Attachment 0014 - Section L and Section M - FINAL - CNR - v2 - 30 June 2021.pdf

Combat Network Radio (CNR) – Attachment 0014 – Sections L and M – Version 2 – dated 30 June 2021

Amendment 01:

Attachment 0014 – Section L and Section M – has been updated and is submitted as Version 2, dated 30 June 2021. The purpose of this Revision is to update the due date for questions submitted from industry for the Combat Net Radios solicitation, from 05 July 2021 at 1700 Eastern Time to 06 July 2021 at 1700 Eastern Time.

A. Proposal Submission (Section L).

1. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

a. Each Offeror is required to submit Technical, Past Performance, Cost/Price, and Small Business Participation Plan proposals as outlined below.

b. Each proposal volume shall be submitted electronically only through the DoD

SAFE file exchange site (https://safe.apps.mil/). DoD Safe submittals shall be sent to the Contracting Officer at bradley.a.phillips14.civ@mail.mil, as well as the Contract Specialist at lee.alexis.civ@mail.mil. No hard copy(ies) of an Offeror’s proposal is requested, nor will they be accepted by the Government. Proposals shall be submitted no later than the date and time specified (Eastern Time) in Block 9 of the Standard Form 33 (SF 33). Questions shall be sent via email to the Contracting Officer at bradley.a.phillips14.civ@mail.mil, as well as the Contract Specialist at lee.alexis.civ@mail.mil. Questions shall be submitted not later than 06 July 2021 at 1700 Eastern Time. Offerors shall submit a single response containing all questions, and multiple emails containing additional questions may not be reviewed. Offerors shall NOT submit proposals via the beta.sam.gov website. Electronic format files submitted by the Offeror that are found to contain viruses, malware, or other malicious types of code will be set aside and the contents of those files will not be considered by the Government. No classified information shall be submitted by the Offeror in response to this solicitation. Any portion of the proposal that is changed (as a result of negotiations or proposal revisions) should be annotated and dated. Each volume shall be clearly labeled with its title and a copy number (e.g., copy 1 of 5). WARNING: Please do not wait until the last minute to submit your proposals! To avoid submission of late proposals, we recommend the transmission of your proposal file 24 hours prior to the required proposal due date and time.

https://safe.apps.mil/ mailto:bradley.a.phillips14.civ@mail.mil mailto:lee.alexis.civ@mail.mil mailto:bradley.a.phillips14.civ@mail.mil mailto:lee.alexis.civ@mail.mil

c. Each paragraph shall be single spaced and shall be separated by at least one blank line. Arial or Times New Roman minimum 12-point font is required. Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size no less than 8-point and may be produced in landscape mode.

d. The proposal submittal shall consist of separate files as set forth and named below. The following volumes of material shall be submitted:

Volume Title File Name Maximum Pages

I

Technical XXX_VOL1-TECHNICAL_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf 75 Technical Attachment – PRD Compliance Matrix

XXX_VOL1-TECHNICAL_

PRD_COMPLIANCE_MATRIX_MMDDYYY.xlsx No page limit

Technical Attachment – Verifying PRD Compliance Test Reports

XXX_VOL1-TECHNICAL_

PRD_COMPLIANCE_TEST_REPORTS_MMDDYYY.docx or

.pdf No page limit

Technical Attachment – Warranty

XXX_VOL1-TECHNICAL_ WARRANTY_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf No page limit

Technical Attachment – Property Management Plan/Documents

XXX_VOL1-TECHNICAL_

PROPERTY_MANAGEMENT_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf No page limit

II

Cost/Price Vol II, Section I XXX_VOL02-PRICESPREADSHEET_MMDDYYY.xls No page limit

Vol II, Section II XXX_VOL02-COSTNARRATIVE_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf No page limit

III Past Performance XXX_VOL03-PASTPERFORMANCE_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf 25

IV Small Business Participation XXX_VOL04-SMALLBUSINESS_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf 25

V

Solicitation, Offer and Award Documents, and Certifications / Representations

XXX_VOL05-FINALDOCS_MMDDYYY.docx or .pdf No page limit

NOTE: The “XXX” in the File Names above shall be replaced with the Offeror’s Company Name.

NOTE: Pages that exceed the required page limitations will not be evaluated.

Additional pages over the maximum allowed will be removed or not read and will not be evaluated by the Government.

NOTE: Offeror provided test results presented to the Government as attachment(s) to the Technical Proposal to verify an Offeror’s compliance with the Performance Requirements Document (PRD) will not count against the page count. The PRD Compliance Matrix also does not count against the Technical Volume page limit.

NOTE: Offeror provided warranty shall be presented to the Government as an attachment to the Technical Proposal and will not count against the page limit.

NOTE: Offeror provided property management plan and associated documents shall be presented to the Government as an attachment to the Technical Proposal and will not count against the page limit.

NOTE: Substantiating documents for the Small Business Participation Volume does not count against the 25 page limit.

