Artificial Intelligence (AI) for financial reporting and audit processes

1.         The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is conducting a commercial solutions opening (CSO) authorized by 10 U.S.C. § 3458 and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Subpart 212.70, Defense Commercial Solutions Opening.  DLA intends to solicit Solution Briefs in response to the addendum Areas of Interest (AOIs), which DLA may change, amend, open, and close from time to time at DLA’s sole discretion.  Interested offerors are encouraged to frequently check this CSO from new or revised AOIs.  DLA intends to keep this CSO SP4701-25-S-C003 open until April 9, 2025, 11:59 PM EDT; however, DLA reserves the right to close this CSO at any time.

            2.         In accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 3458(c)(2), any contract or agreement DLA may award under pursuant to this CSO shall be fixed-price.  DLA intends to award commercial contracts in accordance with DFARS 212.7002(b); however, DLA may, at DLA’s discretion, to award an other transaction agreement in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022.

            3.         If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:

Mr. Thomas Walsh 

Agreements and Contracting Officer

DLA DCSO-P5

Thomas.Walsh@dla.mil

Mrs. Lauren Runowski

Agreements and Contracting Specialist

DLA DCSO-P5

lauren.runowski@dla.mil

            4.         DLA provides no funding for any offer submitted to this CSO.  DLA funding is only possible after a signed contract.

B.         Background:  DLA is the Department of Defense’s logistics combat support activity.  DLA provides worldwide logistical support to the military services and other authorized customers, which may include civilian organizations and foreign countries.  Potential offerors may learn more about DLA at htts://www.dla.mil. 
 

C.         How to Submit a Solution Brief.

1. Prior to the closing date of the published Area of Interest, electronically submit to the person identified in paragraph A.3. of this CSO an unclassified Solution Brief, utilizing the Solution Brief template at Attachment 1.
    
2. Mark as appropriate all parts of the Solution Brief considered proprietary.  By submitting a Solution Brief, the offeror agrees to DFARS 252.227-7016, Rights in Bid or Proposal Information.
    
3. The Solution Brief must ‘stand alone’.  While the Solution Brief may include references to outside materials, links to website, etc., DLA WILL NOT AND CAN NOT consider such material.  Similarly, DLA will not consider any accompanying slides, sales materials, integrated or outside videos, or the like sent with the Solution Brief.  DLA may reject, without further consideration, Solution Briefs sent with extraneous materials.

1. Offerors may submit multiple Solution Briefs for each AOI.  While each Solution Brief may reference another Solution Brief, DLA WILL NOT AND CAN NOT consider that referenced Solution Brief in evaluating this submitted Solution Brief.   

1. Solution Briefs’ prices and all other terms and conditions must remain valid for 180 calendar days from the submission date of the Solution Brief.

D.         How DLA Will Make Any Awards.

            1.         DLA will first review Solution Briefs for conformance with this CSO.  DLA will return Solution Briefs DLA finds not in conformance with this CSO.  The offeror may, if the date and time stated in the Area of Interest has not passed, re-submit a revised Solution Brief.  While DLA intends to complete this review diligently, DLA is under no obligation to complete this review soon enough for an offeror to submit a revised Solution Brief.  Therefore, offerors should submit their best, conforming, Solution Briefs.

            2.         For Solution Briefs both received before the closing time of CSO and AOI, and also conforming to the CSO, DLA subject-matter expert technical evaluators will evaluate the Solution Brief.  First, evaluators will evaluate Factor 1, Possibility of Funding, and rate the Solution Brief as either “Funding Possible” or “Funding Not Possible”.  If evaluated as “Funding Not Possible,” evaluators will not evaluate the Solution Brief further and DLA will notify the offeror.  If evaluated as “Funding Possible,” evaluators will continue their evaluations through the remaining factors, assigning each remaining factor one of the following ratings: “Exceptional,” “Good,” “Acceptable,” “Marginal,” or “Unacceptable.”  All evaluation factors are described below.

            a.   Factor 1: Possibility of Funding.  Does funding reasonably exist to fund the proposed solution?  Solutions with lower prices are favored.   

