A31 Questions and Answers- Amendment A0006.pdf

Questions and Answers

National Community Outreach

Solicitation 15DDHQ25R00000010

Amendment A0006

1) Will local DEA divisions assist with community introductions and coordination, or is the contractor expected to independently establish partnerships with venues, community leaders, and local stakeholders across various cities?

- DEA will assist with introductions and/or provide guidance from a local level, but the vendor should also be able to independently work with any established partnerships or work to establish partnerships. This is a collaborative effort between DEA, vendor, and locality.

2) What level of flexibility do we have in selecting local partners for execution of events and outreach efforts?

- The vendor has flexibility in so much as partners must be cleared with DEA prior to official executions to make sure there is no conflict of interest.

3) Will the DEA provide templates or guidance for the DOJ Self-Reporting Form, OF-306, and

DOJ-555? Or is the contractor expected to manage this independently? Since the vendor is offsite and will not be entering any DEA facilities, accessing any DEA systems, or handling any DEA documentation, security clearances and background investigations are not required.

4) Are background investigations for contractor staff government-funded, or should we include those costs in our pricing? See question #3.

5) Are there existing templates or formats DEA prefers for Monthly Status Reports or End-of-

Program evaluations?

- There isn’t a template, there are required areas to cover.

6) Does the DEA require a standardized survey/evaluation format, or is the contractor free to create performance metrics and participant engagement tools?

- The contractor is free to develop a standardized survey in consultation with DEA

HQ team.

7) Can you provide an estimated number of anticipated outreach events per year, including regional breakdowns if available? DEA currently has 11 Divisions who are implementing regular outreach through its current initiative, but a vendor could expect up to 23-25 events per year.

8) Will the agency provide a projected event schedule post-award, or is it expected that vendors create that structure proactively?

- Event/Training schedule can vary fiscal year to fiscal year. It will vary based on budget, current call to action by the agency administration, and community need.

9) Virtual-Based Training

- Are there technical specifications (platform type, hosting security, etc.) required for virtual-based training sessions?

- No, since the platform will not be used on DEA equipment.

10) Will the contractor be expected to provide a full LMS platform, or just deliver content for existing systems?

- Deliver content through online tools i.e. Teams, Zoom etc.

11) Is there a cap on the percentage of work that can be performed by subcontractors? FAR 52.219-

14 Limitations in Subcontracting is being incorporated by amendment and will be included in the resultant contract or agreement. That clause defines restrictions and limitations in subcontracting which will apply to this requirement.

12) Must subcontractor staff also undergo the Tier 1 background investigation prior to onboarding?

See question #3.

13) Will a specific pricing template (such as an Excel format) be provided, or should we build our own based on the CLIN structure?

- . A pricing template will be provided with the amendment.

14) Should optional pricing for add-on services (e.g., additional events or branded collateral) be included in the base proposal?

- Yes.

15) Could you clarify how evaluation weighting will be distributed across technical, past performance, management, and price criteria? Evaluation factors are not weighted. Section

6.3 specifies how factors will be rated. Section 6.4 specifies the relative importance of the factors.

16) Will this procurement follow a Best Value Tradeoff model, or is it Lowest Price Technically

Acceptable (LPTA)? Section 6.4 states that this is a Best Value procurement.

17) How much freedom does the contractor have to propose creative strategies such as multimedia outreach, social media integration, or local influencer engagement?

- The vendor has creative freedom to propose strategies in concert with the community outreach specialist.

18) For branded materials, are vendors allowed to co-brand, or must all materials be DEA-only?

- Yes, the vendor can co-brand with the field divisions i.e. add their logo to flyers etc.

19) Is there any incumbent/recompete or is this a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past.

- The incumbent contractor is Community Anti Drug Coalitions of America performing under Blanket Purchasing Agreement 15DDHQ20A00000008.

20) While DEA headquarters must approve and issue task orders/call orders, who first identifies a potential need for which to use the BPA? Does DEA headquarters first identify potential needs?

- The local community outreach specialist in the field divisions will identify a need and correspond directly with the vendor.

21) Do the 23 field divisions first identify potential needs? Is it a combination of both DEA headquarters and the 23 field divisions? Is it someone or some other office?

- See response in question #20

22) Expected Number of Engagements: Does the DEA anticipate a specific number of in-person or virtual engagements per year under the BPA, or should contractors propose based on their own capacity model?

- Contractors should propose based on their capability. The vendor needs to be able to implement multiple task orders across multimer field divisions, potentially simultaneously. In previous years there could be up to 20 events.

23) Is the expectation to host only one orientation training and/or engagement event for each of the

23 fields or will there be multiple events in some/all of the field divisions?

i. If multiple, approximately how many per field division?

- There are multiple events across 11 field divisions, it is based on whether the field division has contracted a service. There could be 2 or 20 events.

24) How far in advance of the orientation training and engagement events will the field cities be targeted?

