Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) Support for the Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering (CCSE)

What they want

• Scientific, engineering, technical and analytical R&D support for NRL corrosion mitigation, coatings, environmental and prevention programs, delivered through task orders
• Four work areas: corrosion science and engineering; materials science and environmental compatibility; marine coatings science and technology; technology transfer, field demonstrations and engineering support
• Task Order 1: engineering and science support for warfighting platform readiness (corrosion prevention, materials and coatings testing, modeling, guidance documents), plus program administration and IT support for the center
• Marine coatings trades work at Key West, FL (paint application, abrasive blast, thermal spray, coating quality control inspection)
• Lab, shop, waterfront, shipyard and shipboard fieldwork, cathodic protection systems, physical scale modeling and mechanical testing
• Have a cleared team (SECRET) in place and working within 30 days of award, including taking over work from the current contractor
• Regular reporting: monthly technical progress, funds status, on-site labor and travel reports, meeting minutes, technical reports and drawings (CDRL items A001 to A010)
• Manage the contract with a program manager, a management plan, key personnel and subcontractors

What they'll judge offers on

• Factor 1: Technical Understanding and Approach (one combined technical/risk rating based on four CCSE scenario responses)
• Factor 2: Staffing and Key Personnel Qualifications (acceptable or unacceptable only)
• Factor 3: Past Performance (confidence rating based on recency, relevance and quality)
• Factor 4: Cost/Price (no adjectival rating; cost realism, reasonableness and proposed fee). The relative importance of the factors is in section M-3, which was not provided, so the order shown here is only the order they are numbered.

What to include when you submit

• Section L (proposal instructions, volumes, page limits and how to submit) was not in the text provided, so the exact format and delivery method are unknown
• Technical response to four CCSE scenarios (Predictive Hull-Coating Damage Detection; Internal Seawater Piping Corrosion and Marine Growth; Repair Coatings for Pier-Side or Deployed Application; Rapid Corrosion-Detector Development and Ship Alteration)
• Staffing Matrix, resumes for Key Personnel, and signed commitment letters for any key person not currently employed by the prime
• Past performance information, and send Past Performance Questionnaires to your customers on time
• Cost Proposal Workbook (Attachment 8) and cost narrative, with separate Base IDIQ and Task Order 1 cost build-ups, a proposed fee percentage on CLIN 0001 only, and maximum direct labor rate ceilings by labor category, level and ordering year
• Use the government-set labor categories, hours and the travel and materials/ODC plug amounts in Attachments 6 and 7
• Sign the offer (SF 33), acknowledge amendments, complete representations and certifications, and clearly list any exceptions; the offer is valid 60 calendar days unless you insert a different period
• Questions go to the contract specialist; Section G lists Graham Fisher, graham.w.fisher.civ@us.navy.mil

You must have

• Total small business set-aside: must be a small business for NAICS 541715; joint ventures are allowed but eligibility and limitations on subcontracting are checked Small-business and joint-venture eligibility and compliance with applicable limitations on subcontracting
• Personnel must hold security clearances up to SECRET at the time of proposal submission and keep them for the life of the contract (draft DD 254 is attached but did not load) must have the appropriate security clearance for the work assigned, up to SECRET, at time of the proposal submission
• Key personnel that meet minimum education, experience and clearance standards (Science & Engineering Professional IV, Program Manager IV and IT Specialist IV, with MS or PhD level degrees for the first two), proven at proposal time Failure to propose a required Key Person, failure of a proposed Key Person to meet a material minimum qualification
• Financial responsibility and an accounting system adequate for cost-reimbursement contracts accounting-system adequacy for cost-reimbursement contracting
• Recent past performance (within the last five years, ongoing efforts need six months of performance) to earn a past performance rating; having none gives a neutral rating An effort is recent when it was performed during the five-year period preceding the solicitation issuance date.
• Registration in Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) for electronic invoicing, and a SAM electronic business contact Be registered to use WAWF at https://wawf.eb.mil/
• On-site personnel need NRL badge processing (favorable trustworthiness determination); non-U.S. citizens need written approval from the security office before access

Current contractor

An incumbent exists but is not named: the SOW says the new contractor will transition all activities from the incumbent.

Not in the notice text

• Section L proposal instructions: how and where to submit, volume structure, page limits, file formats
• Sections M-1 to M-4, including the relative importance of the four evaluation factors (M-3)
• Rest of Sections H to K (special requirements, clauses, attachments list, representations)
• Cost Proposal Format (Attachment 8) was not read, so required pricing templates and plug amounts are unknown
• Draft DD 254 (Attachment 4) did not load, so facility clearance and classified-handling requirements are unclear
• Who the incumbent is, and the value and size of past work
• Dollar value of Task Order 1 and when it will be awarded
• Small business size standard that applies to the NAICS code