Microsoft Office 2007 software or higher and Adobe software shall be used to create the required files. Offerors may encrypt and/or password protect proprietary information as they see fit. However, if the Government is unable to access the documents, the proposal may not be considered for award. Proposals shall not contain any classified data or information.

Offerors are advised that employees of the firms identified below may serve as non-government advisors in the source selection process. These individuals will be authorized access only to those portions of the proposal data and discussions that are necessary to enable them to perform their respective duties. Such firms are expressly prohibited from competing on the subject acquisition.

Company Name/Address Company Name/Address Netwerx, LLC

Address - Netwerx, LLC PO Box 715 Freehold, NJ 07728

POC: Haisheng Wang wanghs@netwerxinc.com

Veritech Engineering

Address - Veritech 1018 Boomerang Way Aberdeen, MD 21001

POC: Joseph Nguyen joseph.nguyen@veritechengineering.com

In accomplishing their duties related to the source selection process, the aforementioned firms may require access to proprietary information contained in the Offeror’s proposals. Therefore, pursuant to FAR 9.505-4, these firms shall execute an agreement with each Offeror that states that they will (1) protect the Offeror’s information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and (2) refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. To expedite the evaluation process, each Offeror shall contact the above companies to effect execution of such an agreement prior to the submission of proposals. Each Offeror shall submit copies of the agreement with their proposal.

Note: This requirement shall flow down to all Subcontractors.

Employees from each of the above named companies will serve as non-government advisors, will not be voting members of the source selection team, will not participate in rating proposals, will not recommend a selection, and will not have access to any past performance information. They will have access only to those portions of the proposals and source selection information needed to perform their duties.

2. PROPOSAL FILES

a. Format. The submission shall be clearly indexed and logically assembled. Each volume shall be clearly identified and shall begin at the top of a page. All pages of each volume shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date, and Request for Proposal (RFP) number in the header and/or footer. A Table of Contents should be created using the Table of Content feature in Microsoft Word.

Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) files shall use the following page setup parameters:

Margins – Top, Bottom, Left, Right: 1” Gutter: 0” From Edge – Header, Footer: 0.5” Page Size, Width: 8.5” Page Size, Height: 11”

The following additional restrictions apply:

b. File Packaging. All of the proposal files shall be uploaded separately in their native format (i.e., .doc, .docx, .xls, .pdf). All PDF files shall be in read-only format. All price breakdown information to aide in the cost/price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel 2007.

c. Content Requirement. All information shall be confined to the appropriate file.

The Offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters sufficient to define the proposal in a concise manner and to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal. Each file of the proposal shall consist of a Table of Contents, Summary Section, and Narrative discussion. The Summary Section shall contain a brief abstract of the file. Proprietary information shall be clearly marked. The format of the Technical Volume of the Offeror's proposal shall be paragraphed and numbered consistent with the Subfactors and Functional Areas described below.

(i) VOLUME I – Technical. The volume shall be organized into the following sections:

(1) Section 1 – Subfactor 1: Technical Requirements. This Subfactor evaluates the Offeror’s approach to meeting the SINCGARS CNR technical requirements. The Offeror shall propose a CNR solution in the written Volume I - Technical proposal that complies with the requirements of the PRD and meets the delivery requirements as stipulated in RFP Section F.

(a) Element 1 - Hardware Evaluation

A Government Hardware Evaluation will be conducted as outlined in the Hardware Evaluation Plan in Attachment 0004. All Offerors – regardless of proposed solution approach – shall submit four complete R/T sets of physical hardware (hereinafter referred to as “Bailed Property”) for the evaluation. The Hardware Evaluation is designed to assess the feasibility of the Offeror’s written proposal and maturity of the proposed technical solution.

The Bailed Property is not required to meet all threshold requirements. As part of Element 2, the Offeror shall provide a detailed description of the approach and anticipated timeline/schedule to meet threshold requirements.

All Bailed Property shall be delivered in person to the address identified below by an Offeror representative. Bailed Property shall be delivered in transit cases and all transit cases shall include return paid shipping labels OR an appropriate Point of Contact (POC) that can provide the appropriate return paid shipping labels within 24 hours of Government request.

An Offeror representative shall be at the Government site to inspect, inventory, and handoff the Bailed Property to a Government representative.

The Offeror representative shall bring, sign, and provide Attachment 0011 – CNR Bailment Agreement during the Bailed Property handoff. The Offeror representative shall be authorized on behalf of the Offeror to sign Attachment 0011 – CNR Bailment Agreement. No additional equipment or materials will be accepted after the receipt of the signed CNR Bailment Agreement. Furthermore, if the Offeror fails to deliver all of the required equipment and materials for the Hardware Evaluation, the Offeror may not be considered for award.

The Offeror will be notified of the required delivery location and date/time for the Bailed Property. Required delivery date/times will be randomly selected by the Contracting Officer. Instructions for accessing APG and Building 6010 will be also be provided at that time. All Offeror representatives accessing APG and dropping off hardware must be U.S. citizens and hold valid driver’s licenses.

