Space Weather Next L1 Series Coronagraph- metadata.docx

80GSFC24CA008

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

SECTION L PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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):

https://www.acquisition.gov/ (End of provision)

52.252-5 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN PROVISIONS. (NOV 2020)

(a) The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 1) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of (DEVIATION) after the date of the provision.

(b) The use in this solicitation of any NASA FAR Supplement (48 CFR chapter 18) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of (DEVIATION) after the name of the regulation.

(End of provision)

52.204-7 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (OCT 2018)

52.204-16 COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY CODE REPORTING (JUL 2016)

52.204-22 ALTERNATIVE LINE-ITEM PROPOSAL (JAN 2017)

52.214-34 SUBMISSION OF OFFERS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (APR

1991)

52.214-35 SUBMISSION OF OFFERS IN U.S. CURRENCY (APR 1991)

52.215-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION (JAN 2017)

52.204-7 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT. (OCT 2018)

52.204-16 COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY CODE REPORTING. (AUG 2020)

52.204-22 ALTERNATIVE LINE-ITEM PROPOSAL. (JAN 2017)

52.215-16 FACILITIES CAPITAL COST OF MONEY. (JUN 2003)

52.215-22 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES - IDENTIFICATION OF SUBCONTRACT EFFORT. (OCT 2009) 52.222-56 CERTIFICATION REGARDING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS COMPLIANCE PLAN (Oct 2020)

52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST. (SEP 2006)

52.252-5 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN PROVISIONS (NOV 2022)

52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

NASA FAR SUPPLEMENT (48 CFR CHAPTER 18) CLAUSES:

1852.233-70 PROTESTS TO NASA. (DEC 2015)

1852.239-73 REVIEW THE OFFERER’S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM SUPPLY CHAIN (DEVIATION) (SEP 2018)

(End of clause)

1852.234-1 Notice of Earned Value Management System (NOV 2015) (DEVIATION)

(a) The offeror shall provide documentation that its proposed Earned Value Management System (EVMS) complies with the EVMS guidelines in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA)-748 Standard, Earned Value Management Systems (current version at time of solicitation).

(b) If the offeror proposes to use a system that currently does not meet the requirements of paragraph (a) of this provision, the offeror shall submit its comprehensive plan for compliance with the EVMS guidelines to the Government for approval.

(1) The plan shall—

(i) Describe the EVMS the offeror intends to use in performance of the contract.

(ii) Distinguish between the offeror's existing management system and modifications

(iii) Provide a matrix that correlates each guideline in ANSI/EIA 748 (current version at time of solicitation) to the corresponding process in the offeror’s written management procedures.

(iv) Describe the proposed procedure for application of the EVMS requirements to subcontractors.

(v) Describe how the offeror will ensure EVMS compliance for each subcontractor subject to the flow down requirement in paragraph (c) whose EVMS has not been recognized by the Cognizant Federal Agency as compliant according to paragraph (a).

(vi) Provide documentation describing the process and results, including Government participation, of any third-party or self-evaluation of the system’s compliance with the EVMS guidelines; and

(vii) If the value of the offeror’s proposal, including options, is $100 million or more, provide a schedule of events leading up to formal validation and Government acceptance of the Contractor’s EVMS. Guidance can be found in the] Department of Defense Earned Value Management Implementation Guide (https://acc.dau.mil/CommunityBrowser.aspx?id=19557) as well as in the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Earned Value Management Systems Acceptance Guide (http://www.ndia.org/divisions/divisions/procurement/pages/programsystemcommittee.aspx).

(2) The offeror shall provide information and assistance as required by the Contracting Officer to support review of the plan.

(3) The Government will review the offeror’s EVMS implementation plan prior to contract award.

(c) The offeror shall identify in its offer the major subcontractors, or major subcontracted effort if major subcontractors have not been selected, planned for application of the EVMS requirement. Prior to contract award, the offeror and NASA shall agree on the subcontractors, or subcontracted effort, subject to the EVMS requirement.

(d) The offeror shall incorporate its compliance evaluation factors for subcontractors into the plan required by paragraph (b) of this provision.

GSFC 52.215-201 PROPOSAL PREPARATION—GENERAL

INSTRUCTIONS (ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL DELIVERY) (APR 2022)

It is NASA's intent, by providing the instructions set forth below, to solicit information that will demonstrate the Offeror's competence to successfully complete the requirements specified in the Statement of Work (SOW), Attachment A, Attachment B Specifications… Generally, the proposal should:

· Demonstrate understanding of the overall and specific requirements of the proposed contract.

· Convey the company's capabilities for transforming understanding into accomplishment.

· Present in detail, the plans, and methods for so doing.

· Present the costs associated with so doing.

