QA_140P2022Q0015_Amd0002_0002.pdf

Questions and Answers: Solicitation 14P2022Q0015, Amendment 0002

1. Question: Duration of BPA / Schedule B / Period of Performance These sections on pages 3, 4, and 5 appear to describe a one-year commitment, with options for four subsequent years. This is confusing b/c the Statement of Work showing a multi-year commitment / expectation appears to conflict with this approach. Please clarify how this award is going to work along these lines.

Answer: As stated in Section A under Duration of BPA on page 3 of the solicitation “The BPA includes a 1-year base period plus four 1-year option periods”. Clause 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract will be incorporated into the solicitation through an Amendment. Additionally, the SOW will be amended to reflect a 1-year base period plus four 1-year option periods rather than the stated 5-years.

2. Question: Scope of Services Task 1: This section on pages 6 and 7 describes the vendor being responsible for cleaning and testing the collected seed. Please confirm this means that the intention is for the NPS to deliver seed that is in-dirt?

Answer: Most park collected seed is rough cleaned and depending on the species no further work may be required by the contractor. This language is to account for costs and time that may be required on the contractor’s part to get seed in the condition that they feel is best for planting and best suited for the contractor’s planting equipment.

3. Question: What happens if upon clean-out, there isn’t a sufficient amount of seed for planting?

Answer: Generally, the Government will have a fairly accurate estimate of the seed available and can work with the contractor, industry standards, and our expertise to determine appropriate field sizes. At time of BPA Call order award the contractor will be asked to provide the quantity of seed they require for the specified field size. If provided seed is not sufficient for planting the desired field size the contractor would notify NPS and either additional seed would be provided if available, or field sizes could be altered based on available seed. For example, if 1 acre of slender wheatgrass and 1 acre of bottlebrush squirreltail was ordered and the seed was only sufficient for 0.5 of slender and we had enough squirreltail for 1.5 acres then that sub would be made. If there was a cost difference then additional funds may be provided.

4. Question: Also, who makes the decision as to whether the seed, after being tested, is viable enough to be planted?

Answer: Industry standard practices would apply and the vendor’s expertise and the seed test results would combine to make the decision.

5. Question: Also, if for either reason above the seed is not planted, how is the vendor compensated for the cleaning costs incurred?

Answer: At the BPA Call order level the vendor can separate out cleaning costs to assure those are accounted for as a line item and bill for that task separately.

6. Question: Task 3: What does it mean that if the vendor is required to store the seed, the storage will be included as a pay item in the task order? Is the vendor supposed to include that amount in our bid, or is it intended to be negotiated at that time, or is the amount going to be at the discretion of the NPS?

Answer: Yes storage, if required, would be detailed at the BPA Call order (task order) level. If a grower does not have capability or capacity to store seed, then they can simply state that at time of submission for each BPA Call order (task order). Since increased seed is often ready to ship late fall after many seeding windows have passed many park units need seed to be stored until the following summer/fall seeding window. If storage is not possible via a vendor, then alternative storage arrangements can be made by the Government.

7. Question: Typical Schedule

This section on pages 8 and 9 show spring plantings. In many cases this is incorrect – many items will be fall planted.

Answer: Some species will do best as a fall planting, especially those with stratification requirements that may be best achieved by an overwintering. However, many species can effectively be planted in the spring. We expect planting time variability based on species ordered. What is offered here is an example schedule.

8. Question: Quality Standards

This section on pages 9 and 10 references Volunteer Plants: note that removing all volunteer plants is not possible. What is meant by reasonable effort to do so? The Weed and Non-Target Plant Control section states that aggressive weed and non-target plant control should be conducted regularly – we agree with this position, but the two statements appear contradictory thus we request clarification.

Answer: Volunteer plants in this context is referencing plants of the same species that have recruited into the field from the established plantings. The desire here is to maintain the field as a G0 field. The definition of reasonable effort in this context would require the contractor to remove seedlings when they are most likely to begin to establish in the field likely as a spring effort.

9. Section I – Contract Clauses

Question: On page 27 there is a check mark next to Small Business Contracting. The front page appears to show that the bid is unrestricted. Can you clarify?

Answer: This requirement is being solicited as full and open (unrestricted).

10. Question: Other

On page 7 there is a table showing common NPS seed species. Those species are different in several instances than those species listed in the Statement of Work attachment – the Sample Table. Our questions:

o Given that the species between the two are very different, the pricing (and timing of seed collection, seed planting, etc) can be very different. For example, pricing for Indian Ricegrass can be very different than pricing for Fairy Golden Aster. Are you intending to apply the pricing from the Sample Table to the other species that are listed on page 7? Perhaps request pricing for all of the species being contemplated?

Answer: Sample pricing will simply be used as an evaluation of the contractor’s submittal. Actual pricing will be provided at the BPA Call order level.

o Please confirm that the unit pricing on the Sample Table is for a per acre price

(or a fraction thereof).

Answer: Yes that is correct. Pricing is per the unit specified in the sample table.

o Assuming that per acre pricing is being used, will the award and payment reflect the per acre pricing multiplied by the number of crop years that field is in production? For example, if .5 acres of an item is planted and kept in production across 3 crop years, will the vendor be compensated by the amount per .5 acres multiplied by 3?

Answer: Yes.