Attachment_0006_Instructions_to_Offerors_(Section_L)_6_Mar_2018.pdf

Attachment 0006

ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL

ITEMS / SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Request for Proposal (RFP) W560MY-17-R-0005

GENERAL:

The Government intends to award a single hybrid firm-fixed-price (FFP) and cost-reimbursable contract. The Periods of Performance (PoP) under this acquisition will consist of a 12-month base period with 4 (four) 12-month evaluated option periods and will include Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services for up to 6 additional months. Option to Extend Services for up to six additional months will be evaluated at time of award and will be one-half of the Offeror’s Total Evaluated Price for Option Period 4. The Government will include this pricing in the overall evaluation of prices. The total PoP will be up to five years and six months.

The Acquisition Source Selection Interactive Tool (ASSIST) automated application is the workflow tool that will be used to manage and document the proposal evaluation.

L1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

a. This Operations Center (OPSCEN) in support of Office of Security Cooperation- Iraq (OSC-I) acquisition will be procured using FAR 15 – Contracting by Negotiation. The RFP will be solicited utilizing full and open procedures. This requirement is under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 561110 – Office Administrative Services.

b. The Contract will be FFP and cost-reimbursable.

c. A 90-day Transition-in period is applicable and will start on the first day of the base period.

d. Contractor shall furnish the information required by this RFP. The proposal must be executed and signed by a representative of the Contractor authorized to commit the Contractor to contractual obligations. Contractor shall provide the name of the authorized negotiator or the signatory, the position title, telephone number, FAX number, and electronic mail (email) address of that individual.

e. The evaluation and discussion procedures, FAR 15.3 Source Selection, do apply to this acquisition. The Government will conduct evaluations using the Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) approach and will follow FAR 15.3 Source Selection Procedures, and paragraph M.4 Evaluation Criteria in considering the Contractor’s responses to this RFP. Best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest price that also has acceptable past performance and is compliant with all of the terms and conditions of the RFP.

f. The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions with offerors (except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)).

Therefore, the offeror’s initial proposal should contain the offeror’s best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer (KO) later determines them to be necessary. If the KO determines that the number of proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the KO may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals.

g. The Contractor shall submit an unclassified proposal that demonstrates its ability to perform and meet the requirements in the Contract Performance Work Statement (PWS).

h. Contractors are cautioned to examine this RFP in its entirety and to ensure their proposals conform to all the requirements. Contractors are cautioned that merely re-stating the requirements with a statement of intent to perform DOES NOT reflect an understanding of the requirements or capability to perform. The Government will consider a Contractor’s noncompliance with the proposal instructions, to include incomplete proposals, to be indicative of the type of conduct that it may expect from the Contractor during contract performance and may result in the Contractor’s proposal being rejected and no longer considered for award.

i. The Government assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose the unmarked data for any purpose. Unless restricted, information submitted in response to this request may become subject to disclosure to the public pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 USC. 551).

j. Contractors are hereby notified that the Government will not reimburse costs incurred for Contract proposal preparation.

L2. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

L2.1 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

a. All proposal submissions shall be sent by electronic-mail (e-mail) to the following email address and must be received by 26 March 2018 at 1400 United States Central Time (CT):

Mr. David S. Fields David.s.fields16.civ@mail.mil mailto:David.s.fields16.civ@mail.mil

b. The Offeror is responsible for ensuring that a full and complete proposal is received by the date and time established for receipt of timely proposals in the RFP and should take into consideration file size and firewalls when submitting a proposal.

Should an Offeror have difficulties with the delivery of proposals, please immediately notify the Contract Specialist (CS), Mr. David Fields at David.s.fields16.civ@mail.mil to ensure that the proposal submitted has in fact been received by the CS.

c. It is highly recommended that an Offeror request a return receipt or other form of acknowledgment to verify that their proposal submission was received and on time.

