Questions_and_Answers_(Amendment_0005)_0005.docx

Amendment #00005

RFP# 140F0521R0003

Questions & Answers

General Information: The Government has received a lot of questions about the funding, list of projected projects, how these MATOCs will be used, contract values, which agencies/bureaus will use them, etc.

· GAOA funding yearly estimations are provided in the solicitation along with the estimated amount each bureau/agency will receive. These estimated amounts is the funding that each bureau/agency will have each year over the next 5 years to fund all GAOA related projects/goods/services.

· No publicly available list of projects for the coming years will be made available through this solicitation. Each bureau/agency will make their own determinations on how they handle their project lists and if they get distributed to the public.

· These MATOCs will be used for BOTH GAOA and non-GAOA funded projects as determined by each bureau/agency. It is important to note that while these MATOCs are an acquisition tool with the intent to support the GAOA funding they are also available to ALL DOI BUREAUS AND USDA FOREST SERVICE to be used for other requirements that are not funded by GAOA. Thus, GAOA funding will not be the only funding available to be used for these MATOCs.

· The maximum contract values listed in the solicitations are estimated ceiling amounts for each IDIQ contract award. For example, the A&E estimated ceiling is $50 million over 5 years. This does not guarantee $50 million worth of work over the 5 years. This provides an estimated maximum dollar amount that is allowed to be awarded through task orders against the IDIQ contracts over the 5-year period.

· ALL DOI BUREAUS AND USDA FOREST SERVICE will have the contracting authority to use these MATOCs for any of their project requirements at their discretion.

1. My question is about the total contract amount is $50M over 5 years. Can you confirm that the $50M is the total shared capacity for all (up to 128) of the awardees of contracts?

Response Each contract awarded will have a ceiling of $50 million.

2. Pool for all AE requirements - just confirming that's a pool for SBs only.

Response Correct, this is a small business set aside.

3. I wanted to verify that based on the NAICS code it is the intent of the 140F0521R0003 solicitation that the prime is limited to engineering only and not architecture.

Response NAICS 541330 – Engineering Services is the primary NAICS for the MATOC IDIQ. This means that the bulk of the work is expected to be engineering type services. Architectural firms are allowed to be the Prime Firm and subcontract with Engineering firms. However, an Architectural firm still needs to meet the small business size standard of $16.5M for NAICS 541330 to be eligible for award and all of the requirements of the solicitation. Firms will need to meet the small business size standard. It is encouraged that the NAICS code be added if your company meets the size standard.

4. Are firms allowed to submit Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) that have been previously completed by clients in a different format than what is provided in Attachment 4?

Response Past performance can be submitted on the documents that were provided with the solicitation package. CPARS and other past performance documents will be accepted as well. Previous past performance can be provided as well given the work was done with the stated timeline.

5. On Attachment 1 Page 30 under Section SF330 Part I – Contract Specific Qualifications bullet point #7 states, “Provide proof that the prime firm is permitted by law to practice the profession of engineering (i.e. state registration number, a brief explanation of the firm’s licensing in states that do not register firms). In other locations such as page 3, Section 2. Required Registrants, it states “Provide proof that firm is permitted by law to practice profession of architecture or engineering, (e.g., state registration number, a brief explanation of the firm’s licensing in states that do not register firms). Please confirm that it is acceptable for the Prime Firm to be an architectural only firm that is permitted by law to practice.

Response Yes the firm can be architectural. Regardless of the prime being an architectural or engineering firm, offerors shall meet the requirements as stated in the solicitation.

6. On Attachment 1 page 30 under Section SF330 Part I – Contract Specific Qualifications bullet point #3 states “Section F – Example Projects (limit 1 page each), while page 34 section M.3.1 Specialized Experience and Technical Competence SF330, Part I, Section F states “Submit a maximum three (3) page narrative for each project…” Please confirm if (1) or (3) pages are allowed per Section F Project.

Response The correct number of pages per project is 1.

7. I was reading over the Solicitation requirements for United States Department of the Interior MATOC IDIQ_ Sol_140F0521R0003, and I was wondering if you could expand on the Section F requirements below:

But when I go back to section 3.1 I do not see a list of Major Project Types.

Response Please review section 3.1 of attachment 2 – Description of work. The six major categories have been identified as: Architectural Services, Fisheries Engineering, Civil Earthwork Projects, Mechanical Engineering Services, Electrical Engineering Services and Other Facility and Infrastructure Projects.

8. Hi Ian, our firm is interested in Solicitation 140F0521R0003. Can you please share who the incumbent firm(s) are for that contract?

Response There are no incumbents.

9. Is the prime (the small business) required to have experience/project examples for a major category, or if they have a subconsultant, can the experience all be provided by the subconsultant?

