01_Section LM.docx

Supplies, Services, and Material Management Division

www.aoc.gov

Attachment 1 Instructions to Quoters and Basis for Award

AOCSSB24Q0046

Release Date: 05/20/2024 The Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Supplies, Services, and Material Management Division (SSMMD) is issuing Request for Quotation (RFQ) No. AOCSSB24Q0046 for 2025 Inauguration Sound Reinforcement. This RFQ will result in one firm-fixed price single award contract to a responsible Quoter actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and whose quote provides the overall best value to the AOC in accordance with the requirements set forth by this solicitation, Statement of Work (SOW), and Specifications Document. This solicitation will use the procedures in FAR 13.1 Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

The AOC Contracting Manual can be found here:

https://www.aoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/AOC-Order-34-1_Contracting-Manual-2022.pdf The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 532490 – Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing. The Product Service Code (PSC) is W099 Lease Or Rental Of Equipment- Miscellaneous.

Service Contract Labor Standards are applicable to this procurement.

The anticipated period of performance will be July 15, 2024 – January 31, 2025.

A site visit will be conducted June 11, 2024, from 10:00am – 11:00am ET. Please contact Desmond.Scott@aoc.gov to place your name on the interested vendor list and to receive meeting location.

The List of Attachments is in Section J of the RFQ. Please contact the Contracting Officer (CO) Desmond Scott at Desmond.Scott@aoc.gov to request attachments.

L.1 RFQ General Conditions The submission of a quote to the Government shall constitute the Quoters acknowledgment, agreement and compliance with the terms and conditions of the RFQ. The Government will not be obligated to pay any cost incurred by a contractor in the preparation and submission of a quotation. Quoters are cautioned to ensure that their quotation submissions are complete and reflective of the evaluation criteria and requirements described herein. Quoters are encouraged to provide their best terms with their initial quote submission. Quoters shall not assume that the Government will afford an opportunity to clarify, discuss, or revise a quote. The Government reserves the right to allow Quoters to address weaknesses and or deficiencies and revise their quotes if it determines that it is in the best interest of the Government.

Quotes shall be valid for 120 days from the date of quote submission.

Any exceptions or conditional assumptions taken with respect to the requirements outlined in the RFQ or SOW shall be fully explained in the Quoter’s Introductory Letter. The Government cautions Quoters that taking exception to any term or condition may render the Quoter unresponsive and the Quoter will be ineligible for an award unless the RFQ expressly authorizes such an exception with regards to a specific term or condition.

L.2Quote& Question Submissions:

Any questions shall be sent in writing to the Contracting Officer at Desmond.Scott@aoc.gov no later than 5:00pm ET on June 12, 2024.

The Quoter’s quotation is due via email to the Contracting Officer at Desmond.Scott@aoc.gov no later than 10am ET on June 26, 2024.

L3. Volume and Organization:

Quotes shall be clearly and concisely written, as well as being neat, indexed and logically assembled as described herein. Quoters are advised to supply all information in the sequence and format specified in the table below. The submitted quote must provide a sufficient basis for a thorough evaluation and contain the information necessary for evaluation. The Government will not assume the Quoter possesses any capability, understanding, or commitment not specified in the quote. The quote must not merely repeat the solicitation and Statement of Work requirements, but rather must provide convincing documentary evidence in support of conclusive statements of how contract requirements will be met.

Quotes shall be prepared in separate volumes: Volume I – Technical and Volume II – Price. The Quoter shall provide the requested information within the designated volume evaluation factor. Any requested information placed outside of the designated location will not be considered or evaluated under that evaluation factor regardless of whether it is located somewhere else in the quote. Descriptions of lessons learned from past contract performance and how that performance will transfer over to the contract, are allowed under the Technical Approach factor. In order for the technical quote to be strictly evaluated on the merit of the material submitted, Volume I and Volume II shall be submitted as separate documents. Pricing is prohibited in, and shall be omitted from, Volume I. Each volume shall be indexed by evaluation factor.

Volumes shall be organized in the following manner:

All pages in Volume I, except the introductory letter, shall include page numbering.

The Table of Contents does not count toward the page count.

Content that is outside the Page Limits in the above chart will be redacted and not evaluated by the Government.

