SPRBL1-21-R-0013 (G2S) Attachment 0004 - Questions and Answers (2021-09-02).pdf

G2S Attachment 0004 – Questions and Answers

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0001 1 Has the Government kept a record of large businesses interested in competing for this opportunity and can the list be provided to small businesses interested in partnering with large businesses?

The Government cannot disclose a list of interested parties for the solicitation.

0001 2 Our company falls under the Non-Standard Equipment category, do we need a MCN assigned, or would that be assigned if we are selected?

The Management Control Number (MCN) mentioned in the solicitation and Exhibit A - Statement of Work (SOW) is a number assigned by the Government to a Non-Standard Equipment item, not a company. A MCN is 13-characters, similar to a National Stock Number (NSN) except that the seventh character would be a letter instead of a number, which would be a code letter representing the activity that requested the assignment of the MCN. Additional information regarding MCNs can be found in Army Regulation 708–1 (https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r(708-1)_Web_FINAL.pdf) and Army Pamphlet 708–1 (https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN19765_P708_1_FINAL.pdf).

0001 3 Is the MCN something that will be provided prior to submitting a proposal? All of the items on the C5ISR Gateway to Sustainment (G2S) solicitation SPRBL1-21-R-0013 Attachment 0001 Price Evaluation List (PEL) have a National Stock Number (NSN) assigned; none of these items have a separate the Management Control Number (MCN) assigned.

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0001 4 Are the only items under consideration those on the PEL? Would we be considered if we submit a proposal for these items?

Recommend reading the C5ISR Gateway to Sustainment (G2S) solicitation SPRBL1-21-R-0013 in its entirety. The Price Evaluation List (PEL) is a sample list of C5ISR items for the solicitation, not the full list of potential C5ISR items. The scope is expected to include much more than just SATCOM terminals or Non-Standard Equipment. As described in the solicitation, future C5ISR supplies/services would normally be competed amongst the G2S contract awardees. The proposal requirements are outlined in the solicitation.

0001 5 Centron Industries, a potential source of supply for items on the PEL is listed in SAM with exclusion proceedings pending (https://sam.gov/exclusions-new?pirKey=421412&pirValue=1622210810635993)

While Centron Industries currently has an active exclusion with proceedings pending which could affect their eligibility future G2S delivery/task orders, note that the Government owned Technical Data Packages (TDPs) are being made available as outlined in the solicitation for the items on the PEL. Please refer to the solicitation Section M.2.3.1.1 for details regarding the evaluation for responsibilities for future G2S delivery/task orders.

0001 6 DCX-CHOL (CAGE Code: 27456), a potential source of supply for items on the PEL is listed in SAM with exclusion proceedings pending (https://sam.gov/exclusions-new?pirKey=423031&pirValue=1623927006677953)

While DCX-CHOL (CAGE Code: 27456) currently has an active exclusion with proceedings pending which could affect their eligibility future G2S delivery/task orders, note that the Government owned Technical Data Packages (TDPs) are being made available as outlined in the solicitation for the items on the PEL. Please refer to the solicitation Section M.2.3.1.1 for details regarding the evaluation for responsibilities for future G2S delivery/task orders.

0001 7 Is the solicitation currently posted to SAM a draft version? No, the solicitation currently posted to SAM a not a draft version.

0001 8 Are Offerors allowed to include past performance from their G2S team member's to satisfy the requirements of the solicitation sections referenced above or must it be based on contracts/orders performed only by the offeror?

Please refer to the solicitation Section M.3.2 for details regarding the evaluation for joint ventures.

0001 9 Reference - Columns M and V (of the PEL): The FY2022 quantities are less than the initial/first shipment. Does the initial/first shipment reflected in column V reflect the quantity initially ordered under a previous contract and not related to this procurement? If not, then what is the reason for the difference in quantity?

As noted in the header for Column M, it contains Procurement Quantity Estimates that may or may not match-up exactly with the Initial/First Shipment Quantities listed in Column V due to the different sources of data available to the Government. Note that space is provided in Column EE where a G2S Offeror may proposed a different Initial/First Shipment Quantity.

0001 10 Reference - Attachment 0001 - PEL: If the items are not available for purchase, is the contractor to propose re-manufacturing of the item?

Column AE provides some market research information for convenience and Column AR provides First Article Test (FAT) approved source information. However, since all of the items in the PEL have a Government owned Technical Data Package (PEL), if the item cannot be procured from one of these sources or if the Offeror chooses, the item should be priced based on a new source with the applicable Columns completed for the Offeror proposal information.

0001 11 Reference - Attachment 0001 - PEL : Does the Government intend to purchase items off of the PEL after award without discussion or competition?

Refer to the solicitation Sections L.5 and M.5 of the solicitation as well as Attachment 0003 for a description of the Post-Award Ordering Process for PEL items that might be added to a Rapid Ordering Catalog at the time of award.

0001 12 Reference - Solicitation M.5.2: Would the Government allow SDVOSBs to propose 60% of the PEL instead of 70%?

