DC3 SETA Follow on Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Professional Support Services

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to questions submitted by offerors regarding the DC3 SETA Follow on Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Professional Support Services solicitation.

• Document Safeguarding: The government clarified that even though performance will occur in a government facility and remote work is not authorized, the responsibility for safeguarding documentation from CUI to classified remains with the contractor personnel. The government will not remove or modify this requirement.
• Key Personnel Resumes: Only one key personnel resume is required for the submission. This applies to both the base and option years. The base year requires 8 FTEs, and the option years require 5 FTEs.

This document clarifies requirements related to document safeguarding and the number of key personnel resumes needed for proposal submission. Bidders should ensure their proposals reflect these clarifications.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation for "DoD DC3 - Systems Engineering and Technical Advisory (SETA) professional support services." The services are for the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Crime Center (DC3).

• The solicitation details requirements for Senior Cybersecurity Engineers, Mid Cybersecurity Engineers, and Senior Portfolio Managers.

• It also includes requirements for Other Direct Costs (ODCs) for tools and travel related to DC3.

• The document references an attached Statement of Work (SOW) for detailed requirements.

• The solicitation number is FA701426R0001.

• The North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) code is 541611, with a size standard of $24,500,000.00.

• The contract type is a Request for Proposal (RFP).

• The document outlines various line items and option line items for services, with pricing arrangements specified as Firm Fixed Price or Time and Materials.

• Periods of performance are detailed for each line item and option, generally spanning from September 2026 to March 2030.

• All questions must be submitted by April 28, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST.

• Past Performance submissions are due by May 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST.

• Proposals and supporting documents are due by May 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST.

• Evaluation factors include Price, Technical, and Past Performance.

• The acquisition is set aside 100% for Small Business.

• The document includes numerous FAR and DFARS clauses incorporated by reference and in full text, covering areas such as contract administration, payment instructions (WAWF), special contract requirements, representations and certifications, cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC), and limitations on subcontracting.

• Several attachments are listed, including SOW, Contract Security Classification Specification (DD 254), Section L, Section M, Past Performance, and Price Proposal Form.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To provide qualified personnel to augment the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Crime Center (DC3) staff, enhancing its ability to investigate and prevent criminal and foreign malicious activity, and protect Department of the Air Force resources and personnel.

Provide qualified personnel for systems engineering, technical analysis, and program management tasks. This includes research, development, test & evaluation, program integration, compliance support, and technical/programmatic liaison across DC3 and its partner agencies.

• Labor Categories: Senior Cybersecurity Engineer(s) and Mid-level Cybersecurity Engineer. A Senior Portfolio Manager is also specified for the Base Year.
• Qualifications: Specific degree and years of experience requirements are detailed for each labor category, including a Master's or Bachelor's degree with significant relevant technical or management experience. A Top Secret/SCI clearance is required for key personnel.
• Deliverables: Weekly Activity Reports (WAR), Monthly Status Reports, Incident Reports, Meeting Minutes, Trip Reports, Final Reports, and Specialized Reports.
• Security: Requires handling of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and a CMMC Level 2 Certification. Personnel must possess a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Not explicitly detailed in the provided sections, but the contract is identified with FA7014-26-C-XXXX and dated March 31, 2026.

• Non-personal services contract.
• Personnel must possess a Top Secret clearance and pass a law enforcement records check; SCI eligibility may be required.
• Contractor must handle PAI, CUI, and LES information securely.
• Maintain a stable workforce with 10% or less employee turnover.
• Adherence to DoD and AF guidance, industry best practices, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Contractor shall not perform inherently governmental functions.
• Compliance with OSHA standards for employee safety.
• Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 is required.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a DD Form 254, which provides information on the security requirements for a classified contract or contract solicitation. It specifies the security aspects of the contract, including the classification levels, handling procedures, and facility clearance requirements.

