17T0189_Combined_Syn_(KO_Approved_8_Sept_2017).docx

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

1. Issue Date: 09/08/30/2017 Close Date: 09/18/2017 10:00 AM EDT

2. Requiring Activity: US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), Fort Detrick, MD for the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, MD

3. Description of Requirement:

USAMRIID requires service for Off Target Broad Panel Screening of Novel Therapeutic Candidates. Over a course of five years, USAMRIID is requiring broad panel screening of up to 25 small molecule antibacterial and antiviral compounds. For compounds meeting in vitro pharmacology, in vitro ADME, in vivo pharmacokinetics and in vivo tolerability criteria, a ‘safety panel’ screen against 35~90 receptors, channels and enzymes with known safety liabilities is needed to down select preclinical candidates and inform toxicological experiments, particularly for pharmacological targets known to cause CNS or cardio related side effects. In addition, compounds showing a proof of concept in animal models of infection may need to be tested in a broader screen of 90-140 receptors, channels and enzymes to determine pharmacological selectivity in support of IND submission and advanced development.

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial item services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotation being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

4. Solicitation Number : W81XWH-17-T-0189

This combined synopsis/solicitation is issued as a request for quotations (RFQ). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition (FAR) Clause Matrix, 17Aug 2017.

This is an unrestricted procurement. The relevant PSC Code is AJ51 and NAICS code is 541712 with a small business size standard of $15.0 M.

Contract shall be firm-fixed-price.

5. Schedule:

BASE

0001 Services –Broad Panel Screening 1 Job _ _ (IAW the PWS)

0002 Contract Manpower Reporting 1 Job _ (CMR) Annual Reporting

Option Year ONE

1001 Services –Broad Panel Screening 1 Job _ _ (IAW the PWS)

1002 Contract Manpower Reporting 1 Job _ (CMR)

Option Year TWO

2001 Services –Broad Panel Screening 1 Job _ _ (IAW the PWS)

2002 Contract Manpower Reporting 1 Job _ (CMR)

Option Year THREE

3001 Services –Broad Panel Screening 1 Job _ _ (IAW the PWS)

3002 Contract Manpower Reporting 1 Job _ (CMR)

Option Year FOUR

4001 Services –Broad Panel Screening 1 Job _ _ (IAW the PWS)

4002 Contract Manpower Reporting 1 Job _ (CMR)

6. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Please see attached PWS for additional information.

07. CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 2017)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code and small business size standard for this acquisition appear in Block 10 of the solicitation cover sheet (SF 1449). However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(b) Submission of offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers may be submitted on the SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, offers must show--

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions, including alternative line items (provided that the alternative line items are consistent with subpart 4.10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation), or alternative commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers:

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that offers or revisions are due.

(2)(i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and--

(A) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of offers; or

(B) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was the only proposal received.

(ii) However, a late modification of an otherwise successful offer, that makes its terms more favorable to the Government, will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(3) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the offer wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(4) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that offers cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of offers by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of offers will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(5) Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers. Oral offers in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers, subject to the conditions specified in the solicitation concerning facsimile offers. An offer may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for receipt of offers, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the offer.

(g) Contract award (not applicable to Invitation for Bids). The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror's initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept any item or group of items of an offer, unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the offer.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation. (1)(i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to--GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section, Suite 8100, 470 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20407, Telephone (202) 619-8925, Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST (https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/).

(ii) Quick Search (http://quicksearch.dla.mil/).

(iii) ASSISTdocs.com (http://assistdocs.com).

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock Point (DoDSSP) by--

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Unique entity identifier. (Applies to all offers exceeding $3,500, and offers of $3,500 or less if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.) The Offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation ``Unique Entity Identifier'' followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the Offeror's name and address. The Offeror also shall enter its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, if applicable. The EFT indicator is a four-character suffix to the unique entity identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the Offeror to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see subpart 32.11) for the same entity. If the Offeror does not have a unique entity identifier, it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for unique entity identifier establishment directly to obtain one. The Offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a Government contract when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the unique entity identifier.

