Final Questions with Answers 12319826R5000.xlsx
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- 12319826R5000 Retailer Investigations
- Solicitation number
- 12319826R5000
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This is a Final Questions with Answers document for a USDA Food and Nutrition Service Retailer Investigations contract solicitation (12319826R5000). The document contains 86 clarifying questions and answers addressing submission requirements, evaluation criteria, performance standards, pricing, staffing, and operational logistics for contractors bidding on this requirement.
The solicitation seeks qualified vendors to conduct retailer investigations supporting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) integrity. The Government anticipates awarding two separate requirements contracts—one for the Eastern Region and one for the Western Region—with each contractor conducting approximately 23,410 investigative passes in the base year, plus 3% growth in each of three option years. Offerors may propose on both regions but will receive award for only one region. Key requirements include: Past Performance Questionnaires (required, submitted to the Contracting Officer by 9 a.m. on proposal close date); technical proposals limited to 25 pages in 12-point font (excluding resumes, letters of commitment, past performance information, pricing exhibits, cover page, and one-page table of contents); separate regional pricing proposals based on applicable wage determinations from SAM.gov; and demonstrated capability to provide full investigative coverage throughout the entire assigned region. Critical operational requirements specify that all investigators must be bona fide employees of the contractor (subcontractors, 1099 workers, and temporary staffing agency personnel are prohibited); contractors must maintain multilingual investigative capability deployed as needed by location; Key Personnel (Program Manager and Assistant Program Manager) must be available during core hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays; fixed-price per-pass rates must include normal commuting travel costs, with only Government-directed overnight or multi-state travel eligible for reimbursement under a cost-reimbursable CLIN; and contractors must ensure compliance with all applicable state licensing requirements for investigators. Performance metrics require a minimum 90% sanctionable attempt rate and 60% trafficking attempt rate, with deliverables (pass results and case reports) entered into designated Government systems within 24 hours. The Government granted a one-week extension to the proposal submission deadline.
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Retailer Investigations 1231982 Question Format- Retailer investigations
| Question # | RFQ Part & Section Reference | RFQ Page# | Question | Answers | ||
| 1 | 12319826R50001 Past Performance Questionaire | N/A | The solicitation package included a PPQ form; however, the RFP did not include any instructions for submitting PPQs. Please clarify PPQ submission requirements, deadlines, or points of contact. | The Past Performance Questionaires must be submitted to the the Contracting Officer Ian Lipscomb at Ian.Lipscomb@usda.gov no later than 9am of the date that the proposal closes. The Government will only review the past performance within the past three years, from the past five customers or agencies. | ||
| 2 | 12319826R50001 Past Performance Questionaire | N/A | Will the Government accept CPARs in lieu of PPQs? | No, the Government will not accept CPARS in lieu of a PPQ. | ||
| 3 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | Are offerors permitted to use a reduced font size (less than 12 pt) for graphics, tables, and charts, so long as they remain legible? | No, the font size must be 12PT font. | ||
| 4 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | Are offerors required to submit resumes for Key Personnel? | Yes, but the Government will only review that the Key Personnel meet the minimum qualifications outlined in section 7.0 Key Personnel of the PWS. | ||
| 5 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | If offerors are required to submit resumes for Key Personnel, will they be excluded from the page limitation? | Yes, that will be excluded from the page count. | ||
| 6 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | Are offerors permitted to include a cover sheet with each volume? | Contractors may submit a cover letter; however, it will not be reviewed to determine if a contractor receives a satisfactory rating or not. | ||
| 7 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | If cover sheets are permitted, will they be excluded from the page limitation? | Yes, but the Cover letter shall not be more than 1 page. | ||
| 8 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | Are offerors permitted to include a table of contents with each volume? | Yes | ||
| 9 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | If tables of contents are permitted, will they be excluded from the page limitation? | Yes, but the table of contents page shall not be more than 1 page. | ||
| 10 | RFP 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors | 14 | The Volume 2: Past Performance instructions state: "The Government will only review past performance within the past three (3) years, from the past five (5) customers/agencies." Can the Government define and/or explain what it means by "from the past five (5) customers/agencies"? | The Government will only review Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) from the five most recent customers or agencies for which the Offeror has performed work within the past three years. In accordance with the solicitation requirement, offerors must ensure that the three past performance references they submit are for work of similar size, scope, and complexity. | ||
