M2M_moving_services_Attch_3_QA_0001.pdf

USGS Solicitation #140G0323Q0052 Questions

SOW Specific Questions:

1) Under Scope and Description Page 2 of 8: It references Task Orders being issued either on a

T&M basis, but or preferably Firm Fixed Price, (FFP). Is it safe to assume that bidders are to submit hourly pricing for all labor categories, and if FFP is preferred, than pricing should be based on information gathered through site visit pertaining to that particular task?

a. Yes, that’s a good assumption. The move project manager and USGS team will collaboratively work to identify discrete tasks that make sense and decide how to price those based on a variety of factors, with firm-fixed price being preferred. By submitting hourly pricing for all labor categories, we will be able to get a sense of relatively more or less expensive.

2) Under Basic Requirements Section A on Page 2 of 8: It mentions very specialized and sensitive equipment needing disassembly, crating, and reassembly. There are items that will require servicing by OEM Technicians. Will USGS be able to identify those items in a spreadsheet, and will move vendor be able to invoice an a “Cost Plus Basis” for those services?

a. We will identify the items that require specialized third-party/OEM technicians. Please submit a fixed markup percentage; we don’t use the term “cost-plus”.

3) Under Basic Requirements Section A on Page 3 of 8: It mentions that move vendor will not be responsible for the disconnect / reconnecting of desktop computers and / or printers / plotters, and that USGS employees will handle. Please confirm.

a. Confirmed.

4) Under Basic Requirements Section B on Page 3 of 8: It mentions move vendor being responsible for sending items to surplus, to be discarded and / or recycled. Will this activity be handled under this Solicitation or under separate Solicitation?

a. We are envisioning limited scope in terms of surplus/discard/recycle. While packing there is always stuff people decide doesn’t need to move from point A to point B. We might include in a task order(s) the task of putting trash in a dumpster, for example, possibly including providing for the dumpster and having it hauled away, so we don’t have to deal with that separately after the move. That would be discussed and agreed upon between the move project manager and the USGS before task order issuance for any given task.

5) Under Basic Requirements Section C on Page 4 of 8: It mentions move vendor furnishing a vehicle equipped for handling -80 degree freezers plugged in to maintain an ambient temperature during transit. Will all -80 degree freezers be moved on one sequence under one

Task Order, or various days under multiple Task Orders?

a. Almost certainly all at once for efficiency – we only have on the order of ten or so - but that’s to be determined collaboratively between the move project manager and USGS personnel responsible for the freezers.

6) Under Basic Requirements Section C on Page 4 of 8: It mentions Chemicals / and Compressed

Gasses needing to be relocated, but during site visit it was discussed that USGS would not be relocating any of these items. Please confirm.

a. There will be very little movement of chemicals/gasses required. We will coordinate with the move project manager to discuss options after award.

7) Under Project Meetings and Communications Section B on Page 5 of 8: It mentions move vendors Project Manager and appropriate sub-contractors attending recurring project meetings, (likely weekly). Will these be virtual meetings or physical on-site meetings?

a. Shouldn’t matter for pricing purposes, because the move project manager task order will be time and materials. Any key subcontractors who may need to attend meetings regularly (as opposed to task order pricing site walks) can be included and billed under the time and materials task order.

8) Under Project Meetings and Communications Section D on Page 5 of 8: It mentions move vendor holding (1) hour training session with USGS Move Coordinators. Will this be a one-time activity, or for each Task Order?

a. One time deal.

9) Under Project Meetings and Communications Section E on Page 5 of 8: It mentions move vendor maintaining a detailed project schedule, with first overall project schedule due within 45 days of contract award. Will a preliminary schedule guideline be developed by USGS and detailed version be determined by move vendor based on that?

a. Yes, we will provide a preliminary schedule ASAP after award based on availability of the new space at Moffett Field.

General Questions:

1) It was stated during Pre-Bid site visit that answers to questions would be distributed on March

10th, which would only give prospective move vendors (7) days to craft response. With a project of this magnitude, would it be possible to get Response due date / time extended?

a. Yes, one week extension to 03/24/2023.

