EPCARTS _Section_L_DRAFT.pdf

EPCARTS SOLICITATION W9113M-17-R-0001, SECTION L DRAFT

For Official Use Only/Procurement Sensitive Information – FAR 2.101/3.104

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

These provisions specify the format, content, and quantity requirements that all proposal submissions must adhere to.

L.1 SUBMISSIONS OF PROPOSAL

a. All proposals, including those of prime offerors and any proprietary subcontractor submissions, must be received by the Government no later than 5:00 p.m., Central Time on 2 December 2016. Proposals received after this date and time will be considered late and will not be considered for award unless one of the conditions specified in FAR 52.215-1, paragraphs (c)(3)(ii)(A), (c)(3)(ii)(B), or (c)(3)(iv) apply.

b. Proposals submitted via mail shall be sent to:

US Army SMDC/ARSTRAT ATTN: CAMO/Jessica N. Ely

P.O BOX 1500

Huntsville, AL 35807

c. All hand-carried deliveries shall be brought to the main entrance security desk at the Werner Von Braun Complex III (Building 5224). Call Jessica Ely at (256) 955-5974 for pickup.

L.2 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

The offeror shall adhere to the following instructions in preparing its proposal in response to this solicitation. The proposal shall fully comply with all requirements. FAILURE TO

DO SO MAY BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION.

a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

(1) The proposal shall include all of the requirements specified by this solicitation.

Alternate proposals are not allowed and will not be considered or evaluated by the Government.

(2) The Government anticipates the receipt of UNCLASSIFIED proposals in response to this solicitation. However, if the offeror believes classified data is necessary to present a contractor's past performance and/or approach, then a written request must be presented to the contracting officer 15 calendar days BEFORE proposal due date. If approved by the Contracting Officer, then a separate written classified annex may be included in the proposal. This annex may not exceed the classification of collateral SECRET only, and must be delivered in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). Proposals shall not contain any information above SECRET or contain any restrictive markings (e.g., special access program (SAP), NATO, CNWDI, WNTEL, etc.). The CONFIDENTIAL marking is reserved as a security marking in accordance with AR 380-5 and the NISPOM and shall not be used as a marking for company proprietary information.

(3) The offeror shall clearly state in its proposal how it intends to accomplish this requirement. Mere acknowledgment or restatement of a requirement or task is not acceptable. Relevance to the effort is critical. All information in the proposal should be presented in a clear, coherent and concise manner. Each volume should be specific and complete. All requirements in the solicitation are mandatory. The Government does not assume the duty to search for data to cure problems found in proposals. Proposals that do not contain the required information are subject to rejection by the Government. The Government will not search for data missing from one section in other sections to ensure the proposal meets the requirements. By proposal submission, the offeror is representing that its firm will perform all the requirements specified in the solicitation.

(4) For the purposes of this solicitation, the terms “offeror,” “contractor,” and “prime contractor” are used synonymously.

(5) The term “major subcontractor” is referred to/used throughout the solicitation volumes, which is defined as any subcontractor (or team member if applicable) that is proposed to perform 10% or more of the labor hours required to execute the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW). All subcontractors that do not fall under the major subcontractor definition shall be considered a “minor subcontractor.” The term “team member” referred to/used throughout the solicitation is defined as a member of either a formal or informal JV agreement for this acquisition.

Additionally, when the term "subcontractor" is used without indication of major or minor, it refers to both major and minor subcontractors. The solicitation's reference to the term "team" is defined as the prime offeror, all team members, and all subcontractors (major and minor).

b. FORMAT REQUIREMENTS:

(1) The proposal shall be prepared using Times New Roman 12 point font or larger, and margins of not less than one inch (1”) on both sides, top and bottom of pages.

Any headers or footers may be inside the one inch (1”) margin. Paragraphs must be single spaced or greater. Pages containing cost/pricing data and matrices may be submitted in landscape format on tabloid (11” x 17”) foldouts. Graphical presentations within the proposal (e.g., charts, graphs, tables, matrices, etc.) may utilize a font type other than Times New Roman, but must be clearly legible and shall contain a font size of 8 point or larger. Offerors may utilize double-sided printing for all volumes.

(2) All pages of the proposal shall be numbered. All paragraphs, tables, schematics, etc. of each volume/appendix shall be appropriately labeled, numbered, and cross-referenced in the applicable proposal narrative.

(3) Hard Copies. Each hard copy volume of the proposal shall be separately bound in a three-ring loose-leaf binder that allows the volume to lie flat when open.

Staples shall not be used. The cover of each volume shall be clearly marked as to volume number, title, copy number, solicitation number and the offeror's name. Hard copy volumes shall be tabbed with solicitation Section Numbers and/or Titles included on the tab. Subcontractor submissions shall identify both the subcontractor and the prime offeror’s name. The same identifying data shall be placed on the spine of each binder.

The offeror shall apply all appropriate markings including those prescribed in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(e) “Restriction on disclosure and use of data,” and FAR 3.104-4 “Disclosure, Protection, And Marking of Contractor Bid or Proposal Information and Source Selection Information.”