Response The experience can be provided by the prime, subconsultants or a combination of them both.

10. Please clarify what type of environmental engineer is requested, as there are many types of environmental engineers.

Response The predominant level of environmental services will fall within the hazardous materials/site assessment/remediation categories or with services overlapping with Industrial Hygiene fields, such as asbestos or lead-based paint exposure. Many Environmental Engineering tasks can be accomplished by persons in a Civil Engineering field and so the resumes and SF-330’s will need to clearly break this out.

11. Can you clarify the conflicting language about the contract capacity ($$$) in the referenced solicitation. On page 2 of 3, it states:

Questions:

Do typical task orders range up to $1M or up to $10M?

Response Typical order will range between $3,500 to $1,000,000.

The correct contract limits should have been stated as such:

“Total contract amount is estimated at $50 million over 5 years. Typical task orders may range between (estimated) $3,500 to $1,000,000. The total of individual task orders placed against the contract shall not exceed $50 million.”

The total contract amount is for each awarded contract.

12. Page 35 of 38 of Attachment 1-Solicitation Terms & Conditions states the following: A minimum of two (2) or the five (5) “Major Project Type” categories will be required however to be considered a qualified bidder for the purposes of the RFP . However, it is not clear if there a limit for a maximum total no. of projects we can include under Section F of SF330 Part I response. Can you please clarify on the minimum and maximum total no. of projects that we can include under Section F?

Response A-E firms MUST submit only three (3) projects in total for each given “Major Project Type” category, no more and no less.

13. Do we need to cover all the services listed under each ‘Major Project Types’ using three Section F example projects per Major Project Type? Assuming that we may not be able to cover all of the services, will the government provide a higher rating for projects that provide greater coverage?

Response Evaluations will be completed in accordance with section L or M of the solicitation.

14. Can we submit significantly completed projects (instead of completed projects) to show specialized experience under Section F of SF330 Part I response?

Response Please provide only projects that have been fully completed

15. Page 35 of 38 of Attachment 1-Solicitation Terms & Conditions states the following: Type of work required may include experience in the areas identified in Section 3.1 ‘A-E Specialties and Major Project Types’ and Section 3.2 ‘Design Considerations’ of the Task Order Technical Requirements. However, Section 3.2 in Attachment 2-Description of Work is assigned to Shoreline Development permit (please refer page 12 of 17). Please clarify on this.

Response Please refer to section 3.1.7 on page 5 of attachment 2.

16. Is there a minimum no. of resumes (under Section E) per discipline we need to submit?

Response See section M.3.2

17. Must the contractor meet the licensing requirements (for all disciplines listed under professional qualifications/key personnel) for all states we choose to perform?

Response No, all key personnel do not have to be registered in the States selected. However, the firm’s Engineer or Architect that will be professionally sealing the construction documents must have registration within that state. The recommendation is to not seek reciprocity until an award is made, unless the firm has specific knowledge of long lead times in securing reciprocity or further testing by examination (i.e. Puerto Rico, California, Alaska). Reference the Requirements for Registration of Designers FAR 52.236-25 clause in the solicitation.

18. Attachment 4-Past Performance Questionnaire states only 3 references must be provided. However, page 36 of 38 in Attachment 1-Solicitation Terms & Conditions suggests PPQs for all Section F projects. Please clarify on this requirement.

Response Past performance should be provided for all projects identified in section F

19. Can a PPQ be provided by an “end user” in lieu of the awarding agency’s POC where the agency’s POC is no longer an employee of the government agency that awarded the project. An example is a project awarded by a USACE district for work at an Army base where the district’s POC is no longer a government employee, but the installation end user is still available and willing to write the PPQ.

Response Yes

20. Table of contents (TOC) in page 30 of 38 of Attachment 1-Solicitation Terms & Conditions show only the following. Shouldn’t the other sections (e.g., SF330 Part I: Section H &I, Part IIs, Appendices) be included under TOC?

• SF330 Part I: Section A – C

• SF330 Part I: D Organizational Chart

• SF330 Part I: E Resumes

• SF330 Part I: F Example Projects

• SF330 Part I: G Matrix - Key Personnel Participation Response Please see page 31 for edits to the table of contents

21. If a firm is on multiple teams and using the same project for all teaming partners, does our client need to submit multiple PPQ for the same project, or would one PPQ suffice to cover all submissions?

Response All submissions provided shall be in accordance with solicitation.

22. Can we have 1 project represent multiple Major Project Types? (example: if we have a project that has Architectural Services, Mechanical Engineering Services, and Electrical Engineering Services, would that count as 1 project example for each Major Project Type listed, or would we have to pick the primary service and classify it under only that Major Project Type?)

Response Yes. Please be sure to make it clear and highlight what expertise is being captured.