(k) System for Award Management. Unless exempted by an addendum to this solicitation, by submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the SAM database prior to award, during performance and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. If the Offeror does not become registered in the SAM database in the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered Offeror. Offerors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the SAM database accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov.

(l) Debriefing. If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall disclose the following information, if applicable:

(1) The agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed offeror's offer.

(2) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and the debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.

(3) The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection.

(4) A summary of the rationale for award;

(5) For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror.

(6) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.

A. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

This section specifies the format and content that offerors shall use in responding to this Request for Quote (RFQ. The intent is to ensure a certain degree of uniformity in the format in the response for evaluation purposes. The quote should be legible and comprehensive enough to provide the rating standards for a sound evaluation by the Government. Information provided should be precise, factual, and complete. Legibility, clarity, completeness, and responsiveness are of the utmost importance. If the quote does not provide, at a minimum, that which is required in this solicitation may be determined to be substantially incomplete and not warrant any further consideration.

The Government intends to evaluate the quote and award without discussions with the contractor. Therefore, the contractor’s initial quote should contain the contractor’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer (KO) determined that it is deems necessary later. The Government may reject the quote if such action is in the Government best interest; waive informalities and minor irregularities in the quote.

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

Questions concerning the solicitation are due no later than 24 Aug 2017 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. Questions shall be submitted to Sharon smith at sharon.r.smith.civ@mail.mil An amendment to the solicitation will be posted to address all questions received; however, no questions will be addressed after the cutoff date and time listed above. Please note that only one (1) set of questions per Offeror will be accepted by the Government.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF QUOTES

Failure to submit all documents concurrently and in accordance with these instructions may render a quoteUnacceptable. The quote shall be submitted electronically via email to (sharon.r.smith.civ@mail.mil) no later than 10:00am Eastern Time, 04 Sep 2017.

QUOTE EVALUATION

To aid in evaluation, quotes shall be practical, specific complete, and logically assembled. The quote shall be in a clear, concise format satisfying all requirements of this solicitation. It shall be in sufficient detail to demonstrate a clear understanding of the work to be accomplished.

THE QUOTE

The overall quote shall consist of three (3) separate sections, individually titled. Each volume shall be appropriately titled, as follows:

1. Each section shall be a separate and complete section, so that the evaluation of each one may be accomplished independently and concurrently with, evaluation of the others. Each section shall be an independent document labeled accordingly.

Quotes (mailed) shall be submitted to the following address:

2. Please reference the “Instructions to Offerors” section for general instructions on: submission, modification, revision and withdrawal of proposals; late proposals and revisions; offer expiration date; restrictions on disclosure and use of data; and contract award. Quotes shall be received before the closing date and time specified in this RFQ or the quote will be considered untimely and may be rejected.

3. Evaluation of Quotes: The Government will evaluate the quote in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in this RFQ.

4. The quote shall stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of this RFQ.

5. The Offeror’s quote will become part of the official contract file.

B. QUOTATION FORMATTING & PACKAGING GUIDELINES

1. Format. The Government’s preferred format is as follows: The submission should be clearly indexed and logically assembled. Each section should be clearly identified and should begin at the top of a page. All pages of each section should be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date and solicitation number in the header and/or footer. The proposal shall be clear and legible. Attachments shall conform to the following guidelines:

● Type Font: 12 point, 10 pitch (Times New Roman)

● Spacing: Single-spacing between lines of text

● Margins: 1.0 inches on all sides

● Acronyms: Spell out all acronyms the first time when they are used. One page following the proposal body is allocated to spell out acronyms, abbreviations and symbols.

● Language: English

● Format: Microsoft Office Applications (i.e. MS Word, Excel)

● Graphics & Tables: 8 point, 10 pitch (Time New Roman).

In addition, each paragraph should be separated by at least one blank line. A standard, 12-point minimum font size applies. Times New Roman font is preferred. Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size not less than 8-point and may be landscape.

