RFP_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Question Number

Page Number Section Paragraph Question / Comment Government Response

1 2 Attachment J-2 multiple

The labor category LEVEL descriptions, when input into salary survey tools, generate a wide band of salaries depending on experience and repsonsibility. The consequences of this are that different companies could rationalize widely differing rates for superficially similar labor categories, leaving the acquisition evaluation team with the task of assessing reasonableness of salaries associated with vaguely defined qualfications. Would the Government consider these additions to the level descriptions to help focus our salary surveys: Level 3 [in addition to the education] "May lead small teams, provide technical direction to team staff, make or manage design decisions. Level 4 [in addition to education] Level 4 staff may manage multiple projects, supervise team leaders, and manage and report on technical, schedule, and cost performance. No, the Government is not considering this.

2 2 Attachment J-2

The Standard Level Definitions on page 2 of Attachment J-2 states:

“Advanced degrees from an accredited institution and/or professional credentials from a recognized entity may be cumulatively tallied and substituted for experience. Masters and associates degrees are equivalent to two years of experience;

bachelors and doctoral degrees are equivalent to four years of experience. Requirements for specialized degrees, credentials, and experience will be specified at the task order level.”

Should this be interpreted as:

Degree Equivalent Years of Experience Associates 2 Years Bachelors 4 Years Masters 6 Years Doctoral 8 Years

The number of years may be cumulative. For example, if an individual had a bachelors and masters degree then the total would be 6. A bachelors and a doctoral degree would be 8. If an individual had an associates, bachelors, and masters it would be 8.

Industry Questions and Answers

3 Attachment J-2

Topic: ProTech Labor Categories Question: Attachment J-2, ProTech Labor Categories Descriptions provides an algorithm to assign post-secondary education to an equivalent number of years of experience as follows: the algorithm is: “Masters and associates degrees are equivalent to two years of experience; bachelors and doctoral degrees are equivalent to four years of experience.” Could the Government please clarify that it seems this should read ‘bachelors and associates degrees are equivalent to two years of experience; masters and doctoral degrees are equivalent to four years of experience"?

The RFP is correct as stated. Two years for masters and associates degrees. Four years for bachelors and doctoral degrees.

4 Attachment J-2

Topic: ProTech Labor Categories Question: Attachment J-2, ProTech Labor Categories Descriptions provides an algorithm to assign post-secondary education to an equivalent number of years of experience as follows: the algorithm is: “Masters and associates degrees are equivalent to two years of experience; bachelors and doctoral degrees are equivalent to four years of experience.” Is the Offeror to interrupt this guidance as the Associates degree is equivalent to two years of experience;

Bachelor’s degree is equivalent to four years of experience; Master’s degree is equivalent to six years of experience; and Doctoral degree is equivalent to eight years of experience; please clarify.

The number of year may be cumulative. For example, if an individual had a bachelors and masters degree then the total would be 6. A bachelors and a doctoral degree would be 8. If an individual had an associates, bachelors, and masters it would be 8.

5 2 Attachment J-2 1

Level 1 is defined as a minimum of 4 years experience. Is it NOAA's intention to exclude personnel with less than 4 years of experience from supporting this effort? Education may be substituted for experience.

6 8

Section B.

Schedule

Continued CLIN 0001 The Unit is identified as “JB”. What does JB represent? JB stands for Job.

7 B.1 General 9

Topic: Protech Value for the Satellite Domain Question: In section B.1 the government states “The ceiling dollar amount for all orders under all ProTech Domains is $3,000,000,000.

In RFP section B.5, the government states “During the term of ProTech-Satellite, the Government will place orders totaling a minimum of $250. The amount of all orders will not exceed $3,000,000,000. Can the government clarify the ceiling value of the ProTech Satellite Domain?

Recommendation: For planning purposes and completion of the Small Business Subcontracting plan (in accordance with FAR 52.219-

9) it is recommended that the estimated value be defined for the Satellite Domain.

The ceiling value of the ProTech-Satellite Domain is $3 billion. This ceiling will be shared with subsequent ProTech Domain awards. For purposes of the Small Business Subcontracting plan see Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP Section L.10.3.6.

8 9 B.4 Task Order

Pricing 2

This section states: "The labor rates contained in Attachment J.1 are ceiling rates. . .

Will the Government please confirm that the fully burdened rates contained in each individual offerors' populated Attachment J.6 submittal, showing Columns H, I, J, K, L, and M only, will become each awardees' Attachment J.1? Yes, this will become Attachment J.1.

9 9 B B.2

The solicitation states there will be a two year base and three one-year optional periods. However, attachment J.6, the Cost/Price Template calls for 6 years of pricing. Please clarify which is correct.

This is a five year contract. The year 6 rates are included in the event final year Task Orders are extended a year. Prices are provided for each individual year.

10 9 B B.4

There was no attachment J-1 included. This is to be completed at time of award, so it may not have been included intentionally. Please confirm.

Yes, this will be completed at time of award and is not included.

11 10 B.4.4 1 Will markup/processing fee be authorized for ODCs? This will be determined on a task order basis.