| 11 | RFP Evaluation and Basis for Award | 12 | The Past Performance evaluation states: "The Government will evaluate the offerors’ record of performance on recent and adheringly relevant efforts that involve…" Can the Government define and/or explain what it means by "adheringly relevant"? | In the context of this solicitation the term "adheringly relevant" is intended to convey that the Government will evaluate past performance based on efforts that are not only relevant in subject matter, but that also closely adhere to or align with the specific types of work required under this requirement. | ||
| 12 | RFP / Solicitation Addendum | 13 | The solicitation states that the place of performance is currently unknown and provides a link to SAM.gov wage determinations. Please clarify which wage determination(s) offerors should use for pricing? | Wage determinations on SAM.gov are issued at the state and county level, and because performance for this requirement may occur anywhere within CONUS and its territories, The Government cannot determine a single wage determination applicable to all locations. Offerors should base their pricing on the wage determinations that correspond to the geographic areas within the Eastern and Western Region for which they intend to submit a proposal. Offerors are resposible for selecting the wage determinations that most accurately reflect the anticipated locations where they expect work to be performed. | ||
| 13 | RFP / Solicitation Addendum | 13 | Will the wage determination differ by Region or will it be a National rate? If so, please provide the Wage determination for the regions or a national rate. | Wage determinations are not national rates. They can be found using the link that was attached in the RFP. The applicable wage determination will vary based on the location where work is performed. Because this requirement may be performed anywhere within CONUS and its territories, the Government cannot provide a single wage determination for either region. Offerors should base their pricing on the wage determinations that correspond to the Eastern or Western Region that they intend to bid on. Each offeror is responsible for applying the wage determinations that best reflect the geographic areas where they anticipate performing work under their proposed regional approach. | ||
| 14 | RFP / Solicitation Addendum | 13 | If the wage determination differs by region will it also differ by discrete locality? If so please clarify what wage determination should be used. | Yes, wage determinations differ not only by region but also by specific localities, as they are determined by state and counties. | ||
| 15 | Service Contract Labor Standards; PWS Section 1.0 Eastern and Western Regions | RFP p. 13 and PWS p. 4 | Since the PWS identifies Eastern and Western Regions, should offerors price to the wage determinations applicable to all states and territories within their preferred region, or only those locations where investigations are expected to occur? | Offerors should price based on the wage determinations applicable to all states/territories within their preferred region. | ||
| 16 | PWS Section 1.0, Background and Purpose; Regional Assignment / Eastern and Western Regions | 4 | The PWS identifies Eastern and Western Regions and states that vendors may indicate a preferred region, but final regional assignment will be determined by the Government. Should offerors submit one national unit price per investigative pass, or should pricing be proposed separately by region? | Pricing should be proposed separately by region. | ||
| 17 | PWS Section 1.0, Background and Purpose; PWS Section 3.0, Technical Requirements / Tasks | 4 and 6 | The PWS states that the Contractor’s team shall meet all applicable licensing requirements and that investigators may require registration under individual state license requirements. Please clarify what specific licenses, registrations, or certifications the Government is referring to? | It is the contractor's responsibility to ensure full compliance with all applicable licensing requirements. Investigators may be required to obtain individual State registrations or licenses, and the contractor shall ensure such requirements are met prior to performance. | ||
| 18 | RFP / Solicitation Addendum | 13 | For any labor subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards, are there any Government-specific timekeeping, labor-hour tracking, or recordkeeping requirements beyond standard contractor compliance with applicable SCLS/FLSA requirements? If so, please identify the required format, frequency | This is not a labor-hour contract, the Government will pay based on the cost per pass, not on the number of labor hours worked. Therefore, the Government does not impose any additional timekeeping, labor-hour tracking, or recordkeeping requirements beyond those already required under applicable SCLS/FLSA regulations. Contractors must maintain internal records to remain compliant with SCLS/FLSA, but the Government does not prescribe a specific format or reporting frequency for timekeeping under the solicitation. | ||
| 19 | PWS Section 2.0, Definitions and Acronyms; PWS Section 4.0, Deliverable/Schedule; PWS Section 5.0, Government Furnished | 6, 8, 9 and10 | The PWS requires pass results and case reports to be entered into the designated FNA system, and STARS is identified as the Store Tracking and Redemption System. If reports are entered directly into STARS or another Government-designated FNA system, what information that the Contractor must protect will be disseminated, stored, or transmitted outside of a Government system? | The contractor is responsible for safeguarding all information disseminated, stored, or transmitted within any information system not operated by the Government. The Government will not disignate or approve the external systems the contractor elects to use for transmitting reports or other deliverables. | ||
| 20 | PWS Section 4.0, Deliverable/Schedule; PWS Section 5.0, Government Furnished; Security/IT Compliance requirements | 8, 9 and 10 | If any SBU, PII, investigative results, case information, or other protected information must be disseminated outside of STARS or another Government-designated FNA system, please clarify the approved method of transmission, including whether secure email, encrypted file transfer, Government portal upload, or another method is required. | Email is the approved method of transmission for deliverables outside of Government systems. | ||