                        b.         Factor 2: Technical Feasibility.  How technically feasible is the proposed solution to an AOI, given the present state of the technology and science?  Solutions with a lower technological risk profile are favored. 

            c.   Factor 3: Responsiveness.  How responsive is the proposed solution to the AOI?  Solutions responsive to the problem identified in the AOI, without creating new problems, are favored.

            d.   Factor 4: Viability.  How viable is the proposed solution given existing organizational and regulatory environments?  Solutions compatible with existing DLA, DoD, and federal policies, processes, and procedures, are favored.

            e.   Factor 5: Desirability.  How desirable is the proposed solution to the eventual end-user?  Solutions easily adaptable, useful, and implementable are favored. 

      3.   After the above evaluation, the technical evaluators will then decide whether the solution proposed in the Solution Brief merits further consideration.  Note that while Solution Briefs are not evaluated against other Solution Briefs, DLA has limited funding and acquisition manpower and thus cannot pursue all otherwise meritorious Solution Briefs.  DLA also recognizes that industry resources in pursuing business with DLA are limited.  To the extent DLA must select between highly rated Solution Briefs to pursue further, DLA will aggregate the Factor 2 through 5 ratings together equally to discern the most highly rated Solution Briefs.  If further discernment is necessary amongst highly rated Solution Briefs, DLA will then additionally consider the Factor 2 through 5 ratings in order of importance, with Factor 2 being the most important, Factor 3 being the second most important, Factor 4 being the third most important, and Factor 5 being the fourth most important.  And if still additional discernment is necessary, DLA will then consider the price proposed in the Solution Brief and select for further consideration the lowest priced Solution Brief.

      4.   If the technical evaluators decide a proposed Solution Brief merits further consideration, technical evaluators will decide whether to further consider the proposed solution via a Pitch, Full Proposal, or both.  Technical evaluators may also decide a on Pitch or Full Proposal, or both, are unnecessary, and refer a to Solution Brief for negotiation of a possible award as described in paragraph 5. 

            a.   Pitch: DLA would invite the offeror to ‘pitch’ the offeror’s proposed solution in a presentation, whether via a remote meeting, a face-to-face meeting, or other mutually agreeable means.  DLA will advise the offeror of the parameters of the Pitch at that time.  Offerors may propose different parameters; however, the final decision rests with DLA, as represented by the person noted in paragraph A(3).  During the Pitch, the parties may verbally discuss the proposed solution.  After the Pitch, DLA will decide whether an additional Pitch is desired, to request a full proposal, refer the offeror to the supporting contracting activity for award negotiations, or to terminate further consideration of the offer.   

            b.   Full Proposal: DLA would invite the offeror to submit a full proposal.  DLA will advise the offeror of the parameters of the full proposal at that time.  Offerors may propose different parameters; however, the final decision rests with DLA.  After receipt of the Full Proposal, DLA may communicate with the offeror about the Full Proposal, to better understand and review it.  After reviewing the Full Proposal, DLA will decide whether an additional or revised Full Proposal is desired, to request a ‘Pitch’, refer the offeror to the supporting contracting activity for award negotiations, or to terminate further consideration of the offer.    

      5.   If the technical evaluators refer an offeror to the supporting contracting activity for award negotiations, the supporting contracting activity will open negotiations with the offeror.  The conduct of such negotiations are within the discretion of the cognizant Contracting Officer or Agreement Officer, as the case may be, as bounded by applicable law and policy.  Offerors should note that the Contracting Officer, or Agreement Officer, is not required to award any contract and may close negotiations at any time at his or her discretion.  Offerors should further note that should any in negotiation resulting in an award, the prices awarded must be ‘fair and reasonable’. 

E.         Generally Applicable Information.

            1.         DLA provides no funds for partaking in any process described in this CSO.  Any funds will be disbursed only in accordance with a signed contract or other transaction agreement.

            2.         Should DLA award an other transaction agreement awarded under this CSO, DLA may later award a follow-on production contract or other transaction agreement without further competition, in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022. 

            3.         Note that Chapter 21 of Title 41, United States Code, applies to all submitted proposals and any awarded contract, whether awarded under the FAR or 10 U.S.C. § 4022.

            4.         Note that DLA can only award to a responsible entity.  Please see FAR Part 9 for further information.

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