- Each field division will determine how far in advance an orientation training or engagement event is needed. The timeline for any training or event will be determined in consultation with the vendor for EACH INDIVIDUCAL CALL

ORDER.

25) What are examples of “additional planned deliverables” mentioned in the Community

Stakeholder Engagement description?

- The planned deliverables are per the Operation Engage deliverables such as workplace trainings; substance use trainings, youth and adult engagements.

26) Geographic Scope: Will services be required across all 23 DEA field divisions, or will task orders specify the locations/divisions as needed?

- None of the services are required, however, if the field divisions elect to use a service they will contact the vendor directly. The vendor must be able to implement simultaneously across multiple field divisions. There are currently 11 field divisions with the potential of going to 23.

27) Event Duration: For planning purposes, should contractors assume each engagement (e.g., youth summit, coalition training) be one full day, or does DEA anticipate a mix of half-day and full-day sessions?

- The vendor should price out full day and half day options. It is up to the field divisions to determine what works best for their community. Anticipate mix sessions.

28) Travel Cost Coverage: Should travel costs be included in the unit pricing, or will DEA provide separate reimbursement under task orders?

- Include all costs associated with the service, which will include estimate of travel and associated logistics.

29) Reporting Requirements: Can DEA confirm the expected frequency and format of required reports (monthly, quarterly, annual), and whether a standard template will be provided?

- There is not a standard template, however, word document is what is currently used.

See SOW for frequency.

30) Is the contractor responsible for identifying and recruiting key community leaders for each of the 23 onsite stakeholder meetings, or will identification and recruitment be handled by the 23 field offices, or a combination of both in partnership?

- As described in the SOW, the vendor will work in concert with the community outreach specialist in each field division.

31) How many teen summits of 50-2,000 youth will take place per year for budgeting purposes?

What number of youths per event should be used for budgeting purposes?

- Please provide an estimate based on the capacity of the vendor. All types of summits will vary across field divisions. Typically, 1 summit will be held per field division per calendar year, January through December. However, not every field division may elect to host summits.

32) How many family summits of 10-200 adults will take place per year for budgeting purposes?

What number of adults per event should be used for budgeting purposes?

- See response to question #31

33) How many community summits will take place per year for budgeting purposes? What is the estimated number of attendees? What number of attendees per event should be used for budgeting purposes?

- See response to question #31

34) Are there any other summits, besides teen summits, family summits, and community summits, that will take place each year for budgeting purposes? If so, what is the number of attendees?

What number of attendees per event should be used for budgeting purposes?

- See response to question #31

35) Clarify expectations for supporting simultaneous locations, especially in remote areas.

- The vendor must be able to implement any service across multiple field divisions during the same timeframe. For example, Miami, Phoenix and LA field divisions may have different services but hosting during the same timeframe (October 225).

The vendor must be able to handle multiple projects happening at the same time.

36) The solicitation states, “The vendor shall conduct a one-day (i.e., minimum 4 hours) or multi-day capacity building training …” How many days should be used for budgeting purposes?

How many training courses will take place per year for budgeting purposes?

- For instance, if 8 hr. training costs X dollars, then if a field division wants a 3-day training, it will likely cost 3 times the amount of the one-day training. The number of trainings will vary based on the field divisions’ needs.

37) The solicitation states, “… the vendor shall conduct a one-day (minimum 4 hours) youth leadership training for up to 50 youth at a time… “How many days should be used for budgeting purposes? How many trainings will take place per year for budgeting purposes?

- See response to question #36

38) Will the vendor be expected to use training materials and deliver training content they have developed, or developed by DEA, or a combination of both, or something else?

- The vendor shall be subject matter experts in drug prevention and education; the vendor must have the level of expertise to deliver training.

39) The solicitation states, “The vendor will provide training…” How many hours per training should be used for budgeting purposes? How many trainings will take place per year for budgeting purposes?

- Per the SOW, the vendor shall provide details for minimum of 4 hours or multi-day.

40) Will the vendor be expected to use training materials and deliver training content they have developed, or developed by DEA, or a combination of both, or something else?

- See response to question #38

41) How many labor hours does the government estimate for this BPA per year? The Government does not have a labor hour estimate for this requirement.

42) What is the government’s Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE)? The Government will not share the IGCE with potential offerors.

43) It appears that spending against the predecessor contract with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) has gone down every year since 2020. Why? The Government does not analyze the demand for services, and cannot answer this question.

44) Is there a current estimated, anticipated or forecasted level of spending per year for the five years of this BPA? The Government does not have estimated, anticipated or forecasted levels of spending per year for the anticipated term of the BPA.

45) Is there an anticipated ceiling (i.e., maximum) for spending against this BPA across all five years? The Government does not intend to include a spending ceiling for the BPA.

