B08_SOL_Amend_002_Attachment_9_-_Solicitation_Q_A_Responses_0002.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- 140D0423R0055
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Sheet1
| 140D0423R0055 |
| HHS ACL IDIQ |
| Attachment 2 - Question Submission Sheet |
| Q# | Document | Page | Section | Question | Government Response |
| 1 | RFP | 46, 52 | Proposal Prep. Insts., 1.3; Evaluation, 1.2 | Last paragraph says, "Offerer shall identify . . . Contracts within the last five (5) years" but initial Q&A distributed with the RFP (answer to #80) says 3 years. Would the Government please verify that contracts within the last five years meet the recency requirement mentioned on p. 52? | The Government previously updated the solicitation to reflect that all past performance submissions must be conducted within the last five (5) years which means projects completed must not be more than five years past the date of proposal submission. |
| 2 | RFP | 46, 52, 53 | Evaluation, 1.2 | Page 52 defines recency as within the last 5 years and says projects that are not recent will not be evaluated. This implies that recency is a pass/fail criterion: either a project is recent or it isn't and is not evaluated. But p. 53 says "More relevant and/or recent past performance will be weighed more heavily." This implies recency is evaluated quantitatively. Will the Government please clarify whether projects more recent than 5 years will be scored higher than projects that are less recent but still within the last 5 years? For example, a project completed a year ago would score higher for recency than a project completed 2 years ago. | Per the soliciations: " For this acquisition, recency is defined as performing the work within the past five (5) years. Any projects submitted that are not recent, will not be considered or evaluated further." The Government will be evaluating submission based on their recency, relevancy and quality with an overall risk assesment conducted based on the PCA ratings/definitions table. Ex. If an Offeror provides a submission for a contract they have completed 3 months out of a base and four option period of performance, that possibly presents a risk to the Government based on little actual performance. Similarly, where performance ended 4.8 years ago, risk will be evaluated accordingly. |
| 3 | RFP | 46 | Proposal Prep. Insts., 1.3 | "All current projects submitted must be more than 50% complete. . . ." Is completeness measured by period of performance or by some other measure e.g., percentage of budget expended or number of milestones reached? | It is measured based on the Period of Performance. The Government will be evaluating submission based on their recency, relevancy and quality with an overall risk assesment conducted based on the PCA ratings/definitions table. Ex. If an Offeror provides a submission for a contract they have completed 3 months out of a base and four option period of performance, that possibly presents a risk to the Government based on little actual performance. Similarly, where performance ended 4.8 years ago, risk will be evaluated accordingly. |
| 4 | Attachment 7, Pre-Solicitation Q_A Responses; and RFP | Row 86 of Q&A and p. 48 of RFP | RFP, Vol. II Past Performance | Would the Government please confirm that the prohibition "At no time during this process... will the names of individuals providing reference information about an offeror’s past performance be revealed to the offerors or to any other party" does not apply to clients who have sent their PPQ back to the bidders for inclusion in their proposals? | Correct. If someone fills out a PPQ and chooses to send it back to the Offeror versus sending it back directly to the Government, you will have the ability to not only know who it is coming from but will also likely know the ratings provided. |
| 5 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 43 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS 1.1 | "Each section of the proposal shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated without the need to cross-reference to any other section of the proposal." |
| Can the government confirm that it does not want cross-references across different proposal volumes (i.e., past performance, small business participate plan, price) and it is not referencing cross-references within the same volume? | Correct. For consistency purposes, cross-references shall not be utilized at all. | |||
| 6 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 46-47 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | |
| 1.1 Solicitation Response Instructions and Conditions: Volume II – Past Performance | The government requires that the offeror, "identify three (3) to five (5) previous or current contracts or grants/cooperative agreements (within the last five (5) years) that best demonstrate the offeror’s past performance on projects similar to the tasks in the SOW that relate to the FA." AND that, "At least two (2) of the previous contracts or grants/cooperative agreements must be for projects completed by the offeror. The offeror may utilize past performance for subcontractors for the remaining one (1) to three (3) contracts/grants/cooperative agreements provided the offeror or other affiliated company will have involvement in the acquisition and the involvement is meaningful." |
| Given that Past Performance is in lieu of a Technical volume, is the government willing to expand the page limit for Volume II from 16 pages to 20 pages? The additional pages will allow offerors to provide greater specificity and details which would eliminate the need for further clarifications from the offeror, saving time and resources that could be dedicated to the government's evaluation process. | The Government believes 16 pages is adequate to provide three - five references to meet the requirements of the past performance requirement. | |||
| 7 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 47-48 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS |
1.3 SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Volume II –Past Performance The government requires that the offeror, "identify three (3) to five (5) previous or current contracts or grants/cooperative agreements (within the last five (5) years) that best demonstrate the offeror’s past performance on projects similar to the tasks in the SOW that relate to the FA." AND that, "At least two (2) of the previous contracts or grants/cooperative agreements must be for projects completed by the offeror. The offeror may utilize past performance for subcontractors for the remaining one (1) to three (3) contracts/grants/cooperative agreements provided the offeror or other affiliated company will have involvement in the acquisition and the involvement is meaningful."