If other organizations are proposed as being involved in conducting this work, their relationships during the effort shall be explained and their proposed contributions shall be identified and integrated into each part of the proposal, as appropriate.

(a) PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION

(1) Offerors shall submit proposals in four volumes as specified below:

(2) All pages of Volumes I, II, III, and IV shall be numbered and identified with the Offeror’s name, RFP number and date. Subsequent revisions, if requested, shall be similarly identified to show revision number and date. A table of contents shall be provided with figures and tables listed separately.

(3) Each proposal volume shall be submitted in a single searchable Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file (compatible with ADOBE Reader version DC or 2017), with appropriate bookmarks. For Cost volume exhibits required to be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel format (described below), spreadsheets shall also be converted to PDF, in the most readable manner practicable, and submitted as part of a single PDF file for Volume III.

As indicated above, the Cost Volume exhibits shall also be provided in Excel format (compatible with Excel 2016). While the RFP provides these exhibits in PDF format, instructions for converting from PDF format to Excel can be found in the Cost Volume Instructions provision. Offerors shall submit all exhibits in Excel and the exhibits shall contain all formulas.

(4) The format for each proposal volume shall parallel, to the greatest extent possible, the format of the evaluation factors contained in Section L of this solicitation. The proposal content shall provide a basis for evaluation against the requirements of the solicitation. Each volume of the proposal shall specify the evaluation criteria being addressed and contain a table of contents aligned with the RFP evaluation criteria. This table of contents is excluded from the page limitations contained in paragraph (b)(1) below.

(5) Information shall be precise, factual, detailed, and complete. Offerors shall not assume that the evaluation team is aware of company abilities, capabilities, plans, facilities, organization, or any other pertinent fact that is important to accomplishment of the work as specified in the SOW. The evaluation will be based primarily on the information presented in the written proposal. The proposal shall specifically address each listed evaluation factor and subfactor.

(b) PROPOSAL CONTENT AND PAGE LIMITATIONS

(1) The following table contains the page limitations for each portion of the proposal submitted in response to this solicitation. Additional instructions for each component of the proposal are in the solicitation provision noted under the Reference heading.

Cover Page, Indices, Table of Contents, SOW Compliance Matrix, Total Compensation Plan, Phase-in Plan, Safety and Health Plan, and Small Business Utilization Subfactor, and List of Acronyms

Excluded

(a) Table of Contents, Direct Labor Rates, Indirect Rates, and Fee Matrices (Attachment ???)

None

(b) Cost Exhibits

None

(c) Basis of Estimates

3Pages per WBS Level

(a) Information from the Offeror

25 Pages

(b) Cover Page, Indices, Table of Contents, List of those sent Past Performance Questionnaires, Small Business Subcontracting Plan History, Customer Evaluations, Termination/Descope information, and List of Acronyms

Excluded

*Prime Offeror individually and each Significant Subcontractor individually.

**Prime Offeror and all Significant Subcontractors (page limitation is for the total component (Prime and Significant Subcontractors)).

(2) When page limitations apply to a volume or specific section, a page is defined as one side of a sheet, 8-1/2" x 11", with at least one-inch margins on all sides, using not smaller than 12-point type Times New Roman font. Line spacing or the amount of vertical space between lines of text shall not be less than single line (Microsoft Office Word’s default line spacing). Character spacing shall be “Normal”, not “Expanded” or “Condensed.” The margins may contain headers and footers but shall not contain any proposal content to be evaluated. Electronic foldout pages count as an equivalent number of 8-1/2" x 11" pages. The metric standard format most closely approximating the described standard 8-1/2" x 11" size may also be used. The excel exhibits provided are formatted using 9–12-point type Arial font.

Diagrams, tables, artwork, and photographs may be reduced and, if necessary, run landscape to eliminate oversize pages. Text in Diagrams, schedules, charts, tables, artwork, and photographs shall be no smaller than 10-point type Times New Roman font. Diagrams, tables, artwork, and photographs shall not be used to circumvent the text size limitations of the proposal.

(3) Title pages, tabs, and tables of contents are excluded from the page counts specified in paragraph (1) of this provision (as well as other documents specified in table (b)(1) above). Proposal sections that do not have an associated page limit should be strictly limited to the information described as part of that section. Regardless of where it appears in the proposal, information construed as belonging in a page-limited section of the proposal will be so construed and count against that section’s page limit.

(4) The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award contract(s) without discussions with Offerors (except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)). Therefore, the Offeror's initial proposal should contain the Offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary. If discussions are held and final proposal revisions are requested, the Government will specify separate page limitations in its request for that submission.

(5) Pages submitted in excess of the limitations specified in this provision will not be evaluated by the Government and will be handled in accordance with NFS 1815.204-70(b).

