C04.10 W912HQ26RA001 Solicitation Questions and Answers Rev 1_04-14-26.pdf

Question Section Page # Question Answer

1 Continuation of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs, CLINS

3-6 Will the Government please consider providing plug numbers for ODC and Travel CLINS since the travel requirements are not defined in the

PWS?

The solicitation has been amended to include plug numbers for the ODC and travel CLINs.

2 PWS, Section 5.3

23 PWS Section 5.3 states, "technical reviewers shall have advanced degrees (generally a Ph.D.

or a M.S. with 5+ years of experience) in their specified technical areas."

Experts in some areas where SERDP and ESTCP invest, particularly in relation to materials substitution and mechanical engineering, may not have advanced degrees as a matter of course.

Please confirm

Reviewers with a minimum of 20 years’ direct experience in their field are acceptable in lieu of an advanced degree.

that technical reviewers who have bachelor's degrees and a minimum of 20 years’ direct experience are acceptable in lieu of technical reviewers with Ph.D. and/or a M.S. degrees and 5+ years of experience.

3 Addendum to 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Section 2, Vol 5, and Section 3.c.V. Volume 5 - Factor 5:

Price

83-84 There is no requirement for offerors to assert that they do not have, nor do they anticipate, an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) for this solicitation.

Does the government intend to include this as a requirement within Volume 5 as an additional Tab?

No, we do not intend to include this as a requirement within Volume 5. The FAR council is currently reviewing public comments for a proposed rule regarding OCI (FAR Case 2023- 006 Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition). Until the rule is implemented in the FAR, the Government cannot include language regarding OCI in our solicitations or contracts.

4 Addendum to Evaluation, Section B.Factor4.a

91 Given the anticipated Other Direct Costs

(ODC)

requirements, The 22% small business participation should be calculated based on the total will the Government please confirm that the 22% small business participation should be calculated based only on total funded labor costs, rather than including ODCs in the calculation base?

contract value (labor, travel, and ODCs), not just labor costs

5 NA NA Support to the ESTCP Innovation Landscapes Network is not included in the PWS. Should offerors address their understanding and approach to this element in their Volume 1 responses and include any associated costs in the pricing proposal?

If the proposer believes it is important to address this in the proposal, they may do so.

6 N/A N/A The RFP includes required labor categories with a description of the

Contractors should use their best judgement for labor categories role for each category. Can the Government please provide the minimum qualifications for each of these labor categories as well?

7 N/A N/A Can the Government confirm if offerors are able to propose additional labor categories to those in the solicitation?

To ensure consistency during proposal evaluation process, offerors shall propose only the labor categories stated in the solicitation

8 N/A N/A Is there a page limit for Volume 3, Past Performance?

No, there Is no page limit for Volume 3, Past Performance.

9 N/A N/A Is Prior Contracting Officer approval required for all key personnel changes, or may certain modifications be made with only notification?

Yes, Contracting Officer approval is required prior to key personnel changes (please see page 64 of the solicitation).

10 N/A N/A Are option line items fixed in scope, or will new

The option line items are fixed. If additional requirements or tasks are needed during the requirements/tas ks be issued over the performance period? Should labor rates or escalation be proposed for future options?

contract period of performance, those will be added to the award through a bilateral supplemental agreement/modification. Yes, escalation should be proposed for the option periods.

11 N/A N/A Please confirm if escalating labor rates and indirect rates across option periods is considered unbalanced pricing.

No, escalation of labor rates or indirect rates across option periods is not considered unbalanced pricing as long as the Government can determine the escalation as fair and reasonable.

12 PWS, Section

8-9 Are only the following positions considered key staff/personnel:

1. Program Manager and 2.

Information Technology Specialist?

Correct, these are the only positions considered key personnel.

13 Addendum to 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Section 2, Proposal Submission Requirements

79-80 Can it be confirmed whether the stated page limits include all content, including cover pages, the table of contents, dividers, and

The stated page limits include all content. Pages that exceed the required page limitations will not be evaluated. 11 x 17 pages should not be used.

Pages shall be 8.5” x 11” as stated in the solicitation.

appendices?

Please clarify whether 11x17 pages can be used and whether they count as one or two pages for tables or graphics

14 PWS, Section 4.6

12-13 Can the expectations for on-site vs. at the contractor’s facility staffing and geographic presence requirements be clarified?

This is addressed in Section 4.6 of the PWS.

15 Section 5.1.11 18 Can the Government clarify whether the administrative support functions described in Section 5.1.11 are required to be performed on-site at a Government facility, or if these services may be executed at the contractor’s facility?