2. File Packaging. None of the proposal files shall be compressed (zipped). Zipped files cannot be opened by the Contracting Office.

3. Page Limitations. Page limitations shall be treated as maximum. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be considered in the evaluation of the proposals and will be destroyed without review. Volume 1 shall be tabbed to separate major sections—e.g., Technical Approach. Offerors may also tab the Quality Control Plan (QCP). Tabs will not count against the indicated page limits and shall contain no other information besides the tab title. Volume 2 shall be tabbed to separate major sections—e.g., Past Performance. Offerors shall provide the number of hard and electronic file copies as follows:

CD

4. Electronic Copies. The electronic portion of the proposal shall be submitted via email compatible with Microsoft Office 2003 applications. Do not use compressed file formats. Use separate files to permit rapid location of all portions, including exhibits, annexes, and attachments, if any. Documents such as previously printed materials, graphics or any other documents that cannot be submitted in electronic form are exempt, but if provided in hard copy, will be considered in the page count.

C. VOLUME CONTENT

1. Section 1- TECHNICAL QUOTE

The Technical Quote is required to meet the minimum requirements of the RFQ to be eligible for award. The Offeror shall submit a quote comprehensive enough to provide the basis for a sound evaluation by the Government. The Technical Quote shall be specific, detailed, and complete enough to clearly and fully demonstrate that the Offeror understands the requirements and the inherent problems associated with the objectives of this procurement. Stating that the Offeror understands and will comply with the specifications, or paraphrasing the specifications is inadequate as are phrases such as, "Standard procedures will be employed" and "Well-known techniques will be used." The Technical Quote shall be sufficient as to how the Offeror proposes to comply with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) including a full explanation of the techniques and procedures the Offeror proposes to follow. Technical Quotes shall also include a proposed Quality Control Plan (QCP) for the Government’s consideration in development of the Government’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The QASP will specify the services requiring surveillance and the method of surveillance to determine that the services conform to the contract requirements.

(a) Technical Approach: The Offeror shall submit a written proposal which effectively demonstrates the Offeror’s technical approach. The Offeror’s technical approach should specifically address:

(i) A Clear understanding of all tasks and how the approach is likely to yield the required results within the required timeframe.

(ii) How the technical approach is creative and reduces cost, technical, or schedule risk to the Government.

(ii) The methodology and flexibility that will be used in accomplishing any resultant award.

(iii) The Offeror’s overall ability to perform.

2. Section 2 - PAST PERFORMANCE

(a) Past Performance:

The Offeror shall describe awards of a nature and complexity similar to this proposed service contract and provide references in which the Offeror is presently performing or has performed in the past (within last 3 years) for the same or similar services. The past performance can be Government and/or commercial in nature; however, specific support provided to Headquarters (HQ), USAMRMC, US Army Medical Command (USAMEDCOM), Department of Army (DA), Department of Defense (DoD), or other Government agencies should be highlighted.

Each contract description should provide the following information: Project or contract title; award number, contracting agency, type of contract, and total dollar value; date of contract and period of performance; Government agency or firm for which the services has been performed, including address, points of contact (project manager and contracting officer, name, title, address and telephone number; brief description of the contract work, scope and responsibilities; the average number of personnel (key and other personnel) assigned to the respective contract(s). In addition, a brief description of how the cited work is the same or similar to the proposed effort being submitted.

The Past Performance Proposal may not exceed 10 pages inclusive of references.

Sample format for past performance information:

Contracting Organization:

Contract Number:

Contract Type:

Contract Title:

Period of Performance:

Current Contract Value:

Contact Person (phone and email:

Description of Work:

(Provide a synopsis of service performed).

Past performance shall include both prime and subcontractor experience. Offerors shall describe problems encountered in the performance of similar services and describe how the problem(s) was/were resolved. The Offeror shall have the referenced sources submit a Past Performance Questionnaire directly to the Contract Specialist, sharon.r.smith.civ@mail.mil prior to the closing date of the solicitation. Past performance information obtained by the Government from other sources may also be used for evaluation. The information gathered shall be used to assess the relevancy of previous services performed and determine the degree of performance risk involved in accepting the Offeror’s proposal. In the event an established Offeror is simply without a record of past performance, the Offeror’s lack of past performance will be evaluated as an unknown risk and having neigher a favorable or unfavorable impact on the evaluation.

