W900KK24R0023_CSTA_Solicitation_Amendment 0002.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30-105-04EXCEPTION TO SF 30

APPROVED BY OIRM 11-84

STANDARD FORM 30 (Rev. 10-83) Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

The purpose of this Amendment is to:

1. REMOVE the follow ing language from Section L.5.3.9 "employee names and/or other documentation (such as assigned letter of commitment for key personnel not currently employed by the Offeror) to support the rates proposed shall be provided. The Offeror shall provide letters of commitment clearly identifying the prospective employees’ pertinent conditions of employment."

2. Update Attachment 5

3. Updates to PWS Sections 5.2.2.3.4 and 5.2.2.4.4 All other instructions remain unchanged.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

S 1 29

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 03-May-2024

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA15C. DATE SIGNED15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Street , County, State and Zip Code) X W900KK24R0023

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

01-Apr-2024

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

X The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offer is extended, X is not extended.

Offer must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning 1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN

REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(B).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

10A. MOD. OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO.(If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

30-Apr-2024

CODE

ARMY CONTRACTING COMMAND - ORLANDO

ATTN: DELTA DIVISION

12211 SCIENCE DRIVE

ORLANDO FL 32826-3224

W900KK 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE

See Item 6

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

W900KK24R0023

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the Offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this address: https://acquisition.gov.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

a. Proposal Submission Introduction.

The U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) Civil Support Training Activity (CSTA), Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN), Training Support Services (TSS) effort is being competed as 8(a) Set Aside competition under NAICS code 541990 – All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, with a size standard of $19.5M in average annual receipts.

The following instructions are for the preparation and submission of proposals. The purpose of this section is to establish requirements for the format and content of proposals so that proposals contain all essential information and can be evaluated equitably.

Offerors are instructed to read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments in Section J, prior to submitting questions and/or preparing your offer. Noncompliance with these instructions, to include fonts and page counts will result in rejection of the offer.

All information within the page limitations of the proposal is subject to evaluation. The Government will evaluate proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in Section M of this solicitation.

Offerors may make minor formatting changes to Section K and Section J templates used in proposal submission. For example, minor formatting changes include such things as adjusting page breaks, identifying proposal volume identifiers in the headers and footers, including disclaimers of proprietary information, and adjusting the Cost/Price template based on an Offeror’s actual indirect rate structure, etc.

The electronic solicitation documents, as posted at SAM.Gov (https://www.sam.gov) shall be the "official" documents for this solicitation.

The Government WILL NOT reimburse Offerors for any cost incurred for the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this solicitation.

All proposal information is subject to verification by the Government. Falsification of any proposal submission, documents, or statements may subject the Offeror to civil or criminal prosecution under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

L.1. SOLICITATION QUESTIONS

The ARNORTH CSTA PCO and Contract Specialist are the sole points of contact for all questions under this solicitation. Offerors shall address all questions via e-mail to the ARNORTH CSTA PCO at Phillip.b.davis16.civ@army.mil and Contract Specialist at Willie.c.bass2.civ@army.mil. Offerors shall utilize Attachment 7 “Solicitation Questions and Answers Form” to submit questions. The Offeror must include the company name and solicitation number in the subject line of the email. The question(s) must include the page number, section number, and paragraph number that pertains to the Offeror ‘s question(s).

Questions not submitted to the Contracting Officer and Contracting Specialist via the addresses in the preceding paragraph will not be answered. Questions can be e-mailed any time after the solicitation is posted at SAM.Gov (https://www.sam.gov); however, all questions must be received via e-mail at the email addresses above no later than 12 April 2024.

Questions will be answered under an amendment to the solicitation posted at SAM.Gov prior to the solicitation closing date. Questions received after 12 April 2024 will only be answered at the discretion of the ARNORTH CSTA PCO by amendment to the solicitation posted at SAM.Gov prior to the solicitation closing date.

Acknowledgement of receipt of questions will not be made. Please thoroughly review the entire solicitation, including all the attachments in Section J, prior to submitting questions.

L.1.1 Proposal Validity:

The Government requires that the proposal, in its entirety, be valid for at least two hundred and seventy (270) calendar days from the proposal due date which will be annotated in the PCO notification referenced above. Offerors are cautioned that for their proposal to be eligible for award, the proposal shall be in compliance with the terms and conditions set forth in the solicitation. The Offeror shall insert the validity date in Block 12 of the SF 33 Solicitation.

L.2. PROPOSAL FORMAT

L.2.1. The Offeror’s proposal shall be formatted into Four (4) separate electronic folders by Volume Number and Title as follows:

Volume I – Factor 1 – Program Management Subfactor 1.1 Program Management Plan Subfactor 1.2 Resource Depiction Subfactor 1.3 Phase-In-Plan Volume II – Factor 2 – Past Performance

Volume III – Factor 3 - Cost/Price Volume IV – Administrative Information.