(4) Digital Media. The electronic copy will be considered the official proposal and in the event of a discrepancy between the hard copy and the electronic copy, the electronic copy will prevail. Each CD/DVD shall only contain the volume specified and shall be labeled with the prime offeror’s name, subcontractor offeror’s name (if applicable), volume number, disc number (i.e., Volume I, Disc 1 of 3, etc.) and appropriate markings described previously. All electronic data must be in Microsoft® Office 2003 or later and Adobe Acrobat® 7.0 or later and virus-free. CD/DVDs shall be scanned for viruses prior to submission to the Government. If a virus is detected by the Government, it will result in rejection of the proposal. DO NOT lock or encrypt any of the files on the CD/DVDs. All CD/DVDs shall be submitted in a non-compressed, personal computer (PC) format. Each of the volumes shall be saved in a separate file on the proposal disc(s) unless otherwise directed. All Cost/Price exhibits shall be in Microsoft® Excel® - DO NOT SUBMIT SPREADSHEETS IN ADOBE ACROBAT®, WORD PROCESSING, or OTHER PICTURE FILE FORMAT. Do not use embed hyperlinks, macros, movies or sound files in any part of the proposal. Do not “hard code” spreadsheet data if the resulting data is based on a formula. Include all formulas in your spreadsheets and include any notes deemed necessary to add clarity to the spreadsheets. Verify prior to submittal that the files are saved to the CD/DVD. Do not submit “zipped” files. If files contain links, the links must be intact and maintained through all revisions. Files contained on the CD/DVD shall not be read/write/password protected, i.e., must be “UNLOCKED, NON-PASSWORD PROTECTED AND/OR UNPROTECTED”. The CD/DVDs containing rates/rate build-up information shall contain all formulas used in building the proposal. Do not include “pivot tables” in the spreadsheets. In addition, offerors shall adhere to all instructions contained in Attachment XX, Cost Proposal Worksheet. (Note: Subcontractors have a separate Cost Proposal Worksheet from the prime offerors.) It is the contractor’s responsibility to assure all CD/DVDs can be accessed on a Windows® Based Operating System.

(5) If classified submissions are permitted by the Contracting Officer, all such documents shall be handled and marked in accordance with DOD 5220.22M, and shall be in separate envelopes or packages.

(6) Each proposal volume shall include a single cross-reference table to the solicitation to provide a ready reference between the specific solicitation requirements and the contents of that specific proposal volume. Cross-reference tables do not count against the page limitations cited herein.

(7) Each proposal volume shall include an abbreviation/acronym definitions listing. The listing shall define all abbreviations and acronyms utilized within the proposal volume it is referencing. This will not count against any page limitations.

c. VOLUME CONTENT SUMMARY/PAGE LIMITATIONS:

A summary of required proposal volume content and applicable page limitations is provided below.

VOLUME TITLE PAGE

LIMIT

# COPIES TO BE

SUBMITTED

CD/DVD Hardcopies

I General Information Section 1: Table of Contents Section 2: Executive Summary Section 3: SF 33, Acknowledgement of Amendments, and Solicitation Documents Section 4: Solicitation Exceptions/Deviations Section 5: Abbreviation/Acronym Listing

See Below None None

None None

II Technical Management Section 1: Technical Approach Section 2: Corporate Experience Section 3: Management Approach

None

1 3

III Past Performance Section 1: PPQ Summary Section 2: Detailed Performance History Examples Section 3: Termination/Debarment Section 4: Subcontractor Letters of Consent

None None

None None

VI Cost/Price No Page Limitation for this Volume

*Page limitations per example are stated in L-2(c)(3)(C)(i) “Section 2: Detailed Performance History Examples” and limitations on the number of examples submitted are stated in L-2(c)(3)(A)(ii) under Past Performance General Instructions

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

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

(1) VOLUME I – General Information:

A. Section 1 - Table of Contents: (No page limitation on this portion of Volume I) Provide detailed table of contents for the overall proposal.

B. Section 2 - Executive Summary: (LIMIT 10 PAGES) Provide an overview and synopsis of the proposal, to be used as an aid in understanding the organization, content, and interrelationship of the proposal material. The offeror shall provide a brief history of the creation and development of the company and a description of the legal structure and organization of the company. Joint ventures shall be clearly explained, to include the organization of each member of the venture, the construct of the joint venture, the relationship between the members of the joint venture and the Small Business Administration’s approval of the joint venture. Information is to be formatted at a summary level and should represent only data found elsewhere in the proposal.

Pertinent aspects of the proposed approach including teaming approaches, if any, subcontracting, and relevant corporate experience and expertise on similar programs should be identified. Any proposed unique approaches should also be highlighted.

Price information shall not be included in this document. Reference to the proposal areas containing substantiating information should be given when possible. The company officials to be contacted for information about the proposal and/or notified of the selection decision should be identified.