23. Are there any pages of requested information that do NOT count against the overall page limit?

Response Please refer to section L.3.1

24. Are points deducted in the evaluation if licensure is pending for submitted personnel / resumes in states we are pursuing?

Response Please review section L and M of the solicitation. Evaluations will be made in accordance with the procedures stated.

25. Per Request for Qualifications, p. 1, Description: “…For FY2021FY2025, up to $1.9 Billion per year will be deposited into this fund. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will receive 5%, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will receive 5% (up to $95M). The National Park Service (NPS) will receive 70% (up to $1.3B) and Forest Service (FS) will receive 15% (up to $285M). These MATOCs will be available to all DOI bureaus and FS for use and will incorporate the needs of all bureau GAOA projects. This MATOC will also be used for other A&E requirements by all Bureaus as needed…”

a. Given the numerous A&E contract vehicles (IDIQs, MATOCs, etc) which currently exist for all of these agencies, what will be the mechanism to determine if A&E services will be issued through the existing contracts or through this new MATOC?

Response

Response Review the contract limits stated in the solicitation

26. Per Request for Qualifications, p. 2, Contract Structure: “The government intends to award up to one hundred twenty-eight (128) Firm Fixed Priced, Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite Quantity contracts with an estimated three (3) to five (5) firms for coverage of each state/area…”

a. Are awards planned for each state/area?

Response

Response Yes

c. Is there any limit to the number of states/locations that a firm can indicate?

Response Ten (10) are the maximum number of contracts a firm can receive. Also ten (10) is the maximum number of states a firm can select to be considered for.

27. Per Request for Qualifications, p. 2, Contract Structure: “…The total of individual task orders placed against the contract shall not exceed $50 million…”

a. Assuming each of the 128 contract holders are awarded one (1) task order, this equates to an average of $390,000 per task order; is this understanding correct? Ie, this amount was reduced from the $100 million NTE in the Sources Sought Notice to now be capped at $50 million.

Response The total contract value for each contract awarded is $50 million.

28. Per Request for Qualifications, p. 2, Contract Structure: “…The wages and benefits of service employees (see FAR 22.10) performing under this contract must be a least equal to those determined by the Department of Labor under the Service Contract Act as determined by the employee’s office location (not the location of the work)…”

a. Does the SCA apply since this procurement is per the Brooks Act?

Response Yes, the SCA does apply as well. Positions held that are NOT professional services should meet the SCA.

29. Per Request for Qualifications, p. 35, Subsection M.3.1(c): “Type of work required may include experience in the areas identified in in Section 3.1 ‘A-E Specialties and Major Project Types’ and Section 3.2 ‘Design Considerations’ of the Task Order Technical Requirements.”

a. Is this referring to Attachment 2, Description of Work?

Response Yes

b. For purposes of clarification, are project narratives describing projects with components of Section 3.2 ‘Design Considerations’ acceptable (ie, as described in Subsections 3.1.7 through 3.1.10)? Are environmental engineering and landscape architecture projects included in the experience areas to be addressed by the project narratives?

Response These experience areas should be included if they are applicable. There is no expectation that each project narrative will have an inclusion of all discipline fields. Please provide your best responses to demonstrate the firm’s technical qualifications and capabilities.

30. Per the Description of Service, p. 16, Subsection 4.6.7: “…Detailed EEC / Cost estimates shall be prepared in two parts;”

a. Please define “EEC”?

Response “Engineers Estimate of Cost aka Engineer’s Estimate”.

31. In Attachment 1, Request for Qualifications, page 35, it says that projects are limited to those “having a construction value of between $250,000 to $10,000,000”. Could the government raise the upper limit for construction value to $20,000,000?

Response The limit will be raised to $20,000,000.

32. Can Subconsultants be large businesses if the Prime is a small business?

Response

33. Do we need an architect on our team if we are not submitting on the Architect category?

Response Please provide a response that meets the requirements laid out in the solicitation.

34. Does the total dollar amount of this contract include construction or is it strictly for design?

Response This is just an A&E MATOC, no construction.

35. What is the maximum size of a file for proposal submission that can be received via email?

Response The maximum size for an attachment in an email is currently 25MB.

36. Page 12 of Attachment 1 states:

Response Should be geared towards the major project types submitted on.

37. Is the United States Department of the Interior looking for 3-5 teams per state that can provide all the required disciplines or is the United States Department of the Interior looking for 3-5 individual firms, per state, for each of the required disciplines?

Response A combination that provides full coverage for each state.

38. I had a question on solicitation #140F0521R0003 about the past performance questionnaires. We are a start-up small business company that are just starting work this construction season. Would we be able to submit past performance questionnaires from clients that have worked with our proposed staff on similar projects (but with a previous employer) rather than our company’s past performance on projects?

