identify and mitigate OCIs? Or will the presence and potential for conflicts be reviewed at the task/delivery order level, to ensure the prime contractor’s plan to manage work distribution sufficiently avoids, neutralizes, or mitigates conflicts?

Response,: The Government will review and evaluate the presence and potential for conflicts, in concert with the Offeror’s proposed plan to identify and mitigate OCIs, and will review the potential for conflicts at the task/delivery order level to ensure the prime contractor’s plan to manage work distribution sufficiently avoids, neutralizes, or mitigates conflicts.

51) RFI requirements 4) Logistics Management Services and 7) Education and Training appear to be missing from the PWS. Will the Government provide the missing information?

Response: See revised RFI, Amendment 0001 and Responses to #4 - #6.

52) PWS Section 2.2 Contractor Requirements and Responsibilities states the "Government shall provide information Technology (IT) systems and applications to perform services." Will the Government provide a list of the IT systems and applications?

Response: No. In general, the Government will provide the workspace equipment and applicable software / database access necessary to perform the work required (i.e. computer, office consumables, supplies, printer, scanner, shredder may also be provided). Details will vary by task order requirement and will be specified at the task order level.

53) Is the Government willing to adopt new, but established, COTS or contractor‐developed enterprise systems and applications if they improve upon the current IT systems and applications?

Response: The primary focus of this contract is not Information Technology (IT) systems and applications. The only IT contemplated under this contract would be incidental to service acquired under a specific task order.

54) The RFI identifies Education and Training as one of seven requirement areas being contemplated for the SOF SEPS acquisition. However, Education and Training is not addressed in the Performance Work Statement. Does USSOCOM intend to include Education and Training as a professional service support area in the final PWS?

Response: See response to #6.

55) I am writing to inquire about the possibility for the above subject Draft RFP being considered as eligible for competition via the OASIS Small Business vehicle. Has the Government considered the potential use of OASIS in the Acquisition Strategy?

Response: See Response provided to #1.

56) The RFI states “A USSOCOM single award IDIQ contract for current similar services, SOCOM Wide Mission Support, Group C (SWMS‐C).” Can you provide who the current incumbent is for the task order performing these services?

Response: See response to #7. The current incumbent contractor is St. Michaels, Inc.

57) Can you provide any historical FTE counts at each of the locations to help us appropriately price personnel to locations?

Response: Pricing is not currently being requested. Once a final solicitation is issued, sections L and M will outline requirements for proposed pricing. The number of FTEs vary greatly for each task order requirement. Although needs are subject to change under this IDIQ contract, historically, the total number of FTEs ranges between 75 to 125 across all task orders.

58) Will key personnel be identified at industry day or will a draft solicitation be released prior to the final one?

Response: See responses to #23 and #28. Yes, the Government intends to issue a Draft solicitation prior to issuing the official solicitation.

59) Will a position description (PD) be released listing all of the required positions, background experience, education, credentials, and trade off allowances for each PD area?

Response: Although the required services, labor categories, and personnel qualifications for each position as well as the place of performance will vary and be detailed in each task order; the official solicitation for this IDIQ will include the details necessary to propose pricing.

60) RFI question 3 states “ Describe your company’s previous experience as a prime contractor within the past three years successfully transitioning and supporting the types of professional services described in the attached, draft PWS with an average of 75 or more positions. “ Limiting the past period to three years and an average of 75 or more positions is very restrictive to many small businesses who have solid past performance over the last 5 years and an average of 35-40 personnel. Will you consider modifying the time limit to 5 years and personnel count to 35 FTEs so you can maximize competition?

Response: See response to Q#3. This section of the RFI, Amendment 0001, is revised.

61) What clearance level will be required to propose to the RFP?

Response: The solicitation itself will be unclassified. The Government is contemplating a requirement for an active TS FCL facilities clearance as part of the official solicitation submission requirements to ensure offerors have the ability to provide properly cleared personnel to the task orders being contemplated. Personnel security clearances will vary and be specified in task order SOW/PWS.

61) What clearance level will be required at the start of the contract?

Response: See response to #61.

62) How many positions are estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

63) How many engineers are estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

64) How many program management is estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

65) How many management support positions are estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

66) How many logistics management support positions are estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

67) How many administrative positions are estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

68) How many professional service positions are estimated to be needed?

Response: See response to #57.

69) How many education and training positions are estimated to be needed?

Response: See responses to #6 and #57.

70) Would the Government consider a multiple-award contract?

Response: See response to #1. The Government has considered all types of awards for this effort and due to the circumstances of the requirements, the single award IDIQ is anticipated to be the best fit.

71) When will the positions be needed?

Response: See response to #1.

72) Are there minimum requirements for positions by type?

Response: See response to #57.

73) How many positions are estimated to be on-site at USSOCOM?

Response: See response to #57.

74) How many positions are estimated to be off-site?

Response: See response to #57.

75) Have you determined the acquisition strategy?

Response: See Response provided to #1.

76) What is the estimated RFP release date?

Response: See revised RFI Amendment 0001. The Government is anticipating issuing a draft (only) solicitation on or around June 28, 2021 with the final solicitation to follow during the month of September 2021.

77) Will this be released as a SB set-aside?

Response: See response to #10.

78) Will this be released in a vehicle, GWAC, or BETA.SAM Response: The Government intends to utilize SAM.gov

79) Provide the contract number for the current contract under which the SEPS-H92400 requirement is currently being executed.

Response: See response to #7.