(End of provision)

GSFC 52.215-203 OFFER VOLUME. (APR 2022)

This must be a separate volume.

(a) STANDARD FORM (SF) 33, OFFEROR FILL INS AND SECTION K Blocks 12 through 18 of the SF 33 and the indicated Offeror required fill-ins in Sections B-K must be completed. The signed SF33 and the pages with the required fill-ins must be submitted. Annual representations and certifications shall be completed electronically via the System for Awards Management (SAM) web site accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov, in accordance with Section K provision FAR 52.204-8, Annual Representations and Certifications. The balance of the solicitation need not be returned unless the Offeror has made changes to other pages that will constitute part of the contract. Any such changes must be separately identified in the Summary of Exceptions. All SF 33s require original or electronic signatures.

(1) It is requested that Offerors indicate, in Block 12 of the SF 33, a proposal validity period of 210 days. However, in accordance with paragraph (d) of FAR provision 52.215-1, “Instructions to Offerors--Competitive Acquisitions,” a different validity period may be proposed by the Offeror.

(2) Provide the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of persons to be contacted for clarification of questions of a technical nature and business nature. Identify any consultants and/or subcontractors used in writing this proposal (if any) and the extent to which their services will be available in the subsequent performance of this effort.

The contract schedule refers to TBD and TBP. They are defined as follows:

TBD = TO BE DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT

TBP = TO BE PROPOSED BY THE CONTRACTOR

(b) SUMMARY OF EXCEPTIONS Include a statement of acceptance of the anticipated contract provisions and proposed contract schedule, or list all specific exceptions to the terms, conditions, and requirements of Sections A through J of this solicitation, to the Representations and Certifications (Section K) or to the information requested in Section L. Include the reason for the exception, new terms, conditions, and/or clauses, including any proposed benefit to the Government. This list must include all exception(s), deviation(s) and/or conditional assumptions taken.

Offerors are cautioned that exceptions or new terms, conditions, or clauses may result in a determination of proposal unacceptability (NFS 1815.305-70), may preclude award to an Offeror if award is made without discussions, or may otherwise affect an Offeror’s competitive standing.

(c) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED

(1) Business Systems State whether all business systems, including but not limited to accounting, property control, purchasing, estimating, and employee compensation, which require Government acceptance or approval (as applicable) are currently accepted/approved without condition.

Provide the date of acceptance/approval for each system and the cognizant contract administration office. Explain any existing conditional acceptances/approvals and the compliance status of any systems(s) for which acceptance or approval is currently withheld.

FAR 16.301-3 requires that a contractor's accounting system be adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract prior to the award of a cost-reimbursement contract. The Offeror shall provide evidence of an adequate accounting system as determined by the cognizant administrative office for accumulating and reporting incurred costs. If an Offeror is relying on the accounting system adequacy of a Joint Venture team member, sister company, or any other affiliated company’s accounting system, they must specifically assert such an intended reliance for the performance of this contract and must demonstrate a convincing basis for using that system as a source for determining their own adequacy in this proposal volume. An adequate accounting system is not an evaluation criterion. It is a basic contract requirement with a pass/fail determination. A contract may only be awarded to the Offeror(s) who are determined to have an adequate accounting system.

Offerors who do not have an adequate accounting system determination shall provide evidence of any independent audit and system approvals as well as documented system ability to segregate and accrue costs by contract.

(2) Contract Administration Furnish the information listed below:

a. Cognizant Government audit agency with mailing address, email address, telephone number, and fax number.

b. Cognizant Government Administrative Contracting Officer by name with mailing address, email address, telephone number, and fax number.

(3) Responsibility Information Provide information addressing all the elements under FAR 9.104 to demonstrate responsibility (address the elements under this section that are not addressed in another proposal volume).

(4) Taxpayer Identification Number Prime Offerors shall provide their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (the number required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be used by the Offeror in reporting income tax and other returns).

(5) Government Property Offerors shall have a system of internal controls to manage (control, use, preserve, protect, repair, and maintain) Government property in its possession. Section L of this solicitation contains NFS provisions 1852.245‑80, “Government Property Management Information” and 1852.245-81, “List of Available Government Property.” The information regarding the Offeror’s Government property management procedures required by these two provisions shall be included in this volume. However, if an analysis of the Offeror’s property management policies, procedures, practices, and systems has not been previously performed by the Government, the Offeror shall describe their internal processes, systems, procedures, records, and methodologies to be employed to ensure effective and efficient control of Government property under this contract in accordance with the requirements specified in FAR 52.245-1, Government Property.

(6) Waiver of Rights to Inventions This solicitation contains NFS clause 1852.227-70, “New Technology—Other than a Small Business Firm or Nonprofit Organization” and NFS provision 1852.227-71, “Request for Waiver to Rights to Inventions”. Any petitions for advance (prior to contract execution) waiver of rights to inventions should be included in this volume.