L.3.1 Paper Size and Formatting:

Written materials shall be submitted 1 sided single-spaced pages using standard 8 ½” x 11” size paper with a minimum of 1” margins. Font size shall be Times New Roman, Calibri, or similar fonts with a minimum of 12-point size for text and 10-point size for tables and graphics.

L.3.2 Introductory Letter:

The following introductory information is required before the first index of Volume I:

· RFQ Number & Title;

· Name and address of Quoter;

· Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) & cage code;

· NAICS / PSC;

· Name, telephone number & email address of Quoter’s main point-of-contact;

· Date of submission;

· Name, title, and signature of authorized representative;

· Name and business address of all subcontractors;

· All technical factor assumptions to the RFQ and SOW shall be identified in this section. Pricing assumptions shall be identified in Volume II. Exceptions identified in other areas of the Quote will not be considered.

L.3.4 Factor 1 - Technical Approach:

Quoters must submit a work plan that demonstrates their ability to provide quality and timely completion of the work. The work plan must include the following:

1. Description of the plans, methods, and procedures for all labor, equipment, and materials to install and subsequently remove the sound amplification system. This description shall include a discussion of subcontractor coordination, client communication, and the ability to provide “surge” capacity in the event of unanticipated delays.

2. Provide a complete equipment list in the same format indicated by the Sound System equipment list in Section J, Attachment No. 4, showing the Sound System equipment that the Quoter proposes to use to perform this work. The list of equipment shall include a narrative explanation of why the selected equipment is appropriate for use on the 2025 Inaugural Sound System. The list of equipment shall indicate the items of equipment which are actually in the possession of the Quoter or anticipated lead time(s) to obtain the equipment as of the date of the submission of the offer, and shall state the manufacturer’s name, model number and serial number of each piece of equipment. For each piece of equipment not currently on hand/in-stock/available, Quoter shall furnish the estimated lead time necessary to obtain such equipment and shall enter such time (in days, weeks, months) on the equipment list. All equipment shall be available for use in connection with this project on December 27, 2024. Actual physical possession of the sound equipment will be subject to verification by the Government.

3. A description of the system the Quoter proposes to provide for powering the complete system in event of a power failure. The description shall include a schematic diagram of the entire standby power system indicating the connections, sizes, quantities, and manufacturer’s model numbers of all components, it’s power handling capacity, and the calculated duration of standby power.

4. Quoted Project Schedule: Submit a bar-chart type progress schedule showing the order in which you propose to perform the work to meet or exceed the contract period of performance. Indicate necessary coordination with others performing work that is indicated on the drawings that is not part of this contract work. The project schedule may be submitted on other than 8-1/2 X 11-inch paper. However, each side of each page of the project schedule will be considered one page under the 30- page technical quote limit.

5. Provide a detailed description of the scaffold structure that the Contractor proposes to use.

6. Provide an on-site staffing plan, listing the quoted labor categories and the number of employees in each category that are quoted to be provided, and your method of assuring that the services required by this RFQ are adequately and consistently provided.

L.3.5 Factor 2 - Key Personnel:

Quoters shall demonstrate experience and professional credentials for key personnel. Key Personnel Information shall be no more than one page per individual to include project examples. Copies of professional registration documentation and other required certifications are attachments and are not included in the one-page restriction or the total page count for the quote. Submit only one individual for each position.

The following positions shall be considered Key Personnel and the Key Personnel Information in the format below for each of the positions shall be submitted as part of the Quoter’s response to the Factor:

Corporate Officer On-Site Project Manager Lead Systems Technician QC Manager

Letters of Commitment for the Project Manager committing the quoted personnel to the project for the entirety of its duration. The Letters of Commitment are attachments to the quote and do not count against the 30-page limit.

L.3.6 Factor 3 – Management Approach

In the submission for Management Approach, Quoters shall provide narrative and/or graphic descriptions detailing the organizational structure that will be responsible for the performance of the contract. This description shall include:

1) The overall corporate structure, including lines of specific responsibility, how senior management (Executive level) will be kept abreast of contract activities, and to what degree senior management will be involved in contract operation,

2) The process and procedures for on-site management of the project including communication pathways and tools,

3) Specific procedures which will be followed to remedy problems and address areas of concern which may arise during the life of the contract, e.g., specific problem-reporting and problem-solving procedures, identification of a hierarchy of responsibility and authority within the company for addressing problems, and methods used to keep the Government advised of the status of the problem.

