Amendment 2 W9124924R0007-0002.pdf

W9124924R0007

MICC - FORT EISENHOWER

NINA M. RACHAL

NINA.M.RACHAL.CIV@ARMY.MIL

FORT EISENHOWER GA 30905-5719

0012005770

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. Provide responses to vendor questions

2. Update PWS

3. Update Addendum 52.212-1

4. Extend the solicitation proposal date from Wednesday, 03 January 2024 to Friday, 05 January 2024.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

J 1 51

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

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 29-Dec-2023

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 W9124924R0007

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

13-Dec-2023

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 X is extended, 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

29-Dec-2023

CODE

MICC - FORT EISENHOWER

271 HERITAGE PARK LANE

BLDG. 35200

FORT EISENHOWER GA 30905

W91249 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE W91249

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

The following have been added by full text:

CONSOLIDATED VENDOR Q&A'S

Q # Reference

(CLIN, SOW,

P-Spec, etc.)

Question / Comment Government Response

001 General Is there an incumbent currently performing this effort? If so, please provide the contract number.

No, this is a new requirement

002 PWS 5.1.1 (b) TE #4, Appendix 1 – 12 may contain course details essential to determine our workforce.

Requesting the Government provide these documents

Please see attachments on amendment posting to Sam.gov

003 General Many Government personnel will be out of the office on leave, given the upcoming holidays.

With the requirement for PPQs on this response, will the Government please consider granting an extension to mid-January to allow our Customers time to review and complete these items after their holiday leave?

No, an extension will not be granted to mid-January due to the mission requirement.

004 General Given the short timeframe for responses, will the Government consider accepting CPARs in lieu of PPQs, where available?

No, the government will not accept CPARS in lieu of PPQs.

005 General Will the Government please provide an estimated schedule for courses and iterations?

Please see attachments on amendment posting to Sam.gov

006 General Does the Government expect Instructors to be on-site full-time at Ft. Eisenhower, or can they provide remote support, considering that development work does not necessarily require on-site presence?

Yes, instructors are expected to be on site. The government requires the instructor to be on-site for presentation. The development of the material may require the contractor to be on-site for one on one collaboration of the material being developed.

007 PWS, Part 7, Technical Exhibit 2

Will the Government please provide an update to the Technical Exhibit 2 “Subsequent Year – TSP Maintenance Hours” to divide them by course AND Task Area (Cloud, Data, DB Management, Zero Trust, Programming/Scripting)?

It's in the ammendment page 34.

008 Addendum 52.

212-1, (c) Volume III - Past Performance

Will the Government please consider revising the Past Performance recency requirements to cover the past five (5) calendar years, as opposed to three (3)? This will provide the Government with a better overall view of the Contractor’s capabilities as a Small Business.

Furthermore, will the Government consider aligning this date with the release of the RFP, rather than the closing date?

No, The offer will submit past performance IAW addendum 52.212-1

009 Addendum 52.

212-1, C(c)

Will the Government please consider a font size of 9 for all tables and graphics?

Yes, font size of 9 for all tables and graphics

010 General Given the level of credentials required for personnel, and the Government’s statement in the PWS that maintaining the instructor pool is critical, an LPTA evaluation severely limits the ability of Contractors to be market competitive.

It also limits the Government in obtaining the best overall approach to meeting requirements.

Will the Government please consider evaluating this effort as a Best Value Trade-off, as opposed to an LPTA?

No, IAW the Solicitation Best Value LPTA will be utilized because the requirement is well defined.

011 PWS 1.6.9.1 Will the Government please consider accepting years of experience in lieu of a Master’s degree?

Yes the government will accept a B.S. degree in STEM from a formal higher education institution with 3-5 years of experience with certification.Please see the updated PWS.

012 PWS 1.6.9.1 Will the Government also consider accepting an appropriate Bachelor’s degree with certifications and proper amount of experience in lieu of a Master’s degree?

Yes the government will accept a B.S. degree in STEM from a formal higher education institution with 3-5 years of experience with certification.

Please see the updated PWS.

013 PWS 1.6.9.1 The ABET accreditation requirement for an M.S.

degree severely limits the candidate pool for this effort, as only 42 institutions within the U.S. possess ABET-accredited STEM programs at the Master’s level. Will the Government please consider accepting an M.S. degree in STEM from a formal higher education institution, instead of requiring an ABET-accredited STEM program?

Yes the government will accept a M.S. degree in STEM from a formal higher education institution with 3 years of experience in lieu of the ABET-accredited STEM. Please see the updated PWS.