Response Please see section M.3.3 that speaks to past performance

39. Is the $1.9B per year for design only, or for construction costs also?

Response The $1.9B is the estimated GAOA Funds available per year for all GAOA requirements. Please be aware these MATOCS are available for non GAOA A&E projects as well.

40. Does USFWS expect other DOI agencies to use USFWS A/E contracts to implement GAOA projects?

Response These IDIQ Contracts will be available for use for all DOI Agencies and USDA Forest Service.

41. Are there any other MATOC contracts coming out for medium to large size businesses?

Response There are no current plans at this time.

42. Is the 6/15/2021 deadline in the solicitation only for Phase 1 portion of the FAR 36.3 Two Phase Design Build Selection Procedure?

Response That is correct.

43. Is the 6/15/2021 submittal only to be emailed to you and no hardcopy is to be mailed?

Response Submissions should be emailed.

44. This IDIQ vehicle covers a variety of engineering and architectural services across several project types. As a small business, we plan on forming teams to provide a more comprehensive set of A/E services. As such, we would like to understand whether the evaluation criteria will favor the prime contractor’s qualifications and client references only or whether both prime and subcontractor project references and qualifications will be weighted equally.

Response Equally

45. Please confirm whether a total of 3 projects are to be provided per Major Project Type.

Response Yes, three (3) projects should be provided per major project type.

46. Question 1: For the project examples in Section F, is it acceptable to include projects in which the offeror was not the prime?

Response Yes

47. RFP, Page 35, M.3.1 Specialized Experience and Technical Competence: SF 330, Part I, Section F - In addition to submitting narratives for a minimum two (2) Major Project Types, can narratives also be submitted for project types not deemed Major Project Types, as included in Task Order Technical Requirement/Description of work, A-E Specialties and Major Project Types, 3.1.

Response Please provide narratives in accordance with the solicitation

48. Will the DOI consider changing Solicitation Section I.8 - 52.291-14 Limitations on Subcontracting (March 2020) to the class deviation 52-219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting (DEVIATION 2019-O0003)?

Response The clause as stated in the solicitation is correct

49. Solicitation Section M.3.1 Specialized Experience and Technical Competence – May the A&E prime contractor include projects completed by a subconsultant in Section F where the A&E prime did not participate, to demonstrate specialized experience of the A&E Prime’s team?

Response Yes

50. Solicitation Section M.3.3 – Past Performance: SF330, Part I, Section H-1 – Per Section L.3.1, the PPQs/CPARS are to be included in Appendix D to the SF330, and project narratives are to be included in the SF330 Section F. Aside from the content requirements in Section M.3.4, what information does the DOI want included in SF330 Section H as contemplated in Solicitation Section M.3.3 Response Please provide the information as stated in the solicitation.

51. Can the Section D organizational chart be formatted in 11" x 17" size?

Response Yes

52. What is the rationale for having 3-5 contracts/state/territory?

Response These are the number of contracts estimated to be necessary for adequate coverage based on historical acquisition data and projections of future projects.

53. What will be the process for issuing task orders to IDIQ contract holders?

Response Please review section H.6 of the solicitation.

54. Who will be on the review board for solicitations responses? A mixture of people from many agencies? (BIA, FWS, FS, etc?

Response The source selection team will be comprised of engineers from most if not all participating agencies.

55. How does the process work if we submit for this contract in multiple states? Can we be selected for some, while not being selected for others or is it potentially an all or nothing proposition.

Response Submission for each state will be reviewed independent of one another. 3-5 of the most highly qualified offerors in each state/territory will be selected for award.

56. Will task orders under this MATOC represent all of the agencies receiving GAOA funds?

Response Yes

57. Can a firm submit as both a prime consultant and as a subconsultant on another team?

Response Yes

58. Is there a set aside # of awards for a SDVOSB firm submitting as Prime?

Response No

59. Can a subconsultant to SBs be included in more than five states?

Response We are limiting the number of states a prime contractor can hold under this MATOC to (5). We are not tracking the number of contracts a subconsultant participates in.

60. Are there contracts that are specific to certain AE services like ecosystem restoration or coastal protection?

Response No. These would be considered boutique or niche services that can either be staffed with in- house capabilities or can be subcontracted out on an as-needed basis. The respondents can certainly list these skills or team members on their SF-330.

61. Please clarify what type of environmental engineer is requested, as there are many types of environmental engineers Response The predominant level of environmental services will fall within the hazardous materials/site assessment/remediation categories or with services overlapping with Industrial Hygiene fields, such as asbestos or lead-based paint exposure. Many Environmental Engineering tasks can be accomplished by persons in a Civil Engineering field and so the resumes and SF-330’s will need to clearly break this out.

