1131PL26R0057 - AMENDMENT 00002 - QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES PDF.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUISITION NUMBER 5. PROJECT NUMBER (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended. is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER

NUMBER IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

Previous edition unusable

1131PL26R0057 A00002

1131PL

N/A

TYRONE W. JOHNSON, CONTRACTING OFFICER

PLEASE SEE PAGE 2.

1131PL

Office of Acquisition Management United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) 1101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1100 Arlington, Virginia 22209

SAME AS BLOCK 6

2026-91004A

1131PL26R0057

1 8

See Block 31c.

08/12/2026

Solicitation Number: 1131PL26R0057 Amendment: 00002

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

CONTINUATION PAGE BLOCK 14 SF 30:

Questions and Response (BOLD):

1. Question: PWS D.1.2.2, “Project Sponsor” (p. 16) The definition references “digital infrastructure investments in the Indo-Pacific region” (telecom regulators/operators, cloud providers) — language that appears carried over from an ICT-sector template rather than critical minerals. Please confirm or correct this definition.

RESPONSE: The correct definition is “Prospective Project Sponsors may include national and subnational government entities, as well as private sector entities pursuing investments in Critical Minerals in USTDA Partner Countries”

2. Question: PWS D.1.3(3) (p. 17) Host-country travel is described as “up to eight (6) times” — the written number and numeral conflict. Please confirm the correct number of trips contemplated (6 or 8).

RESPONSE: Travel to Host Country(ies)/Region(s) up to six (6) times

3. Question: Section D.1.6.1 (p. 18) The solicitation states that the Contractor will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) upon award. Can the Government please provide a copy of the Government NDA that contractors will be required to execute pursuant to Section D.1.6.1 for review?”

RESPONSE: No, NDA will only be provided to the successful offeror upon award.

4. Question: Should DBA and medical evacuation insurance costs be proposed as a separate reimbursable ODC line, or built into the Contractor’s fully burdened labor rates?

RESPONSE: DBA and medical evacuation insurance costs should be proposed as a separate reimbursable ODC Line.

5. Question: With up to 25 concurrent Project Report cycles possible (each involving a 3-week first draft, 1-week second draft, and 1-week final turnaround per D.1.7.3), please confirm whether USTDA anticipates these running concurrently/in batches, and whether there is an expected pacing (e.g., per quarter) across the 24-month period of performance.

RESPONSE: USTDA receives proposals on a recurring basis throughout the period of performance. Accordingly, Project Report cycles may occur concurrently or in batches, depending on the timing and volume of proposals received. USTDA does not anticipate a fixed quarterly pacing. The Contractor should build sufficient flexibility into its staffing and work planning to accommodate fluctuations in workload and should promptly discuss any capacity or scheduling constraints with the USTDA COR.

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

6. Question: PWS D.1.9, Confidentiality (p. 29) This section requires a certification that the “Public Market Report” contains no business confidential information, but no deliverable by that name is defined elsewhere in the PWS. Please clarify what this refers to or confirm it is leftover template language.

RESPONSE: This section refers to the Public Project Report.

7. Question: PWS Attachment IV (p. Attch. IV-1) vs. Sec. E.4, Vol. II (p. 62) Attachment IV (“Required Budget Format”) appears intended for the future Activity budgets the Contractor will prepare for USTDA grantees. Please confirm this is not the required format for the offeror’s own DM price proposal, and clarify what cost detail (labor categories/rates, ODC breakout) is expected beyond SF 1449 Block 24.

RESPONSE: All attachments to include Attachment IV should be used during the performance of the contract to provide the required information for future activities. In response to this RFP, please provide your proposed price on page 2 of the RFP.

8. Question: SF 1449 Block 17a; Sec. E.4, Vol. II(a) (p. 1, 62) Instructions reference “CAGE CODE and DUNS Numbers” in Block 17a. DUNS was retired by SAM.gov in 2022 in favor of the Unique Entity ID (UEI). Please confirm UEI should be provided instead.

RESPONSE: UEID number is required.

9. Question: Sec. E.4, Vol. II(b) (p. 62) Instructions require the price-proposal file name to start with “Price” followed by the offeror’s name “not to exceed 7 characters.” For offerors with longer legal names, please confirm whether an abbreviation is acceptable.

a. Section D.1.2.1 mentions "diverse cultural and linguistic environments", should bidders include staff with specific language skills or budget for translation services?

