Question and Answers for 5X Mission Assurance Support Services Recompete.pdf
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- Attached to
- 5X MISSION ASSURANCE SUPPORT SERVICES RECOMPETE Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- TS-2663-1101135
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) file for the 5X Mission Assurance Support Services Recompete solicitation (TS-2663-1101135) issued by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Q&A covers 80 detailed questions addressing various aspects of the solicitation, including labor categories, resume submissions, staffing requirements, and proposal instructions. Key details include: the current incumbent is Bastion Technologies, Inc., with a historical subcontract value ranging from $2.9M to $124M; the solicitation is for two subcontracts (Staff Augmentation and Task-Based) with a planned four-year base period and potential six-year extension; and the estimated subcontract execution and transition period is October 2025. The opportunity is a small business set-aside with 13 disciplines in the Staff Augmentation Subcontract and 6 disciplines in the Task-Based Subcontract, requiring up to 60 resumes across these labor categories.
Notable procedural requirements include a proposal submission deadline of April 11, 2025, with Part I and Part II having different submission dates and a 100-page maximum limit. Proposers must meet specific mandatory qualifications, such as having a minimum of 30 employees in similar labor categories within the past 12 months, and will face immediate disqualification for non-compliance. Travel policies will follow JPL form 7279, and there are specific guidelines for staffing, including an 18-month term limit for staff augmentation with a one-year cooling-off period. The solicitation covers multiple engineering disciplines including reliability, quality assurance, systems safety, and technical support services for JPL's mission-critical projects.
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Text version
3/28/2025
Q&A for 5X Mission Assurance Support Services Recompete
TS-2663-1101135
No. Question JPL Response 1 Who is the incumbent that was previously awarded and what was the previous award amount?
The incumbent Subcontractor is Bastion Technologies, Inc. JPL has no way to make an accurate estimate of the number of subcontractor personnel that will be required or subcontract value over the term of the subcontract. However, between 1994 and 2025, the subcontract value has ranged between $2.9M-$124M.
2 Once the affiliate order is badged, will they have access to the online scheduling too to schedule appointments with security?
Yes, once they're active as an affiliate or contractor in the JPL system, they would be able to schedule their own badging, appointment, and badge scheduler. If they have a logical account, they will have direct ability, but this does not occur until their start date that is active.
3 Are the floor check walkabouts informal conversations?
They're structured conversation and we like to have them in person. There are times where that can happen, so we'll do it on the phone, but it's basically a checklist. And the questions are what is the affiliate doing? We like to see the timecard. Hopefully it's completed. If they're an hourly employee, we like to see at least a completed timecard the day before. If they're weekly, we would probably ask for their completed timecard for the prior week, but it's basically a check to see what they're doing, what they're charging their time to.
4 Is there a limitation on how long an employee can work under this contract? I think it's 18 months. It could be extended up to 36 as directed. Is there a cooling off period before you could bring them back on?
Yes, for the staff augmentation subcontract we have term limits and yes, we do have a process for waivers to extend beyond the
18-month limit. The cooling off period is one year.
5 Is it JPL’s intent for Offerors to submit the Technical
Criteria (T1-T2) with Part I submission, Management
Criteria (M1-M4) with Part II submission, and then provide the exact same content consolidated (T1-T2, M1-M4) with the Part III – Technical and
Yes, Part III must cover your response to the
Technical/Management Instructions as outlined in the RFP. The
PowerPoint provided in Part III is intended to cover information presented during your oral presentation, recognizing that some
Management proposal/OVPP submission? Part III is redundant if Parts I and II consist of both Technical and Management criteria.
additional verbal explanation beyond the words on the PowerPoint is sometimes needed to fully explain some issues or points
Three (3) business days before the scheduled date of the OVPP, JPL may submit advance written questions concerning any parts of your proposal.
6 Since Parts I and II will have different submission due dates, will JPL consider establishing separate page limitations for each Part? Given that the current 100-page limitation applies to both Part I and Part II.
See addendum number 3. 100 pages max + up to sixty (60) resumes for proposal (Part I & Part II). It is the proposer’s discretion on how many pages will be allocated/proposed for Part
1 & Part II.
7 Does JPL intend for proposers to use the tables under
2.0 Background Information, Pages 10-11, for
submission of resumes for Category A and Category Z labor classifications?
Tables presented under 2.0 Background Information, Pages 10-11, depict historical data. Proposers should reference Exhibit 1 within each Subcontract for resume submission.