Offerors shall include all four (4) electronic volumes and proposal documents on an upload to a DoD SAFE link to be provided a week before proposal submission closing date of 10 May 2024.

No paper version shall be submitted. It is the sole responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the electronic files submitted are virus free and can be opened and read by the government. Proposal submissions shall not be locked, encrypted, or otherwise contain barriers to opening.

All proposal documents shall be in Adobe (.pdf) format except for templates provided by the Government, templates shall remain in the format provided.

L.2.2. All proposals must clearly and convincingly demonstrate that the Offeror has a thorough understanding of the entire requirement and associated risks, and is able, willing, and competent to devote resources necessary to meet the requirement and has a valid and practical solution for the requirement. Statements that the prospective Offeror understands, can, or will comply with the requirements, and statements paraphrasing the requirements or parts thereof without supporting information/narrative are considered inadequate and unsatisfactory. Mere reiteration of the requirement or standard reference material is discouraged and is considered inadequate and unsatisfactory.

The Offeror must include any data necessary to illustrate the adequacy of the various assumptions, approaches, and solutions to problems. In presenting material in proposals, Offerors are advised that quality of information is more important than quantity. Offerors are encouraged to use quantitative terms wherever possible and avoid the use of qualitative and subjective terms to the maximum extent practicable. Offerors are cautioned that while the Government will not evaluate every PWS requirement for the purposes of the source selection evaluation, the awardee/Contractor will be required to comply with all PWS requirements during performance of the contract. The offeror’s proposal shall describe its approach to implementing PWS requirements that are being evaluated.

The proposal shall reference the related paragraphs of the PWS (e.g., 3.1.2) and Section L, and provide the detail necessary to substantiate the proposed approach and methodology for performance. The proposal should identify any unique or innovative approaches which ensure successful performance. The Government will determine that an Offeror's proposal is non-compliant, and therefore ineligible for award, if the proposal indicates that: it cannot or will not meet all the requirements; provides an approach that clearly does not meet any of the requirements; or includes data which prompts the Government to question the Offeror's compliance with any of the requirements.

The Source Selection Authority may reject all proposals received in response to a solicitation, if doing so is in the best interest of the Government. Offerors are responsible for including sufficient details to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal. Proprietary information shall be clearly marked.

L.2.3 The proposed approach should be specific, detailed, and contain sufficient information to clearly and fully demonstrate the offeror’s understanding of the requirements and the inherent risks associated with this procurement. It is inadequate to simply state that the offeror understands and will comply with the requirements, or to paraphrase the requirements. The proposal shall comprehensively explain how the offeror proposes to comply with the applicable requirements, as well as describe the techniques and procedures the offeror proposes to implement.

L.3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

L.3.1. Failure to submit documents in the correct format is grounds for Non-Compliance Determination, at the sole discretion of the PCO.

L.3.2. It is the sole responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the electronic files submitted are virus free and can be opened and read by the Government. Proposal submissions shall not be locked, encrypted, or otherwise contain barriers to opening. All files shall be clearly identified with a filename appropriate to the content (e.g., ABC.VOL1.TOC.pdf). Use separate files to permit rapid location of all portions, including exhibits, annexes, and attachments, if any.

Compressed files are not allowed. When submitting proposals, Offerors shall follow these instructions.

L.3.3. File Packaging. All proposal documents shall be in Adobe (.pdf) format except for templates provided by the Government, templates shall remain in the format provided. All price breakdown information to aid in the cost/price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel 2013. Please note – Self extracting .exe files are not acceptable. PDF documents shall use Adobe Acrobat 9.0 or later. Do NOT submit main documents in the PDF “image.” Teaming Agreements or Letters of Commitment may be in the image format.

All submitted files (PDF and Excel) shall be created with textual search and copy functions enabled. Non-searchable signature pages are acceptable, but other submitted materials that are not searchable may not be evaluated, and the Offeror may be determined non-compliant, at the sole discretion of the PCO.

L.3.4. All proposal files shall be verified to be free of any virus or malware.

L.3.5. Volumes and number of copies each are identified below. The evaluators will read only up to the maximum number of pages specified. Type shall be no smaller than a font size of ten (10) for all documents and shall be at least single spaced. Page size shall not exceed 8.5x11, except table and graphs which may use a font size of eight (8) and a page size not to exceed 11” x 17”.

Font shall be Arial. Margins shall be at least 1” for all Volumes except for Cost/Price Attachments 5 and 8 which will be in Excel Format.

L.3.6. Proposal Due Date and Address Location

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 10 May 2024; 1600, EASTERN STANDARD

TIME (EST).

