Qs and As FACILITATION RFQ 140D04200246_0001.docx

FACILITATION RFQ 140D0420Q0246 Questions & Answers

Q1. Will a Neutral Rating of Past Performance be rated and considered acceptable if we do not have any Past Performance in PPIRS or FAPIIS?

A1. In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance, or for whom information on past performance is not available, the offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance. An acceptable rating will be given.

Q2. Will individual resume “personal” past performance be considered for evaluation?

A2. See 52.212-2 Evaluation section of the solicitation.

Q3. Is there an incumbent contractor for this procurement and are they eligible to bid on this procurement? If yes, would you please identify the incumbent contractor(s)?

A3. The incumbent contractor is the National Indian Health Board. The current support is through a cooperative agreement.

This RFQ 140D0420Q0246 is set-aside for any Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE).

Q4. The evaluation criteria listed in the solicitation document section 52.212-2 list past performance; will offerors be required to include any past performance information with proposal submissions?

A4. No.

Q5. Will past performance information be a separate volume? If not, will past performance information be excluded from the 15-page limit of the technical submittal?

A5. No. See #4 above.

Q6. What are the government’s instructions to offerors for past performance submissions?

A6. See #4 above.

Q7. For budgeting purposes, which 4 locations should be used in pricing costs, and how many hours is each meeting?

A7. The TLDC and ADC quarterly meetings take place at one of the 12 IHS Areas (https://www.ihs.gov/locations/) and are easily accessible to an airport. The locations are determined by the TLDC and are provided as soon as possible to the vendor after each meeting.

Q8. Please confirm the a/v equipment needed at each quarterly meeting is LCD projector package with laptop and screen, a podium microphone, and 12 tabletop microphones (1 for every 3 people) in a meeting room for 35 people.

A8. Confirmation of the LCD projector package with laptop and screen, a podium including microphone, a lavalier, and 4-6 tabletop microphones.

Q9. For each quarterly meeting, how many PowerPoint presentation slides will need to be made 508 compliant prior to the meeting?

A9. An average of about 50 slides per meeting.

Q10. For the TLDC monthly informational calls, how many lines will need to be available and how many minutes will each call be scheduled?

A10. Only one conference line is required for each monthly informational calls. Each informational call is 60 minutes.

Q11. For the TLDC monthly informational calls, how many PowerPoint slides will need to be made 508 compliant prior to the meeting?

A11. None.

Q12. Is there a maximum value for this work?

A12. The offeror shall propose a Firm-Fixed-Price in accordance with their proposed technical solution.

Q13. Does the technical submittal 15-page limit include the (1) price quote, (2) assumption, conditions, or exceptions volume, and (3) the offeror's certifications, representations, and other statements?

A13: No, the price quote, assumptions and reps & certs do not count towards the 15 page limit.

Q14. Will the awarded vendor be responsible for building in costs of the meeting space into their firm-fixed price budget or will the agency cover the price of the meeting facility similar to covering agency staff travel costs?

A14. Yes, the meeting space shall be part of the fully burdened rate. Additionally, the contractor’s travel shall also be part of the fully burdened rate.

Q15. Page 2 of the Performance Work Statement, # 6 Travel, states that travel is funded directly by IHS. However, on Page 3 of the solicitation it states that “travel is established to be $32,000 per year…but may be revised in relation to the offeror’s quoted solution”. Can you confirm if travel for the committee members should be included in the budget?

A15. Travel is funded by IHS for Government personnel requiring travel. The contractor is also required to travel which will not be funded by IHS. The $32,000 per year is the estimate for travel for contractors working on this contract (based on historical data). This is an estimate only and can be revised based on the offeror’s quoted solution.

Q16. For the speaker phone at in-person meetings, is the contractor responsible for paying for the conference call costs? If so, please provide an approximate number of participants who dial into the conference call line.

A16. Yes, the vendor is responsible for conference call costs. An average of 3-5 people will call into the in-person meeting.

Q17. For the Informational Calls/Virtual meetings, approximately how many participants dial into the phone meeting? And approximately, how long are the calls?

A17. An average of 15-20 participants for the informational calls and up to 30 participants for the virtual meetings. The length of the informational calls are 1 hour and the virtual meetings up to two hours.

Q18. For 508 compliance, approximately how many pages/slides are made 508 compliant per meeting?

A18. An average of about 50 slides per meeting.

Q19. For Disabled Support Services, what type of services are typically provided at the meetings that should be included in the budget?

A19. Typically support for physical disabilities related to aging and/or injury, surgeries.

Q20. Are bidders required to add in the ODC’s into the labor rates or can those be separate?

A20. Yes, all ODCs shall be part of the fully burdened rate.

Q21. Who is the incumbent on the current contract? Will the government provide the current contract #?

A21. See answer to Question #3.

Q22. What is the total value of the current contract? Is the current contract a 1-yr, 4 option years IDIQ?

A22. Please submit a FOIA request to IHS for this information.

Q23. Will performance take place over all 12 months or on a Quarterly basis? Is the contractor expected to provide full-time or part-time support?

A23. The period of performance is 12 months. The contractor shall provide full-time support for this requirement, but may also include part-time support based on their quoted solution.

Q24. In Section 4, it is noted that the contractor is responsible for costs associated with establishment of meeting space arrangements. Is the contractor expected to add this cost to the Quote or will the costs be reimbursed on a quarterly basis as incurred?

A24. Yes, the contractor shall include meeting space costs into the fully burdened rate. No contractor costs are reimbursable; this is a Firm-Fixed-Price contract.

Q25. In Section 8, we have noted the estimated quantity of materials to be printed. Is the contractor required to produce graphics for the print materials or will that be provided by the government? Example: charts or graphs. How much time will be allotted to complete print jobs in order to deliver materials in a timely manner?

A25. Materials (for example: the agenda, some STPI program material etc.) will be provided by the government 3-7 days prior to the meeting.

Q26. In Section 9, it is noted that materials will be shipped to locations and excess materials will be returned. Will the contractor be reimbursed for shipping methods? Regular shipping or overnight shipping? If reimbursement is not available for shipping costs, how should the contractor estimate shipping costs for inclusion with the total Quote?

A26. Shipping costs shall be part of the fully burdened rate. The Government requires materials to be at the meeting location the day of the meetings. Shipping is based on the contractor’s quoted solution. No contractor costs are reimbursable; this is a Firm-Fixed-Price contract.

Q27. We have noted that travel costs are listed at $32,000. Is that for the senior analyst, analyst, and travel planner travel?

A27. This travel estimate is for annual travel, for all contractor personnel. This is an estimate only, based on historical data. The offeror shall propose travel based on their quoted solution. The Government requires at least one contractor personnel travel for in-person meetings.

Q28. Is it possible to have the government provide the meeting locations? Are the locations consistent or do they rotate?

A28. The TLDC and ADC quarterly meetings take place at one of the 12 IHS Areas (https://www.ihs.gov/locations/) and are easily accessible to an airport. The locations are determined by the TLDC and are provided as soon as possible to the vendor after each meeting. The meetings rotate. The Vendor will be responsible for selecting and securing a venue within the selected IHS Area.

Q29. The NAICS is listed as 541990, PSC R499 on the solicitation. Is the current contract listed under the same NAICS and PSC?

A29. See answer to Question #3.

Q30. Regarding meeting timeframes, how long do the meetings last?

A30. For in-person meetings, the TLDC and ADC meetings are held over a two day period. One and one half day will be dedicated to the TLDC meeting and after a lunch, the ADC meeting will convene the remainder of the day.

The length of the informational calls are 1 hour and the virtual meetings up to two hours.

Q31. How many nights are typically required for hotel stays?

A31. For in-person, the numbers of nights average 3-4 nights per meeting.

Q32. What is the expected turnaround time for award of contract?

A32. The anticipated award date is June 2020.

Q33. If COVID-19 is still a significant issue at contract award, will the government allow an online meeting to meet the requirement of Contract Start-up Meeting?

A33. Yes.

Q34. Has the government determined if the June 2020 meeting will take place in person or via an online meeting? If a virtual meeting takes place, is the contractor required to make arrangements for the virtual meeting?

A34. The June 2020 meeting is virtual and will be handled by the incumbent.

Q35. Our travel planner utilizes Concur; will active travel profiles in Concur be shared with the contractor travel planner or will the contractor travel planner be required to create new travel profiles?

A35. The vendor will be required to utilize Concur Government Edition Travel System (Federal Edition). Any current travel profiles will remain within the Concur Government Edition Travel System. New profiles will need to be set up as needed.

Q36. Will the government provide an active and detailed email directory list of TLDC and DDTP participants?

A36. The government will provide the initial directory, but the vendor will need to update and maintain, as needed.

Q37. It is noted that Section 508 Compliance is highlighted. Will the government provide appropriate information to the contractor in the event that specific meeting materials are accessible and compliant for meeting purposes? If the contractor is to provide materials Section 508 compliant on the day of a meeting, when will the contractor be advised for specific materials, equipment, etc.?

A37. Materials do not need to be 508C the day of the meeting.