12 11 B.4.5 2

The RFP indicates that contract level PMO is not an allowable direct charge to the contract. For planning and estimating purposes, can the government provide an estimate fo the AVERAGE number and size of Task Orders that may be competed in any given year to assist offerors in estimating the costs associated with task order proposal preparation? We understand that exact data is not available but would appreciate any guidance with respect to reasonable estimates for the number and size.

The Government does not have an estimate for the average number and size of future orders.

13 11 B 45

Per the RFP “Contract Level Program Management Support Costs shall not be billed or proposed as a direct charge and may or may not be permitted at the task level.” This raises two questions: 1) All task work for a contract requires some Program Management action.

This will include task estimation, contracts work on the task documentation itself, creation/maintenance of timesheet codes, financial management of the task, potential subcontractor coordination, and potential purchasing, at a minimum. How does the Government desire a contractor to incur these necessary costs on a task, but not be able to recover them on that task? All Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Costs Accounting Standards (CAS), and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) guidance require contractors to be consistent in the collection and allocation of costs. Please provide direction on how the Government will not have Program Management Task and also may not permit the recovery of Program Management Costs on some tasks without requiring contractors to potentially violate FAR, CAS and DCAA guidelines?

No funds will be obligated at the IDIQ contract level. All costs shall be invoiced at the task order level. Direct and indirect charges should be handled in accordance with the offeror's normal accounting process.

14 11 B 45

Per the RFP “Contract Level Program Management Support Costs shall not be billed or proposed as a direct charge and may or may not be permitted at the task level.” This raises two questions: 2) Several of our subcontractors are covered under Full CAS. They have Disclosure Statements which state that it is their Accounting Policy to charge Program Management costs directly to a contract. The FAR states that a contractor cannot be required to violate their Disclosure Statement on any contract, otherwise the Disclosure Statement is meaningless to the Government. Given this conflict between the FAR and the RFP, please provide instructions on how companies can propose Program Management Costs directly in accordance with their established Accounting Policies and Procedures as well as their Disclosure Statements.

No funds will be obligated at the IDIQ contract level. All costs shall be invoiced at the task order level. Direct and indirect charges should be handled in accordance with the offeror's normal accounting process.

15 11

B.4.5 Program Management

Costs All

The RFP requires the offeror to provide program management for the IDIQ, and describe its plan to do so. Understanding B.4.5 does not allow Program Management IDIQ Contract Level support cost to be a direct charge to the IDIQ itself, will the Government please confirm that costs associated with this program management, as well as project management for the task orders, can be included at the task order level?

Yes. All costs shall be invoiced at the task order level. Direct and indirect charges should be handled in accordance with the vendor's normal accounting process.

16 13 C.3 2 Besides the locations mentioned, which CONUS and OCONUS locations will the task orders cover?

This will depend on the requirements of the task order.

17 13 C.3 2

"The services provided under ProTech-Satellite will support sites world-wide, which include, but may not be limited to, Fairbanks, Alaska; Suitland, Silver Spring, and Lanham, Maryland;

Wallops Island, Virginia; Boulder Colorado; Asheville, North Carolina;

and Townsville, Australia." Please clarify if support for work locations other than Silver Spring will be provided via travel to the work location or will personnel be permanently resident at the work location (e.g., Fairbanks, AL, Suitland, MD, Lanham, MD, Boulder, CO, etc.).

This will be determined on a task order basis but personnel may be required to be at the location for the task order period of performance.

18 13 & 74 C.3 & M.4 &

Attachment J-6

The Government identifies that work under a resultant ProTech- Satellite ID/IQ contract will support sites world-wide. Attachment J-6 requires an Offeror to have one series of fully loaded ceiling labor rates for all sites world-wide. As international pricing may vary significantly from Unites States based labor pricing, would the Government please consider having Attachment J-6 have one sheet for United States based labor pricing, and a separate one for outside of the United States based labor pricing?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP Section B.4. Extraordinary work and work performed outside the US will be considered on a task order basis.

19 17 C.3.2.15

Topic: “Provide science for operational and planned space-based instrumentation, … testing, design, developing, implementing, user engagement, calibration, validation, verification, maintaining, and documenting of algorithms and products.”

Question: The opening statement “Provide science for operational and planned” seems to be missing text after the word “science”.

Should this requirement state “scientific and technical services for operational and planned…”?

Recommendation: Rephrase the requirement as suggested above. See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

20 19 C.3.2.32

Topic: “Provide science and services for sensor science and technology applications…assessing Earth system visibility.”

Question: The opening statement “Provide science and services” seems to be missing text after the word “science”. Should this requirement state “scientific and technical services for sensor science…”?

Recommendation: Rephrase the requirement as suggested above. See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

21 19/20 C.3.3

The RFP requirement as stated in Section C.3.3 "Data Collection and Surveys" is unclear. What specific type of support is being requested? What does "data collection refer to? (1) Collection of information needed for surveys or (2) collection of scientific observations for scientific investigations? For example, is the paragraph referring to collecting user surveys on a particular product to assess whether the product is useful? The words, "...evaluating and employing state-of-the-art-data collection technologies" appears to suggest collecting satellite science observations and truth data sets. What specifically is the paragraph describing as needing collecting?