RESPONSE: Yes. Bidders should demonstrate appropriate language capabilities or include adequate resources for translation and interpretation services, as needed.

Such expenses should be reflected in the Cost Reimbursable Line.

10. Question: Section D.1.2.2 notes that Project Sponsors might include "telecommunications regulators and operators, public utilities and state-owned enterprises, cloud and data infrastructure providers, and other public and private sector organizations pursuing digital infrastructure investments in the Indo-Pacific region" - should we disregard this language which contradicts the rest of the solicitation?

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

RESPONSE: Please, see Question #1

11. Question: Section D.1.3 USTDA Funding Criteria states that the contractor shall "Travel to Host Country(ies)/Region(s) up to eight (6) times, for approximately five (5) business days each,".

a. In order to estimate travel correctly, can USTDA share if there any priority countries identified for the potential travel?

b. Can USTDA share if they expect one or two travelers per trip.

c. Should Offerors budget for the person time for travel pre-visit report, the five (5) business days per trip, and the post travel report in the Cost Reimbursement line as well?

RESPONSE- Travel expenses should be reflected in the Cost Reimbursable line. No additional information is available at this time. Each Offeror should develop its own travel assumptions and scenarios based on up to six (6) trips.

12. Question: Section D.1.6.4 Host Country/Regional Travel states “In some instances, the USTDA Contractor may find it useful to purchase the Gold Key or Business Facilitation Services offered at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.” Please clarify if that should be budgeted under the Cost Reimbursement line.

RESPONSE – Yes.

13. Question: Section D.1.7.4 can you confirm the expected length of these reports? "Critical Minerals Sector Deep Dives in the form of 1-2 pages reports or (1 – 2 hrs.) presentations"

RESPONSE: As noted in Section D.1.7.4, Critical Minerals Sector Deep Dives in the form of 1-2 pages reports or (1 – 2 hrs.) presentations.

14. Question: Section D.1.7.4 also mentions that tasks may include "Quick geospatial or resource plausibility screens using readily available datasets". Please clarify if USTDA will provide the licenses for the specialized software for geospatial analysis to the Contractor. If not, should Offerors budget for the software as part of the cost reimbursable CLIN.

RESPONSE: USTDA will not provide licenses for specialized software for geospatial analysis. The Contractor is expected to use existing, open-source, or publicly available tools and data.

15. Question: Section D.1.9 mentions a Public Market Report which is not referenced elsewhere as a deliverable, please confirm the status of this report.

RESPONSE: Please see Question # 6

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

16. Question: Turnaround expectations: are there required turnaround times for Initial Assessments and Critical Minerals Sector Deep Dives, or are these offeror-proposed?

RESPONSE: Unless otherwise specified in the PWS, turnaround times can be negotiated between USTDA and the Contractor.

17. Question: AI approvals: will USTDA accept a single kickoff-stage approval covering an enumerated list of tools and use cases under D.1.8.3, rather than per-deliverable requests?

RESPONSE: As noted in section D.1.8.3. Use of Artificial Intelligence Requests, requests for approval shall be submitted to the COR in writing and shall describe:

the specific AI tool or platform proposed for use, including its developer and country of origin; the specific tasks or deliverable components for which AI will be used; the data and information types that will be processed by the AI tool; and the safeguards and human review processes the DM Contractor will apply to AI-generated outputs prior to submission. The COR shall review and respond to requests within ten (10) business days. Approval may be granted, granted with conditions, or denied. Approved AI use shall be documented in the DM Tracker.

18. Question: Incumbency: this solicitation has a similar scope to USTDA solicitation 1131PL25RDM11136. Was solicitation 1131PL25RDM11136 awarded, and is work currently being performed under a related contract?

RESPONSE: No contract was awarded for RFP 1131PL25RDM11136.

19. Question: Section D 1.3 USTDA Funding Criteria, Page 17: On point 3 of the instructions for the execution of requirements, the RFP states "3. Travel to Host Country(ies)/Region(s) up to eight (6) times..." Can you please confirm if the number of trips that we should budget for is eight (8), or six (6)?

RESPONSE: Please see response to Question #2

20. Question: Section D 1.6.4 Host Country/Regional Travel, Page 19: Can you please provide the anticipated number of trips that may be required as part of the Definitional Mission, and which countries and/or regions USTDA expects these trips to be to? This information will help inform the price proposal.

RESPONSE: Travel to Host Country(ies)/Region(s) up to six (6) times. Travel may occur in the following regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific.