8 Is the Packaging Thermal/Structural Analyst position described in Exhibit I the same as intended by the
Thermal Engineer discipline in the table on Page 10?
The Thermal Engineers position (in 1.0 background information table) from the current MASS subcontract has been re-named to
Packaging/Thermal Structural Analyst.
9 Are the Structural Analyst and Hardware Engineer positions described in Exhibit I the same as intended by the Structural/Mechanical Engineer discipline in the table on Page 10?
The Structural/Mechanical Engineer position (in 1.0 background information table) from the current MASS subcontract has been re-named to Structural Analyst and Hardware Engineer.
10 Is the System Reliability discipline on Page 10 intended to cover resumes for both the System
Reliability Engineer (SRE) and Project Reliability
Engineer (PRE) labor categories in Exhibit I?
The System Reliability Engineer (SRE) and Project Reliability
Engineer (PRE) positions are separate positions and are new labor classifications in the RFP.
11 Since the tables on Page 10-11 do not include the
System Safety Engineer discipline or position that is included in Exhibit I, does JPL intend for proposers to submit resumes for the position?
Page 10-11 is historical data. The response of resumes provided is at the discretion of the proposer but limited to up to 60 resumes.
12 Since the table on Page 11 includes an Information
Systems (WH) discipline/position, does JPL intend for proposers to submit resumes for the position even though that labor category is not included in Exhibit I?
See addendum no. 3. The Information Systems (WH) discipline/position has been removed from the RFP and JPL does not intend for proposers to submit resumes for this position.
13 Since Exhibit I does not include a description of the qualifications for the PRA (Engineer level) or
Hardware Engineer (SME level), should proposers omit those resumes from their submission?
The Engineer level for Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) and
Subject Matter Expert level for the Hardware Engineer are not requirements in the RFP.
14 Does JPL intend for proposers to price the Packaging
Thermal/Structural Analyst position on Attachment A-
15, as “Thermal”?
The Thermal Engineers position from the current MASS subcontract has been re-named to Packaging/Thermal Structural
Analyst.
15 Does JPL intend for Offerors to propose their plan for adding staff within 10 business days versus the 15-day requirement of the Standard Subcontract?
2.0 The Subcontractor is required to meet this request
within ten (10) business days of the requirement for additional support. How is ‘adding staff with X days’ defined, given that JPL interviews are also required?
See addendum number 3. Prospective source may need to accommodate rapid fluctuations in staffing as dictated by project/mission needs. Describe past experience of fulfilling a need to add staff within fifteen (15) business days or less. Include any best practices on managing a large number of work orders.
At times, it may be required by JPL to add staff within fifteen (15) business days in accordance with Exhibit 2, Subcontract Work
Order Procedure (Labor-Hour/T&M Subcontract).
16 Do the SRE (System Reliability Engineer) and PRE
(Project Reliability Engineer) categories from Exhibit
1 map to the REA category (Row 28) Excel spreadsheet? Or does the SRE category from Exhibit 1 map to the RAM category (Row 27) Excel spreadsheet?
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
17 Confirm SMA Packaging Thermal/Structural Analyst category from Exhibit 1 maps to THERMAL category
(Row 30) Excel spreadsheet.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
18 SME RAM category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 27).
Missing from Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
19 SME NATURAL SPACE category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 31). Missing from Exhibit1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
20 Do the SRE (System Reliability Engineer) and PRE
(Project Reliability Engineer) categories from Exhibit
1 map to the REA category (Row 36) Excel spreadsheet? Or does the SRE category from Exhibit 1
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
map to the RAM category (Row 35) Excel spreadsheet?
21 Senior Eng II RAM category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 35). Missing from Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
22 Senior Eng II NATURAL SPACE category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 39). Missing from Exhibit1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
23 Do the SRE (System Reliability Engineer) and PRE
(Project Reliability Engineer) categories from Exhibit
1 map to the REA category (Row 44) Excel spreadsheet? Or does the SRE category from Exhibit 1 map to the RAM category (Row 43) Excel spreadsheet?
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
24 Senior Eng I RAM category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 43). Missing from Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
25 Senior Eng I NATURAL SPACE category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 47). Missing from Exhibit1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
26 Do the SRE (System Reliability Engineer) and PRE
(Project Reliability Engineer) categories from Exhibit
1 map to the REA category (Row 52) Excel spreadsheet? Or does the SRE category from Exhibit 1 map to the RAM category (Row 51) Excel spreadsheet?