46) Section 5.4 sets a 12-page limit for the Technical Proposal. Can you confirm whether resumes, letters of commitment, and historical training/outreach examples count toward this 12-page limit, or may they be included as appendices not subject to the page count? If they are included, would the Government consider increasing the page limit given the breadth of required content in Factors 1–3.

- The page limit is for tech proposals, the vendor can submit supplemental information in the appendix i.e. key personnel, outreach examples, resumes etc.

47) For resumes of Key Personnel, may these be provided in an appendix outside the page limit for the Technical Proposal?

- See question #46

48) The instructions specify Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. May tables, graphics, callout boxes, or captions use smaller font sizes and single spacing without violating formatting requirements.

- Yes.

49) Can you provide past year agendas for each of the three types of summits?

- Past year agendas for training and summits are not available, since future agendas for summits and training will be developed in collaboration with the field divisions, their stakeholders and vendors.

50) How is transportation used during the summits? Is it used for transfers to/from airport/train station and hotel, as transportation to/from offsite venue locations, for VIP transportation only, or some combination of the listed?

- The vendor shall identify their experience with providing transportation. It varies by field division, identifying your capability of coordinating transportation for youth and/or adults. Some field divisions have used chartered buses and/or school buses.

51) Is the Government required to use a specific event management platform (virtual, registration, speaker management, communication tool, evaluation tool, etc.) to support planning and/or engagement for any of the summits?

- No.

52) If so, which platforms are required to be used?

- n/a

53) Historically, what was the average size or range for a sleeping room block for the:

• Teen Summits?

• Family Summits?

• Community Summits?

• Other summits, if any?

These events are localized, and hotel accommodation is not needed.

54) Factor 1: Technical Approach: Under Factor 1(b), the RFP requests “a draft or historical example” of relevant training/outreach programs. Should these examples be embedded in the main proposal narrative, or may they be submitted as attachments/appendices outside of the page count?

- The written proposal should respond to the appropriate section. Examples can be added to the appendix.

55) Can you provide past year agendas for each type of training?

- See response to question # 49

56) Will these training events require hotel room block contracts?

i. If so, what is historically the size or range of the sleeping room block?

- See response to question # 53

57) Is the Government required to use a specific event management platform (virtual, registration, speaker management, communication tool, evaluation tool, etc.) to support planning and/or engagement for any of the summits?

i. If so, which platforms are required to be used?

- See response to question #51

58) If virtual alternatives become necessary, are they expected to have one-to-many or many-to-many sessions?

Virtual events are handled with the same number of sessions as in-person. It’s no different, just virtual.

59) The solicitation (Factor 1 / Community Coalition Building) references training materials and delivery of training content. Will the vendor be expected to: use training materials developed internally by the vendor, use Government (DEA)–provided materials, a combination of both, or another approach?

i. Additionally, can the Government clarify whether it is considered advantageous for an Offeror to have subject matter expertise and propose delivering training using materials they have developed, provided those materials align with DEA requirements?

- Per the SOW subject matter, expertise in drug prevention and education is required.

The vendor must have their own training content, and they shall align with DEA requirements of being evidence-based and science informed.

60) Factor 2: Key Personnel Resumes and Management Plan: Factor 2(g) requests an approach to utilizing and managing subcontractors if they are used. Are signed letters of commitment required for proposed subcontractors, like those required for Key Personnel? It is up to the offeror to decide whether signed letters of commitment for proposed subcontractors would strengthen their proposal in this area.

61) Factor III: Past Performance: Section 5.4(b) requests contracts completed in the past five years, while Section 5.4(c) requests contracts from the past three years. The contractor shall submit a list of up to three (3) contracts completed during the past three (3) years that are representative of the Offeror’s capability to provide services for the same or similar size scope or program.

Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local Governments and commercial customers. The RFQ will be updated to reflect the following language: The contractor shall submit a list of up to three (3) contracts completed during the past three (3) years that are representative of the Offeror’s capability to provide services for the same or similar size scope or program. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local Governments and commercial customers.

62) Factor III: Past Performance: Can you clarify whether past performance examples should cover the past three years, five years, or both? See above question 61.

63) Factor III: Past Performance: There appear to be multiple requirements for listing projects:

• Section 5.4(b) – up to three contracts in the past 5 years (or current).

• Section 5.4(c) – up to three contracts in the past 3 years.

64) Section 5.4(d–e) – list of contracts representative of similar scope, including Federal, state/local, or commercial. See question 61.

65) Could you clarify if Offerors are expected to submit two separate lists (3 in 5 years, 3 in 3 years), or just one consolidated list of up to 3 contracts? See question 61.

66) Factor III: Past Performance: For the required self-assessment of past performance, is there a preferred format, page limit, or structure the Government would like Offerors to follow? Follow the basic instructions in the Instructions to the Offerors for the Technical Proposal (Volume

1) which includes Factor 3 Past Performance.

67) Expected Number of Engagements: Does the DEA anticipate a specific number of in-person or virtual engagements per year under the BPA, or should contractors propose based on their own capacity model?

