127EAT25Q0037 RFQ AMD 0001 Q A Palomar RD Janitorial Final.pdf

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

127EAT25Q0037

Palomar Ranger District for Janitorial Services

ISSUED: August 20, 2025 28 August 2025

Amendment 0001

Question 1: If there is an incumbent, could you please share the Purchase Order number and the total value associated with their contract?

Answer: There is no current contract.

Question 2: Are there any changes in the previous scope to new one?

Answer: No

Question 3: Are there any post-award submittals that we should be aware of? If so, could you please provide the relevant information?

Question 4: Who is the current contractor?

Answer: We currently do not have a contractor.

Question 5: What is the current monthly charge of the current contractor?

Answer: N/A

Question 6: What is the term of the current contract?

Question 7: What is the square footage of the area/s to be serviced?

Answer: The district office building is 3572 square feet and includes two (2) total restrooms, a kitchenette area, three (3) entrances and one (1) main entrance with a small lobby, one (1) conference room, (1) mail room, ten (1) offices, and 11-12 desk areas. The conference room building is 1708 square feet and includes two (2) single person restrooms, one (1) small office, and a large conference room. The small office will have restricted access; these areas will be cleaned only when occupants are present. Additionally, there is (1) restroom requiring service in the Warehouse/Radio Shop.

Question 8: Is there additional locations or scope of work added from the previous contract?

Question 9: Will the awarded contractor provide the paper products/toiletries for this project? If yes, what are those products and what is the monthly consumables value?

Answer: No, the paper products/toiletries and cleaning supplies will be provided.

Question 10: What is the FREQUENCY, DAY and TIME cleaning schedule for this project?

Answer: Work shall be performed between the hours of 5pm to 9pm, two (2) days per week. Work to be performed on Wednesdays and Saturdays or Sunday, whichever is chosen.

Question 11: Is a bid bond required/mandatory for this project?

Answer: No.

Question 12: Is there a prevailing wage?

Answer: See Attachment 4 Wage Determination 2015-5635 San Diego

Question 13: Can you confirm if all consumables (toilet paper, towels, soap, seat covers) will be provided by the Government at all times, or should contractors budget for replenishment?

Answer: No, the paper products/toiletries and cleaning supplies will be provided.

Question 14: Are there any restricted areas within the offices that require special access or escort during cleaning?

Answer: Some rooms in the building are locked for administrative reasons or for Law Enforcement. These rooms will not require services unless left unlocked or a key has been provided to the contractor. These areas will be cleaned when occupants are present.

Question 15: For the annual and semi-annual deep cleaning tasks, can these be scheduled in advance to ensure minimal disruption to USDA operations?

Answer: Yes

Question 16: For wage compliance, should we strictly reference WD 2015-5635 janitor category, or will there be other labor categories applicable under this contract?

Question 17: How will contract performance be evaluated — through routine inspections, checklists, or monthly reviews with the COR?

Answer: Government inspections are for the purpose of satisfying the Government that the services are acceptable and do not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for maintaining quality control. The Contracting Officer's Representative or designated inspector will conduct all inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections. Summary results will be made available on request.

Question 18: Is there a specific inspection or acceptance report format (FS form or otherwise) that contractors must use?

Question 19: Will this contract be awarded as Firm-Fixed Price only, or will reimbursable line items (e.g., special requests beyond scope) be considered?

Answer: this will be a firm-fixed price contract.

Question 20: Is there any preference or scoring advantage for small business, minority-owned, or women-owned certifications beyond the small-business set-aside?

Answer: No. this is a small business set-aside.

Question 21: Please confirm the total cleanable square footage for each building (District office, conference building, and warehouse/radio shop).

Answer: The district office building is 3572 square feet and includes two (2) total restrooms, a kitchenette area, three (3) entrances and one (1) main entrance with a small lobby, one (1) conference room, (1) mail room, ten (1) offices, and 11-12 desk areas. The conference room building is 1708 square feet and includes two (2) single person restrooms, one (1) small office, and a large conference room. The small office will have restricted access; these areas will be cleaned only when occupants are present. Additionally, there is (1) restroom requiring service in the Warehouse/Radio Shop.

Question 22: Are detailed floor plans or room schedules available for offerors?

Answer: No

Question 23: The SOW lists paper towels, toilet tissue, toilet seat covers, cleaning supplies, and cleaning products as Government-furnished. Can the Government confirm whether soap, trash liners, hand sanitizer, and restroom deodorants are also furnished or contractor-provided?

Answer: Yes, soap, trash liners, hand sanitizer and restroom deodorants are provided.

Question 24: What are the exact storage dimensions and access rules for the secure storage area?

Answer: Storage areas for a limited number of supplies will be provided to the contractor. There is one locked admin loft available. Key will be issued using a paper log charting in and out times.

Question 25: Please confirm the twice-weekly cleaning requirement (Wednesday and Saturday or Sunday evenings, 5–9 pm). Is flexibility allowed if staff availability requires schedule adjustments?

Answer: Work shall be performed between the hours of 5pm to 9pm, two (2) days per week. Work to be performed on Wednesdays and Saturdays or Sunday, whichever is chosen.

Question 26: Are there any anticipated surge cleaning needs (e.g., special events, inspections)?

Question 27: Annual services are to be completed within 7 days of contract commencement. Can this baseline cleaning be spread over multiple weekends if necessary?

Answer: No. Annual services shall be performed on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) only and completed within 7 days of the commencement of this contract – base year and any exercised option years.

Question 28: Will contractor staff require background investigations or badging?

Answer: Yes.

Question 29: What is the procedure for obtaining and using the security gate code and keys for restricted offices?

Answer: A gate code will be provided. The contractor shall check to see that the gate is closed when entering/exiting the property. Some rooms in the building are locked for administrative reasons or for Law Enforcement. These rooms will not require services unless left unlocked or a key has been provided to the contractor. These areas will be cleaned when occupants are present. There is one locked admin loft available. Key will be issued using a paper log charting in and out times.

Question30: Are escorts required when cleaning restricted areas (LEO offices)?

Answer: Some rooms in the building are locked for administrative reasons or for Law Enforcement. These rooms will not require services unless left unlocked or a key has been provided to the contractor. These areas will be cleaned when occupants are present.

Question 31: The SOW requires environmentally preferable products (per USDA AGAR and EPA CPG). Will the Government provide a pre-approved product list, or must contractors propose alternatives with supporting documentation?

Answer: Custodial cleaning products required in the performance of the SOW shall meet as a minimum, SFTool (https://sftool.gov/greenprocurement/green-products/5/cleaning-products/0). If it is determined that a product does not meet Government performance requirements, the contractor shall submit a proposed alternative that would meet the performance requirements, the contractor shall submit a proposed alternative that would meet the performance requirements with the lowest environmental impact for evaluation and acceptance. Products that full under the EPA comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) (http://www.epa.gov/cpg ) shall meet the minimum recovered (recycled) content. Bio-based products shall be used upon issuance of the bio-based product listing from the United States Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Product Energy Efficiency Recommendations product list. Supplements of amendments to listed publications form any organizational level may be issued during the life of the contract.

Question 32: How will substitutions be reviewed and approved if a preferred product does not meet performance standards?

Answer: Custodial cleaning products required in the performance of the SOW shall meet as a minimum, SFTool (https://sftool.gov/greenprocurement/green-products/5/cleaning-products/0). If it is determined that a product does not meet Government performance requirements, the contractor shall submit a proposed alternative that would meet the performance requirements, the contractor shall submit a proposed alternative that would meet the performance requirements with the lowest environmental impact for evaluation and acceptance. Products that full under the EPA comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) (http://www.epa.gov/cpg ) shall meet the minimum recovered (recycled) content. Bio-based products shall be used upon issuance of the bio-based product listing from the United States Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Product Energy Efficiency Recommendations product list. Supplements of amendments to listed publications form any organizational level may be issued during the life of the contract.

Question 33: Will the Government require contractors to submit Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) in advance for all chemicals used?

Answer: Yes, Contractor shall provide copies of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) for all cleaning chemicals used.

Question 34: Will Government conduct safety orientation for contractor staff, or is that solely the contractor’s responsibility?

Answer: The Contractor shall be responsible for instructing company employees in appropriate safety measures.

Question 35: Can the Government clarify expectations for reporting maintenance/security issues observed by janitorial staff (per SOW section 5-1)?

Answer: The contractor shall place an "out of order'' sign on any clogged/plugged or otherwise inoperable toilets and sinks and report it to the CO/COR.

Question 36: Will the Government issue a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), and can it be provided pre-award?

Answer: A Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) will not be issued for this project. This is not a performance-based contract. A SOW is provided.

Question 37: The SOW specifies daily random inspections and 100% inspections for periodic tasks. Will the contractor have access to inspection reports to track performance trends?

Answer: Summary results will be made available on request.

Question 38: What is the procedure for addressing and resolving non-compliance or deficiency reports?

Question 39: How many calendar days are planned between award and start of performance?

Answer: Estimated start of performance is 10/1/2025. There will be a kick-off meeting prior to the start of the performance that will be determined at a later date.

Question 40: Will there be an opportunity for contractor staff to shadow incumbents or access facilities before the start date?

Question 41: The solicitation requires invoicing through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). Will training or orientation be provided for new vendors unfamiliar with IPP?

Answer: No. Training will be provided, but there is an IPP Customer Support Desk available for assistance.

Question 42: What is the average payment cycle time from invoice submission to disbursement?

Answer: There is a 30-day grace period for invoices to be approved by the government.

Question 43: How many windows are in each building?

Answer: 6 in the training room, 1 in one of the training room bathrooms, none in the warehouse bathroom. The district office has 28 windows approximately. The district office bathrooms each have a very small window.