Bailed Property delivery timelines and timeslot assignments are NOT subject to reassignment. Offerors bear all responsibility to timely provide the Bailed Property per the assigned timeslot. The Government will NOT accept hardware that is delivered more than 30 minutes past the assigned time (i.e., if your timeslot is 0900, hardware will not be accepted at 0931 or later). Therefore, Offerors shall plan accordingly.

Offeror’s Bailed Property will be stored in a secure and locked location that will only be accessible by CNR evaluation representatives during the evaluation. Offeror Bailed Property will not be seen nor accessed by other participating Offerors.

The Government shall keep the Bailed Property throughout the entire duration of the solicitation evaluation, contract award(s), and any protest period.

Bailed Property will be returned to Offerors in accordance with the Bailment Agreement.

Hardware Evaluation dates/times will be randomly selected by the Contracting Officer. Offerors will be notified at least five (5) business days in advance of the scheduled date and time of the Hardware Evaluation. The Hardware Evaluation will last five (5) business days, including set-up and tear down.

No more than two (2) Offeror representatives shall be available upon Government request to assist with the Hardware Evaluation. One of these representatives shall also be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) POC in the event that there are unforeseen operational issues or failures with the Offeror’s equipment during the Hardware Evaluation. The SME shall also assist with Bailed Property integration issues, software integration issues, and to answer set-up/configuration questions by the evaluation team or Government representatives.

(b) Element 2 – Technical Proposal

The Offeror shall describe how its design meets the Statement of Work (SOW) and PRD requirements for each of the functional areas described below (see Attachments 0002 and 0001, respectively):

• The Offeror shall provide a description of the threshold PRD requirements that the Bailed Property is known not to meet and provide a detailed description of the approach, including the anticipated timeline/schedule, to meeting those requirements.

• The Offeror shall identify compliance or non-compliance with the PRD threshold requirements via the Technical PRD Compliance Matrix (Attachment 0001), which does not count against the overall Technical Volume I page count limitation.

• The Offeror shall describe the approach to meeting the SINCGARS Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) envelope as defined in the SINCGARS specifications and standards referenced in the PRD.

• The Offeror shall provide a detailed description of the proposed approach to achieving full operational, electrical, and environmental performance defined in the PRD. Particular attention should be paid to the following areas: legacy radio interoperability; low and high temperature operating conditions; and nuclear, biological, and chemical survivability and decontamination, to include instantaneous and residual nuclear survivability.

• The Offeror shall identify the degree of maturity of its CNR configuration and sub-system components by providing documented test reports (preferably performed by 3rd party independent parties) and analyses to prove the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of its offering that supports delivery of First Article hardware.

• The Offeror shall fully describe a programmable COMSEC capability to upgrade communications security with future National Security Agency (NSA) approved COMSEC algorithms.

• The Offeror shall fully describe its approach to meeting the requirements for NSA certification.

Proposed use of Government Furnished Material (GFM): If an Offeror proposes a solution that requires the Government to provide existing RT- 1523s, the Contractor acknowledges and assumes the following:

• The current inventory of RT 1523s are unable to meet emerging requirements and have no salvage value to the Government. The Government recognizes that there is a value to the Offeror in the potential re-use of components, particularly the body of the radio (hereafter referred to as ‘chassis’), the power supply card, and the front key-panel. Also, the Government understands the risk involved in the Offeror’s materiel solution as per the enumerated assumptions in this section. In consideration of all assumptions, the Offeror shall identify the GFM that will be used and provide the assessment and methodology used to determine the value, on an individual component level, of the GFM per RT delivered to the Government

• The Government does not anticipate that every provided RT will have all of these items completely functional. The Government will provide the Offeror with RT 1523s that pass a cursory visual check for obvious RT chassis damage, but no other test or examination to assess any other capability or functionality will be conducted. To be clear, the Government makes no warranty as to the overall functionality of the RTs provided. The RT 1523 is being provided in as-is condition.

• The Offeror is responsible for the demilitarization and disposal of all GFM not used in the material solution at no cost to the Government. The Offeror shall account for the cost for demilitarization and disposal their Volume II, Section II – Cost Narrative proposal.

• The Offeror will deliver to the Government a warrantied (if ordered), zero hour, effectively new RT in appearance and function in accordance with the PRD.

• The Offeror shall provide a copy of their approved property management system, plan, and any customary commercial practices, voluntary consensus standards, or industry-leading practices and standards to be used by the Offeror in managing Government property as an attachment to their Volume 1 – Technical proposal. This attachment will not count against the page limit.

The Offeror shall describe how its design meets the requirements for each of the functional areas described below:

License Rights (LR):

• The Offeror shall describe all data deliverables with sufficient level of license rights and background patent rights necessary to support operation, maintenance, installation, and training (OMIT); modernization;

sustainment; and future full and open competition. The submission shall include a complete license rights proposal that clearly outlines all the terms and conditions required to grant license rights with clear definitions as to what conditions are required to activate the granting of the license rights. The proposal must list all cost/price to the Government including any minimum quantity required to be purchased by the Government, any cost/price to purchase the Technical DataPackage (TDP) or rights in Offerors background patents, minimum time in months to acquire license and patent rights, and any limitations that may be imposed. (Any royalty cost/price for third party patents for use in the contract shall be disclosed in accordance with FAR 52.227-6.)