62. For firms that are submitting in several states. Will a single contract be awarded to them to cover affected states or will multiple contracts for each state be awarded?

Response A single contract will be awarded

63. How do these projects differ from those that will be issued under the Design Build solicitation?

Response These projects do not differ significantly in scope, but rather in how the Government handles the Project Delivery. A/E services will be required for traditional Title I and Title II A/E design services to support a design/bid/build project delivery model. A/E services can also be utilized for more generalized consulting, special investigations or staffing needs, and to inform on project planning through Findings and Recommendations Reports.

64. If AEs are part of an All Small JV with a separate DUNS number, does that count against the AEs 5 contract proposals?

Response Yes

65. If we are pursuing multiple project types (architecture, mechanical, electrical and civil), do they need to be submitted under separate responses or bundled into a single response?

Response Your response should be comprehensive and include all pertinent information in a single submission.

66. If a small business JV's will they be required to perform 51% of the work?

Response Performance is based on application of FAR 52.219-14(c). For additional reading - see representations at time of initial offer and representation of business size at option period renewal (FAR 19.301-1)

67. Can you define what complete means for projects? Design completed and accepted by owner?

Response The phrase “Project Complete” is defined by the A/E satisfactorily completing the requirements of the individual Statement of Work and the Government taking affirmative possession of the deliverables and completing final payment for the Task Order.

68. How does a joint venture with a small business work under this contract? Will those been seen as favorable?

Response Submission will not be rated any differently than any other small business submission.

69. How will a 6% fee be determined when a design isn't complete?

Response The 6% fee is determined at the time of task order proposal submission

70. Can a team submit through the SBA All Small Mentor Protege Program if our application is pending? It may be approved by SOQ due date, but not certain.

Response This is a SB set-aside, therefore the relevant criteria and evaluation for award factors apply to the offeror's SB status, not other arrangements.

See FAR 19.301-1(e) - Multiple-award contract representations

· (1) A business that represents as a small business concern at the time of its initial offer for the contract is considered a small business concern for each order issued under the contract (but see 19.301-2 for rerepresentations).

· Need to re-evaluate all companies at option periods for SB status. Changes to SB status would prevent exercise of the option.

71. Do the individual Bureaus have a capitial project list by state so we can see the potential scope of project anticipated by each?

Response No

72. To confirm, a firm must be licensed to practice architecture / engineering in a state to be considered for an award of a contract for that state? (2) Will you please elaborate on how construction phase / inspection / administration services may be sourced through these contracts?

Response The firm should have positive knowledge to understand that reciprocity can be obtained for the award for their design professional(s) to seal construction documents for work within that stater. Typically, Title III or construction administration services will either be solicited as part of the initial task order or may be solicited for as a follow-on task order. Follow-on Task Orders requiring the designer of record involvement will be recommended for sole source procurement and not competed due to the legal liability.

73. Will Architects need to include subconsultants [engineers, etc] in the RFQ submittal? If not how will teams be formed?

Response The submission provided will need to meet the stated criteria of the solicitation. Prime firms are responsible for forming their own teams.

74. Is sub-contracting allowed for Personnel noted? If yes, is sub-contracting limited to 50% per FAR 52.219-14 (c)(1) limitations on subcontracting? For example, an HVAC replacement may need a mechanical engineer. This engineer may have more scope than the prime..

Response Yes subcontracting is allowed for personnel. Yes, FAR 52.219-14 ©(1) applies.

75. The solicitation mentions fisheries quite a few times in the major categories, but your slides mention offices, bridges, public use facilities, highway bridges.... should we focus on project weighted towards fisheries, or general A&E (offices Response The presentation and general description of work within the Solicitation is representative of the types of work to be encountered on all DOI bureaus and within the Forest Service. The aquaculture needs associated with Fish Hatcheries normally falls along the same lines as within the traditional structural, architectural, civil, or environmental professions. Any specialized aquaculture needs that might require boutique or niche engineering services will be disclaimed in the individual Statements of Work.

76. Regarding the construction delivery method, will these be Design-Bid-Build or Design-Build or other?

Response Construction delivery method could be different for each task order requirement. This MATOC is for A&E services only.

77. For SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE, how, exactly, will "competence" be evaluated?

Response In accordance with the solicitation, specifically section L and M

78. Are you looking for complete teams covering all services or can firms just pursue one services, e.g. civil engineering or MEP engineering?

Response The solicitation is for a full suite of A/E services as noted. For competitive reasons, if the firm responding cannot fulfill the range of services required, then the respondent is encouraged to assemble a formal team and submit team members on their SF-330.

79. The pre-proposal conference noted construction inspection as a critical service to be provided by A/E firms. Please clarify whether both design and construction management / administration / inspection projects can be submitted as project examples for any of the “Major Project Types”.

