Future Space Communications (FSC)

Amendment 01 incorporates Attachment 7, Questions and Answers and extends the due date from 1 July 2019 to 5 July 2019 no later than 12:00 pm Mountain Standard Time. 1 July 2019 - FBO attachment issues.  Attachment 7 - Questions and Answers, see attached. Contact CO if issues persists. DETAILS:

FA9453-19-S-0005

Call 009

Future Space Communications (FSC)

Questions and Answers

Q - Pertaining to the personal identification of individuals on the program.  Should we include specifically named personal or should names be omitted and only include a title or other appropriate reference?

                A – Omit names.  Use titles and/or other approriate references.

Q - What type of information is considered “business information” and therefore will be appropriately contained in the business proposal?

                In accordance with BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FA9453-17-S-0005

Air Force Research Laboratory/Space Vehicle Directorate

ANNOUNCEMENT OVERVIEW

Initial 29 September 2017

A – White Paper Cost/Business Volume (two-step process):

The Cost/Business section which includes the ROM should provide top-level details on major cost items such as labor, special equipment that will need to be purchased, materials, and any subcontracts or other organizations’ costs (to include government furnished facilities, equipment, or personnel) for the proposed effort. The ROM cost section shall not exceed one page.

                A -  Cost/Business Proposal (one-step process):

i. Separate the proposal into a cost section and business section. The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed contract such as: resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort, contractual instrument type, and any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement, any information not technically related, etc. Provide rationale for exceptions. Identify any technical data that will be delivered with less than unlimited rights. Cost proposals have no page limitations; however, offerors are requested to keep cost proposals under 100 pages as a goal. The proposal shall be furnished with supporting schedules and shall contain a labor hour breakdown per task.

ii. Subcontracting plans for efforts anticipated to exceed $750,000 shall be submitted along with the technical and cost proposals. Reference FAR 19.704, DFARS 219.704, and AFFARS 5319.704(a)(1) for subcontracting plan requirements. Small businesses are exempt from this requirement.

iii. All direct costs (labor, material, travel, computer, etc.) as well as labor and overhead rates should be provided by contractor fiscal year (CFY). A separate breakout by Government Fiscal Year (GFY) is not required.

iv. Submit fully-disclosed electronic cost spreadsheets with formulas. Include rate table for all direct and indirect rates that feed into the cost element summaries.

Q - Along the same lines, would a typical management plan be considered to be “business information”?

                A – See above.  Please follow the instructions as provided in the BAA FA9453-17-S-0005.

Q - Are there terms and conditions that must be redlined at the time of proposal? The BAA references that terms and conditions redlines must be submitted within the business proposal, but we could not find any terms within the actual solicitation.

                A – Unable to locate the reference “redlined”.  However, should you take exception to any terms and conditions within the announcement please include your exception and reasoning within the business proposal.

Q - In reviewing the subject solicitation, page 3 states that this effort will be performed at the Top Secret level. Does this mean that all portions of the work will be classified, or can there be carve outs outside of the simulations that can be unclassified or classified at a lesser level?

                A – PM states work may be accept at any level (up to and including TS/SCI).  The DD254 is not required uniformly for each submitted effort and unclassified work can be accepted.

Q - The BAA and the Call do not exclude the Cover Page, Table of Contents, list of figures and any kind of acronym list from page count. Will those items be figured (counted) in the 30 page technical limit

                A - The Technical volume is a separate volume and should be labeled as such.

Cover pages and other documents not specifically in your Technical volume are not counted against the Technical volume limit.

Q - Is a hard copy of the subcontracting plan required or just the soft copy version on the CD?

                A - The requirement calls for subcontracting plans to be submitted on a CD and a hard copy (both).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  Four (4) public-domain publications are being provided as reference for research philosophy and relative FA9453-19-S-0005, Call 009, Future Space Communications (FSC).

Should you have difficulty opening the additional information please contact Dr. James Lyke, 505-846-5812 or james.lyke.2@us.af.mil.

 (Attachment 7 document contains links not provided on Details)