No, please refer to the evaluation requirements listed in Section M of the solicitation.

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0001 13 Reference - Solicitation M.1.3: The Government will evaluate Small Business Offerors, Small Business Offerors with Socioeconomic Status, and Other-than-Small-Business Offerors separately and alike, as defined throughout the evaluation criteria. Does the Government intend, or would they consider, evaluating offerors by socio-economic status (i.e. Group 1: HUBZone, Group 2 SDVOSB, Group 3 WOSB etc.) instead of all offerors with socio-economic status together?

No, please refer to the evaluation requirements listed in Section M of the solicitation.

0001 14 Reference - Solicitation M.1.2: The Government intends to award multiple contracts from this solicitation. How many awards does the Government intend to make to small, socio-economic, and other than small businesses?

The solicitation includes a reservation for one or more small business awardees, not a specific number.

0001 15 Due to the time to obtain the TDPs, answers to questions, and the time to identify sources of supply for PEL items, will the Government grant a 30-day extension?

The Government does not anticipate an extension at this time. If an extension were granted, it would be made part of an amendment to the solicitation.

0001 16 Reference - Solicitation L.3.3: Instructions for Past Performance Proposal include “To show that the example is currently active or awarded within 3 years of the RFP issuance/opening date” Would the Government consider amending this requirement to allow any contract having performance within the past 3 years from the RFP date?

An example currently active within 3 years of the RFP issuance/opening date is a contract having performance within 3 years of the RFP issuance/opening date.

0001 17 Reference - Solicitation Section L.2.1: Section L states for all volumes that "Any and all annexes, documentation, attachments, etc. that are submitted by the Offeror will count against the page limitation." Will the Government allow Glossaries, acronym lists, Cross-reference matrices, appendices, and supporting document/certificates to be exempt from th page limitation?

As noted in the solicitation, the only pages that will not count against the page limitation are a cover page and any table of contents pages.

0001 18 Reference - Solicitation Section K: Does the Government want the Offerors to complete Section K - Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors with their proposal submission? If so, should this be included as a separate document?

As noted in the solicitation Narrative A0001, a complete proposal package would include the Standard Form 33 solicitation document with page 1 blocks 16, 17 and 18 completed/signed and all fill-in information entered where required throughout the solicitation, including the applicable entries in Section K.

0001 19 Reference - Solicitation Section L.1.10: Would the Government permit the use of larger size pages, such as 11" X 17" for tables or figures?

All pages shall meet the size limits listed in Section L.1.10 of the solicitation with legible text using a font with a 12-point size type or larger for all body text.

0001 20 Reference - Solicitation Section L.1.10: Would the Government permit the use of 8 or 10-point fonts for tables and figures?

Section L.1.10 of the solicitation requires font with a 12-point size type or larger for all body text.

Non-body text such as that included in tables and figures would not be subject to this size requirement but would need to be legible.

0001 21 Reference - Solicitation Section L.3.2: "If a long-term contract had more than one order, those orders may be used as examples for the base contract, however a base contract and any associated orders may only be counted one time towards the list of four (4) separate contracts/orders."

Would the Government confirm that Task/Deliver Orders awarded under broad scope MAC IDIQs that supported different customers/scope will be treated as separate past performances and counted as separate contracts/orders?

Multiple Task/Delivery Orders awarded under a broad scope Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery- Indefinite Quantity contract may be cited but that contract would only count as a single example as noted in Section L.3.2 of the solicitation.

0001 22 Reference - Solicitation Section L.3.2: "To be recent the contracts/orders must have been completed within 3 years of the RFP issuance/opening date."

To promote more small business participation, would the Government consider changing the recency from 3 to 5 years?

This requirement is the same for both Small and Other-Than-Small (i.e., Large) Business Offerors.

0001 23 Reference - Solicitation Section L.3.2: Please confirm that the list of 4 Offeror's past performances include those from our team, Subcontractors' past performances in the past performance citations?

As noted in Section L.3.2 of the solicitation, the Government will not consider any contracts/orders substantially (more than fifty percent (50%)) completed or performed by subcontractors for the requirements listed in the past performance proposal.

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0001 24 Reference - Solicitation Section L.4.1.3: Please confirm that the Small Business Participation Proposal should only contain percentages and no dollar amounts.

Yes, since this Request for Proposal (RFP) is anticipated to result in Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite- Quantity (IDIQ) multiple-award contracts, Section L.4.1.3 of the solicitation requires the Offeror to provide a Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) that explains its plan to maintain a minimum of forty percent (40%) of the total awarded order dollar value throughout the life of the contract to small business. This is based on a percentage, not a dollar amounts, because the total award price is not fixed with IDIQ multiple-award contracts.

0001 25 Reference - Solicitation Section C: DLAD PROC NOTE C04 Paragraph states "To be considered for award, the offeror must complete and submit the following representation with their offer. Additional supporting documentation to demonstrate the surplus material offered was previously owned by the Government and meets solicitation requirements must be provided within 24 hours of request by the contracting officer."