C. Section 3 - SF 33, Acknowledgement of Amendments, and Solicitation Document: (No page limitation on this portion of Volume I). Provide fully completed Standard Form 33 (Items 12 through 18) and solicitation documents to include Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of offerors (Section K), as well as all other solicitation sections requiring “fill-ins” by the offeror; signed acknowledgement(s) of all issued solicitation amendments. Also include Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of offerors and other applicable fill-ins for major subcontractors/team members. See FAR 4.102 regarding contractor signature requirements.

D. Section 4 - Solicitation Exceptions/Deviations: (No page limitation on this portion of Volume I) Identify all exceptions taken to the solicitation by the offeror or its major subcontractors/team members, and/or any portion of the offer that deviates from a term or condition of the solicitation.

E. Section 5 - Acronym Definitions :(No page limitation on this portion of Volume I) Provide a listing defining any acronyms utilized within the proposal.

(2) VOLUME II – TECHNICAL/MANAGEMENT:

A. Section 1 – Technical Approach: (20 Page Limit on this portion of Volume II) The Technical Approach portion of the proposal shall address the offeror’s proposed approach to accomplish the requirements in the SOW. It should show the offeror’s ability to provide successful technical solutions to the SOW requirements as evidenced by proposed approaches/methodologies and risk assessment for accomplishing each specific performance requirement set forth in the SOW. The contractor will provide information that substantiates the following:

(i) Sub-Section 1 – Team Members: The offeror shall identify its proposed team (prime and all subcontractors/team members) and discuss the role that each member will have in accomplishing the specific functional areas in the SOW. Address the team’s significant capabilities and how they will be able to perform the SOW requirements. Specify the business size of each subcontractor pursuant to the NAICS code assigned to this solicitation, and indicate whether each subcontractor is considered “major” or “minor” as defined in section L.2(a)(5) of this solicitation.

(ii) Sub-Section 2 – Labor Resource Mix (Not Included in Page Limit):

Identify the labor resource mix using the offeror’s proposed internal labor categories that comprise the Government specified labor categories (GLC) attached in Section J, Attachment 01, and the proposed hours per GLC upon which the technical approach is based. The resource mix shall be presented in spreadsheet format (e.g., MS Excel), delineated by separate worksheets for each base effort year, each option year, and a total summary inclusive of the base labor effort and all labor options. The resource mix shall be further delineated by Scope of Work functional area and identify which labor categories are the prime offeror and which are subcontractors (identify which subcontractor). For informational purposes, the Government’s estimated labor resource mix is provided below. The estimated resource mix applies to each year of contract performance. The estimate below is an overall estimate per each labor category and is not broken down per labor category levels as defined in Section J, Attachment 01, page

4. The offer’s proposed labor mix should reflect proposed hours broken down to the appropriate labor category level.

*This 6 month extension represents the option period executed by FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services

The anticipated share of these hours among the Scope of Work functional areas is as follows:

Functional Area Anticipated Share of the Labor Hours

4.1 Environmental Remediation and Pollution Prevention 67%

4.2 Environmental Planning, Analyses, Compliance and NEPA 33%

Provide a cross-walk between the Government’s specified labor categories (GLC) and the offeror’s internal labor categories into which the personnel are/will be classified. The cross-walk shall describe their qualifications (education and experience) as it relates to the functional area requirements of the SOW and demonstrate how these qualifications meet or exceed the applicable minimum qualifications established in Section J, Attachment 01. If the offeror proposes internal labor categories that cannot be reasonably mapped to the Government specified labor categories, the proposal shall identify the category titles and their qualification requirements (i.e., duties/responsibilities, education levels, clearance level and years of experience). The information provided in this section must be consistent with the crosswalk information and labor resource mix provided in Volume IV (Cost/Price). No Cost/Prices shall be listed in this technical volume.

(iii) Sub-Section 3 - Geographical Assessment: The offeror shall address their proposed approach to working in remote OCONUS locations. Discuss the team’s capability to perform the SOW requirements at remote OCONUS locations similar to the following locations: Kwajalein Atoll, Guam, and Alaska. Remote is defined as an area that is far removed from logistical sources and normal transportation methods.

(iv) Sub-Section 4 - Key Personnel: (Not Included in Page Limit) Address the offeror’s proposed approach to obtain all the required key personnel identified below. Provide one (1) resume for each of the key personnel labor categories identified below, except for Senior Principal Investigator and Engineer/Scientist IV, multiple resumes may be provided to cover various disciplines (e.g. Geologist, Chemist, Archeologist, Hydrogeologist, etc.). Resumes are not included in the page limitation for this volume.