• The license rights may be realized through a royalty, minimum units to be purchased, lump sum license fee, or alternative approach for the license rights. If the Offeror elects to submit a lump sum fee for license rights, the Offeror shall specify that portion of the proposed lump sum price that is associated with the cost to the Government to obtain these rights to background intellectual property. The pricing shall be provided for each separate item of data deliverables for which limited rights or background patent rights are claimed. The Offeror shall provide a brief description of the methodology or rationale used in determining the value of license rights for each separate item of data deliverables claimed. The Offeror shall provide an itemized list of these cost/price in the in the Volume II, Section II – Cost Narrative proposal.

• If the Offeror is proposing trademark license rights, and if additional costs are to be incurred by the Government, then the Offeror shall provide an itemized list of these additional costs in their Volume II, Section II – Cost Narrative proposal.

• The actual level of license rights, patent rights, and patents and/or patent application(s) covered by the licenses provided by the Offeror will be incorporated in Section J of the resultant contract.

Data/Software Rights Assertions:

• The Government desires the ability to organically sustain or procure from a third party should the need arise. The proposal from an Offeror with background intellectual property and chooses not to propose license rights will be evaluated in accordance with the color/adjectival ratings in Section

M of the solicitation. However, to the extent known at the time an offer is submitted to the Government, the Offeror is still required to identify the data deliverables that the Offeror (including its potential subcontractors or suppliers) asserts should be furnished to the Government with restrictions on use, release, or disclosure in accordance with Section I of the RFP.

The identification shall include, but not be limited to, the Offeror’s background U.S. or foreign patents, or the Offeror’s background pending patent applications.

• The Offeror’s proposed strategy shall identify any data deliverables or intellectual property licensing restrictions that will hinder Government from executing organic sustainment.

• The Offeror shall provide a copy of the Offeror’s Identification and Assertion of Restrictions on the Government's Use, Release, or Disclosure of data deliverables. Pursuant to the requirements set forth in DFARS 252.227-7017, Offerors are required to specifically identify Data/Software Rights Assertions related to technical data and software deliverables (at the base contract level and task order level). As indicated in DFARS 252.227-7017(e), an Offeror's failure to submit, complete, or sign the aforementioned Data and Software Rights Assertions with its offer may render the offer ineligible for award. In accordance with the content and formatting requirements for Data and Software Rights Assertions (set forth in DFARS 252.227-7017), the Offeror's Data and Software Rights Assertions shall comply with the following requirements:

o The Offeror shall not assert license restrictions on items, components, or processes themselves. The asserted license restrictions shall pertain to software or technical data that relates to items, components, or processes.

o The Offeror's Assertions shall not include technical data or software that will not be furnished to the Government under this procurement.

o The Offeror shall provide a concise (but specific) description of the technical data and software deliverables that will be furnished to the Government with restrictions, rather than generically asserting license restrictions in "technical data" or "technology".

o The Offeror is responsible for ensuring that Data and Software Rights Assertions from its Subcontractors comply with the aforementioned content and formatting requirements (in accordance with DFARS 252.227-7017.

• Offerors shall provide Data/Software Rights Assertions in a tabular format prescribed in DFARS 252.227-7017. However, in addition to the content and formatting requirements set forth in DFARS 252.227-7017, the Offeror’s Data/Software Rights Assertions table shall list technical data and software items that the Offeror intends to furnish to the Government with and without license restrictions. Thus, the Data/Software Rights Assertions table shall include technical data and software items that are provided to the Government with an “unlimited rights” license, including technical data and software items relating to Operation, Maintenance, Installation, and Training (OMIT) and Form, Fit, and Function (FFF). In the Offeror’s identification of technical data and software license rights, the Offeror shall use the prescribed categories of license rights referenced in DFARS 252.227-7014 and DFARS 252.227-7015 (e.g. “Limited Rights”, Government Purpose Rights”, “Unlimited Rights”, “Unrestricted Rights”, or “Commercial Software License Agreement”).

(2) Section 2 – Subfactor 2: Schedule. This Subfactor evaluates the Offeror’s approach to meeting the notional SINCGARS CNR programmatic schedule (Attachment 0012). The final schedule will be incorporated into the contract based off each Offeror’s proposal. The Offeror will provide information to substantiate the following:

• The Offeror shall fill-in Table 1 in Attachment 0006 – Section F.

• If the Offeror is proposing a solution that requires GFM, the offeror shall fill-in Table 2 in Attachment 0006 - Section F.

• Integrated Master Schedule (IMS): The Offeror shall provide an IMS that clearly demonstrates the proposed approach to meet all of the development, integration, test and certification (to include NSA certification) efforts necessary to achieve the SINCGARS CNR capability as outlined in the SOW and PRD. An IMS based on use of government test facilities or government witnesses shall be based on a five day work week. The Offeror’s proposed IMS must be supported with historical or other data to verify MRL claims.