4) Describe, in detail, your firm’s subcontractor selection and management process. Describe the work that will be performed by the Quoter and work that will be performed by subcontractors. Describe, in detail, how you ensure that each subcontractor has the relevant experience for this project. Provide criteria used in awarding subcontracts. Describe your firm’s subcontractor management structure and the level of corporate oversight. Discuss processes which will be used to ensure consistent satisfactory performance of subcontractors. Discuss your experience with your quoted subcontractors and related projects under Factor B, point of contact, and phone numbers.

In addition, the Quoter shall provide the following plans, procedures, policies, and/or processes:

1) Quality Control Plan that includes a preliminary organization chart documenting quality assurance method and their relationship to the production portions of the company. The plan must also identify individuals who will be primarily responsible for the Quality Control Process.

2) Site Safety Plan to include the Quoter’s approach to lost time job-site accidents, and a method of implement and monitoring safety requirements.

L.3.7 Factor 4 - Corporate Experience

The prime quoter shall describe five (5) relevant contracts the prime quoter has completed within the past (5) years. Additional projects submitted beyond the five (5) required will not be considered, reviewed, or evaluated. Contracts will be considered recent and relevant if they document completed work of a similar size, scope, magnitude, and complexity for a Government or private entity. Included details for each contract project reference must include:

1. The organization’s name and address

1. Details for a point of contact (including telephone number, title and email address)

1. Contract Total Dollar value

1. Contract Type (i.e. Firm-Fixed Price, Time & Materials, or Cost Reimbursement)

1. Contract Period of performance

1. A brief description of the work, including – at minimum:

1) How the work was similar to and/or different from this requirement, including scale and complexity.

2) Whether the work was performed for a Government or private entity.

3) Any significant problems or issues that occurred during the performance of the contract and how the Quoter’s resolved those issues.

L.3.8 Factor 5– Past Performance:

Quoters shall provide the point of contact for the five contracts specified in their Corporate Experience section and ask their past customers to fill out the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) via email. All completed questionnaire forms must be emailed directly to the Contracting Officer by the due date of quotes as outlined in the solicitation. The completed questionnaire will be used to collect and validate past performance information described by the contractor above.

L.3.9 Price Factor:

Quoters shall provide a detailed price breakdown by task (in excel). The Quoters shall not hide any cost cells and shall show all viewable formula access with no cells being locked in the electronic submission of the price quote. Quoters shall only fill in yellow cells.

M.1. Basis for Award:

The Government anticipates awarding a single award firm fixed price contract for 2025 Inaugural Sound Reinforcement to the Quoter whose quote conforms to the solicitation and represents the best value to the Government, as determined by the evaluation criteria described herein. The Trade-Off approach will be used in evaluating the Quoter’s quote and an award will be based on a detailed evaluation of all factors outlined below.

The Contracting Officer will verify the quotes meet the Volume and Organization structure described in Section L.3. Volume I of the quotes that meet the requirements of Section L.3 will be submitted to the Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) for evaluation. The Quoter submission is the date on the Quoters Volume 1 Quoter indicated on its Introductory Letter. The TEP will evaluate each quote against the evaluation criteria. Each non-price factor will be assigned a rating in accordance with the Ratings Table in M.2. Once all Volume I quotes are evaluated, the TEP will evaluate Volume II, Price in accordance with the evaluation criteria for this factor.

The Government will reserve the right to make an award without discussions if there is a fully acceptable quote received in the initial submissions. “If the Government decides to conduct exchanges and allow quotation revisions, the Government will allow revisions from Quoters who are acceptable and above. As an alternative, the Government may elect to form a negotiation range. There will be no common cutoff dates for resubmissions and the Government may conduct multiple rounds of exchanges with Quoters to resolve previously unresolved matters or issues that arise as a result of the responses without re-engaging with Quoters who are not similarly suited.” The Government also reserves the right to make no award.

Evaluations will be based on a complete assessment of the quote submission. Quotes will be evaluated on the following factors listed in descending order of importance.