Proposals are to be submitted electronically via DoD SAFE located at https://safe.apps.mil/:

Attn: Phil Davis and Will Bass

L.4 PROPOSAL FORMAT TABLE

The following Proposal Format Table is to assist Offerors in organizing their proposal submission documents to ensure the government can easily identify which documents apply to which criteria for evaluation purposes. Offerors must adhere to the Volume Numbers, Format and/or Templates, and Page Limitations (if any) provided in the Proposal Format Table, any unallowable deviation will result in proposal rejection. Offerors must include their company name or company name abbreviation and Volume Number in the filename. For example, ABC Incorporated filename for Volume I, SF-33 is ABC.VOL.SF33.pdf. Offerors may make minor adjustments to the file naming methodology so long as the resulting file names and organization are clearly understood. Additionally, the Offeror may provide a Table of Contents that serves as an overall guide to what files are included, where they are located and brief descriptions of what the documents are. Inclusion of a Table of Contents is optional.

The following volumes of material shall be submitted:

VOLUME TITLE PAGE LIMIT

I - Factor 1 - Program Management Subfactor 1.1 – Program Management Plan Subfactor 1.2 – Resource Depiction Subfactor 1.3 – Phase-In-Plan

II-Factor 2 -Past Performance 35 III - Factor 3 - Cost / Price Unlimited IV - Administrative Information Unlimited

*Note: Microsoft Project or Excel files, Table of Contents, title page, cover page, signatory authority page, CPARS Reports and/or Cross Reference Matrix Spreadsheets will NOT be included as part of the page count limits in above referenced Volumes.

L.5. PROPOSAL CONTENT

L.5.1. Factor 1 – Program Management

Factor 1: Program Management: The Offeror shall prepare and submit a standalone Program Management Volume organized IAW the subfactor and elements descriptions below with no cost information added to this volume. This volume provides Offerors with an opportunity to demonstrate their approach in meeting the solicitation requirements. While Offerors will not be evaluated on all requirements of the ARNORTH CSTA PWS, they must comply with, and be able to accomplish, all PWS requirements throughout the contract’s performance.

PWS Reference: 5.2.1.1

L.5.1.1. Subfactor 1.1: Program Management Plan. The Program Management Plan shall be submitted as a standalone document within the Program Management Volume and page count and contain all of the elements outlined below. An omitted item is grounds for non-compliance and may result in the PCO determining the proposal unacceptable.

PWS Reference: 5.2.1.1

Management Structure: Offeror must provide a realistic approach to creating its management structure for the geographically separated sites in the required area of operation, from general staff oversight by first line supervisors, through its local organizational structure to the company headquarters management.

PWS Reference: 5.2.1.1

Management Methodology: As part of its Program Management Plan, the Offeror shall:

a) Describe their methodology and approach to managing multiple subcontractors and/or teaming partners in order to execute multiple requirements.

b) Describe their methodology and approach to managing its workforce alongside the workforces of other contractors in shared spaces.

c) Describe their methodology and approach to providing on-site management with authority, flexibility, and the efficiency to resolve all performance-related issues quickly and effectively.

d) Identify risks and corresponding risk-mitigation strategies that will be employed during execution and review of Offeror’s code of business ethics and conduct.

PWS Reference: 5.2.1.1

Staffing Plan: Offerors shall submit its Staffing Plan (document 1) in a Microsoft Project or Excel file, as an attachment to Volume 1 – Program Management. The Project or Excel file shall include the following:

a) Proposed labor categories, broken out by PWS section

b) Proposed position descriptions for each labor category

c) Proposed qualifications (experience, specialized education, and certification(s)) for each labor category

d) Proposed number of personnel for each labor category, broken out by PWS section

e) Proposed number of hours proposed for each category, broken out by PWS section

The staffing plan provides Offerors the opportunity to demonstrate their approach to providing qualified personnel, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to serve as Observer Controller/Trainers in a realistic field environment. Proposed personnel shall possess and meet or exceed the certification standards identified in the PWS.

Additionally, the Offeror shall submit a Staffing Plan (document 2) in pdf describing how they will achieve and maintain the following:

(1) Personnel staffing to support task areas:

Contract Management Support Observer Controller/Trainer Team Support

• Weapons of Mass Destruction – Civil Support Team

(WMD-CST)

• Homeland Response Force & CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package Team (HRF/CERFP)

• Subtask Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Response Force (DCRF):

• Command and Control Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Response Element (C2CRE)

• Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)

• CSTA HQTRS Support

PWS Reference: Technical Exhibit D - Historical Workload Data.

Recruitment and Retention Plan: The Government will evaluate the completeness, effectiveness, and feasibility of the Offeror’s Recruitment and Retention plan to ensure a stable and qualified workforce over the life of the contract by review of the Offeror’s ability and approach to recruit and retain qualified personnel, personnel development methodologies, and the implementation of resources, established business practices and procedures.

PWS Reference: 1.5.4.3 Contractor Support Hours (When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce is essential.)