If Offerors have unused former Government surplus property to report, 1) does the Government want this representation to be submitted as a separate document. 2) If not, which volume should we submit this under? 3) If it's part of an existing volume, can this representation be included as an Appendix and be exempt from page count?

As noted in the solicitation Narrative A0001, a complete proposal package would include the Standard Form 33 solicitation document with page 1 blocks 16, 17 and 18 completed/signed and all fill-in information entered where required throughout the solicitation, including the applicable entries in DLAD PROC NOTE C04. If Offerors have unused former Government surplus property to report that exceeds the space available within the body of the solicitation DLAD PROC NOTE C04, additional completed copies of DLAD PROC NOTE C04 may be submitted as attachments to its proposal Volume 4 along with the completed copy of the Price Evaluation List (PEL) Excel file and would not count against any page limit for Volume 4 of the proposal.

0001 26 Reference - Solicitation Section C: Does the Government require one (1) DLAD PROC NOTE C04 unused former Government surplus property representation from each Offeror or one for each applicable PEL?

If all of the supplies proposed in the completed Price Evaluation List (PEL) are new, unused, and n of such age or so deteriorated as to impair its usefulness or safety (i.e., Yes to the first question in DLAD PROC NOTE C04), this need only be completed once in the completed/signed copy of the Standard Form 33 solicitation document. Refer to Question Number 24 for additional information if needed.

0001 27 Backbone International is listed in the PEL for many items as a suggested source and there are some concerns with the qualifications of this company.

Column AE provides some market research information for convenience. As noted on the PEL, these are the Names/CAGE Codes for any companies identified during the Government’s previous market research as possible manufacturing sources for each item. As noted on the PEL, this information is provided as a courtesy, not to be considered an endorsement by the Government.

These companies are not listed by the Government as “suggested sources”.

0002 28 Refence - SF33: In order to comply with FAR 15.208 Submission, Modification, Revision and Withdrawal of Proposals and benefit from the intent of this clause, Offerors will be required to submit proposals on Friday, August 27, 2021 prior to 5:00 p.m. which will decrease the overall response time for proposal submission by three calendar days. In accordance with the FAR clause, we respectfully request the Government consider an extension of at least one additional business/working day to 31 August 2021.

The solicitation amendment 0002 extends the closing to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 10, 2021 and the narrative A0001 was updated accordingly. The Government does not anticipate any further extensions.

0002 29 Reference - Section A Page 3: Will the Government consider requests for equitable adjustment and/or revised pricing for global economic situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic experienced over this last year during which material supplies may be scarce an prices substantially increased if evidence and supporting documentation is provided to show the higher rates are fair and reasonable?

As noted in the solicitation narrative, the pricing for any items awarded from the Price Evaluation List (PEL) will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP) ceiling prices in the resultant contract.

0002 30 Reference - Section F Page 26: Will the Government consider Performance Review standards that are aligned to the CPAR ratings provided in FAR 42.15 to allow for Contractors to achieve performance assessments higher than Satisfactory when exceeding the performance requirements?

The G2S solicitation contains some performance standards that are unique and in addition to the Contractor Performance Assessment Review (CPAR) ratings provided in FAR 42.15. Any contract awarded as a result of the G2S solicitation will still be subject to annual CPAR System (CPARS) reviews that allow for Contractors to achieve performance assessments higher than Satisfactory when exceeding the performance requirements.

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0002 31 Reference - Section H Page 26: Will the addition of Primes through On-Ramp procedures be an opportunity for current G2S Prime Contractors to update pricing based on the situations referenced to include industry consolidation, significant changes in marketplace or advances in technology, general economic conditions?

The addition of Primes through On-Ramp procedures will not be an opportunity for current G2S Prime Contractors to update pricing for any items already under their existing contract (e.g., Rapid Ordering Catalog or Rapid Ordering Catalog Supplement items).

0002 32 Reference - Section M (M.5.5) Page 122: Please confirm our understanding is correct that proposed pricing for line items that are NOT commonly offered will not be evaluated or incorporated into an Offeror's contract award. If any items on the PEL list not commonly offered or included in the total evaluated price are later solicited after award through the Order RFP process, the G2S Prime Contractors will have an opportunity to submit new prices for those items.

Any proposed pricing for line items that are NOT commonly offered will not be included in the Total Evaluated Price for comparative evaluation of offers. However, the Government may choose to incorporate any fair and reasonable offers from the PEL into a Rapid Ordering Catalog with ceiling prices for an individual contract whether or not it was found to be commonly offered and included in the Total Evaluated Price.

0002 33 Will the USG extend the solicitation beyond 30-AUG-21? Refer to the Answer for Question #28 above.

0002 34 How many awards are being considered for this program? The solicitation includes a reservation for one or more small business awardees, not a specific number of total awards.