(7) Subcontractor Listing The Offeror shall provide a summary listing (by name and address) of all subcontractors (regardless of dollar value) that have been identified throughout the Offeror’s proposal and the subcontract value associated with each entity.

(8) Earned Value Management System In accordance with the Section L NFS provision 1852.234-1, Notice of Earned Value Management System (Deviation), Offerors shall provide documentation verifying compliance of their proposed Earned Value Management System (EVMS) with the American National Standards Institute/Electronics Industries Alliance (ANSI/EIA)–748 Standard in this volume. If the Offeror proposes to use a system that has not been determined to follow ANSI/EIA–748 Standard, the Offeror shall submit a comprehensive plan for compliance with these EVMS guidelines to the Government for approval. Offerors shall not be eliminated from consideration for contract award because they do not have an EVMS that complies with these guidelines.

(9) Cost Accounting Standards State whether the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Disclosure Statement represented in Section K FAR provision 52.230-1, Cost Accounting Standards Notices and Certifications, has been approved by the cognizant Administrative Contracting Officer, and provide the date of such approval. If your CAS Disclosure Statement is currently not approved or there are some existing CAS non-compliance findings, please provide detailed explanation of the CAS non-compliance issues, corrective action status, and any potential impact on this procurement. If the Offeror has not submitted a Disclosure Statement but would fall under CAS compliance if awarded the resultant contract, then a CAS Disclosure Statement shall be submitted as part of your proposal in this volume. The Government will forward the Disclosure Statement to the cognizant contract administration office with its request for review of the submitted CAS Disclosure Statement.

(10) Safety and Health Plan In accordance with FAR clause 52.236-13--Alternate I as modified by NFS 1823.7001(d)(1), Accident Prevention, within 30 days after contract award, the successful contractor shall submit for NASA approval a comprehensive Safety and Health Plan, which will be incorporated into the contract under Clause J.1 as Attachment N. The plan also needs to identify the plan for handling hazardous materials identified in the Section I, “Hazardous Material Identification and Material Safety Data” (FAR 52.223-3—ALTERNATE I) clause. The Contracting Officer and center safety and occupational health official(s) will review the plan for completeness and identify to the Contractor substantive weaknesses and omissions for necessary correction. Once the Contractor has corrected the substantive weaknesses and omissions, the Contracting Officer shall incorporate the approved plan into the contract as a compliance document.

(11) Information Technology (IT) Security Management Plan In accordance with NFS clause 1852.204-76, Security Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources, within 30 days after the contract effective date, the successful contractor shall submit for NASA approval a comprehensive IT Security Management Plan, which will be incorporated into the contract under Clause J.1 as Attachment J. The Contracting Officer will review the plan for completeness and identify to the Contractor substantive weaknesses and omissions for necessary correction. Once the Contractor has corrected the substantive weaknesses and omissions, the Contracting Officer shall incorporate the approved plan into the contract as a compliance document. The information to be included in this plan is outlined in Enclosure 2, Information Technology Security Management Plan, which is provided for information purposes at this time and shall be used by the successful offeror to prepare their plan.

(End of Provision) GSFC 52.215-210 MISSION SUITABILITY PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (COMPETITIVE). (MAY 2022)

(a) The offeror's response to the requirements of this factor shall be submitted as a separate proposal volume.

(b) The volume shall be specific, detailed, and complete to clearly and fully demonstrate the offeror’s understanding of the Mission Suitability subfactor requirements delineated in paragraph (d) below and the offeror’s approach to effectively and efficiently accomplish those requirements, including full explanations of the techniques and procedures to be employed and the resources necessary to perform as proposed. Stating the offeror understands and will comply with the requirements, or paraphrasing the requirements is not acceptable. In addition, statements such as “standard procedures will be employed,” or “well-known techniques will be used,” are not acceptable. Information may not be incorporated by reference.

Enhancements:

Although the Government does not encourage/discourage enhancements to the contract’s technical performance documents (e.g., Statement of Work, Specification, etc.), Offerors may choose to propose performance enhancements. For the Government to consider a proposed enhancement’s value, the Offeror must clearly define the enhancement(s) in Contract Attachment L, “Contractor Proposed Enhancements,” in Statement of Work (SOW) language in accordance with the SOW instructions in Attachment A. In addition, the Offeror must describe the associated benefit(s) of the proposed enhancement(s) in its Mission Suitability Volume under the applicable Mission Suitability subfactor(s). The Offeror shall include Contract Attachment L as part of the model contract in the Contract Volume of the proposal. The Offeror may receive credit for the proposed enhancement(s) only to the extent of its description in Attachment L, and the associated benefits explained in its Mission Suitability Volume. Inconsistent statements about any enhancement(s) in an Offeror’s proposal may result in a neutral or negative evaluation by the Government. Any enhancement(s) may result in a positive, neutral, or negative evaluation despite the Governments right to waive an enhancement(s) during contract performance in accordance with the GSFC 52.211-100, “Contractor Proposed Enhancements,” clause in Section H of the contract. If the successful offer does not include any proposed enhancements, GSFC clause 52.211-100 and Attachment L will be removed from the resultant contract.