2) In Bldg. 4, will the overhead crane be relocating?

a. No.

3) Will the overhead hoist crane in Bldg. 4 be tested and certified that it maintains it’s 3 ton capacity.

a. As stated above, the overhead crane isn’t moving. If you want to use it for any reason, USGS makes no representations as to its condition or safety and will not be testing it, and you must obtain express written permission from the Contracting Officer before using it.

4) Will there be a separate solicitation for the removal and disposition of surplus furnishings, equipment and materials?

a. No, see above section #4.

5) Will OEM representatives need to return for calibration after relocation?

a. TBD.

6) Will this effort be governed by SCA Wage Determination, Davis Bacon Act, or Prevailing Wage? If so, which schedule will apply?

a. 52.222-42, Service Contract Labor Standard, formerly known as the Service Contract Act, applies. See USGS C3 on page 18 of the terms and conditions for the wage determinations that apply to each location.

7) Must core samples within climate-controlled storage area be relocated in same ambient temperature of 30-40 degrees?

a. Yes.

8) How may – 20 degree / - 80 degree freezers will require electrical access during transit? Can they all be relocated during same move sequence regardless of current or new location?

a. See above, we don’t have an exact count but think on the order of ten or so. Probably just one truck and can be moved all at once.

9) Will the equipment currently located below ground level (rock press room) in Bldg. 10, be returned to an area below ground level.

a. No.

10) Prospective move vendors were not able to see contents of the paleo magnetics room. Can we get pictures of contents?

a. Not necessary for pricing purposes.

11) Can it be confirmed that there will be all new racking and shelving installed in new warehouse facility?

a. Confirmed, and there is no requirement to dismantle, remove, or move existing racking and shelving at Menlo.

12) Behind the warehouse buildings at 1020 O’Brien, there were a number of 20’ and 40’ steamship containers that were locked an unable for us to review contents. Will any contents from them be relocating, and what is the disposition of the containers?

a. Some will be moved, not all. This will be scoped and discussed as to what moves and how that move occurs (empty or full) with the move project manager.

• We were told that there is an inventory list. Does that exist?

• An inventory of major lab equipment is available and will be provided to the successful contractor. However, this is not an all-inclusive inventory for the entire relocation and it is expected that full inventory and scoping will be completed by the move project manager under the first task order.

• There are lots of beakers and glassware. Does this have to move, and if so, is the mover responsible for the packing and prepping or will that be done by the lab?

• Yes, it has to move, and the expectation is that the vast majority will be packed by the mover. Some users may want to pack and/or move certain specialty items themselves.

This will be scoped with the move project manager.

• We were told that the racking from the warehouse was not moving, and that the racking would be new @ destination….can you confirm?

• Confirmed.

• There are some very large drill bits ( appx 10’ long) and misc metal behind the warehouse…..are these goods moving ?

• Assume yes, again to be scoped with the move project manager.

• There are over 10 containers, either 20 or 40 foot, behind the warehouse. Are these full and are these moving?

• See above, already answered.

• Will the users in the labs and offices do the packing and unpacking ?

• Generally, labs get packed and unpacked by the movers and offices get packed and unpacked by employees. This will be scoped with the move project manager.

• There were many references to decommission or disposal. Can you confirm that this piece should not be included in the core move?

• See above, already answered.

• Do you have a declared value of the goods to be moved.

• No, but we are requiring a $10M commercial general liability insurance policy.

• We were told that there were floor plans of the sites to be moved. Could you confirm and send?

• We will provide to the successful contractor.

For the Move project manager, it states 2 options, T&M and or Firm Fixed Price (FFP). A firm fixed price is really not an option, (for example, we spent a minimum 20 minutes in one lab alone yesterday) however to even give a budget for T&M, we need a duration or at minimum an estimated duration.

Start 2 months prior to the first move, 1 month, 1 week, etc? 2 weeks following the final move, etc.

The first task order for the move project manager is to be labor hours; FFP would not be realistic. We do not want to dictate a level of effort, but we want the move project manager to start immediately and stay with the project through successful completion. Our assumption is that the move project manager level of effort is likely full time for multiple months with much time spent on-site, the majority at Menlo. We prefer more comprehensive service rather than less.