(3) Section 3 – Subfactor 3: Sustainment Strategy. This Subfactor evaluates the Offeror’s approach to sustain its proposed radio solution. The Offeror shall describe how its approach maintains the Army’s existing SINCGARS Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) in Attachment 0008.

The Offeror shall demonstrate: 1) The Offeror’s strategy to assist the Government in the support, operation, maintenance, installation, training, modernization, and sustainment for the entire life cycle of its proposed radio solution; and, 2) The Offeror’s strategy to assist the Government in establishing organic support no later than two (2) years after contract award (using the required technical data deliverables under this contract and organic sustainment resources). The proposed Product Support/Sustainment Strategy shall include the following functional areas described below:

• The Offeror shall describe the repair concept, including required repair parts and sparing. All special tools and test equipment for troubleshooting and debugging shall be described.

• The Offeror shall demonstrate the ability to disseminate base software loads as well as updates to Field/Depot Support Assets for Government loading and provisioning of new and/or updated radio.

• The Offeror shall propose a logistics support strategy that maximizes the Government’s ability to perform basic repairs in the field and minimizes sustainment-level repair tasks. For the circuit card upgrade, the Offeror shall also describe Government support required to enable this upgrade.

• The Offeror shall address the Government’s ability to achieve reduction of sustainment costs based on proposed maintenance and support plan at Field and Sustainment levels for transition to organic support.

• The Offeror shall propose Test, Troubleshooting, and/or Debugging activities.

• The Offeror shall propose the use of diagnostics, prognostics, and Built in Test (BIT) capability.

• The Offeror shall propose the use of existing SINCGARS Power Amplifiers (PA) and Vehicular Amplifier Adapters (VAA).

• The Offeror shall identify items that are available in the commercial market that can be procured by other Contractors in a future competitive procurement (even without providing detailed technical information on these commercially available items).

• The Offeror shall address the Government’s ability to identify, adjudicate, and prioritize issues/discrepancy reports for resolution in a timely fashion.

The Offeror shall identify the scope of shared configuration management roles and responsibilities in support of the test/certification and deployment release process/capability.

• The Offeror shall include the range, roles, and responsibilities afforded the Government to analyze, assess, and support software sustainment activities for code updates and enhancements, as well as integration of software baseline changes (i.e., for resolving minor to major fixes).

• Based on the level of proposed license rights, the Offeror shall identify risks the Government will incur in the OMIT and sustainment of the CNR.

The Offeror shall include the scope of documentation, security implementation, and associated cyber security activities.

• The Offeror shall address the implementation of Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortage (DMSMS) processes. If the proposed solution is to crypto modernize existing RT-1523 E/Fs through an upgrade, the Offeror shall detail how it will mitigate current and emerging DMSMS issues with the remaining components within the RT- 1523 E/F. For a new radio, and new components such as the COMSEC and TRANSEC card, the Offeror shall describe the approach to proactively manage obsolescence and sustainment of the proposed radio solution for its required 20-year life.

• The Offeror shall provide a copy of the proposed warranty as an attachment to the Volume I – Technical proposal, which will not be counted against the page limit. The terms of the Warranty shall not cause a conflict or otherwise diminish the Government’s rights in any other clause, provision, or term of the solicitation or any resultant contract. At a minimum, the warranty shall address the following elements by topic and assigned topic number (any additional warranty element(s) shall be included without changing the order or numbering of the following elements):

1. Scope

2. Definitions

3. Individual Warranty Coverage

4. Systemic/Performance Warranty Coverage

5. Commercial Warranties

6. Warranty Procedures/Remedies

7. Other Rights and Remedies

8. Warranty Administration

9. Warranty Status Reporting

10. Exclusions

11. Presumption of Failure Defect

12. Contractor Obligations

13. No Evidence of Failure (NEOF)/Re-Test OK (RTOK) Reductions

14. Disputes

(ii) VOLUME II – Cost/Price. The volume shall be organized into the following sections:

(1) Section 1 – Price Spreadsheet: The Offeror shall provide a completed Price Spreadsheet, following the instructions provided, in Section J, Attachment 0007.

(2) Section 2 – Cost Narrative: The Volume II, Section II – Cost Narrative shall include the information, detailed in the subparagraphs below:

(a) Compliance. Failure to comply with the RFP requirements for Cost/Price information may result in an adverse assessment of an Offeror’s proposal and reduce or eliminate its chance of being selected for award. Offerors shall ensure that the information presented in this volume is consistent and correlates with the information contained in the other proposal volumes. Offerors shall also ensure that information presented in this volume as it relates to any proposed subcontractors is consistent and correlates with the information contained in their subcontractor(s)’ proposals.

(b) General Instructions.

1. The Contracting Officer has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition for this acquisition. However, in accordance with FAR

15.402 and FAR 15.403-4, if at any time during this solicitation the Contracting Officer determines that adequate price competition no longer exists, the Offeror may be required to submit Certified Cost or Pricing Data to support a determination of a fair, reasonable, and realistic price. Information other than certified cost or pricing data may be provided in contractor format providing that sufficient information is made available.