0002 35 We continue to be challenged by the JCP process. We have received three different sets of instructions with the most recent being that a DIBBS and an SPRS account are both required to start the JCP process. To establish the DIBBS account, validation of the corporate address requires post card validation through the U.S. mail. I have requested the post card be sent twice but so far, we have not received it. With regards SPRS, our account shows the status as pending approval. I have contacted the SPRS help desk but have not received a response.

We have partnered with another interested party who has JCP certification. Will the Offerors proposal be evaluated to confirm that it provided a current Joint Certification Program (JCP) Certificate?

The solicitation narrative L0001 requires the Offeror to provide a copy of its current Joint Certification Program (JCP) Certificate with its proposal.

0002 36 If our subcontractor holds the JCP Certificate and has the TDPs would it be acceptable to submit their JCP Certificate with our proposal?

The solicitation narrative L0001 requires the Offeror to provide a copy of its current Joint Certification Program (JCP) Certificate with its proposal, not subcontractor JCP Certificate(s).

0002 37 Key Personnel are not defined in the solicitation. Are the key personnel mentioned in solicitation sections L.2.3.1.1 and M.2.3.1.1 related to the MAC IDIQ or will they be identified at the Task Order level?

This being a part of the Program Management Plan Sub-Sub Factor refers to the Offeror's key program management personnel. The solicitation for award of the G2S contract(s) does not identify key personnel. Future competitive Order RFPs may include additional information , if applicable to that Order.

0002 38 Does the government anticipate Task Orders will be issued for the purchase of services only? If yes, could the government provide a precent breakdown of how many Task Order are anticipated to be issued for Services only versus for System/Material purchases?

The Government normally issues Delivery Orders that are primarily for Supplies and Task Orders that are primarily for Services. The Government cannot provide a precent breakdown/estimate for each. However, the initial order(s) with contract award(s) will be Delivery Order(s) for Supplies since there are not any priced Service Task Order(s) proposed with the initial award(s). Also, it is anticipated that the ratio of Supplies/Services could fluctuate but expecting initially a larger number of Supplies.

0002 39 Could the government provide a Sample Task Order that would represent a typical Task Order that would be released on the MAC IDIQ for awardees to bid on?

A Sample Task Order RFP is not included in the G2S solicitation.

0002 40 Will you send out a copy of the preproposal conference presentation slides prior to the meeting or will the Government provide the slides and Q&A responses after the meeting?

The Government is planning to provide the slides and Q&A responses after the meeting in an amendment to the solicitation.

0002 41 Most C5ISR equipment orders are drop shipped via other DLA contracts. Inspection, when required, is completed at the manufacturer/subcontractor or at the government destination. Will that be the case for this contract?

As with the Price Evaluation List (PEL), future Delivery Order RFPs for Supplies would specify either Government Source (e.g., Contractor facility) or Destination (e.g., Government Depot) Inspection.

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0002 42 Past performance requirements: In Section L.3.2, the RFP states “The Government will no consider any contracts/orders substantially (more than fifty percent (50%)) completed or performed by subcontractors for the requirements listed in this Past Performance Proposal (Volume 2).” This seems to prevent non-manufacturer small business contractors from relying on their past performance of supply orders, as only a manufacturer could perform more than 50% of the work under an order for supplies. Does the subcontractor performance limitation refer only to past performance of services (i.e., orders similar to the Services CLINs (1001, 1002, etc.))?

The Past Performance evaluation is to evaluate the G2S Offeror, not strictly the Past Performance of its subcontractors. Per solicitation Section L.3.2, The Government will not consider any contracts/orders substantially (more than fifty percent (50%)) completed or performed by subcontractors for the requirements listed in this Past Performance Proposal (Volume 2).

The solicitation Sections L.3.2 and M.3.5 have been updated to clarify that this is for contracts/orders "managed or performed" by subcontractors as opposed to "completed or performed" by subcontractors to help avoid the appearance of placing non-manufacturers at a disadvantage.

0002 43 Past performance requirements: In Section L.3.2, the RFP states “Offerors proposing as a joint venture may provide examples from either or both of the companies that make-up the joint venture but are still limited to and required to submit a total of four (4) recent and relevant contracts/orders.” Will the Government also consider past performance of the subcontractor members of prime-sub contractor teaming arrangements that are not joint ventures?

The Past Performance evaluation is to evaluate the G2S Offeror, not strictly the Past Performance of its subcontractors. Also refer to the Answer for Question #42 above.

0002 44 Past performance requirements: CFR 125.2 (g) Capabilities, past performance, and experience. When an offer of a small business prime contractor includes a proposed team of small business subcontractors and specifically identifies the first-tier subcontractor(s) in the proposal, the head of the agency must consider the capabilities, past performance, and experience of each first tier subcontractor that is part of the team as the capabilities, past performance, and experience of the small business prime contractor if the capabilities, past performance, and experience of the small business prime does not independently demonstrate capabilities and past performance necessary for award.

Refer to the Answer for Question #42 above.

0002 45 Will the government include a non-manufacturer rule waiver for G2S small businesses? A non-manufacturer rule waiver is not applicable to the G2S solicitation.