Paragraph 3.3 requirement scope includes support for both; 1) the collection of science, technology, and product needs and requirements as well as, 2) the collection of scientific observational and measurement data for scientific investigations, both of which may be called "surveys".

22 27 F F.4

The place of performance will be set in individual task orders. Is it anticipated that the place of performance will be both government facilities (on-site) and contractor facilities (off site)? If so, should both on and off-site rates be provided?

Only one rate should be provided. Offerors should base the rates on the most highly qualified employee or class of employees within a category working in the highest cost location, considering the higher cost of performance at a Government or Contractor site.

23 28 F.6 e

The columns in the Government table entitled “Report Description” and “Due Dates” identify Sections F.7.1 and F.7.2. There does not appear to such sections in Section F. There are Sub-Sections F.6.1 and F.6.2. Can the Government please confirm that Sub-Sections F.6.1 and F.6.2 are the correct reference in the Section F.6.e table? If this is incorrect please clarify. See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

24 32 G.3.1

Please provide additional details regarding the ordering process.

While we understand that specific data may not be availlable and may vary on a task order by task order basis, it would be helpful to understand what the AVERAGE response time to Task Orders will be as well as the AVERAGE number, size, scope and period of performance for the anticipated task orders in order to determine the anticipated level of support necessary to prepare Task Order Proposal responses.

The Government does not have an average response time, number, size, scope, or period of performance. Other internal IDIQs have used a ten day response time as a suggestion. Size, scope, and period of performance vary based on the requirement.

25 36 G.10 First & Second

It appears that the Government is requiring Contractors to perform phase-out services after the expiration of their ProTech-Satellite contract to support any successor Contractor(s). How will the Government address compensation for the incumbent ProTech- Satellite Contractor during the phase-out period of up to ninety (90) days (example: addition of a specific phase-out CLIN, separate phase-out Task Order, etc)?

Any work under the IDIQ will be identified and funded on the task order level.

26 37 H.1 1352.209-74

Subparagraph (f) Prime Contractor Responsibilities of this CAR clause states: “The contractor shall obtain from its subcontractors or consultants the disclosure required in FAR Part 9.507–1…”. Part 9.507-1 in the current FAR is titled “Solicitation Provisions” and says nothing about disclosures, nor does its embedded reference to FAR

9.505 appear to do so. Please clarify what OCI-related disclosures the prime contractor proposing on this solicitation is required to obtain from its proposed subcontractors.

Disclosures would include any potential organizational conflicts of interest.

27 43

The Program Manager is listed in the RFP (page 43) as the only key person but on page 11 it was stated that program management support costs are not directly chargeable. Is it the Government’s intent that the sole key person, changes in which require Government notification and approval, not be billable to the contract?

No funds will be obligated at the IDIQ contract level. All costs shall be invoiced at the task order level. Direct and indirect charges should be handled in accordance with the offeror's normal accounting process.

28 43 H.14 (a)

Will the government please advise if the Key personnel requirement consists of one program manager for each of the 5 Categories (Scienctific Services, Engineering Services, Analytical services, Program Operations, and Scientific information Services)?

Yes, identification of only a single program manager at the IDIQ contract level, not five separate program managers for each of the five broad labor areas, is required.

29 43 H.14 (a)

Will the government please if there are other key personnel required, besides the program manager? If so, will the government provide a list all the Key personnel designations along with required qualfications and Standard Level of experience for each position?

No other key personnel have been identified at the IDIQ contract level.

30 43 H.14 a Do you require a commitment letter if the Program Manager is not an employee? No.

31 43 H.14 (a) 1 Please provide job description for the program manager as this is a key position.

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP Section H.14 which includes a description of duties.

32 44 H.15 1 What role will the four (4) outside Contractors provide in contract administration? Support in contract specialist functions.

33 44 H.15 1

The government has stated that "The Contractor is advised that the Government may utilize the outside Contractors and/or Consultants listed below to assist in the administration of this contract.". Will the government please clarify if the 4 companies listed are incumbents or if sub-contarcting / teaming with one or more these comapnies is advised?

No, they are not incumbents for work to be performed under ProTech-Satellite. They have not been identified for the purpose of teaming.

34 43 and 68 H.14 and L.10.3.3 H.14(a) and L.10.3.3

Para. 1

H.14 says name of program manager to be included at time of award.

L.10.3.3 requests the resume at proposal submission. That seems to be contradicting. Also, with the award approx. 1 year after proposal submission, any resumed key personnel submitted with the proposal are subject to change due to availability. Further, non-incumbents are unlikely to attract and obtain a commitment to be the PM one year out from a potential hire. Therefore we don't believe the required resume is a good requirement nor an effective evaluation criteria. Will the government remove the resume requirement from L.10.3.3?

H.14 will be filled in at award depending on the name proposed by the offeror. The Government will not remove the requirement.