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
27 Engineer RAM category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
51). Missing from Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
28 Engineer NATURAL SPACE category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 53). Missing from Exhibit1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
29 Excel Spreadsheet has a SME Hardware Engineer category (Row 16). The SME Hardware Engineer category is missing from Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
30 The Excel Spreadsheet has Information Specialist
SME, Senior II, Senior I, and Staff (Rows 89 through
96). These categories are missing from Exhibit 1.
Should these categories be deleted from the Excel spreadsheet?
31 SME RAM category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 27).
Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
32 SME ERE category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 29).
Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
33 SME THERMAL category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
30). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
34 SME EMC category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 32).
Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
35 SME PRA category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 33).
Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
36 Senior Eng II RAM category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 35). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
37 Senior Eng II ERE category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 37). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
38 Senior Eng II THERMAL category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 38). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
39 Senior Eng II EMC category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 40). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
40 Senior Eng II PRA category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 41). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
41 Senior Eng I RAM category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 43). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
42 Senior Eng I ERE category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
45). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
43 Senior Eng I THERMAL category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 46). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
44 Senior Eng I EMC category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 48). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
45 Senior Eng I PRA category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
49). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
46 Engineer RAM category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
51). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
47 Engineer ERE category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
54). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
48 Engineer THERMAL category in Excel spreadsheet
(Row 55). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
49 Engineer EMC category in Excel spreadsheet (Row
56). Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
50 SME Systems Safety Engineer category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 82). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
51 Senior II Systems Safety Engineer category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 84). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
52 Senior I Systems Safety Engineer category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 86). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
53 Engineer Systems Safety Engineer category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 88). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
54 SME Information Specialist category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 90). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
55 Senior II Information Specialist category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 92). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
56 Senior I Information Specialist category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 94). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
57 Staff Information Specialist category in Excel spreadsheet (Row 96). Missing from Task Based
Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
58 SME Structural Analyst (Row 15) and SME Hardware
Engineer (Row 16) categories in Excel spreadsheet.
Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
59 Senior II Structural Analyst (Row 18) and Senior II
Hardware Engineer (Row 19) categories in Excel spreadsheet. Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
60 Senior I Structural Analyst (Row 21) and Senior I
Hardware Engineer (Row 22) categories in Excel spreadsheet. Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
61 Staff Structural Analyst (Row 24) and Staff Hardware
Engineer (Row 25) categories in Excel spreadsheet.
Missing from Task Based Exhibit 1.
See attachment A-15, “JPL Mission Assurance Support Services
(MASS) Rate Detail, R1.”
62 Does JPL intend for Offerors to submit all required
Group A and Group B attachments with the Part I -
Mandatory Qualifications, Technical, and Past
Performance submission? Several of the Group B attachments cannot be completed until after the contract award.
All Group A forms with the exception to A-15, “JPL Mission
Assurance Support Services (MASS) Rate Detail, R1” shall be submitted with Part I. The A-15 form shall be submitted with Part
II.
Group B forms are for use in preparing your quotation/proposal and will be processed after award.
63 Does JPL intend for Offerors to submit all required
Group A and B attachments with the Part I and Part II submissions given that the RFP Table of Contents and
Section 3.3 are inconsistent?
Only those marked with an “X” apply to this procurement.
64 Does the Price Section include Attachment Group A and Group B (pgs. 26 and 27)? Some of these
Attachments directly belong in other sections (e.g.
Form A-14 belongs in Past Performance).
The attachment list can be found at the end of the RFP and is intended to list the applicable Group A and Group B forms. Some forms are also referenced within the body of the RFP.
65 What is the anticipated contract Phase-in Start Date?
What is the anticipated Contract Start Date?
The estimated Subcontract execution and transition period is
October 2025.
66 Subcontractors who propose to substitute their own corporate personnel travel policies may be allowed to do so upon JPL review and approval. Can the corp travel policy be submitted as part of the proposal?
Subcontractor corporate travel polices will not be incorporated into Subcontracts. Subcontractors will be required to follow JPL form 7279, “Subcontractor Personnel Travel Policy.”
67 Subcontractor personnel shall use coach-class accommodations for both domestic and international travel. Subcontractor personnel must purchase the lowest available commercial discount airfare consistent with business requirements
(time/destination) of the trip. See FAR 31.205-46(b).
