Industry Questions.pdf
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- Attached to
- Grand Jury Court Reporting Services - United States Attorney's Office, District of Wyoming
- Solicitation number
- 15Ja0527Q00000004
About this file
This file is a Question and Answer (Q&A) document for a federal contract solicitation for grand jury court reporting services for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming.
The solicitation is a small business set-aside requiring court reporting and transcription services for grand jury proceedings held in Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming. Services include attendance at approximately six annual grand jury sessions (three per location), preparation of stenographic notes and monitored multi-microphone digital recordings, transcript preparation, and document certification. The contract requires all reporting and transcription personnel to obtain Tier 4 background clearance prior to commencing work, with no interim approvals or temporary waivers authorized. Processing and storage facilities must comply with security requirements outlined in AI-10-1E and Attachment 5, though facilities need not be located in Wyoming if they meet all security specifications and pass government site review. The government estimates 1,400 combined pages and 100 combined attendance hours annually across both locations, with historical usage showing the prior contract spending aligned with estimated quantities. Transcript volume is primarily agent testimony ordered for every case with standard turnaround of 5-10 days; next-day and same-day transcripts have not been utilized in years. The incumbent contractor is Free State Reporting, Inc. under Contract 15JA0522D00000049. The scope excludes depositions, which Wyoming does not perform regularly. Payment will be made within 30 days of proper invoice receipt per FAR 52.232-25. Key personnel may be proposed under subcontract arrangements or as letters of intent, and AI tools are permitted in transcript preparation provided human certification is obtained.
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Industry Questions
1. Recording Method and Certificate (SOW 2.3(d) and 2.4(a)): Section 2.4(a) permits monitored multi-microphone recording. Is a digital reporter using a monitored multi-microphone system acceptable in place of a stenographic reporter? If so, may the certificate in Section 2.3(d) reference the electronic recording instead of "stenographic notes," and is notary status still required? Answer: No. We need to have the date, time along with AUSA and Agent speaking physically recorded on the stenographic notes. At the time of recording these are not spoken or introduced. Notary status is not required.
2. Separate Transcriptionists (Cover Letter, item a): May cleared transcriptionists who did not attend the session prepare the transcript from the approved recording, with the attending reporter certifying it? Answer: Yes, any person with a Tier 4 can prepare the recorded transcripts.
3. Location of Processing (AI-10-1E, Sections 4 and 9): Must the approved processing and storage facility be located in Wyoming? May a contractor or subcontractor process transcripts at an approved facility in another state (e.g., Colorado) if it meets all security requirements and passes the site review? Section 9(a) also references processing within USAO space. Is that an option under this contract? Answer: Yes; however, contractors must adhere to the guidelines set forth in
AI-10-1E and Attachment 5, Facility Government Review.
4. Wage Determinations (SOW 1.1(e)): If transcription is performed outside Cheyenne or Casper, should the contractor follow FAR 22.1009-4 and notify the Contracting Officer before closing?
Please also confirm the Cheyenne wage determination number, as the SOW lists 2015-55405 and the attachment reads 2015-5405. Answer: Grand Jury proceedings will only be held at one of the two locations identified in the solicitation. Additionally, WD 2015-5405 was listed in error.
Please refer to the revised Statement of Work (SOW) for the correct information.
5. Background Investigations (SOW 1.1(g) and 2.12): What is the typical completion time for a
Tier 4 investigation for this office? Will interim approvals or temporary waivers be granted?
Answer: No, interim approvals are not authorized. Individuals must obtain a Tier 4 clearance prior to performing any work as a Grand Jury court reporter or transcript preparer.
6. Pricing by Location (SOW 1.1(d)): The SF-1449 schedule shows one set of CLINs per period.
Should offerors quoting both locations submit a separate schedule for Cheyenne and Casper? Are the estimated 1,400 pages and 100 attendance hours per location or combined? Answer: They are combined between both locations.
7. Incumbent Contract: Please confirm whether Contract 15JA0522D00000049 with Free State
Reporting, Inc. is the current contract for this requirement. Answer: yes
8. Current Pricing: Please provide the awarded unit prices under the current contract for each
CLIN, including page rates by turnaround, attendance fee, and cancellation fee. Answer: No, please review the FPDS.
9. Historical Usage: For each of the last three years, please provide the following for Cheyenne and
Casper separately: number of sessions held, attendance hours billed, pages ordered by turnaround tier, number of cancellations, and total amount invoiced. Answer: Grand Jury is held 3 times in
Cheyenne and 3 times in Casper.
10. Transcript Volume: On average, what share of recorded testimony is ordered as transcripts, and how often are Next Day or same-day transcripts requested? Answer: Recorded testimony is ordered of the agent testimony for every case. We have not had to use next day or same-day transcripts in years.