L.5.1.2. Subfactor 1.2 Resource Depiction (for Travel, Materials, and Materials/Equipment Utilization (ODCs)

The Contractor shall provide a plan for successful on-time delivery throughout designated CONUS locations of all equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, and other items necessary to perform the CBRN Response Enterprise (CRE) support services as defined in this PWS and associated contract documents, except for those items specified in Part 3 Government Property and Services.

L.5.1.3. Subfactor 1.3 Phase-In-Plan L.5.1.3.1. Phase-In:

The Offeror shall provide a 30-day Phase-in approach that provides for continuity in their phase-in approach to assume full performance of the requirements of this contract. The Offeror's proposal shall demonstrate how they will ensure all personnel, processes, and management, are in place and ready to perform all requirements of this contract no later than the end of the Phase- In period.

The plan shall address the following elements:

a) A 30-day Phase-In plan with timeline/Schedule of events and Communications/Interfaces (shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel as an Attachment to this Volume). Depict the offeror’s phase-in tasks. Describe all Subcontractor Relationships.

b) Identification of any risks and describe how those risks will be mitigated.

c) Inventory Plan describing how the Offeror will support the Government and outgoing Contractor with inventories and property accountability.

d) Approach to ensure open communication with incumbent Contractor and the Government to include periodic meetings documenting progress.

e) Personnel plan describing how the contractor will provide personnel in order to assume Full Performance after the Phase-in period, as required by this PWS.

f) Management Structure: Hiring, Manning, Staffing and Training of Personnel.

g) Approach to ensure proper, timely requisition / issuance of (as required): appropriate vehicle licenses and installation badges.

h) Requirements Turnover/Handoff.

i) Data and/or Property Transfer.

j) Security Requirements to include OPSEC.

k) Capability and approach to support a 30 phase-in period.

PWS Reference: 1.20

L.5.2 Factor – 2 Past Performance

L.5.2.1 All past performances submitted in response to this solicitation shall have been performed as a Prime Contractor or Subcontractor. For the purposes of this Solicitation, the following definitions apply:

“Prime” Contractor means the Contractor has privity-of-contract with the Government or with the owner of a project or job and has the full responsibility for its completion. The Prime is responsible for all contractual obligations under a mutually binding legal relationship. When the Government awards a Contract to a Contractor, the Contractor is considered the “Prime” Contractor. For example, “Prime” Contractors are identified as such on the cover page of contracts or task orders such as:

Standard Form (SF) 1449 – Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items – (Block 17a identifies the Prime Contractor) SF 26 – Award/Contract – (Block 7 identifies the Prime Contractor) SF 33 – Solicitation, Offer, and Award – (Block 15A identifies the Prime Contractor) Department of Defense (DD) 1155 – Order for Supplies or Services (Block 9 identifies the Prime Contractor) Optional Form 307 – Contract Award (Block 7 identifies the Prime Contractor) GSA Form 300 – Order for Supplies and Services (Block 6 identifies the Prime Contractor)

“Subcontractor” means the contractor has privity-of-contract with a Prime Contractor. When a Prime Contractor awards a contract to a Contractor, the Contractor is considered a Subcontractor.

L.5.2.2. A maximum of no more than five (5) past performance projects shall be identified in each Offeror’s Past Performance Volume, and shall include the contract number, period of performance, brief description of program/project, relevancy of project in terms of the CSTA Solicitation, and Governmnent point(s) of contact. Information pertaining to each project will be included as part of the past performance volume’s page limitation.

For each past peformance project, offerors shall provide the most recent and relevant CPARS evaluation and/or award fee determination. Offerors CPARS evaluations and/or award fee determinations will NOT be included as part of the page limitation for the past performance volume. If a CPARS evaluation or award fee determination is not available, offerors shall still include all relevant information pertaining to the past peformance project (i.e., contract number, period of performance, brief description of program/project, relevancy of project in terms of the ARNORTH CSTA Solicitation, and Governmnent point of contact.) in its past performance volume.

Offeors past performance volumes shall address the following CSTA Core areas (1-5):

(1) Managing and Transitioning a workforce.

(2) Managing the process of obtaining, sustaining, and leveraging recent and relevant subject matter expertise across the spectrum of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Response Enterprise (CRE) knowledge areas necessary to ensure effectiveness of training programs.

(3) Modifying/developing training exercise scenarios

(4) Managing and providing training certifications/recertifications.

(5) Providing exercise coordination capability for developing plans and exercises in support of training and evaluations involving CBRN Enterprise units simultaneously for at least three (3) geographically separate locations.

• Recency: Contracts/subcontracts performed five (5) years prior to the release of the final ARNORTH CSTA SOLICITATION will be considered recent.

