Completing an Offer for Alliant 3

Modified on Fri, 27 Sep at 4:01 PM

Symphony is now available at https://idiq.gsa.gov for OASIS, OASIS+, and Alliant 3.

Register or log in at the link here.


To respond to GSA Alliant 3 solicitations in Symphony, follow these steps: (Note: This is not a comprehensive guide. The solicitation should always be considered as the source of truth). 


Prerequisite:

1. Register for Symphony

Before accessing Symphony, all users should Register with the UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) for the prime offeror at https://idiq.gsa.gov (See Figure 1).







To register for a new account, go to idiq.gsa.gov and use the Register Now link. Enter a user email address. (Do not register with a group email account). Those with existing OASIS accounts can use their login information for this site as well.

Figure 1. Registration link on the Symphony Sign-In Page


Rules

  • Users must first self-register in Symphony and cannot be added by Administrators. 

  • The use of group email addresses is prohibited.

  • Two-factor authentication via text or an authenticator application is required. (See Multi-Factor Authentication).

  • Symphony does not email authentication codes. 

  • Accounts are inactive until a SAM.gov POC (Point of Contact) registers. (See Administrator Access).

  • Administrators can only manage registered users’ accounts.

  • Companies cannot share assets with other companies across separate registrations.



2. Start in My Company

Figure 2. The My Company link in Symphony.

Start on the My Company link to add the company's assets and experience (See Figure 2). Starting a proposal with the My Company link is foundational for building proposals. 

Symphony calculates an acceptability score for the proposal based on these assets.

3. Check SAM Data

SAM data is retrieved from the System for Award Management site (SAM.gov) when the user first registers for Symphony access (See Understanding the SAM Connection). (See Figure 3). To check SAM data:

  • Request a SAM refresh for the Prime Offer on SAM.gov, if needed, before submitting a proposal. 
  • The UEI number and CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code are required when a support ticket is submitted. 
      

Figure 3. SAM Data in the My Company link 

4. Add Team Members

Because OASIS+ and Alliant 3 share a Symphony portal, there is a dropdown menu at the top of the screen for users to select which relates to the available solicitations (See Figure 4)This causes only Business Factors relevant to Alliant 3 to be displayed. It will not change information that was provided for an OASIS+ submission.


Figure 4. Setting the Solicitation Preference filter


  1. If the company/the prime offeror is working with other companies on a submission, select the teaming type and add the Team Member* by its UEI (See Figure 5). 
       
  2. Claim relevant Business Factors, and provide teaming agreements supporting the arrangement in the Team Member’s Documents tab. 

  

Note: *In Symphony’s terminology, a Team Member is a Joint Venture Member (including Mentor-Protege Joint Ventures (MPJVs), Partner, or Subcontractor participating with a Prime Entity on its proposal submission. It does NOT represent a Symphony user from the same company. Those individuals are known as users.

  

Figure 5. Adding a Team Member to My Company.

Rules

  • SAM data must be correct before Team Members are added to Symphony. We cannot refresh their SAM data.

  • A team member must be added to Symphony prior to being included in a project reference. 

  • The prime offeror and proposed subcontractors must represent NAICS 541512 (North American Industry Classification) code on SAM.gov to qualify for an Alliant 3 RFP in Symphony.

  • Team Members are added to a proposal submission for scoring.

  • Users from the Team Member must register with the Prime Offeror's UEI in order to add their information to Symphony.


5. Add MRCLs (Meaningful Relationship Commitment Letters)

If the company/prime offeror uses information from a company affiliated through the corporate structure (MRCLs), add the company by their UEI. 

  1. A company is a Team Member if the relationship type does not appear on the MRCL list.
  2. Upload MRCLs to the Documents tab (See Figure 6)
  3. Claim the MRCLs business factors under the Prime Offeror.

       

Figure 6. The upload area for MRCLs Documents on the My Company tab.


6. Add Projects

When editing or adding new Projects to Symphony: 

  1. Make Alliant 3 the Solicitation Preference (See Figure 7).
  2. Add required information to the Project Details tab in My Company for Alliant 3.


Figure 7. Where to add new projects in My Company for Alliant 3.

Offerors should use Project Documents to support their claims (See Tagging for Alliant 3). Offerors must:

  • Add comments to documents before uploading them to Symphony. 

  • Be aware that comments are considered to be tags in Symphony.

  • Understand that tags listed in the Symphony Tags Legend are recommended but not required (See Figure 8). Only five tags apply to Alliant 3.



Figure 8. Symphony’s Tags Legend with the five Alliant 3 tags highlighted.


FAQs

  • Project Questions questions marked optional can remain unanswered.

  • If a project received the Negative Past Performance rating, the Negative with Narrative rating can be selected from the dropdown menu and a one-page narrative entered into Symphony to support the claim.

  • Scorecard elements not found on the project details page will be the project’s Performance Factors that are claimed in the proposal submission as they apply. 