Non Price Factors:

Factor 1: Technical Approach Factor 2: Key Personnel Factor 3: Management Approach Factor 4: Corporate Experience Factor 5: Past Performance

Price Factors:

Factor 6: Price The evaluation criteria for each factor is as follows:

M.1.1 Factor 1- Technical Approach:

The technical approach will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the quoted plans for scheduling and carrying out the work are efficient and effective, comply with the solicitation requirements, and whether the quoted staffing, materials, and equipment are appropriate. The technical approach will also be evaluated to ensure that efficient and timely completion of the work.

The quoted listing of equipment will be evaluated to determine the extent to which it is complete relative to the requirements of the solicitation. Proposals will also be evaluated to determine if all material required in Section J, Attachment No. 3 are included with the quote.

The quote will be evaluated to determine the extent to which quoted powering capabilities of the complete system are reasonably sufficient/sustainable in the event of a power failure.

The quoted schedule will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the Contractor proposes to do the work and that it is within the contract period of performance. The schedule will be reviewed to ensure that there is adequate coordination with other performing work indicated on the drawings such that it will provide assurance of successful and timely completion of the work. An unrealistically optimistic schedule will not be given additional consideration and may result in a lower rating under this factor.

The on-site staffing plan will be evaluated to determine the extent to which quoted staff included relevant labor categories and a reasonably sufficient number of employees per category to assure that services are adequately provided by qualified personnel.

M.1.2 Factor 2 – Key Personnel:

The Government will determine the extent to which the Quoter’s can provide personnel that meet the requirements / qualifications described in the SOW for each key personnel.

The required Key Personnel positions and how they will be evaluated are as follows:

1) Corporate Officer: The Corporate Officer should have five years demonstrated experience as the senior officer managing a program of sound system installation requirements. This experience must include acting as the primary individual responsible for interacting with clientele to ensure timely and successful performance of work and address any issue that arise during contract performance. At least one project on the corporate officer’s resume must be directly relevant to the Inaugural Stands project (outdoor, national significance). The Corporate Officer shall also have a relevant undergraduate degree in a sound engineering or audio related field and must be an employee of the prime.

2) Project Manager: The PM should have five years demonstrated experience as the senior, primary PM on relevant sound system installation / setup projects. This experience must include acting as the primary individual responsible for managing scope, schedule, and budget of those projects. At least one project on the PM’s resume must be directly relevant to the Inaugural Stands project (outdoor, national significance). The PM shall also have a relevant undergraduate degree in a sound engineering or audio related field and must be an employee of the prime. Resumes that exceed these qualifications may be rated more favorably. The quote must specifically designate the PM as being 100% committed to this project and must include a letter of commitment for a period covering the duration of the project. The letter of commitment does not count against the 30-page quote limit.

3) Leady Systems Technician: The lead systems technician should have five years demonstrated experience working as the primary technical point of contact on sound system installation projects. At least one project on the lead technicians resume shall be for a similar high-profile project in an outdoor setting. This individual shall hold no other duties and shall be employed by the Prime Contractor. Resumes that exceed these qualifications may be rated more favorably. The quote must specifically designate the Lead Systems Technician as being 100% committed to this project and must include a letter of commitment for the period covering the duration of the project.

1) QC Manager: The QC Manager should have five years demonstrated experience working in sound system quality control. At least one project on the QC’s resume shall be for work on a similar high-profile sound system. The QC Manager shall be employed by the Prime Contractor. Resumes that exceed these qualifications may be rated more favorably.

NOTE: Any substitutions for these key personnel after award will need approval from the Contracting Officer. Documentation of qualifications in the same format as above will be needed for those substitutions and they must demonstrate at least the qualifications identified in the initial proposal.

M.1.3 Factor 3 – Management Approach:

The Government will determine the extent to which the Quoters detailed the organizational structure that will be responsible for the performance of the contract. This shall include how the Quoter will manage subcontractors to the contract.

The government will evaluate the overall corporate structure of the Quoters and review the management plan to execute the contract and how the Quoter plans to track contract progress and communicate contract concerns with the Government.

A review of how the Quoter proposes to utilize key personnel throughout the lifecycle of the contract; which shall include means and methods of delivery and installation.

A detailed quality control plan and mitigation strategy will be reviewed by the Government.