Information submitted shall be prepared following the instruction in FAR 15.403-5. If after receipt of proposals the Contracting Officer determines that there is insufficient information available to determine price reasonableness and none of the exceptions at FAR 15.403-1 apply, the Offeror may be required to submit cost or pricing data.

Additionally, in the event that adequate competition is not obtained, the Contracting Officer may incorporate FAR 52.215-20 entitled, “Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data,” into the solicitation, include a Certified Cost or Pricing Data section within the Cost/Price Volume, and request a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data.

2. The Offeror shall describe their methodology used to establish their cost and price. Each Offeror shall provide whatever information is necessary to help the Government understand why the proposed costs are realistic in the XXX_VOL02- COSTNARRATIVE_MMDDYYY.docx (or .pdf). Additionally, each Offeror shall ensure any proposed cost-reimbursement subcontractors provide whatever information is necessary to help the Government understand why the proposed subcontractor costs are realistic in the subcontractor’s XXX_VOL02-COSTNARRATIVE_MMDDYYY.docx (or .pdf). Each Offeror's cost volume shall contain sufficient quantitative and narrative documentation to adequately support and explain the costs proposed, to include subcontractor proposed costs. If the Offeror’s proposal includes accounting approaches that deviate from standard industry accounting practices, the Offeror shall include documentation from the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and/or the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) showing that the Offeror’s accounting system/cost accounting standards allow for the deviation and/or rate cap. DCMA/DCAA approved deviations will be incorporated into the resulting task order. The Offeror and its subcontractor(s) shall disclose the location (Government site or the Contractor site per the PWS) of each proposed labor category’s performance in their respective Volume II, Section II – Cost Narrative proposal.

3. There are no page limitations for the Cost/Price Volume II. Proposal information contained within Volume II that is not directly related to Cost or Price data will be disregarded.

4. The Offeror shall include all required costs to complete the requirements/tasks of the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) as specified in the SOW.

5. All prices shall be expressed in whole U.S. Dollars.

6. The Offeror shall provide an itemized list of the cost/price of license rights for each separate item of data deliverables claimed in their Volume I – Technical proposal. If the Offeror proposed trademark license rights in their Volume I – Technical proposal and additional costs are to be incurred by the Government, the Offeror shall provide an itemized list of these additional costs.

(c) Support for Direct Labor Rates: In support of the proposed direct labor rates, the Offeror and its subcontractor(s) shall provide documentation of the most recent direct labor rates, to include at least one (1) of the following (1, 2, 3, or 4):

1. Forward Pricing Rate Agreements (FPRA) or Forward Pricing Rate

Recommendations (FPRR) from DCAA or DCMA or DCAA/DCMA-approved Compensation Rate Tables mapped to the proposed labor categories

2. Letter(s) of Intent (LOIs), which include, at a minimum, the following:

i. Position;

ii. Direct hourly rate;

iii. Submitted on Offeror’s or subcontractor’s letterhead;

iv. Signed by the employer and prospective employee; and,

v. A statement that the LOI is for RFP W15P7T-21-R-0009.

3. Payroll records and/or paystubs showing rate of pay and referenced to the labor category in the proposal.

4. Salary survey data to include copies or screen shots of the actual salary survey data, which at a minimum, shall include the following:

i. Source of data;

ii. Job title and description;

iii. Geographic location; and,

iv. Range of salary amounts with reference to applicability of amounts.

NOTE 1: If using salary survey data to support direct labor rates, the Offeror should not propose any direct labor rates below the 50th percentile for any labor. Proposed rates below those percentiles may be found unrealistic.

NOTE 2: If the rates proposed are not fully supported and/or the Government is unable to determine the realism of proposed labor rates, the Government may use salary survey data from Economic Research Institute or other sources to make necessary adjustments.

NOTE 3: If the proposed level of effort is determined to be unrealistic, the Government will be unable to establish a most probable cost, which is necessary in order to be eligible for award.

(d) Support for Indirect Labor Rates: In support of the proposed Indirect Expense Rates, Offeror and its subcontractor(s) shall provide documentation of the most recent Indirect Expense Rates, to include at least one of the (1, 2, 3, or 4):

1. Forward Pricing Rate Agreements (FPRAs) with DCAA or DCMA

2. Forward Pricing Rate Recommendations (FPRRs) from DCAA or DCMA

3. Forward Pricing Rate Proposal (FPRP), Approved Provisional Rates Proposal or other statement of current rates. If FPRP, Approved Provisional Rates Proposal, or other statement of current rates is submitted as supporting documentation, the Offeror/Subcontractor shall also include three (3) years of Incurred Cost Submissions to DCAA detailing pools and bases (by expense accounts) information that validates the calculations or three (3) years of historical actuals detailing pools and bases (by expense accounts) information that validates the calculations. Forecasted pools and bases for the current year (by expense account) shall also be submitted.

4. If an entity cannot include 1-3 above because it restructured or is a new entity, that entity shall provide proof to include the date it restructured or the date the new entity was formed and include the pools and bases, as well as all historical data detailing pools and bases information (by expense account), which validates the calculation from the date of the restructuring.