Response Yes. But please be mindful of the page limits and prioritization of this service with the other opportunities to share information.

80. Do teaming agreements between the Prime and team members need to be included in the response and if so, must they be notarized?

Response Teaming agreements must be provided (See Section L of the Solicitation) and meet the requirements in FAR Subpart 9.6 – Contractor Team Arrangements.

81. Per Request for Qualifications, p. 8, Subsection H.9: “The six percent (6%) fee limitation (fee is limited to six percent (6%) of estimated construction costs) for A/E services applies only to the actual preparation of final designs, drawings, and specifications…”

a. This appears to conflict with the statement on p. 2, Contract Structure: “Fully burdened labor rates will be negotiated prior to award of any contract.” These fully burdened rates will be used to establish task order pricing, many of which will likely include A&E services beyond the fee limitation. Ie, will fully burdened rates for services related to the actual preparation of final designs, drawings and specifications be negotiated separately from the fully burdened rates for all A&E services not related to actual preparation of final designs, drawings, and specifications? The latter, Sol No: 140F0521R0003 Questions May 18, 2021 Page 2 also known as incidental A&E services, can be quite extensive and may account for more of the services than non-incidental services.

Response The six percent (6%) fee limitation is a FAR requirement and pricing will need to be broken down in task order proposals to make this determination.

b. What does the fee limitation apply to since the rates are already inclusive of fee? Does this mean 6% applies to calculation of burdened rate for A&E design services?

Response See FAR Part 15.404-4(c)(4)(i)(B) For architect-engineer services for public works or utilities, the contract price or the estimated cost and fee for production and delivery of designs, plans, drawings, and specifications shall not exceed 6 percent of the estimated cost of construction of the public work or utility, excluding fees.

82. In Attachment 1, Request for Qualifications, page 35, under c) it is stated “Type of work required may include experience in the areas identified in in Section 3.1 ‘A-E Specialties and Major Project Types’ and Section 3.2 ‘Design Considerations’ of the Task Order Technical Requirements.” But, in Attachment 2, Attachment #00001, on page 5, Design Considerations begins with Section numbering 3.1.7. Could you please clarify what sections are included in Design Considerations?

Response Design considerations begin with 3.1.7 through 3.1.10.1

83. Please confirm the submittal date. Sam.gov has the date extended to June 30, 2021, but that date was not updated on page 31 of 38 of the solicitation.

Response As of this amendment the correct due date is June 30, 2021

84. We are planning to submit on both the 140F0521R0003 AE MATOC and the 140F0521R0005 Geotechnical MATOC; each of these solicitations from the government have a different PPQ form. We have projects we'd like to use that are the same for both solicitations; for the consideration of our clients time would the government accept either PPQ form for each MATOC submittal?

Yes. Also please refer to other past performance questions in this Q&A document.

85. Given the potential for up to 18 projects to be included in Section G, can an 11x17 page be used for Section G?

Response We have increased the page count to 70 to alleviate the concern for page numbers.

86. Could an 11x17 page be used in Section H?

Response We have increased the page count to 70 to alleviate the concern for page numbers.

87. If 11x17 is used for D, G, or H – would it count as one page or two?

Response We have increased the page count to 70 to alleviate the concern for page numbers.

88. Please clarify Question 64 in Amendment #00002 Questions & Answers? Can a small business pursue this solicitation as a member of two different small-business JV teams, each JV having its own DUNS number and submitting a separate proposal for 10-states? Can that small business be selected for up to 10 states as part of each JV team?

Response A single company whether it be part of a joint venture or individually submitting, can only be selected for a maximum of ten (10) locations.

89. Please confirm whether the following disciplines should be included in the submission: Landscape Architecture, LEED/Sustainability, Archaeology, Lighting Design?

Response These disciplines can certainly be listed on the SF-330 and if the key personnel for the proposing firm are design professionals in this area, they should be noted. Landscape Architecture, Archeology, and Lighting Design will be treated as subcontract or team member specialties. Designation as LEED professionals is common to Architects and Engineers and current LEED designations should be noted on the resumes.

90. Can the page limit be increased to 60 to accommodate the numerous resumes and projects?

Response Yes. We are increasing the page limit count to 70.

91. Can the Project Manager listed in the SF 330 Section E Key Personnel be an infrastructure planning professional who does not have a PE or architecture license?

Response Yes

92. I’m sorry, but I’m still not understanding the outline for Section F. Typically, Section F allows for 10 project examples that are cross referenced in Section G’s people to projects. The way I’m reading this the 3-page narratives are not using the typical Section F. 1 page per project format. Is that correct? The Section F template doesn’t support the 3 page narrative qualification.

Response That is incorrect. Given the increase in page numbers we are allowing two (2) page narratives per project.

