W91QF4-16-R-0002_VSR_Questions_and_Answers.docx

W91QF4-16-R-0002

Questions and Answers 13 Jan 2016

1. Reference Para 5.0. The PWS lists several tasks to be performed by the contractor to include conducting the virtual staff ride at various sites, performing demonstrations, and traveling to assorted locations to examine the battlefield terrain. Request the Government clarify the requirement for the contractor to have sufficient manning to perform simultaneous support of the tasks. For example, will the contractor be required to support onsite demonstrations on 24 hours’ notice (Task 5.2) while also having the manning capability to perform virtual staff ride services simultaneously or in parallel at another CONUS location?

Yes. The Contractor is required to provide simultaneous support capabilities, including support under tasks 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.

2. Reference Paragraphs 5.1, 5.2, 5.7. The tasks list requirements for CONUS and OCONUS travel. In order to project travel costs, request the Government provide historical examples of possible travel locations.

See attachment #4 of the solicitation (travel worksheet)

3. Question: Request the Government state whether this is a new requirement or whether an incumbent is in place. If there is an incumbent:

0. Who is the incumbent?

0. See page 44 of the solicitation. “Previous contract info”

0. What was the Solicitation Number that the contract was awarded under?

1. See page 44 of the solicitation. “Previous contract info”

0. Price of the award?

2. $527,983.75

4. PWS, Pg 11, Para 5.1.1. The paragraph states that “…..operate the system to support up to 45 VSRs, lasting no less than four hours each”.

a. Question: Is four (4) hours the actual time of execution or does that include preparation and post-operations work? The four hours refers to the actual execution time. It does not include prep and any post-operations work.

b. Question: What is the average time required to execute a VSR? The average time to execute a VSR is 4 hours. Some go as little as two hours, some go up to 6 hours or more. The time varies depending on the VSR, the unit training objective, and the level of participation. Therefore, 4 hours is the average length.

c. Question: Would the Government confirm that the support required (45 VSRs) is based on the contract year? Yes, the requirement to execute up to 45 VSRs is based on a contract year, depending on the number of virtual staff ride requests the Staff Ride Team receives.

5. PWS, Pg 12, Para 5.1.2. Would the Government confirm the 20 VSR demonstrations are over one contract year? Yes, the requirement to execute up to 20 VSR demos per year is based on a contract year, depending on the number of demonstrations requested.

6. The FBO synopsis indicates it is a total small business set aside but no set aside is referenced in the solicitation. Is this a set aside opportunity?

Yes, this is a total small business set-aside. See clause 52.219-6 in the solicitation. (Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside)

7. The solicitation indicates that this will be a Firm Fixed Price award, should this be a Fixed Price Level of Effort instead?

The requirement is well defined, the award will be Firm Fixed Price.

8. Tasks 5.4 and 5.7 both state in the second bullet point that "The contractor shall have the following additional software available for use: Presagis TerraVista, Creator Terrain Studio, modo, 3ds Max, Camstasia, Maya, Photoshop, ImageSynth, Okino NuGraf, and esri ArcGIS." Will any of these products be provided by the government, or should the contractor be prepared to provide them? The government will provide all program hardware and software.

9. The PWS states that two gaming engines are currently being used, Meta VRSG and VBS. With respect to these two applications, will the government clarify the following:

a. Is the Meta VRSG system and associated software tools, specifically the software tools used to build the VRSG data base, currently fully operational? MetaVr VRSG system is fully operational now. If not, does the government anticipate them being fully operational at start of performance? If it is not anticipated to be fully operational at start of performance, does the government have an alternative system or application it intends to employ to that will allow the successful offeror to update existing VSR scenarios and build new VSR scenarios?

b. What is the current version of VBS being utilized within the VSR program? If VBS3 is currently being utilized, does existing hardware in the VSR program support VBS3's tool kit? One of the game engines that the staff ride team uses is VBS3. When we are in that program, we use the tool kit.

10. Within the envisioned scope of this effort, does the government intend to update, replace, reduce the number of, or change the applications and tools used to execute, maintain, update, or create VSR scenarios? If so, will the government indicate possible candidates for follow-on systems and applications in order to allow offerors to fully plan for the skills required to support the effort through the entire possible period of performance? Yes, the government is planning to update VSR programs to a more modern, updated, and easier to use system. Currently the government is looking into various options that include Adobe CC, Maya, Unreal, and Unity.

11. If the government intends to upgrade the systems and applications associated with executing, maintaining, updating, and creating VSR scenarios, what is the offeror's responsibility to update existing legacy data sets to be compatible with envisioned system upgrades? The government intends to replace the legacy terrain database system with a more modern database system. As the new system comes on line, old databases will either be recreated in the new system or converted, if feasible. Once a database exists in the new system, it will be discontinued in the old system. Over time, the new system of terrain databases will completely replace the terrain databases built in the old system. This work may require a future modification.

12. Will the government consider increasing page limit in the Mission Capability Volume to 17 pages to allow offerors to fully explain their staffing methodology from base to option years?

The government will increase the page limit for the mission capability volume to 18 pages.

13. Page 43 of 50 in the solicitation document references "resumes" and "key personnel" but there are no specific requirements in the solicitation or the statement of work. Would the Government please clarify the suggested requirement for Key Personnel Resumes and what labor categories they would encompass?

See revised Sections L and M of the solicitation.

14. Will the government please provide an estimated level of effort to include specific labor categories and hours for each contract year?

Offerors are allowed maximum flexibility to propose their best value solution and shall provide their own staffing plan that best allows them to accomplish the requirements of the PWS.

15. Will the Government please provide estimated travel, frequency of travel and specific destinations this contract will include?

See question 2

16. Will the Government please provide a yearly contract value for this procurement?

See www.fpds.gov for historical information. Offerors shall propose their best value solution, see question 14.

17. Can you please confirm if a company needs to be under the $15M NAICS at the time of RFP release (i.e. yesterday) or when it is due (i.e. 1/27)?

Qualification as a small business will be determined using the sam.gov information for each proposal, during the evaluation process of the award.