0002 46 Page 2 states “Kind of Contract: Supply Contracts and Priced Orders.” Throughout the solicitation, “incidental services” and “services” are mentioned. Because this is a supplies contract, do you anticipate all services to be incidental to the supplies? How much of the orders will be supplies? How much will be services? Do you anticipate issuing service only orders or include as incidental services in conjunction with a supplies purchase?

G2S is for supplies & Services, not just Supplies. Refer to the Answer for Question #38 above for more information.

0002 47 Should stand alone services not incidental to the supply purchase be procured through CECOM’s RS3 services contract?

G2S is not designed to take the place of the the Army Contracting Command RS3 (Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services) services contract(s).

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0002 48 Language from other DLA supplies contract: Incidental services are standard commercial services that the contractor may be asked to perform in connection with supplying items under the scope of the contract. Such services engage the time and effort of the contractor to perform an identifiable task in addition to furnishing an end item supplied. Performing such services does not change the primary purpose of the contract from a supply to a service contract. What constitutes an incidental service is fact specific and will be a function of factors such as type of service, amount charged for the service, dollar amount charged for the supplies, existence of a close relationship between the service and the item supplied, and the time required to perform the service. Incidental services are usually requested at the same time the item of supply is ordered and will generally have a separate line item requesting the services. Whether a service is “incidental” or not will be determined by the Contracting Officer prior to placing such order for the incidental service.

Generally, incidental services are services that do not exceed the value of the product itself in the case of a Delivery Order for Supplies. Refer to the Answer for Question #46 above for more information.

0002 49 Section L.5.13 mentions orders “may be DX rated or DO rated”. Will all orders have a DPAS rating or just some? Is there an estimate of how many will be DX, DO or unrated?

Most but not all orders are expected to have a DPAS rating. There is not an estimate of how many will be DX, DO or unrated.

0002 50 Section A “Security Clearance/Classification Requirements” mentions there may be classified requirements at the order level but form DD 254 is not specifically mentioned.

Please confirm that classified requirements with a DD 254 can be executed at the deliver order level.

If a DD 254 is required, it will be incorporated into the future Order RFP and resultant Order. The PEL does not include any items that require a DD 254. Therefore, a DD 254 is not included in the G2S solicitation.

0002 51 RFP Section A, Source Restrictions: The DFARS clauses listed have different requirements with respect to domestic sources and sources from qualified and designated countries, with DFARS 252.225-7001 being most restrictive and DFARS 252.225-7021 being the least restrictive. Will the Government clarify the criteria for when each of the DFARS clauses listed in this RFP section will apply?

As noted in the solicitation, Contractors must be aware of which provision applies to each item at the time that they submit their offer.

0002 52 RFP Section C, Purchasing System Reviews: The prescription for the Purchasing System Reviews clause states that the clause is used “when a tailored logistics support contract relies on the contractor’s purchasing system to verify that the contractor competed the items or services or to justify that prices are fair and reasonable”. Under the resulting contracts, firm fixed price delivery orders for supplies will be competed among the multiple awardees, and the price will be justified as reasonable based on competition between the MAC awardees. Therefore, is the Purchasing System Reviews clause only applicable to cost-plus task orders or firm fixed price delivery orders for supplies awarded without competition?

Please note that the solicitation does not include DLAD Proc Note C08. RFP Section C, Purchasing System Reviews, may be used at the Contracting Officer's discretion regardless of whether the award is a cost-plus task order or a firm-fixed-price delivery order for supplies awarded without competition.

0002 53 RFP Section F, Purchasing System Reviews: Based on the FAR clause prescription at 44.204(a)(1), are purchasing system reviews only applicable to cost reimbursement task orders?

FAR Clause 52.244-2 must be included when required pursuant to FAR 44.204(a)(1).

0002 54 RFP Section H, Small Business Commitment Document: Will small business participation dollars be counted below the first subcontracting tier? Can the minimum 40% small business participation requirement exclude delivery orders for supplies procurable only from Government-approved sources that are other than small businesses?

The Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) can include any subcontracting tier. As noted in the solicitation, this is separate from the Small Business Subcontracting Plan required for other-than-small-business Offerors. The solicitation will be amended to clarify that the minimum 40% small business participation requirement is Excluding orders procurable only from a Government directed source that is an other-than-small business. Solicitation narratives A0001, F0001, H0001, L0001 and M0001 have been updated accordingly.

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0002 55 RFP Section I, Contract Clauses: Will the Government uncheck FAR clauses 52.204-14 and 52.204-15, since the resulting contracts will be predominantly for supplies and not services (ref. RFP Section A, Kind of Contract)?

The Government will not uncheck FAR clauses 52.204-14 and 52.204-15. Refer to the Answer for Question #46 above for more information.

0002 56 RFP Section I, Contract Clauses: Will the Government confirm that FAR 52.215-22 and FAR 52.215-23 only apply to task orders that exceed the threshold for certified cost or pricing data except for fixed price task or delivery orders for commercial items and fixed price task or delivery orders awarded on the basis of adequate price competition as prescribed by FAR 15.408(n)?