11. Change from Prior Scope: The prior solicitation included depositions. Will depositions be procured separately, and should offerors expect lower volume under this contract as a result?
Answer: Yes, the scope changed because Wyoming does not perform depositions on a regular basis. As a result, the solicitation was updated accordingly.
12. Recording Method and Equipment: What recording method does the current contractor use
(stenographic, digital, or both)? Does the USAO provide any recording equipment, sound system, or dedicated space for the reporter at either location? Answer: The USAO – WY does not provided equipment. We get both digital and stenographic.
13. Current Staffing Model: Does the current contractor use Wyoming-based reporters, or do reporters travel to each session? Is a separate transcriptionist currently used? Answer: Since this is a new contract, the contractor should demonstrate its capability to provide court reporting services. A separate transcriptionist may be used; however, any transcription personnel must possess a Tier 4 background investigation.
14. Transition: Will the incumbent's grand jury records, master index, or in-progress transcripts transfer to the new contractor? What transition period does the USAO expect between award and the first session? Answer: No, transcripts will continue to be completed under the existing contract. Upon award, a kickoff meeting will be held with the new contractor to provide guidance on coordination procedures with the Districts' POCs and the EOUSA Contracting
Officer.
15. 2027 Session Schedule: Please confirm the 2027 grand jury session dates for each location. Will the January 2027 Cheyenne session fall under the current contract? Answer: Services performed in January 2027 will be covered under the current contract, which remains in effect through
January 31, 2027.
16. Security Review Timing: Will the preliminary security review of the contractor's facility occur before or after award? Has the current contractor's facility been approved for in-state or out-of-state processing? Answer: The District will coordinate the facility review with the contract. The current contractor’s facility is not in state.
17. Invoicing and Payment: What payment method will be used (e.g., Invoice Processing Platform or email to USAWY.Budget@usdoj.gov), and what is the typical payment timeline after invoice acceptance? Answer: Pursuant to FAR 52.232-25, Prompt Payment, Districts have up to 30 days from receipt of a proper invoice to remit payment.
18. Key Personnel and Subcontractors (Section 5, Volume I): May an offeror propose key personnel who will perform under a subcontract with another small business, or a court reporter who has signed a letter of intent to join the offeror upon award? Answer: Yes both are acceptable.
19. Automated Speech Recognition: Is the use of automated speech recognition or AI tools permitted in preparing grand jury transcripts? Answer: Yes, AI tools can be used but they must be certified by a human being.
20. Clarifications:
(a) Section 5 allows up to three organizational references, while Factor 2 states up to two. Which governs? Answer: Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors (Sept 23), Past Performance:
Offerors shall provide up to three (3) past performance references. Page 88, within Volume II, Organizational Past Performance and Experience, at least two (2) of the three past performance references must reflect similar work and scope completed within the past three years of the solicitation closing date.
(b) Factor 3 references remote deposition software. Does this apply to this grand jury requirement? Answer: No.
(c) Please confirm the volume structure, as the instructions label both Experience and Price as
Volume (C). Answer: Contractors will be evaluated based on their demonstrated experience in performing the requirements outlined in the SOW, as well as their past performance, as evidenced by the references submitted with their proposal.
21. Who is the incumbent? Answer: Free state Court Reporting
22. What is the contract number? Answer: 15JA0522D00000049
23. What is the contract value? Answer: Please see it in FPDS mailto:USAWY.Budget@usdoj.gov
24. Would the Government consider converting this requirement to a HUBZone set-aside? Answer:
This proposal provides the best value to the Government, is competitively priced, and was solicited under a small business set-aside.
25. Volume II allows up to 3 organizational references dated from the issue date; Factor 2 says up to
2, dated from the closing date. Please confirm which is correct. Answer: please see answer to question 20.
26. Historically, what share of grand jury testimony is ordered transcribed, and at what turnaround?
Answer: We get the agent’stestimony transcribed for every case with a regular turn around of 5 to
10 days.
27. Did actual spending under the prior contract come close to its estimated quantities or ceiling?
Answer: Yes
28. For testimony that isn’t ordered, how long must the contractor retain notes and recordings?
Answer: The Contractor gives all of their notes both paper and digital, to the district. They retain nothing. We dispose of what we don’t need and retain what we do.
29. The certificate in SOW 2.2(d) says the reporter is a “Notary Public.” Is Wyoming notary commission required? Answer: Yes, if the District requests a certified hard copy.
30. Were there any problems under the prior contract that prompted changes to this solicitation?
Answer: No, this is a new solicitation.
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