3. Volume 3- PRICE QUOTE

The price quote will be evaluated separately from the non-price quote and past performance and will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness. The total evaluated price will be evaluated for reasonableness in terms of:

a. Level of effort, in that the proposed labor mix and hours are based on reasonable assumptions

b. Consistency with the labor categories proposed and open market rates for the proposed labor category

c. Consistency with the technical approach, in that the prices are consistent with and reflect the proposed staffing requirement for all years.

The Offeror’s quote shall include a supplemental pricing sheet that provides a detailed breakdown of their proposed pricing, including labor, Overhead, G&A, and profit or fee including sub elements of each. The Supplemental Pricing Worksheet shall include all other direct and indirect costs including materials, equipment, travel, shipping, and any other costs associated with the performance of the resulting contract. Contractor shall ensure mathematical computations are correct.

Price Proposal shall consist of the following parts:

Fully burdened hourly labor rates for all suggested labor categories and any additional proposed labor categories or levels. The proposal shall include the rate for all Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINS), Price/Cost Schedule of the Standard Form (SF) 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commerical Items.

Pricing information relating to Contractor Manpower Reporting requirements.

Representations and Certifications.

Signed SF 1449 and required acknowledged solicitation amendments.

Pricing shall be provided for individual labor categories. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by comparing the fully burdened hourly labor rates proposed for the base year and option year.

Solicitation, Offer and Award - Offeror shall complete Blocks 30a through 30c of SF 1449 (fill-in and signatures) Section A of the solicitation and submit with quote. An authorized official of the firm shall sign the SF 1449 and acknowledge receipt of all amendments issued. An Acrobat PDF file shall be created to capture the signatures for submission.

Offeror Representations and Certifications - The offeror shall complete the annual representations and certifications electronically through the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://orca.bpn.gov and System for Award Management (SAM) System https://www.sam.gov.

The business proposal should be specific and complete in every detail. The method of payment is to be Wide Area Workflow (WAWF).

(End of provision)

212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

1. BASIS FOR AWARD

1.1. The Government will make a single award firm-fixed price contract on a competitive basis, using the Best Value Tradeoff process among price and non-price factors described at FAR 15.101-1, Best Value Continuum and Army Source Selection Supplement determining if contractor quote is “Highly Technically Rated”. A Best Value Tradeoff Process will be used, thus the Government may award to other than the lowest priced Offeror or other than the Offeror with the highest rated non-cost quote. Award will be made based on the overall Best Value quote that is determined to be most beneficial to the Government, with appropriate consideration given to the three (3) evaluation factors: Technical Approach (Quality Control), and Past Performance, and Price. All quotes shall be subject to evaluation by a Source Selection Team (SST). Past Performance will be evaluated independently from the other non-cost evaluation factors utilizing different standards.

1.2. The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror’s initial offer should contain the offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

Factor 1 – Technical Approach and Quality Control Factor 2 – Past Performance Factor 3 – Price

1.3. The non-cost evaluation factors:

Technical Approach and Past Performance are equal in importance and more important than Price. Price is the least importance of all factors. To receive consideration for award, a rating of no less than “Acceptable” must be achieved for Technical Approach and Past Performance factors.

1.4. The Government will not assume that the offeror possesses any capability or knowledge unless it is specified in the quote.

1.5. After Factors 1 and 2 are rated individually, an overall rating will be assigned to these factors collectively. If Factor 1 or 2 receives an individual rating of “Unacceptable,” the overall rating will also be “Unacceptable.” Quotes that receive a rating of “Marginal” for Factor 1 or 2 will not be considered in the tradeoff process. Only quotess receiving an overall rating of “Acceptable” or higher will be considered for award.