FAR 52.215-22 and FAR 52.215-23 are applicable as prescribed in 15.408(n)(1) and FAR 15.408(n)(2), respectively.

0002 57 RFP L.1.9: RFP L.1.9 states that the Offeror shall include a completed and signed copy of the RFP, and any associated amendments. The Offeror shall also include a cover letter on company letterhead as part of the proposal submission. The cover letter must contain a statement committing the Offerors firm to the proposal, stating its validity for a period of at least one hundred and eighty (180) days after the final closing date of the solicitation, and providing a listing of any exceptions to the RFP that are addressed throughout the proposal. The letter should also include the name, title, phone number, and e-mail address for the person(s) authorized to negotiate with the Government in connection with the proposal. The letter must be signed by a responsible officer or partner/principal of the firm that is authorized to bind the organization contractually.

The letter must also contain a statement that the proposal meets the requirements of the

RFP.

Please confirm that Offerors should submit the Cover Letter as part of a separate document (not incorporated with Volumes 1-4) that also includes the entirety of the RFP with completed fill-ins and signatures.

Solicitation narrative A0001 has been updated to reflect that this cover letter is part of the complete proposal package. Solicitation narrative L.1.9 has been updated to reflect that this cover letter for the complete proposal package is not counted against any other applicable page limits for the individual proposal volumes. This is in addition to the completed/signed RFP and four proposal volumes.

0002 58 RFP L.1.10: RFP L.1.10 states that PDF pages should not exceed 8-1/2 inches in width by 11 inches in height with at least one-inch margins on all sides, using a font with a 12- point size type or larger for all body text. Text used in the proposal is at the discretion of the Offeror but should maintain a legible font and size.

Please confirm that tables and graphics fall outside the definition of “body text” and that a font size lower than 12 point in tables and graphics as long as it meets the requirement for a “legible font and size.”

Refer to the Answer for Question #20 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

0002 59 RFP L.2: RFP L.2 states that each paragraph will be verified to be separated by at least one blank line. Any and all annexes, documentation, attachments, etc. that are submitted by the Offeror will count against the page limitation. The following will not count against the page limitation: cover page and any table of contents pages.

Will the Government exempt Lists of Figures, Lists of Tables, Acronym Lists and Compliance Matrices from page count restrictions?

Refer to the Answer for Question #17 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

0002 60 RFP L.2.3.1: Will the Government allow the current ISO 9001:2015 Certificate from the International Standards Organization (ISO) and Joint Certification Program (JCP) Certificate to be provided as an attachment to Volume 1, outside of page count?

Refer to the Answer for Question #17 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

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0002 61 RFP M.1.3: Since the Government will reserve one or more contract awards for small business concerns, will the Government conduct a separate evaluation among small business Offerors to ensure that at least one is selected and to prevent an offer from a small business concern displacing a higher ranked offer from an other than small business concern?

Refer to the Answer for Question #14 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

0002 62 RFP M.5.5: Will the Government only evaluate PEL items that are commonly priced by all Offerors in the competitive range including offers from HUB Zone small business concerns, other small business concerns, and other than small business concerns?

Refer to the Answer for Question #32 above.

0002 63 RFP M.5.8: In M.5.8 the Government will determine the Total Evaluated Price using the following methodology:

-- The Government has calculated three Quantity Ranges per item for each year of the proposed contract (Years 1-10) based on the minimum, average and maximum estimated quantities (Using the current data available for Years 1-5).

-- The Average Annual Unit Price per Quantity Range will be calculated for Years 1 through 10 (Formulas embedded into the PEL).

-- The Weighted Average Unit Price per Item will then be calculated by applying a weighting of 25% to Quantity Range 1, 50% to Quantity Range 2 and 25% to Quantity Range 3 (Formulas embedded into the PEL).

-- The Estimated Total Price per Item will be calculated by adding the FAT price if applicable to the Weighted Average Unit Price per Item (Formulas embedded into the PEL).

-- The Total Evaluated Price will be determined by adding the Estimated Total Price per Item for all commonly offered line items in the PEL for the base period and option periods. The commonly offered line items are line items on the PEL where all Offerors submitted.

Since the proposed price for first article testing (FAT) is a lump sum price that is added to the price of each order not to each item ordered, we believe that the PEL spreadsheet incorrectly calculates an Estimated Total Price per Item by adding the proposed FAT price to the Weighted Average Unit Price per Item. In order to accurately reflect the price for FAT at the unit level, can the Government instead divide the proposed FAT price by the average estimated order quantity then add this value to Weighted Average Unit Price per Item to calculate the Estimated Total Price per Item?

Offerors should insert any proposed lump sum price for FAT in the PEL column EC.