- Contractors should propose based on their capacity model; however, DEA currently has 11 divisions who are implementing regular outreach through Operation Engage, but a vendor could expect anything between 1-10 events per year.

68) Geographic Scope: Will services be required across all 23 DEA field divisions, or will task orders specify the locations/divisions as needed?

- Task orders will be placed by the requested field division or DEA Headquarters, which is based on location.

69) Event Duration: For planning purposes, should contractors assume each engagement (e.g., youth summit, coalition training) be one full day, or does DEA anticipate a mix of half-day and full-day sessions?

- Please refer to the SOW where this information is provided.

70) Travel Cost Coverage: Should travel costs be included in the unit pricing, or will DEA provide separate reimbursement under task orders? Travel costs will have their own CLIN and will be priced at the individual call order level.

71) Reporting Requirements: Can DEA confirm the expected frequency and format of required reports (monthly, quarterly, annual), and whether a standard template will be provided?

- See response to #5

72) Page 20, Paragraph 2, under Price Proposal (Volume 2) indicates "The price proposal shall be submitted on an editable spreadsheet, which will include the total cost of each CLIN separately and then a sum total for all CLINS for an overall contract price for the CLINs listed on 1149 in section 20." I am uncertain if this is referring to the forms representing pages 4 and 5 of the RFQ

(which is identified as form 1449 not 1149). Please clarify what is expected. The Government has provided an excel spreadsheet to provide pricing

73) Page 27, bulleted items, under OTHER BUSINESS INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED, indicates several FAR documents required to be submitted. Where do we obtain these documents/certificates? These FAR references are for fill-in Reps and Certs, typically found in your SAM.gov entity information.

74) Page 29, under Factor 3 - Past Performance, paragraphs b. and d. seem to be duplicative. Are you asking to provide the same information twice? Is there a distinction intended as you see it? See answer to question 61 above regarding Past Performance information required.

75) Page 23, under Proposal Preparation Instructions, paragraph d. indicates the proposal shall be prepared in two separate volumes: Volume 1. Technical Proposal and Volume 2. Price Proposal.

However, page 26, middle of page, indicated a "Business Proposal - Volume 2" ... is this part of the Price Proposal or the Technical Proposal or is it treated and labeled separately? Where should it be placed and how should it be identified? All references to “Business Proposal” shall be changed to “Price Proposal”. We need to fix this in the revised version of the RFP.

76) Would the Government please share the name of the incumbent contractor and contract number.

- Please see response to #19

77) This section states, “No single called placed under this Agreement shall exceed the simplified acquisition dollar threshold.” However, BPA Terms and Conditions, No. 14(e), pg. 12, states, “There are no guaranteed minimum, or maximum dollar amounts for individual Calls placed under this BPA.” Would the Government please clarify the maximum dollar amount for individual

Calls?

- There is no maximum amount per call. All calls and funding will be based on individual budgets.

78) Will services be provided in cities in all 23 field divisions in a single contract year? If not, how many cities will be selected for delivery of the requirements during each year of the contract?

- See response to #67

79) Can the Government please clarify whether 1 each task/deliverable from subsections 1-4 will be delivered in each selected city? Or is the ordering of deliverables from subtasks 1-4 a la carte in nature according to the specific needs of the field division and selected city?

- Task orders will be based on needs within the specific field division and selected city, in an al a carte manner.

80) Can the Government please clarify the expected number of workplaces/organizations per division to be engaged annually?

- The expected number of workplace/organizations to be engaged annually will vary by field division. DEA does not have a specific number of workplace/organizations to engage.

81) The SOW states, “From experience the field divisions have seen attendance vary across summits;

teen summits range from 50-2,000 youth; family summits range from 10-200 adults.” Would the Government please provide a range of attendance for “Community Summits”?

- Teen, Community, and Family summits could have the same range of participants.

82) The SOW states that attendance may range from 10-2,000 participants per event. Can the DEA please specify a not to exceed total participant number per contract year in order to enable offerors to propose accurate fixed pricing?

- Please see response to question # 31

83) The SOW states, “In consultation with the COS, the vendor shall coordinate and manage tasks, which include but are not limited to: … “. Will the vendor be responsible for any payment/procurement of non-labor expense such a registration platform/software, refreshments, transportation, down payments to hotels/venues, etc.?

- Yes

84) Is the contractor expected to cover all costs for summits (i.e. venue, travel, refreshments, trinkets, materials, etc.)? Can the Government please specify exactly what event supports are being ordered from the Contractor in order to enable accurate fixed pricing?

- Refer to New Pricing sheet which includes a ODC CLIN. DEA may be able to assist with some materials and trinkets, but this should be discussed prior to the quote/ award of task order.

85) Does the Government have a preferred or standard sequencing of events (i.e. 1 event each for each city from subsections 1-4)? How is it determined which events will take place in which of the 23 cities?