35 43, 68 Section H Section L H.14.a L.10.3.3

In Section H.14 (a) of the RFP, you have advised that the Contractor shall assign one Key Personnel: Program Manager, however the name of said person to be included at time of award. In Section L.10.3.3 the RFP requests the ‘resume’ of the proposed Program Manager. These two Sections appear to be in conflict. Is it NOAA’s intention to request the Contractor’s ‘Position Description’ for the Program Manager, accompanied by the requisite experience?

H.14 will be filled in by the Government at award depending on the name proposed by the offeror with its proposal.

36 52 J J-1

Although the draft RFP indicates that Attachment J-1 will be completed at time of award, it is not clear if the Government provided a sample of the rate table in the RFP. Please confirm no Attachment J-1 was provided in the RFP.

Confirmed. Attachment J-1 was not provided in the RFP.

37 59

L.1 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions

Incorporated by Reference Table

Section L.1 incorporates by reference CAR clause 1352.209-70 “Potential organizational conflict of interest”. Will the Government either provide the complete clause modified appropriately for the Solicitation or otherwise state the specific nature of the potential conflict and proposed restraint as indicated in section (a) and (a)(1) of clause 1352.209-70?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP to include the complete provision.

38 61 L.5

Regarding reserve, would NOAA like Offerors to identify which small business categories apply to our business (including 8a, hubzone, SDVOSB, etc.)?

This information shall be ascertained through the Offeror’s representations and certifications and Section K submission.

39 61 L.7 1 Will the government please extend the proposal due date by 4 weeks to September 7, 2016? An extension is not anticipated at this time.

40 62 L.7.2 1st Please confirm the submittal email address remains hyphenated:

"pro-tech@noaa.gov" Yes. The email address has not changed.

41 62 L L.7.2

This section currently states: The Offeror shall mark the electronic file with the solicitation number, ST-1330-16-RP-0103 . If the Government determines that sealed packages are required from subcontractors, does the Government have any specific labelling requirements for those submissions (for example, RFP number- Subcontractor Name under Prime Name proposal)? Subcontractor proposals are unnecessary.

42 62 L.8 1

This section alerts the offerors to the fact that these people may be reviewing/analyzing the very sensitive financial data requested in Section L.10.1 – Volume I Section III. This causes concern over the handling of the data and raises the following questions: Questions and answers follow.

43 62 L.8 1

Will financial data provided in response to this RFP only be accessible by NOAA civil servants and not by third party contractor evaluators, due to the sensitive nature and competitive value of the information?

Financial data may be available to the contractors identified in L.8 of the RFQ.

44 62 L.8 1

Will the restrictions cited in the NDAs provided to the companies and employees assisting in the evaluation state that, in addition to non-disclosure restrictions, the information and data the companies have access to shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed – in whole or in part – for any purpose other than for the purpose of evaluating the proposals? Yes.

45 62 L.8 1

Will copies of the NDAs signed by these companies be provided prior to the submission of this financial data and or available to awardees upon request?

The NDAs will not be provided but may be made available upon request.

46 63 L.9 4

The RFP indicates that the anticipated start date is June 30, 2017.

Generally, contracts start at the beginning of the month. Please confirm/clarify that the start date should be 06/30/17 vs. 07/01/17.

This is an anticipated date. The actual date will be whenever the Government executes the award.

47 63 L9.2 4

Is it possible to allow "screen grabs" of sample computer displays to have less than 8 pt text within the screen grab? The intent is to show an output illustration/graphic.

No, text within illustrations/graphics shall be no less than 8 pt text in order to be evaluated.

48 64 L.9.2 Format Instructions All

L.9.2 does not reference using foldout pages or their associated page allocations. Does a foldout page count as 1 or 2 pages?

All submissions shall be electronic. No foldout pages are allowed.

49 64 L.9.2 1st

The RFP requires "Office 2010 Suite files." According to Microsoft, file formats for Office 2010, 2013, and 2016 are cross-compatible. Would the Government please change the wording to "Office 2010 Suite or newer" file format? See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

50 64 L.9.2 2nd

Formatting instructions require headers and footers to remain .5 inches from the page edge. That leaves .5 inches for header and footer content.Would the Government relax that restriction to .25 inches?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP to remove restrictions on headers and footers.

51 64 L.9.2 Is offeror allowed to use smaller than 12 point font for blank space between paragraphs?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP that allows for a 6 point space.

52 64 L.9.2 1st

Please provide confirmation that NOAA is expecting 5 separate submission files which would include one volume per email by the email totalling 5 separate submission files. Please confirm each of the 5 individual submittal files submitted by email shall not exceed 20MB. Does NOAA have a specific naming convention for each of the 5 individual email submittals by Volume?

The Volumes shall be separate files but all files may be submitted via one email. See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP for email size limitations and naming conventions.

53 64 L.9.2

Do headings, titles, captions, etc. count as "paragraphs" or do they only refer to "Normal/Body Text" types of text? Do they need to be separated by at least one hard/manual line to be compliant?

