Questions and Responses for 12-3198-25-Q-0012.pdf

Questions and Responses for 12-3198-25-Q-0012

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

2. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number? The requested information should be obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) official request.

3. 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.

Please see responses to questions 1 and 2 above.

4. What is your expected headcount? That is information to be provided via the quote submission.

5. Can the work be done by Call Center Agents working remotely? This can be accomplished by a Contractor determination with quote submission.

6. What are the expected hours of operation? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

7. Are there specific tools, such as CRM, that are required/preferred? No

8. What are the KPIs, such as Average Handle Time, Service Level Agreements, CSAT, etc? Refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

9. 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.

Similar services have been provided by the incumbent Hunger Free America. For further information, submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

10. Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement pdf/page 4, Sentence below sample call volume chart. “The Contractor shall be prepared and adequately staffed during higher-than-normal call volume surrounding peak months, summer, and natural disasters. This means additional seasonal staff may need to be hired during unusually high call volume periods.” Could highly skilled volunteers be recruited and trained to support the paid workforce when needed? Please refer to the solicitation terms and agreements.

11. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 28, clause: 452.204-71 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Employees (Jan 2025) (c), “The responsibility of maintaining a sufficient workforce remains with the contractor. Contractor employees may be barred by the Government from performance of work should they be found ineligible or to have lost eligibility for a USDA LincPass. Failure to maintain a sufficient workforce of employees eligible for a USDA LincPass may be grounds for termination of the contract.” Would volunteers have to meet LincPass eligibility criteria? Please refer to the solicitation terms and agreement. USDA LincPass is required to “have routine unaccompanied physical access to a Federally controlled facility and/or routine unaccompanied access to a Federally controlled information system” or access to Government Furnished Material (GFM). “Government Furnished Property (GFP) includes Government Furnished Material (GFM), Government Furnished Information (GFI) may be provided to support the contract requirements.” “The Contractor must appoint a representative to manage compliance with the PIV policies established by the USDA Directives 4620-002 and to maintain a list of employees eligible for a USDA LincPass required for performance of the work.”

12. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 30-31, Pg. 30: Quotes for Submission: 5th Paragraph, Pg. 31:

All Quotes shall consist of two (2) volumes: 1. Volume I - Technical Approach, Management Approach, Past Performance, “The total number of pages for the technical quote shall not exceed forty (40) pages, using 1” margins, single spaced, font type Time New Roman, and a font size of 12.” Does the 40-page limit apply just to the “Technical Approach” of Volume 1 versus Volume 1 in its entirety? As stated towards the top of page 31, Volume 1 is comprised of 3 parts:

Technical Approach, Management, Approach, and Past Performance. The forty (40) pages applies to all of Volume I in accordance with the RFQ terms and conditions.

13. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 30, Quotes for Submission: 5th Paragraph, “The total number of pages for the technical quote shall not exceed forty (40) pages, using 1” margins, single spaced, font type Time New Roman, and a font size of 12.” Does the 40-page limit include the title page, table of contents, attachments and appendices? The forty (40) pages applies to all of Volume I in accordance with the RFQ terms and conditions.

14. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 33, Past Performance, “The Offeror shall provide detailed descriptions of three (3) relevant projects to collectively meet the requirements of this solicitation that are most similar to this effort in terms of type, scope, complexity and size.”

Does each contract award for previously awarded federal contracts count as separate projects?

For example, would it count as 2 projects if the contractor were awarded a 3-year contract (one base + 2 option years), then applied for and awarded the contract for the same services for a new 3-year period? Each separately awarded Federal contract would be considered separate projects.

15. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 34, Bullet 12, “12. Technological solution used on the project”, Can you explain what is meant by “technological solutions”? What technological solutions may have been used during the contract period.

16. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 39, W. PRICE, “, i.e. labor breakdown, and tasks/deliverables breakdown.” Is a Task/Deliverables breakdown required in the Price Volume or is a cost element breakdown including a labor breakdown sufficient? Quotes shall contain a total price with a breakdown showing cost elements that make up the total price, i.e. labor breakdown, and tasks/deliverables breakdown.

17. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 39, W. PRICE, “, i.e. labor breakdown, and tasks/deliverables breakdown.” Is there a template available for the cost element breakdown? No

18. 12-3198-25-Q-0012..pdf, page 15, 8)Wage Determination, “The Contractor(s) shall be expected to utilize the official wage determination received from the Department of Labor (DOL) for the employees who are covered by the Service Contract Act. See FAR 52.222-41 and FAR 52.222-49. The DOL has established a web site to obtain wage determinations by locality and is available online at: https://sam.gov/wage-determinations. Upon award of the contract, the CO will request the official wage determinations. The official wage determination will be incorporated into the contract by formal modification. Please submit with the quote a complete listing of service employees that will be employed under the contract” Do we need to submit the wage determinations in the RFQ or will the information only be collected after the contract is awarded? What type of information are you requesting in the “a complete listing of service employees that will be employed under the contract?” Do you need name, title, job title, salary, hourly wage, SCA, or other information? Wage Determination submissions can be made with quote submission to include labor category, and wage rate information.

19. Have all options to extend the current contract been exercised? No

20. Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services? Hunger Free America. For further information, submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

21. To what extent will the location of the bidder’s proposed location or headquarters have a bearing on any award? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions. The Contractor shall perform the work at a location that has the capabilities that are needed to successfully execute all tasks.

22. How are fees currently being billed by any incumbent(s), by category, and at what rates?

For further information, submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

23. What estimated or actual dollars were paid last year, last month, or last quarter to any incumbent(s)? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

24. What is the minimum required total call capacity? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

25. What is the minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity? This information is not currently available.

26. What is the maximum hold time? This information is not currently available.

27. What percentage of inbound calls must be answered by a live operator? Please refer to the Performance Work Statement’s Performance Requirements Summary section.

28. What percentage of calls must be resolved without a transfer, second call, or a return call?

This information is not currently available.

29. Is there a minimum or maximum number of operators and supervisors? This information is not currently available.

30. What is the required degree of dedication for the call center? (Can the call center work on other contracts at the same time as this one)? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

31. What are the recording requirements for inbound and outbound phone calls and how long must recordings be maintained? Please refer to the solicitation terms and agreements.

32. What are the recording and storage requirements for non-phone communications? Please refer to the solicitation terms and agreements.

33. What is the current number of seats for operators and supervisors at your existing call center? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

34. What is the current average wait time for phone calls? This information is not currently available.

35. What is the current average handle time for phone calls and other types of communications?

This information is not currently available.

36. What is the current average after-call work time for operators? This information is not currently available.

37. Over the past year, what is the percentage of calls received in English versus non-English?

This information is not currently available.

38. Over the past year, what percentage of calls received were in Spanish? This information is not currently available.

39. What time of day, days of the week, or times of the year do calls typically peak? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

40. Please reconfirm the due date for this procurement by providing it in response to answers to questions. Responses to the solicitation is August 25, 2025, 10am EST.

41. If there was a previous solicitation for these services, what was its title, number, release date, and due date? For further information, submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) official request.

42. Why has this bid been released at this time? The Government has a current requirement need to fulfill.

43. Can you please provide greater details regarding your bid bond and/or performance bond requirements related to this contract? For example, what is required with the proposal, and what is required to comply during the term of the contract? There is no bid bond and/or performance bond for this solicitation.

44. Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories? Please refer back to the solicitation terms and conditions.

45. Please describe your level of satisfaction with your current or recent vendor(s) for the same purchasing activity, if applicable. The Government will not provide such information.

Monifa.Coleman Cross-Out