Responses_to_030ADV25R0011_Questions.pdf

Solicitation 030ADV25R0011 IFP Interns IDIQ Questions and Answers

Responses to Offeror Questions

Question Library Response 1 The RFP (Section I.12) states that the contractor must acquire and maintain insurance throughout the period of performance. Are we required to cover the full cost of this insurance, or will any portion be reimbursable under the contract?

Please see Section I.11 LC52.228-70 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS of the solicitation. This is a fixed price contract and there are no cost-reimbursable elements included.

2 Section L.3 emphasizes experience with internship programs. Will only experience with internship management be considered, or can experience delivering other government/private sector talent acquisition projects also strengthen our proposal?

Please see Section L.1 LC52.215-1 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS, 1. Technical Proposal, “The Offeror shall submit a statement of qualifications that demonstrates five (5) or more years of experience recruiting students for internships and cooperative programs”. Other types of talent acquisition would not be deemed directly relevant to requirements of the RFP.

3 Section C.3.2.1 references in-person meetings, though the contractor may operate remotely. Can the contractor perform all services 100% remotely? If not, what is the expected frequency or format of in-person meetings with the LOC?

Please see Section C.4.3 Coordination of Communications and Meetings. Frequency and schedule of in-person meetings will be determined at the order level by the COR.

There is no set meeting schedule.

4 The RFP outlines that the contractor will support onboarding but does not specify job description responsibilities. Will the LOC provide standardized position descriptions (especially for the Conduit Program), or is the contractor expected to create them per order?

Please see Section I.8 LC52.216-2 FAIR OPPORTUNITY, A. Step One: Request for Candidates . Position descriptions will be provided for each order and will vary by session.

5 Section C.3.1.3 addresses the candidate submission process. How long does the Library typically take to review and select submitted candidates?

Approximately 20 business days.

6 Section C.3.1.4 details the background check and fitness determination process. What is the average processing time for these screenings? Is the contractor responsible for conducting or funding any background checks?

Approximately 20 business days.

Contractors are not responsible for the background investigations, the Library will conduct the investigation per LC52.204-4

CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE FITNESS (SEP 2024).

7 Section B states this is a multiple-award IDIQ.

How many vendors does LOC anticipate awarding under this solicitation?

There is no pre-determined number.

8 The solicitation requests session-based pricing (Section B), but details are limited.

Will each task order have a specific pricing

Pricing shall be a flat rate, based on all requirements of the SOW.

ceiling? Should pricing be itemized by service component (e.g., recruitment, onboarding, payroll, compliance), or is a flat per-intern rate acceptable?

9 Given potential variations in intern background and complexity: Will LOC allow tiered pricing based on role type or intern experience level in both the proposal and task order response?

All work performed will be discrete short-term projects appropriate for level of experience and requirements in C.1.1 and C.1.2. The Library expects a single fixed-price per intern, in accordance with attachment J-1. Please review attachment J-3 for a sample position.

10 Please confirm the following assumptions:

a) For the LOC Internship Program, does the all-inclusive intern rate need to cover:

i. Wages paid to the intern

ii. Payroll taxes

iii. Required insurance (e.g., Workers’ Comp)

iv. Benefits (e.g., housing subsidies, healthcare, sick leave)

v. Travel (if not cost-reimbursable)

vi. Contractor’s administrative fees and margin

b) For the LOC Conduit Program, is the contractor expected to quote only for administrative/recruitment costs (item 6), with the LOC covering the intern’s wages and benefits directly?

a) The flat rate per intern shall be inclusive of all vendor activities.

Please see C.3.1.3. Interns are not considered Federal employees, they are employees of the contractor.

b) Yes, the contractor is expected to quote a flat rate. Conduit wages and benefits will be covered by the Library in accordance with the SOW - Conduit participants are not interns, they are hired as Not-to-Exceed employees who are employed by the Library of Congress.

11 Section C.3.1.3 notes that travel and direct costs are not reimbursed. What level of travel (if any) is typically required for interns or contractor staff? Will job descriptions clearly indicate expected travel? Could LOC consider separating travel into a reimbursable CLIN, rather than requiring it to be included in the fixed intern rate?

Travel is typically not required for internships, but some may be expected to report onsite to the Library (depending on position need), which will be defined in the project description. Interns are not compensated for commuting costs.

12 While the RFP mentions the Service Contract Act, it does not specify benefit requirements.

Are specific benefits (e.g., health insurance, sick leave, holidays) required to be included in the proposed rate? Are contractors allowed to offer customized benefits packages, provided they meet federal minimums? Given the short-term nature of internships (10–15 weeks), providing full healthcare coverage may be impractical.

Please see C.3.1.3. The contractor is wholly responsible for adhering to all applicable employment labor laws. Note: LOC will not separately reimburse housing stipends, travel support, or benefits. The Library will evaluate offerors who provide transit subsidies, housing and other Library Internship program benefits more favorably.

Could the LOC provide guidance or preferred standards for housing stipends, travel support, or benefits?

13 Could the LOC share average intern wages or total compensation from previous years to support cost benchmarking?

The Library does not share detailed cost information related to current contracts or incumbent awardee rates.

