SPECIAL NOTICE
99 -- Acquisition Strategy for NASA LaRC Research, Science, and Engineering Services
- Notice Date
- 10/29/2021 7:58:58 AM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541715
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER HAMPTON VA 23681 USA
- ZIP Code
- 23681
- Response Due
- 11/23/2021 2:00:00 PM
- Archive Date
- 05/15/2022
- Point of Contact
- Kimberly Wilson, Tim Cannella
- E-Mail Address
-
kimberly.c.wilson@nasa.gov, timothy.p.cannella@nasa.gov
(kimberly.c.wilson@nasa.gov, timothy.p.cannella@nasa.gov)
- Description
- The purpose of this amendment and updated�notice is for NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to invite potential offerors, pursuant to FAR 15.202 - Advisory Multi-Step Process, to submit preliminary information to allow the Government to determine whether the offeror could be a viable competitor for the Research, Science, and Engineering Services (RSES) procurement. NASA will evaluate all responses in accordance with the criteria stated in this notice, and will advise each respondent in writing, that it is either likely or unlikely to be a viable competitor. NASA will advise respondents considered not to be viable competitors of the general basis for that opinion. Notwithstanding the advice provided by NASA in response to submissions, respondents may participate in the resultant acquisition. Information provided may be used as part of NASA�s continuing market research for information and planning purposes and/or for acquisition or procurement strategy implementation. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. NASA LaRC�s RSES will support LaRC�s mission through the provision of specialized research, science, and engineering non-personal services support throughout the center. The RSES requirements will incorporate the research, science, and engineering services currently provided under the following contracts: Technology, Engineering, and Aerospace Mission Support (TEAMS) 3 contract (80LARC17C0003), the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) 20-year Cooperative Agreement (80LARC17C0004), the NIA Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract (NNL13AA08B), and the Science, Technology, and Research Services (STARSS) III contract (NNL16AA05C). Certain requirements on the current contracts will not be included within RSES and will transition to other Agency or LaRC contracts.� This includes, but is not limited to, Program Planning and Control (PP&C), Risk Management, and Communication and Outreach activities. The Requests for Information (RFIs) issued on April 22, 2021 and July 6, 2021, the Industry Forums conducted on May 5, 2021 and August 25, 2021, as well as the information attached to the RFIs provide detailed information on the RSES scope and should be adequate for the offeror to make an informed decision about whether to propose. Information provided includes details on the proposed acquisition and procurement strategy, Statements of Work/Performance Work Statements for the current contracts, details on the LaRC organizations and missions supported, and historical information on the technical skills, capabilities, and experience required. LaRC�s Acquisition Strategy for RSES is as follows: (1) One Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued incorporating all research, science, and engineering services; (2) The RFP will include two core Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), CLIN 001 for research and engineering services inclusive of basic and applied research, and CLIN 002 for science services inclusive of basic and applied research; (3) NASA will award either one contract for all services or two separate contracts with one award aligned to the research and engineering core CLIN 001 and one award aligned to the science core CLIN 002; (4) NASA�s decision on whether to award one or two contracts will based on the merit of proposals as assessed against the evaluation and selection criteria that will be included in the RFP. As of October 18, 2021, additional strategy information has been uploaded with the July 6, 2021 RFI.� While the procurement strategy has not yet been fully approved, industry responses to this Advisory Multi-Step process should assume the following strategy elements: (1) use of NAICS 541715 (Note: NASA is still considering use of the Aircraft Exception (1,500 employee standard) or Space Vehicles Exception (1,250 employee standard)); (2) a total small business set-aside; and (3) that any resultant contract(s) be cost type. Potential offerors interested in participating the Advisory Multi-Step Process must submit a capabilities statement not to exceed 15 pages that demonstrates their capability to perform the services described herein. The capabilities statement must include: Company Information: company name, address, business size (small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned, or service-disabled veteran-owned), and point of contact (POC) information for the interested firm. Provide information on key subcontractors or other agreements that will be utilized. Technical Capability Information:� Describe how the potential offeror intends to fulfill the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (i.e., resultant combined PWS meshing the three contracts and cooperative agreement), including what resources are available in-house and/or what resources will be obtained through subcontracting or other agreements.