Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

SOURCES SOUGHT INTRODUCTION The Mission Installation Contracting Command, Fort Gordon Office and Fort Gordon, GA is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to ide... SOURCES SOUGHT INTRODUCTION The Mission Installation Contracting Command, Fort Gordon Office and Fort Gordon, GA is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support the requirement for: the U.S. Army Cyber School with (8) qualified Instructor/Writers to instruct and facilitate adult learning in three separate tool developer-focused courses, as well as assist in developing Government-owned technical curriculum for those courses: Basic Officer Leader Course (17D BOLC), Captains Career Course (17D CCC), and Warrant Officer Advanced Course (170D WOAC). The instruction and developed material shall focus on the technical concepts outlined in the 2019 version of the Army Cyber (DARCYBER) JQR for Cyberspace Capability Developer at the basic and senior levels. Personnel shall meet the standards outlined in established Programs of Instruction (POI), Cyber School training guidance, the USCYBERCOM J7/National Cryptologic Training System (NSA standards per DoDI 3305.09), and DoD Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (i.e. DoD 8570 or 8140) The intention is to procure these services on a competitive basis BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES (IN FULL OR IN PART) OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, and multiple awards MAY be made. All Small Business Set-Aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Location 50% On-Site Government 50% Off-Site Contractor Cyber School, located on Fort Gordon, Georgia DISCLAIMER “THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A “REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)” TO BE SUBMITTED. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. RESPPONSES WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO THE RESPONDER. NOT RESPONDING TO THIS NOTICE DOES NOT PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ) OR INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) OR RFP, IF ANY ISSUED. IF A SOLICITATION IS RELEASED, IT WILL BE SYNOPSIZED ON THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE POINT OF ENTRY (GPE). IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF POTENTIAL OFFERORS TO MONITOR THE GPE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMMATION PERTAINING TO THIS REQUIREMENT.” PROGRAM BACKGROUND The Cyber School was established to provide trained 17 series personnel (17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, 17E, 170A, 170B, and 170D) that support the Army’s Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Operations across USCYBERCOM, ARCYBER, and other Army missions. Additionally, the Cyber School has the mission of providing instruction and an environment that builds Soldiers’ skills and abilities while encouraging a culture of aggressive self-development. As stated in Self Development for Cyber Warriors (Conti, Caroland, Cook, Taylor), "Aggressive self-development is a critical task for the cyber warfare professional. Self-development serves as a continuous complement to formal training and fosters the currency and depth of expertise a world class cyber workforce demands." The 17D Tool Developer Basic Officer Leader Course is focused on taking college graduates with intermediate skill in software engineering and hone those skills for the Cyber Mission Force. The 170D Warrant Officer Advanced Course and 17D Captains Career Course are focused on providing senior capability developers from the operational force and preparing them for senior development roles in the Cyber Mission Force. 17D BOLC focuses on one compiled language, C, and one scripting language, Python, in order to prepare student to pass the Basic Skill Level Exam for Tool Developers and support the operational force. The course embraces the adult learning concept by creating an environment that is approximately 75% hands-on and 25% knowledge-based instruction. Students are generally provided a short block of instruction and then assigned an ungraded practical exercise to build and reinforce knowledge and skill in preparation for end of module graded practical exercises. REQUIRED CAPABILITIES The Contractor shall provide to provide the U.S. Army Cyber School with (8) qualified Instructor/Writers to instruct and facilitate adult learning in three separate tool developer-focused courses, as well as assist in developing Government-owned technical curriculum for those courses: Basic Officer Leader Course (17D BOLC), Captains Career Course (17D CCC), and Warrant Officer Advanced Course (170D WOAC). Services in support of the areas specified in Program Background (above). Further detail is provided in the draft Performance Based Work Statement (PBWS) attached to this announcement (Attachment 1). If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, Web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. The Government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to: 1) provide services consistent, in scope and scale, with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Personnel and Facility Security Clearances. Contractor personnel shall have a Top Secret Security Clearance with SCI eligibility, and shall maintain the required security clearance throughout the life of the contract. All Contractors shall have a TS/SCI clearance and be read on to SI/TK/HCS/G/NATO