No, these do not count as paragraphs and do not require a line to be compliant.

54 64 L.9.2 3, First sentence

Paragraph L.9.2, paragraph 3, first sentence, instructs that “each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line.” Given the limited page count and the large font size, a blank line between each paragraph will severely constrain the offeror’s ability to address the extensive RFP requirements. Many Federal government RFPs specify that a blank line be placed between numbered paragraphs, i.e., before the numbered heading of a paragraph. Is this the government’s intent?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP to allow for a 6 point spacing.

55 64 L.9.2 3rd

"Pages shall be single-spaced and each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line." Would the Government consider replacing the "blank line" requirement with a 6 point spacing after each paragraph? See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

56 64 L.9.2 3rd

"Pages shall be single-spaced and each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line." Would the Government consider ONLY applying this requirement following a paragraph that includes narrative rather than outline titles or section headings? See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

57 64 L.9.2 1

Topic: Email size limitations Question: Per L.9.2 last sentence “each file will be limited in size to 20 MB or less”. Does this statement refer to the email size limitation or the file size limitation? Can the government please provide their email size limitation, so the Offeror may be able to appropriately provide their electronic proposal submission in multiple emails, clearly labeled 1 of x, if needed?

Recommendation: Provide offerors with the email server file/message size limitation.

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP for limitations on email size and naming conventions.

58 64 L.9.2 3

Topic: Legend marking of all proposal pages Question: The government has requested for the "Source Selection information" legend to be on all printed pages. Will the government allow the offeror a waiver on the legend requirements for the solicitation documents required to be submitted in Volume I, Section II and Section V, specifically signed SF33, signed SF30 and completed Section K?

Recommendation: Allow the requested waiver on legend requirements on the completed solicitaion documents for ease of the government's incorporation into the awardee's contracts. Yes, see Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

59 64 L.9.2 1 For delivery of proposal files, should the Offeror compress the files (i.e., zip files together) A zip file is not necessary.

60 64 L.10 1 Where in the proposal format should the Offeror indicate the small business category appropriate for the submitting firm?

The small business category should be listed in annual representations and certifications provided in Section V.

61 65 L 10

In order to adquately provide all necessary information required for the Management Approach, would the Government consider increasing the page count from 10 to 15 pages maximum?

No, the Government is not considering this at this time.

62 64 L.10 Are the volume Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Acronym Listing included within the page counts of the multiple volumes?

Exceptions to the page limitations are: cover pages, key personnel resume, lists of acronyms, lists of tables, lists of figures, and indices/tables of contents. See Amendment A0001 for a revised

RFP.

63 65 L.10 2nd

"Exceptions to the page limitations are, if required: cover pages, key personnel resume, and indices/tables of contents." Please confirm list of figures, list of tables, and list of acronyms are also excluded from page count.

Exceptions to the page limitations are: cover pages, key personnel resume, lists of acronyms, lists of tables, lists of figures, and indices/tables of contents. See Amendment A0001 for a revised

RFP.

64 65 L.10.1 multiple Please confirm that for the purposes of Volume I that the "Offeror" is the Prime and not the team? The Offeror is the Prime contractor.

65 65 L.10 Vol IV

The 2 page limit for each past performacne referenced contract citation (Section I and II) will limit the offerors ability to provide sufficient evidence for evaluation of relevance and quality of references against the ProTech-Satellite SOW. Would the Government consider expanding the section II narrative to 4 pages per program to accommodate the amount of information requested within the font requirements? No, the Government is not considering this.

66 65 L.10

For Volume III, Management Approach the instructions indicate that offerors should limit their response as follows: 10 page limit for other than the Small Business Subcontracting Plan; 10 page limit for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan (excluding Master Subcontracting Plan). Since both of these instructions reference the Subcontracting Plan, please indicate whether there is a page limit for Volume III, Management Approach.

Yes, there is a 10 page limit for other than the Small Business Subcontracting Plan and a 10 page limit for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

67 65 L.10, Past

Performance

The page limit for Past Performance citations (Volume IV) is stated "2 page limit per reference for Sections I and II. The total for Sections 1 and II combined shall not exceed 16 pages." Would NOAA consider relaxing this requirement by increasing the number of allowable pages per Past Performance reference to 3 pages while retaining the overall total page limit of 16 for this volume?

No, but see Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP with changes to this section.

68 65 L.10 and L.10.3.6

In the table in L.10, the instructions for Volume III, Management Approach indicate that offerors should limit their response as follows: 10 page limit for other than the Small Business Subcontracting Plan; 10 page limit for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan (excluding Master Subcontracting Plan).

In L.10.3.6, the government provides the requirements for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Would the government please provide the requirement for the other than Small Business Subcontracting plan?

Yes, there is a 10 page limit for the Management Plan response that is not the Small Business Subcontracting Plan response.

69 65 L.10.1 1

Section 1 - Executive Summary. The RFP instruction refers to "executive summary letter" and specifies that items a, b and c be included in it. Questions: (1) Does "executive summary letter" refer to a cover letter that typically acompanies proposal submissions or to the 3 page executive summary? (2) Would a 1 page cover letter plus a 3 page executive summary that includes items a, b and c be acceptable to the government?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP to remove "letter." Any additional documentation must be included in the 3 page limit.