• Relevancy: Past performance will be considered relevant if it was for providing training, planning, evaluation, and validation exercise support services for CBRN skills training with NO ANNUAL LIMIT. Relevancy submissions could also include end-item comparisons with respect to use or complexity; size and scope of the effort; continuity of key management and technical personnel; and continuity of teaming arrangements and subcontractors.

Recency: Contracts/subcontracts performed five (5) years prior to the release of the final ARNORTH CSTA SOLICITATION will be considered recent. Past performance information that fails this condition will not be evaluated.

L.5.2.3. The Offerors shall not submit an overarching Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) base contract, Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), or Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) as an individual Past Performance reference. Offerors may submit multiple orders issued from a single ID/IQ contract, BPA, or BOA as one Past Performance reference or multiple references.

Each Past Performance reference shall comply with the criteria established within this solicitation.

L.5.2.4. Any submittals included within this volume which include customer ratings of less than Satisfactory will not be evaluated or considered by the Government. For each Past Performance reference provided, the Offeror shall ensure, at the time of solicitation submission, the most recent CPARS ratings, if applicable, is attached to proposal within this Volume. If a CPARS rating is not applicable, or available, the Offeror shall ensure other supporting documentation is included which clearly annotates a customer assessment of Satisfactory or better for all requirements executed within the applicable Past Performance Reference.

In addition, Offeror may submit a Factor 2 Past Performance Executive Summary.

The first page (or pages) of the Executive Summary shall be completed IAW FAR Clause 52.215-1(c)(2) (“first page” and “title page” as described in this clause are considered the “Executive Summary” for the purposes of this solicitation). Among the items identified in FAR Clause 52.215-1(c)(2), the Executive Summary shall also include the:

Title of Proposal Proposal Volume Number and Title Offeror’s Name Offeror’s CAGE Code and DUNS

Note: The Executive Summary is not included in the page count for Past performance.

L.5.3 VOLUME 3 – COST/PRICE

L.5.3.1. This volume shall consist of all information, required to support proposed costs and prices. There are no page limitations for this volume.

Certified cost and pricing data are not currently required; however, the Government reserves the right to request such data prior to award. The information submitted in this volume shall comply with FAR 15.408, Table 15-2, and the requirements set forth below.

The numbers of hours, personnel and labor categories proposed in Cost/Price Volume III must match the numbers proposed in the Offeror’s Program Management Factor (Staffing Plan).

L.5.3.2. Ground Rules and Assumptions The Offeror shall provide an explanation of all ground rules and assumptions that affect the cost/price estimates. Topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to, investments, programmatic variables (e.g., inflation/escalation, make/buy decisions, prime/subcontractor relationships, business base concerns, etc.)

L.5.3.3. Unbalanced Pricing Offerors shall avoid presenting unbalanced pricing information. Unbalanced pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more price element is significantly over or understated, as indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques per FAR

15.404-1(g). Offerors are cautioned that a proposal may be rejected, if unbalanced pricing exists and the contracting officer determines that the lack of balance poses an unacceptable risk to the Government.

L.5.3.4. Cost Proposal Adequacy Checklist The Offeror shall complete the Cost Proposal Adequacy Checklist (See Attachment 9) and provide with their proposal as an appendix to Offerors Cost/Price Volume.

L.5.3.5. The Offeror shall submit contact information (name, telephone number and email address) for their cognizant Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) ACO and cognizant DCAA supervisory auditor. If the Offeror is not assigned to DCMA for contract administration or is not assigned to DCAA for contract audit, the Offeror will identify their cognizant federal auditing agency or agencies (and include the individual contact information).

The Offeror shall submit a copy of the most recent ACO letter regarding the status of their accounting system. If that letter is more than a year old and the Offeror has a more current DCAA audit report commenting on the status of their accounting system, a copy of that report will also be submitted and included in the Proposal Volume III – Cost/Price.

If the Offeror’s accounting system was disapproved or deemed to be not adequate, the Offeror will identify all deficiencies along with steps taken, or to be taken, to correct the deficiencies and a timeline to include audit by the cognizant audit agency after corrective action has been implemented. If the Offeror’s accounting system has never been audited by their cognizant federal audit agency, the Offeror will so state. If the Offeror does not have an approved accounting system, the Offeror shall complete SF1408 – Pre-award Survey of Prospective Contractor Accounting System Checklist, and return the documentation as part of the Cost/Price Volume of the proposal. Within this survey, mark “X” in the appropriate column; and on Page 2, provide a narrative describing how the current accounting system supports your response to each item.

L.5.3.6.1. If applicable, the Offeror shall disclose information pertaining to any proposed Joint Venture (JV), JV mentor-protégé or mentor-protégé agreement. If the Offeror is an subsidiary or JV, then the Offeror shall provide information identifying all affiliates and provide a copy of the binding documentation (e.g. Contract, Agreement, Evidence) validating the legally binding business relationship. A properly executed Corporate Guaranty Agreement should also be provided.