| Where the offeror is a Joint Venture, could the government please provide guidance regarding the required minimum number of Past Performance references required from each partner in the JV to meet the Past Performance requirement? | The Offeror shall submit three (3) to five (5) previous or current contracts, grants or cooperative agreements that best demonstrate the offeror’s past performance on projects similar to the tasks in the SOW that relate to the FA. We will not evaluate more than five (5) past performance submissions. | |||||
| 8 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 48 | Volume III – Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan | Can the government please clarify that for the "Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan" whether the total contract value is $5 Million, as stated on page 48, or $10 million, which is stated in the evaluation criteria on page 54. | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. | |
| 9 | B08_SOL_-_Attachment_3_-_IDIQ_Pricing_Sheet | Tab 2 | "IDIQ Pricing" | Can the government confirm that offerors with existing GSA MAS schedule rates should align LCATs to their approved GSA LCATs and rates. This will help the government more effectively determine price reasonableness, as GSA schedule rates have already been evaluated and approved. If yes, can offeror adjust Attachment 3 to add as GSA MAS LCAT column to show the alignment and offered discounts. | GSA MAS schedule rates are not needed as it is anticipated prices will be determined fair and reasonable based on responses to the Solicitation and offerors should not adjust Attachment 3 to add this information. Additionally, discounts, if provided, should be on the TO level when applicable. | |
| 10 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 46-47 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | |||
| 1.1 Solicitation Response Instructions and Conditions: Volume II – Past Performance | "The offeror must describe the involvement such company will have on/in the acquisition. The past performance submission shall clearly indicate how the resources of the subcontractor or other affiliate company – its workforce, management, facilities, or other resources – will be provided or relied upon for contract performance. The relevant portion of the rating included in the past performance evaluation will include an evaluation of this relationship." |
| Can the government remove this requirement from the Volume II - Past Performance and include it in the Volume III -Small Business Participation Plan. The evaluation criteria for "Volume II: Past Performance" does not clearly include how the relationship between the prime and its small business partners will be evaluated in this response, and there is already a requirement to include relevant letters of commitment and/or teaming arrangements in the volume. Given the limited page count, removing this additional requirement would allow for more thorough explanation of how the subcontractor's past performance is relevant to ACL's requirements and the IDIQ funcional area. | This requirement only exists in the past performance section for companies who are utilizing subcontractor or affiliate company past performance to meet the requirement. If a company has adequate past performance to provide, they need not provide that of others. If they do provide past performance that is not theirs, it is mandated that the relationship be spelled out. | |||
| 11 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 49 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | |
| 1.1 Solicitation Response Instructions and Conditions: Volume IV – IDIQ Price | The government states that a PDF formatted summary of the labor categories and rates proposed is expected, but specifies on page 43 that "Each page shall be an 8 ½ x 11” sheet of paper except for Volume II – Pricing completed in Microsoft Excel." |
| Can the government confirm the formatting/text requirements for the summary statement that will be provided as part of Volume IV - IDIQ Price? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect the following language "The Offeror may submit a statement within the summary statement tab within the IDIQ Pricing Sheet (Attachment 3), which summarizes the labor categories and labor rates proposed." | |||||
| 12 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 35 | HHSAR 352.239-74, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (Dec 2015) | Can the government confirm that a HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template is not required for all volumes of an offeror's response? | This is not required at the IDIQ level but will be required when applicable at the task order level. | |
| 13 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 53 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | |||
| 1.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA: Volume II –Past Performance | "More relevant and/or more recent past performance will be weighed more heavily than less relevant and/or less recent past performance." |
| Can the government clarify how more recent past performances will be weighed more heavily when it is required that past performances are at least 50% complete by the time of submission? For example, if a past performance was awarded a year ago for a five year PoP, that past performance would be more recent than others, but not meet the criteria of being 50% complete. | Per the soliciations: " For this acquisition, recency is defined as performing the work within the past five (5) years. Any projects submitted that are not recent, will not be considered or evaluated further." The 50% verbiage has been removed from the solicitation, however, the Government will be evaluating submissions based on their recency, relevancy and quality with an overall risk assesment conducted based on the PCA ratings/definitions table. Ex. If an Offeror provides a submission for a contract they have completed 3 months out of a base and four option period of performance, that possibly presents a risk to the Government based on little actual performance. Similarly, where performance ended 4.8 years ago, risk will be evaluated accordingly. | |||||