14 Wage and benefit costs can vary based on location. May we submit region-specific pricing tiers based on intern residence? Will LOC allow separate rates for on-site vs.

remote roles, particularly considering DC-area cost-of-living and housing stipends?

Offerors shall submit a single, flat-rate per intern position in accordance with the pricing table. See above answer to question 12.

15 For Volume 3 – Price Proposal, are the worksheets the only items required, or should we include a price breakdown and a budget narrative?

Only the price sheets are required, a budget narrative is not required. However offerors may provide any additional price narrative information.

16 Are there current or recent contracts for intern and/or conduit recruitment services at the Library of Congress? If so, can you please provide the name(s) and UEI number(s) of the incumbent contractors? If so, can you also please provide their contract numbers and their total contract value(s)?

Contract LCIFP20D0004: Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; SAM Unique Entity ID: GT89MK46MF23

Contract LCIFP20D0005: Inroads, Org.; SAM Unique Entity ID: KJ6RLNFX5NC5

Contract LCIFP20D0006: The Washington Center; SAM Unique Entity ID:

JWXMYFGEQWN7

Combined contract value of $7,000,000.00 over the course of 5 years.

17 What specific labor categories does the LOC anticipate the SCA will apply to?

Specific requirements for interns will be defined during the request for intern process.

See attachment J-3 for a sample position description.

18 Given the high demand for college-age interns, there is a potential they could be hired by other agencies if there is a long delay in their selection. Can the LOC provide any guidelines about how long it takes them to select interns?

The selection process can take up to approximately 20 business days.

19 Can you provide an estimated quantity of candidates required for the Spring, Summer, and Fall LOC Intern programs? Without an estimated quantity, it will be difficult for offerors to accurately project labor or budget for recruitment, onboarding, or intern wages without more clarity from the Library. The lack of a baseline workload estimate introduces cost and operational risk.

Total estimated quantity of interns per session will vary depending on Library need.

20 Can you provide an estimated quantity of candidates required for the Spring, Summer, and Fall LOC Conduit Programs?

Total estimated quantity of interns for the sessions will vary depending on Library need.

21 Do offerors need to include the resumes of the Program Manager in the proposals?

Proposals shall demonstrate that the program manager meets requirements per C.4.2.

22 Only the LOC Internship Program requires detailed interim and final reports. Can the government provide uniform templates or systems provided for this, or must each contractor create their own?

Offeror can provide a proposed template in their technical proposal.

23 The solicitation says Contractors must form legal relationships and manage intern tax obligations. Does this imply interns are treated as employees or independent contractors? Are conduit employees considered W-2 employees and subject to SCA wages? Please clarify.

Please see note in Section C.3.1.3 Contractor shall provide the following for each intern:

"Interns are not Federal employees" and shall be compensated by the contractor in accordance with all applicable labor laws.

Conduit candidates hired by the Library as not-to-exceed Federal employees, and compensated by the Library.

24 There are multiple mentions of 10- or 15-week sessions starting at various times. Will all three sessions occur annually for both LOC Internships and Conduit Program, or is that dependent on Library discretion?

This may vary depending on Library need/project description.

25 The contractor is required to compensate interns, but their pay rate is dependent on local wage determinations (SOW C.3). Can the government further clarify or standardize the intern pay rates within the solicitation to prevent under-budgeting? As part of the total intern compensation, are contractors required to pay for interns for housing and to travel from the Minority Serving Institutions

Offerors shall determine a standard cost in their pricelist. See B.4 Travel and Other Direct Costs. Contractor shall compensate their interns according to applicable labor laws.

to/from the Library of Congress work locations, e.g., an example PWS task: “The Contractor shall be responsible for providing and managing the housing needs and travel logistics of all selected interns and ensuring students meet all eligibility requirements”?

The contractor shall consider all costs to meet Library requirements when submitting proposed flat rates. Please see responses above regarding travel.

26 Can you clarify if daily commuting costs will be paid for interns and/or conduit employees who must report to work onsite at LOC locations each day?

Please see note in Section C.3.1.3 Contractor shall provide the following for each intern:

"Interns are not Federal employees." Interns are not entitled to fringe benefits such as transit subsidies provided by the Federal government. The Library will evaluate offerors who provide transit subsidies, housing and other Library Internship program benefits more favorably.

Conduit candidates hired by the Library may be eligible to receive transit subsidies as needed, as part of their benefits packages as Federal employees.

27 Based on our experience with other federal intern contracts, there are occasions where the agency requires the interns to travel to other locations (e.g. TDY). Can you please explain if the government will pay for these costs if required by the LOC?

See B.4 Travel and Other Direct Costs and previous responses regarding travel requirements. Please see above answer to 26.

28 Section B.4 states, "The Library does not reimburse for travel. Contractor's prices shall be inclusive of travel and all direct costs."

Confirmed.

29 Given that the selected contractor will be employing the interns, who will be responsible for covering any lodging expenses the interns may incur to participate in the Library of Congress Internship Programs?

The Library will not be responsible for covering lodging expenses – all costs should be considered in the flat rate price.