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NASA SEWP VI | Baker Tilly

nasa swep vi it-based products

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NASA SEWP VI

Aug. 1, 2024

Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) VI is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) latest government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) to provide federal agencies a one-stop acquisition vehicle for information technology (IT)-based products and services. The SEWP VI contract will offer a vast selection of commercial advanced technology such as desktops and servers, telecommunications equipment, software products and cloud-based services.

As a Best in Class (BIC) contract solution, SEWP VI will allow award of multiple contract types including firm fixed price, time and material, labor hour, fixed price award fee, fixed price incentive fee, fixed price economic price adjustment or any hybrid of commercial contract types for orders.

SEWP VI includes awards under three scope categories. Categories A and B have both an Unrestricted and a Small Business Set Aside award group, while Category C is a Small Business Set Aside with an additional grouping reserved for future on-ramp activity. Each category consists of various IT-based offerings including the following:

Category A: Information Technology, Communication and Audio Visual (ITC/AV) solutions under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 541519e (Footnote 18). Category A provides for a broad suite of ITC/AV solutions under the following technical areas:

IT computer systems/computer facilities
IT storage systems
Networking and communication equipment
Imaging equipment and supporting technology
IT power and cabling equipment
Audio/video equipment
Security and sensor equipment
Software and cloud technology
Product-based services

Category B: Enterprise-wide ITC/AV service solutions under NAICS 541512. The Category B scope provides federal agencies with customized enterprise-wide strategic solutions. The technical areas for Category B include:

Enterprise-wide network services

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Ordering period

This Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (MA-IDIQ) has an anticipated period of performance of 10 years from the contract’s effective date. Orders placed against this contract can be completed up to 60 months past the contract’s expiration date.

Who can bid

SEWP VI includes awards under three scope Categories (A, B and C). Category A and B are open to both Other Than Small Business (Unrestricted) and Small Business offerors. Category C, however, is restricted to Small Businesses only. There is no limit to the number of awards for any of the categories.

Qualifying offerors may be awarded a contract for each category. In addition to individual awards, SEWP VI provides companies the opportunity to bid on and be awarded contracts as the prime contractor as well as a member of a joint venture (JV) or contractor team arrangement (CTA). This unique feature provides prospective offerors multiple options to participate in the SEWP VI award. The SEWP VI request for proposal (RFP) provides the following guidance and example:

Only one proposal per scope category will be accepted per offeror. An Offeror can propose as the prime contractor one time per category and can propose one additional time as a member of a joint venture (JV) or contractor team arrangement (CTA) in that same category. For example, it is permissible for XYZ, Corp to propose as a prime contractor in Category A, and form a JV with 123, LLC to propose in Category A. This example applies to all categories as well as CTAs.

SEWP VI also allows offerors to share resources from other affiliated entities within its corporate structure by way of a meaningful relationship commitment letter (MRCL) to meet eligibility requirements for award.

Unique proposal focus areas

Proposal format and organization

Offerors are required to submit proposals in three volumes as specified below:

Offer volume (Volume I)
Past performance volume (Volume II)
Mission suitability volume (Volume III)

In-scope NAICS

Although Category A has a specified NAICS code of 541519 footnote 18, and Category B and C are under NAICS code 541512, the SEWP VI RFP states that these codes are for administrative purposes and allows offerors to propose on any number of in-scope NAICS specified in the Exhibit 4 (Offeror NAICS Size Standard Crosswalk) of the solicitation documents. This provision provides companies with niche products and services greater access to participate in the SEWP VI award.

Certifications

Depending on the offered category, an offeror will need to possess an active International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 and/or Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) certifications. However, in the event an offeror does not possess these certifications at the time of proposal submission, NASA will allow for proof of an in-process certification so long as the certifications are completed within 12 months of contract award.

Relevant experience

The mandatory experience required for award varies among the categories and depends on the size and socio-economic status of the proposing entity.

For Category A, there is no mandatory experience requirement. However, offerors must provide a letter of authorization (LOA) from a designated provider (OEM) for four of the technical areas specified for Category A and must be able to meet minimum contract line item number (CLIN) requirements within the offeror’s solution spreadsheet. The CLIN requirements include:

A minimum of 1,000 distinct and relevant CLINs for the primary technical area
A minimum of 100 CLINs for the other three (non-primary) technical areas
A minimum of 50 distinct and relevant CLINs from secondary providers for each of the four technical areas

For Category B and C, the mandatory experience requirement is satisfied through the submission of relevant experience projects (REPs). The number and value of REPs required to be submitted varies depending on the proposing entity’s size and socio-economic status. Each REP must be different and address different mandatory experience technical areas. Similarly to Category A, Category B and C offerors are also required to complete a solutions spreadsheet, although a minimum CLIN requirement does not apply to these categories.