- DEA does not have a standard sequence of events. That and determining which events will take place is at the discretion of the field division.

86) This section states, “Should restrictions still be in place as a result of a public health pandemic or as community organizations prefer, the vendor shall provide a virtual alternative to in-person coalition trainings.” Will the vendor be responsible for payment/procurement of the Virtual platform?

- Yes

87) Can the Government please clarify the intent of providing this “list”? How should the Contractor price delivery of trainings from the list provided in a fixed price manner? N/A

88) This section states, “The MSR shall incorporate metrics sufficient in detail to permit an objective assessment of the Contractor’s performance relative to all performance objectives including work accomplished, schedules, and expenditures for each call order. Would the Government please clarify the term ‘expenditures? Is it the Government’s intent that the vendor will be responsible for payment/procurement of any non-labor expenditures?

- Yes

89) Would the Government please consider removing the double space requirement or increasing the number of pages allowed to 24? The page restriction for the Technical Proposal (Volume 1) is increased to 25 pages.

90) Would the Government please clarify if resumes, letters of commitment, cover letter, table of contents, workplans, and other addenda materials are included in the proposal page limit? Would the Government please clarify what items are excluded from the page limit? Resumes, letters of commitment, workplans and other addenda materials will not be counted against the page limit. All other required elements of the Technical Proposal will be counted against the page limit, which is increased to 25 pages.

91) Can the Government please clarify the work location of the Key Personnel? Can they provide services remotely from the Contractor’s site or must they be onsite at the Customer’s worksite?

- Key personnel will work from locations as approved by the vendor and will not be provided with a worksite on DEA property.

92) This section states, “Resumes must detail the proposed staff’s experience in developing and working on programs as indicated in the SOW. The claimed experience duration must equal detail level experience durations for each category.” Would the Government please clarify what is meant by ‘equal detail level experience durations for each category’?

- If the vendor is providing a resume and a narrative in their technical proposal about key personnel, then any duration of experiences listed in the narrative must be consistent with the person’s resume.

93) Can the Government please clarify the difference between task 5 in the statement of work to provide “Custom Virtual or Onsite Training” and the “Alternate Virtual Trainings” mentioned in the pricing section?

- Custom Virtual or Onsite training is an opportunity for the vendor to provide other training outside of those specified by DEA. What else does the vendor have to offer

DEA. Alternate Virtual Trainings has been made an option for the primary 1-4 task orders in case in person is unable to happen.

94) This section states, “Describe how tasks in past performance are similar to those of this solicitation (scope, magnitude & complexity);.” Would the Government please provide the referenced SOO?

- The reference to “Section 0300 in the SOO” is an error. However, offerors must still clearly describe how tasks in their past performance are similar to those of this solicitation.

95) Please confirm the required recency window and quantity: the RFQ references both “past five years” and “past three years,” and “no more than three” examples. Which governs? See answer to question 61.

96) If the offeror is a small new business with no corporate past performance, may we submit Key

Personnel Relevant Experience (performed under prior employers) in lieu of corporate past performance? If acceptable, should those be placed in the Past Performance volume or the technical volume? Key personnel experience shall be included under Factor 2 of the

Technical Proposal: Key Personnel Resumes and Management Plan. Past performance is defined as an offeror’s or contractor’s performance on active and physically completed contracts In accordance with FAR 15.305 (a)(2)(iv), in the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance.

97) Will prime contractor past performance be explicitly weighted higher than subcontractor or Key

Personnel experience? If so, can you share the relative emphasis? All past performance documentation submitted by offerors will be evaluated. There is no weighting structure.

98) Will the Government consider the quality of performance (e.g., CPARS or letters) from prior employers where Key Personnel performed the work?

- See answer to question 96.

99) Please confirm citizenship and background check requirements (level, adjudication timeline, and whether public trust or agency-specific checks apply). See refer to the security section of the

SOW.

100) Are there minimum qualifications expected for facilitators/trainers (e.g., degrees, years of experience, certifications)? Minimum of three years of experience, with degrees and certifications related to those like key personnel.

101) Section Five, Instructions to Offerors, Business Proposal Instructions, Page 26 of 70, 1st paragraph instructs offerors to fill in CLIN unit prices on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Is the spreadsheet to be provided by the government or should the spreadsheet be created by the offeror? See answer to question 72.

102) Would the government provide additional information on the staffing level, position descriptions and labor mix that constitute each CLIN?

103) Without information on workload volume or staffing requirements, it would be a significant challenge and burden for an offeror to propose a low risk staffing approach and a fair and reasonable fixed monthly price.

A revised price schedule will be provided with subsequent amendment which addressed this issue.

