NASA Releases Commercial Crew Source Selection Statement
NASA has released Source Selection Statement for Commercial Crew Transportation Capability Contract (CCtCap) (Solicitation Number NNK144675 15R)
HEOMD AA Bill Gerstenmaier: On August 6, 2014, the Source Evaluation Board (SEB) appointed to evaluate proposals for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability Contract (CCtCap) under Request for Proposals (RFP) NNK14467515R presented the results of its evaluation to me and other senior officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
I held a follow-up meeting on August 19th to ask additional questions of the SEB and receive input from my advisors. My decision on selection of the successful Offeror is set forth in this Source Selection Statement
BACKGROUND / PROCUREMENT DESCRIPTION
NASA is using a two-phased acquisition to complete the development of a commercial, U.S. fully integrated Crew Transportation System (CTS) that can safely and reliably transport NASA crew to the International Space Station (ISS) with a goal of no later than 2017; certify that the CTS meets specified technical standards for human spaceflight safety and ISS requirements; and begin missions to the ISS to meet NASA’s crew rotation and emergency return needs. An integrated CTS includes the spacecraft, launch vehicle, and all necessary hardware, systems, and interfaces. Each commercial service provider designs and owns its CTS. Certification of the CTS will occur through testing and analysis, data deliverables, and reviews to verify that the CTS meets NASA’s standards. The CCtCap RFP stated the Government would award one or more contracts.
Phase 1, the Certification Products Contract (CPC), required delivery of four early lifecycle products that address CTS compliance with, and the contractor’s understanding of, NASA’s standards and requirements for an ISS mission. The deliverables were hazard reports, verification and validation plans, certification plans, and identification of alternate standards and proposed variances. The CPC deliverables were required to mature in parallel with the maturation of the CTS design. The contractor was required to engage in technical interchange with NASA to disposition the deliverables and enable understanding of whether the CTS would meet certification requirements. The CPC products form a very important base for the remainder of the CTS development and certification, providing insight into the contractor’s understanding of the certification requirements and enabling the Offerer to submit more informed technical content in its fixed-price proposal for Phase 2. Phase 1 is completed.
Phase 2, the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability Contract (CCtCap), was conducted as a fall and open competition. Participation in Phase 1 was not a requirement for submitting a proposal for Phase 2. The RFP required Offerors who did not participate in Phase 1 to demonstrate CTS design maturity and certification maturity equivalent to the requirements specified in the Phase 1 solicitation in order to be considered for Phase 2.
The CCtCap contract includes three CLINs. In CLIN 001, the Contractor shall complete (he filial Design, Development, Test and Evaluation (DDTE) activities necessary to achieve NASA’s certification of an integrated CTS capable of transporting NASA crew to and from the ISS, in accordance with the standards and requirements specified in the contract. CLIN 001 is firm fixed price. In CLIN 002, the Contractor shall provide initial Post Certification Missions (PCMs) to and from ISS including ground, launch, on-orbit, return and recovery operations. The contract guarantees a minimum of two PCMs and allows for a maximum of six. PCMs will be ordered as fixed-price tasks on an Indefinite Delivery\Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) basis. In CLIN 003 the Contractor shall provide Special Studies, far risk reduction and other purposes related to its CTS, not otherwise required to accomplish CLIN 001 and CLIN 002. These studies will be IDIQ task orders using fixed-price labor rates.
EVALUATION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES
This acquisition was conducted as a competitive negotiated procurement utilizing a tradeoff process as set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 15.101 – 1 and in accordance with (he source selection procedures in FAR part 15.3 and NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) part 1815.3, The RFP defined the evaluation factors as Mission Suitability, Past Performance, and Price and provided the relative importance of these factors. The Mission Suitability factor and Past Performance factor, when combined, are approximately equal to the Price factor. The Price factor is more important than fee Mission Suitability factor, which is more important than the Past Performance factor.