L.5.3.6.2. All elements of the Offeror’s estimated phase-in cost/price shall be included separately in the Offeror’s cost/price volume and in CLIN 0001. Offerors shall not put any phase-in costs/prices in any CLIN other than CLIN 0001.

L.5.3.7. Cost and Price Workbook. The Offeror shall complete Attachment 8 CSTA Price Workbook, provided with this solicitation to submit prices for the entire performance period, excluding amounts for which the Government has provided estimated COST values as not to exceed (NTE) amounts for evaluation purposes. Offerors may not alter pre-existing formulas or values within the workbook. However ,Offerors may adjust the labor rate build-up tab to include subcontractor rate data or Wage Determination information as needed. Offerors may add worksheets within the cost/price workbook to provide requested information. Inserted information shall be editable and executable by the Government evaluator(s), clearly showing the calculations and formulas used in each cell. Utilization of the Price Workbook is mandatory and “.pdf” files are not acceptable. The Price Workbook shall not be changed, reformatted, or otherwise altered, except as noted in the “Instructions” contained in the Price Workbook, to allow for data input by the Offeror.

The Offerors are required to complete Attachment 5 in accordance with the instructions provided in the workbook Instructions tab to aid in the pricing of the CPFF CLINs.

The submitted Price Workbook shall not be password protected. Failure of the Offeror to include pricing for all requested elements in the Pricing Workbook may render the proposal non-compliant with the terms of the Solicitation, at the sole discretion of the PCO, and therefore ineligible for award.

Note that the Offeror is responsible for providing costs by cost element, including a detailed total cost build-up of costs and fee for the Labor (Part-time effort) CLINs X003, in the form of a FAR Table 15-2. Offerors shall also submit proposed hours, skill mix, and direct FTEs required to support the technical solution proposed.

L.5.3.8. Cost/Price Proposal - The Government’s price analysis will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.404-1. The Government has provided not to exceed (NTE) values for all material/ODC, and travel CPFF CLIN amounts.

The fully burdened rates proposed will be evaluated as discussed below. If there is a discrepancy between the amounts in Attachment 8 CSTA Pricing Workbook and the amounts in the Offeror’s proposal narrative, the amounts in Attachment 8 CSTA Pricing Workbook shall prevail. Each major subcontractor, defined as members of an offeror’s overall team whose contribution will account for more than (twenty) percent of the Total Proposed Cost/Price, shall provide a separate proposal narrative and attachment reflecting the breakdown of their fully burdened labor rates including supporting documentation for the direct base labor rates and indirect rates proposed.

These subcontractor fully burdened rates will be included in the prime offeror’s rate deck incorporated into the final contract. The subcontractor must mark these submissions to clearly indicate the name of the prime contractor that it is partnering with. The offeror’s subcontractors may provide their information directly to the Government POCs listed in paragraph L.1.

The Offeror shall price all FFP CLINs including profit. For the cost-plus fixed fee CLINs the Offeror shall provide labor pricing, by labor category, demonstrating the build-up of fully burdened labor costs and proposed hours for each category. The Offeror will provide a separate workbook showing the roll up of total cost proposed for each CLIN including fee in accordance with FAR Table 15-2, providing the basis of estimate and supporting documentation for each.

The Offeror shall provide labor pricing, by labor category, demonstrating the build-up of fully burdened labor costs for each category by direct labor rates and hours, indirect rates and fee, providing the basis of estimate and supporting documentation for each of these elements.

1) Cost Elements

a) Base Labor Rates – The offeror shall submit base labor rates for each labor category being proposed. The Offeror shall provide the Basis of Estimate (BOE) and supporting documentation for the base rate proposed for each labor category proposed. For example, actual historical labor rates, salary surveys, or current Forward Price Rate Agreement (FPRA).

For FFP Labor CLINs reference X002 and CPFF Labor CLINs reference X003. Offerors shall complete Attachment 5 Labor Pricing Workbook.

Each Offeror shall provide a crosswalk tying the contractor’s labor category descriptions with the labor category nomenclature provided by the Government.

NOTE: AS A PRICING ASSUMPTION, ALL OFFERORS SHALL UTILIZE 15 JULY 2024 AS

ITS 1ST DAY OF PHASE-IN (START DATE) FOR THE ARNORTH CSTA CONTRACT.