� Specifically, describe how the specialized research, science, and engineering requirements spanning basic through applied research in aeronautics, space exploration, science, and related areas at NASA LaRC will be staffed and retained, to include elements of research requiring subject matter expertise only found in academia and/or through foreign nationals, while also advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Describe how subcontracting and/or other teaming arrangements (to include partnerships and affiliations with academia) will be managed in a manner that ensure accomplishment of the RSES scope of work in an efficient manner. The potential offeror shall also address what it considers as the top risks to this procurement. Based on the anticipation of a small business set aside, describe your approach to be able to meet either the scope of the separate CLINS or ability to perform the scopes of both CLINs under a single contract.� Describe any teaming arrangement you intend to pursue to achieve your selected approach to either propose on a separate CLIN or to propose to perform both CLINS. Past Performance Information: Identify, by contract number, past or current contracts and/or subcontracts that were awarded to your firm, period of performance, contract type, annual and total contract value, a description of the relevant corporate experience gained, information attesting to the quality of performance, and a point of contact for the customer/recipient of the work performed. Regarding the assessment of past performance, NASA will assess the Offeror�s recent and relevant record of performance of work similar in content, size, and complexity to the requirements of RSES. For the purpose of the Advisory Multi-Step Process, a contract size minimum (i.e., annual contract value) for relevance will not be included, however, minimums will be included in the Draft and Final RFP.� The assessment will consider the record of significant subcontractors however will not consider the performance of individuals. As part of the assessment, NASA may attribute the past performance of a parent/affiliated/predecessor company (including Joint Venture prime partner companies and/or a parent or affiliated company that is being otherwise proposed as a subcontractor on this effort) to the prospective prime contractor and/or significant subcontractor(s) where it is demonstrated the resources of the parent or affiliate or predecessor company will affect the performance of the prospective prime contractor and/or significant subcontractor(s). The respondent should demonstrate how the resources of the parent or affiliate or predecessor company (e.g. its workforce, management, facilities) will be provided and/or relied upon for contract performance such that the parent or affiliate will have meaningful involvement in contract performance. The Government will evaluate each respondent's capability statement to determine if the respondent appears to have the requisite technical skills, capabilities, and experience to complete the requirements described herein and will advise each respondent in �writing, that it will either be likely or unlikely to be a viable competitor for the RSES procurement. Firms considered not to be viable will be provided with the Government's general basis for that finding. However, notwithstanding the initial advice provided by the Government in response to the capabilities statements, all firms are still considered eligible to participate in the resultant acquisition. The assessment under the Advisory Multi-Step Process will be conducted by an independent team and the firms participating in the process and their individual assessments will not be disclosed to the Source Evaluation Board. Responses should be received no later than November 23, 2021. � The offeror shall upload submissions via NASA�s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box) at the following link: https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/091a05737d754d2f9d9cf635e1e68f42 EFSS Box is a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. The submitting firm shall ensure documents are free from viruses and malware, as documents determined by NASA to contain a virus or malware will not be opened or evaluated. Electronic submissions shall not contain hidden formulas, tables, be locked, be protected, or contain links to data not included in the electronic copy. Electronic file names shall be limited to letters, numbers, and single spaces, with the exception of the period that is required before the file extension (e.g., .pdf), in order to successfully upload and download files from the EFSS Box system. The submitting firm shall not use special characters �/� or �\� in file names. Individual files cannot exceed 150GB per file.� Submitted files shall not include password protection.� Firms, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA�s EFSS Box, are encouraged to coordinate the submission of a test file several days in advance of the date and time specified for submission to allow time to work through any submission issues. Question can be submitted�by email to LaRC-AST@mail.nasa.gov. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A prior amendment was issued to (1) in response to industry input, provide�additional details regarding the draft acquisition strategy�via the attached document ""RSES Strategy Outline_Industry Synopsis_18OCT21"", (2) provide industry copies of the TEAMS 3 and STARSS III contracts, and (3) inform industry of our intent to issue an invitation�for potential offers to submit information about their potential to be a viable competitor, under the �Advisory Multi-Step Process in accordance with FAR 15.202, on November 1, 2021. Responses�will be requested by November 23, 2021. We also invite industry input on the additional information provided with this amendment.���� A prior amendment was issued to (1) upload the RSES Industry and Academia Industry Forum Slides and (2) upload up to date Questions and Responses.�� A prior amendment was issued to (1) reschedule the Industry Forum to August 25th from 10:30 � 1:00 EST, and (2) revise the date for submittal of RFI responses to August 31, 2021.� A prior amendment was issued to (1) revise and provide further context to RFI question 4, and (2) provide guidance to organizations on interactions with Government officials.� This notice is issued by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to update industry on the Acquisition Strategy for LaRC�s Research, Science, and Engineering Services and to solicit information from interested parties. The notice is for information and planning purposes, to request feedback, and to promote competition. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. NASA may not respond to questions/concerns submitted; however, NASA will consider information provided as input to strategic plans.� NASA is currently undergoing a major initiative pursuant to Procurement�s Transformation Initiative to transform how it will strategically procure research, science, and engineering services to meet the Agency�s evolving mission needs in the decades to come. Critical elements of the initiative are to: (1) establish clearly defined enterprise requirements/deliverables; (2) streamline acquisition practices and business processes; (3) reduce redundant contracts and other instruments across the Agency.� Additionally, in support of Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, NASA is also looking to advance equity or remove barriers for members of underserved communities to access procurement opportunities. Underserved Communities include Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. NASA intends to issue multiple notices to industry as the strategic approach to procuring research, science, and engineering services within and across the Centers evolves. Hence, while this notice focuses on Langley initiatives as described below, NASA will issue additional notices to address engineering services needs more broadly across the NASA enterprise. The purpose of this notice is to: (1) provide an update on LaRC�s Acquisition Strategy and Acquisition Strategy Team (AST) activities since LaRC�s previous AST notice issued on April 22, 2021; (2) invite industry and academia to join our bidders list and attend a forum on August 25, 2021; and (3) seek input on the Acquisition Strategy, Procurement Strategy recommendations, and the questions included in this RFI.��� LaRC�s Acquisition Strategy will include issuance of one Request for Proposal (RFP) incorporating all research, science, and engineering services. The RFP will include two Core Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs); one for research and engineering services inclusive of fundamental to applied research, and one for science services inclusive of fundamental to applied research. LaRC will award either one contract for all services or two separate contracts; one award aligned to the research and engineering Core CLIN, and one award aligned to the science Core CLIN. NASA�s decision on whether to award one or two contracts will be based on the merit of proposals as assessed against evaluation and selection criteria that will be included in the RFP. The document entitled �Acquisition Strategy for LaRC Research, Science, and Engineering Services� contains additional Acquisition Strategy information. In addition to the Acquisition Strategy, the AST intends to provide several procurement strategy recommendations to the Source Evaluation Board (SEB) and Contracting Officer. Note that the following are recommendations only as final approval rests with the Contracting Officer. The AST recommends (1) consideration of NAICS 541715 and both the Aircraft Exception (1,500 employee standard OR Space Vehicles Exception (1,250 employee standard), (2) a total small business set-aside, and (3) that any resultant contract(s) be cost type. The AST also anticipates conducting an Advisory Multi-Step Process, in accordance with FAR 15.202, where potential offerors will be invited to submit information that allows the Government to advise the offerors about their potential to be viable competitors. This process is voluntary and will not impact whether potential offerors may participate in the resultant acquisition. The expected timeframe for the invitation will be aligned with release of the Draft RFP.