Assume that Subcontractor will also be directed to use
Internet-based fares, which much be purchased by employee traveler. This may not be consistent corporate travel policies.
Subcontractor corporate travel polices will not be incorporated into Subcontracts. Subcontractors will be required to follow JPL form 7279, “Subcontractor Personnel Travel Policy.” Yes, Subcontractors or personnel must purchase the lowest available commercial discount airfare consistent with business requirements. JPL will approve airfare based on commercial pricing.
68 MQ #2 Proposer must have had at any one time, within the last 12 months prior to the issuance date of this RFP, a minimum of 30 bona fide employees employed in labor categories of similar nature to those required by JPL. Evidence shall include payroll records specifying payroll week ending date, employee name, and job title. Documentation submitted shall be from the same single week in the past 12 months. Could you please confirm whether not fully meeting this specific requirement would result in immediate disqualification from consideration?
Yes, immediate disqualification will result. Proposers must meet mandatory qualifications at time of proposal submission in order to be considered a qualified source and thereby eligible for award.
69 According to the TOC, Group A Attachments must be completed and attached to our proposal Part I. We noticed that not all of Group A attachments are included in the solicitation package (e.g., A4). Could you confirm if all or some of the Group A attachments are required?
Only those marked with an “X” apply to this procurement.
70 Section 1.2.2 Factor 2- Qualifications of Support
Personnel mentions "Using the table under 1.0-
See addendum number 3. Tables can be found under 2.0 (pages
10-11)
Background Information as a guide." However, we are not able to locate the table. Would you please confirm the location of table 1.0- Background Information within the RFP document?
71 Are we permitted to provide the same resume across multiple disciplines?
It is at the proposer’s discretion to provide the same resume across multiple disciplines, however if the person is used, they could only be assigned to one discipline (i.e. REA Senior II) and could not be moved around different disciplines.
72 For the 60 resumes max requirement, it appears that there are 12 total disciplines that we must provide resumes for. Could you confirm what the total list of disciplines is?
There are a total of 13 disciplines (labor categories) in the Staff
Augmentation Subcontract.
There are a total of 6 disciplines (labor categories) in the Task
Based Subcontract.
73 Given the volume of resumes required in Part I, would the Govt. Consider extending submission deadline to
April 7.
See addendum number 2. The due date for Part I is April 11, 2025.
74 Quality Assurance Engineer (SME) – Qualification requires bachelor’s degree in a STEM and 25 years of experience. Will JPL consider a waiver of the education requirements for personnel that exceed the experience requirement?
While JPL prefers a Bachelor’s degree, a waiver may be considered on a case by case basis, per JPL discretion.
75 Quality Assurance Engineer (Senior II) –
Qualification requires bachelor’s degree in a STEM and 15 years of experience or 20 years of equivalent experience. Will JPL consider a waiver of the education requirements for personnel that exceed the experience requirement?
While JPL prefers a Bachelor’s degree, a waiver may be considered on a case by case basis, per JPL discretion.
76 Quality Assurance Engineer (Senior I) – Qualification requires bachelor’s degree in a STEM and 8 years of experience or 15 years of equivalent experience. Will
JPL consider a waiver of the education requirements for personnel that exceed the experience requirement?
While JPL prefers a Bachelor’s degree, a waiver may be considered on a case by case basis, per JPL discretion.
77 Requirement for onsite Safety Coordinator (or equivalent). Does JPL intend for proposers to provide a full-time Safety Coordinator?
The need will vary. If the subcontract activity i.e. number of subcontractor employees associated with the subcontract, warrants a full time Safety Coordinator, then yes.
78 Requirement for onsite Safety Coordinator (or equivalent). If the requirement for a Safety
Coordinator is less than full-time, what is JPL’s estimate of the annual productive hours?
The need will vary based on the subcontract activity and the number of subcontractor employees associated with the subcontract.
79 Requirement for onsite Safety Coordinator (or equivalent). Does JPL intend for the costs of the
Safety Coordinator to be directly billed under the
T&M Staff Augmentation subcontract or covered by the contractor’s OH burden?
The proposer should decide this and then JPL will evaluate their response.
80 Requirement for onsite Safety Coordinator (or equivalent). Does the 18-month term limit apply to the
Safety Coordinator?
The term limits do not apply to the subcontract administration team, including the Safety Coordinator.
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