70 65 L.10 Table

The statement in the table "2 page limit per reference for Sections I and II. The total for Sections I and II combined shall not exceed 16 pages."

Question: Will the Government allow the references to be longer than 2 pages as long as the total for Sections I and II combined do not exceed 16 pages?"

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

Sections I and II are separate and the page limitations have been revised.

71 65 L.10 1

Is it acceptable to add an introduction to the past performance volume as along as we keep the total volume content to under 2 pages per citation?

An introduction may be added but it would be considered as part of a 2 page limit.

72 65

L.10, Volume III Management approach

The instruction is unclear "...Subcontracting Plan (excluding Master Subcontracting Plan)". Is this required for small businesses also?

No, a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is not required for small businesses.

73 65 & 69 L.10 & L.10.4 Table, Paragraph 1

The statement in L.10.4 "This volume shall be organized into the following sections: L.10.4.1 Section I - Contract Descriptions … L.10.4.2 Section II – Performance" conflicts with the volume layout instructions in the table, and the page limitations in L.10, which states that the page limit per reference for Section I and II be no more than 2 pages.

Question: Is it the Government's intent to have all the Contract Descriptions (Section I) grouped together in a single Section I in the volume, and likewise for all Contract Performances (Section II), or shall the Contractor group together Section I and Section II information for each contract reference separately?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

Sections I and II are separate and the page limitations have been revised.

74 66 L.10.1 Section II Please confirm/clarify if the Word submission needs to include signatures or if only the pdf version should include signatures. Only the pdf requires signatures.

75 66

Section III, Administrative

Volume

Plese confirm that a Company Officer can certify the Prime's Line of Credit? Do you have specific language that should be included for this certification? Yes. Specific language is not required.

76 66 L.10.1 Section IV

The RFP requires an OCI Mitigation Plan IAW the cited FAR clauses (Organizational 1352.209-74 and Personal 52.203-16). The clauses state "The contractor shall identify and avoid, neutralize, or mitigate any subcontractor organizational conflict prior to award of the contract to the satisfaction of the Contracting Officer" (CFR 1352.209-

74) and 52.203-16 addresses individual employees of the prime and its subcontractors. The phrase "prior to award of the contract" generally means before award of the master contract. Given the breadth of the SOW, and the indefinite nature of the initial contract, would the government (a) revise the RFP to clearly limit identification and mitigation of OCIs to the task orders, and (b) state the Mitigation Plan is to describe the process by which the Prime and it subcontractors will conform to the cited OCI clauses at the task order level , thus leaving actual OCI mitigation to the task order bids?

At the IDIQ level if an offeror feels they have an OCI, it should be addressed in the offeror's proposal via a mitigation plan, which the government will take into consideration. At the task order level, OCI concerns will be handled by the task order contracting officer. No mitigation plan is necessary if the offeror does not have a potential OCI. See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP for additional instructions in Section IV of L.10.1.

77 66 L.10.1 Section V

The RFP requests Reps and Certs and cites Section K and SAM. Should offereror submit BOTH in the proposal? Section K is about 6 pages, and our SAM record is more than 30 pages. Yes.

78 66 L.10.1 1

Referencing Section L.10.1 of the Solicitation, will the Government please clarify all of the information and articles requested as part of Volume I, Section II?

Section II shall have a signed and completed solicitation form and any subsequent amendments.

79 66 L.10.1 2

Referencing Section L.10.1 of the RFP, Section III of Volume I requires that an Offeror submit, “a certified copy of the Prime’s Line of Credit” Will the Government please clarify what a “certified copy” is? Who should do the certifying and in what form?

A signed letter is sufficient from an officer of the company or other official delegated to act on behalf of the company with signatory authority.

80 66 L.10.1 2

Referencing Section L.10.1 of the RFP, Section III of Volume I requires that, “Prior to submission, a company officer or CPA will certify the statements.” Will the Government please clarify how the company officer or CPA should certify the statements?

A signed letter is sufficient from an officer of the company , CPA, or other official delegated to act on behalf of the company with signatory authority.

81 66 L.10.1 Prior to submission, a company officer or CPA will certify the statements. Please confirm that a signed letter satisfies certification. Yes.

82 66 L.10.1

Additionally, in order for the Government to determine Financial Responsibility of the Prime, Offerors will submit financial statements to include a Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Retained Earnings for the Offeror’s past fiscal year and current reporting period as of the date of the proposal as well as a certified copy of the Prime’s Line of Credit, if applicable, and its current status at the time of proposal submission. Prior to submission, a company officer or CPA will certify the statements.

Please confirm that "its current status" refers to the status of the Offeror's line of credit.

Current status refers to the limit of the line of credit and the amount currently expended of the limit.