104) BPA Terms and Conditions, Page 7 of 70, Sections 1 (Scope) and 5 (Deliverables) references an Attachment A, the Statement of Work. As the RFQ document already includes a section on the Statement of Work, would the government please confirm if there is a separate attachment? The Statement of Work is referred to as Attachment A in BPA Terms and

Conditions (page 7) and in the TOC it says Section 2. Change it to Section 2 throughout.

Section 4, Clauses and Provisions, is not labeled except for in the TOC. There are some clauses after the Contract Admin section, and most of them are after Section 6.

105) Section Two, Statement of Work, Page 16 of 70, Tasks/Deliverables: How many

Community Stakeholder Engagements will the vendor be expected to participate in annually?

- This will be based on the field division’s need and budget. There is no minimum or maximum.

106) Section Two, Statement of Work, Page 16 of 70, Tasks/Deliverables: How many Teen, Community and Family Summits will the vendor be expected to support annually?

- See question #31

107) Section Two, Statement of Work, Page 18 of 70, Tasks/Deliverables: How many

Workplace Community Engagements will the vendor be expected to support annually?

- See question #31

108) Section Five, Instructions to Offerors, Page 25 of 70, Factor 2 – Key Personnel Resumes and Management Plan: Would the government please confirm that there are three key personnel positions, and the positions are 1) Community Support Director/Program Manager; 2) Training &

Program Development Director/Program Manager; and 3) Project Director/Coordinator?

- Yes. Please refer to the SOW

109) Section Five, Instructions to Offerors, Page 25 of 70, Factor 3 – Past Performance: Will the government accept individual BPA call orders as standalone contracts for past performance evaluation? Yes, call orders are considered contracts.

110) Section Six, Evaluation Factors/Award Criteria, Page 31 of 70, 6.4 – Basis of Award:

What is the importance of price relative to the three technical factors?

All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price. As technical differences narrow, prices will become more important. If there are no significant technical differences, price may be the determining factor for source selection. The Government may or may not award the lowest priced Offeror or highest technically rated Offeror

111) Section Six, Evaluation Factors/Award Criteria, Page 31 of 70, 6.3 – Technical

Evaluation Model & Factors: What is the relative importance of each of the three technical factors? See question 110

112) FAR Clauses, Page 50 of 70 – We noted that the checkbox for DEA-2852.222-70 –

Applicable Wage Determination is checked. Would the government please confirm that the contract is subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS). If so, would the government please indicate which labor categories are covered? The resulting awarded BPA and call orders are subject to the SCLS. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure employees are properly classified based on the work they do, and locality in which work is performed.

113) Section Five, Instructions to Offerors, Pages 25-26 of 70, Factor 3 – Past Performance:

Item (b) instructs offerors to provide up to three government contracts completed during the past five (5) years that are most closely related to the SOW and represents the offeror’s capability to perform. Item (c) then instructs offerors to provide similar information, with the exception that the contracts need to be completed within the past three years and that contracts may be with the

Federal, State, or local agencies, or with commercial customers. May we use the same contracts to respond to both (b) and (c)? See answer to question 61.

114) Task 2 – Teen, Community, and Family Summits – Does DEA have preferred venues, formats, or vendors for summits? No. Venues and partners vary across the 23 field divisions and will be community specific.

115) Does DEA have a preferred timeline to deliver the required programs in the 23 locations?

Timelines are determined at the call order level and will be managed by the individual field divisions. The vendor should be prepared to implement programs simultaneously across field divisions

116) Are there specific communities, geographic regions, or demographics the DEA wants to prioritize in the 23 simultaneous locations?

- No.

117) Can the government please confirm if this is a new requirement or recompete? If this is a recompete, can the government please confirm the incumbent contract is 15DDHQ20A00000008, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

- Please see response to #19

118) To provide an accurate cost build and Fixed price estimate, contractors need to know the estimated level of effort. What is the estimated level of effort for this project by labor category?

(e.g., hours by LCAT) The Government does not have this information.

119) What is the estimated Ceiling for this BPA? There is no anticipated ceiling for the

BPA.

120) Will the government be providing a pricing template? Yes

121) Is there any expected travel for this requirement? If so, can the government please provide an NTE travel amount, or provide details trip destinations and durations? Travel will be proposed, negotiated and priced at the individual call order level.

122) Does the government want a complete price to build up or just FFP amounts? Firm Fixed

Priced amount

123) Can the government please provide a complete list of labor categories that will be utilized within this BPA?

- The government will not use labor categories; the price is based on each CLIN. Call orders will be placed by CLIN.

124) What is the required level of clearance contractors on this requirement must maintain?

See question #3.

125) Should Key Personnel resumes be embedded within the technical proposal (counting toward the 12-page limit), or can they be provided as attachments outside the page count?

Resumes, letters of commitment, work plans and other addenda materials will not be counted against the page limit. All other required elements of the Technical Proposal will be counted against the page limit, which is increased to 24 pages.

126) Which labor categories are considered Key Personnel and must be named at submission?