Receipt means actual receipt by individuals in this paragraph, not merely receipt by the Government. Offerors shall submit their proposals in a single submission prior to the closing date and time listed in the solicitation. Failure to confirm receipt will result in the waiver of any argument of an offer being timely sent, but not delivered to the CS. Any proposal, or partial proposal, received after the time and date established for receipt of timely proposals will be considered late and will not be considered for award. Absent the opening of discussions, if required, the Government will not accept any changes, additions, or deletions for evaluation purposes. Failure to confirm receipt will result in the waiver of any argument of an offer being timely sent, but not delivered to the CS. (See FAR 15.208 for further information regarding late proposals).

d. The Contractor shall provide an electronic version of the required files

(uncompressed files, which must be virus free). Contractor shall submit its proposal via e-mail to David Fields. Upon receipt of proposals, all files will be scanned for viruses with an anti-virus program. Proposals, or portions thereof, submitted with the presence of a virus or which are otherwise unreadable shall not be considered and your proposal will be rejected. At the Government’s discretion, the Contractor might not be given the opportunity to resubmit this information.

Note: The Government will not accept any hard copies, facsimile, or CD/DVDs.

e. The proposal shall be valid for 180 days from the required submission date; the

Contractor agrees to hold firm the prices in its proposal for 180 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of proposals.

f. When proposals to the RFP (including any possible amendments) are completed and signed by the Contractor, it constitutes the Contractor’s acceptance of the terms and conditions of the proposed contract.

g. Contractor must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and have a Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN) and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code.

h. Links to third party cloud file servers, or a Drop Box, are not acceptable for delivery of proposals mailto:David.s.fields16.civ@mail.mil

i. The Contractor shall submit its proposal in separate files, subject to the instructions below, providing page numbers by section for the Government to review the completeness of the proposal submission

L3. SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS

Contractors are expected to examine this entire RFP. Failure to do so will be at the Contractor’s own risk. If Contractors have questions, they are requested to submit them grouped by RFP section and make reference to the particular section /subsection number. It is the responsibility of the Contractors to ensure their questions are received by 2:00 P.M. US Central Time, 21 February 2018. Questions are to be sent to David Fields at david.s.fields16.civ@mail.mil. Questions that result in answers providing specific information necessary for the submission of proposals will be provided to all Contractors electronically. Therefore, questions/comments shall not be marked with a restrictive legend and shall not include proprietary information. The Government is not obligated to provide responses to all questions, but will consider them and incorporate changes into the RFP as deemed necessary. Questions or requests for extension submitted after the cut-off date might not be considered. The Government will distribute any amendments to this RFP via the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) Website: www.FedBizOpps.gov.

L4. PROPOSAL FORMAT

a. The proposal shall be prepared in a clear and legible manner. In addition, the Contractor shall write the proposal in English and the proposal must be specific and complete as described in these instructions. Adherence to the prescribed format is required. Any material failure to follow the instructions may result in rejection of proposal.

b. All documents shall be unclassified.

c. Text Documents: All text documents shall be prepared in the word processing file format Microsoft Word (Microsoft Office 2013 compatible).

d. Drawings: All drawings shall be prepared in PowerPoint (Microsoft Office 2013 compatible). All PowerPoint drawings are to be prepared as separate files and incorporated in the word processing file.

e. Tables: Tables not easily established with simple tabbing in the word processing document shall be prepared as a spreadsheet and submitted in Microsoft Office Excel 2013 compatible. All Excel spreadsheets or tables are to be prepared as separate files and incorporated in the word processing file, if applicable.

f. Documents shall be single-spaced. Except for the reproduced sections of the RFP document, Times New Roman font shall be used and the font size shall be mailto:david.s.fields16.civ@mail.mil http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ no less than eleven (11) points. Use one-inch margins on the top and bottom and ¾-inch side margins. Pages shall be numbered sequentially. For tables, charts, graphs and figures, the Times New Roman font shall be no smaller than ten (10) points. To further clarify, restrictive markings in the header/footer and company logos do not need to be a certain font size. In essence, only the substantive parts of the proposal need to follow the 11/10 point font rule.

g. All files shall be compatible with Microsoft Office 2013.

