20210319 Questions and Answers.docx

1240BJ21Q0015: Forest Service, Northwest Zone Trail Construction and Maintenance BPA 3/18/2021 Questions and Answers

1. Just to 100% confirm...the BPA Is required to bid on any of the upcoming jobs in the stated zones in AK, WA and OR under the $250k threshold? Or can I still bid on the jobs when they are posted in the given zones without being part of the BPA?

A: Individual Project BPA Calls made under this BPA will only be sent to BPA awardees. They will not be advertised and sent outside the pool of BPA awardee vendors. Most trail construction work under $250,000 across Alaska, Washington, and Oregon will be procured under this BPA. There will be very limited opportunities for trail work contracts outside this BPA under $250,000 in value. See Section G-1(a) and (i).

2. This BPA will need to be renewed annually? Or is this initial BPA good for multiple years?

A: BPAs are required to go through an annual review process established in Federal regulations FAR 13.303-6(b). Once established through this solicitation process, the annual review will occur until a maximum of 10 years has elapsed. See Section G-1 (b).

3. And for my general knowledge I have a question about wage rates. After reviewing the BPA/RFQ I'm unclear on what the Govt is looking for bidders to submit. Do we need to submit our laborer wage rates as show on page 4 of the solicitation? The wage determination for example, isn't that govt mandated through davis-bacon in each given region/zone? How will these submitted labor rates apply to future awarded contracts?

A: Both CLINs on page 4 need to have wage rate-compliant prices included. Due to the amount of individual zones included, it is impracticable to include every possible Wage Determination with no specific project in mind. These submitted rates will be used for price evaluation purposes (see Section B-1 **, and Sections L-2) and M-2 in the RFQ). Future Individual Project BPA Calls will include their own Wage Determination applicable to the work type, date of advertisement, and specific location (see Section G-1 (i)).

4. Also after looking over the documents its unclear fully all the items the Govt is requesting. There are references to bonds, past experience and then the wage rates. Is there an overall list of bid docs that shows the requirements necessary for bidding on the BPA?

-Bonding?

-resume?

-wage rates? (See question 3) A: Submission of Representations and Certifications in Section K is required if you haven’t included them in your SAM Registration. Otherwise, the instructions for required submission items are included in Section L-2. Submission of responses to the bond form and wage determinations are not required. The answer to Question 3 includes additional information with relation to wage determinations.

5. There is a pre-bid phone conference scheduled for 3/23/21 that we would like to participate in. Is it expected that we will have our final bid documents prepared and able to be submitted 3 days later? Do you anticipate issuing an amendment to the solicitation prior to the bid date?

A: The RFQ closure date remains on 3/26/2021. There is no substantial technical documentation necessary, and is not required or included in the Instructions to Quoters provision included in Section L-2. Therefore, there is no reason to contemplate an extension Amendment at this time. If it becomes apparent one is needed, an Amendment will be included in the posted solicitation on beta.SAM.gov prior to RFQ closure. If substantial changes to the RFQ are necessary, a time extension to the quote due date may be included in an amendment.

6. How will the experience chart shown on page of the solicitation be applied to the award process? Solicitation page 5. Will there be a way to evaluate actual contractor experience with the various categories shown? What does it mean to have "experience)?

A: The chart on page 5 is intended for information only with regards to Individual Project acquisition planning purposes. If a requirement eventually comes up in a location that is covered by the BPA(s), but doesn’t have adequate competition related to both eligible vendors with those specific experiences, we will likely choose to solicit that project as a single award outside these BPAs; you would still be eligible to compete for it, but not as an Individual Project BPA Call. Evaluation of actual experience will occur at the Individual Project BPA Call level, not at this stage. Having experience means having previously performed that type of work for pay as described. As an example, a person who has never used pack and saddle stock on -the-job should not claim they have that particular type of experience, even if they have ridden horses for recreational purposes only.

7. If we sign up to work in certain Regions as part of this solicitation, will that preclude be able to work in any other Regions?

A: A response to this RFQ, which indicates interest in work in the stated Regions, will create a list of vendors to which work within those Regions is solicited (via an Individual Project BPA Call announcement). Vendors not on the list for a given Region will not be solicited for work procured under this BPA within that Region. Participation in this BPA will not affect a contractor’s ability to qualify or compete for project needs for the Forest Service or other agencies which are outside this BPA.