RFP says the contractor is required to provide an electrified truck, then in another paragraph, they are asking for a refrigerated truck and talk of moving samples. Need clarification of what is needed here, how many activations, or phases, etc.

TBD based on coordination between the move project manager and USGS personnel. We’re going to need both; the electrified truck(s) for certain equipment and the refrigerated truck(s) for samples.

During the walk, there was mention of having a powered cart, to keep things under power while rolling from the building, to the electrified truck and then onto the new building. Need to know if this is really a real request?

We have some equipment that cannot lose power and is protected by uninterruptible power supplies with generator backup. The move project manager and USGS personnel responsible for that equipment will be expected to work together to determine the best way to move that equipment. A powered cart was just one idea.

Since the labs are active, what are the hours for moving, and what it the downtime they will tolerate.

Best not to think of the labs as “active;” they will have to be shut down to move. We want to minimize the downtime for each lab. Downtime depends on the complexity of the shutdown/startup procedure for each lab, and we expect the move project manager to work with USGS personnel to lay down a detailed schedule to help users understand when/how to shutdown/restart. Think Gantt chart. We anticipate moving lab by lab. What we do NOT want to do is shut down everything, pack everything, move everything, and then start everything back up – that will lead to extended and unnecessary down time for certain users.

Chemicals: The RFP is asking the mover to provide transportation for these items, we DO NOT have a Haz-mat permit, and if this is needed, we will need a specific list of chemicals, quantities of chemicals and what will be moved per phase..(we would employ a 3rd party vendor for this piece)

Already answered.

Protection and damages: The USGS person thought they may be self-insured for cargo. The RFP says we are responsible for replacement/repairs or we may be able to pay monetary costs for settlement. Are they looking to us to provide cargo coverage, and if so, what value do they want?

The US Government is self-insured for items under its own control. For example, the US Government does not carry commercial car insurance for government-owned vehicles driven by government employees, or hazard insurance on government buildings. However, contractors are frequently required to carry insurance to protect government property when it is under contractor control, as in the case of moving items from point A to point B, or builder’s risk insurance for property under construction. The SOW reads: “Except when loss and/or damage arises out of causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the contractor, the contractor assumes all liability for replacement/repair of property lost and/or damaged,” and later requires $10M in commercial general liability insurance with USGS as a named additional insured.

Are they going to require background checks, proof of Covid vaccinations, etc. for any of our crews?

For the most part, no, but those personnel moving items into the warehouse in building N144 at Moffett Field will need to be US Citizens with valid government-issued ID for temporary access behind the security fence.

Will USGS do all PC disconnects/reconnects for personal computers?

Yes.

Please confirm that any walls/door openings, etc. that need to be removed will be by USGS.

Confirmed.

There was a discussion of the mover coordinating and including the cost for OEM prep, packing, unpacking, and set up to be included in our pricing. We will need a specific list of vendors and equipment to put get pricing and to include in the RFP.

TBD. Please include a fixed percentage markup to be applied to any such third-party OEMs.

WAREHOUSE: The RFP stated one address: 1020 O’Brien, Menlo Park. For clarification, this is actually 4 buildings adjacent to each other.

Correct.

There are numerous overseas containers in the yard, are the contents of these moving? If so, we need to know what is in them.

Are the containers moving? And if so in our scope?

In the warehouse, there is palletized product, map files, and loose items in racks and in offices. Will we be responsible to remove from racks, palletize as needed and return to racks at the new site?

Will the racks be NEW and pre-built at the new site?

Will we need to remove and dispose of any existing racking/shelving etc.?

No.

In the main warehouse 1020, there is a cold storage room containing tubes of products that are clearly inventoried and shelved in chronological order, will we be removing from the racks, moving, and re-shelving by inventory/chronological order? And does this product need to be moved in refrigerated vans? We will need a layout of this cold room as well.

Yes – the mover is expected to handle this similar to a library style move and it must be transported/moved in refrigerated vans. At this time – only the material will likely move and new shelving will be provided at the new location.