1) Community Support Director/Program Manager; 2) Training & Program Development

Director/Program Manager; and 3) Project Director/Coordinator

127) Which prevention areas are the highest priority for this requirement (e.g., drug prevention, human trafficking awareness, youth outreach)?

Drug Prevention and Outreach. Please Refer to the statement of work for further information.

128) Will DEA provide existing training curricula, toolkits, and outreach materials, or is the contractor expected to develop these materials from scratch?

- The vendor shall have expertise in drug prevention and education and experience in delivering these services and therefore shall have their own material. DEA has some outreach materials that are currently available on dea.gov however the vendor is expected to have all training curricula, toolkits, and other materials already created.

129) Are there specific populations of focus (e.g., tribal, rural, at-risk youth)?

- Please refer to SOW

130) Does the Government expect a formal annual outreach strategy/plan in addition to recurring reports?

- See End of Year Reporting in the SOW

131) Will the Government provide access to existing outreach data, prior program evaluations, or reporting systems?

- No.

132) Is there a required system (e.g., SharePoint, CRM, or database) that contractors must use for reporting and data submission?

- No. In the past vendors have emailed reports to DEA. How vendors want to collect and generate data is up to the vendor.

133) What level of travel does the Government anticipate annually (e.g., number of trips, expected locations)?

- Depending on how many field divisions request services, there are a minimum of 11 field divisions.

134) Will virtual training (CLIN 0002 and equivalents in option years) be replaced or supplement in-person outreach, and how should that be budgeted?

- DEA wants to offer virtual training as an alternative, however, encourages in-person outreach for all events unless there are extenuating circumstances.

135) How will outreach success be measured—by quantitative outputs (e.g., number of events, participants) or qualitative outcomes (e.g., awareness, behavior change)?

- The vendor shall provide suggestions on how they would measure/evaluate success.

136) The RFQ requires coverage for up to 23 field divisions simultaneously (including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico). How many FTEs does the Government anticipate per field division, or should vendors propose staffing levels based on their approach?

- Vendors should propose staffing levels based on their own approach.

137) The SOW lists community summits, coalition academy, leadership training, workplace programs, and custom trainings. Does DEA have an expected number of these events per year per division, or should vendors propose scalable staffing models?

- See question #66. It is at the vendors’ discretion to propose a scalable staffing model.

138) Each field division is required to select a geographic focus area and create a community engagement plan. Will DEA provide a minimum/maximum expected number of outreach events per location, or should vendors propose this?

- See question #66. The expected number of outreach events is at the discretion of the field divisions.

139) The SOW calls for youth leadership training with peer-to-peer programs, photo-voice projects, and youth ambassador development. What is the expected scale of youth cohorts (e.g., participants per training session)?

- Expected numbers will be based on community involvement. DEA has provided projected numbers based on past experience.

140) The SOW requires supporting companies and organizations, large and small, with awareness programming. How many workplace trainings are anticipated annually, and is there a target number of organizations to be reached?

- See question #66

141) Will DEA specify expected travel frequency (e.g., number of trips per division per year), or should vendors propose assumptions for budgeting purposes?

- Vendors should propose assumptions.

142) Will DEA provide a prioritized list of geographic focus areas, or will each division independently determine its area of focus?

- Each division will independently determine its area of focus

143) If virtual delivery is selected, will DEA provide the online platform (e.g., ZoomGov, Webex) or should the contractor propose and host the platform?

- The contractor will propose and provide access to the host platform

144) Should contractors plan for simultaneous delivery of events in multiple divisions, or will events be staggered across the year?

- See question #66. How the vendor approaches this may be dependent on DEAs needs and requests. There should be an assumption that planning for events will happen simultaneously and the vendor is responsible for coordinating the schedules out with each field division.

145) I am writing to inquire whether RFQ 15DDHQ25R00000010, 5-year Blanket Purchase

Agreement is for the National Community Outreach & Prevention Engagement Services is a small business set aside. In Box 10 it says unrestricted but in box 20 it says small business only.

This procurement is a 100% Small Business set-aside.

146) Will local DEA divisions assist with community introductions and coordination, or is the contractor expected to independently establish partnerships with venues, community leaders, and local stakeholders across various cities?

- After the award, HQ will connect the vendor with the 11-community outreach specialist. The community outreach specialist will coordinate with the vendor and make connections with the local contacts.

147) What level of flexibility do we have in selecting local partners for execution of events and outreach efforts?

- The vendor will work with the local field divisions to ensure partners are appropriate.

148) Will the DEA provide templates or guidance for the DOJ Self-Reporting Form, OF-306, and DOJ-555? Or is the contractor expected to manage this independently?

- See question #3

149) Are background investigations for contractor staff government-funded, or should we include those costs in our pricing? See question #3.

150) Are there existing templates or formats DEA prefers for Monthly Status Reports or End-of-Program evaluations?