| 14 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 52 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | |||
| 1.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA: Volume II –Past Performance | Can the government confirm that "relevancy" will be assessed based on the offer's alignment to the requirements outlined in "Attachment 1 SOW" and not the sample scope of work in "Attachment 8 - Sample Task Order Descriptions | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. Past Performance should be reflect experience with requirements set forth within the SOW. | ||||
| 15 | Solicitation | 3 | Set Aside | The solicitation states "There are no submission requirements for FA 6, Other General Services. All small | ||
| businesses awarded a contract under FA 1 – FA 5 will automatically receive an award for FA 6." If a small business is on a team as a subcontractor, is that business eligible to receive an award for FA 6? Or does a small business have to be a prime in another FA to receive an award for FA 6? | The small business has to be a prime contractor within FA1 - FA5 to receive an award for FA6. | |||||
| 16 | Solicitation | 46 | Instructions - Volume II Past Performance | The solicitation states "Offeror shall identify three (3) to five (5) previous or current contracts or grants/cooperative agreements (within the last five (5) years) that best demonstrate the offeror’s past performance on projects similar to the tasks in the SOW that relate to the FA." Can an offeror use the same contract as a past performance in support of more than one FA if the contract scope spans FAs and clearly demonstrates the offeror's distinct capability for more than one FA? | That is correct. As long as it is relevant, past performance can be utilized against more than one FA. | |
| 17 | Solicitation | 43 | Proposal Preparation Instructions | Will the government confirm that there is no page limit for Volume III Small Business Participation Plan/ Small Business Subcontracting Plan? | That is correct, there is no page limit for Volume III. | |
| 18 | Solicitation | 43 | 1.1 Solicitation Response Instructions and Conditions | The Solicitation notes that "each page shall be an 8 1/2 x 11" sheet of paper except for Volume II - Pricing completed in Microsoft Excel." Can the government please confirm that this should read "Volume IV-Price" and Volumes I-III should be in Microsoft Word or PDF? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect Volume IV - Price. | |
| 19 | Solicitation | 47 | 1.3 Submission Details, Volume II | Will the government please confirm that Letters of Commitment from IDIQ partners can be included, regardless of whether the partner has supplied a past performance example? | A letter of commitment is not required unless the Prime is utilizing the past performance of the partner at which point the relationship has to be provided to determine it is meaningful enough to utilize their past performance. In this instance, a letter of commitment or teaming arrangement should be included. | |
| 20 | Solicitation | 48 | Proposal Preparation Instructions | Will the government confirm that other sources of past performance information may include other than federal, state, and local government agencies? | That is correct. | |
| 21 | Solicitation | 48/ 53 | Proposal Preparation Instructions/ 1.2 Evaluation Criteria | Will the government confirm whether $5 Million (page 48) or $10 Million (page 53) should be used as the estimated total contract value for purposes of evaluating the small business subcontracting plan? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. | |
| 22 | Solicitation / Attachment 3 - IDIQ Pricing Sheet | 49 | 1.3 Submission Details, Volume IV | Will the government please confirm whether the IDIQ Price Summary Statement should be provided in PDF format per the Solicitation, or whether this should be included in the "Pricing Summary" tab of Attachment 3? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect the following language "The Offeror may submit a statement within the summary statement tab within the IDIQ Pricing Sheet (Attachment 3), which summarizes the labor categories and labor rates proposed." | |
| 23 | Attachment 1 - IDIQ SOW | 28 | Section 3 - Minimum Qualifications | The Government provides a table indicating three levels of staff as well as minimum education and experience qualifications as well as substitutions. We noticed the Junior substitution requires a Bachelor's and 2 years of experience or no degree and 5; however, we believe this prevents offerors from proposing early career personnel entering the workforce from undergraduate programs as well as those with alternative education (e.g., vocational school, certifications). |
| We believe it would be in the best interest of the Government to reduce the Junior level requirements to a Bachelors plus no years of experience or equivalent (e.g., Associates plus 2 years, High School plus 4 years). Will the government consider reducing the education and experience requirement for Junior personnel? | The Government will not consider reducing the education and experience requirement for Junior personnel; however, at the task order level if it is determined a more Junior personnel is sufficient to perform the work then that labor category can be presented in the task order proposal. | |||||
| 24 | Attachment 1 - IDIQ SOW | 28 | Section 3 - Minimum Qualifications | Offerors may be required to provide casual/temporary labor personnel for data collection activities; however, many personnel with these requirements may not have the level of education and experience listed for the Junior level. To receive the best pricing possible and allow for maximum flexibility, we believe it would be in the best interest of the Government to create an additional level for ancillary/support personnel (e.g., Ancillary Support Level IV) without education/experience requirements. Will the Government consider adding Level IV to the Minimum Qualifications table for Ancillary Support personnel in Attachment 1 (IDIQ SOW) Section 3 and an additional row for each labor category in Attachment 3 (IDIQ Pricing Sheet), "IDIQ Pricing" tab for "Ancillary Support"? | The Government anticipates additional labor categories not proposed/priced in the IDIQ to be required throughout the life of the contract dependent on the individual requirement. The details for each requirement will be provided in the TO SOW. Any labor category added at the TO level will need to be evluated for price to determine fair and reasonableness. | |
| 25 | Attachment 1 - IDIQ SOW/ Attachment 3 - IDIQ Pricing Sheet | 31 | Sec 5 Labor Category Descriptions/ IDIQ Pricing | As the Government's needs evolve, offerors may require new types of personnel throughout the life of the IDIQ. Will the Government allow successful offerors to negotiate additional labor categories during the IDIQ period of performance? | The Government anticipates additional labor categories not proposed/priced in the IDIQ to be required throughout the life of the contract dependent on the individual requirement. The details for each requirement will be provided in the TO SOW. Any labor category added at the TO level will need to be evluated for price to determine fair and reasonableness. | |
| 26 | Attachment 8 - Sample Task Order Descriptions | Attachment 8 | Will the government explain whether offerors need to provide a technical response to the Sample Task Order Descriptions when preparing bids? If so, will it be evaluated and how? | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | ||
| 27 | Solicitation | 43 | 1.1 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | The Government stated, "Each page shall be an 8 ½ x 11” sheet of paper except for Volume II – Pricing completed in Microsoft Excel. Printing shall be easily readable (12-point font). Tables, graphics, and call-outs may use 10-point fonts." Will the Government allow font sizes for tables, graphics, and call-outs that are legible and less than 10-point font? | Per the solicitation: " Tables, graphics and call-outs may use 10-point fonts." | |
| 28 | Solicitation | 44-55 | 1.2 Solicitation Questions/Clarifications/Recommended Labor Categories | Is the Government requesting contractor site or Government site labor rates for the IDIQ? | Per the solicitation: "Place of performance will be identified on each Task Order Request for Proposal (TORFP). It is anticipated that most of the work will be performed at the contractor site(s). |
The Contractor is authorized to enable Contractor staff to telework when onsite presence is not required. The Contractor shall provide adequate oversight of work products to ensure contract adherence. Contractors shall have formal telework policies in place by their employer if telework is employed." This information will be specific to each TO and will be specified with the TORFP.
| 29 | Solicitation | 4 | GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS | The Government stated, "No TO award can extend beyond August 31, 2031. And any TO issued prior to the end of the | ||
| ordering period may extend beyond the IDIQ ordering period for up to three (3) years." Please clarify if a task order's period of performance can extend 3 years beyond the last ordering date of the IDIQ. Or will the Task Order period of performance be limited to August 31, 2031? | Those dates are one and the same. The ordering period is five years (9/1/2023 - 8/31/2028) and the Government allows task orders awarded prior to the end of the ordering period 8/31/23 to extend up to three years past that date which means it must end no later than 8/31/2031. No task order can exceed five years in length. | |||||
| 30 | Solicitation | 43 | 1.1 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS | The Government stated, "Each page shall be an 8 ½ x 11” sheet of paper except for Volume II – Pricing completed in | ||
| Microsoft Excel". Will the Government clarify that Volume IV is the pricing sheet? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect Volume IV - Price. | |||||
| 31 | Attachment 8 | Sample Task Orders Descriptions 1-5 | The Government proved Attachment 8, Sample Task Order for Functional areas 1-5. Does the government expect the offerors to provide a technical response to the Sample Task Order description? Or were they for informational purposes only? | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | ||
| 32 | Solicitation/Attachment 8 | 43 | ADD FAR 52.212-1 1.1Solication Response Instructions and Conditions | The Government proved Attachment 8, Sample Task Order for Functional areas 1-5, and did not provide instructions in Addendum FAR 52.212-1 on how to lay out the response for the Sample Task Orders. If it is the Government’s intent for the offeror to respond to the Sample Task Orders, will the government provide the layout, page counts, and evaluation factors for the Same Task Order responses? | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | |
| 33 | Attachment 3 | B08_SOL_Attachment 3 _ IDIQ Pricing Sheet | Other than a heading requesting the company name, the pricing summary worksheet is empty. Should we include pricing summary information? | That section is available if you would like to provide a summary of pricing, however it is not mandatory. It was requested during the pre-solicitation Q&A and therefore provided for use if needed. | ||
| 34 | RFP | N/A | N/A | Can you please clarify if any of the IDIQ LCATs require secret clearance or higher? | No SECRET or TOP SECRET Clearance is required for this IDIQ or any resulting task orders. | |
| 35 | Solicitation | 48 and 54 | Proposal Preperation Instructions and Evaluation Criteria (1.2) | The proposal preperation instructions specify the following, "For the purpose of this evaluation, total contract value shall be $5 Million." Meanwhile, the evaluation criteria states, "For the purpose of this evaluation, total contract value shall be $10 Million." Can the government please confirm what the total contract value is? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. | |
| 36 | Attachment 8 | N/A | N/A | Please confirm that the Sample TA shared as Attachment 8 does not need to be completed as part of our submission | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | |
| 37 | Attachment 5 | N/A | N/A | Please confirm that Attachment 5 Wage Determination does not need to be submitted as part of our Price Volume or any other Volume as part of this submission | The only requirement for the solicitation in regards to the wage determination, is that each labor category be determined whether it is or is not SCA non-exempt. At the TO level, the applicable wage determination specific to the place of performance will be inlcuded. | |
| 38 | Solicitation | 54 | Volume III - Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan | Would the government consider awarding a higher adjectival rating, such as "Exceeds" for any firms that engage small businesses beyond the minimum requirements? | No. The small business participation plan and subcontracting plan are evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis only. | |
| 39 | Solicitation | 43 | PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS, 1.1 | In the requirements for submission, it is stated that "Printing shall be easily readable (12-point font)." Should the text of the submission be double spaced? | That is not required. | |
| 40 | SOW | 28 | Section 3 - Minimum Qualifications | There are requirements for Minimum Personnel Qualifications in Section 3 of the SOW, and COIs were included as part of the package of final documents for this effort, but per response to question #45 from the Q&A on the draft documents, "No resumes are required at the IDIQ level, however they may be required within the TO solicitation requirements." The Q&A on the draft documents additionally states: "Key personnel/resumes are not required at the IDIQ level." Since key personnel are not required, who should complete COIs for this effort? Should the individuals who complete COIs also submit resumes? | ||
| A COI may be requested at the Task Order Level. If determined appropriate for the type of work to be performed, the COI Attachment provided is what the Government will request the contractor to complete. Outside of the OCI requirements indicated in the Solicitation, no COIs or resumes are required with the IDIQ proposal submission. | ||||||
| 41 | SOW | 28 | Section 3 - Minimum Qualifications | It is stated in this section that, "Depending on the task, personnel can be Level I = Senior, Level II = Middle, or Level III = Junior." Can the Government please clarify the specific task staffing requirements? | The specific task staffing will be dependent on the actual TO requirement as specified in the TO SOW. | |
| 42 | Solicitation | 14 | 1.25 Conflict of Interest | This section states "When the Contracting Officer determines the potential exists, the contractor employee through the contract Project Manager shall be required to sign the attached Conflict of Interest Certificate (Attachment 6)." Are completed COIs for proposed IDIQ personnel required as part of the submission (COIs were included with the final package of documents)? | Outside of the OCI requirements indicated in the Solicitation under Volume I, no COIs or resumes are required with the IDIQ proposal submission. | |
| 43 | Solicitation | 3 | SET-ASIDE | Would the government be willing to classify Functional Area #5 as a small business set-aside? | Based on the market research conducted, the Government will not be conducting any additional set-asides for any additional FAs. | |
| 44 | Solicitation | 46 | Volume II-Past Performance | Page 46 of the Solicitation states that the “offeror shall identify three (3) to five (5) previous contracts or grants/cooperative agreements (within the last five (5) years) that best demonstrate the offeror’s past performance …” However, in the response to the pre-solicitation questions, the government states that these past performance examples should be from within the last three (3) years. Can the government clarify whether the time period for past performance examples is five (5) years or three (3) years? | To be considered recent, the past performance must be within the last five (5) years. | |
| 45 | Sample Task Orders Description | N/A | N/A | The government included Sample Task Orders Descriptions. Are offerors expected to respond (e.g., past performance narrative, pricing) to the Sample Task Orders Descriptions? | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | |
| 46 | B08_SOL_-_Attachment_7_-_Pre-Solicitation_Q_A_Responses.xlsx | N/A | N/A | Is the Government planning on providing responses to the full list of questions submitted at the RFI stage? | Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The correct document was uploaded in Amendment 0001. | |
| 47 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 49 | Volume IV - Price | Will offerers have an opportunity to add additional Labor Categories at the TO level to ensure alignment with TO requirements? | The Government anticipates labor categories not proposed/priced in the IDIQ to be required throughout the life of the contract dependent on the individual TO requirement. The details for each requirement will be provided in the TO SOW. Any labor category added at the TO level will need to be evluated for price to determine fair and reasonableness. | |
| 48 | B08_SOL_-_Attachment_8_-_Sample_Task_Order_Descriptions.docx | N/A | N/A | Do the sample Task Orders represent existing ACL work? If so, would the Government be able to identify the specific contracts represented? | Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions were provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | |
| 49 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 48, 54 | Volume III – Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan | Can the Government please clarify the total contract value that should be used for the purpose of preparing small business participation and subcontracting plans because page 48 references $5 million while page 54 references $10 million? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. | |
| 50 | Solicitation | 47 | Proposal Preparation Instructions, Section 1.3 Submission Details | The government states, "Any subcontractor used to demonstrate past performance should include a letter of commitment or teaming arrangement between the prime and subcontractor." |
In the Pre-Solicitation Q&A Responses, Row 55, the government states, "The Government does not require letters of commitment to be submitted."
| Question: Can the government clarify whether the offeror is to include letters of commitment from subcontractors used to demonstrate past performance? | A letter of commitment is not required unless the Prime is utilizing the past performance of the partner at which point the relationship has to be provided to determine it is meaningful enough to utilize their past performance. In this instance, a letter of commitment or teaming arrangement should be included. | ||||
| 51 | Sample Task Order | All | All | Attachment 8: Sample Task Order |
| Question: How should the offeror use the provided sample TO descriptions in their response? | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. | ||||
| 52 | Solicitation | 46 | 1.3 Submission Details, Volume II | The solicitation states, "All current projects submitted must be more than 50% complete by the date of the proposal submission." |
| Question: When determining 50% complete, does the 50% apply to the current period of performance under contract (e.g., base year only or option year only), not including prior contract periods or option years not yet exercised? | The solicitation has been revised to remove the 50% requirement, however, the Government will be evaluating submissions based on their recency, relevancy and quality with an overall risk assesment conducted based on the PCA ratings/definitions table. Ex. If an Offeror provides a submission for a contract they have completed 3 months out of a base and four option period of performance, that possibly presents a risk to the Government based on little actual performance. Similarly, where performance ended 4.8 years ago, risk will be evaluated accordingly. | ||||
| 53 | Solicitation | 48 and 54 | Proposal Preparation Instructions. Volume III Subcontracting Plan | ||
| Question: Is there a specific template offerors should use for the subcontracting plan (e.g., HHS Subcontracting Plan Template), or may they use their own format as long as compliant with FAR 52.219-9? | Offerors may use their own template, they must just address requirements as stated within FAR 52.219-9. | ||||
| 54 | Solicitation | 48 and 54 | Proposal Preparation Instructions. Volume III.a.1) and 1.2 Evaluation Criteria. 1.2 Volume III.1) | The solicitation Proposal Instructions (Volume III.a.1)) state, "For the purposes of this evaluation, total contract value shall be $5 Million.", and the Evaluation Criteria (Volume III.1) state, "For the purposes of this evaluation, total contract value shall be $10 Million." |
| Question: Please confirm the total contract value the offeror should use. | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. | |||||
| 55 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 45 of 58 | 1.1 | In order to facilitate evaluation/subsequent discussion of any questions regarding partners' past performance with the prime offeror, we suggest HHS allow offerors to provide such a letter outside of page count. Please advise if this is acceptable? | Each Offeror has 16 pages at their disposal to submit past performance details, which must include three (3) to five (5) recent and relevant past perforamnce examples. If there is additional information the Offeror would like to provide, they are more than welcome to within the 16 page limitation. The Government will not evaluate more than five (5) past performance examples and recommend only providing those that are most relevant to the work within the scope of the submission FA. Please provide any additional information you are wanting to provide within the approved page limits. | |
| 56 | Sol_140D0423R0055.pdf | 45 of 58 | 1.1 | Please confirm that the font size in the CPARS does not need to be updated to conform with the HHS ACL IDIQ requirements. | CPARS does not need to be changes to meet any font requirements. | |
| 57 | We know that success on a vehicle is dependent upon providing robust capability. Given the volume instructions, it does not appear the government requires information about our approach to partnering with subcontractors beyond their past performance references/example. We request the government allow offerors to provide a 2-page Team Description as part of our Introduction response, so the government is able to assess potential offerors' ability to bid on resultant tasks. Please advise if this is acceptable? | This is not applicable to the introductory volume and should be inlcuded within the 16 page limit of the past performance volume. | ||||
| 58 | Please confirm whether the content of Volume II is focused solely on the 3-5 references for past performance as suggested in Q&A or if offerors are able to provide a more comprehensive summary of the full team's past performance to demonstrate our ability to successfully complete anticipated task orders. | Each Offeror has 16 pages at their disposal to submit past performance details, which must include three (3) to five (5) recent and relevant past perforamnce examples. If there is additional information the Offeror would like to provide, they are more than welcome to within the 16 page limitation. The Government will not evaluate more than five (5) past performance examples and recommend only providing those that are most relevant to the work within the scope of the submission FA. | ||||
| 59 | In addition to the specific 3-5 past projects examples provided in Volume II, would it be acceptable for offers to provide a brief introduction and overall capability narrative specific to the functional area within the 16 page limit? Within the limited narrrative we would discuss additional relevant experience (e.g., information on other relevant projects, relevant work of additional subcontractors on our team, and/or relevant work performed by staff prior to joining our organization). | Each Offeror has 16 pages at their disposal to submit past performance details, which must include three (3) to five (5) recent and relevant past perforamnce examples. If there is additional information the Offeror would like to provide, they are more than welcome to within the 16 page limitation. The Government will not evaluate more than five (5) past performance examples and recommend only providing those that are most relevant to the work within the scope of the submission FA. | ||||
| 60 | B08_SOL_-_Attachment_7_-_Pre-Solicitation_Q_A_Responses.xlsx | N/A | N/A | What is the significance of the yellow highlighted questions in the Q&A responses? Many of these are not answered. Does ACL or AOA intend to respond to these questions? | Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The correct document was uploaded in Amendment 0001. | |
| 61 | B08_SOL_-_Attachment_7_-_Pre-Solicitation_Q_A_Responses.xlsx | N/A | N/A | In answers to questions issued (Attachment 7), the government indicates that they will not award tasks with the IDIQ award and no content will be evaluated other than the Past Performance information. However, the government provided sample task information in B08_SOL_-_Attachment_8_-_Sample_Task_Order_Descriptions.docx. The government directs offerors to the SOW for the Past performance response, and we request confirmation that - even within the Past Performance section, there is evaluation associated with the Attachment 8 information provided. | There is nothing required to be submitted for Attachment 8, Sample Task Order Descriptions. It was provided for informational purposes only to provide a very basic level of understanding to Offerors of a sample of similar work that may be aquired under that functional area. Past Performance should be reflect experience with requirements set forth within the SOW. | |
| 62 | Solicitation | 7 | 1.13 | The Government notes that "The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and is responsible for providing personnel with the necessary level of expertise to support the task activities and requirements in the resultant TO SOW/PWS." Can the Government clarify how it will evaluate Offerors’ personnel expertise and management? | Each TO will be evaluated based on the instructions to offerors and evaluation criteria listed within the TORFP based on the specifics of the TO requirement. | |
| 63 | Solicitation | 45 | Volume I Section d | The Government notes that the Offerer should include signed SF30’s for each amendment issued. Can the Government clarify whether SF30 forms should be signed for solicitation amendments? | That is correct. The front page of each SF30 amendment should be signed and returned with the proposal submission. | |
| 64 | Solicitation | 47 | Volume II, 4th paragraph on the page | The Government states that "IDIQ holders are expected to be able to support the different subject matter areas within the proposed FA." Can the government clarify subject matter areas for FA 3: Communications Projects? | The subject matter areas are the same for all Functional Areas. Please see Attachment 1 - IDIQ SOW, Section 1 - Scope/Subject Matter Expertise. | |
| 65 | Solicitation | 49 | Volume IV Section 2 | Can the Government confirm that Offerors may map our GSA schedule labor categories to multiple IDIQ labor categories? | GSA MAS schedule rates/mapping are not needed as it is anticipated prices will be determined fair and reasonable based on responses to the Solicitation and offerors should not adjust Attachment 3 to add this information. Additionally, discounts, if provided, should be on the TO level when applicable. | |
| 66 | SOW | 22 | Task 2: Material Development and Dissemination | The Government notes that “The Contractor shall develop materials for consumers and other key audiences as specified by the COR, and in select cases, speakers whose first language is other than English.” Can the Government share which languages other than English are most commonly spoken by its primary audiences? | This information will be specific to each TO and will be specified within the TORFP. | |
| 67 | Draft Solicitation | 40 | I.29 E | Section "HSAR provision 352.239-73, Electronic and Information technology Accessibility Notice (Dec 2015)" states, "In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed EIT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template, in accordance with its completion instructions." Can the government confirm that a 508 PAT is required and that it may be submitted as a separate appendix? | This is not required at the IDIQ level but will be required when applicable at the task order level. | |
| 68 | Draft Solicitation | 47 | Vol II Past Performance Instructions | May the offeror request Past Performance Questionnaires to be completed by ACL staff if CPARS for ACL-funded projects are not available? | Absolutely. | |
| 69 | Draft Solicitation | 48 and 54 | Vol III Instructions and Evaluation Criteria | The instructions for small business participation state "For the purpose of this evaluation, total contract value shall be $5 Million" and the evaluation criteria state: "For the purpose of this evaluation, total contract value shall be $10 Million." Which total contract value figure is correct, and since the only cost information required in the submission is IDIQ labor rates, how would the offeror demonstrate that $5M or $10M will go to small businesses on the IDIQ team with no cost budget requirements? | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. The Offeror will take their percentages provided for subcontracting/small businesses and will calculate their values based on a $5 Million dollar value. No Offeor will be bound to the value of $5 million, it is simply for ease of evaluation. | |
| 70 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 1, 4 | 1449, 1.1 Ordering Period of Performance, and 1.2 TO Period of Performance | Page 1 (SF 1449) includes the period of performance as 8/1/23-7/31/28, while page 4 (1.1 Ordering Period of Performance) shows 9/1/23-8/31/28. 1.2 (TO Period of Performance) also shows a start date of 9/1/2023. Please confirm the correct period of performance? | The correct period of performance of the IDIQ is subject to change and won't be defined with finality until award. Our anticipated PoP for the IDIQ is 9/1/2023 - 8/31/28, but if capable of being awarded sooner, the period of performance will be shifted to the left. | |
| 71 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 37 | 1.28 Provisions | AQD Evaluation of Options Provision (MAR 2022) states that the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic award. |
Can you please clarify if this applies only when evaluating task orders, as they would include actual budgets, while the IDIQ submission includes only rates?
| If this applies at the IDIQ level, can you please clarify how this evaluation will be calculated? | At the IDIQ level, the proposed rates will be evaluated for all years within the ordering period. All TOs that contain options will be evaluated as stated within the AQD Evaluation of Options Provision. | |||||
| 72 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 37 | 1.28 | The first paragraph under the heading AQD Evaluation of Options Provision states that "The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic award." Please clarify what is meant by "basic award?" | At the IDIQ level, the proposed rates will be evaluated for all years within the ordering period. All TOs that contain options will be evaluated as stated within the AQD Evaluation of Options Provision. For clarification purposes, basic award refers to the base period of award. | |
| 73 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 37-41 | 1.28 Provisions | FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021) states that offerors shall not complete the representation at paragraph (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not provide covered telecommunications equipment of services..." in paragraph (c)(1) and (c)(2) in the provision at 52.204-26. |
| As clause 52.204-26 is not included with the solicitation, may offerors indicate in the proposal that they have answered "no" to these clauses on SAM, and therefore are not required to complete FAR 52.204-24? | Where 52.204-26 is completed in SAM; this does not need to be submitted with the proposal. | |||||
| 74 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 35, 41-42 | 1.26 Clauses, 1.28 Provisions | The solicitation includes instances that a HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template may need to be completed. As offerors are not proposing supplies or services in response to this solicitation, please confirm that offerors do not need to include a completed Section 508 Product Assessment Template in response to this IDIQ and that this will only be requested at the Task Order level. | ||
| This is not required at the IDIQ level but will be required when applicable at the task order level. | ||||||
| 75 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 36 | 1.1 Solicitation Response Instructions and Conditions | The table on page 43 lists Volume IV as Price. However, the paragraph below includes Volume II as Price. Please clarify. | The solicitation has been revised to reflect Volume IV - Price. | |
| 76 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 46, 49 | 1.3 Submission Details | The instructions for Volume I (Introductory) item g on page 46 require submission of assumptions, conditions, and exceptions. The RFP states "The Offeror shall submit a separate statement that states all (if any) assumptions, conditions, or exceptions with any of the contractual, technical, and/or cost/price terms and conditions of this RFP." |
Instructions for Volume IV (Price) on page 49 require a summary statement which allows offerors to provide explanations the offeror wishes to provide on their proposed price.
| Should the pricing assumptions be included in both Volumes I and IV, to ensure compliance with the Volume I instructions? | The solicitation has been updated to reflect that all pricing assumptions, conditions and exceptions hall be included within attachment 3 in the summary statement tab. No price/cost assumptions, conditions or exceptions shall be included within the introductory volume. | |||
| 77 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 48, 54 | 1.3 Submission Details |
1.2 Evaluation Criteria The instructions for Volume III (Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan) on page 48 state that the Participation Plan should use $5 Million as the total contract value for the purposes of evaluation.
The Evaluation criteria on page 54 states that the total contract value should be $10 Million for purposes of evaluation.
| Please clarify which amount should be used in the Participation Plan. | The solicitation has been revised to reflect $5 Million in both sections within the solicitation. | ||||
| 78 | Sol_140D0423R0055 | 48-49 | 1.3 Submission Details. | The instructions for Volume III (Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan) on page 48 require identification of subcontractors, specific services to be performed by them, and estimated total dollars of such work. |
As this is an IDIQ for multiple functional areas and specific scopes of work will be determined at the task order level, it is difficult to address this requirement.
1. May offerors address the requirement by identifying the types of services which may be subcontracted at the task order level, and state that specific subcontractors will be identified in each task order?
2. May offerors submit their goals as percentages, rather than as dollars?
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