h. Please Note: Do not lock or password protect any file (e.g. *.doc, *.pps, *.xls, *.txt, *.msg)

i. Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) Files. Scanned documents must be legible and shall have the ability to be viewed in Adobe Acrobat.

j. Compressed files (e.g. *.zip) will be accepted through ASSIST.

k. Executable files (e.g. *.bat, *.exe, *.jar, *.vb, *.wsf) will NOT be accepted in

ASSIST.

l. The proposal shall be written in a clear, concise, and complete manner, in sufficient depth of detail to enable the Government to make a comprehensive evaluation of the Contractor’s experience and capability, and the Contractor’s understanding of the scope of work of the proposed contract. The proposal shall not merely repeat the Contract PWS without elaboration or fail to present more than a statement indicating its intention or ability to comply with the RFP terms.

Contractor must provide support or detail demonstrating its capabilities and describe how the Contractor will execute the performance. Contractor shall provide sufficient detail to substantiate the validity of all stated assertions. Clarity and completeness are essential. Data not submitted with the proposal, but submitted previously, or presumed to be known (i.e., previous projects performed for the United States Government or information submitted in response to a Request for Information (RFI) or Pre-solicitation Synopsis will not be considered as part of the proposal, except for past performance information. The Government does not assume the duty to search for data or information to cure problems discovered in proposals. The Government does not make any assumptions regarding your proposal. The burden of providing complete and thorough information to address the elements below remains with the Offeror.

Each proposal shall include clear references to the corresponding paragraphs of the PWS or RFP that apply, as applicable.

m. Unnecessarily elaborate presentations and visual aids are not desired. Cover letter, tables of contents, lists of tables, lists of drawings, lists of figures, glossaries, lists of proprietary data, and other non-substantive materials do not count against the page limitations.

n. The Government will upload the electronic version of the Contractor’s proposal into the ASSIST database. Members of the Evaluation Team will use the version in ASSIST to conduct their evaluations.

o. Digital file names shall use the required naming convention for each specific proposal document identified in the compliance matrix.

p. All information pertaining to a particular file shall be confined to that file. For example, no Price information shall be included in any file other than the Price Proposal file. The Government is not required to and will not search other files for a missing file or missing information.

q. Introductory Volume – Please reference Section L.4.1. below for contents. The Introductory Volume is a responsibility determination and is not evaluated. If a proposal lacks signed executed copies of the RFP and/or Amendments, the proposal will not be further evaluated and the proposal will be eliminated from any further consideration. The Introductory Volume should be an electronic copy submitted via email.

r. Volume I - Technical Capability Factor. The volume is limited to no more than 50 pages. This volume shall consist of two electronic copies submitted via email, one of which is to be a redacted copy. The redacted copy of the Technical Proposal shall have all Offeror- identifying information removed. The Offeror may divide the page count between the Technical Capability Sub-factors as deemed appropriate, but shall not exceed the total page limit of 50 pages. Pages over the 50 page limit shall be removed and not be considered. The redacted proposal shall not contain any Offeror references or information to track back to the Offeror. Non-redacted pages containing references to the Offeror shall be removed and not be considered. These references may be blacked out with a highlight text tool and shall be submitted in PDF format only.

s. Volume II - Past Performance Factor. The volume shall consist of an electronic copy of Past Performance submission information submitted via email.

t. Volume III - Price Factor. This volume has no page limit. The Offeror shall submit pricing in the attached Price Matrix (Attachment 0005). The Offeror shall also submit Excel spreadsheets containing workable formula values, supporting documents, etc. The Excel spreadsheets must be a live copy that is stand alone with all working formulas contained within the document. Volume III should be submitted as an electronic copy submitted via email.

Proposal submission in response to this solicitation requires an electronic copy of Introductory Volume of the executed signed copy of the solicitation and all amendments along with proof of COMPLETE copies of Volumes I, II, and III in their entirety submitted via email. This statement supersedes any other guidance regarding submission.