ADDITIONALLY, OFFEROR'S SHALL UTILIZE 15 AUGUST 2024 AS ITS FULL

PERFORMANCE START DATE. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RENDER AN OFFEROR'S

PROPOSAL INCOMPLETE AND THEREFORE REJECTED. THE PURPOSE OF

SPECIFYING THESE DATES IS TO ENSURE ALL OFFERORS ARE PRICING BASED

UPON THE SAME ASSUMPTION.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS INSTRUCTION, PLEASE

CONTACT THE CS DIRECTLY.

b) Direct Hours- The offeror shall submit the hours proposed for each labor category showing the build-up of total costs proposed for each CLIN, X002 and X003 as required in Attachment 5 Labor Pricing Workbook.

c) Indirect Costs – The offeror shall provide supporting evidence for each indirect rate to be proposed. If available, the offeror shall provide current Forward Price Rate Agreement (FPRA) or Forward Price Rate Recommendation (FPRR). Many Offerors will not have an FPRA or FPRR, if this is the case Offeror’s are required to provide the last 3 years of historical actual pool and base data along with the forecasted pool and base data to support the indirect rates proposed in the proposal. If the offeror does not have three years of historical data, the offeror shall so state and shall provide budgetary data sufficient to support the proposed indirect rates. Note that a forward pricing rate proposal is not an acceptable substitute as it has not been reviewed or agreed to by the Government. In addition, a provisional billing rate letter is not an acceptable substitute as provisional billing rates are not intended for forward pricing purposes (as stated in the Defense Contract Audit Agency letter of acceptance).

Material & ODC and Travel cost type CLINs pricing will be provided as NTE amounts by the Government.

L.5.3.9. The specific direct labor rates utilized to price the proposal must be identified in the cost and pricing proposal only. The proposal shall set forth a complete breakdown of the direct and indirect rates by category. The Offeror and all proposed Major Subcontractors shall provide the hours and the burdened rate build-up for each labor category, including Fringe, Overhead, Other Indirect(s), General & Administrative (G&A), Profit, and any additional indirect rates as applicable.

The Offeror shall provide a separate rate build-up for each labor category provided for the base and each option year. The Offeror shall provide provisions for overtime and shift differential charges and shall be clearly addressed on a per-hour basis. The Offeror shall provide Bid codes (applicable codes used to identify a labor category in the Offerors accounting system), The Offeror shall provide the same detailed support data furnished for all major subcontractors. The Government will accept sealed subcontractors’ packages in the proposal.

IAW FAR 52.237-10, the Offeror shall provide a copy of its policy addressing uncompensated overtime.

L.5.3.10. The Offeror and its major subcontractors (twenty percent of the Total Proposed Cost/Price or more) shall provide the following information according to the following order of preference as supporting information to enable the Government’s evaluation. Current Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) or Current Forward Pricing Rate Recommendation (FPRR) provided by the cognizant Administrative Contracting Officer(s) (ACO). Forward Pricing Rate Proposals and provisional billing rates are not acceptable.

If neither a FPRA nor FPRR are available (or, if the agreement/recommendation does not include direct labor rates), the offeror shall provide the following:

Direct labor rates: Offeror shall submit the most recent actual average rate for each proposed category. For each proposed category, the Offeror shall submit the actual average rate, as of the end of each of the last three completed fiscal years. The "as of" date must be shown for each calculation. For each category and each year, the Offeror shall identify the number of employees in each calculation. The timing of wage/salary increases will be identified in the Offeror's proposal (i.e., employee's anniversary date, yearly during [month], or other [with explanation]).

If the above is not available, the Offeror shall provide sufficient justification for the proposed direct labor rates through the most appropriate means available. The direct labor rate information shall be submitted for both the Offeror and all major subcontractors. If historical actual information is not available, the Offeror will provide the supporting documentation that was used to support the Offeror’s basis of estimate for the proposed prices/costs.

Indirect rates (for each and every proposed indirect rate): Offeror shall identify the start and end of their fiscal year and the allocation/application base for each indirect rate. Offeror shall provide actuals for the most recent year-to- date period (base, pool, and calculated rate) and the last two completed fiscal years (base, pool, and calculated rate). Offeror shall state whether or not the prior years’ actuals have been audited by DCAA. Offeror shall submit forecasted rates for each fiscal year covered in the solicitation (base, pool, and calculated rate). If the Offeror does not have a budget or detailed forecast for all fiscal years covered in the solicitation, only the calculated rate information will be required for those fiscal years. Offeror shall submit actual sales for each of the last three completed fiscal years and year-to-date actual sales. Offeror shall submit forecasted sales (for the current fiscal yearend and each fiscal year covered by this solicitation). The identified indirect rate information shall be submitted for both the Offeror and all major subcontractors. A descriptive summary of the costs proposed in each indirect cost pool is required to be submitted in the Offeror's proposal. An indirect cost pool is defined as a logical grouping of indirect costs with a similar relationship to the cost objectives. For example, maintenance overhead pools include indirect costs that are associated with maintenance effort.

The Offeror shall describe the indirect cost allocation base.

L.5.3.11. Offerors are reminded of the requirements of Section 39 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Act (41 U.S.C. § 1127, formerly 41 U.S.C. § 435), as amended, which limits allowable costs for senior executive personnel compensation to $693,951 per year.

L.5.3.12. Initiation of contract performance is 26 July 2024.

L.5.3.13. The Offeror shall submit a complete breakdown of costs by major subcontractor. A major subcontractor is defined as a member of the Offeror’s overall team that will perform 20% of the Total Proposed Cost/Price or more of the proposed effort, yearly, for evaluation purposes.

L.5.3.14. The Offeror shall not be required to submit the fully burdened price for the Travel or Material/ODC CLINs. The Government has provided Not-to-Exceed amounts as shown in the Attachment 8 CSTA Price Workbook, TEP tab for these efforts.

L.5.3.15. The materials and ODCs, and associated quantities, proposed in the Cost/Price Factor, must match the materials and ODCs, and associated quantities, proposed in the Offeror’s Program Management Factor (L.5.1.2 Materials and ODCs).

L.5.3.16 Narratives regarding the Cost/Price Volume shall be submitted in PDF format; however, all MS Excel spreadsheets included as exhibits supporting the Cost and Price Volume (e.g., supporting basis of estimates, etc.) must be in MS Excel 2013 format that is editable and executable by the Government evaluator(s), clearly showing the calculations and formulas used in each cell. There shall be no hidden formulas or protected cells. Spreadsheets shall show the formulas used to calculate the rates/factors for each entry and shall not be included as an un-executable, un-editable or flat file such as an embedded picture (Enhanced Metafile).

Mathematical explanations shall be provided for any embedded macro/extended formula utilized, clearly describing the functioning of the macro or extended formula.). The Narrative shall include the total proposed cost.

L.5.3.17. Compensation for Professional Employees Offerors shall submit a single, comprehensive Total Compensation Plan, in PDF and/or Excel format, setting forth base salaries separated by fringe benefits proposed for the professional employees who will work under the contract in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.222-46. The Total Compensation Plan shall include details regarding the prime contractor, major subcontractors, and joint venture partners as applicable.

The Professional Employee Compensation Plan shall include:

a. Salaries

b. Fringe Benefits

c. Supporting information (i.e., recognized national and regional compensation surveys and studies of professional, public and private organizations, used in establishing the total compensation structure)

The Government is concerned with the quality and stability of the work force to be employed on this contract. The professional compensation proposed will be considered in terms of its impact upon recruiting and retention, its realism, and its consistency with a total plan for compensation.

Professional compensation that is unrealistically low or not in reasonable relationship to the various job categories, since it may impair the Contractor’s ability to attract and retain competent professional service employees, may be viewed as evidence of failure to comprehend the complexity of the solicitation requirements.

L.5.4 Administrative Information The Offeror shall prepare and submit an Administrative Volume that contains the following:

L.5.4.1. Proposal Compliance: Each Offeror shall include a statement indicating their complete compliance with the solicitation, or a detailed analysis of any objections, exceptions, or contingencies. Any objection, exception, contingency, or addition shall be cross-referenced to the applicable solicitation document and corresponding paragraph(s). An objection, exception, or contingency, to the solicitation taken in the proposal may result in the offer being non-compliant.

As part of this statement, an authorized official IAW 52.215-1(c)(2)(v) shall sign, certifying the following:

(1) The proposed Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) prices within the Pricing Workbook are binding and will be utilized for the life of the contract.

(2) The direct and fully burdened labor rates (inclusive of profit/fee), along with the associated escalation factors used, within the Cost/Price Workbook, as proposed or, if required, negotiated, are binding, and will be utilized for the life of the contract.

(3) All requirements of the ARNORTH CSTA PWS, and all other terms within the solicitation, will be met or identification of exceptions IAW above paragraph.

L.5.4.2. The Offeror shall provide a completed and signed Standard Form (SF) 33 [blocks 12- 18] including completion of any solicitation clause or provision that requires a fill-in or response and signed acknowledgment of each amendment (SF30). The Government requires the ARNORTH CSTA proposal be valid for at least two hundred and seventy (270) calendar days from the final proposal due date. The Offeror shall complete Block 12 of each SF 33 submitted with full cognizance of the minimum acceptance period of 270 calendar days. The Offeror's legal name and address in Block 15A on the SF 33 must match the information for the Offeror in SAM.gov, including the corresponding CAGE Code Number and DUNS (note: the address listed in Block 15A will be the official mailing address used by the Government for letter correspondence, if necessary). The name, title, signature, and date identified in Block 16, 17, 18, must be an authorized representative with authority to commit the Offeror to contractual obligations.

L.5.4.3. Responsibility

As part of the Responsibility Determination the Government will request the Defense Contract Management Agency to perform a Financial Capability Survey to confirm that all Offerors have the financial ability to successfully perform the contract.

In accordance with FAR Part 9, Offerors that are not deemed responsible will not be considered for award. A satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics is required.

In making the determination of responsibility, information in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), the Offeror’s Representations and Certifications (Section K), the Offeror’s qualification and financial information, and any other…