Past performance

Offerors’ past performance will be evaluated primarily on customer satisfaction and/or contract data in meeting technical, schedule, cost and management requirements. Additional performance factors may include contract administration, occupational health, safety, security, subcontracting plan goals and small disadvantaged business participation targets, if applicable, and other contract requirements.

All offerors are required to submit recent projects that are either completed or ongoing within three years of the solicitation release date. The minimum size requirements of past performance projects vary for each category and depend on the size of the offering entity. Past performance projects must also be relevant to the offered category.

Past performance questionnaires (PPQs) are also a critical component of the past performance volume. Offerors must request an appropriate representative from the past performance customer to complete the PPQ and submit the PPQ directly to the SEWP VI contracting officer by the submission due date. The representative completing the questionnaire must be the technical customer and/or responsible contracting officer with direct knowledge of the offeror’s performance.

Other considerations

Contract ceiling

There is no maximum dollar ceiling amount for the master contract, however, the maximum ordering value shall not exceed $20 billion. An unlimited number of task orders may be placed for the term of SEWP VI.

Agency administrative handling fee

An agency administrative handling fee, not to exceed 0.34% of the total price of the delivery order, will be applied to all orders under SEWP VI. The SEWP VI website will post the agency administrative handling fee percentage, and contractors will be notified via email by the SEWP program management office.

In providing quotations to agencies, the contractor will be responsible for including the handling fee within the total amount of the quote inclusive of all costs including handling, and travel costs.

Sustainability-related disclosures

As part of an offeror’s mission suitability volume evaluation, the government will evaluate an offeror’s management approach of commitment to sustainability for effectiveness, reasonableness and efficiency. Offerors will need to have a sustainability management system (including policies) and provide details of such a system. Areas that must be addressed include, but are not limited to, the use of renewable energy sources, company recycling program, carbon emissions monitoring and reduction targets, and environmental impact mitigation efforts.

C-SCRM requirements

Another key area within the mission suitability volume evaluation is an offeror’s Cybersecurity-Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM). Offerors must describe in detail how they will reduce and mitigate supply chain risk through application of their defined program appropriate security controls outlined and described in the most current versions of CNSSI 1253, Appendix D, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-161, NIST SP 800-171 and related industry standards. The narrative must focus on the minimum NIST controls required in C-SCRM requirement.

The government will evaluate the offeror’s management approach to reduce and mitigate supply chain risk and determine whether the offeror has a valid C-SCRM attestation form (Exhibit 5) or valid active Open Trusted Technology Provider™ Standard (O-TTPS) certification. A response of “no” to any disqualifying items in the attestation form renders a proposal ineligible for award.

Pricing

Offerors are to provide pricing for its offered solutions; however, the government will not review or evaluate the pricing, nor the technical capabilities of the offerings beyond validating the requirements in the solutions spreadsheets section of the solicitation. The pricing in the solution spreadsheets will only be utilized to establish the initial contract database of record upon contract award.

Status (open/closed)

The SEWP VI RFP was released on May 23, 2024, and the latest proposal due date was originally set for Aug. 28, 2024, per Amendment 4 (released on July 18, 2024), with a contract award date set for May 1, 2025. However, on Aug. 8, 2024, NASA announced via SAM.gov that NASA was implementing a strategic pause on the SEWP VI RFP. On Sept. 2h, after a six-week pause, NASA announced the following tentative schedule with a new submission due date set for Dec. 1h, 2024. NASA anticipates completing the following activities and intends to communicate updates via SAM.gov and sewp.nasa.gov.

Provide industry answers to current questions (i.e., all ~6,800 questions received to date): Oct. 1-22
Additional questions period: Oct. 22-24
All amendments and answers to any additional questions: No later than Nov. 4
Industry day: November 2024
SEWP VI proposal submission due date: Dec. 18

Although the initial SEWP VI contracts will be awarded in 2025, NASA has reserved the right to conduct on-ramp activity which will provide additional opportunities to participate in the SEWP VI award. There are three types of on-ramp activities: Open season on-ramp, lateral/vertical contract on-ramp and focused on-ramp. Open season will give new offerors the opportunity to propose for a SEWP VI award. Lateral/vertical contract on-ramp is to reassign a contract holder to another group due to a change in size of the contract holder. Focused on-ramp is a more narrowly scoped open season to respond to end-user needs, competition levels or other factors where the government has determined it is in the best interest to initiate an open season.