L4.1 VOLUME STRUCTURE

Each volume shall have an Introduction and Table of Contents. Each volume must be indexed and tabbed with a cross-reference to each evaluation factor as detailed below.

4.1.1. Introductory Volume - Proof of a Signed Executed Solicitation and Amendment Documents.

4.1.1.1. Section A.

4.1.1.1.1. Introduction

4.1.1.1.2. Table of Contents

4.1.1.2. Section B.

4.1.1.2.1. Executed RFP and any amendments (signed by an individual authorized to bind the company).

4.1.1.2.2. Representations and Certifications

4.1.1.2.3. Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) inclusive of OCI Mitigation Plan

4.1.1.2.4. Non-Disclosure Agreements

4.1.2. Volume I – Technical Capability Factor 1.

4.1.2.1. Section A.

4.1.2.1.1. Introduction

4.1.2.1.2. Table of Contents

4.1.2.2. Section B.

4.1.2.2.1. Resource Plan

4.1.2.2.2. Transition Plan

4.1.3. Volume II - Past Performance Factor 2.

4.1.3.1. Section A.

4.1.3.1.1. Introduction

4.1.3.1.2. Table of Contents

4.1.3.2. Section B. Past Performance Data.

4.1.4. Volume III - Price Factor 3.

4.1.4.1. Section A.

4.1.4.1.1. Introduction

4.1.4.1.2. Table of Contents

4.1.4.2. Section B.

4.1.4.2.1. All pricing shall be submitted in Volume III as described in Section L5.4.

L5. INFORMATION TO BE SUBMITTED

L5.1. INTRODUCTORY VOLUME

The Offeror shall include:

a. RFP, Proposal, and Award: RFP, Proposal, and Award: When proposals to the RFP (including any possible amendments to it) are completed and signed by the Contractor, it constitutes the Contractor’s acceptance of the terms and conditions of the proposed contract.

b. Period for acceptance of proposals: The Contractor agrees to hold firm the prices in its proposal for 180 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of proposals.

c. Representations/Certifications: Contractor shall submit documents required from the “Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Contractor” section of this RFP. The Government will utilize SAM to obtain the Contractor’s annual Representations and Certifications, in accordance with FAR Clause 52.204-13 – System for Award Management Maintenance.

d. Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI):

The term “Organizational Conflicts of Interest” (OCI) is defined in FAR 2.1; also see FAR 9.502 (c). For this RFP, “OCI” exists when a Contractor would face an actual or potential conflict of interest if it worked on the planned Contract, due either to its other business interests or to the nature of the effort to be performed.

Contractors are encouraged to make a preliminary disclosure to the KO, prior to the due date for receipt of proposals, of any OCI issues the Contractor has identified. Such preliminary disclosure will allow the KO more time to assess both the potential OCI and the Contractor’s proposed strategy to negate or mitigate the OCI. This assessment may be crucial since, per FAR 9.504(e), the KO may not award the Contract to a contractor with an OCI that cannot be negated or mitigated.

If the contractor demonstrates to the KO that there may be a possible conflict of interest arising out of an existing contract, the KO shall take the necessary action to mitigate any conflict of interest that may be present. The contractor agrees that the Government or an authorized representative may, up to three years after acceptance of all programmatic documentation to be delivered under this Contract, restrict the contractor’s future participation in any resulting program managed system acquisition action(s).

OCI Mitigation Plan:

The Government will review the apparent awardee’s OCI Mitigation Plan. The KO may not award the Contract to a contractor with an OCI that cannot be negated or mitigated.

The Contractor shall submit with its proposal an OCI Mitigation Plan detailing the Contractor’s business practices, procedures, policies and internal controls as they pertain to Business Integrity and Organizational Conflict of Interest in accordance with Sections L.7 of this RFP.