A site safety plan will be reviewed by the Government detailing how Quoter will manage and mitigate safety for Quoter, Subcontractors and the public working on and around the contract.

M.1.4 Factor 4 – Corporate Experience:

Quotes must demonstrate the prime firm’s experience on relevant projects on at least three (3) of the five submitted projects. Relevant projects include those of a similar size, scope and complexity.

Projects of national prominence or for similar public events may receive additional consideration. Projects that demonstrate experience working with the same team of subcontractors quoted for the 2025 Presidential Inaugural Sound System may also receive additional consideration. At a minimum, at least one project in the quote shall demonstrate experience with each of the following areas:

2) Installing 70-volt distributed systems.

3) Interfacing with existing sound system and life safety systems

4) Experience with radio frequency (RF) equipment and frequency coordination (including RF hearing impaired), and fiber optic signal transmission.

Quotes that demonstrate these areas of experience on multiple projects may receive a higher rating. Moreover, quotes that demonstrate experience coordinated these efforts on the same project may also receive a higher rating.

M.1.5 Factor 5 – Past Performance:

The Government will evaluate Past Performance Questionnaires and the Government may also use information obtained from other sources to evaluate past performance. Past performance will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the Quoters’ performance demonstrates successful performance on the contracts identified under the corporate experience evaluation factor. The Government reserves the right to use the additional information received / retrieved in its evaluation of the Quoters Past Performance from Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), and similar databases.

Quoters without a record of relevant past performance, or for whom information on past performance is not available, will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably but will instead receive an overall rating of “neutral.”

M.1.6 Factor 6- Price:

Price will not be rated but will be evaluated based on a comprehensive review. The Government will evaluate the price quotes of all Quoters receiving an Acceptable rating or higher for Factors 1, 2, 3, and 4. The price criterion will measure not only the actual dollars but also the reasonableness of the Quoters quoted price and its position in the range of all Quoters’ prices.

The Quoter’s price quote shall be evaluated for price reasonableness to prevent the Government from paying too much for the services outlined in the SOW. Additionally, a price realism analysis may be performed to determine whether a Quoter’s price is unrealistically low. An unrealistically low quote may question whether a Quoter fully understands the size, magnitude, complexity, and scope of service outlined in the SOW. An unrealistic price quote may serve as a rejection of the quote.

The Quoters quote may be evaluated for unbalanced pricing utilizing price analysis techniques. The Government may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the prices quoted are materially unbalanced. A quote may be rejected if the Contracting Officer determines that the lack of balance poses an unacceptable risk to the Government.

The quote will be evaluated with respect to accuracy and completeness based on information submitted in the Quoters written submission. This process will involve verification that figures are correctly calculated, prices are presented in the requested format, and any applicable discounts are accurate. Additionally, the Government may utilize one or more of the following methods to evaluate price reasonableness:

· Comparison to other quotes received;

· Review of the quoted level-of-effort and associated pricing;

· Comparison and/or analysis based on Independent Government Cost Estimate; or

· Comparison/analysis to historical cost or publicized pricing

M.2 Non-Price/Technical Adjectival Ratings:

The evaluation of quotes is critically important as this process assesses the Quoters’ quoted solution and ability to perform. This process includes examining the quote in detail against the evaluation factors and criteria set forth in the solicitation and assigning a rating with a supporting narrative. The technical evaluation process consists of two phases, individual technical evaluations, and the technical consensus. Following each panel member’s individual evaluation, the Chairperson of the TEP will lead the panel in developing an overall consensus rating of the quote based on the following ratings and definitions:

RATING DEFINITIONS

The rating definitions below shall be used on all non-Price/Cost Factors with the exception of Past Performance.

The rating definitions below shall be used for Past Performance.

Will successfully perform.

During the course of the evaluation, the Technical Evaluation Panel will record quote Significant Strengths, Strengths, Weaknesses, Significant Weaknesses, and Deficiencies. The definitions of these terms are as follows:

Significant Strengths: A strength that appreciably enhances the merit of a quote or appreciably increases the probability of successful contract performance.

Strengths: Any aspect of a quote which exceeds a requirement and increases the probability of successful performance of the contract.

Weaknesses: A flaw in the quote that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

Significant Weaknesses: A weakness that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

Deficiencies: A material failure of a quote to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a quote that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

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