| 21 | RFP 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference | 8 | This section shows that a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required. Is it acceptable for offerors to place their Small Business Subcontracting Plans in Volume 3: Price Proposal? | No, the Small Business Subcontracting plan is not required and a ammendment of the RFP will be posted removing that clause. | ||
| 22 | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks | 6 | The PWS states that the Contractor shall recruit and maintain a cadre of investigators with the ability to speak and understand multiple languages. Which languages does the Government anticipate will be required most frequently during contract performance? | The Government does not anticipate or designate which languages will be required with the greatest frequency, as language needs are inherently dependent upon the locality in which performance occurs. | ||
| 23 | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks | 6 | What minimum language proficiency level does the Government expect for investigators providing multilingual support? | The Government does not establish or prescribe a minimum language proficiency level. | ||
| 24 | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks | 6 | Does the Government require multilingual capabilities to be maintained within the contractor's workforce at all times, or may such capabilities be provided on an as-needed basis? | The Government requires the contractor to maintain multilingual capabilities within its workforce. The contractor is responsible for determining when and where multilingual capabilities are requried in order to effectively perform investigative activities. | ||
| 25 | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks | 6 | Requiring all investigators to possess bilingual or multilingual capabilities would significantly limit the available investigator pool and increase costs to the Government. Given that bilingual/multilingual capabilities may only be necessary in certain geographic areas or investigative scenarios, would the Government consider the requirement satisfied if the Contractor maintains and deploys bilingual/multilingual investigators in locations where such capabilities are needed, rather than requiring all investigators to be bilingual or multilingual? | The Government does not require all investigators to be bilingual or multilingual. However, when an investigative assignment requires entering an area where multiple languages are spoken, the contractor must ensure that the investigators deployed to that location possess the necessary language skills to communicate effectively. | ||
| 26 | PWS 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks | 7 | The PWS states that investigators shall review pertinent materials supplied by FNA prior to initiating an investigation, including store visit photographs, information on periods of peak EBT activity, and demographic or environmental information regarding the surrounding area. Please clarify the method by which these materials will be provided to contractor personnel. | All pertinent materials for initiating investigations will be furnished through Government-controlled information systems. | ||
| 27 | PWS 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks | 7 | Will authorized contractor personnel receive direct access to the applicable FNA systems or repositories containing these materials, or will the materials be provided by FNA personnel on a case-by-case basis? | Authorized contractor personnel will receive access to the Government-controlled information systems. | ||
| 28 | PWS 4.0 Deliverable Schedule | 8 | The PWS requires the Contractor to enter investigative pass results into the designated FNA system within 24 hours and to provide a daily summary of investigative activity. Will authorized contractor personnel, including management and quality control staff, be granted access to contractor-entered data, reports, dashboards, or other system-generated outputs within the designated FNA system to support contract management, quality assurance, and reporting requirements? | All authorized contractor personnel will receive access to the Government-controlled information systems. | ||
| 29 | PWS 4.0 Deliverable Schedule | 8 | If authorized contractor personnel (including management and quality control staff) will not have access to contractor-entered data, reports, dashboards, or other system-generated outputs within the designated FNA system, will FNA provide standardized reporting outputs, extracts, or templates to support the Contractor's daily and monthly reporting requirements and minimize duplicate data entry? | This question is not applicable because all authorized contractor personnel will receive access to the Government-controlled information systems. | ||
| 30 | PWS 6.0 Travel | 9 | The PWS identifies travel as a cost-reimbursable CLIN requiring prior COR approval and notes that overnight and multi-state travel may be required. Please clarify what travel costs the Government expects to be included in the Contractor's fixed-price per investigative pass versus those that may be billed under the reimbursable travel CLIN. | Travel between an investigators residence and the assigned investigation location is considered normal commuting and must be included in the offeror's proposed fixed price per investigative pass. The Government will not reimburse these costs. Only Government-directed overnight or multi-state travel is eligible for reimbursement under the cost-reimbursable travel CLIN, and such travel must receive prior written approval from the COR before costs are incurred. | ||