The Contractor’s OCI Mitigation Plan must explain how the Contractor will protect non-public information from unauthorized disclosure. The Contractor shall identify any current or potential OCIs for itself as well as any subcontractors, team members, subsidiaries or affiliates, and provide its plan to avoid or mitigate any potential or current OCI issues that may arise as a result of serving as the NEC-RI IT Services Support contractor. The Contractor shall also submit, with its proposal, a blank copy of its proposed Non-Disclosure Agreement IN ACCORDANCE WITH L.7.2 below. To be deemed Acceptable, Contractor proposals must meet the minimum requirements set forth below.

At a minimum, the OCI Mitigation Plan shall address the following:

(1) Provide an organizational chart which shows the Contractor's corporate structure and highlights the elements of the company which will be performing the contract.

(2) Demonstrate on the organizational chart whether the elements of the company performing the contract will be isolated from the remainder of the company.

(3) Describe how non-public information, whether in hard copy or electronic format, will be stored and destroyed in order to preclude unauthorized transfer of information.

(4) Describe how computer networks and servers will be protected to prevent unauthorized transfer of protected information.

(5) Explain the Contractor's management reporting chains and address whether the contract effort and decisions related to that effort will be isolated from the remainder of the company.

(6) Address whether the organizational element performing the contract will be geographically or physically separated from the remainder of the company.

(7) Address what techniques the Contractor will use to avoid or mitigate any perception that it might favor its own products or services in performance of the contractor.

(8) Address whether management outside the Contractor's organizational element performing the contract will have access to key decisions for which the performing element is responsible.

(9) Address the use of Non-disclosure Agreements for Contractor personnel, including subcontractors and team members.

(10) Address any personnel reassignment restrictions for any personnel who retire or leave the contract for any reason.

(11) Describe subcontractor OCI mitigation plans and procedures for the contract.

(12) Describe how the Contractor will conduct periodic self-audits of its OCI Mitigation Plan and provide results to the Government.

(13) Describe how the Contractor will provide initial and refresher OCI training for all personnel working on the contract. Ensure that the initial OCI training is provided prior to contractor personnel access to protected information.

Non-Disclosure Agreements.

The Contractor shall submit, with its proposal, a blank copy of its proposed Non- Disclosure Agreement in accordance with the information outlined below. The agreements shall address, at a minimum, the following:

(1) Identify the parties and their relationships;

(2) Identify the program involved and the relevant Government contracts of the parties;

(3) Describe contractor interfaces by general subject matter;

(4) Specify categories of information to be exchanged or support to be provided;

(5) Give expiration date (or event) of the agreement;

(6) State that if there is a conflict between the relevant Government contract (s) and the agreement, the contract(s) govern (s); and

(7) Have an agreement to protect proprietary data, including restrictions on employees.

L5.2. VOLUME I – FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

Volume I, Technical Factor shall include the following -

1) Introduction: The introduction shall consist of no more than two (2) pages and shall provide a brief overview of the company.

2) Table of Contents: The Table of Contents should reference the page number where the Government may locate specific information contained within your proposal.

Volume I: Technical Factor: The Technical Factors Proposal shall address the following sub-factors: 1. Resource Plan, 2. Transition Plan.

L5.2.1 SUB-FACTOR 1.1 - RESOURCE PLAN

The Offeror's Resource Plan must include the following:

1) The capability to recruit and retain the necessary staffing levels needed to meet the requirements of the PWS.

2) Requirement that all personnel performing on this contract are fully vetted prior to employment.

3) A full plan of operation to successfully accomplish the requirements of the

PWS.

4) A recruitment/replacement plan that is specific, detailed and complete enough to clearly and duly demonstrate the ability to acquire, train, and maintain staffing level to meet the requirements of the PWS.

5) Detailed procedures for backfilling positions to avoid vacancies and timelines to meet the requirements of 100% fill at the end of the transition period.

L5.2.2 SUB-FACTOR 1.2 - TRANSITION Plan

The Offeror’s Transition Plan must include the following:

1) Details on how the offeror will prepare its company to become fully operational by the end of the transition period.

2) Technical or management issues that may impact transition and provide a mitigation plan for those technical or management issues.

3) Schedules or milestones which support a transition period not exceeding 90 days and to be at full staffing capacity at the end of the transition period.

L5.3. VOLUME II – FACTOR 2: PAST PERFORMANCE

L.5.3.1 The Offeror is requested to submit its Past Performance Volume II with the following format:

Section 1 Cover Page Solicitation Number, Offeror Name, CAGE, and DUNS - one page limit

Section 2 Contract References - Three total references maximum using Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) Form Sections IIA and IIB completed only.

Section 3 Relevant Performance Narratives - two page limit for each reference

Section 4 Adverse Contract Performance - No page limits

L.5.3.2 Contract References:

The Offeror may submit no more than three contract references with its proposal representing recent and relevant performance. The Government will focus on information that demonstrates quality of performance relative to the size and complexity of the procurement under consideration. In accordance with FAR 15.305(2) (ii), the Offeror may use past performance of current contracts (including Federal, State, local Government and private) for efforts that are similar to the required services.

Recent contracts: See M.5.2.1

Relevancy Ratings: See M.5.2.2

L.5.3.3 Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ):

The contract information to be provided with each contract reference is on the PPQ, Attachment 0003. The Offeror must complete PPQ Sections IIA and IIB for each contract reference and send copies of the PPQ to the respondent(s) Point of Contact (POC) as identified in IIA in a timely manner. The Offeror shall include these documents in Volume 2, Section B of the proposal. The PPQ respondent(s) will send the completed questionnaire directly to the U.S. Government POC as shown in Section IV of the PPQ.

To ensure inclusion of all references in the evaluation process, the Offeror is encouraged to provide the U.S. Government with the most current contract data and POC information on each reference on the PPQ.

The U.S. Government is not required to interview any POCs identified by Offerors. The U.S. Government reserves the right to use data provided in the Offerors proposal and data obtained from other sources.

L.5.3.4 Relevant Performance Narratives:

The Offeror shall provide a descriptive narrative of each submitted contract reference that describes the contracted work effort detailing how the requirements are relevant to the requirements of this solicitation.

L.5.3.5 Adverse Contract Performance:

In addition to the contract references, the Offeror shall identify every recent and relevant contract it was awarded that encountered any performance problems. For any contract meeting this description, provide the following information:

a) Contract number and Order number, if applicable

b) Project Title

c) Description

d) POC/Contracting Officer to include email address and telephone number

e) Provide a copy of any Corrective Action Report (CAR)

f) State any corrective actions taken to avoid reoccurrence

g) Describe the extent to which the corrective action has been successful, identifying POC who can confirm the success of the corrective measures

h) The Offeror shall identify any violations related to Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

i) Federal Legal Settlements or Fines. The Offeror shall identify any DoD, Federal, or state settlements resulting from a legal action or legal decision (example OSHA, EPA, state, other)

j) CAGE code /DUNS number

k) Contracting Officer’s Representative name and telephone number, if applicable

l) Contract type (i.e. FFP, CPFF etc.)

m) Award Price

n) Final or projected final price

The Offeror shall also identify every recent and relevant contract that was terminated for default or cause, in whole or in part, within the past three years of issuance of this solicitation. For any contract falling under these descriptions, provide the following information:

a) Contract number and Order number

b) Date of Termination or Partial Termination

c) POC/Contracting Officer to include email addresses and telephone number

d) Identify reason for any terminations for default or cause

L.5.3.5.1 The number of contracts and page counts provided in response to L.5.3.5 is unlimited. If there are no contracts meeting the descriptions of L.5.3.5 the Offeror must state as such. Failure to include this information or a statement may be a cause for rejection of an Offeror’s proposal as incomplete.