Non-cost factors will be evaluated prior to past performance and the cost factor. Upon completion of the evaluation of the non-cost factors (less Past Performance) a competitive range determination may be made by the Source Selection Authority. If any Offeror’s quote is rated unacceptable it will be eliminated from the competitive range without discussions or further consideration. Offerors eliminated from the competitive range will be notified in writing of the determination and provided the reasons for elimination.

The Government will utilize information contained within the Offeror’s quote as well as external sources consulted during the past performance evaluation to determine contractor responsibility in accordance with the criteria in FAR 9.104-1. An award will not be made to any Offeror determined to be non-responsible regardless of the ratings given to any of the evaluation factors above.

C. EVALUATION APPROACH

1. Non Cost Evaluation Criteria: The following criteria will be used to evaluate the non-cost factors.

1. Technical Volume

(1) Technical Approach: The Offeror shall submit a written quote which effectively demonstrates the Offeror’s technical approach. The Offeror’s technical approach should specifically address:

(i) A Clear understanding of all tasks and how the approach is likely to yield the required results within the required timeframe.

(ii) The methodology and flexibility that will be used in accomplishing any resultant award.

(iii) The Offeror’s overall ability to perform.

(iv) How the technical approach is creative and reduces cost, technical, or schedule risk to the Government.

(v) A draft Project Management Plan (PMP) for timely and successful performance of the requirements of the PWS. A final PMP shall be provided 30 days after contract award.

(vi) A draft QCP for timely and successful performance of the requirements of the PWS. A final QCP shall be provided 30 days after contract award.

1. Past Performance Volume

Past Performance will be evaluated on the basis of the Offeror’s demonstrated recent and relevant record of performance in services that meet the requirements of the PWS. The Government will conduct a past performance risk evaluation that will be based on the quality, relevance, and currency of the Offeror's past performance on projects of similar size, scope, and complexity within similar periods of performance as it relates to the probability of successful accomplishment of the required effort (as well as that of its Subcontractors). A contract of similar nature is a contract of comparable risk – functions, responsibilities, and control exercised by the Contractor which is essentially the same as required under this solicitation.

A performance confidence assessment rating will be assigned for each Offeror focusing on relevant and recent past performance. The Government will review the past performance information to determine the quality and usefulness as it applies to the performance confidence assessment. The past performance risk evaluation will assess the risks associated with an Offeror’s likelihood of success in performing the PWS requirements indicated by the Offeror’s record of past performance on relevant efforts. In this context, “Offeror” refers to the proposed Prime Contractor and all proposed first tier Subcontractors.

Offerors are reminded that while the Government may elect to consider data obtained from other sources, the burden of demonstrating relevancy of the past performance and expectation based on the relevant past performance that the requirements will successfully be performed rests with the Offeror. Other sources available to the Government include, but are not limited to, the Virtual Contracting Enterprise (VCE) Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) System, the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), and the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

In the case of an Offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the Offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance (see FAR 15.305 (a) (2) (iv)). Therefore, the Offeror shall be determined to have unknown past performance.

1. Price Volume

The price quote will be evaluated separately from the non-cost quote and past performance and will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness. The total evaluated price will be evaluated for reasonableness in terms of:

a. Level of effort, in that the proposed labor mix and hours are based on reasonable assumptions

b. Consistency with the labor categories proposed and open market rates for the proposed labor category

c. Consistency with the technical approach, in that the prices are consistent with and reflect the proposed staffing requirement for all years.

The Offeror’s quote shall include a supplemental pricing sheet that provides a detailed breakdown of their proposed pricing, including labor, Overhead, G&A, and profit or fee including sub elements of each. The Supplemental Pricing Worksheet shall include all other direct and indirect costs including materials, equipment, travel, shipping, and any other costs associated with the performance of the resulting contract. Contractor shall ensure mathematical computations are correct.

The contract shall contain the Clause FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, or an equivalent clause. By submitting a quote for the contract, the contractor agrees to this inclusion in the contract.