S. The Contractor is responsible for acquiring required background checks. The Contractor shall ensure that all assigned personnel understand applicable security policies and directives found in DOD 5220.22-M, National Industry Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM); AR 380-5, Information Security Program; and all other applicable policies and regulations. The Contractor shall ensure that classified data is controlled, protected, and safeguarded in accordance with AR 380-5 and current Army and DOD policy. Classified information shall be accessed and stored in Government spaces only. The Contractor shall agree that any data furnished by the Government to the Contractor shall be used only for performance under this PWS and all copies of such data shall be returned to the Government upon completion of this effort. The Contractor Facility Security Officer (FSO) shall ensure there is a procedure for all terminated employees to out-process the installation. Compliance with DD Form 254, Department of Defense Contract Security Classification Specification, is required. The Contractor shall ensure that classified data is controlled, protected, and safeguarded in accordance with AR 380-5 and current Army and DOD policy. Classified information shall be accessed and stored in Government spaces only. The Contractor shall agree that any data furnished by the Government to the Contractor shall be used only for performance under this PWS and all copies of such data shall be returned to the Government upon completion of this effort. The Contractor Facility Security Officer (FSO) shall ensure there is a procedure for all terminated employees to out-process the installation. Compliance with DD Form 254, Department of Defense Contract Security Classification Specification, is required. Include a statement similar to: “A DD Form 254 Contract Security Classification Specification shall apply to this requirement and the prime contractor shall have or demonstrate ability to obtain a Top Secret Facility Clearance. Berry Amendment042388 IT (e.g. Clinger-Cohen Act) Service Contract Act Government Furnished Property plan. ELIGIBILITY The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 611430 with a Small Business Size Standard of $11 million. The Product Service Code is U009. Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond; however, each respondent must clearly identify their business size in their capabilities statement. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION DETAILS (CAPABILITIES STATEMENT) Interested parties are requested to submit a capabilities statement of no more than ten (10) pages in length in Times New Roman font of not less than 10 pitch. 17D 170D Instructional Support. The deadline for response to this request is no later than 11 am, EST, 20 April 2020. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be e-mailed to martina.c.bond.civ@mail.com This documentation must address at a minimum the following items: 1.) What type of work has your company performed in the past in support of the same or similar requirement? 2.) Can or has your company managed a task of this nature? If so, please provide details. 3.) Can or has your company managed a team of subcontractors before? If so, provide details. 4.) What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure capability to perform the tasks? 5.) Please note that under a Small-Business Set-Aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14, the small business prime must perform at least 50% of the work themselves in terms of the cost of performance. Provide an explanation of your company’s ability to perform at least 50% of the tasking described in this PBSOW for the base period as well as the option periods. 6.) Provide a statement including current small/large business status and company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history, office locations, DUNs number, etc. 7.) Respondents to this notice also must indicate whether they qualify as a Small, Small Disadvantaged, Women-Owned, HUBZone, or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern. 8.) Include in your response your ability to meet the requirements in the Facility and Safeguarding requirements. The estimated period of performance consists of 17D 170D Instructional Support, base year plus 3 options with performance commencing in 1 June 2020 – 31 May 2024. Specifics regarding the number of option periods will be provided in the solicitation. The contract type is anticipated to be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). The proposed contract is anticipated to include tasking that would be accomplished by labor categories that are subject to the Service Contract Act or a collective bargaining agreement. Upon evaluation of the capability statements, if it is determined that this requirement will be an unrestricted competition, the Government intends to evaluate the Small-Business responses and conduct further market research to identify a subcontracting goal. Your response to this Sources Sought, including any capabilities statement, shall be electronically submitted to the Contract Specialist, Martina Bond, in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF), via email martina.c.bond.civ@mail.mil. All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government. No phone calls will be accepted. All questions must be submitted to the contract specialist identified above. The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought.