B09_Questions_and_Answers_2_8_22_4.docx

Questions and Answers Pre-Solicitation Notice 140P5122R0006 - Cultural Resources Management A/E IDIQ 2/8/2022

1. Can we submit a different format that is also used by federal agencies for the past performance, or are we only allowed to use the past performance form attached to the solicitation?

Answer: yes, as long as the form addresses what is in the attached past performance questionnaire.

2. Would you like the past performance forms to be emailed directly back to you/NPS, to be included within the proposal – or both?

Answer: They should be emailed directly to celinda_hicks@nps.gov however, if they are a part of your proposal, I will still accept them.

3. Can you clarify individual licensure requirements? Are you simply asking for having a licensed individual for each of the disciplines? Or are you truly asking for each of the disciplines to have licensure in each of the states or territories?

Answer: Excerpted from the “Description” of the contract opportunity:

PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS FOR “REQUIRED” DISCIPLINES

Primary Area of Coverage: In order to be considered for award of this IDIQ contract, firm(s) must possess all professional qualifications including individual licenses, certifications, etc. for each of the Required Disciplines noted above, for those states in the Primary Area of Coverage. At the time of submission, teams, shall have at least one person licensed in each state within the Primary Area of Coverage, for each Required Discipline.

Also:

DISCIPLINES

A) Required Disciplines: Include, but are not limited to, professional licensed or registered architects, engineers and landscape architects, and professionals meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Historic Architecture, Architectural History, History, as well as Historic Landscape Architecture, Architectural Conservators, Materials Analysis & Testing, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Landscape History, Historic Documentation Specialists, LiDAR Survey and Recordation Specialists, Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS) Specialist, and Cost Estimating Engineering.

Clarification of contract requirements: The professional disciplines of Historic Architecture, Historic Landscape Architecture, Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering have professional licensure requirements. NPS will require that both the designated Historic Architecture firm and the designated Historic Landscape Architecture firm will have at least one licensed individual in each state within the Primary Area of Coverage.

4. Can you clarify the maximum file size for the proposal submission?

Answer: Size limits:

5. Can you clarify what you are looking for in the “Additional Supporting Material” section which is not to exceed 20 double-sides pages (Page 3 of the Synopsis)?

Answer: Additional Supporting Material can be anything strengthens your proposal. It is only to the extent that it graphically (via drawings and photographs) substantiates the relevant project work specifically described on the SF330s. This can be examples of work, drawings, photographs. The additional information should not exceed 20 double-side pages.

6. Below is a paragraph from the solicitation. While the paragraph is clear that A/E services are sought, it goes on to describe services that more cultural resource related.

The National Park Service (NPS), Interior Region 2, South Atlantic Gulf is seeking qualified Small Business firm(s) to provide Multi-Disciplinary Architect-Engineer (A/E) Services under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to provide cultural resource services that consist of the production of Historic Structure Reports (HSRs), Condition Assessment Reports (CARs), Material Analysis Reports, HABS/HAER/HALS Documentation, Cultural Landscape Reports (CLRs) and Cultural Landscape Inventories (CLIs) produced to the NPS standards.

Other aspects of the solicitation indicate an A/E being prime for this IDIQ and outlines requirements for licensing. Noting that the incumbent firms include an architectural firm, a landscape architecture firm and a cultural resources firm has led us to believe a cultural resources management firm would make a viable project lead. Can you confirm that? We would really appreciate if this question could be addressed fairly soon as this will affect the team members we reach out to and this would directly impact which of the consultant team members should assume the lead. As we are eager to understand this better to finalize our teaming arrangement, we may follow up with a phone call if that is permitted.

Answer: Excerpted from the “Description” of the contract opportunity:

The National Park Service (NPS), Interior Region 2, South Atlantic Gulf is seeking qualified Small Business firm(s) to provide Multi-Disciplinary Architect-Engineer (A/E) Services under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to provide cultural resource services that consist of the production of Historic Structure Reports (HSRs), Condition Assessment Reports (CARs), Material Analysis Reports, HABS/HAER/HALS Documentation, Cultural Landscape Reports (CLRs) and Cultural Landscape Inventories (CLIs) produced to the NPS standards.

PRIME CONTRACTOR SPECIALIZATION

Prime Contractors shall be predominately architecture and architectural engineering firms specializing in cultural resource management and/or historic architecture and/or historic landscape architecture.

Clarification of contract requirements: A cultural resources management firm that has licensure and technical capacity in historic architecture, architectural engineering, and/or historic landscape architecture would be an appropriate Prime Contractor under the terms of the Pre-solicitation Notice to Request Qualifications.

7. The references: are they intended to be only for the prime consultant? We had originally thought we would also include references about some of our subconsultants, but we are not sure where to put our firm name on the form so you will know it's for our team. (The form has a spot for the consultant's name-- the person that did the work for the referencer-- but it would not have our firms' name on the form unless we figured out a way to add that.)