The cost quote will be evaluated against an Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and other sources. The Government will evaluate offers by establishing a Total Evaluated Price (TEP) which will consist of one (1) hour of labor for all or randomly selected labor categories for the base period and all option periods (including the option period exercisable under FAR 52.217-8. The amount evaluated under this option period will be at the rates offered for Option Year five (5) prorated to six months. Rates selected for inclusion may be loaded or unloaded labor rates. The Government may determine that an offer is Unacceptable if the base period or option period prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the options.

Offeror Representations and Certifications - The offeror shall complete the annual representations and certifications electronically through the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://orca.bpn.gov and System for Award Management (SAM) System https://www.sam.gov.

The business quote should be specific and complete in every detail. The method of payment is to be Wide Area Workflow (WAWF).

2. RATING STANDARD FOR NON-COST PROPOSAL

2.1. RATING STANDARDS FOR NON-PRICE PROPOSAL (EXCLUDING PAST PERFORMANCE)

Combined Technical/Risk Ratings Table

2.2. RATING STANDARDS FOR PAST PERFORMANCE

Past Performance Relevancy Ratings Table

Somewhat Relevant

Present/past performance effort involved some of the scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

Not Relevant

Present/past performance effort involved little or none of the scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

Performance Confidence Assessments Table

2.3 DEFINITIONS

Clarifications are limited exchanges between the Government and offerors that may occur when award without discussions is contemplated.

Communications are exchanges, between the Government and offerors, after receipt of Proposals.

Deficiency is a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

Discussions are negotiations conducted in a competitive acquisition.

Recency, as it pertains to past performance information, is a measure of the time that has elapsed since the past performance reference occurred. Recency is generally expressed as a time period during which past performance references are considered relevant.

Requiring Office is the entity (for example, a program management office or other organizational entity) responsible for translating user requirements into the requirements documents within the RFP that communicate those requirements to offerors.

Risk, as it pertains to source selection, is the potential for unsuccessful contract performance. The consideration of risk assesses the degree to which an offeror’s proposed approach to achieving the technical factor or subfactor may involve risk of disruption of schedule, increased cost or degradation of performance, the need for increased Government oversight, and the likelihood of unsuccessful contract performance.

Source Selection Advisory Council (SSAC) is a group of senior Government personnel who provide counsel during the source selection process and must prepare the comparative analysis of the SSEB's evaluation results, when directed by the SSA.

Source Selection Authority (SSA) is the official designated to make the source selection decision.

Source Selection Team (SST) is a team that is tailored to the unique acquisition, tasked with carrying out a source selection. Composition of the team generally consists of the SSA, PCO (if different from the SSA), SSAC, SSEB, Advisors, Cost or Price Experts, Legal Counsel, Small Business Specialists, and other subject-matter experts.

Significant Weakness in the proposal is a flaw that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

Strength is an aspect of an offeror's proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that will be advantageous to the Government during contract performance.

Weakness means a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance. See FAR 15.001.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 2017)

The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) Web site located at https://www.sam.gov/portal. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (u) of this provision.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision --

“Administrative merits determination” means certain notices or findings of labor law violations issued by an enforcement agency following an investigation. An administrative merits determination may be final or be subject to appeal or further review. To determine whether a particular notice or finding is covered by this definition, it is necessary to consult section II.B. in the DOL Guidance.

“Arbitral award or decision” means an arbitrator or arbitral panel determination that a labor law violation occurred, or that enjoined or restrained a violation of labor law. It includes an award or decision that is not final or is subject to being confirmed, modified, or vacated by a court, and includes an award or decision resulting from private or confidential proceedings. To determine whether a particular award or decision is covered by this definition, it is necessary to consult section II.B. in the DOL Guidance.

“Civil judgment” means—

(1) In paragraph (h) of this provision: A judgment or finding of a civil offense by any court of competent jurisdiction.

(2) In paragraph (s) of this provision: Any judgment or order entered by any Federal or State court in which the court determined that a labor law violation occurred, or enjoined or restrained a violation of labor law. It includes a judgment or order that is not final or is subject to appeal.