- See Question #5

151) Does the DEA require a standardized survey/evaluation format, or is the contractor free to create performance metrics and participant engagement tools?

- No.

152) Are there technical specifications (platform type, hosting security, etc.) required for virtual-based training sessions?

- See Question #9

153) Will the contractor be expected to provide a full LMS platform, or just deliver content for existing systems?

- See Question #10

154) Is there a cap on the percentage of work that can be performed by subcontractors?

Duplicate question, see question 11.

155) Must subcontractor staff also undergo the Tier 1 background investigation prior to onboarding? Duplicate question, see question 12.

156) Should international travel be priced as an optional line item even if not specifically mentioned in the initial task orders? International travel will be negotiated and priced at the task order level.

157) If contractor lodging exceeds per diem rates under reasonable circumstances, is justification-based reimbursement allowed?

- All travel must follow federal travel guidance as it is available through GSA to include per diem rates.

158) Will a specific pricing template (such as an Excel format) be provided, or should we build our own based on the CLIN structure? See question #13.

159) Should optional pricing for add-on services (e.g., additional events or branded collateral) be included in the base proposal? Optional pricing for specific services offered by the contractor may be included in the proposal.

160) Could you clarify how evaluation weighting will be distributed across technical, past performance, management, and price criteria? Already answered, question 15

161) - Will this procurement follow a Best Value Tradeoff model, or is it Lowest Price

Technically Acceptable (LPTA)? ? Already answered, question 16

162) - How much freedom does the contractor have to propose creative strategies such as multimedia outreach, social media integration, or local influencer engagement? The contractor may propose these types of creative strategy for implementation at the call order level.

163) For branded materials, are vendors allowed to co-brand, or must all materials be DEA-only?

- See response to question #18

164) Please confirm the required recency window and quantity: the RFQ references both “past five years” and “past three years,” and “no more than three” examples. Which governs? Already answered, question 61

165) If the offeror is a new small business with no corporate past performance, maybe submit

Key Personnel Relevant Experience (performed under prior employers) in lieu of corporate past performance? If acceptable, should those be placed in the Past Performance volume or the technical volume? Already answered, question 96

166) Will prime contractor past performance be explicitly weighted higher than subcontractor or Key Personnel experience? If so, can you share the relative emphasis? Already answered.

167) Will the Government consider the quality of performance (e.g., CPARS or letters) from prior employers where Key Personnel performed the work? Already answered.

168) Please confirm the anticipated geographic scope (nationwide, including

AK/HI/Guam/PR) and the maximum simultaneous locations to plan for.

- See questions # 67 and #136

169) Are there any DEA regional priorities or expected initial sites we should assume for planning?

- No.

170) Please confirm citizenship and background check requirements (level, adjudication timeline, and whether public trust or agency-specific checks apply). See question #3

171) Are there minimum qualifications expected for facilitators/trainers (e.g., degrees, years of experience, certifications)?

- The vendor shall have at least a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years’ experience. The vendor should identify any relevant certifications, for example a certified prevention specialist held by staff relevant to facilitation and training.

172) Will DEA provide virtual platforms (e.g., ZoomGov/Teams) and registration tools, or should the contractor furnish them? See Question 9 and #10

173) Any constraints on using contractor-hosted LMS/registration/evaluation tools? No. See questions #9 and #10,

174) Please confirm required deliverables and reporting cadence/formats (monthly status, end-of-program, annual roll-ups); are templates provided?

- See question #5

175) Who owns the participant data and evaluation results? Please confirm expectations for PII handling and data retention/disposition

- Customer satisfaction surveys for events and trainings will not capture PII. Event and training evaluations will request customer satisfaction with the event or training. Evaluations will not request participants’ names, email addresses, or any other identifiable information.

176) Are there DEA branding guidelines and a required content approval workflow for curricula, flyers, and outreach materials? Typical approval lead times?

- There will be branding guidelines, the vendor shall coordinate with the filed divisions on content and timelines for review and approval. At a minimum it’s two weeks for DEA field division review.

177) Will travel/ODCs be reimbursed at cost under FTR with prior COR approval? Any known ODC exclusions? Other Direct Costs must be proposed, negotiated and priced at the individual call order level.

178) Please confirm formatting (page limits, font/margins/spacing), file type (PDF acceptable), file-size limits, and preferred file naming conventions. Follow the Instructions to Offerors.

179) Are Key Personnel resumes subject to a page limit? Are letters of commitment/availability required? Resumes, letters of commitment/availability, work plans and other addenda materials will not be counted against the page limit. Letters of commitment are required for Key Personnel – see Instructions to Offerors.

180) Please confirm the small business size standard for NAICS 611430 applicable to this

RFQ? $15M in average annual receipts.

181) Will FAR 52.219-14 (Limitations on Subcontracting) apply at the BPA level or per order?

The clause applies at the call order level.

182) Anticipated award date and kickoff/start window to inform onboarding…