83 66

L.10.1, Section IV, Organizational

Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan 1

In Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan, it states ‘Offerors shall include their mitigation plan in accordance with the clauses and provisions listed in the solicitation.’ We assume that if an offeror has no actual or potential OCI issue(s), as it pertains to this Solicitation and in accordance with the clauses and provisions listed in this Solicitation, then there is no requirement to submit an OCI Mitigation Plan as part of an offeror’s proposal, and that offerors are only required to submit statements, along with offeror’s respective proposed subcontractor teammates, certifying that, ‘Company X, for the subject solicitation, is not aware of any facts which create any actual or potential OCI relating to the award of this contract.’

Question: Would the government please confirm if this assumption is correct?

Yes, see Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

84 66

L.10.1, Section II, Solicitation Documents 1

Paragraph states that, "Each Offeror shall complete all blank lines and provide signatures for the solicitation sections indicated below without modification to the files...Originating RFP section: a. A signed and completed solicitation/contract form and any subsequent amendments." Question: What Sections of the Model Contract are required to be included / delivered in the proposal response (i.e., this paragraph seems to indicate that only the completed SF33, any solicitation amendments and all reps/certs are required to be included in offerors' proposals. Is this correct, or must the entire Sections A-K be included)?

Only the SF33 and any solicitation amendments are included in Section II. Representations and Certifications are included in Section V.

85 66 L.10.1 - Section III 2

Instead of turning in company financials (e.g., balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement), can a company turn in financial ratios (e.g., quick ratio, current ratio, cash ratio, liquidity ratio, solvency ratio, operating cash flow / net sales, free cash flow / operation cash flow, days payable, days receivable, debt to assets ratio)?

No, company financials as described in the RFP are required.

86 66 L.10.1, Section III 1, second sentence

What is meant by a certified copy of the Prime's Line of Credit?

What document would be acceptable? What type of certification is required?

A signed letter is sufficient from an officer of the company or other official delegated to act on behalf of the company with signatory authority.

87 66 L.10.1, Section III 1, second sentence Retained earnings are usually part of an income statement – is there something else required?

If it is part of the income statement that is sufficient.

88 66 L.10.1, Section III 1, second sentence By current reporting period do you mean the last quarter or the last month?

“Current” means the most recent period according to the Offeror’s normal accounting practices.

89 66 L.10.1 - Section II, III 1

Is it acceptable to include items such as the SF 33, Evidence of Adequate Accounting System, OCI plan, Reps and Certs, etc. as Appendices (keeping in mind any page count limitations for the item) rather than directly embed them into the MS Word document to make it easier to evaluate page limits?

These documents shall be placed in the specific volumes as indicated in the RFP.

90 66 L10.1 - Section V 7

Can the Government clarify what they want us to provide for Reps and Certs in regard to the requirement to "complete and provide a copy of electronic annual representations and certifications at https://www.sam.gov"? Are these screen shots of our SAM data?

Representations and certifications are able to be downloaded from sam.gov.

91 66 L.10.1 Section V Reps and Certs

Topic: Required Copy of SAM Annual Reps and Certs Question: The report generated out of the SAM system does not meet the font requirements of this solicitation. Will the government accept the SAM report as generated and incorporated into Volume I:

Section V? Please understand the Offeror may not have the ability to increase the font to meet L.9.2 requirements.

Recommendation: Allow waiver on font requirements for this report. Yes, see Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

92 67 L.10.1 Volume I –

Administrative

Section V - Representations and

Certifications

There appears to be a discrepancy between the requirements of L.10.1 Volume I - Administrative and K.1 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (APR 2016), in that, L.10.1 Section V states: "The Offeror shall complete Section K:

Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors or Respondents; and complete and provide a copy of electronic annual representations . . . ; however, Clause K.1 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (APR 2016), Paragraph (d) indicates that " . . . the offeror verifies by submission of the offer that the representations and certifications currently posted electronically

Will the Government please confirm that if the offeror has valid representations and certifications on www.sam.gov that a "copy" of the electronic annual representations are not required to be submitted in Volume I - Administrative?

A separate copy of the annual representations and certifications is required for the proposal submission.

93 67 L.10.2 1 Will the government please clarify the terms "breadth" and "depth" of offeror experience?

For purposes of this RFP "breadth" and "depth" are defined in Section L.10.2.

94 67, 68 Section L L.10.3

Based on the amount of detail that has been requested in Section L.10.3 Management Approach, we respectfully request that the Government extend the page limit from 10 pages to 15 or 20 pages.

The Government does not intend to increase the page limit at this time.

95 68 L.10.3.3; H.14

L.10.3.3 states the offerer "shall provide the resume of the proposed Program Manager..." H.14 quotes the FAR which requires a name at time of award. Question: are we required to provide in our offer a resume of a PM?

Section L.10.3.3 requires the resume of the proposed Program Manager.

96 68

L.10.3.6 Small Business

Subcontracting Plan L.10.3.6

Is it acceptable for the contractor to estimate a ceiling or value for the prime contract when developing the small business subcontracting plan?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP Section L.10.3.6.

