Questions and Answer Part III.pdf

Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO)

Facility Maintenance Support Services (FMSS) IDIQ

Solicitation No. 19AQMM25R0060

Questions and Answers Part III

1. On the overtime rates – ceiling tab, there is not a place to put an overtime rate for the General

Engineer V position. Can the government please correct this?

Answer: See attached Attachment 13 as updated.

2. In the OY2 tab, the hours for the Facility Manager III position are less than the hours in all other years. Can the government please correct this?

Answer: See attached Attachment 14 as updated.

3. The Sr. Maintenance Mechanic performs skilled work in the installation, operation, maintenance, modification, service and repair to facilities mechanical, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, water and waste treatment systems, fire and life support safety equipment and elevators systems.

Will the government add a separate line to Attachment 13 – Ceiling Rates for Sr.

Maintenance Mechanic – Plumber?

Answer: See attached Attachment 13 as updated.

4. Question #42 states that the sample task orders are for pricing evaluation only in Part 1 of the

Q&A. Question #31 states that the proposed price in the sample task order will be used when task orders are issued.

Can the government please clarify that task orders will be awarded at the price proposed during this submission? This will allow the offerors to present their best proposed price and ensures that the government will receive the same price after award of IDIQ and subsequent task order pricing?

Answer: The proposed price in the sample task order will be used when task orders are issued.

5. Question #31 states that a Program Manager is not required on this IDIQ. However, offerors are asked to submit a functional chart to show responsibilities through the Program Manager position. Should offerors include the Program Manager costs in the ceiling rates?

Answer: A program manager is not required.

6. C.7.2 Rest and Recuperation (R&R) states the R&R will be identified at the task order level.

For the sample tasks, only 1 week of R&R is to be priced in. If a future task order requires more than 1 week of R&R based on the location, will the government allow the awardee to request an equitable adjustment to account for this?

Answer: Offerors should consider a maximum of 14 workdays for R&R.

7. B 0007 states that other direct costs will be identified at the task order level and provides examples. Will the government allow the awardee to bill any applicable taxes incurred when

OCONUS from local labor laws or other tax requirements? Will this need to be billed to the travel CLIN or will a separate CLIN be established at the task order level?

Answer: No separate CLIN will be established, taxes when deemed allowable can be billed as other direct costs (ODC’s).

8. Page Size we have a large graphic that appears to need a 11X17 page

Will the Government allow 11X17 pages, if so will it count as one page or two?

Answer: The Government will not allow 11x17 pages.

9. The Contractor shall have designated personnel available in the metropolitan Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland area to physically escort and assist their employees with the onboarding process at Department of State facilities SA-15 or SA-09 for badging and obtaining internet access at the MRA IT Mart. The designated personnel shall also physically assist with delivering passport applications and picking up completed passports at the OBO

Passport and Visa Office at SA-6, applying for visas at the various Embassies and Consulates in Washington, DC., and must be able to obtain a Department of State computer log-on to assist their employees.

The appointed personnel must secure an active clearance to access a Department of State computer log-on for assisting employees with onboarding. Will the government consider including the labor category 'Program Manager' in the list of positions required to have active clearance?

Answer: Answer: A program manager is not required.

10. According to Question #15, the ceiling rate for this contract is $50M.

Does the bid price of the sample task orders need to be within that amount?

Answer: The $50 million ceiling represent the maximum aggregate amount the Government could spend over the contract’s duration. This ceiling will encompass all task orders issued under the contract.

11. OY2 Task Order 004, CLIN 2001 the hours appear to have not been updated from 8,000 to

14,000. Please confirm Offerors can make this correction.

Answer: See attached Attachment 14 as updated.

12. OMTC, Athens, Greece. Question 1: The value for allowances is blank for this location.

Will the Government please confirm that Allowances" should include COLA at a minimum?

Answer: Allowances will include Post Differential and Danger Pay in accordance with the

DSSR. No COLA!"

New Question: The DoS website, on 03/23/25, shows that Athens has a COLA of 20% of spendable income. Why is there no funding in this CLIN?

Answer: COLA is not authorized for third-party contractors, and as of 04/06/2025, the

DSSR does not list any post differentials for Athens, Greece.