014 PWS 1.6.10 PWS 1.6.10 requires contractors to fill staffing vacancies within 10 business days; however, new candidates are often recruited from existing positions in other organizations and are typically required to provide at least 2 weeks’ notice to previous employers. Providing 10 days does not give appropriate time to recruit and interview. Will the Government consider revising this to the standard 30 days for staffing replacements?

No, due to length of some courses, the 30 days would not be acceptable. The 10 days are 10 working days which is normally 2 weeks. If we allow the 30 days then we would not have an instructor for some of the courses needed.

015 Addendum 52.212-1

The Government has requested that Contractor submissions for Attachment 2, Specific Relevant Contracts Sheet, be no more than 3 pages, which is the current length of the form with instructional text. Will the Government allow the Offeror to remove the page of instructions when placing their completed form into Volume III, in order to allow for more relevancy narrative?

Yes

016 ADDENDUM

52.212-1, 3.a, "TAB D, 52.213-3 Alt I, Offeror Representations and Certifications – The offeror shall ensure this section is submitted thoroughly completed with all blocks in each certification/representation completed truthfully and completely." Will the Government accept a statement indicating all Representations and Certifications are current in SAM.Gov rather than resubmitting the Representations and Certifications in the solicitation?

No, Representations and Certifications will be submitted IAW Addendum 52.212-1.

017 PWS Technical Exhibit 2

Is there a requirement for a Primary and Alternate instructor when a course is taught?

No, there is not a requirement for an Alternate Instructor when the course is taught.

018 PWS Technical Exhibit 2

Will courses will be taught concurrently and if so does the Government have an estimate on how many courses will be taught concurrently?

Some courses may be taught concurrently due to topics and the number of iterations per course.

019 Addendum 52.212-1, 3.

Proposal content, (c ) Volume III - Past Performance

Will the Government consider allowing Past Performance within the past five (5) calendar years?

No, past performance will be submitted IAW Addendum 52.212-1

020 W9124924R00 07, Technical Exhibit 3 and Section L, Subfactor 1B:

Staffing, Recruitment, Retention, and Management Approach, pg.

35 of 92 and 85 of 92

CDRL A001 requires each employee's experience and qualifications to be verified and confirmed by the COR before hiring.

Section L requires the offeror to provide names with proof of qualifications.

Will the government consider removing the requirement for offerors to provide names on the proposal since there is a CDRL requirement for verification and confirmation before hiring?

Yes, the government will accept removing the requirement for offerors to provide names on the proposal.

021 W9124924R00 07, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, f,

pg. 83

Will proposed staffing proof of certifications, clearances, and qualifications be counted against the page count?

No, proposed staffing proof of certifications, clearances, and qualifications will not be counted against the page count.

022 W9124924R00 07, Volume II, Subfactor 1B,

pg. 85

How many days are provided for the Transition- In period?

There is no transition-in period.

023 W9124924R00

Could you please provide the specific total annual man-hours (i.e. 1912, 1856, etc.)?

Technical Exhibit 2 shows the annual man-hours for the base year and subsequent years. IAW PWS 1.6.9 The Contractor shall be responsible to propose and deploy the correct labor types, mix, number and hours required to satisfactorily and professionally meet all PWS requirements.

024 W9124924R00

Is their an incumbent Contractor supporting this requirement now? If so please provide the incumbent contract number.

No there is no incumbent contractor.

025 Amendment+1 +W9124924R0 007-0001, Tech Exhibit 3, pg.

The solicitation states, “The contractor shall provide a copy of industry certification(s) to the COR prior to hire.” Does the government require certification verification for personnel in the proposal prior to hire?

Yes, proof of certifications is require for personnel in the proposal.

026 Amendment+1 +W9124924R0 007-0001, Section 4.1, pg.

Could the government clarify the types of supplies, equipment, and services that the contractor is expected to furnish under Section

4.1 of the PWS? Additionally, are there any specific standards or guidelines we should follow when selecting these items to ensure compliance with the contract requirements?

The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment, facilities, and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Section 3 of this PWS.

027 Amendment+1 +W9124924R0 007-0001, Tech Exhibit 1, pg.

Does pre-existing course development material for 'data science, cloud computing, zero-trust cybersecurity methodologies, and programming/application related training support packages' currently exist, and if so, will it be made available?

There is very minimal material available at this time.

The government will provide the material we have in order to ensure we are getting the most relevant material for the courses.

