Inactive
Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
Notice ID:80LARC24R0011
UPDATE (27 Sep 24): NASA is planning to release a Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) for the subject requirement in mid-October 2024. A pre-solicitation conference is anticipated approximately 10 to 14...
UPDATE (27 Sep 24): NASA is planning to release a Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) for the subject requirement in mid-October 2024. A pre-solicitation conference is anticipated approximately 10 to 14 calendar days following DRFP release. Finally, this is not a solicitation. Its purpose is to keep industry apprised of the schedule. NASA has not committed to the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for this requirement; this update does not obligate NASA to solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective contractors in preparing submissions in response to this upgrade or a possible RFP are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk. UPDATE (1 Aug 24): Please find the newly attached answers to questions received in response to the Sources Sought. On June 7, 2024, the original response date was amended from June 7, 2024 to June 14, 2024. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) is soliciting potential sources for a competitive re-procurement to the Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) support contract entitled “Evaluations, Assessments, Studies, Services, and Support 3” (80LARC20D0007). The results of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement, including whether the requirement can be set aside for small business. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1,000 employees. SOMA is located at NASA LaRC and is responsible for the management and oversight of evaluations, assessments, and studies for the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The scope of this contract will include evaluations, assessments, studies, services, and support for SOMA and other NASA organizations as designated in individual task orders. Interested offerors/vendors should submit a capability statement depicting required capabilities in the following areas: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Interested offerors/vendors are advised that the resulting solicitation will contain stringent requirements concerning avoiding/mitigating/neutralizing Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI), avoiding/mitigating/neutralizing Personal Conflict of Interest (PCI), non-disclosure of sensitive and proprietary information, and limitations on future contracting. NASA is very interested in industry feedback regarding conflicts of interest (COI) and limitations of future contracting. NASA anticipates inclusion of the attached tailored Organizational and Personal Conflicts of Interest (LaRC 52.227-96) and Limitation of Future Contracting (NFS 1852.209-71) clauses. Comments and discussion about the COI and limitation of future contracting requirements will not be subject to the page limitation. EVALUATIONS: Proposal/Concept Study Report (CSR) evaluations are conducted in accordance with the NASA Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Supplement PART 1872 ACQUISITION OF FLIGHT INVESTIGATIONS. Evaluations for multiple solicitations may overlap, which will require staffing of a large number (approximately 200) of panel positions simultaneously. Panels will be principally made up of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), many of whom will be occasional or part-time consultants and some of whom may be non-U.S. Persons. A typical evaluation task order requires the Contractor to staff one panel, which may comprise multiple sub-panels, with expert panel/sub-panel leads, full members, and specialist members to evaluate proposals/CSRs for space science missions/investigations, the results of which will play an integral role in selection/down-selection (KDP A/KDP B) decisions by NASA SMD. Acquisition Webpages for recent solicitations and a planning list for applicable SMD solicitations are available at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/. A NASA Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) acts as the NASA Evaluation Panel Chair and will provide instructions to the evaluation panel members on NASA’s evaluation standards, definitions, and processes to be used. The NASA Evaluation Panel Chair also provides guidance on the format of the evaluation findings to ensure that they meet NASA standards and are suitable for use in briefing NASA Headquarters personnel and for debriefing the proposers. Each panel member evaluates their assigned proposals/CSRs and submits individual initial evaluation comments via a NASA-provided secure web site. The panel engages in a series of web conferences and/or teleconferences over a specified period of time to draft strengths and weaknesses findings based on the applicable evaluation criterion or criteria defined in the solicitation. The draft findings are then posted on the NASA-provided secure web site. All panel members typically gather together physically to discuss evaluation findings at a plenary evaluation meeting(s). In the case of CSR evaluations, a site visit for each submitted CSR, comprising two full days over three days and two nights, will require participation by roughly half of the panel members. Panel members will be polled on their assessment of the overall risk ratings or grades for each proposal/CSR at the plenary/final plenary meeting. ASSESSMENTS: Assessments are typically independent reviews of missions/investigations and programs that evaluate progress at major milestones in accordance with specified procedures (e.g., NASA Policy Requirement (NPR) 7123.1B, NPR 7120.5F, NASA Special Publication NASA/SP-20230001306 NASA Standing Review Board Handbook). Assessments include analyzing technical, management, cost, schedule, and other aspects of SMD missions/investigations and programs, as well as other NASA missions/investigations and programs. STUDIES: Studies are typically analyses where the conclusions or recommendations may affect assessments and proposal/CSR evaluations. Studies include analyzing scientific, technical, management, schedule, cost, and other aspects of SMD missions/investigations and programs, as well as other NASA missions/investigations and programs. LOGISTICS, FACILITIES AND INFORMATION SUPPORT: The Contractor will be required to provide logistics, facilities, and information support necessary to perform evaluations, assessments, and studies as required by individual task orders. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: The Contractor will be required to maintain a Facility Clearance at the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI) level with no safeguarding required. The Contractor’s work will require access to classified information at a Government or other applicable facility to be identified on the Department of Defense Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254. [If a firm does not have the required Facility Clearance, it will be sponsored to obtain the Facility Clearance as long as the firm is able to meet the approval requirements and maintain them.] Interested offerors/vendors having the required specialized capabilities should submit a Capability Statement of no more than eight (8) pages (including attachments) with a minimum font size of 12. The Capability Statement should indicate the firm’s ability and experience in performing the aspects of the effort described above. Please include a specific example (or examples) of the offeror’s/vendor’s experience and contracts with services similar to the EASSS 4 requirement. It is requested that the following be included in the eight (8)-page limit: a. Name and address of firm b. Point of Contact information to include name, title, phone number, and email address c. Whether you intend to submit an offer, and if so, would you submit as a prime or subcontractor d. Size of business concern and date the size designation is good through (large, small, 8(a), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone, small disadvantaged, woman-owned small business) e. Affiliate information to include parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub), or subcontractors (if potential prime); and f. Explain your understanding of the scope of work and capability to perform, including prior experience as a prime or sub, and how this work relates to NASA’s requirement. g. List of relevant experience by identifying contract numbers, technical description/scope, contract type, dollar value of each procurement, and point of contact with email, physical address and phone number, and the role your company played. h. Whether your company has the required facility clearance and can provide/obtain cleared personnel; and i. If your company does not have the required facility clearance, then whether it would be qualified and willing to pursue a government-funded facility clearance and could provide/obtain cleared personnel. Additionally, a draft Statement of Work is attached. NASA is considering forgoing a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for this requirement. Therefore, industry is encouraged to provide comments, questions, and recommendations regarding the draft Statement of Work. In addition, LaRC is interested in feedback related to suggestions for contract type and subcontracting opportunities. The estimated final RFP release date is on or about October/November 2024.The estimated award date for this contract is on or about June/July 2025. NASA anticipates awarding a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with an estimated duration of five years beginning on October 1, 2025. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for the information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resulting solicitation for the requirement. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, then it will be synopsized on https://sam.gov. It is the responsibility of potential offerors/vendors to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. All responses and questions shall be submitted in writing, via email to larc-easss4@mail.nasa.gov, to no later than 4:00 PM EDT on June 7, 2024. Please reference EASSS 4 Sources Sought in the subject line of your response.