KEY PERSONNEL CATEGORIES

Program Manager Task Order Manager Senior Principal Investigator Engineer/Scientist IV

(a) The offeror must demonstrate how the proposed key personnel qualifications are relevant to the SOW requirements and how they meet the minimum qualifications stated in Section J, Attachment 01 EPCARTS Labor Categories

(b) All resumes shall include the following information:

NAME OF INDIVIDUAL AND CURRENT EMPLOYER

SECURITY CLEARANCE LEVEL AND DATE GRANTED

EDUCATION/TRAINING

- Colleges attended, major, dates of attendance, and degree attained and/or hours completed

- Special Training

- Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Accomplishments

EXPERIENCE:

- In reverse chronological order, list the job title, employer, dates of employment, and a description of the duties performed/responsibilities held during the tenure of employment.

-Identified experiences should be limited to those that are relevant to the solicitation requirements.

(c) If any of the key personnel identified above that are not current employees of either the prime offeror or one of its subcontractors, include a letter signed by the individual clearly indicating his/her intent to accept employment with the prime offeror/subcontractor in the event the offeror is awarded the contract. Letters of intent are not included in the page limitation for this volume.

B. Section 2 – Corporate Experience: (30 Page Limit) The offeror shall provide a narrative describing up to five completed projects that demonstrates specific corporate experience and capability that is relevant to performance under this contract and indicative of expected success. At least one of the projects must show the offeror’s corporate experience performing environmental remediation services in a remote location, preferably OCONUS. Projects included shall have been completed no more than five years prior to the closing of this solicitation.

(i) A project is defined as:

• Work performed pursuant to one specific task order of an Indefinite Delivery Vehicle (IDV) type contract; or

• Work performed pursuant to a stand-alone contract.

(ii) Corporate experience for this section is limited to projects performed on Federal and State Government contracts. The types of information presented for each project should include information as such:

• Summary of the Scope of Work (including project size, complexity, and any distinctive and/or unique features of the project)

• Project location

• Contractor role (prime or subcontractor)

• Contract type (i.e., whether performance based and whether FFP or CPFF)

• Period of performance

• Contract dollar value

• Team members and their roles

• Summary of the labor mix (labor category/experience level/discipline) and % of the work they performed used for the project (Example: Engineer/Scientist IV-Geologist performed 10% of effort)

• How challenges related working in the area were handled (i.e., security, logistics, transportation, life support, local customs, licensing, VISA, foreign taxes, import/export requirements, international environmental requirements, etc.)

• Discuss the technologies, means and methods, and equipment used on the projects

• Point of contact for the agency who procured the work (POC) (i.e. Name, title, phone number, and email address) for each project and who is familiar with the project and available so that the information provided can be independently verified

(iii) The experience presented should reflect the offeror’s corporate depth and breadth of experience. Breadth is defined as the offeror’s experience in performing the services required in the Scope of Work. Depth is defined as the magnitude, significance, and applicability/relevance of the offeror’s corporate experience performing the services.

C. Section 3 - Management Approach: (20 Page Limit) offerors shall delineate the organizational and management approach, management tools, and systems intended for the performance of the contract. The offeror's proposal shall include, the following subsections:

(i) Subsection 1 - Organization Structure: The offeror shall:

(a) Describe the teaming structure, discussing the role and relevant experience of each corporate team member;

(b) Describe the contractual relationship between corporate team members;

Include an organizational chart showing each corporate team member, the lines of authority and communication, and the organizational position of personnel that are instrumental to task order execution;

(c) Discuss the appropriateness of positions identified as critical for success of the mission and the effective delegation of autonomy and authority;

(d) Delineate organizational responsibilities, clear lines of authority, and effective spans of control as well as how the offeror will control the flow of information and communications among team members, customers, Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs), and the Contracting Officer;

(e) Discuss the proposed approach to assign work and provide oversight for both the prime and any subcontractors, if used; and

(f) Discuss any unique business practices that will be implemented to facilitate the successful execution of the EPCARTS program.

(ii) Subsection 2 - Recruitment and Retention Plan: The offeror shall

(a) Discuss the plan for sustaining trained and qualified personnel to perform ongoing tasks as well as the process planned to use to meet evolving requirements;

(b) Provide corporate retention rates for the past three years for the prime offeror and each major subcontractor/team member. Personnel turnover should be addressed including a discussion of personnel turnover will be managed throughout the period of performance;

(c) Provide a recruitment plan that addresses the average anticipated time for filling a position. The offeror should address plans in the event of prime and/or subcontractor candidates withdraw or additional resources are required and staffing updates, throughout the period of performance. Include an explanation of how positions will be filled as required and how the prime contractor will verify the experience and education of any subcontractor employees for verification that the employee meets the minimum specified requirements.

(iii) Subsection 3 - Risk Management Plan: The offeror shall provide a proposed approach for identifying and managing risk in a project. This includes describing the firm’s approach to performing risk identification, qualitative and quantitative analysis, as well as the development and implementation of risk strategies.

This plan must demonstrate the offeror’s ability to ensure uninterrupted performance at the required level of support.

(iv) Subsection 4 - Quality Control Plan: The offeror shall provide a narrative of its corporate Quality Management/Quality Control (QM/QC) Program, business practices that demonstrate adherence to that QM/QC Program. The offeror shall also describe its data management practices and procedures used to maintain quality and accuracy of data from generation to reporting.