For Section F – you want a maximum three (3) page narrative for each project, including any photographs and drawings as applicable, for a total of three (3) projects per “Major Project Type” category that illustrates specialized experience of projects completed within the last ten (10) years, each having a construction value of between $250,000 to $10,000,000. This goes against the one-page per project limit response in the Q&A document #6. Is this a separate qualification and does this count towards the 50 page limit?

Response The requirement was changed from submitting a three (3) page narrative for each project to requiring a two (2) page narrative for each project for a total of one (1) project per “major project type”.

For Question 2d – you refer to #21 in the Q&A document, #21 refers to PPQ’s. Did you mean #22 answers this question?

Response That is correct

93. If the Prime firm is a JV, do you allow the use of state registrations of the individual firms in the JV, or does the JV have to be registered in each state?

Response Joint Ventures must meet any requirements set by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

94. Can we include additional resumes not listed in the solicitation, or do you only want us to include those listed?

Response Only submit the resumes needed to meet the requirement.

95. Can we include more than 1 resume per discipline listed in the solicitation?

Response Only submit the resumes needed to meet the requirement.

96. Please indicate if USFWS will allow Prime SB Offerors to utilize the state license of a key subcontractor firm to qualify as being able to do business in a given state.

Response Yes. The we acknowledge that it is not reasonable to expect all Small Business offerors to have full service capabilities without teaming arrangements for formal subcontract agreements.

97. Please confirm that subcontractor personnel with a given state-specific license, certification, or registration will qualify as Key personnel “where firm is proposing to do work,” for the asterisked (*) disciplines as indicated on page 35 of 38 of Attachment 1, Solicitation Terms and Conditions

Response Yes. However, the Prime must remember that the requirement for the design professional to be licensed in the state where the work is being performed will not be waived in the event of subcontract failure or change in personnel. That requirement will remain in place and the Prime must be able to meet that requirement.

98. Please confirm that asterisked (*) disciplines filled by subcontractor personnel will be evaluated with the same weight as personnel from the Prime firm.

Response Yes

99. Is USFWS inclined to award contracts to those SB firms who submit qualifications for all, or most, Major Project Type categories vs. SB firms who submit for the minimum of two (2) categories?

Awards will be made to most highly qualified candidates, ensuring complete coverage for each state.

100. How will USFWS balance contract awards to ensure SB Offerors that submit for the minimum of two (2) Major Project Type categories are not “penalized” by pursuing fewer categories than other firms?

We will be following the procedures outlined in the solicitation and FAR part 36.

101. Please confirm that information Offerors submit in response to L.5.1 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated By Reference (Feb 1998), as indicated on page 31 of 38 of Attachment 1, Solicitation Terms and Conditions, should be included immediately following Appendix D CPARS and/or Past Performance Questionnaires, and will not count toward the 50-page maximum.

Response Response to L.5.1 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated By Reference (Feb 1998) should be provided after appendix D and will not count towards the overall page count.

102. Can Offerors include a cover sheet immediately following the cover (cover page) and not have it count towards the 50-page limit?

Response The page limit has been increased to 70.

103. How are you planning to award the contracts? Based on each major project type or based on an overall project team, based on their submitted capabilities?

Response Awards will be made in conjunction with FAR part 36 and established evaluation criteria provided in the statement of work.

104. The RFQ indicate that Section F projects completed within the last ten years would be considered relevant. Please clarify that if Resume projects in section E completed within last ten years would also be considered relevant.

Response Please be able to indicate a minimum of 10 years experience as stated in the solicitation

105. Page 30 states: “Provide your technical approach to include sufficient information and detail to permit evaluators to score your SF330/Package on each of the evaluation factors listed in the solicitation” Can you clarify the USFWS’ expectations regarding the “technical approach” that is required?

Response The expectation is that proposals address each of the evaluation factors.

106. Can an IDIQ contract be used for a Section F example project?

Response The IDIQ vehicle alone would not suffice, but the task orders issued under the IDIQ would be acceptable.

107. Regarding Attachment 1, Section M.3.1, the RFP states “A-E firms MUST submit only three (3) projects in total for each given “Major Project Type” category, no more and no less,” does this mean that the A-E firm will need to submit more than 10 projects in Section F if submitting on 4 to 6 of the Major Project Types?

Response We are only requiring one (1) project per “major project type” as of this amendment.

108. If a Firm submits a proposal as a Prime and also as a subconsultant on another team, can they do so for the same States?

Response Yes

109. If our firm choose to submit for the major project types Mechanical Engineering Services and Electrical Engineering Services, will the team we need to submit need to include a hydrologist?

Response No. This inclusion is not applicable.

110. Attachment #1, Section L.3.1, Second Paragraph indicates that “labor categories and rate table” will be excluded from the page count. No other reference to labor categories and rate table was observed, please confirm that labor categories and rate table and not expected for submittal.