0002 64 Exhibit A 1.6: Section 1.6 states: Any such additions or deletion made by DLA Land Aberdeen may result in a significant increase or decrease in the Government’s estimated contract value. Any such change shall not be the basis for a request for equitable adjustment or claim, shall not result in Government liability to the Contractor, and shall not affect the stated minimum guaranteed ordering amounts.

Will the Government confirm that the PEL ceiling prices are only applicable to the quantity ranges listed in the PEL spreadsheet, assuming that the quantity ranges refer to th order quantity per individual delivery order?

As note in solicitation section M.5.7, Items evaluated by the Government to have fair and reasonable pricing may be incorporated into the resultant contract(s) as part of a Rapid Ordering Catalog. The Rapid Ordering Catalog would include the negotiated quantity ranges in addition to the prices.

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0002 65 Government Provided TDPs: Per RFP section M.5, TDP provided will be required to source and price a subset of the 67 PEL NSNs.

What are the Government distribution requirements for Government-owned G2S TDPs?

Are actual and/or potential subcontractors and suppliers required to have JCP certification prior to receiving TDP from Offerors?

Refer to the solicitation narrative A0001 Technical Data Package (TDP) Receipt Instructions.

0002 66 How do we determine which items require a FAT and which do not?

Initially we were using column AC which is the Gov’t required FAT lead time which should be N/A if FAT is not required however please see example of contradicting data below:

-- Line 7 shows FAT required in 275 days in column AC however column AR titled FAT Waived Source shows: None (FAT is not required) -- Line 32 is blank in column AC

The PEL has been revised to correct column AC for PEL Line Item Number 7, 18, 30, 31 and 32.

Also, column AR has been updated for PEL Line Item Number 30 and 31.

0002 67 Where do we find the FAT Qty required? Refer to the individual Technical Data Packages (TDPs) for FAT quantity requirements.

0002 68 How is the Gov’t required Initial First Shipment Qty calculated (column V)?

-- On some lines the First Shipment Qty is significantly higher than the annual demand Qtys listed in columns M-T (i.e. Line #4) -- On some lines the First Shipment Qty is significantly lower than the annual demand Qtys listed in columns M-T (i.e. Line #10)

Refer to the Answer for Question #9 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

0002 69 How were the Government Quantity Ranges we are being asked to price for 10 years calculated?

In some cases these Qty ranges do not coincide with Annual demand Qty, Initial Shipment Qty, & Follow on delivery Qtys -- For example item #4 shows an annual demand of 32, Initial shipment & follow on Qty is 200 RL (reels), and Qty Ranges to price are 9- 57

Refer to the Answer for Question #9 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

0002 70 Under Section L.3 Past Performance Proposal (Volume 2); Will the Government consider changing the requirement of the “recent contracts/orders must have been completed within 3 years of the RFP issuance” to within 5 or 7 years of the RFP issuance?

Per solicitation Section L.3.2, To be recent the contracts/orders must have been completed within 3 years of the RFP issuance/opening date.

0002 71 Under Section L.3 Past Performance Proposal (Volume 2); Can an Offeror use their team member/subcontractor past performance?

Refer to the Answers for Questions #42, 43 and 44 above.

0002 72 Under Section L.3 Past Performance Proposal (Volume 2); If the Offeror has one Contract that provided the Services listed in L.3.2 and provided items listed in the Price Evaluation List, can the Offeror use the same contract (e.g., using one contract in 2 references) for both examples?

Per solicitation Section L.3.2, If a long-term contract had more than one order, those orders may be used as examples for the base contract, however a base contract and any associated orders may only be counted one time towards the list of four (4) separate contracts/orders.

0002 73 Under Section L.4. Small Business Participation Proposal (Volume 3); If the Offeror is a Small Business (SB), does the SB Offeror need to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan? Does the SB Offeror need to meet the SB goal percentages that are listed in L.4.2.2?

Per the solicitation Section L.4.2.2 the L.4.2.2 Small Business Subcontracting Plans is required to b submitted by Other-Than-Small (i.e., Large) Business Offerors.

The small business goal percentages listed in the solicitation Section L.4.2.2 are not applicable to th separate Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) decribed in the Solicitation Section L.4.1.

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0002 74 Under Section F and Section I, Purchasing System Reviews, DFARS 252.244-7001; If an Offeror is a Small Business, they would likely not have an acceptable/approved purchasin system by DCMA. Will the Government consider removing this DFAR clause or add language that the SB Offeror will have time to get this approved after award. DCMA will not evaluate a Small Business purchasing system, if the Small Business doesn’t have a contract value that supports the need for an acceptable/approved purchasing system by

DCMA.

Refer to the Answer for Question #53 above.

0002 75 Reference: For the Pricing Volume, “Other than small business” Contractors are required to price 85% of the PEL. Section L states:

L.5.5PEL Proposal Requirements: An Offeror that does not meet the required minimum percentages below will have its proposal rejected. Refer to the SOW for the Proposal Requirements Quote Rate Performance Metric after award for future competitive RFPs.