21. Question: Section D 1.7.3 Project Report, Page 23: While other deliverables include guidance on how many pages each report should be (Concept Notes, Initial Assessments, and Deep Dives), the Project Report section does not provide this guidance. How many

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services pages does USTDA expect the Project Reports to be? This information will help inform the price proposal.

RESPONSE: USTDA does not have a page requirement for Project Reports. Section D.1.7.3 outlines the requirements for these reports.

22. Question: Section D 1.7.4 Critical Minerals Sector Deep Dives, Page 25: The RFP states that the Deep Dive deliverables are expected to be "1-2 pages reports or (1-2 hrs) presentations". There is a high variability in LOE required to produce a 2 page report vs.

a 2 hour presentation. Can USTDA provide more detailed guidance on when a report will be required vs. a presentation, how the decision will be made, and how many reports will be expected vs how many presentations? This information will help inform the price proposal.

RESPONSE: Per section D 1.7.4, USTDA will provide the Contractor with all available information relevant to a specific engagement activity. Prior to delivery of the deliverable, USTDA will consult with the Contractor to determine whether a report or presentation will be required.

23. Question: Section E: Instructions to Offerors, Volume II Price, Page 62: Can you please confirm that no narrative is required to build out how the quoted amount for each CLIN is reached, and that only a completed Standard Form 1449 is required?

RESPONSE: Yes, that is correct. However, offerors may include a narrative if they choose to do so.

24. Question: For purposes of the organizational conflict-of-interest restriction, does the restriction apply to a subcontractor for every potential project reviewed under the contract, or only to resulting activities for which that subcontractor performs substantive work or receives relevant nonpublic information?

If the restriction applies more broadly, please clarify its intended scope and whether mitigation measures may be proposed for subcontractors with narrowly bounded assignments.

RESPONSE: The conflict-of-interest restriction applies to the prime, sub-contractors, and/or any entity and individual consultant being proposed to perform work on the resulting contract. Please see FAR 9.505 regarding the general rules for organization conflicts of interest.

25. As a technical consultancy, we are currently engaged with early-stage exploration/ mining projects globally. Does the Project allow us to potentially include one or more of our existing client projects, if the project proves to fulfil the requirements of the Scope of Works and USTDA conditions, or would this be perceived as a conflict of interest?

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

RESPONSE: Depending on your vested interest in the projects being proposed for consideration, there could be a conflict or perceived conflict of interest. However, projects proposed by the successful offeror may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

26. With reference to clause D.1.11 (Impartiality, p.29 of the Performance Work Statement )

- “In accordance with the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5 and USTDA policy, the Contractor and its Subcontractors, if any, for this Contract shall be ineligible to compete for, as a prime or subcontractor or otherwise, USTDA-funded activities that result from this Contract, unless USTDA through its Office of Acquisition Management, shall have granted a waiver, based upon FAR 9.503, that preclusion of the Contractor or its Subcontractors from the follow-on activity would not be in the Government’s interest.”

In a scenario where we are awarded the Project, are we still able to work with companies which are recipients of USTDA funded activities, resulting from the Contract, in a capacity outside of the USTDA funded activities?

RESPONSE: No, the successful offeror will not be eligible to participate in projects resulting from the contract unless a waiver is granted pursuant to FAR 9.503.

27. Under which conditions could we apply for the waiver, based upon FAR 9.503 through the Office of Acquisition?

See Response to Question #6: FAR 9.503 Waiver.

28. Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past.

RESPONSE: This is a brand-new project. There is not incumbent.

29. We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services.

See response to Question #28.

30. USTDA states that "The Contractor shall provide thirty (30) Concept Note Consultations, fifteen (15) Initial Assessments, and up to twenty-five (25) Project Reports for USTDA funding consideration and one (1) Final Report in cumulation to USTDA, in addition to up to six (6) Critical Minerals Sector Deep Dives." Can you confirm that this numbering is correct, and that some Project Reports will be completed without associated concept notes or initial assessments?

Title: Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

RESPONSE: These numbers are correct; some Project Reports will likely be completed without associated Concept Note Consultations or Initial Assessments.

31. USTDA requests that the implementer provide a pre-visit report one-week prior to traveling to a host country/region, but there are no deliverables associated with this requirement. Is the implementer to assume that the cost of completing the pre-visit report should be included as part of the cost of another deliverable, such as a Project Report?

RESPONSE: Please see Question #11.

All ELSE REMAIN UNCHANGED.