028 Amendment+1 +W9124924R0 007-0001, Tech Exhibit 2, pg.

Can you clarify if any of the modules, such as the cloud computing module, outlined in Technical Exhibit 2 of the PWS will be required to run concurrently, necessitating the contractor to present the same module to multiple groups simultaneously?

For the base year, it is anticipated up to 50% of the workload may be conducted simultaneously. I.E., For Cloud computing 318hrs of the 637hrs in the base year may be conducted simultaneously. Cloud, Data/Data Management, and Zero Trust are the main modules anticipated at 50% being conducted simultaneously. The option year workload may be conducted similarly to include Programming and Scripting.

029 Amendment+1 +W9124924R0 007-0001, Tech Exhibit 2, pg.

Will any course iterations outlined in the PWS exceed the specified instructor-to-student ratio, in Technical Exhibit 2, requiring additional instructor writers?

The Instructor-to-student ratio (ISR) identified in exhibit 2 is the ratio for the identified classes, therefore there will be no need for additional instructors per class in relations to the ISRs.

030 W9124924R00 07, General, pg.

Since this is a WOSB set aside, please confirm that a subcontracting plan is a requirement for proposal submission.

The requirement is set aside for small business and a subcontracting plan is not a requirement for proposal submission.

031 W9124924R00 07, Subfactor 1B, pg. 85

Subfactor 1B indicates the offeror should address multiple geographic locations. The RFP indicates all the work is at Fort Eisenhower.

Please confirm the government is requiring offerors to address this requirement.

All work performance will be done at Ft.

Eisenhower.

032 Amendment+1 +W9124924R0 007-0001, Proposal Instructions, C..c, pg. 5

Please clarify requested font size and whether or not tables and figures can use a different size font.

Please see question #9 response

The following have been modified:

ADDENDUM 52.212-1

ADDENDUM 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors

Proposal Submittal and Inquiries.

1. Proposals shall be submitted prior to the closing date and time identified on SF 1449

Attn: Ms. Nina Rachal nina.m.rachal.civ@army.mil

2. Electronic submissions via facsimile will not be accepted. Offers shall be emailed. It is the offeror’s responsibility to verify receipt of proposals prior to the closing date/time. Late proposals will not be accepted. The proposal shall be valid for one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the date of initial proposal submission.

3. Address all questions or concerns the offeror may have to the Contract Specialist (Ms. Nina Rachal) and Contracting Officer (Mrs. Ashley Scott). The SUBJECT LINE shall be “W91249-24-R-0007, Question(s) – Company Name. . . ATTN: Ms. Nina Rachal & Mrs. Ashley Scott.” All questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted in writing via email (email is the preferred method) NLT 2:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 21 December 2023 to the following:

Procuring Contracting Officer Name: Mrs. Ashley Scott Email: ashley.t.scott3.civ@army.mil Contract Specialist Name: Ms. Nina Rachal Email: nina.m.rachal.civ@army.mil

Both, Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist will be copied on all correspondence.

The Government reserves the right not to respond to any questions received concerning this solicitation after the questions receipt date above. Accordingly, offerors are encouraged to carefully review all solicitation requirements and submit questions to the Government as early as possible.

4. Site Visit. The Government will not hold a site visit for this requirement.

5. Facility Clearance: The contractor and subcontractors shall possess a Secret Facility Clearance from the Defense Security Service at the time of proposal submission. A Secret Facility Clearance shall be maintained throughout the performance. The contractor is responsible for acquiring the clearance.

B. General Instructions

1. The selection of a source for award purposes will be conducted utilizing source selection (negotiated) procedures as delineated in FAR Part 15.3. Offers will be evaluated using the criteria under Addendum 52.212-2, Evaluation Factors for Award. Noncompliance with the Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements may hamper the Government's ability to properly evaluate the proposal and may result in elimination of the proposal from further consideration for contract award.

2. The Offer. The submission of the documentation specified below will constitute the offeror's acceptance of the terms and conditions of the RFP, concurrence with the Performance Work Statement, and contract type.

3. It is the Government’s intention to award without discussions. Offerors are encouraged to present their best technical proposal and prices in their initial proposal submission. However, in accordance with (IAW) FAR Part 15.306, should discussions become necessary, the Government reserves the right to hold them. If this occurs, a competitive range will be determined and offerors notified. The competitive range may be limited for purposes of efficiency IAW FAR Part 15.306 (c) (2).

4. Instructions outlined in paragraph C below, prescribe the format for the proposal and describe the approach for the development and presentation of proposal data. These instructions are designed to ensure the submission of necessary information to provide for the understanding and comprehensive evaluation of proposals.

