12010920R0001-Questions-Answers-3-Consolidated.pdf

12010920R0001 STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS #3 CONSOLIDATED

Q1. The SF1442 does not include the required number of copies to submit. Is this an electronic submittal?

A1. Offerors may submit proposals in hard copy or via email. If submitting a hard copy, offerors must include a “flash drive” (also called a thumb drive) with the entire proposal in electronic format. When submitting responses, offerors must keep in mind the requirement is for the proposal to be received at the specified physical location or email recipient no later than the date and time set for receipt. Simply transmitting the proposal via email prior to the due date/time or receiving a delivery receipt prior to the due date/time does not necessarily mean it was received prior to the due date/time. The physical location for hand delivery is in the Juneau Federal Building which has a moderate level of security that must be cleared before gaining access to the building (x-ray scanner, metal detector and possible hand check/physical search of person or personal effects).

Hard copies shall be delivered to the following addresses (depending on delivery method):

US Postal Service: US Forest Service Acquisition Management PO Box 21628 Juneau, AK 99802

Mark outside of mailing envelope with the solicitation number.

FedEx/UPS/DHL/Hand Delivery: US Forest Service Acquisition Management 709 W. 9th Street 5th Floor Mailroom Juneau, AK 99801

Mark outside of mailing envelope with the solicitation number.

Send email responses to the following: To: mari.meiners@usda.gov Copy: stacy.doutt@usda.gov Copy: michael.t.mccarthy@usda.gov

Put solicitation number in the subject line.

Q2. Section L-11.4 Past Performance on page 60 of 63 in the PDF requests that Attachment 7 (Past Performance Survey Forms) be sent to our clients and submitted directly to the Contracting Officer.

Several of our clients prefer not to fill out additional past performance surveys if they have already completed a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ), or if there is a Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) report on file. Will you please consider allowing us to submit, with our proposal, previously completed past performance information such as PPQs and/or CPARS past performance reports in lieu of submitting past performance surveys directly to the Contracting Officer?

A2. Past Performance information will not be accepted directly from an offeror as a substitute for the past performance questionnaire. The past performance questionnaire (Attachment 7) provides information from an offeror’s customers specifically related to this requirement including relevance to work items (see page 3 of the questionnaire). Attachment 7 also includes information not necessarily included as a rating element in a CPARS/PPIRS past performance report or other past performance questionnaires.

Q3. Please confirm there are no page limits for any of the sections.

A3. There are no page limits for any of the sections. Offerors are requested to keep in mind the time and effort it takes to evaluate proposals and limit the page length to only what is required to address the stated evaluation factors.

Q4. Section L-11.2(a) on page 60 of 63 in the PDF states that Offerors must have experience in all four mandatory elements. Please confirm these four elements can be demonstrated across more than one project (i.e., not all four elements must be in one project).

A4. The four mandatory elements in the Experience factor can be demonstrated across more than one project.

Q5. Regarding sections L-11.2(a) Mandatory Elements, L-11.2(b)Additional Experience Elements and L-11.4 Past Performance, my new firm does not have a work performance history with the US Government as of yet. That said, as the owner I have experience in many of the elements required to be eligible to be considered for award through working for another business as an equipment operator/foreman on multiple Forest Service projects. As the business owner, would it be acceptable to list my past experience/past performance from working for another contractor?

A5. Regarding the evaluation of Past Performance, Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.305(a)(2)(iii) allows (but does not require) the evaluation to consider past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience, or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition. In this case, the government will consider experience and past performance information for key personnel who have relevant experience working for a different company. In order to be considered “key personnel” in the Offeror’s firm, the individual must be in a position to manage or direct work in positions such as owner, project manager, project superintendent or the like and must have been personally involved in a similar position for the project(s) being evaluated.

Previous work as an equipment operator without the responsibility for project management or project superintendence would not be considered in the evaluation of experience or past performance. Additionally, there is no requirement that experience or past performance information be related only to work performed on Government or specifically Forest Service contracts

Q6. Are bid bonds required in response to the solicitation?

A6. No. Section L-11.1 “Bonding Capability” requires Offerors to submit evidence of their ability to secure performance and payment bonds for a minimum value of $250,000. Actual bonds (bid guarantees, performance/payment bonds will be required at the task order level).

Q7. Is Section L-10 highlighted for a reason?

A7. No, it is inadvertently highlighted.

Q8. Am I supposed to send the Past Performance Questionnaire to the Forest Service after it’s completed, or should my customer send it to the Forest Service?

A8. Past performance surveys/questionnaires (Attachment 7) must be submitted directly to the Forest Service by the customer.

Questions 9 and 10 were posted to beta.sam.gov on 1/16/2020 in a document titled “12010920R0001_Questions-Answers-2.pdf”.

Q9. It appears as though we would be putting in a lump sum price for all the projects, identified as a ceiling price in the packet?

A9. The prices aren’t a lump sum per job. Section B (right after B-4): The schedule in this solicitation is different from what folks have seen in the past. The schedule of items will include two types of rates.

a. fully loaded hourly rates for the listed labor categories. These labor categories are taken from the DOL Wage Determination and were chosen as the most likely labor categories that will be used by the contractor in performing work on Task Orders.

b. Hourly rates for different types of equipment with operators.

Contractors who are awarded IDIQ contracts will use these rates when calculating task order pricing. Since each job is different, other direct costs such as mobilization or materials/supplies will be priced at the task order level. The rates contained in the schedule are not to exceed rates – contractors may use rates less than the rates contained in the schedule when calculating task order prices.

Q10: Does a company have to submit a proposal on every task announcement?

A10: No. Your company can compete for select task announcements or all of the task announcements that are advertised.

New Questions and Answers (1/23/2020):

Q11: There are apparently 12-15 projects within this project which will be awarded over the next 5 years. Are only 3 projects available to bid on right now the Example Project 1, the Example Project 2, and the Example Project 3? Are these actual projects or just shown as an example project?

A11: The government anticipates award of 12-15 projects over the life of the contracts. Three projects have been provided with the solicitation for informational purposes only. While these are actual projects the Forest Service plans to award as a result of the IDIQ contracts, they are being provided in the solicitation for information and proposal evaluation purposes only (see evaluation factor L-11.3 for proposal instructions related to Example Project One). No projects will be awarded at the time IDIQ contracts are awarded.

Q12. It appears that project 2 and 1 require new culverts while project 3 requires a new steel/timber bridge. Is this correct and would timber girders be allowed as substitute for steel girders for project 3?

A12. The example projects are being provided at this time for information and evaluation purposes only. The actual projects may or may not be exactly the same as what is provided in the examples.

When task announcements are issued, the government will respond to questions related to substitution requests.

Q13. Am I supposed to bid on the example projects?

A13. No. Offerors are required to complete the schedule of items with their proposal. Offerors are not required to price the example projects when responding to the RFP. The schedule of items (2 pages) is contained in Section B of the solicitation.

Q14. Why are there two listings on beta.sam.gov and which one am I supposed to be looking at?

FBO.gov used to have everything in one announcement.

A14. The beta.sam.gov website and the now decommissioned FedBizOpps website are very different. The beta.sam.gov website has a separate announcement for the presolicitation and the solicitation for this opportunity. You should be sure you are viewing the solicitation notice, not the presolicitation. The solicitation opportunity page is where amendments, questions and answers, and other updates will be posted.