97 68 L.10.3.6 5

Contradiction noted; please advise if the offeror is a small business, has a sub-contracting plan to be submitted (L.10, Volume III, Management approach)

No, a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is not required for small businesses.

98 69 L.10.4 2

We have extensive satellite experience with an IC organization that requires any PP to be marked as FOUO and does not allow us to electronically transmit the PP write up (i.e. via email). Will NOAA accept an FOUO past performance and would an alternate method submission be acceptable for just the FOUO PP (i.e. fax or mailed CD) with the remainder of the proposal being emailed per Section L? See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

99 69 L.10.4.1 2

When providing information regarding the Procuring Contacting Officer for a subcontract should we reference our Prime's contract or subcontract administrator?

If a subcontract is being cited the subcontract administrator should be identified.

100 69 L.10.4.1, L 10.4.2 3,4

Is it acceptable to create a table for a single past performance citation that captures both Section I and II required information, or would the Government prefer two separate sections in the proposal, where Section I lists the descriptions for all past performance citations, and Section II the performance for all citations?

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP.

Sections I and II are separate and the page limitations have been revised.

101 70 L L.10.4.3

The solicitation states, "For all contracts identified in Section I above (L.9.4.1)…" Please confirm that reference, I belive it should be L.10.4.1 instead of L.9.4.1.

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP to correct the reference.

102 70 L.10.4.3 1

Several of our references will be submitting multiple past performance questionnaires for the same program, each of which is designated for a different offeror's proposal. Should we identify those programs to the ProTech contracting officer before the questionnaires are submitted to help connect each questionnaire with the proper proposal?

The questionnaires should match the information provided in Volume IV, Section I of the proposal. If a reference is cited in more than one proposal it can be used in each instance.

103 70

L.10.5 Volume V - Cost/Price (Factor

IV) All

This section requires information on how the rates and their component costs elements were developed.

Would it be acceptable for the offeror to provide this justification in a separate Microsoft Word document versus Microsoft Excel?

Yes, the explanation does not need to be in Microsoft Excel.

104 70 L L.10.5

The pricing instructions do not appear to require cost or price detail from subcontractors. Can the Government please confirm that fully disclosed proposals submitted directly to the Government are not required from any subcontractor, regardless of potential subcontract value?

Yes, subcontractors are not separately priced and separate proposals are not requested nor required.

105 70 L.10.5.1 1

"Offeror shall base the rates on the most highly qualified employee or class of employees within a category working in the highest cost location". Given that the requirement is to provide ceiling rates for all 5 contract periods during which time individual employees may leave and/or join the company, would it be acceptable to use widely accepted salary survey data in addition to actual employee salary data in determining the ceiling rates? Yes, the basis for the pricing shall be explained.

106 70 L.10.5.1 1st

"The Offeror should base the rates on the most highly qualified employee or class of employees within a category working in the highest cost location, considering the higher cost of performance at a Government or Contractor site." Given the Government's instructions, using the "worst case scenario (e.g., OCONUS support in Townsville, AUS), each labor category is likely to have unrealistic high prices for performing at work locations such as Silver Spring would have significantly lower costs, please provide additional clarity as to how the Government intends to evaluate cost reasonableness.

See Amendment A0001 for a revised RFP Section B.4. Extraordinary work and work performed outside the US will be considered on a task order basis.

107 70 L.10.5.1 1st

"The labor category descriptions are provided at Attachment J-2."

The information provided in Attachment J-2 appear to be functional category (e.g., Scientific, Engineering, and Analytical) with cited examples of disciplines (e.g., astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)

rather than labor categories such as Astronomer, Chemist, Physicist, etc. Would the Government please provide the labor categories and corresponding position descriptions to enable Offerors to develop their proposed price for each labor category or is the Government expecting Offerors to propose labor categories for each function category? No, one rate for each category is being requested.

108 70 L.10.5.1 3 Is it acceptable to offer rates computed with a capped G&A (lower than the actual G&A)? Yes.

109 70 L.10.5.1 1

Will the ceiing rates proposed in Attachment J-6 be utilized in any capacity in the actual contract execution or are they solely for proposal evaluation purposes? Will they be incorporated into the resultant IDIQ contract in any capacity?

The rates will be incorporated as Attachment J-1 at award.

110 70 L.10.5.2 Att. J-6

Attachment J-6 calls for a set of rates for each "services areas" (e.g., Scientific, Engineering, Analytical, Program Operations, and Scientific Information) and for each of the three level. However, the Government does not specify any labor categories as for each service area, Offerors can have multiple labor categories for each services area. Given that each service area discipline may require higher or lower salaries to obtain personnel with the requisition experience and skills set, is it the Government intention that Offerors select the discipline (e.g., Astronomy, Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry, etc.)

with the highest salaries to ensure Offerors can supply personnel in any and all disciplines for each service area? Yes.

111 M.2

Topic: Small Business Awards Question: The RFP states in M.2 “It is anticipated that approximately 75% of the awards will be to small business concerns, including those to the socio-economic categories”. Will the government clarify if the 75% is the percentage anticipated to be awarded based on value or is it based on the number of task orders issued?

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