5. If an offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, an ambiguity, omission, or are otherwise deemed unsound, the offeror shall immediately notify the KO in writing with supporting rationale.

The offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussion.

6. In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals. Unless the offeror requests otherwise, the Government will destroy extra copies of such unsuccessful proposals.

7. All referenced documents for this solicitation are available on the SAM.gov website formerly (FedBizOpps) website at https://sam.gov/.

8. Debriefings. The KO will promptly notify offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range, whereupon they may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505. The KO will notify offerors who were in the competitive range but were not selected for award in accordance with FAR 15.503(b). Upon such notification, unsuccessful offerors may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.506.

9. In accordance with FAR Part 19.7, the offeror will need to submit a small business subcontracting plan with your proposal.

C. Proposal Preparation Instructions

1. Offeror’s proposal shall consist of four (4) volumes: (1) General, (2) Technical, (3) Past Performance and (4) Price.

2. Proposal Format

(a) Offerors shall submit an original of each volume as noted in Table 2 of paragraph (c) below of their proposal.

(b) Exceptions. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors and subfactors. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. If the offeror finds it necessary to take exception to any of the requirements specified in this solicitation, the offeror shall clearly identify the applicable Volume and exceptions with a complete explanation of why the exception was taken, what benefit accrues to the Government (if any), and its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, cost, and specific requirements of the solicitation. Each exception shall be specifically related to each paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Offerors are cautioned that taking an exception may render the offer ineligible for award. This information shall be provided in the format below.

Table 1 - Solicitation Exceptions

Solicitation Document

Page/Paragraph Requirement/Portion Rationale & Impact

Section B, PWS, Addendum 52.212-1 and FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-- Commercial Items under Addendum - Evaluation Factors for Award etc.

Applicable Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the Requirement or Portion to which exception is taken

Describe the Rationale and Impact of the exception

(c) The proposals shall be organized into 4 volumes. Each volume of the proposal should be submitted as a separate attachment. A cover sheet should be included in each volume, clearly marked as to volume number, title, copy number, solicitation identification and the offeror's name. All text shall be single spaced paragraphs, Times New Roman Font, Font Size 11 printed in black Color Font, on white paper, in a Word document. (Black and white requirement does not apply to graphics, photos, etc., Company stationary and logos, spreadsheets, are unacceptable).

Printing shall be easily readable (12-pitch type or 10 point proportional spacing.)

Cross-references should be utilized to preclude unnecessary duplication of data between sections.

Table 2

(d) Proposal Limitation. The proposal shall not exceed the limits stated above. If the page limits are exceeded, the pages in excess of the limit shall be removed and returned, unread, to the offeror. The Government will not accept any changes to the contractor’s proposal after the closing date of the solicitation (See FAR 15.208 for further information regarding late proposals). If discussions become necessary, page limitations may be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs). The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the offerors.

(e) Page Limit Includes: All appendices, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, etc.

(f) Page Limit does not include covers for volumes, tables of contents, glossary of abbreviations and acronyms, indices, title pages, cross reference indices, and section dividers/tables if they are inserted solely to provide ease to the reader in locating parts/sections of the proposal. Pages will be counted if they contain any other information, i.e., diagrams, extraneous data, etc. Pages marked “This page intentionally left blank” will not be counted.

(g) What Counts As A Page? A page shall be an 8 ½ X 11” sheet of paper. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it shall be counted as two pages. Letter size and spacing requirements for illustrations and tables can be at the discretion of the offeror but must be easily readable. Fold-outs will be counted as the appropriate number of pages based on an 8 ½” X 11” sheet of paper. Margins shall be at least 1 inch on the top and bottom and 3/4 inch on the side. The Contractor shall number each page in order to eliminate any confusion. In the event contractor creates an ambiguity in their numbering of pages, the Government may exercise its own discretion in counting pages. In the event contractor creates an ambiguity in their numbering of pages, the Government may exercise its own discretion in counting pages.

(h) Indexing. Each volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume.

(i) Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms. Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with a definition for each.

3. Proposal Content

(a) Volume I – GENERAL.

Volume Title No. of Email Copies

Page Limits DIGITAL FORMAT

I General 1 No Limitations MS Word or PDF

II Technical 1 (20) MS Word or PDF

III Past Performance

1 3 pages per reference

MS Word or PDF

IV Price 1 N/A 1 - MS Excel

1- PDF

Volume I must be clearly marked “VOLUME I – GENERAL Volume, RFP W91249-24-R-0007.