(3) VOLUME III – Past Performance:

A. General Instructions:

(i) Each offeror shall submit the performance history information in accordance with the below requirements. Performance history submissions (i.e., “examples”) for this section shall be limited to contractual efforts performed for agencies of the Federal Government, and shall be submitted for the prime offeror and major subcontractors only. If the prime offeror is a newly-formed JV (formal or informal) with no performance history within the past three years as an entity, then the information is required for each joint venture participant. The Government will not consider performance history examples of minor subcontractors, and will also not consider prime offeror or major subcontractor performance history examples with a performance period of less than one (1) year.

(ii) The prime offeror (or each JV participant if the JV is newly-formed) may submit up to 5 performance history examples for which it has recent and relevant performance as a prime contractor or subcontractor. However, the Government will place greater emphasis on those performance histories gained as a prime contractor.

Each major subcontractor may submit up to 3 performance history examples for which it has recent and relevant performance as either a prime contractor or subcontractor.

Recent is defined as contractual efforts performed within the past 3 years from the date of this solicitation’s issuance. Relevant is defined as contractual efforts that are similar to the solicited requirements in terms of scope (technical requirements), magnitude (dollar value, level of effort, and/or length of performance), and complexity. For any performance history that involves multiple task orders, the offeror is limited to submitting relevant task orders only with each task order counting as one performance history example. However, the offeror may submit the overall contract as one submission if it feels the entire effort is relevant to this requirement. In addition, letters of intent shall be included for all major subcontractors for their past performance to be considered.

(iii) In conducting the evaluation, the Government will use data provided in this volume as well as data obtained from other sources in the evaluation of past performance. However, the burden of providing adequate performance data risk rests with the offeror and the Government does not assume the duty to search for data to cure problems it finds in proposals. Proposals that do not contain the required information are subject to rejection by the Government.

(iv) In an effort to expedite the assessment of the Past Performance factor, each prime offeror and major subcontractor shall forward the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) and Cover Letter located at Attachment 06 of this solicitation to the appropriate Government points of contact for each submitted performance history example. At a minimum, these points of contact shall include the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) having cognizance over the respective performance history example. It is recommended that the PPQ and Cover Letter be forwarded to each respondent not later than 15 calendar days prior to the proposal submission date for this solicitation. The offeror shall not fill in any portion of the form other than the addressee’s name/organization and applicable contract number, nor obtain a copy of the completed form from the respondent. The cover letter instructs the Government point of contact to return completed PPQs to the Contracting Officer. Completed PPQs that are submitted by the respondents shall not count against any page limitations established for this volume. This volume shall consist of the information specified below.

B. Section 1 - Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) Summary: The offeror shall provide a summary matrix of all Government points of contact (POC) for which

PPQs were forwarded by the offeror as directed above. The matrix shall include the following information:

(i) Contractor/Subcontractor Name;

(ii) Contract Number (and Task Number if applicable);

(iii) PCO Name/Organization/Phone Number/E-Mail Address;

(iv) COR Name/Organization/Phone Number/E-Mail Address;

(v) Name Organization/Phone Number/E-Mail Address of any other POC;

and

(vi) Dates that PPQs were forwarded to each POC.

C. Section 2 – Detailed Performance History Examples: Provide detailed examples of the prime offeror’s and major subcontractors’ recent and relevant performance history, subject to the limitations specified in paragraph (3)(A)(i) and (ii) above.

(i) Each example is limited to 2 pages and shall include the following information:

(a) Contractor name, CAGE and DUNS numbers;

(b) Government customer activity name and address;

(c) Contract number;

(d) Contract type;

(e) Total potential contract value (including all options);

(f) Contract award date;

(g) Total potential performance period (including all options);

(h) Offeror’s role under the submitted example (i.e., prime contractor, subcontractor, etc.);

(1) Discussion of how the work performed under the performance history example is relevant to the specific requirements of this solicitation in terms of scope, magnitude, and complexity. Discussion of technical relevance must be directly traceable to the specific performance requirements of the PWS; and

(2) Discussion of whether the services performed were provided within negotiated prices/costs, delivered in accordance with the required delivery schedule, and accepted by the Government as meeting all technical requirements. Any known problems and the corrective actions taken should be addressed. For any contracts which did not meet the contractual requirements with regard to cost, schedule or technical performance, an explanation must be provided of the reason(s) for such and any corrective action taken to avoid recurrence. The offeror is required to clearly demonstrate management actions employed in overcoming problems and the effects of those actions, in terms of improvements achieved or problems rectified.

(ii) It is the offeror’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of all contact and other descriptive information provided in response to subparagraphs (a) – (h) above.

The Government will not attempt to resolve inaccurate information or locate missing data. The proposal of inaccurate or incomplete information may result in the performance history record(s) not being considered by the evaluation.

D. Section 3 – Termination/Debarments: The offeror shall provide the detailed performance history information required above on any and all contracts and subcontracts that have been terminated for default in whole or in part, for any reason, during the past three years. This shall include those currently in the process of termination. Information must also be provided for any and all contracts and subcontracts that resulted in the appearance of the offeror on the Defense Logistics Agency’s Contractor Alert List, a Debarred List, or any other similar government problem listings, during the past three years. This requirement also applies to any proposed major subcontractor. Information provided under this section does NOT count against the page limitation for this volume.

E. Section 4 – Subcontractor Letters of Consent: The offeror shall submit a consent letter, executed by each major subcontractor and JV partner (if applicable), authorizing release of past performance information to the prime offeror so the prime offeror can respond to such information. Information provided under this section does NOT count against the page limitation for this volume.

(4) VOLUME IV – COST

(A) General Requirements:

(i) Volume IV should be clearly marked “VOLUME IV- COST PROPOSAL, EPCARTS Solicitation W9113M-17-R-0001.”

(ii) Cost/Price DVD-R requirements: Files contained on the Volume IV Cost/Price DVD-R must not be password protected. Electronic links are only permissible within the Cost/Price Volume. If files contain links, the links must be intact and maintained through all revisions. Do not include pivot tables in excel spreadsheets.

If discrepancies are identified between the electronic proposal and the original hardcopy proposal, the electronic copy proposal shall prevail.

(iii) The offeror’s cost proposal will consist of all information required in this section. The Government anticipates adequate competition. As such, and in accordance with FAR 15.402, 15.403-1 and 15.403-5(a)(1), certified cost or pricing data is not required. However, the Government reserves the right to require such data at its discretion.

(iv) FAILURE TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE INFORMATION REQUIRED BY

THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS MAY BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION OF THE

PROPOSAL. Information that is provided, but determined to be insufficient to adequately evaluate the offeror’s proposed cost may result in an adverse assessment of an offeror’s proposal and reduce or eliminate its chance of being selected for award. In the event that insufficient information is received, the Government may utilize comparable cost information from other sources for purposes of completing its evaluation. Under these circumstances, the offeror bears full responsibility for any adverse evaluation impact which may result from its failure to furnish cost information required by the solicitation.

(v) Offeror’s shall ensure that the information presented in this volume is consistent and correlates with the information contained in the other proposal volumes.

(vi) The same level of detail and supporting data required for prime offeror cost/price proposals shall be submitted for all proposed major subcontractors. Major subcontractors may submit their fully disclosed cost/price proposals directly to the Government. The prime offeror’s proposal shall clearly identify which of these subcontractors have elected to submit its fully-disclosed cost/price proposal directly to the Government; however, it is also the prime offeror’s responsibility to ensure that all cost/price information required by this section is submitted to the Government.

Cost/price proposals are not required to be submitted by or for minor subcontractors.

However, the prime contractor’s proposal must include estimated costs/prices of proposed minor subcontractors and fully address the basis of the estimate and the methodology employed for incorporating such cost/prices in its proposal.

(vii) ) In the event the subcontract costs identified in the prime offeror’s proposal do not match the amounts in a subcontractor’s individual proposal, the prime offeror’s proposal must provide a detailed reconciliation of any adjustments made to derive the subcontract costs.

(viii) The prime offeror and each proposed major subcontractor/team member shall provide a copy of their cost proposal to their cognizant DCAA office. By submitting its proposal, the offeror grants the Contracting Officer or an authorized representative the right to examine records that formed the basis for the cost proposal. That examination can take place at any time before award. It may include those books, records, documents, and other types of factual information (regardless of form or whether the information is specifically referenced or included in the proposal as the basis for the cost estimate) that will permit an adequate evaluation of the proposed cost.

(ix) Prime contractors are responsible for ensuring that the requirements of this Section L-2(c)(4) Volume IV Cost, are flowed down to each of their proposed subcontractors.

(x) The cost proposal, including all proposed rates and factors, shall be based on a 66 month ordering period and an assumed contract award date of 07 June 2017.

The 66 months consists of the three year base ordering period, the 2 one year options, and the possible use of FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services for 6 months). When the offeror is requested below to proposal rates for each contract year, the contract years are as follows:

Contract Year 1 - 07 June 2017 to 06 June 2018 Contract Year 2 - 07 June 2018 to 06 June 2019 Contract Year 3 - 07 June 2019 to 06 June 2020 Contract Year 4 - 07 June 2020 to 06 June 2021 Contract Year 5 - 07 June 2021 to 06 June 2022 6 Month option to Extend - 07 June 2022 to 06 December 2023

(xi) The offeror’s proposal shall be submitted with any and all information reasonably required to explain the estimating process, including the judgmental factors applied and the mathematical or other methods used in the estimates, including those used in projecting from known data; and the nature and amount of any contingencies included in the proposed price. Provide any other general or specific information that may be beneficial in evaluation of the offeror’s proposal.