Answer: Add your name at the top for the consultant. You want references from companies or people that you worked with directly and you were the consultant even if you had subconsultants, you would still be the prime consultant.

8. Licensure: Is that only for the prime consultant, which is a challenge but doable for small businesses, or is that collective, meaning between us all we have licensure in all the states.

Answer: Excerpted from the “Description” of the contract opportunity:

PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS FOR “REQUIRED” DISCIPLINES

Primary Area of Coverage: In order to be considered for award of this IDIQ contract, firm(s) must possess all professional qualifications including individual licenses, certifications, etc. for each of the Required Disciplines noted above, for those states in the Primary Area of Coverage. At the time of submission, teams, shall have at least one person licensed in each state within the Primary Area of Coverage, for each Required Discipline.

Also:

DISCIPLINES

A) Required Disciplines: Include, but are not limited to, professional licensed or registered architects, engineers and landscape architects, and professionals meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Historic Architecture, Architectural History, History, as well as Historic Landscape Architecture, Architectural Conservators, Materials Analysis & Testing, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Landscape History, Historic Documentation Specialists, LiDAR Survey and Recordation Specialists, Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS) Specialist, and Cost Estimating Engineering.

Clarification of contract requirements: The professional disciplines of Historic Architecture, Historic Landscape Architecture, Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering have professional licensure requirements. NPS will require that both the designated Historic Architecture firm and the designated Historic Landscape Architecture firm will have at least one licensed individual in each state within the Primary Area of Coverage.

9. Page 3, Submissions, item 3.

Item #3, asks for a “SF330, Part II - General Qualifications for the Prime Contractor and each Subcontractor.”

Question: Is this for the Additional Discipline subcontractors, as well as for the Required Discipline subcontractors?

Answer: Excerpted from the “Submissions” of the contract opportunity:

4. An organization chart of the team. The organization chart shall include the names of the key personnel, firms, disciplines, roles and responsibilities and the professional licensure/certification of key personnel. It is NOT necessary to identify proposed team members for those Additional Disciplines identified in Section II B above

Clarification of contract requirements: It is not necessary to provide General Qualifications for the Additional Disciplines.

10. Is it acceptable for a sole proprietorship to serve as the lead for this contract?

Answer: Clarification of contract requirements: A sole proprietorship (or other business structure) that has licensure and technical capacity in historic architecture, architectural engineering, and/or historic landscape architecture would be an appropriate Prime Contractor under the terms of the Pre-solicitation Notice to Request Qualifications.

11. Can affiliated consultants that regularly work with the sole proprietorship (for projects for NPS as well as other projects) be included as part of the 50% requirement for work performed by the lead?

Answer: No more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to the prime may be paid to firms, at any tier, that are not similarly situated, and in addition Any work that a similarly situated entity subcontractor further subcontracts to an entity that is not similarly situated will count toward the 50% subcontract amount.

12. Is it acceptable for the lead firm to not be located in the region, if subconsultants provide licensure throughout the region?

Answer: Clarification of contract requirements: The lead firm does not need to be located in the region.

13. Is it acceptable for the lead firm to be a discipline other than architect or landscape architect (for example, a firm specializing in cultural resources, history, and archaeology) if subconsultants provide the other disciplines?

Answer: Clarification of contract requirements: The Prime Contractor that has licensure and technical capacity in historic architecture, architectural engineering, and/or historic landscape architecture would be an appropriate Prime Contractor under the terms of the Pre-solicitation Notice to Request Qualifications.

14. Area of Coverage (p.1) Question: Can you confirm that Virginia is included in this Area of Coverage?

Answer: The Blue Ridge Parkway, lying within North Carolina and Virginia, is included in the Area of Coverage. The Southeast Region consists of parks in nine states and two territories: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia (partial), plus the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico

15. Area of Coverage (p.1) Question: A Primary Area of Coverage is listed. None is listed in this section, but is there a Secondary Area of Coverage? (I only ask because it may affect the answer to Question 3 below.)

Answer: There is only one Area of Coverage. “Primary Area: The primary area of coverage is the Southeastern United States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, San Juan, PR, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia.”

Clarification: There is no Secondary Area of Coverage. This reference has been removed from the notice.

16. Professional Licenses and Registrations for “Required” Disciplines (p.1) Question: On the third line of this section it is stated that, “At the time of submission, teams shall have at least one person licensed in each state within the Primary Area of Coverage for each Required Discipline.” Also, the next paragraph states that “Professional licenses and registrations are not required for the Secondary Area (of Coverage) at the time of solicitation….” At the time of solicitation, are licenses and registrations required for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, which are territories, not states? (If I recall correctly from previous years, licenses and registrations for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were not expected at the time of solicitation; however they would be required if/when a task order was awarded for those locations. These two non-state territories were in a separate category, a sort of secondary area.)

Answer: Yes, licenses and registrations will be required at the time of solicitation for Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands, consistent with the “DESCRIPTION”, licensing requirements will apply only to states within the Primary Area of Coverage.