SPECIAL NOTICE
J -- Questions and Answers from Industry Days
- Notice Date
- 4/22/2014
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 517919
— All Other Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, Space and Missile Systems Center-SMC/PKL, 1050 E. Stewart Avenue, Peterson AFB,, Colorado, 80914-2902, United States
- ZIP Code
- 80914-2902
- Solicitation Number
- 14-063
- Point of Contact
- Kimberly McGough, Phone: 719-556-2919, Gary A Simpson, Phone: 719-556-2577
- E-Mail Address
-
kimberly.mcgough@us.af.mil, gary.simpson.1@us.af.mil
(kimberly.mcgough@us.af.mil, gary.simpson.1@us.af.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Questions and Answers for One-on-One Discussions during DMSP Mark IVB Industry Days, 2 April 2014 Questions during the Industry Day presentation: Q1. Is the user software on SIPR contractor maintained? Ans: Not the SIPR piece. Q2. Is all the equipment except the one 7' antenna GFE? Ans: Yes. Q3. Is Blue suit maintenance on NIPR/SIPR on-site? Ans: Contractor approves software for SIPR. The government with help from the contractor gets it on the Evaluated Air Force Approved Products List (EAPL) One-on-one with contractor A. Q1. Could this contract be a small business set aside? Ans: Possibly, if two small businesses are technically acceptable Q2. What is the highest level of classification needed for this program? Ans: Highest level is secret. No TS/SCI. Q3. What is the contractor connectivity? Ans: There is no NIPR or SIPR connectivity at the ctr location. All connectivity for.mil is through VPN to Offutt. Q4. Do you have multiple hardware and software modifications going on simultaneously? Ans: No, there is a single baseline with one version that has been deployed and the next build that is in development. Q5. The C&A expires in 2016? Ans: Yes, but there is a type accreditation with the approval authority currently being AFSPC/A6. Q6. Is O&M blue suit? Is there reach back to the contractor? Ans: PMI(s) are done by the site. Yes, via BOMGAR. Q7. Is there reachback to Ogden? Ans: Yes, for 15 pieces of equipment and the radomes, but the ctr is the depot. Q8. Is the contract transition supposed to occur between Jul and Nov 2015? Will there be an analysis task at contract start? Ans: The transition period (between contract award and contract start) is for moving of equipment. Q9. We understand blue-suit maintenance, but does the ctr do on-site training? Ans: Only if the Air Force chooses to send someone to the ctr facility. Not too many Air Force units choose to do this. Q10. Is there a classified section of the bidder's library? Ans: No. Q11. What is the crypto used for? Ans: To decrypt the DMSP downlink only. All Mark IV-B data are unclassified. Q12. Will the classification of the facility be Secret? Yes, because of the KG's. Q13. Are there significant improvements to the Mark IV-B that the Air Force wants? Ans: Although the baseline is not stagnant, most of the envisioned improvements are already underway, such as the implementation of Server 2012. We need the ctr to maintain the hardware, software, and A0, then keep M4B running like a top. Q14. Will the government provide a model for pricing travel? Ans: Use the JTR and assume 2 trips/year. Q15. Is the program office located at Peterson? Ans: Yes, but in bldg 1470, not bldg 2025. Q16. Any data storage? No. Q17. Will contractors be able to ask additional questions? Request through SMC/PKL. One-on-one with contractor B. Q1. (Gov't) Did you see the original Mark IV-B sources sought? Ans: (Ctr B) No, got a notification from a different business unit. Q2. The overview was helpful, but we want to get a feel for the direct readout units. Are there specific performance criteria? Ans: Get the satellite data and make it available first to tactical users, then make it available to AFWA. Latency is important to special users. How are you getting that data? NIPR/SIPR Q3. Are any non-environmental satellites supported by M4B? Ans: not at the moment. Q4. Who does AFWA fit into the Air Force? Ans: Today they are a forward operating agency (FOA) under USAF/A3. In Oct it is speculated that they may move under ACC. Q5. We're trying to determine if there are items in our toolbox that we can offer that could