Offerors are required to submit a completed SF 1449 (Solicitation, Offer and Award) (including acknowledgment of Amendments), SF 1449 continuation sheet, Representation and Certifications, and other statements of Offerors. All final monetary extensions shall be in whole dollars only. Failure to follow the below Contract Proposal preparation instructions may cause your proposal to be deemed unacceptable by the Government. The General Volume shall be organized as follows and contain the identified information.

TAB A, Exceptions/Assumptions (if required) - Identification and explanation of any exceptions or deviations. Additionally, any assumptions used in the proposal preparation must be identified.

TAB B, Solicitation, Offer and Award - The SF 1449 shall be submitted fully completed. The offeror is cautioned that the SF 1449 must contain an original signature in block 30a of the form. The contractor shall acknowledge any amendments to the RFP in accordance with the SF 1449 and with Addendum 52.212-1, Instruction to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition. The offeror shall provide the name, title and telephone number of the company/division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your proposal and who can obligate your company contractually. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government.

TAB C, SF 1449 – Continuation Sheets -- Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs – This section shall be submitted fully completed and error free. It shall contain the offeror’s prices for the established Contract Line Items Numbers (CLINS).

TAB D, 52.213-3 Alt I, Offeror Representations and Certifications – The offeror shall ensure this section is submitted thoroughly completed with all blocks in each certification/representation completed truthfully and completely.

(b) Volume II – Technical Experience

Volume II must be clearly marked “VOLUME II – TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE Volume, RFP W91249-24-R- 0007.

(1) The Technical Volume shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims in the Offeror’s proposal. Legibility, clarity and coherence are very important. Responses will be evaluated against the Technical factors defined in Addendum 52.212-2, Evaluation Factors for Award. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the offeror intends to meet these requirements.

Statements that the offeror understands, can, or will comply with the PWS (including referenced publications, technical data, etc.); statements paraphrasing the PWS or parts thereof (including applicable publications, technical data, etc.); and phrases such as “standard procedures will be employed” or “well known techniques will be used,” etc., will be considered unacceptable. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience, and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror's proposal.

Elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed art work, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired. Volume II shall not include any pricing information.

(2) The Technical Volume shall, at a minimum, be prepared in a form consistent with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and the evaluation criteria for award set forth in Addendum 52.212-2 of this solicitation. The section shall be prepared in an orderly format and in sufficient detail to enable the Government to make a thorough evaluation of the contractor’s technical competence and ability to comply with the contract task requirements specified in the PWS. The offeror shall address as specifically as possible the actual methodology you would use for accomplishing the PWS tasks. The volume shall be organized according to the following general:

Table of Contents List of Table and Drawings Cross Reference Matrix

Exceptions/Assumptions (Identification and explanation of any exceptions or deviations).

Additionally, identify any assumptions used in preparing the proposal.

Factor 1: Technical Capability consists of two Subfactors:

Sub-factor 1A – Technical Ability Sub-factor 1B – Staffing, Recruitment, Retention, and Management Approach

Subfactor 1A: Technical Ability The Offeror’s overall technical approach shall demonstrate its knowledge and understanding of the magnitude and complexity of this requirement and its capability to perform all tasks in the Performance Work Statement. The Offeror’s technical approach shall also concisely and clearly address the Offeror’s approach to plan, organize, control and perform the major performance objectives below:

1. Provide Training Support

a. Provide a plan that will ensure slides, practical exercises, homework, handouts, assignments, quizzes, exams, and answer keys stay up to date and are submitted IAW the

PWS.

b. Describe the process on how you will create the required instructor training schedule and deconflict instructor schedules for all courses identified in the PWS.

2. Provide Classroom Instruction

a. Provide details on strategy for ensuring qualified personnel are hired and responsible for only the modules they are qualified for.

b. Describe how you will account for potential travel if a qualified person cannot be found local.

3. Maintain Classroom

a. Provide Proof of appropriate certifications as identified in 1.6.9 in the PWS.

b. Describe the plan for maintaining the classroom equipment and training resources.

4. Develop and provide Lesson Plan / Training Material and Updates

a. Describe plan to update material as technology and industry evolve.

b. Provide the plan for developing course syllabus for all courses identified in the PWS.