-- Historically Under-utilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Business Offerors: Must provide proposed prices for at least 60% of the PEL items. Note that, while lower limit is being applied to HUBZone Small Business Offerors, a HUBZone price evaluation preference is not applicable to this RFP because it is intended to result in multiple-award contracts and includes a reservation for one or more small business awardees.

-- Small Business Offerors (Other than HUBZone): Must provide proposed prices for at least 70% of the PEL items.

-- Other-Than-Small (i.e., Large) Business Offerors: Must provide proposed prices for at least 85% of the PEL items.

Question:

-- Is the intent of this requirement to show bidder ability to execute a large, multiple item supply task order? If so, can the government give an estimate (or range) of the PEL scope (number of items by FSC) that the awarded contract for large businesses will include?

Contractor is concerned that a sample of 67 items does not adequately represent the scope that will be required of a large MAC awardee.

-- The list of FSCs supported by this program are quite diverse. (Engines to Antennae to Comm equipment suites. Will the MAC Awardee be required to support a large number of FSC codes, or is the scope of each task order be more aligned to like/similar systems and technologies?

As noted in the solicitation Section L.5.1 the PEL is considered a representative sample of hardware items that may be required throughout the duration of the contract. These are items presently known to have forecasted demands as estimated on the PEL.

As noted in the solicitation narrative A0001, this RFP is anticipated to result in IDIQmultiple-award contracts to purchase a wide range of C5ISR supplies and services. There is not a limit as to specific Federal Supply Class (FSC) Codes. Other than the FSC Codes of the items on the PEL, any future Order RFPs would specify the FSC applicable to that RFP for Standard Equipment, Products with a National Stock Number (NSN) assigned.

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0002 76 Reference: For the Past Performance Volume, the government is asking for 4 program/contract citations. Section L states:

L.3.2 To assist the Government in evaluating past performance, the Offeror shall provide a list of four (4) separate example contracts/orders that are both recent and relevant, commercial or Government. If a long-term contract had more than one order, those orders may be used as examples for the base contract, however a base contract and any associated orders may only be counted one time towards the list of four (4) separate contracts/orders.

Question:

-- If the bidder includes less than 4 relevant past performance citations, will they be disqualified from the multiple award?

-- Can a small business prime include past performance from its large business team-mate?

The solicitation Section L.3.2 and M.3.2 have been updated to reflect that it is "up to four (4)" separate example contracts/orders. But please note that the solicitation Section M.3.8 Past Performance Evaluation Rating is assigned as a whole to the Offerors proposal taking into account all of the Past Performance information so it is recommended to submit four (4) separate examples if possible to assist the Government in evaluating past performance as described in Section L.3.2.

Also refer to the Answer for Question #43 above.

0002 77 Question: Technical Data Packages may be needed by the bidder to insure pricing accuracy for the Pricing Volume. Since these require an NDA to be processed, and quotes to be issued to the TDP OEM(s), will the government consider extending the submittal date for the proposal by 30 days?

Refer to the Answer for Question #28 above.

0002 78 Question: Have you considered publishing an attendee list following the pre-proposal conference?

Refer to the Answer for Question #1 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

0002 79 Question: Can teaming partners past performance be used in a proposal submittal? Per solicitation Section L.3.2, Offerors proposing as a joint venture may provide examples from either or both of the companies that make-up the joint venture.

Per the solicitation narrative A0001, Refer to FAR 52.207-6 for the definition of a Small Business Teaming Arrangement. A "Joint Venture" as listed in Section L and M of the solicitation is defined as an enterprise owned and operated by two or more businesses or individuals as a separate entity (not a subsidiary) for the mutual benefit of the members of the group. A joint venture possesses the characteristics of joint control.

0002 80 Question: Based on Section L.5.6, the government states “The Offeror shall insert their proposed prices/delivery on the PEL and include costs of compliance with all solicitation requirements, Shipping shall be Free On Board (FOB) Destination to the Continental U.S.

(Exact address to be specified in any resultant delivery order) and include all applicable costs, including commercial packaging unless otherwise specified in the PEL or item unique specifications supplied by the Government.”

Does the government intend that the costs for task order coordination for purchase deliveries that include functions from buyers, finance, program management, and the technical team etc. to be proposed at the task order level or estimated and included in the PEL for each line item?

The PEL is for supplies that may result in the award of a delivery order for supplies, not a task order for services. Refer to the cited solicitation Section L.5.6 for details.

0002 81 Would it be possible for the presentation from the Preproposal Conference to be released since we were unable to connect?

Refer to the Answer for Question #40 above.

0002 82 Will a list of participants who attended the Preproposal Conference be released?

Is this open source information?

Refer to the Answer for Question #1 above (Answered in solicitation amendment 0001).

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0002 83 Is the Joint Certification Program (JCP) Certificate mandatory ? Refer to the Answer for Question #35 above.

0002 84 L.1.10 states graphics must be able to be printed in black and white. Does this require all graphics and text content to be black and white only or can they have colored fonts and diagrams?

Offerors are allowed to submit proposals with color but they must be legible when…