Attachment_18_-_Questions___Answers__2_0003.pdf

140L0624R0009 GAOA Cahuilla Ranger Station Replacement Page 1 of 2

United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

National Operations Center Denver Federal Center, Building 85

P.O. Box 25047 Denver, Colorado 80225-0047 http://www.blm.gov

140L0624R0009 Amendment 3

GAOA Cahuilla Ranger Station Replacement Questions and Answers #2

52)Q: We are an HVAC contractor located in the Imperial Valley and would like to bid this project. We would like to bid this project using a different product than is listed in the specification. Is “or equal” allowed or is there a substitution requirement?

A: Yes, equal products will be considered on an individual basis during the submittal process after award. Award will go to one prime contractor who will be responsible to subcontract for anything needed.

53)Q: Do we need to be registered with SAM.gov to bid this project?

A: The successful awardee must be actively registered in SAM.gov.

53A)Q: Must a vendor need to be registered by the time of award? Or by the time of bid?

A: When the government evaluates proposals, contractor responsibility is evaluated in SAM.gov, which means SAM needs to be active at the time of the proposal. If you are having trouble navigating SAM.gov, there are offices throughout the US to assist you free of charge. Resources can be found at the following website: Find A Procurement Technical Assistance Center

54)Q: I am looking for a plan holders list or job walk sign in sheet for the above-mentioned project.

A: The pre-proposal site visit roster is attached to the solicitation in SAM.gov. Just search for 140L0624R0009 and scroll to the bottom of the screen to see all the attachments. These are all available to the public, so there is no need to log in.

55)Q: In previous RFPs we have responded to across many agencies, they will allow PPQs generated from past proposals to be used in lieu of a new PPQ sent directly to the CO. It is very difficult at times to get our clients to newly respond every time we submit a proposal about their subject project. Will past PPQs generated be able to be used in lieu of sending new PPQs directly to you?

A: The PPQ is not required. “L-10 VOLUME 3: FACTOR 2, PAST PERFORMANCE (c) says the PPQ may be sent…. This same section explicitly states, “Completed questionnaires submitted to the government by the offeror shall be discarded.” We realize getting a response by owners can be problematic this time of year, but all interested contractors will be contending with the same issue.

https://www.aptac-us.org/find-a-ptac/?state=

140L0624R0009 GAOA Cahuilla Ranger Station Replacement Page 2 of 2

56)Q: We have one very applicable project that we would like to use. This specific client is a utility company that has a policy against providing PPQ’s. In the past, we have been able to utilize a commending email and a statement from them that they are not able to provide PPQ to suffice in order to use the project as one of our relevant projects. We were even able to get an award on this project utilizing this same method. Will it be acceptable to provide these statements in lieu of a PPQ?

A: If you would like to use this applicable project as one of your five references, you may do so. You may even note the agency’s policy of not providing PPQs. Just make sure to provide all the required information accurately so the government can follow up.

57)Q: I want to confirm that we don’t have to provide a subcontractors list with our bid documents. Also, the subcontracting plan will be a factor in the evaluation of our proposal, correct? (Based on M-7 Volume 5, Factor 4)

A: Correct. No specific subcontractor list is required, and the subcontracting plan will be a factor in the evaluation of the large-business offerors.