Subfactor 1B: Staffing, Recruitment, Retention, and Management Approach

The Offeror’s management approach shall describe the extent to which subcontractors and/or teaming partners (hereafter referred to as “personnel”) shall be used to perform this requirement by task and by percentage of the costs of service performed. The Offeror shall also describe procedures for managing subcontractors to include identification of interface points, assignment of management responsibilities to any subcontractors, and procedures for both technical and managerial problem resolution to ensure all requirement are met. The Offeror’s management approach shall address its procedures to monitor and manage performance by all personnel, across numerous geographic locations, to ensure timely quality work and to control costs. The Contractor shall be responsible to propose and deploy the correct labor types, mix, number and hours required to satisfactorily and professionally meet all PWS requirement. The Offeror’s staffing plan shall describe its plans for recruiting and retaining personnel with all of the qualifications necessary to perform this requirement. The Offeror’s staffing, recruitment, retention, and management approach shall describe the methods by which the Offeror shall recruit and retain highly qualified personnel. A sound staffing and management approach to perform program management, address its procedures to plan, organize, control, and perform the major performance objectives, and manage and monitor all personnel to ensure all PWS requirements are met. In addition, the offeror’s staffing, recruitment, retention, and management approach shall address the following:

a. Provide an Organizational Chart, which shall clearly reflect positions and address lines of communication, decision making authority, and problem resolution. The Offeror shall delineate the organization’s chain of command and delegations of authority relating to the execution of the work required in the Performance Work Statement. Describe and outline the strategy(s) and method(s) that will utilized to locate and actively recruit highly qualified and experienced personnel and manage personnel with the required knowledge, skills, education, experience, and applicable position descriptions, certifications, training (to include refresher training), security clearances, and licenses required to support specific positions in accordance with the PWS and necessary to perform and manage contract requirements.

b. Describe and outline the strategy that will be utilized to effectively account for challenges in locating, relocating, and retaining personnel that are qualified to meet all requirements and a recruitment strategy(s) to motivate personnel to relocate to Fort Eisenhower area and work for the Government.

c. Address how risk will be mitigated and/or eliminated from a technical, staffing, and management perspective.

(c) Volume III - Past Performance.

Volume III must be clearly marked “VOLUME III – Past Performance, RFP W91249-24-R-0007.

(1) The Past Performance evaluation will be accomplished by Offeror’s submission in identifying recent and relevant performance/experience information from at least three (3) but no more than five (5) Federal, State, or Local Government task orders or contracts that the Offeror has performed. Recent is defined as within the past three (3) calendar years from the closing date of this RFP. Relevant is defined as work performed that is similar to that anticipated by the PWS. Each narrative shall also include contract number and amount: the name, telephone number, and email address of the Government representative who can verify past performance. The Past Performance evaluation will be accomplished by reviewing aspects of an Offeror's recent and relevant Past Performance, focusing on and targeting performance which is relevant to the effort as it directly relates to the work being procured under this solicitation and as defined in Addendum 52.212-2.

Past Performance information described herein is required on the offeror and all subcontractors, teaming partners, and/or joint venture partners proposed to perform 51% of the proposed effort based on the total proposed price. The offeror shall submit, along with the information required in this paragraph, a consent letter, executed by each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner, authorizing release of adverse past performance information to the offeror so the offeror can respond to such information. For each identified effort for a commercial customer, the offeror shall also submit a client authorization letter, authorizing release to the Government of requested information on the offeror's performance.

1. The offeror is requested to submit the Past Performance by the scheduled due date, to the Contracting Officer at the address specified in Addendum 52.212-1.

2. The offeror shall include documentation regarding their relevant past performance as it directly relates to the work being procured under this solicitation. The offeror SHALL NOT go back any farther than 3 years for services for the submitted data. The past performance data shall document a successful history of past contract performance.

3. In conducting the Past Performance evaluation, the Government reserves the right to use both the information provided in the offeror’s Past Performance Volume and information obtained from other sources, such as the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) or similar systems, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and commercial sources. Offerors are reminded that both independent data and data provided by offerors in their proposals may be used by the Government to evaluate offeror past performance.

However, the burden of providing thorough, complete, and current past performance information as requested in this paragraph remains with the offerors. Proposals that do not contain the information requested by this paragraph risk rejection or a less than acceptable performance rating by the Government. All past performance comments received will be taken into account and could affect the overall rating. The overall past performance evaluation is a subjective decision based on the whole of all data received. In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance (see FAR 15.305 (a)(2)(iv)). Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, “unknown” shall be considered “acceptable.”