L5.4. VOLUME III – FACTOR 3: PRICE

Proposed prices will be used by the Government to calculate the total evaluated price for the base period award and the exercise of any option periods. The Offeror shall provide proposed prices as follows:

Offerors shall provide their proposed prices for the CLINs solicited in the Pricing Matrix, Attachment 0005. The proposed prices shall be the prices used by the Government to calculate the total evaluated price. Offerors must propose a price for all items as identified in the Pricing Matrix. CLIN 0010, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) and CLIN 0011, Contract Manpower Reporting (CMR), are Not Separately Priced and do not require proposed prices in the Price Matrix. The Offeror will not be required to propose prices for CLIN 0006, ODCs, CLIN 0007, Mobilization, or CLIN 0008, Demobilization, as Government Surrogates are provided in the Pricing Matrix for these CLINs. The Option to Extend Services does not require proposed prices as the pricing matrix calculates this amount for each CLIN based on the proposed prices for Option Year 4. Failure to fill out the Price Matrix in its entirety may result in the offer being deemed non-compliant and its proposal may not be considered for award. All prices for this acquisition shall be stated in U.S. dollars, rounded to the nearest cent.

The Government is not under any obligation to correct proposal errors or omissions. Proposals received with errors or omissions in which the Government is unable to ascertain the Offeror’s intent without discussions may be removed from further consideration.

Instructions for completion of the Pricing Matrix:

a. All information to be filled in by the offeror is highlighted in blue on the Pricing Matrix.

b. The offeror shall enter its full company name and CAGE code in the space provided on the Pricing Matrix.

c. The offeror shall enter the fixed price for each CLIN for each period. All unit prices proposed by the offeror shall be binding for the life of the contract.

d. The Offeror shall enter all unit prices to no more than 2 decimal places on the Price Matrix.

e. For CLINS 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, and 0005, the offeror shall enter firm fixed prices for each period. These CLINs will encompass the OPSCEN labor, DBA Insurance, and any other direct labor component such as uplifts and hazard pay.

f. For cost reimbursable – no fee CLIN 0006, the Government has provided a surrogate amount. The surrogate includes R&R inclusive of necessary visas and hotel accommodations, helicopter by Embassy Air, any billeting and OCONUS lodging costs. Also, this CLIN is inclusive of all Medical costs.

g. For cost reimbursable – no fee CLIN 0007, Mobilization, the Government has provided a surrogate amount. The surrogate includes all costs associated with getting personnel in place from the United States to Iraq, to include, but not limited to, CRC, Lodging, Per Diem, Commercial flight to Kuwait, helicopter ride from Kuwait to Iraq by Embassy Air, etc.

h. For cost reimbursable – no fee CLIN 0008, Demobilization, the Government has provided a surrogate amount. The surrogate includes all costs associated with getting personnel from Iraq to the United States to include, but not limited to:

CRC, Lodging, per Diem, Commercial flight from Kuwait, helicopter ride from Kuwait to Iraq by Embassy Air, etc.

i. For CLIN 0009, Transition-In, the offeror shall propose a firm fixed price for the 90 day transition period. The 90 day transition-in period will start on the first day of the base period.

j. For CLIN 0010, CDRLs, and CLIN 0011, CMR, no input is required by the offeror as these CLINs are not separately priced.

k. The six (6) Month Option to Extend Services, does not require pricing as it will be calculated in the Price Matrix as half (1/2) of Option year four (4) per FAR 52.217-8, and will be calculated based on the offeror’s proposed Option year four

(4) prices.

l. The Price Matrix is locked to prevent inadvertent changes. The offerors shall not add other information or make any changes to the Pricing Matrix, doing so may deem on offeror non-compliant and its proposal may not be considered for award.

m. The Government reserves the right to request additional, other than certified cost/price data if it is considered to be necessary in order to determine the prices offered to be fair and reasonable.

L6.0 EXCHANGES / ASSIST

During the evaluation process, the Government may, at its discretion, conduct exchanges as needed. The Government need not enter into exchanges with all Contractors.

a. All exchanges with Contractor are accomplished through the release of Evaluation Notices (ENs). ENs will be issued via the ASSIST Tool. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct exchanges with Contractors outside the ASSIST Tool if it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government.

b. The ASSIST Tool will be used during the evaluation process. The Army may issue

ENs for this procurement via ASSIST. ASSIST will allow Contractors to receive and respond to ENs securely online.

c. A separate tool, the ASSIST2Industry, will be used in conjunction with ASSIST to accomplish all exchanges with Contractors after receipt of proposals.

