19AQMM26R0119 QAs - 7-16.pdf

19AQMM26R0119

Question & Answer Document

NOTICE: Q&A Period Closed

The question-and-answer period for Solicitation No. 19AQMM26R0119 has closed. This document reflects the final, complete set of questions received and the Government's responses. No further questions will be accepted or answered for this solicitation. Offerors should rely solely on the solicitation, as amended, and this Q&A document in preparing their proposals. Any additional clarifications, if required, will be issued by the Contracting Officer via formal amendment.

1. What is the required format for the proposal? Answer: Section L.2 of the solicitation governs proposal formatting: 8.5"x11" pages, Times New Roman (or similar serif) 12-point font, 1-inch margins, single or 1.15 line spacing, and four volumes (I–Technical, 25 pgs; II–Past Performance, 10 pgs; III–Price, no limit/Narrative 75 pgs; IV–Key Personnel Qualifications, no limit). Resumes and Letters of Commitment in Volume IV do not count against the Volume I page limit.

Offerors should refer directly to Section L of the RFP.

2. Can an individual fill the requirements/needs of more than one Key Personnel position (e.g., can the Senior EHS/Environmental Specialist also cover ergonomics/ADA experience typically expected of the Industrial Hygiene and Safety Specialist)? Answer: No. The EHS Project Manager, EHS Specialist – Special Programs, Industrial Hygiene and Safety Specialists (two positions), and Environmental Specialist are distinct Key Personnel positions, each with its own required qualifications, certifications, and scope of responsibility as identified in SOW Section VI.D and Solicitation Sections H-016 and L.6. Offerors must propose separate, dedicated individuals who independently meet the qualifications for each position; experience in one discipline may not be substituted to satisfy the qualification requirements of another position.

3. Please confirm the security clearance standard: SOW Section XIII cites Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT), while H-031 references facility/personnel security language typically associated with classified access. Answer: Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) is the confirmed security clearance requirement for all personnel performing under this contract. This standard applies uniformly across SOW Section XIII and Solicitation Section H- 031; no Facility Security Clearance or classified access is required. Consistent with this, H-031(f) confirms that a DD Form 254 will not be issued for this procurement. Offerors should plan and budget accordingly for MRPT-level suitability processing for all proposed personnel.

4. What is the expected timeline for processing Public Trust clearances/DOS building passes for newly awarded contractor personnel, given the "no gap in EHS coverage" requirement? Answer: The Department does not have a current, established timeline to provide for processing new Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) clearances, as the Program Office has not had to initiate a new MRPT request in some time. Offerors should note that the Government's expectation, consistent with SOW Section IX.C, is that qualified incumbent personnel who already hold active MRPT clearances will be given first right of refusal for continued employment under the new contract. This approach is intended to mitigate any gap in EHS coverage during the transition period. Offerors proposing new personnel without existing MRPT clearances should build appropriate lead time into their transition planning, as processing timelines cannot be guaranteed by the Government.

5. Can the Government identify the incumbent contractor and contract number? Answer: Windjammer Environmental, LLC is the incumbent 8(a) firm, providing EHS services to the Department since 2017, currently under contract 19AQMM23C0071 (ceiling $4,500,000; base plus two option years).

6. Can the Government provide the incumbent's current labor categories, wage rates, or a redacted price history? Answer: The labor categories for this requirement are confirmed as follows: the EHS Project Manager, EHS Specialist, and Environmental Specialist positions are all senior-level personnel, and the two Industrial Hygiene and Safety Specialist positions are mid-level personnel. These labor category levels are consistent with the qualifications identified in SOW Section VI.D and Solicitation Sections H-016 and L.6. The Government is not able to provide the incumbent contractor's wage rates or price history, as this information is proprietary to the incumbent. Offerors should independently develop and support their proposed labor rates in accordance with Section L.5 of the solicitation.

7. Is there a phase-in/transition period, and how would it be funded?

Answer: No formal phase-in/transition period has been built into this award.

Consistent with SOW Section IX.C, the Government's expectation is that qualified incumbent personnel will be given first right of refusal for continued employment under the new contract, which is intended to support continuity of EHS operations without requiring a dedicated transition period or separate funding mechanism.

Offerors should plan their staffing and start-of-performance approach accordingly, with the understanding that no overlap billing or transition CLIN will be provided.

8. Which field instrumentation must the Contractor own vs. obtain via ODC reimbursement/Government furnishing? Answer: The Contractor is not expected to own any specific field instrumentation or equipment. Government-owned detection equipment (e.g., radiation survey meters, PCR and infrared spectroscopy units) is available on-site for Contractor use in performing the required services. Any additional equipment needed that is not already available as Government-furnished equipment may be rented and reimbursed through the Other Direct Costs (ODC) CLINs (0006/1006/2006), subject to advance COR authorization in accordance with Section B.3 of the solicitation. Offerors should not include equipment purchase or ownership costs in their technical or price proposals.

9. Please confirm the correct Period of Performance: SOW Section X states "a base and one option year," while the solicitation's Section F-006, B.2, and L.5.2 CLIN structure (and the Acquisition Plan/SBA Acceptance Letter) all describe a base year plus two option years (10/30/2026– 10/29/2029). Answer: The correct Period of Performance is a base year plus two option years, the SOW has been corrected.

10. Please confirm that Section M governs evaluation, and provide the complete/final list of factors, subfactors, and their relative importance (there also appears to be a discrepancy between the 52.212-2 clause listing four co-equal factors and Section M.2's grouping of Technical Approach and Management Approach as subfactors under one Factor 1). Answer: Section M is the controlling evaluation section. There is no longer a Phase I Pass/Fail gate tied to mandatory certifications. Section L.6 has been revised to list CIH, CSP, and LEED AP as preferred, not mandatory, qualifications for the EHS Project Manager, EHS Specialist, and Industrial Hygiene and Safety Specialists (no certification is required for the Environmental Specialist). This is reinforced in Section M.4.1, which states that CIH or CSP certifications "are preferred, but are not required" when evaluating Key Personnel.

Evaluation now proceeds directly under a single-phase Best Value Tradeoff structure, with the following factors listed in descending order of importance:

• Factor 1 – Technical, consisting of three subfactors:

o Subfactor 1.1 – Technical Approach o Subfactor 1.2 – Management Approach o Subfactor 1.3 – Key Personnel

• Factor 2 – Past Performance

• Factor 3 – Price

Factor 1 (Technical) is more important than Factor 2 (Past Performance). When combined, the non-price factors (Technical and Past Performance) are approximately equal in importance to Price. As proposals become more technically equal, Price becomes an increasingly significant factor in the award decision.

11. Is this a new requirement or a follow-on/re-compete of an existing contract? Answer: This is a re-compete/follow-on: Windjammer Environmental has performed this EHS requirement since 2017, most recently under contract

19AQMM23C0071.

12. If there is an incumbent, will the Government share the vendor's name and contract number so it can be identified in SAM.gov? Answer: Same underlying information as Question 5 — Windjammer Environmental, LLC, contract 19AQMM23C0071.

13. Does the Government wish to retain incumbent staff? If so, please provide incumbent staff names and contact information, if possible. Answer: The Government does not maintain or release incumbent contractor personnel names or contact information, as this is proprietary to the incumbent contractor. Per SOW Section IX.C, the Government strongly encourages the successful Contractor to consider offering employment to qualified incumbent personnel, consistent with the Contractor's independent hiring decisions and applicable law. Offerors are responsible for their own workforce planning and recruitment strategies.