Response Labor categories and rate tables should not be provided during phase 1 submissions.

111. Attachment #1, Section 3.1.4 (Mechanical Engineering Services) shows design for …”water and sewer systems”. We’d like to clarify that water and sewer system design belongs under Mechanical Engineering vs. the Civil or “other Facility and Infrastructure” projects.

Response Clarification noted. There are many aspects of design that can be accomplished by multiple disciplines, or specific professionals based on their experience and qualifications. The intent is to evaluate the proposals based on the qualifications of the professionals offered.

112. Can you confirm that for these solicitations, our MP JVs will be given the additional considerations for aggregate experience, and that our Proteges will be given the additional consideration as required by the CFR?

Response Joint Ventures will be considered in accordance with the CFR.

113. Can we include 11x17 pages in Section H? If so, will each 11x17 page count as one page or two pages?

Response We have increased the page count to 70.

114. The RFP requires submission of a standard SF330, which allows for the inclusion of 10 one-page project descriptions. However under M.3.1 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE: SF 330, PART I, SECTION F (page 36 of 38), the RFP states: “Submit a maximum three (3) page narrative for each project, including any photographs and drawings as applicable, for a total of three (3) projects per “Major Project Type” category that illustrates specialized experience of projects completed within the last ten (10) years, each having a construction value of between $250,000 to $10,000,000. A-E firms MUST submit only three (3) projects in total for each given “Major Project Type” category, no more and no less.”

Are these project descriptions in addition to the SF330? Will offerors be allowed to submit more than 10 projects in the SF330? If so, should we add additional pages to Section G of the SF330 which only allows ten projects to be listed? With up to 3 project descriptions for each of the six categories allowed at up to 3 pages each, that would be a possible 54 pages of project descriptions, which would exceed the pages allowed per page 29 of 38, Section L.3.1 of the RFP, which says “Responses shall not exceed fifty (50) pages single-sided print.”

Please clarify how many projects we are being asked to submit and how many pages we are allowed. If more than 10 one-page project descriptions, please specify what section of the submittal they should be included in and reconfirm how many pages we are allowed for our submittal.

The overall page count has been increased to seventy (70), and we are now only requiring one (1) project per major project type as opposed to three (3).

115. Typically, there is a maximum of 10 projects for the SF 330 Section F. If a firm wants to submit on all project types (and must produce three projects for each major project type), they would be over the typical 10 project limit. Will more than 10 projects be allowed for this submission?

The Government is reducing the requirement of three (3) projects per category to one (1) project per category.

116. What is the definition of “completed” for SF 330 Section F projects? Can design be significantly completed, or does construction have to be completed for it to be considered?

Response The definition should match that of substantial completion. Significantly Completed: Construction has been largely completed with the exception of a minor punchlist and the owner can take occupancy or use of the item constructed.

117. Regarding Solicitation # 140F0521R0003, as this is a Small Business Set-Aside contact is the expectation that the firms assemble teams to provide services in all disciplines listed?

Response The Government has no such expectation.

118. Are copies of professional licenses required as an appendix? Or does the state and license number on the resume suffice?

Response Copies are welcome to be attached as an appendix but are not required. The State and License number on the resume will suffice.

119. For A-E firm registration to do business in a state, if the prime firm is a joint venture, and one of the JV partners is registered to do business in the state, does that meet this requirement, or does the joint venture entity need to be registered to do business in the state?

Response Yes

120. The response to Question 72 of the Q&A indicates that only Design Professionals must be licensed in the applicable states that we are selecting, or be able to become licensed via reciprocity, and not that the Design Firm must be registered in those states. This is an important distinction since the many of design professionals on our team are professionally licensed in states where our firms is not. Can you clarify that this is correct?

Response This is correct. The intent of response is to convey that the individuals responsible for the design and/or oversight of a set of construction documents, and who will be stamping or sealing the drawings, or portion thereof, be legally licensed as an Engineer or Architect within the particular state where the work is being performed. The same individual must be able to seal the construction documents as licensed Engineer or Architect within that state. The issues of how a firm chooses to handle design professional registration versus corporate registration is a business and liability decision outside the purview of this question. .

121. How do you consider SBA mentor protegee JVs? Sometimes the skills of the JV are looked at as a group and sometimes the requirement is for the small business to have the full skills for an individual project. For example our JV recently lost a project where the JV was qualified because the small business did not have structural engineers whereas the mentor company had many. The group was qualified but the small business was partially qualified. How do you look at the skill sets of an SBA mento Protegee JV?

Response Joint Ventures will be considered in accordance with the CFR

122. If we form a JV to submit on this proposal, and each JV Partners is licensed to do business in a…