| 32 | PWS 6.0 Travel | 9 | For travel approved under the reimbursable travel CLIN, please clarify whether allowable costs include long-distance in-state travel, multi-state travel, lodging, per diem, and investigator travel time. | The Government adheres to all applicable travel regulations for the purposed of reimbursement. Reimbursement for authorized travel shall be processed in accordance with the governing Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). | ||
| 33 | PWS 10.0 Performance Requirement Measures | 11 | The PWS states that, if the Government determines that an investigative pass contains intentionally misleading information, the Contractor may be required to re-perform all passes conducted by the investigator at no additional cost to the Government. Please clarify the criteria and process the Government will use to determine that information is intentionally misleading. | Intentionally misleading information refers to any statement, documentation, or representation that is knowingly falsified, omitted, or presented in a deceptive manner for the purpose of obstructing, influencing, or compromising the investigative process. | ||
| 34 | PWS 10.0 Performance Requirement Measures | 11 | Prior to directing reperformance activities based on a determination that information is intentionally misleading, will the Contractor be provided an opportunity to review the relevant facts and evidence and respond to the Government's findings? | The contractor will be afforded the opportunity to review all facts and evidence relied upon by the Government and to respond to the Government's determination that intentinally misleading information was provided. | ||
| 35 | PWS 10.0 Performance Requirement Measures | 11 | In making a determination that information is intentionally misleading, will allegations or statements made by retailers, absent corroborating evidence, be sufficient to support such a determination? | Determinations regarding the presence of intentially misleading information will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific facts, evidence, and circumstances associated with each instance. | ||
| 36 | QASP: Appendix A: Performance Requirement Summaries | 8 | The QASP establishes a sanctionable attempt rate of at least 90% and a trafficking attempt rate of at least 60%. Please clarify the methodology used to calculate these metrics, including which pass types are included in the calculation methodology and the denominator and whether familiarization visits, EBT system failures, safety concerns, store closures, or other operational circumstances are excluded from performance calculations. | Only actual passes with results will be counted in the performance metrics established in the QASP. | ||
| 37 | RFP 12319826R5000 Retailer Investigatons | 12 | Within the 1. Technical Approach evaluation description it states "The Government will also evaluate the | |||
| qualification and experience of the Program Manager, Assistant Program Manager and investigative staff, as well as the offeror’s ability to recruit, train, and retain personnel who meet PWS requirements, including security screening and professional investigative competencies." However, Section 7.0 Contractor's Key Personnel on the PWS states the APM as Alternate Project Manager. Can the government confirm if the solicitation requires an Assistant Program Manager or an Alternate Project Manager? | To clairfy, the solicitation uses, "Program Manager/Assistant Program Manager, and Project Manager/Assistant Project Manager" Interchangeably. These titles refer to the same positions. | |||||
| 38 | PWS 5.0 Government Furnished | 9 | The PWS states that the Government will provide EBT cards necessary to perform the required services. Please confirm that EBT card funding and SNAP purchase amounts should not be included in the fixed unit price per investigative pass. | The fixed unit price per pass shall not include SNAP EBT card funding or SNAP purchase amounts. | ||
| 39 | Pricing Spreadsheet | 1A Retailer Investigations | Since the Government intends to award two requirements contracts, please confirm whether the quantities in Attachment 1A represent the estimated quantity per contractor or the total estimated requirement to be shared between both awardees. | Quantities is the total estimated number of passes needed for each year. | ||
| 40 | RFP / Regional Award Language | 12 and 13 | The solicitation states that offerors may propose on both the Eastern and Western Regions, but only one region will be awarded to an individual offeror. Please clarify whether offerors may submit separate submissions for the Eastern Region and Western Region. | No, you cannot provide two separate proposals for each region, but you can propose on both regions; however, the Government will award to the awardee whose proposal can provide services to the entire region that is most advantageous to the Government. | ||
| 41 | PWS 8.0 | 10 | Please clarify whether the Government will pay for the NACI Tier 1 background investigations or whether the contractor is responsible for any associated costs. | The cost of the NACI Tier 1 background investigation, when required as part of the onboarding and suitability process for Contractor personnel, is the respnsibility of the Government. | ||
| 42 | RFP / Volume III Price Proposal | 15 | The RFP states that price analysis will include comparison to the IGCE, market research, and competing offerors’ prices. Please clarify whether the IGCE was developed using historical incumbent cost data or workload-based assumptions? | The Government is not required to disclose how the IGCE was developed. | ||
| 43 | Solicitation Statement of Requirement PWS 3.0 | Page 5 and Page 7-8 | Please clarify the Government's intended definition of an 'Investigative Pass.' Does one Investigative Pass represent (a) a single visit to a retailer, (b) a single transaction attempt, (c) a complete investigative event, or (d) another unit of work? | An investigative pass is defined as a single visit to the retailer, regardless of the number of transactions (if any,) were conducted during that visit. | ||