NOTE 1: The rates reflected in the FPRA, FPRR, FPRP, Approved Provisional Rates Proposal or other statement of current rates should directly match the rates proposed by the Offeror or Subcontractor. If the rates do not match, the Offeror or Subcontractor shall provide sufficient detail explaining how the proposed rates are realistic.

NOTE 2: For all documents that are provided to support the proposed rates, such documents shall be explained within the COST_MMDDYYYY.docx (or PDF). The explanation shall include a mapping of the supporting documentation to the proposed rate(s) and how the proposed rate(s) was developed.

(iii) VOLUME III – Past Performance. This volume shall not exceed 25 pages for the Prime Offeror plus five pages for each major subcontractor. These page limitations do not include Past Performance Questionnaire Forms. A major subcontractor is defined as a subcontractor that is expected to perform twenty five (25) percent or more of the proposed cost.

This volume shall contain past performance information regarding recent and relevant contracts. Recent efforts are defined as efforts that are currently being performed or those efforts that were awarded within the last three years from the issue date of this RFP. Relevant efforts are defined as services/efforts that are the same as or similar to the effort (as compared to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334220) required by the RFP.

Offerors shall submit recent and relevant U.S. Government and/or commercial contracts for the Prime Offeror and each major subcontractor. Data concerning the Offeror (Prime) shall be provided first, followed by each proposed major Subcontractor in alphabetical order. Major subcontractors can submit their past performance information directly to the Government in accordance with the instructions above by the time and date for the receipt of proposals. Along with the information required in this paragraph, the Offeror shall submit a signed consent letter executed by each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner, authorizing release of past performance information to the Offeror so the Offeror can respond to such information. In addition, signed letters of commitment shall be included for all major subcontractors in order for their past performance to be considered. Consent letters and letters of commitment do not count against the Past Performance Volume page limitations.

This volume shall be organized into the following sections:

(1) Section 1 – Contract Descriptions. This section shall include the following information in the following format.

(a) Contractor/Subcontractor name, place of performance, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code and Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. If the effort was performed in a Subcontractor role, also provide the name of the Prime Contractor and POC within the Prime Contractor organization (POC name, current address, email address, and telephone and fax numbers).

(b) Government contracting activity name and current address, Procuring Contracting Officer’s (PCO) name, email address, telephone and fax numbers.

(c) Government technical representative or Contracting Officer’s Representative’s name, current email address, telephone and fax numbers.

(d) Government contract administration activity name and the Administrative

Contracting Officer’s name, current email address, telephone and fax number.

(e) Government contract administration activity’s Pre-Award Monitor’s name, current email address, telephone and fax numbers.

(f) Contract Number and, in the case of Indefinite Delivery type contracts, General Services Administration (GSA) contracts, and Blanket Purchase Agreements, include Delivery Order Numbers.

(g) Contract Type (e.g., such as Fixed-Price (FP), Cost Reimbursement (CR), Time & Material (T&M), etc.). Also, in the case of Indefinite Delivery contracts, indicate specific type (i.e., Requirements, Definite Quantity, and Indefinite Quantity).

(h) Awarded price/cost.

(i) Final or projected final price/cost.

(j) Original delivery schedule, including start and completion dates or overall period of performance.

(k) Final or projected final delivery schedule, including start and completion dates.

NOTE: If the Offeror is providing a commercial (non-government) effort as a past performance example, the Offeror shall also include the relevant information as required in paragraphs a-k above.

(2) Section 2 – Performance. The Offeror shall provide a specific narrative explanation of each contract listed in Section 1 – Contract Description describing the objectives achieved and detailing how the effort is relevant to the requirement of this

RFP.

(a) For any contracts that did not, do not, or will not meet original schedule or technical performance requirements, the Offeror shall provide a brief explanation of the reason(s) for the shortcomings and any corrective action(s) taken to avoid recurrence.

The Offeror shall list each time the delivery schedule was revised and provide an explanation of why the revision was necessary. All Requests for Deviation and Requests for Waiver shall be addressed with respect to causes and corrective actions.

The Offeror shall provide a copy of all Cure Notices or Show Cause Letters received on each contract listed in Section 1 and a description of any corrective action implemented by the Offeror or proposed subcontractor. The Offeror shall indicate if any of the contracts listed were terminated, and if so, identify the type of termination and reasons for the termination.

(b) For all contracts, the Offeror shall provide data on all manufacturing warranty returns. Data shall delineate total number of warranty returns, number of Could Not Duplicate (CND), number of failures attributable to Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Government Furnished Property (GFP) component failures, and the number and nature of failures attributable to the Offeror’s delivered product.

(3) Section 3 – Subcontracts. The Offeror shall provide an outline of how the current RFP effort will be assigned for performance within the Offeror’s corporate entity and among the proposed major subcontractors. The information provided for the Prime Offeror and each proposed major subcontractor must include the entire company name, company address, CAGE Code, DUNS Number, and type of work to be performed by citing the applicable Government SOW subparagraph number.