• Contract Security Classification Specification
• Information on the prime contractor and any subcontractors
• Details on the security aspects of the work to be performed
• Requirements for facility clearances and personnel security

Bidders must review this form to understand the security obligations and requirements associated with the opportunity. This includes determining if their organization possesses the necessary security clearances and capabilities to perform classified work, which is critical for bid eligibility and proposal preparation.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a pricing proposal form for the DC3 SETA Follow-On opportunity. It outlines the structure for CLINs (Contract Line Item Numbers) and their associated costs across multiple contract periods.

• Contract Periods: Base Year (Year 1), Option Year 1 (Year 2), Option Year 2 (Year 3), and a 6-Month Extension (RFO 52.217-8).
• CLIN Structure: Details labor categories (e.g., Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Mid Cybersecurity Engineer), estimated hours, unburdened labor rates, additional costs (fringe, overhead, G&A, profit), proposed rates, and total proposed costs.
• Not-to-Exceed (NTE) CLINs: Specific CLINs for Tools and Travel have NTE values.
• Total Evaluated Price (TEP): A summary sheet consolidates CLIN totals across all contract periods, including subtotals and a final total evaluated price.

Bidders must use this form to structure and submit their pricing proposals. It details the expected labor categories, contract periods, and cost components. The NTE CLINs for Tools and Travel indicate maximum allowable costs for those items. The Total Evaluated Price section provides a clear overview of the expected total contract value based on the proposed pricing.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document provides instructions for preparing and submitting proposals for the Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Follow-On Effort. The acquisition will use streamlined procedures for commercial products and services and is a Small Business Set Aside. The Government will award a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract for labor, and Time & Material (T&M) for Other Direct Costs (ODCs), Tools, and Travel.

• The contract will have one base year and two one-year option periods, plus a six-month extension.

• Offerors must demonstrate understanding of the DC3 mission and ability to execute requirements outlined in the SOW.

• Proposals must detail the approach for providing engineering and technical analysis support, process improvement, cyber operations analysis, R&D, and project management.

• Emphasis on quality control, adherence to standards, and proactive identification/prevention of defective services.

• Management/staffing approach must demonstrate capability to staff, recruit, retain, and replace personnel, ensuring continuity of operations and a stable workforce with less than 10% employee turnover.

• Key Personnel requirements include specific labor categories and security clearance levels (Top Secret).

• Offerors must provide proof of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (FFP) for labor, T&M for ODCs.

• Period of Performance: 1 base year (12 months) + 2 option years (12 months each) + 6-month extension.

• Base Year: 6 Sep 2026 – 5 Sep 2027

• Option Period 1: 6 Sep 2027 – 5 Sep 2028

• Option Period 2: 6 Sep 2028 – 5 Sep 2029

• Option to Extend Services: 6 Sep 2029 – 5 Mar 2030

• Proposals must be submitted electronically.

• Key deadlines:

  • Questions Submission Due Date: 28 April 2026, 10:00 A.M. EST
  • Past Performance Submission: 8 May 2026, 10:00 A.M. EST
  • Entire Proposal Submission: 21 May 2026, 10:00 A.M. EST

• Evaluation Factors: Technical Capability and Past Performance are more important than Cost/Price. Technical Capability, combined with Past Performance, is significantly more important than Cost/Price.

• Proposals must be clear, coherent, and contain sufficient detail for evaluation.

• Offerors are encouraged to submit their best and final offer with their initial proposal.

• Small Business Set Aside.

• Offerors must have the required security clearance (TOP SECRET) at the time of proposal submission; sponsorship will not be granted.

• Exceptions to the solicitation are not permitted.

• Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

• Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.Gov for amendments or updates.

• Proposals must be organized into five volumes: Administrative Submission, Gates, Technical, Past Performance, and Cost/Price.

• Specific page limitations apply to various sections and volumes.

• Classified information will not be permitted.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document outlines the evaluation factors for award for a requirement that is a Small Business Set Aside through SAM.GOV. The government will evaluate proposals to assess offerors' ability to meet requirements and provide the best overall value. Award will be made to a responsible offeror whose proposal meets the technical solution for the price/cost that is complete, realistic, reasonable, and balanced.