| 44 | PWS 3.0; PWS 4.0; Deliverables/Schedule | Page 8-9 | Please provide the historical average number of investigative passes associated with (a) a single Request for Investigation (RFI) and (b) a completed retailer investigation. | The number of passes required to complete an investigation is not necessary to report, as the contractor is compensated on a per pass basis rather than per investigation. | ||
| 45 | PWS 3.0; Eastern Region Geographic Coverage Table | Page 6-7 | Please provide historical workload data by state for the Eastern Region, including the number or percentage of investigative passes performed in each state during the most recent representative year. | Based on historical records and other reasonable estimating methods, it is projected that approximately 23,410 passes will be conducted in each of the 2 regions within the year. Historical workload patterns further indicate that the majority of these passes will be performed in larger metropolitan areas. | ||
| 46 | PWS 6.0 Travel | Page 10 | Please provide historical travel information for the Eastern Region, including (a) percentage of investigative passes requiring overnight travel, (b) average number of overnight trips annually, (c) average trip duration, and (d) typical travel distances. | Travel is approved and conducted as required by the Government. Historical data indicates an estimated travel duration of approximately 4 to 6 days. Travel distance varies based on the investigtor's duty location in relation to the location of the assigned investigation. As a result, precise travel estimates are difficult to calculate. | ||
| 47 | PWS 3.0 Licensing Requirements | Page 6-7 | Please clarify licensing expectations: (a) Are individual private investigator licenses required where mandated by state law? (b) Is contractor organizational licensing sufficient where permitted by state law? (c) Are there additional licensing or registration requirements beyond applicable state/local requirements? | Because licensing requirements vary across States and territories, the contractor is responsible for assessing and ensuring compliance with all applicable licensing obligations for each jurisdiction in which invetigative services are to be performed. | ||
| 48 | PWS 3.0 Surveillance Activities | Page 8 | Please provide (a) historical percentage of investigations requiring surveillance, (b) historical percentage requiring video surveillance, (c) typical surveillance duration, and (d) whether surveillance activities are included within the Investigative Pass unit price. | On the rare occasions when video surveillance is required, investigators shall conduct all surveillance activities strickly in accordance with the additional direction and training provide by FNA. | ||
| 49 | PWS 4.0 Deliverables/Schedule | Page 9 | Would the Government provide a redacted sample case report representative of the reports required under this contract? | No, the Government will not provide sample case reports before awarding the contract. | ||
| 50 | What is the likelihood that a contractor will be able to address multiple cases in one day with one investigators? Will there be more than one retailer within a reasonable distance from each other to investigate. | Historical data indicates that investigators will more than likely be conducting passes at multiple location sites within a given day. | ||||
| 51 | Is each investigative pass considered one case? Or will there be more than one retailer per case? | No, Each investigtive pass is not considered a separate case as more than one pass might be required per investigative case. Furthermore, on occasions, a case may involve more than one retailer. | ||||
| 52 | What will be a reimbursable travel cost if authorized? Why is travel not an expected cost? Should contractor factor in travel cost to their price? Unless there is a list with all cities where cases will take place, it will be difficult for contractor have an investigator close enough where overnights stays are not expected. | Reimbursable travel costs shall be governed by the applicable Government travel regulations. The contractor shall ensure that investigators are available and capable of conducting passes throughout all areas within the assigned region. Overnight travel shall be reimbursable only when expressly required by the Government and only when prior approval has been obtained from the COR. | ||||
| 54 | Is contractor expected to have staff in each state of the region? Or are there hubs where it would be better to have multiple investigators to send out? | The contractor shall ensure that investigators are available and capable of conducting passes throughout all areas within their assigned region. | ||||
| 55 | Can Key Personnel qualifications be combined to meet requirements? If individual qualifications are not met, should contractor still apply? | The Government cannot advise a potential contractor to not submit a proposal. Key Personnel qualifications need to be met independently. | ||||
| 56 | Can investigators be Part-time or contract employees? | Provided that investigators are bona fide employees of the contractor, their designation as full-time or part-time personnel is not material to the Government. | ||||
| 57 | Will subcontractor past performance be considered as part of the Government's evaluation of an offeror's past performance? | Yes, past performance as a subcontractor will be considered; however, the contractor must adhere to the RFP and provide three (3) past performance references of similar size, scope, and complexity. The Government will only review past performance within the past three (3) years, from the past five (5) customers/agencies. | ||||
| 58 | Can the Government provide incumbent contractor information, including current contractor names, contract numbers, and approximate annual investigative pass volumes by region? | The current contractor is Coventbridge (USA) Inc. under contract 12319821C0004. The Government does not have a region-specfic historical annual investigative pass volumes available for release. | ||||
| 59 | How does the Government anticipate distributing workload between the Eastern and Western regional awardees? | The Government will determine the distribution of workload between the Eastern and Western regional contractors. The method of such distribution shall be at the sole discretion of the Government. | ||||