��� Key acquisition milestones are as follows: Procurement Strategy Meeting in December of 2021, Draft RFP in January of 2022, Final Request for Proposal in March of 2022, Award in January of 2023, and Contract Start in April of 2023, after an approximately 80-day phase-in period.��� With this notice, LaRC is also inviting industry and academia to participate in a virtual AST forum scheduled for August 25, 2021. The forum will include an overview of the Acquisition Strategy, update on AST activities, overview of identified opportunities, challenges and risks, and Q&A session. If you have questions you would like answered at the forum, please send them to LaRC-AST@mail.nasa.gov no later than August 11, 2021. LaRC intends to utilize Microsoft Teams to conduct the forum. If you would like to participate, please email each attendee name, title, company, and email address to LaRC-AST@mail.nasa.gov by August 11, 2021. Please limit attendance to four people per organization to ensure adequate bandwidth for the forum. LaRC is requesting industry feedback in the areas below. Contractors are encouraged to answer as many questions as you can: If you are interested in being on a Bidders List to be published on the AST Sam.gov site, please provide POC information including name, title, company, and email of attendees. There is no requirement to be on the bidders list to participate in the future. Feedback on any aspect of the Acquisition Strategy. Feedback on any of the procurement strategy recommendations. Background: NASA Langley conducts cutting-edge, basic and applied research in aeronautics, space exploration, science, and related areas. This research invents and enables the future of Aeronautics and Space, leveraging emerging technologies to create solution spaces for existing and future major Agency mission issues.� This research requires worldwide knowledgeability, and a culture of ideating and triaging multiple potential solutions while leveraging traditional aerospace technologies as well as novel, rapidly developing/emerging technologies. Notable elements of this research requires the ability to engage expertise from academia including university faculty and graduate researchers with collectively unique experience and skills, on site and at University campuses, and leveraging their unique university equipment, labs, and capabilities.� Question: What mechanisms or opportunities exist to allow NASA to leverage unique university capabilities, adopt emerging technologies, and incorporate leading-edge basic research into our missions? LaRC has required on-site contract support to accomplish most of the requirements in the contracts the AST is assessing. The COVID pandemic has demonstrated that offsite or remote work can be as productive in many cases. Considering the requirements, what opportunities exist to transition to remote or off-site work? Are there specific requirements and associated skills that are more suitable to being off-site?� Based on your experience, describe ideal cultural changes NASA should embrace to enable doing business in the future with all businesses including the diverse populations stated in EO 13985. What other recommendations to enhance diversity and inclusion should be considered to encourage full participation, belonging, and contribution of organizations and individuals (e.g. outreach efforts, innovative partnerships, etc.)? What other activities do you recommend that NASA explore to advance equity or remove barriers for members of underserved communities to access procurement opportunities? How can Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) be leveraged? What additional risks should the AST consider as the SEB implements the Acquisition Strategy?��� Please limit responses to 8-pages and provide responses not later than August 31, 2021 by email to LaRC-AST@mail.nasa.gov. NASA Langley is providing guidance to organizations on interactions with Government officials. While communication is encouraged, we ask that you adhere to the following ground rules: Be mindful of the amount of time requested from officials. Officials have a duty to maintain an appearance of fairness and prevent an unfair competitive advantage by setting reasonable and consistent limits and being consistent on communications with all organizations potential offerors. Limit meetings to no more than 60 minutes, and no more than 2 meetings per official. Do not request advice or feedback on proposed approaches Do not request input on the performance of incumbent contractors or perceived strengths and weaknesses of potential offerors Do not request information on the Acquisition Strategy.� All such questions should be directed to the AST email address included herein. Do seek information on the type of work required and the missions supported. Do seek clarification on Statement of Work requirements. If additional information is released it will be available on www.sam.gov. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of information. Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of all information.
- Web Link
-
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- Place of Performance
- Address: Hampton, VA, USA
- Country: USA
- Country: USA
- Record
- SN06167243-F 20211031/211029230110 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
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