4. Submission Requirements. The offeror shall submit a Past Performance Volume containing the following:

Table of Contents

Summary Page describing the role of the offeror and each subcontractor, teaming partner, and /or joint venture partner that the offeror is required to provide Past Performance Specific Relevant Contract Reference Sheets for the past performance experience in accordance with Attachment 2.

Consent Letters executed by each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner, authorizing the release of past performance information so the offeror can respond to such information. A sample consent letter is attached as Attachment 1.

Client Authorization Letters for each identified effort for a commercial customer authorizing release to the Government of requested information on the offeror’s performance.

Organization Structure Change History— Organizational Structure Change History. Many companies have acquired, been acquired by, or otherwise merged with other companies, and/or reorganized their divisions, business groups, subsidiary companies, etc. In many cases, these changes have taken place during the time of performance of relevant present or past efforts or between conclusion of recent past efforts and this source selection. As a result, it is sometimes difficult to determine what past performance is relevant to this acquisition. To facilitate this relevancy determination, include in this proposal volume a "roadmap" describing all such changes in the organization of your company. As part of this explanation, show how these changes impact the relevance of any efforts you identify for past performance evaluation/performance confidence assessment. Since the Government intends to consider present and past performance information provided by other sources as well as that provided by the offeror(s), your "roadmap" should be both specifically applicable to the efforts you identify and general enough to apply to efforts on which the Government receives information from other sources.

Specific Relevant Contracts Format - Sheets in accordance with Attachment 2 and are limited to 3 pages per reference. The offeror shall provide documentation outlining the offeror’s past performance with contracts, as a prime or major subcontractor, which is the same or similar in nature, size, and complexity to the services being procured under this Solicitation. The submittal shall include rationale supporting your assertion of relevance and how it was determined that the work performed previously was the same or similar in nature, size, and complexity to the work specified by this solicitation. Offerors are required to explain what aspects of the contracts are deemed relevant to the proposed effort, and to what aspects of the proposed effort they relate.

Past Performance Questionnaire - Attachment 3, Past Performance Questionnaire. For the contracts identified on each Specific Relevant Contract Reference, the offeror shall forward a copy of the Past Performance Questionnaire to the points of contact responsible for monitoring performance under such contracts. The points of contact shall return the questionnaires directly to Nina Rachal at nina.m.rachal.civ@army.mil prior to the closing of the RFP. Any questionnaires not returned directly to the KO will not be reviewed and evaluated. The information contained in the questionnaires will be used to evaluate the offeror’s past performance. New entities that have no past customers shall annotate on the Summary Page that they have had no previous clients and that the minimum number of questionnaires cannot be provided.

(d) Volume IV - Price – The offeror shall complete the Pricing Worksheet (Attachment 4), Employee Total Compensation Plan (Attachment 5), and SF1449 – Continuation Sheets -- Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs section of the solicitation. Offerors shall use Government provided Not-to-Exceed estimates for ODC CLINs.

Offerors shall submit a fully completed price breakdown in the format specified in Attachment 4. A separate breakdown shall be submitted for each year and these shall be rolled up to the contract or summary level, which shall be traceable to the amounts inserted in Schedule B. Offerors shall provide proposed prices for each applicable CLIN in Schedule B of this solicitation. All labor proposed on the previously discussed breakdown sheets shall be linked to this labor summary. The offerors shall provide compensation packages for all employees.

Compensation package will be evaluated to ensure the adequacy of retention and recruitment. The following instructions apply to the prime and subcontractors. Total Compensation Plan for Professional Employees (TCPPE).

This solicitation incorporates FAR Clause 52.222-46. In its Price Proposal Volume, the Offeror shall submit a TCPPE setting forth direct labor rates and total fringe benefits proposed for professional labor categories as described in solicitation. The TCPPE shall demonstrate the Offeror’s clear understanding of the work to be performed. The Offeror’s TCPPE shall indicate the capability of the proposed compensation structure to obtain and keep qualified personnel to meet mission objectives and provide uninterrupted high-quality work. The Offeror’s TCPPE shall address recruitment and retention, realism, and its consistency with a total plan for compensation. The Offeror’s TCPPE shall describe how the proposed salary rates for professional employees account for differences in skill, complexity of various disciplines, and professional job difficulty. The Offeror’s TCPPE shall include supporting information, such as national and regional compensation surveys and studies of professional, public and private organization used in establishing the total compensation structure. Incumbent contractors shall submit information pertaining to the salaries and fringe benefits paid to incumbent contractor personnel who are currently performing or have performed in the three (3) years prior to the date set for submission of proposals, in labor categories, or labor categories equivalent to, those identified by the Offeror as professional employees. For informational purposes only, the government is providing a sample summary of an employee total compensation to summarize the compensation value, see Attachment 5.