(xi) The offeror’s cost and price estimating practices shall be in accordance with the offeror’s established accounting practices for accumulating, allocating and recording cost to final cost objectives. Offeror’s shall assume a productive work year of 2,020 hours for this requirement. The offeror shall also provide the basis for their normal productive work-year.

(xii) If the proposed direct labor rates and indirect rates and factors are based on a current Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA), the offeror shall provide a copy of the FPRA and state whether or not the proposed FPRA rates include or have been adjusted for the impact of this proposal. Note further that the application of FPRA rates and factors in an offeror’s proposal does not preclude the offeror from submitting the underlying support for the subject rates if requested.

(xii) The following information is provided to assist offerors in building their cost proposal.

(a)The estimated resource mix applies to each year of contract performance. The estimate below is an overall estimate per each labor category and is not broken down per labor category levels as defined in Section J, Attachment 01, page

4. The offer’s proposed labor mix should reflect proposed hours broken down to the appropriate labor category level.

*This 6 month extension represents the option period executed by FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services

(b) The anticipated share of these hours among the Scope of Work functional areas is as follows:

Functional Area Anticipated Share of the Labor Hours

4.1 Environmental Remediation and Pollution Prevention 67%

4.2 Environmental Planning, Analyses, Compliance and NEPA 33%

(c) The anticipated share of Contractor site and Government Site work each year for each functional area of the SOW is as follows:

4.1 Environmental Remediation and Pollution Prevention

28% Government Site 72% Contractor Site

4.2 Environmental Planning, Analyses, Compliance and NEPA

85% Government Site 16% Contractor Site

(B) Proposal Content: The content for the cost/price proposal shall be as follows:

Section 1 – Index Section 2 – General Information and Executive Summary Section 3 - Status of Systems and Rates Section 4 - Uncompensated Overtime Information Section 5 – Direct Labor Rates Section 6 – Indirect Rates

Section 7 – Pass-through Charges Section 8 – Fixed Fee Section 9 – Travel and ODCs Section 10 – 50% Rule Calculation Section 11 – Loaded Labor Category Tables Section 12 – Cost Summary

(i) Section 1 – Index: Include an index showing section number, title, and proposal page number.

(ii) Section 2 – General Information and Executive Summary:

(a) This section sets the stage for the cost proposal submission; the offeror must include information under this tab to provide the evaluator a clear understanding of the cost proposal. Include the basis for proposed costs and any assumptions made in the development of the cost approach. Discuss any outstanding audits or other information that may have a bearing on the costs proposed.

(b) The offeror is required to fill out Attachment 8, CAGE Code and Cognizant DCMA/DCAA information” for themselves and all proposed subcontractors.

The offeror shall ensure that all DCMA/DCAA information is current and that the correct Point of Contact (POC) information is provided.

(c) Include an Executive Summary that introduces the proposed contractor team and cost proposal submission, to include a list of all subcontractors/team members, their status as either major or minor per the definition of such as provided in this solicitation, and the functional areas they have been designated to provide support under. The Executive Summary shall include a summary matrix depicting the planned level of support, by total labor hours and total price, for the prime and all subcontractors/team members. The planned level of support must be consistent with the labor hour allocation presented in the Technical/Management volume.

(iii) Section 3 – Status of Systems and Rates

(a) The offeror shall provide the most current compliance status and date of adequacy/inadequacy determination for the following systems; Accounting System, Estimating System and Purchasing System. In accordance with FAR 16.301-3(a) (3), the contractor must have an accounting system that is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract. Further note that the lack of an adequate accounting system will render the prime offeror ineligible for award, and that cost-reimbursement subcontracts cannot be issued to any subcontractors whose accounting system has not been determined adequate by DCAA. If any proposed subcontractor’s accounting system has been deemed inadequate or has not been reviewed, the prime offeror must ensure that the subcontractor is proposed on other than a cost-reimbursement basis or must adequately explain how the subcontractor's accounting system will be approved prior to an award to that subcontractor.

(b) Identify the adequacy/approval status of the offeror’s Accounting System. Identify the DCAA audit report number and date of audit report/determination, and provide a copy of the DCAA Audit Report showing adequacy of the accounting system, and DCMA approval letter of the accounting system. Confirm if any changes have been made to the accounting system since the issuance of the audit report and whether such changes have been reviewed by DCAA. Note that major subcontractors may submit a copy of the audit report directly to the Government.

(c) The offeror shall provide a summary description for their accounting system, including indirect rate structure, and state whether it is compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The offeror shall provide any known/cited accounting system deficiencies. The Contracting Officer may request an accounting system audit or follow up audit from DCAA. The offeror shall also identify any deviations from the offeror’s standard procedures in preparing this proposal. If the offeror proposes to absorb a portion of costs, explain the reason and impact on cost and the specific accounting treatment that will be given to those absorbed cost.