| 60 | Are offerors required to demonstrate full regional investigative coverage at proposal submission, or will a transition period be provided to establish investigator coverage? | Offerors should demonstrate in their proposals, the capability to be able to provide full investigative coverage throughout the entire region. | ||||
| 61 | Beyond the qualifications identified in the solicitation and PWS, are there minimum staffing levels anticipated for investigators, the Program Manager, or Assistant Program Manager positions? | The staffing requirements are specified in the solicitation and the PWS. | ||||
| 62 | Will the Government consider teaming arrangements and joint ventures when evaluating technical capability and past performance? | Yes, the Government will evaluate all offerors in accordance with the criteria outlined in the solicitation. Teaming arrangements and joint ventures will be considered to the extent that the combined team demontrates the required technical capability and relevant past performance. Offerors are reponsible for clearly showing how their teaming arrangement or joint venture meets all applicable solicitation requirements. | ||||
| 63 | Is there an estimated number of investigators currently supporting each region under the incumbent contract(s)? | No, The current contract is not structured by region. | ||||
| 64 | Will offerors be permitted to utilize subcontracted investigators located within the designated regions, provided all personnel meet the qualifications and security requirements outlined in the PWS? | No, employees need to be bona fide employees of the contractor. How those employees are recruited is not at the discretion of the Government; however, all staff working on the contract must be a employee of the contractor. | ||||
| 65 | Solicitation, 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors; Volume I - Technical Proposal | 13-14 | The Technical Proposal is limited to 25 pages in 12-point Times New Roman font. Please confirm whether resumes, letters of commitment, past performance information, pricing exhibits, cover page, table of contents, and required forms are excluded from the 25-page limit. | Resumes, letters of commitment, past performance information, pricing exhibits, the cover page, and the one-page table of contents are excluded from the 25 page limit. | ||
| 67 | Solicitation, Award Type | 11 | The solicitation states the Government anticipates two requirements contracts and that offerors can propose on both Eastern and Western regions, but only one region will be awarded to an individual offeror whose proposal can provide services to the entire region that is most advantageous to the Government. Please confirm whether an offeror is prohibited from receiving awards for both regions, even if it is the highest technically rated offeror with fair and reasonable pricing for both regions. | Yes, one contractor is prohibited from being awarded both regions. The Government intends on awarding two separate awards to two seperated contractors. | ||
| 68 | Solicitation, Award Type; 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors; Volume I and Volume III | 11, 13-15 | If an offeror proposes on both the Eastern and Western regions, should the offeror submit one combined technical proposal and one combined price proposal, or separate technical and price proposals for each region? | One combined technical proposal, and one combined price proposal. | ||
| 69 | PWS Section 8.0 Security Requirements | 10 | What is the average and maximum time for USDA to process a NACI Tier 1 background investigation for a candidate with no issues? This is critical to understand for both staffing and operational approaches | The Government is unable to provide an estimated timeline for completion of a NACI Tier 1 background investigation, as processing times vary and are determined solely by the responsible background investigation authoriity. | ||
| 70 | PWS Section 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks; PWS Section 10.0 Performance Requirement Measures; QASP Appendix A | PWS 6-8, 11-12; QASP 7-8 | The PWS Performance Requirement Measures show several performance standards as 100% with a 95% AQL, while the QASP Appendix A states performance standards such as 95% entered on time and at least 95% completed within required timelines. Which standard governs for contract performance: the PWS 100% standard with 95% AQL, or the QASP 95% standard? | The Peformance Work Statement (PWS) estabishes a performance standard of 100% with an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) of 95%. The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) only specifies the AQL percentages. | ||
| 71 | PWS Section 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks; Technology and Information Security Requirements | 8 | The PWS requires compliance with NIST, FISMA, USDA OCIO directives, and protection of IT resources, but does not address contractor tools. May contractors use commercial analytics, case management, scheduling, fraud detection, or AI-assisted tools to support investigative planning, staffing, quality control, and reporting, provided SBU/PII protections are maintained? | The Government does not request, endorse, or recommend the use of any specific contractor tools to perform the services under this solicitation. The Contractor is soley responsible for selecting and providing all other tools necessry to fulfill the contract requirements. All information generated, processed, or maintained under this contract shall comply with all applicable Government privacy requirements, including the safeguarding and protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). | ||