(a) Mission Suitability Volume Format

Offerors shall include a matrix detailing where in your proposal all information, specified in GSFC 52.215-210, are contained. This matrix will be used by the evaluators to better understand the specific structure of your proposal. This matrix will not be counted against the page limit of the Mission Suitability proposal.

(b) Mission Suitability Instructions

The paragraph numbers and indentations/bullets within these instructions should not be construed as any indication of priority, weighting, or as any establishment of elements of lower-level criteria. The numbering and indentations/bullets are provided only for clarity, traceability, and ease of reading between Mission Suitability Sections L and M.

(c) The offeror shall provide a detailed response to each of the following subfactor requirements utilizing the structure and order as provided below:

MISSION SUITABILITY

1. Technical Approach

Discuss your understanding of the requirement and how you would accomplish the work. Provide an overview of the proposed approach and solution. Discuss heritage approaches, designs, and technical performance expected to be employed for the Coronagraph instrument development, delivery, and performance.

2. Risk Management Approach and Risk Mitigation

Analyze and discuss all potential or expected technical, technological, and programmatic risks, including but not limited to, risks associated with new technology, cost, schedule, staffing, partners/subcontracts, manufacturing, material acquisition, supply chain, parts/assemblies/materials spares and obsolescence, access to resources, facilities, and expertise. Provide a matrix showing ranking of risk (e.g., high, medium, low), probability of occurrence, program impact and risk mitigation approach.

3. Model Strategy

Identify and describe any engineering units (e.g., breadboards, brass board, subassemblies, assembly fidelity, etc.) to be built and tested. Discuss life-testing program, including schedule. Discuss how these engineering units will be utilized. Identify and discuss long lead procurements. Discuss what long lead procurements must be placed prior to completion of engineering unit testing.

4. Spares

Discuss the Coronagraph spares program and philosophy, as costed in the proposal.

Describe the level of assembly, testing and maintenance of spares.

5. Magnetic Cleanliness

Explain the proposed strategy/approach to proactively assure meeting the Coronagraph instrument Magnetic field cleanliness requirements as identified in DID SE-16, Magnetic Control Plan.

6. Algorithm and Calibration Coefficient Development

Explain the proposed strategy/approach to sensor processing algorithm and calibration factors development and verification as described in DIDs I&T-5, I&T-6, OPS-5, and OPS-6, Calibration Program Plan, Calibration Data Books, Ground Processing Algorithms Test and Validation Plan, and Ground Processing Algorithm Document.

7. Class C with a 5-year Operational Life

Explain the proposed strategy/approach to developing and meeting NASA Payload Risk Classification C for a 5-year mission operational life at the Lagrange-1 orbit to include the approach to system reliability assumptions and assessments as described in DIDs MA-1, MA-4, and MA-5, Reliability Program Plan, Reliability Predictions, and Limited Life Items List, and the design approach to parts/components selection, redundancy, and cross-strapping methods.

8. Specification Compliance

Provide a matrix to demonstrate compliance with the Coronagraph specification requirements. The proposed matrix shall indicate if each requirement is met, exceeded, or not met. For any requirements exceeded, the proposal shall provide details and explain the extent of the performance benefit. For any non-conformances or non-compliances, the proposal shall provide details and discuss the impact on overall performance. The Government, in its sole discretion, may accept a proposal containing such minor non-compliance(s) or minor non-conformance(s), though minor non-compliance(s)/non-conformance(s) may be the subject of an evaluation finding.

9. Management Approach The Offeror's proposal shall describe in detail its overall management approach for the proposed activities. The Offeror’s proposal shall describe the management methods that will be used in performing work on the contract and shall also describe plans for facilitating communication with Government personnel.

10. Schedule Provide a detailed schedule consistent with the requirements in DID RM-4, at the instrument and subsystem level, showing the critical path for the development of the Coronagraph from contract award through delivery of all flight models (FM). Define all slack/float for all major aspects of the schedule. Offerors are encouraged to propose a schedule that can be completed earlier than the contract requirements, and if that schedule can be adequately supported.

11. Supply Chain and Subcontracting Describe the proposed strategy for supply chain and subcontractor management. Discuss plans for addressing any problems or non-conformances that arise because of the proposed suppliers and subcontractors.