All information relating to the proposed price must be included in electronic format. Electronic versions of the price proposal shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel as further delineated below, and files should not be read only or password protected. All Excel formulas, lookup tables, and links should be intact, and no links should exist to files not included with the submission. Excel workbooks should not contain hidden spreadsheets. PDF or flat files will not be considered adequate. The electronic version will take precedence for any differences noted between the hard and electronic versions of an offeror’s proposal. Failure to comply with these formatting requirements may result in rejection of your proposal. Offerors’ submittals shall be free of viruses, Trojans, spyware, and other malicious code for which appropriate detection and removal/quarantine software exists.

Certified cost or pricing data is not anticipated for the award of contracts due to expected competition; however, the Government reserves the right to request such information should it become necessary consistent with FAR Subpart 15.4, Contract Pricing. Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data is required to determine the proposed price fair and reasonable.

Contractor shall fill out the attached Pricing Worksheet (Attachment 4). The Price proposal for all the CLINs contained in Schedule B, Pricing Schedule shall contain two Sections: the Price Narrative Section and the Price Proposal Section.

Price Narrative portion in MS Word or compatible format, with a Table of Contents. The price narrative shall provide the basis of estimate for all major elements of the price proposed. The Price Narrative Section shall contain all the narrative explanations used in deriving calculated price (including appropriate references to individual spreadsheets as they appertain). These narratives shall clearly explain the methodologies, calculations, exceptions and assumptions used in developing price.

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Emerging Technology Education Program Undergrad (ETEP Undergrad) United States Army Signal School

U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Fort Eisenhower, Georgia

Part I

General Information

1. GENERAL: This is a non-personnel services contract to provide instruction for Signal Corps Professional Military Education (PME) courses for the specific domains of data science, cloud computing, database management, zero-trust cybersecurity methodologies, and programming/application development through programming and scripting. It will also identify high value approaches to operational data engineering and emerging technologies from academia and industry to support Army data management and governance in support of the Army Data Plan and Unified Network Plan. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.1. Description of Services/Introduction: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to develop, validate, and instruct data and cloud for the Signal School courses defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. Additionally, the contractor will perform analysis to maintain and update course material for the future of the Signal School’s data and cloud curricula for the courses defined in this Performance Work Statement. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

1.2. Background: In first quarter fiscal year 2021 (FY 21), the Army effectively distributed its Cloud and Data Strategy, which enables operators and military decision-makers to harness data to capitalize on strategic and tactical opportunities that are currently unavailable. The Army Data Plan aligns with the Army Vision, setting the guiding principles, goals and objectives, imperatives, and data management structures. This transforms how the Army manages, analyzes, and utilizes data to enable data-driven decisions across its enterprise through a resilient, secure hybrid cloud solution. In support of the Army’s evolution the Signal Corp must rapidly educate and grow highly data literate leaders and highly skilled data technicians with the knowledge and skill to enable organizations.

1.3. Objectives: The basic service objective of this contract is to provide the necessary support through developing training material, validating curriculum, delivering certified classroom instruction, practical exercises, technical lab support, and culminating exercises in accordance with (IAW) the requirements and deliverables of this acquisition as described in this PWS. These requirements are to provide the U.S. Army Signal School with Training Developers and Instructor Writers that develop, instruct, and facilitate adult learning through modern training techniques and methodologies and assist in developing Government-owned curriculum in the areas of data engineering, analytics, cloud computing, network architecture, zero-trust security methodologies, and application programming interfaces. The learning outcomes will produce qualified Signal Officers IAW DA PAM 600-3 and non-commissioned officers IA DA PAM 600-25. Personnel shall meet the standards outlined in the established Programs of Instruction (POI), Signal School training guidance, TRADOC Regulation 350-6 and 350-70.

1.4. Scope: The contractor shall support the following courses: Data Engineering Foundations, Data for Leader Competency, Signal Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC), Signal Captains Career Course (SCCC), S6 Staff Course, Intermediate Level Education (ILE) Courses (P943/A343), Data Operations (255A) Warrant Officer Basic/Advance Course (WOBC/WOAC), Network Operations (255N) Warrant Officer Basic/Advance Course (WOBC/WOAC), Cyberspace Defense (255S) Warrant Officer Basic/Advance Course (WOBC/WOAC), 25D30 Cyber Network Defender Course, all Signal NCO Advance…