| 72 | PWS Section 1.0 Background and Purpose; Solicitation Schedule of Items | PWS 4; Solicitation 6 | The PWS states each Contractor will conduct 23,410 investigative passes in the base year with 3% growth in each option year, while the solicitation schedule lists the same quantities by CLIN. Are these quantities per region/awardee, or are they total quantities to be split across both regional awardees? | The Performance Work Statement (PWS), RFP and the SF1449 reflect that there is a three percent increase in the number of passes for each year. The PWS states that it estimates that each contractor will conduct approximately 23,410 investigative passes during the Base Year. Accordingly, the estimated requirement is 23,410 investigative passes per region. | ||
| 73 | Because of the potential impact of our questions to our operational strategy and resultant proposal, we request a one week extension for the proposal submission date | The Government will grant a one week extension. | ||||
| 74 | Solicitation, Service Contract Labor Standards; Volume III - Price Proposal | 12-13, 15 | The solicitation states the place of performance is currently unknown and references SAM.gov wage determinations. This creates a problem for offerors in pricing since wage determinations vary broadly even within some regions yet the resulting price offer is a binding firm fixed price to the government. Please provide more detail on investigations at the regional level to ensure we are reflecting an appropriate mix of wage determinations. | The Government acknowledges that wage determinations vary significantly across states and counties. Beacause the specific locations where investigative passess will occur have not been identified and work may be required anywhere within the awarded region, the Government cannot provide regional level investigative volume or a prescribed mix of wage determinations. As stated in the solicitation, offerors are responsible for selecting and applying wage determinations that best reflect the geographic areas within the region (Eastern or Western) on which they choose to base their proposal. Wage determinations are issued at the state and county level, and offerors must ensure their firm-fixed prices fully account for the labor cost associated with their anticipated staffing and perforamance approach. | ||
| 75 | PWS Section 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks; PWS Section 6.0 Travel | 7, 9-10 | The PWS states investigators may perform activities on Federal holidays at the Contractor's discretion and must be available nights and weekends. Are offerors expected to include premium pay, holiday pay, or weekend coverage costs in the Firm Fixed Price investigative pass rate? | Although investigators are required to be available during nights and weekends, this requirement does not affect the pricing structure. The firm-fixed price is to be determined and proposed by the offeror, and the Contractor's internal scheduling decisions - including whether work is performed during nights, weekens, or holidays - are needed to meet performance requirements but do not influence Government pricing considerations. | ||
| 76 | PWS Section 7.0 Contractor's Key Personnel | 10 | The PWS states the PM and APM must be available to the Government during core hours of 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Are the PM and APM required to be full-time dedicated to this contract, or may they support other work if they remain available during core hours? | The Program Manager and Assistant Program Manager are required to be available to the Government from 9am to 4pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (exclduing Federal holidays). While the Government does not have visibility into whether these individuals are dedicated full-time to this contract or supporting other work, they must be available during the core hours. | ||
| 77 | Solicitation and PWS - Transition/Start-Up Requirements | n/a | The solicitation and PWS do not identify a transition-in or start-up period. Will the Government provide a transition period after award before full performance begins, and if yes, what is the expected duration and will transition activities be separately priced or included in the Firm Fixed Price pass pricing? | It is anticipated that there will be a transition-in or start-up period; however, the duration of this period cannot be estimated. This period will not be priced separately. The firm-fixed price applies soley to the investigative passes. | ||
| 78 | PWS Section 1.0 Background and Purpose; Regional Tables and Estimated Passes | 4 | The PWS provides Eastern and Western region lists and estimated annual investigative passes, but does not provide state-level or location-level distribution. Please provide historical investigative-pass volume by state and region for at least the last two years to support accurate staffing, licensing, and pricing. | Based on historical records and other reasonable estimating methods, it is projected that approximately 23,410 passes will be conducted in each of the 2 regions within the year. Historical workload patterns further indicate that the majority of these passes will be performed in larger metropolitan areas, but contractors shall be able to perform investigative passes in all areas of each state of their awarded region. | ||
| 79 | Solicitation, Volume III - Price Proposal | 15 | The price proposal instructions state the Government will evaluate whether pricing is complete and reflective of understanding of the PWS. Beyond the completed Attachment 1A spreadsheet in Excel and PDF, are offerors required or permitted to submit a price narrative, assumptions, basis of estimate, or supporting cost buildup? | Yes, vendors are required to provide a price proposal, but the cost per pass needs to be documented in Attachment 1A, and those cost need to be provided in PDF format. The PDF format pricing should be attached to your overall price proposal. | ||
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RFP#12319826R5000
Performance Work Statement General Information
1.0 Background and Purpose
Page 19 The solicitation notes, "It is estimated that each Contractor will conduct 23,410 investigative passes within the Base Year of this contract; adding an additional 3% more investigative passes within each Option Year."