(iv) Section 4 - Uncompensated Overtime Information

(a) In accordance with FAR 52.237-10, Identification of Uncompensated Overtime, if uncompensated overtime is proposed for employees who are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, the offeror shall compute an estimated hourly rate for each employee based on the total compensated and uncompensated hours the employee is expected to work during the year and distribute salary costs to all projected tasks/efforts at the estimated hourly rate. The offeror’s accounting practices used to estimate uncompensated overtime must be consistent with its cost accounting practices used to accumulate and report uncompensated overtime. If proposing uncompensated overtime, an offeror shall adjust the proposed labor rates to cover the extra hours proposed to be worked and submit the calculations as shown in the following example:

Labor Category

Current Annual Salary

Compensated Hours/Year

Uncompensated Overtime Hours/Year

Total Hours

Average Labor Rate

Program Mgr

$100,000 2,020 60 2,080 $48.08

(b) A copy of the offeror’s policy addressing uncompensated overtime shall be included in the proposal submission.

(c) Offeror’s are reminded of the requirement of Section 39 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFP) Act (41 U.S.C. 435) as amended, which limits allowable costs for senior executive personnel compensation. The Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, (OFPP), determines the benchmark compensation amount as required by Section 39 of the OFPP Act, as amended (41 U.S.C. 1127, as in effect prior to June 24, 2014). The benchmark amount applicable for a fiscal year is determined in accordance with a statutory formula; it is the median amount of the compensation provided for all senior executives of all benchmark corporations per commercially available surveys for the most recent year for which data is available at the time the OFPP Administrator determines the amount. The data used is the median (50th percentile) amount of compensation (total amount of wages, salary, bonuses and deferred compensation) accrued over a recent 12-month period for the top five highest paid employees in management positions at each home office and each segment of publicly traded U.S. companies with annual sales over $50 million. Once a benchmark compensation amount, otherwise known as the section 1127 statutory formula cap amount, is established for a fiscal year, it is applicable for that fiscal year for a contractor, and for subsequent fiscal years, unless and until revised by OFPP. (Note:

Verify the current limitation amount, it changes annually (FY))

(v) Section 5 – Direct Labor Rates.

(a) The offeror and each major subcontractor shall provide the information described below for proposed direct labor rates for the solicitation specified labor categories. (Note: The Government has prescribed the labor categories to be used under this contract, and provided the definition and minimum qualification requirements for each category in Section J, Attachment #1). The level of detail and clarity of the information provided will have a direct reflection on the evaluator’s ability to adequately understand and assess the offeror’s proposal.

(b) Provide an excel spreadsheet(s) showing the base direct labor rates (do not include indirect rates or fee) for each labor category proposed for each contract year. Label the spreadsheet(s) “Direct Labor Rates”.

(c) Basis of Estimate: The offeror shall specify the basis of estimated direct labor rates for the labor categories it is proposed to perform. The discussion shall include the following:

(1) Basis of Price/Rate build-up information: The offeror shall provide sufficient information for the Government to fully understand how the rates proposed were compiled. The rationale/assumptions employed for development of the rates. In other words, how were the rates developed? Did the buildup of rates consider a particular index or other information – if so why? If the proposed direct labor rates are based on surveys (i.e. personnel for that category are not currently employed by the offeror), then the offeror shall provide the applicable pages from the proposed surveys and show which rates were utilized (i.e. 50th percentile, median,location,etc.). Identify and explain relevance of any labor/wage surveys or indices used. If labor rates are based on payroll records, provide payroll data directly from the offeror’s accounting system (not just a listing of rates) related to proposed base labor rates.

(2) If a particular proposed labor rate is a composite of more than one labor category, the calculation of the composite with the assigned weighting shall be provided.

(3) Disclose whether the rates are based on a Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) or Forward Pricing Rate Recommendation (FPRR). If not, identify what the rates are based on and if the rates have been audited by DCAA. If the buildup of direct labor rates are based on other than the contract year specified by the solicitation, identify the allocation of the accounting year(s) to the rates proposed and provide the computational data (via spreadsheet) that illustrates this allocation.

(4) Identify the escalation applied to direct labor rates throughout the ordering period and discuss the basis for the selected escalation factor(s). Describe the method by which the escalation factor(s) were applied to proposed labor rates. Offerors are advised that failure to escalate direct labor rates may be determined unrealistic and deemed a significant proposal risk.

(5) Discuss any proposed direct labor rates that may appear significantly lower than the normal industry compensation for the same or similar categories of labor, identifying what incentive(s) the offeror will provide to ensure sufficiently qualified personnel are obtained and retained.

(vi) Section 6 – Indirect Rates.

(a) The offeror and each major subcontractor shall provide the following information on proposed indirect rates applied to direct labor, travel, and other direct costs. The level of detail and clarity of the information provided will have a direct reflection on the evaluator’s ability to adequately understand and assess the offeror’s proposal. The rates proposed shall be on a contract year basis. The offeror shall clearly explain the basis and application of the proposed rates, as well as discuss the basis for any changes in rates from year-to-year or between on-site and off-site locations.

(b) Provide a spreadsheet showing the proposed indirect rates that will be applied to direct labor for Contractor site and Government Site, travel, and other direct costs for each contract year.