12. Management Structure The Offeror shall discuss the organizational structure, interrelationships of technical management, business management, and subcontract management. Include an organizational chart that identifies where this contract fits in the corporate structure.

13. Staffing The Offeror shall discuss the proposed staffing levels, personnel categories, hours, and skill mix proposed under the contract and how the labor skill mix will be employed to accomplish the work in an effective and efficient manner. All discussions must be clear and concise and refer to the appropriate SOW activity. The staffing approach shall include a discussion of how the staffing is adequate to conduct three Coronagraph instrument builds.

14. Quality Assurance Plan The Offeror shall submit a written Contractor Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) that shall identify the Offeror’s approach to ensuring quality services throughout the duration of the contract. Specifically, the Offeror shall identify its procedure(s) for continually monitoring, surveilling, identifying and correcting deficiencies. The QAP shall describe the Offeror's method(s) (i.e., 100% inspection, planned sampling, random sampling, customer complaints, or incidental inspections) to determine whether performance requirements in the SOW are met. The QAP shall describe whether measurements of performance are subjective or objective and shall identify the quality, quantity, and timeliness of the services to be provided. The QAP will be incorporated into the contract as an Attachment.

15. Small Business Utilization

All Offerors, except small businesses, shall complete the portion of the instructions under Small Business Subcontracting specific to Small Business Subcontracting Plans. Small businesses are not required to submit Small Business Subcontracting Plans; however, small businesses shall indicate the amount of effort proposed to be done by a small business either at the prime level or at the first-tier subcontract level.

All Offerors (small businesses and other than small businesses) shall respond to the Commitment to Small Business Program.

(a) Small Business Subcontracting Plan

(1) This solicitation contains FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)--Alternate II, “Small Business Subcontracting Plan”. The Plan described and required by the clause, including the associated subcontracting percentage goals and subcontracting dollars, shall be submitted with the proposal.

(2) The Contracting Officer’s assessment of appropriate subcontracting goals for this acquisition, EXPRESSED AS A PERCENT OF CONTRACT VALUE, is as follows:

Historically Black Colleges and Universities/ Minority Serving Institutions

0%

(1) The numbers above reflect the Contracting Officer’s assessment of the appropriate subcontracting goals to be achieved at the completion of contract performance. When appropriate, an Offeror may discuss plans to phase-in small business concerns, explaining the rationale for the phase-in schedule. If the Offeror anticipates that it will not meet the proposed small business goals by the time the Offeror submits its first Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) for this effort as required by FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation), Small Business Subcontracting Plan, the Offeror should discuss its approach to include a timeline for meeting these goals and the associated rationale.

(2) Offerors are encouraged to propose goals that are equivalent to or greater than those that the Contracting Officer has recommended. However, Offerors shall perform their own independent assessments of the small business subcontracting opportunities and are encouraged to propose goals exceeding the recommended goals where practical.

(3) The Plan that the Offeror submits with its proposal shall be incorporated in Section J as Attachment F in the resulting contract. The requirements in the Plan shall flow down to first tier large business subcontracts expected to exceed $700,000 (or $1,500,000 for construction of a public facility). Although these first-tier large business subcontractors are encouraged to meet or exceed the stated goals, NASA recognizes that the subcontracting opportunities available to these subcontractors may differ from the recommended goals in the solicitation based upon the nature of their respective performance requirements.

(4) Offerors are advised that a proposal will not be rejected solely because the Plan submitted does not meet the NASA recommended goals listed in paragraph (a) (2) above in terms of percent of the TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE. NASA will consider the amount of work that the prime contractor plans to perform when determining whether a subcontracting plan is acceptable. Offerors shall discuss the rationale for any goal proposed that is less than the Contracting Officer’s recommended goal in any category. In addition, the Offeror shall describe the efforts made to establish a goal for that category and what ongoing efforts, if any, the Offeror plans during contract performance to increase participation in that category.

(5) In addition to submitting a Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with the Section I, FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)--Alternate II, Offerors shall complete Exhibit 15A, SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN GOALS, which provide a breakdown of the Offeror’s proposed goals, by small business category, expressed in terms of both a percent of the TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE and a percent of TOTAL PLANNED SUBCONTRACTS. Offerors shall show the proposed subcontracting goals for the total contract requirement.

(NOTE: FOR PURPOSES OF THE SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN, THE PROPOSED GOALS SHALL BE STATED AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL SUBCONTRACTS, NOT AS A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE, REFER TO THE BELOW EXAMPLE)

Example of Subcontracting Goals as expressed in both the Total Contract Value and Planned Subcontract Value for a Total Contract value of $100M and planned subcontract value of $50M.

Category Percent of Total Contract Value

Dollar Value Percent of Subcontracting Value

The following small business subcategories do not necessarily add up to the percentage and dollar amount in the “Small Business Concerns” category above, since some small businesses do not fall into any of the subcategories below, while others will fall into more than one subcategory below.