Can the Government provide the historical or projected distribution of these investigative passes by state?
| If available, please also provide the distribution by metropolitan area or identify the metropolitan areas with the highest investigative volume. | Historical workload patterns indicate that the majority of investigative passes are expected to occur in larger metropolitan areas. More detailered state-level or location-specific distribution information is not avaliable for dissemination. Contractors shall be able to perform investigative passes in each state, city, or county of the region they recieved the award. | ||
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| Performance Work Statement | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks |
| Page 21 | Section 3.0 states that "The Contractor shall recruit and maintain a cadre of investigators with the ability to speak and understand multiple languages" and "Investigators are expected to exhibit the following characteristics: • Bilingual or Multilingual Capability." |
| Please clarify whether every investigator assigned to the contract must be bilingual or multilingual, or whether the Contractor may satisfy this requirement by maintaining sufficient multilingual coverage within its investigative workforce to support assignments as needed. | The term "cadre of investigators" refers to a desingated group and should not be interpreted to mean all investigators. | ||
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| Performance Work Statement | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks |
| Page 21 | Section 3.0 states that "The Contractor shall recruit and maintain a cadre of investigators with the ability to speak and understand multiple languages" and "Investigators are expected to exhibit the following characteristics: • Bilingual or Multilingual Capability." |
| Can the Government confirm which, if any, languages they anticipate needing beyond English and Spanish? | The Government is not in a position to identify which languages may be needed. Contractors are encouraged to determine which language capabilities would best support successful performance of the work. | ||
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RFP#12319826R5000
Performance Work Statement Contractor Requirements
3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks
Per the PWS, "RFIs will generally be issued on a weekly basis; however, based on operational needs, FNA may issue RFIs at more frequent intervals."
Historically, how many investigative passes were included in a single Request for Investigation (RFI)?
Could the Government provide, if available
- The average batch size?
- The smallest batch size?
-The largest batch size?
| If routine weekly RFIs and expedited or daily RFIs have different batch sizes, could the Government provide the typical range for each? | With respect to whether the Government can provide batch sizes, each Request for Investigation (RFI) is issued as an independent action, and therefore, batch-level information cannot be furnished. | ||
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RFP#12319826R5000
Performance Work Statement Contractor Requirements
3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks
Per the PWS, "RFIs will generally be issued on a weekly basis; however, based on operational needs, FNA may issue RFIs at more frequent intervals."
Based on historical experience:
- Have workload surges occurred (i.e. an unusually large number of investigative passes issued at one time, or passes issued more frequently than the normal weekly RFI cycle)? If so, how often did workload surges occur in the past period of performance?
- How many additional investigative passes were typically issued during a workload surge?
- What was the largest workload surge volume?
- How much advance notice was typically provided?
| - What completion timeframe applied to workload surge assignments? | Requests for Investigtations (RFIs) are issued as independent actions and are therefore not subject to batch-level ordering. The volume of RFIs initiated in any given week is driven by operational needs. The required completion timeframe for RFI actions is defined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). | ||
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| Performance Work Statement | 3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks |
| Page 22 | The PWS says "The following activities are strictly prohibited and constitute grounds for immediate removal of personnel and corrective action at no cost to the Government: • Using individuals who are not employees of the Contractor." |
Please clarify whether all investigators performing work under the contract must be employees of the prime Contractor, or whether investigators may also be employees of an approved subcontractor.
| Also, please clarify whether independent contractors, 1099 workers, or personnel supplied by a temporary staffing agency are prohibited. | The requirements state that all investigators must be employees of the contractor. Under this language, individuals employed by a subcontractor, independent 1099 workers, and personnel supplied by a temporary staffing agency would not satisfy this requirement. All investigators are required to be bonafide employees of the contractor. | ||
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Solicitation and
Attachment II: Past Performance Questionnaire Solicitation Number 12319826R5000
| Volume II-Past Performance | ||
| Page 14 | The RFP indicates, "The Government may consider information from other sources," and a Past Performance Questionnaire template is available with the solicitation documents on sam.gov. Please confirm whether Past Performance Questionnaires are required, even for contracts with CPARs available, and by what date and time. | Yes, PPQ are required, and they need to be provided to the Government by 9a.m. on the close date of the proposal. |
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