(4) Section 4 – New Corporate Entities. New corporate entities proposing as the Prime Offeror or as a major subcontractor may submit data on prior contracts involving its offices and employees. However, in addition to the other requirements in this section, the Offeror shall discuss in detail the role performed by such persons in the prior contracts cited. Letters of Commitment shall be included in the proposal for these employees in order to be considered.

(5) Past Performance Questionnaire. For all contracts identified in Section 1 – Contract Descriptions, a Past Performance Questionnaire must be completed and submitted (Attachment 0013). The Offeror shall complete Part I of the Past Performance Questionnaire and email the Questionnaire to both the Government contracting activity and technical representative or commercial entity responsible for the contract no later than the proposal due date and time. The Offeror shall provide a PDF copy of the emailed Questionnaire(s). The Offeror shall also provide a POC List identifying who was sent a Questionnaire. The POC List shall be submitted in Word for Windows Table Format to include the following fields: Solicitation Number; Company Name; Contract Number; Government Agency; POC Last Name, First Name; POC Title;

POC Telephone Number; POC Email Address; and Date of Email to POC.

(6) Small Business Participation Past Performance. The Offeror shall submit information substantiating the Offeror’s past performance in complying with FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns, maximizing opportunities for U.S.

small business Subcontractors. The Offeror shall also provide a statement indicating whether any negative information has been reported in the past three years concerning the Offeror’s past compliance with FAR 52.219-8. If any such negative information has been reported, the Offeror may submit explanations or comments responding to such negative information. Offerors with no prior contracts containing FAR 52.219-8 shall acknowledge this in the proposal.

NOTE: Past performance information may be obtained from established systems such as the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), and/or other databases; from other sources available to the Government, such as the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA); and from interviews with Program Managers, Contracting Officers, Fee Determining Officials, or other official.

(iv) VOLUME IV – Small Business Participation Commitment Document

(SBPCD).

All Offerors (both other than small businesses and small businesses) shall submit a Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) as outlined in Attachment 0010 – SBPCD and provide substantiating documentation to demonstrate how the Offeror will meet these objectives. This required information will be used to evaluate the Offeror’s proposed participation/commitment to use U.S. small businesses in the performance of this acquisition (as small business prime offerors or small business subcontractors) relative to Section M, Factor 4 – Small Business Participation.

The SBPCD will be incorporated into the base contract vehicle as binding commitments and are considered enforceable contractual requirements.

NOTE: The small business participation plan outlines the "specifics" or the "how" or the "details" of the Offeror’s firm intentions to maximize the utilization of small businesses within this acquisition. The Offeror shall articulate small business contributions to contract performance at the Prime contract through first tier subcontract levels. Second and lower tier small business subcontractors will not be considered towards the total small business participation percentage. Small Business Participation annotated in the Offeror’s SBPCD is a separate requirement from the FAR 19.704, Subcontracting Plan

Requirements, which will only be reviewed for acceptability for those Offerors deemed to be apparent awardees.

(1) The Offeror shall provide the Prime Offeror’s Size as outlined in the SBPCD.

(2) Pursuant to FAR Part 19, the Government’s objective is that Small Business

Concerns (SBC) are used to the maximum extent practicable in the Offeror’s proposed approach to satisfy the requirements of this solicitation for the entire performance period. The Offeror shall identify SBCs that are to be used in their proposed approach to satisfy the requirements. As outlined in the SBPCD:

(a) Identify the type, variety, and complexity of work to be performed by small business firms in accordance with the Statement of Work (Attachment 0002).

(b) Describe and demonstrate substantive commitment to small business firms.

(c) If applicable, the Offeror shall provide explanation and/or documentation supporting why small businesses were not identified.

(3) The Offeror shall provide participation percentage of small businesses in terms of the Offeror’s value of the total acquisition (total contract value) as outlined in the SBPCD.

(a) The Offeror’s proposed Total Contract Value for this requirement is the total proposed cost/price for the base and all option years.

(b) The Offeror shall provide explanation and documentation to support small business participation percentages, or if applicable, Offerors shall provide explanation and documentation supporting why the Offeror is providing no small businesses participation percentage. Binding commitments shall become enforceable, contractual requirements.

NOTE: All supporting documentation is excluded from the page count.

Supporting documents will not be incorporated into any resulting contract.

(4) The Offeror shall submit past performance information to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns, as outlined in the SBPCD.

(5) Only Other Than Small Businesses (OTSB) shall provide a separate Small Business Subcontracting Plan that contains all the elements required by FAR 52.219-9.

This plan shall be submitted separately from the information required in the above SBPCD, which applies to both OTSB and small businesses. The plan, at a minimum, shall address the elements set forth in FAR Clause 52.219-9(d)(1) through (15).

Subcontracting Plans shall reflect and be consistent with the commitments offered in the SBPCD. OTSB Firms must submit acceptable subcontracting plans to be eligible for award. Subcontracting plans will only be reviewed for acceptability for those Offerors deemed to be apparent awardees.