14. The following clauses are not listed in this solicitation. Should they be?

52.222-55 and 52.222-62

Answer: See FAR 52.212-5.

15. Based on our experience, the Government client coordinates the application of

Administrative and Technical (A&T) status for contractors with the Chief of HR at the U.S.

Embassy. (The Government did not answer these questions in Part I or II; however, we see them as critical to successful performance. Will the Government please consider answering these questions to aid offerors in accurately pricing and planning to operate the awarded contract?)

Will the U.S. Government assist the contractor in facilitating A&T Status through the U.S.

Embassy for locations where work execution is required for durations that exceed the thresholds for compliance of host nation regulations?

Answer: The Government will assist with obtaining A&T status where mandated.

If A&T status is not provided, will contractors be afforded Status of Forces Agreement

(SOFA) coverage under the DoD agreement in locations where such agreements exist?

Answer: The Government will assist with obtaining A&T status where mandated.

If so, will the Government assist the contractor in the approval process for the identified

SOFA?

Answer: The Government will assist with obtaining A&T status where mandated.

Should A&T status, SOFA or similar status not be available and if host location work and/or residency visas and related legal fees become applicable, will the client reimburse the prime

[and subcontractor]?

Answer: If neither A&T status nor SOFA coverage is available, contractors are generally responsible for obtaining the necessary work and residency visas, including covering associated legal fees.

16. The Government has made significant, material changes to the solicitation, to include changing nearly 1/4 of the requirement (L.2.2 from Staffing Plan to Communications Plan -

15 of 65 total pages). We understand the Government is on a tight timeline to award in May

2025, but the material change combined with a submission date of 9 April forces offerors to truncate internal proposal quality processes designed to give the Government the best solution.

Question: Based on the material changes to the solicitation, will the Government please consider extending the submission deadline by one week to April 16, 2025 at 1500 EST?

Answer: The solicitation due will be extended until Friday April 11th, 2025 at 3 PM EST.

17. Will the Government please consider focusing on effective Task Order performance by supplementing the retention rate language with, "The offeror’s overall retention rate, to include the total number of employees at the contract’s inception, and the number of personnel retained until contract completion plus the calculated retention rate percentage, (or) for task order-type contracts, the offeror's effective retention rate over the life of the contract, which is an average of retention rate calculations for each Task Order from contract award to contract completion."?

Answer: See revised RFP.

18. To ensure compliance with the sol. instructions, please clarify for past performance submission. Are only Attachment 15 Forms to be used for the three worldwide references? Or may the Offeror utilize a two-page summary overview to demonstrate our team’s capabilities and submit the three Attachment 15 files for specific references to comprise/equal a total 5-page limit?

Answer: Offerors should utilize a two page summary overview to demonstrate their past performance and submit the specific references to total the 5 page limit.

19. Please define worldwide regarding Past Performance Surveys. Does this include Domestic and Overseas contract references?

Answer: Worldwide refers to overseas experience.

20. Our FCL Verification from DCSA is marked as CUI by DCSA (the entire DCSA website is

CUI). Per the solicitation we are required to attach supporting documentation to our proposal. CUI must be encrypted or password protected when transmitted over email. Can the Government accept Encrypted Emails (through Microsoft Outlook), with attachments from Non-DOS or Government Accounts? If not, can the Government accept password protected PDF to ensure proper transmission of CUI in alignment with the handling of CUI and NIST SP 800-171? Or is there an approved application that DoS currently utilizes that can accept CUI files?

Answer: Offerors may submit Password protected PDF documents.

21. Within the Line Item Summary, there are 12 annual Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) that are specific to a labor category. Attachment 13 – Ceiling Rates lists a Training Specialist labor category and a Generator Technician labor category that are not included in the Line Item

Summary. Does the Government intend to update the Line Item Summary to include the

Training Specialist and Generator Technician labor categories?

Answer: See the revised Attachment 13.

22. Will the government allow the font size for headers, footers, graphics, and images to be at minimum 8 pt. Arial?

Answer: The Government will accept a minimum of Arial 9-point font for headers, footers, graphics, and images, this includes tables as well.