Small Disadvantaged Business (SBD) Concerns

Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Concerns

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Serving Institutions (MSI)

Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Concerns

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concerns

The Offeror proposes small business subcontracting goals as a percentage of the Total Contract Value in column A.

Then based on the $100 million Total Contract Value, the resulting statement of dollars that the Offeror would include in the Subcontracting Plan, as required by paragraph (d)(2) of FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)—Alternate II, would be as indicated in column B.

However, the Small Business Subcontracting Plan shall also express goals as a percent of total planned subcontracts. Assuming total subcontracting of $50M, the resulting percentage goals, expressed as a percent of total subcontract dollars, and which would be stated in the Small Business Subcontracting Plan as required by paragraph (d)(1) FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)--Alternate II would be recorded in column C.

(B) Commitment to the Small Business Program

(1) All Offerors must briefly describe the work that small businesses will perform to meet the stated requirements. Proposals shall also identify any work to be subcontracted that is considered “High Technology.” “High Technology” is defined as research and development efforts that are within or advance the state-of-the-art in technology discipline and are performed primarily by professional engineers, scientists, and highly skilled and trained technicians or specialists.

(2) If the subcontractor(s) is known, Offerors shall describe the work that each subcontractor will perform and specify the extent of commitment to use the subcontractor(s) (enforceable vs. non-enforceable commitments). (Small Business Offerors shall provide this information to the extent that subcontracting opportunities exist in their approach to performing the requirement.)

(3) All Offerors shall provide information demonstrating the extent of commitment to utilize small business concerns and to support their development. Information provided shall include a brief description of established or planned procedures and organizational structure for Small Business outreach, assistance, counseling, market research and Small Business identification, and relevant purchasing procedures. (For Other than Small Business Offerors, this information shall conform to applicable portions of the submitted Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Small Business Offerors shall provide this information to the extent subcontracting opportunities exist in their approach to performing the requirement.)

(4) The NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to incentivize NASA large prime contractors to assist a Small Disadvantaged Business, a Women-Owned Small Business, a HUBZone Small Business, a Veteran-Owned or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, or Historically Black College and University/Minority Serving Institution in enhancing their capabilities to perform NASA contracts and subcontracts, foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between these entities and NASA large prime contractors, and increase the overall number of these entities that receive NASA contract and subcontract awards. Provide a description of the prime’s planned participation in the NASA Mentor Protégé Program.

(e) Offerors shall ensure the information submitted in this volume is consistent with information submitted in other volumes, as applicable.

(End of text)

GSFC 52.215-221 COST VOLUME INSTRUCTIONS (MAY 2022)

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires Contracting Officers to purchase supplies and services from responsible sources at fair and reasonable prices. It is expected that adequate price competition will be obtained under this solicitation so that submission of certified cost or pricing data is not required pursuant to FAR 52.215-20, Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data--Alternate IV. The term “data other than certified cost or pricing data” is defined at FAR 2.101.

(a) Instructions

An important prerequisite for the award of the contract is the Prime Offeror must have an accounting system that has been determined adequate by the cognizant administrative office for accumulating and reporting incurred costs prior to contract award. If an Offeror is relying on the accounting system adequacy of a Joint Venture team member, sister company, or any other affiliated company’s accounting system, they must specifically assert (in the submitted Offer Volume) such an intended reliance for the performance of the contract and must demonstrate a convincing basis for using that system as a source for determining their own adequacy.

While these proposals are not required to be cost certified, they are to be in sufficient detail to allow direct and indirect rate verification and audit of selected costs. The Cost Volume proposal should be prepared in a manner consistent with your current accounting system.

The contract resulting from this solicitation is potentially subject to Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) compliance unless the Offeror qualifies for a CAS exemption. Offerors shall determine CAS applicability (full or modified CAS coverage) for its proposing business unit based on applicability criteria. If full CAS coverage applies to the Offeror and it has not submitted a Disclosure Statement that has been deemed adequate by its cognizant contract administration entity (typically DCMA), then a Disclosure Statement shall be prepared in support of the Offeror’s proposal. While CAS Disclosure Statements are not evaluated by NASA, their evaluation must be coordinated between NASA and the cognizant contract administration entity; as such, the CAS Disclosure Statement shall be submitted to NASA with the proposal in the Offer Volume.

The required format for other than certified cost or pricing data is for evaluation purposes. The cost for any resultant contract will be awarded based on the successful Offeror's normal estimating and/or accounting system or the system set forth in the CAS Disclosure Statement required by Public Law 100-679, if applicable. If the Offeror's estimating and/or accounting practice differs from the required Cost Volume proposal format, the costs should be computed in accordance with the Offeror's normal accounting and estimating procedures and provide your rationale for the format adjustments.