ASSIST2Industry provides the ability for the Government to issue, and the Contractors to receive and respond to, all ENs in a secure online environment.

d. In order to initiate the use of ASSIST2Industry, the Government requires the names, company titles, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two (2) individuals that the

Contractor has designated as responsible for receiving and responding to Government ENs through ASSIST2Industry. The designation of two (2) individuals is for the purpose of insuring availability of one individual if the other individual is not available.

The required information regarding these two (2) individuals must be submitted with the Contractor’s Proposal and included in the cover letter.

e. After the RFP’s closing date, the Government will establish an account in

ASSIST2Industry for each individual identified by the Contractor that has submitted a Proposal in response to this RFP. The two individuals named by the Contractor will be authorized access to that account. Two (2) separate system generated emails will be sent to each individual. One of the emails will contain the individual’s ASSIST2Industry username. The other email will contain the individual’s temporary password. Using the provided username and temporary password, each individual can then go to https://ASSIST2Industry.army.mil to access the account. NOTE: The first time a user logs in, the user will be required to change the temporary password before the user can proceed to use the site.

f. Whenever the Government issues ENs to the Contractor through ASSIST2Industry, the Government’s KO will notify the Contractor through a medium independent of ASSIST2Industry (e.g., e-mail) that the Contractor has ENs in ASSIST2Industry waiting for a response. There will be no ENs in ASSIST2Industry until such notice is issued by the KO. Contractors can contact the ASSIST2Industry helpdesk at (609) 562-7050 or (609) 562-7031 for any technical assistance that may be needed.

g. THE PROPOSALS ARE CAUTIONED THAT THE SYSTEM GENERATED EMAILS

REFERRED TO ABOVE ARE INTENDED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES

ONLY. RECEIPT OF THESE EMAILS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE

COMMENCEMENT OF ANY TYPE OF EXCHANGE WITH THE OFFEROR. ALL

NOTIFICATIONS THAT ANY TYPE OF EXCHANGE WITH THE OFFEROR HAS

COMMENCED AND THE OFFEROR HAS ENs AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO, WILL

BE SENT TO THE OFFEROR BY THE KO INDEPENDENTLY OF THE

ASSIST2INDUSTRY.

h. EN Response. Responses to ENs and any resulting proposal revisions must be provided in accordance with the following instructions:

1) A complete response must be provided within the EN response, including an explanation of any revisions to the Contractor’s proposal. Please do not simply provide a reference to revisions in the Contractor’s proposal. If a response to an EN requires a revision to the Contractor’s proposal, identify a reference in your response(s) to the location (e.g., Filename, Section #, paragraph #, etc.) of the revision in the Contractor’s proposal. In order to be considered as part of the Contractor’s proposal evaluation, the changes should be made in the Contractor’s proposal submission and the proposal must conform to the page format/limitation requirements. If a response to an EN simply requires a clarification, Contractors shall not submit a revised proposal.

2) Attach the complete resubmission file containing the proposal revisions for each file as ‘Attached Files’ with the Contractor’s reply in the last EN for the respective file (i.e. one attached file per EN, same file structure as initially submitted). Do not submit change pages or multiple copies of Contractor’s revised proposal. Contractors are requested to limit changes to items identified in the EN. For clarity purposes, Contractors are required to clearly identify the corresponding changes/additions in the Contractor’s proposal (e.g. use track changes to show date, vertical line in margin, bold, and/or underline by using the redline and strikeout features).

3) Each revision on each revised page shall be identified by date (DD/MM/YY) and by revision number, which shall be done by adding a footer to indicate such revision (i.e., date of submission of the revision) for each file affected.

Contractor shall also place their names within the header or footer of each page along with the section number.

4) After all ENs have been issued and responses submitted, and, when instructed by the KO, Contractors shall submit Final Proposal Revisions as specified in the Final Proposal Revision letter.