• The evaluation process involves multiple steps, including compliance checks, gate reviews (CMMC Level 2 Certification and Key Personnel/Security Clearance), technical evaluation, and cost/price evaluation.

• Technical evaluation is more important than past performance, which is more important than cost/price.

• Proposals must meet minimum requirements for CMMC Level 2 Certification and possess current, active Top Secret (TS) security clearances for Key Personnel.

• Technical approach, management approach, and project staffing approach are key subfactors under the Technical Factor.

• Past performance will be evaluated based on recency, relevancy, and quality.

• Cost/Price will be evaluated for reasonableness, completeness, and balance.

• The contract will be a single Labor Hour (LH) & Time-and-Materials (T&M) contract for ODCs, Tools, and Travel.

• The contract includes a base year and two one-year option periods, with a potential six (6) month extension.

• The government reserves the right to make no award.

• Proposals will be evaluated without discussions; therefore, initial proposals should represent the offeror's best terms.

• Technical evaluation requires an "Acceptable" rating or higher on each subfactor.

• Past Performance evaluation requires an "Acceptable" rating.

• Offerors must provide proof of CMMC Level 2 Certification and resumes demonstrating minimum requirements and adjudicated TS Clearance for Key Personnel.

• Pricing must be clearly traceable and include specific templates and narratives.

• This requirement is a Small Business Set Aside through SAM.GOV.

• Offerors must demonstrate an understanding of DC3's mission and provide detailed approaches for technical, management, and staffing aspects.

• Past performance must be verifiable and relevant to the current effort.

• Pricing must be balanced and not present an unacceptable risk to the government.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment 5: Past Performance Questionnaire. It is used by the Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to gather information from organizations that have had first-hand experience with an offeror. This information is crucial for evaluating the offeror's past performance on contracts or work efforts, which is a consideration in the proposal evaluation for the DC3 SETA Support program.

The questionnaire is divided into four sections:

• Section 1: Contract Identification: Collects details about the contract being reviewed, including contractor information, contract type, period of performance, dollar value, description of work performed, and whether it was competitively awarded.
• Section 2: Customer or Agency Identification: Gathers information about the customer or agency for whom the services were performed and the geographic scope of those services.
• Section 3: Respondent Identification: Gathers information about the person completing the questionnaire, including their name, title, position, and duration of involvement with the contract. It also asks about contract terminations.
• Section 4: General Comment: Provides a space for the respondent to offer any additional comments regarding the contractor's performance.

Potential bidders should be aware that this questionnaire will be sent to their past performance references. The responses will form part of the official proposal and will be used to evaluate their ability to perform the proposed effort. Bidders should ensure their references are aware of the opportunity and the importance of their feedback. The completed questionnaire should be submitted electronically to cole.santee@us.af.mil and joycelyn.roux@us.af.mil no later than 8 May 2026, 10:00 A.M. EST.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a presentation containing market research questions intended to gather information from industry. It outlines a framework for understanding problems, their implications, barriers, and desired results.

This document is highly relevant to potential bidders as it details the types of information the government is seeking to understand challenges and potential solutions. It provides insight into the government's thought process regarding problem definition, impact assessment, and desired outcomes. Bidders can use these questions to anticipate the government's needs and tailor their understanding of the opportunity. Key areas of inquiry include:

• Problems: What is not working, its history, and its impact.
• Implications: What happens if problems are not fixed, and the benefits of fixing them.
• Barriers: Operational, organizational, technological, budgetary, and policy challenges, and how to overcome them.
• Results: What success looks like, how it will be measured, and the value of achieving it.
• Contractor Role: What specific contractor support is needed (e.g., reports, staff augmentation, digital solutions) and how success will be determined.
• Inputs: What data or access is required for contractors.
• Stakeholders: Who is impacted by the problems and their solutions.