Direct labor must be estimated based on productive effort. Productive effort is the estimated number of hours required to perform the work. Vacations, holidays, sick leave, and any other paid absences shall not be cited as direct labor but shall be separately identified and priced or included in indirect costs.

Final monetary extensions in the Cost Volume proposal should be expressed as the closest whole dollar amount, with cents omitted.

Duty charges, if any, shall be included in the cost, regardless of whether duty free ce1iificates are obtained.

A "subcontract" is any contract, purchase order, material order, interorganizational transfer, etc. that is a direct cost to this acquisition. The Offeror shall provide sufficient detail to suppo1i and explain all costs proposed. For the purposes of the Cost Volume, a Significant Subcontractor is defined as any subcontractor whose estimated value causes the cumulative percentage of subcontractor work (from lowest to highest percentage of work) to meet or exceed 20% of the total estimated value (basic and all options combined, if applicable). All values are inclusive of fee.

Example 1:

In the above Example 1, Subcontractors F and G would be deemed significant subcontractors.

Example 2:

In the above Example 2, Subcontractors E, F, and G would be deemed significant subcontractors.

A proposed Significant Subcontractor or JV partner shall complete Exhibits 1, 2A, 2B, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 and provide the supporting information that is requested from the Prime Offeror or JV Entity. Prospective Significant Subcontractors may submit proprietary cost data, under separate cover, directly to the Government no later than the date and time specified in the instructions for receipt of proposals for this RFP. JV partners shall submit Exhibit 2 for each JV partner. In addition, all prospective non-Significant service subcontractors meeting the definition in paragraph (d) of NFS provision 1852.231-71, Determination of Compensation Reasonableness, shall complete and submit Exhibits 13A and 13B, which should be included with the Prime Offeror’s or JV Entity's Cost Volume proposal. However, Non-Significant service subcontractors may submit Exhibits 13A and 13B, if deemed proprietary cost data, under separate cover directly to the Government no later than the date and time specified in the instructions for receipt of proposals for this RFP.

The Cost Volume exhibits provided in the RFP are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Prior to completing the Cost Volume exhibits, Offerors shall convert the .PDF file to Microsoft Office Excel either using Adobe Acrobat DC or manually recreate each individual exhibit. (Note: Previous versions of Adobe Acrobat will not properly convert the PDF file to the Excel format.) To convert the exhibits using Adobe Acrobat DC use the following steps:

(1) Open the Cost Volume exhibits .PDF file in Adobe Acrobat DC.

(2) Click on the Export PDF tool in the right pane.

(3) Choose spreadsheet as your export format, and then select Microsoft Excel Workbook.

(a) Under the “Save As XLSX Settings” window, ensure that following selections are made:

(i) Under Excel Workbook Settings ensure “Create Worksheet for each Page” is selected.

(ii) Under Numeric Settings ensure “Detect decimal and thousands of separators using regional settings.”

(iii) Under Text Recognition Settings ensure “Recognize text if needed” is selected.

1. Ensure “English” is the selected language.

b. Click “OK”

(4) Click Export.

(5) Name the Excel file and save it in a desired location.

All pricing and estimating techniques shall be clearly explained in detail (projections, rates, ratios, percentages, factors, etc.) and shall support the proposed costs in such a manner that audit, computation, and verification can be accomplished. All past actuals shall show the periods of time and costs in detail when used as a basis for estimating the proposed costs.

To establish the reasonableness and realism of the proposed costs, and the extent to which costs reflect performance addressed in the Mission Suitability Volume proposal, each Offeror, including proposed Significant Subcontractors and Non-Significant Subcontractors, shall submit the required other than certified cost or pricing data (exhibits and supporting narrative) set forth in this provision. These data requirements differ by Prime Offeror, JV Entity, JV partner, Significant Subcontractors, and Non-Significant Subcontractors as indicated in Section (b) below.

(b) Cost Volume Proposal Format – The Offeror shall provide a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet portion of its cost proposal with all formulas remaining intact.

(1) DIRECT AND INDIRECT RATE SUBSTANTIATION

If salary surveys were used as the basis for the proposed direct labor rates, provide a summarization of all salary surveys used, including the name, date of survey, geography, survey labor categories, survey percentiles, and survey salaries. If proposing a salary lower than the median, identify the median and provide rationale.

Indicate how you have computed and applied your indirect cost rates, including cost breakdowns. Show numerical trends and budgetary data to provide a basis for evaluating the reasonableness of pool costs and base projections. It is important that rate pool components are clearly defined and reasonably estimated, that projections regarding future sales are fully supported and are reasonable in their estimation, and that completed/expiring contracts are properly accounted for as reductions in the business base projections.