be low risk for transition. How modular is the current data processing capability? Ans: Today we have all GOTS software, so why would we want to change? Plus, we have existing projects to update our operating systems and software. Q6. Is there more than one accreditation project? Ans: No, just one baseline. Q7. Do you connect outside of.mil? Ans: No, we want to stay with this mode of operations. In addition, its important to note that all our connectivity requirements come from AFWA. Q8. For the RFP, will you specify all the missions you support? Can we get orbital data for the other missions? Ans: Not sure how getting the orbital data helps you prepare a proposal? Q9. If we have not previously downlinked data from foreign GEOs, how do we know where to point? Ans: AFWA pushes forecast TLEs for 3 days and 10 days. Q10. Can you give us the history of the DMSP direct readout program? Ans: Bob Nuss provided history going back to the 1960s where there were tactical vans in Vietnam. Q11. Can we get a demonstration of the operational M4B system? Yes, do you want to go to Oahu or Alaska for the demo? Q12. What are your current operational headaches for M4B? Ans: didn't take notes on this answer. Q13: What are you going to do to level the playing field against an incumbent? Will your evaluation criteria make it a fair competition? Ans: Don't bid contractor-owned software. Q14. Are you leveraging civilian or commercial technologies and are you open or closed to innovation? Ans: Need to talk with AFWA about boundaries. Q15. Can you get access to the specs? Ans: yes, in the bidders library. How about for orbit data? Ten line elements are available & ephemeris data. Q16. If we bid remote capability in the proposal will we get credit? Ans: Do't think so since capability exists today. One-on-one with contractor C. Q1. When you write the next PWS, will it contain traditional O&M or what is done today? Ans: What is done today...modernization through sustainment. Q2. Will you revise/expand the beginning of the existing SOW where it says to "add additional satellites?" Ans: yes, it needs more of a development flavor. Q3. Will the budget match work in the PWS? Ans: No, but we will be able to prioritize work to fit within the budget. Q4. Can AFWA be encouraged to use inflation scales on the budget? No, the program is not driving the budget. Q5. Will the small business percentage stay at 5%? Ans: Not sure, but we will clean up the language so that it is more realistic and fairer, but otherwise we are not expecting substantial changes. Q6. How can we influence the RFP? Ans: We expect your feedback on the PWS, which will be used to write the RFP. Q7. Does CMMI stay at level 3 for this contract? Ans: No intent to raise the CMMI level. Q8. Will projects be included in the solicitation? Ans: No. Q9. (Gov't) Are there things we can do to bring down the overhead rates? Ans: (Ctr) Overhead rates are driven by volume. Lower overhead for higher volume and as the labor base drops, the overhead goes up. Q10. When you do ECPs, is there some measure of the projects included? Ans: we are doing pure sustainment. Q11. You mentioned 3080 and 3600 funds. Is this real? Ans: we are requesting funding. Q12. Are you adding key performance parameters (KPPs)? Ans: Not going to add KPPs. If there are new systems that bring money we will use 3600 and will build that into the contract. Q13. What type of contract are you considering for M4B? Ans: The same type of contract as today, but may have separate sustainment and development CLINs. This hasn't been finalized. Q14. EVMS has overhead. Do you see EVMS? Ans: EVMS was waivered the last time and could be waivered again if we use LOE, but we want to do the right thing for the program. A $20M contract with cost reimbursement should have EVMS to show where the money is spent. Q15. Same CDRLs as existing contract? Ans: We will scrub the CDRLs. Q16. Do you have the right amount programmed for transition? Ans: This is weighing heavily on our minds. Depends on what happens upon award. Q17. What happens in FY16 budget? Ans: Depends on what happens on award. Q18. What will be the security requirements? Taking a look at the requirements.
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