Additionally, please confirm whether specific

The issue of the location for administrative support functions is addressed in Section 4.6 of the PWS.

Most interactions noted in the question do not require a physical presence.

tasks (e.g., interaction with DoD security, building management, or IT staff) require a physical presence, and if so, the expected frequency of on-site support.

16 N/A N/A Is there a preferred proposal structure or checklist of requirements for Volume 1 (Technical Understanding and Approach) beyond what is stated in the solicitation?

No, there is not a preferred proposal structure or checklist of requirements beyond what is stated in the solicitation

17 N/A N/A Are cross-references between volumes allowed, or must each volume be fully standalone?

Each volume should be fully standalone

18 PWS Section 5.1.9

17 Can the Government clarify the specific types

1. Documents will include technical and administrative/ programmatic submittals.

and levels of documentation that will be subject to contractor review under Section 5.1.9, including whether the scope includes technical documents (e.g., design plans, specifications), compliance documentation (e.g., environmental, financial, procurement records), or solely administrative/pr ogrammatic deliverables?

Additionally, please confirm the expected depth of review (e.g., completeness check, compliance validation, or technical adequacy assessment) to ensure alignment

2. Depth of the review is dependent on the type of document. Many will require a thorough technical review, while administrative/ programmatic may only require completeness or compliance verification.

with Government expectations.

19 PWS Section 5.3.1

24 Can the Government clarify whether the expertise referenced in Section 5.3.1 is required to be provided by independent third-party subject matter experts, or if it may be fulfilled by qualified personnel within the contractor’s proposed team?

Additionally, please confirm whether there are any requirements regarding independence, certifications, or conflict-of-interest considerations for such experts.

Reviewers can be internal or external to the contractor’s team. All reviewers are required to adhere to conflict-of-interest guidelines.

20 N/A N/A Can the Government clarify whether all content prepared by the contractor for public dissemination, All content for public dissemination must complete Government review and receive approval prior to publication.

Knowledge of document clearance processes is an including social media posts (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google +, other emerging media as appropriate), press releases, and other communications, must receive prior review and approval from the Government before publication?

Additionally, please confirm whether there are established approval workflows, timelines, or designated points of contact for such reviews.

expected aspect of experience of the contractor and details of the potential process will not be provided.

21 N/A N/A Can the Government clarify whether there are any limitations or expectations regarding the number of personnel proposed per labor category?

There are no limitations or expectations regarding the number of personnel proposed per labor category.

If multiple personnel are proposed for a labor category, the offeror may modify the cost proposal form to reflect the quantities the offeror is proposing

Additionally, if multiple personnel per category are anticipated, please confirm whether the provided Cost Proposal Form may be modified to reflect quantities, or if the Government intends to issue an addendum to incorporate fields for staffing quantities.

22 PWS Section 5.2.2

20-21 Based on Section 5.2.2, which indicates that Monthly Financial Reports (MFRs) and Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) are required for all projects, can the Government clarify whether the contractor is responsible for the preparation of these reports for approximately 400 projects, or if the contractor’s

Funded investigators complete the MFRs and QPRs. The contractor would be responsible for review.

role is limited to tracking, reviewing, validating, and/or consolidating reports prepared by project performers?

Additionally, please confirm the expected level of effort and involvement for each report type.

23 PWS Section 5.2.1

19-20 Can the Government clarify what constitutes a “pre-proposal” within the context of Section 5.2.1, including the typical content, format, and level of detail expected for these submissions?

Specifically, please confirm whether pre-proposals are standardized concept papers submitted by project performers (e.g., including

Information on pre-proposals is available on the SERDP and ESTCP website. Knowledge of public information on SERDP and ESTCP is an expected aspect of experience of the contractor and reiteration of this information will not be provided.

technical approach, cost estimate, and project summary), and whether the contractor’s role involves intake, screening, compliance review, evaluation support, or full administrative processing of approximately 800-1,000 submissions.

Clarification of the definition and scope will ensure appropriate staffing, workflow design, and level-of-effort assumptions.

24 Addendum to 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Section III, Volume 3 - Factor 3: Past Performance

82 Can the Government clarify whether offerors will be evaluated differently if completed PPQs are not received from clients prior to the proposal submission deadline, despite

Offerors will not be evaluated differently if completed PPQs are not received by the submission deadline, as long as the offerors submit the first page of the PPQ with the relevant contract and client information so the Government may follow up with the client.