  • Projects uploaded for OASIS+ can be hidden by clicking the blue Archive icon. To remove a project from Archived status, use the toggle at the top of the projects list to view all, then click the green Archive icon to restore it. This will not impact your OASIS+ submission.


7. Add Business Factors 

In the My Company Business Factors tab these business factors belong to the Prime Offeror, and not a Team Member. Claim business factors in the correct section (See Table 1).

  1. When claiming a business factor, provide additional information that may be configured to the Business Factor.
  2. Choose the checkbox to declare intention and save the Business Factor claim. 
      

Business Factor

Type

Acceptable Party

Acceptable Estimating System

Systems

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Adequate Accounting System

Systems

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Approved Purchasing System

Systems

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Approved Rates (Forward Pricing/Billing Rates)

Systems

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Earned Value Management System (EVMS)

Systems

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Public Disclosures for Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Systems

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

Certifications

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management)

Certifications

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

ISO 20000-1:2018 (IT Service Management)

Certifications

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security)

Certifications

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

ISO 27001:2022 (Information Security)

Certifications

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Cybersecurity and Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM)

Clearances

Prime

Facility Clearance

Clearances

Prime, MRCL, Partner, or JV Members

Professional Employee Compensation Plan

Human Resources

Prime

Uncompensated Overtime Policy

Human Resources

Prime and all JV 

GSA 527

Financial Documents

Prime, all JV Members, and all Subcontractors

Individual Subcontracting Plans

Subcontracting

Prime (OTSB)

Emerging Technology Engagement with Small Business

Other Documents

Prime (OTSB)

Organizational Conflict of Interest Form

Other Documents

Prime

Representations and Certifications

Other Documents

Prime, all Team Members, and all Subcontractors

Table 1. The Alliant 3 Business Factor Matrix, the section in Symphony, and parties authorized to claim those factors for proposal scoring.


Rules

  • All applicable Business Factors can be claimed. 

  • Symphony pulls Business Factors into a proposal and scores it accordingly. 

  • Mandatory Business Factors for a contract award missing from a proposal are displayed as red warning messages.


8. Upload Cost/Price Documents

Upload the Attachment J.P-8, A3 Price Template and the Attachment J.P-18, A3 Labor Rate Attestation, and claim the scoring element.

  • The Price Template should be in .xlsx format.
  • The Labor Rate Attestation should be in .pdf format.

9. Build the Submission

Go to the Dashboard > Start Submission > after adding assets and experience in My Company (See Figure 9).


Figure 9. Access to a proposal submission within the Solicitation card

 

Remember, Symphony is designed to work from the top down. The information compiled in My Company is foundational for building proposals. 

A proposal submission includes the Solicitation name, and the Live Score, at the top of the screen (See Figure 10). To ensure the proposal includes the information required:

  1. Assign the Contract Manager and Program Manager in the Proposal Contacts section.
      
  2. Add Team Members or MRCLs when they’re referenced in a project experience or business factor. 
      
  3. Include Projects in the proposal. Use the Begin or Modify button to claim Performance Factors specific to the Alliant 3 solicitation (See Figure 9). The Performance factors cover:
    • Primary Relevant Experience Project
    • Emerging Technology Project
    • Cost Reimbursement
    • Foreign Location
    • Organizational Risk Assessment
        
  4. Provide reference documents Symphony requires from the offeror to support Performance Factor claims. 
      
  5. Be aware that Symphony collects scoring elements from Project Details. And adding Performance Factors to Projects increases the Live Score.

    

Figure 10. The Alliant 3 proposal submission includes the Solicitation name and Live Score in the header.

9. Upload the Standard Form (SF33, SF30)

  1. Before submission, upload the required Submission Documents (SF-33, SF-30) for the solicitation.
  2. Review the proposal to ensure its completion. (See Figure 11).
    Verify that Projects and Business Factors for the Prime Offeror or Team Members were claimed correctly, as the solicitation states.


Figure 11. The Review Tab with notification for a missing SF-33  in the Submission Documents section.

10. Submit the Proposal 

Even if Symphony displays compliance messages or other warnings on its Review screen, authorized users can submit a proposal before the submission deadline.

  1. All users can verify the proposal is complete using the Review Tab.
  2. Authorized users can certify and submit their proposals (See Administration Basics). (See Figure 12).
      

Figure 12. Symphony enables authorized users to submit proposals from the Review Tab 

Related References:


Need technical help? Contact us  

  

Users should be aware that the information on this website may not reflect the official positions of the Federal Government. The views and opinions expressed by agents of Apex Logic, Inc. are those of its employees and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Government or any of its officials. Guidelines and requirements provided by the Federal Government in the form of solicitations, amendments, modifications, or any other communications supersede any information provided by Apex Logic, Inc. If you have questions about this disclaimer, please contact us.

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