Late submissions from clients may be considered as long as they are received prior to the the offeror submitting the first page of the PPQ and demonstrating good-faith efforts to obtain completed questionnaires?

Additionally, please confirm whether PPQs submitted directly by clients to the Government after proposal submission, but before evaluation is finalized, will be considered in the past performance assessment, and how such late submissions will be treated relative to those included in the initial proposal package.

start of evaluation, however the offeror should follow-up with client(s) to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires as stated in the solicitation instructions.

25 N/A N/A Can the Government provide sample formats or templates for key deliverables such

No, sample formats or templates for key deliverables will not be provided during the solicitation phase.

Information on required reporting is available on the as: Monthly reports and Quality Control Plans (QCP)

SERDP and ESTCP website.

Knowledge of public information on SERDP and ESTCP is an expected aspect of experience of the contractor and reiteration of this information will not be provided.

26 N/A N/A Are deliverables expected to align with specific federal reporting systems (e.g., SAM, Viper, internal dashboards, other)?

No

27 N/A N/A What level of data analytics or visualization is expected in reporting outputs?

This is at the discretion of the proposer.

28 N/A N/A Does the Offeror need to use a specific grants management platform or system of record that the Government uses, or is the Offeror required

This award will be a contract, not a grant. The offeror will be required to use SERDP and ESTCP’s existing web-based reporting system which is the SERDP and ESTCP Management System (SEMS).

to create a new system of record?

29 N/A N/A Are there defined metrics or KPIs to evaluate contractor performance?

The defined metrics that the awardee will be evaluated on can be found under the Performance Requirement Summary (PRS) (Section 10 pages 37-39) of the PWS. The PRS defines the acceptable quality level for each metric.

Surveillance will be accomplished via COR monthly reports and annually through CPARS evaluations.

30 N/A N/A Are there minimum staffing requirements or labor categories expected for this effort?

No, this is at the discretion of the proposer.

31 N/A N/A Can the Government clarify expectations for the level of detail in cost breakdowns and the required assumptions or supporting narratives?

No, this is at the discretion of the proposer.

32 N/A N/A What are the expectations regarding contractor use of

The contractor is expected to be proficient with SAM so that they can submit their Individual Subcontract Reports (ISRs) and

Government systems (e.g., SAM reporting, Viper, internal platforms, other)?

Service Contract Reporting (SCR). The contractor also will be required to use the SERDP ESTCP Management System (SEMS) as a requirement of the contract.

33 N/A N/A Are there any cybersecurity or data protection requirements beyond standard federal clauses?

No, there are no cybersecurity or data protection requirements beyond those stated in the PWS and the provisions/clauses contained in the solicitation

34 N/A N/A How will compliance with FAPIIS, SAM, and reporting requirements be monitored during performance?

Contractor compliance with SAM. FAPIIS, and reporting requirements will be monitored by the Contracting Officer and COR at least annually throughout the contract period of performance and also prior to the issuance of modifications and option exercises.

35 N/A N/A Are there any critical milestones or early deliverables expected immediately after the award?

The PWS provides all available information on deliverables.

36 N/A N/A Will there be a transition-in period, and if so, what are the expectations?

Yes, there will be a 30-day transition-in period. The expectations during this transition period will include transfer of technical knowledge and assets from the incumbent to the awardee and onboarding activities for the new contractor such as obtaining security clearances/common access cards (CACs), IT access, etc.

37 Addendum to 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Section 2, Vol

80 The RFP States, "Please include a MS Excel spreadsheet in addition to the required Adobe PDF." Does the Government have a preferred MS Excel template or format that offerors should use for the price submission? If so, please provide this template to offerors. If no Government template is provided, what are the specific requirements for the content and organization of the Excel spreadsheet?

The MS Excel spreadsheet requirement has been removed from Factor 5 because this chart is already included in the solicitation. Offerors should complete the labor rate spreadsheet on page 2 of the solicitation.

38 Addendum to 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Section 2, Vol 5, and Section 3.c.V. Volume

80, 83-

The solicitation references Volume 5 (Factor 5: Price) with required sections labeled "Tab A" through "Tab G."

Tabs A through Tab G should be separate sections of the Price Narrative PDF, not tabs/worksheets within an Excel workbook.

5 - Factor 5:

Price

Additionally, the instructions state that "Volume 5 may include a MS Excel spreadsheet in addition to the required Adobe PDF." Please confirm that "Tab A" through "Tab G" are intended to be separate sections of the Price Narrative PDF file and not tabs/worksheets within an Excel workbook.