19AQMM26R0340_Vendor_Answers_Post.pdf

19AQMM26R0340_Vendor_Answers_Post

Nmbr Section / Topic Question Respond Answer

1 PWS - Section 8.7

Contradictory Insurance Submission Timelines: Section 8.7 of the PWS states that evidence of insurance must be provided at the time of proposal submission or the bid may be deemed "NOT ACCEPTABLE". However, Section

8.15 states that evidence is required within ten (10) days after contract award.

Please clarify if evidence of the specific policy naming the U.S. Department of State as an additional insured is a mandatory requirement for the initial proposal package.

Post

For contracts at Post the potential vendor is required to with the quotation submitted show proof of the actual insurance. Where the insurance is not in place to provide an undertaken from the insurer that they will underwrite if the vendor is awarded the contract.

The successful vendor on award has usually 10 days to provide the actual insurance with the Embassy named as an additional insured.

Supervisory Pricing and Allocation: The PWS requires the Contractor to provide costs for two (2) Supervisors but notes that the Government may only hire one. Please clarify if the "Fixed Price per month for standard services" requested in Section 1.1 should include the cost of one or two supervisors, or if the second supervisor will be handled via a separate CLIN.

Post Yes, there are two (2) CLINs, one (1) for each Supervisor.

3 PWS - Section 2.14.16

Total Inventory of Trash Containers: Section 2.14.1 indicates that the Contractor is responsible for supplying liners and emptying 30-gallon trash containers. Section 2.14.16 also requires quarterly sanitization of these containers. To accurately price labor, sanitization supplies, and liners, please provide the total quantity of 30-gallon containers located at the Embassy Compound and Colin Powell Plaza.

Post Collin Powell Plaza- 6

NEC- 12

4 General

Irrigation Infrastructure and Equipment: The Contractor is required to provide all hoses, portable sprinklers, and irrigation equipment to ensure 7cm of water penetration. To determine the necessary equipment load and hose lengths, please provide a map or total count of functional exterior water spigots/outlets available for Contractor use at both performance locations.

Post This can be determined during the site visit.

5 PWS - Section 2.14.8

Fish Relocation and Pond Maintenance: Section 2.14.8 requires the Contractor to relocate and store fish during semi-annual deep cleanings of the fishpond.

Please clarify if the relocation/storage is expected to occur in Government-provided on-site tanks or if the Contractor must provide all temporary life-support systems and transportation for the fish.

Post Contractor provides temporary onsite storage during cleaning

6 PWS - Section 2.3.1.2

Definition of "Expanded Workloads": Section 2.3.1.2 requires a plan for augmenting staff to perform duties under "expanded workloads". Please clarify if these expanded workloads are strictly covered under the 240 "Additional Hours" per year CLIN, or if this refers to separate surge requirements that would be negotiated independently

Post Strictly covered under the 240 "Additional Hours" per year CLIN

7 General If there is an incumbent, could you please share the Purchase Order number and the total value associated with their contract?

AQM This information will not be provided.

8 General Are there any changes in the previous scope to new one? AQM This is irrelevant for this Solicitation.

9 General Are there any post-award submittals that we should be aware of? If so, could you please provide the relevant information?

AQM All Post Award submittals are listed in the PWS.

10 General

We would appreciate clarification regarding the replacement of trees, plants, fish within the onsite pond, and other landscaping or pond features.

Should the anticipated costs of these replacements be included in the contractor’s fixed pricing, or will replacements be treated as additional work that may be invoiced separately based on actual occurrence and prior authorization from the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s Representative?

Post The contract requires replacement, at no additional cost to the Government, of whatever is killed or rendered unusable for its intended purpose through negligent or irresponsible practices that are attributable to the contractor

11 General

We would appreciate clarification regarding the replacement of trees, plants, fish within the onsite pond, and other landscaping or pond features.

If replacement costs are expected to be included in the fixed price, please provide, where available, the anticipated quantities, replacement frequency, required species or specifications, and relevant historical replacement information to assist offerors in developing accurate and comparable pricing.

Post The contract requires replacement, at no additional cost to the Government, of whatever is killed or rendered unusable for its intended purpose through negligent or irresponsible practices that are attributable to the contractor. The replacement is 1 for 1 so it would be from the list of species indicated in the SOW

H-007 / 8.7 vs 8.14 - Insurance (Technical)

Clause 8.7 (page 17 of 88) states evidence of insurance is due at time of proposal submission and that the Government may deem a proposal not acceptable if certificates are not timely submitted, while clause 8.14 (page 18 of 88) states evidence of insurance is due within ten (10) calendar days after contract award and that the contract may be rescinded or terminated if not timely submitted. Please confirm which deadline governs for proposal responsiveness purposes.

Post See Answer 1 above.

H-010 - Defense Base Act (DBA) Insurance (Technical)

The PWS anticipates the majority of the workforce will be Jamaica-based labor. Please confirm whether Jamaica currently appears on the Department of Labor's active DBA waiver list for Host Country Nationals and Third Country Nationals, and whether the $10,000 not-to-exceed DBA Insurance CLIN (007/1007/2007/3007/4007) placeholder is intended to cover only any U.S.

citizen or U.S.-hired personnel the Offeror proposes.

Post Jamaica is not on the Department of Labor's active DBA waiver list for Host Country Nationals and Third Country Nationals

PWS 5.4.1 - Personnel Security Vetting (Technical)

PWS Section 5.4.1 requires police reports no older than three months and bi-annual re-vetting, with Local Nationals requiring RSO vetting approval and U.S.

Citizens/Third Country Nationals requiring MRPT certification. What is the typical processing time for RSO vetting of Local National grounds personnel, and may proposed personnel begin work before vetting completes, or must all personnel be cleared before the Notice to Proceed?

Post The typical processing time for RSO vetting of Local National grounds personnel is ten business days and proposed personnel must be cleared before the Notice to Proceed, PWS 2.3.1 - Supervisor Staffing Structure (Technical)

PWS Section 2.3.1 states the requirement is for one Supervisor to manage both sites, but the Government reserves the right to hire a second if deemed necessary, and Offerors must price both Supervisor CLINs regardless. For the Technical Proposal staffing plan, should Offerors present one shared Supervisor as the baseline approach with a second Supervisor addressed as a contingency, or does the Government want a narrative built around two Supervisors as the primary approach?

Post One shared Supervisor as the baseline approach with a second Supervisor addressed as a contingency.

Section L-002 - Offsite Storage Requirement (Technical)

Section L-002, as revised by Amendment 0002 (page 3 of 9), notes at-no-cost onsite storage is available (a 10x12 ft shed at the Embassy compound and a 12x15 ft room at Colin Powell Plaza), but states Offerors are still responsible for including rental of an offsite storage facility or warehouse in their proposal. Please clarify whether offsite storage is a mandatory cost element of every proposal, or whether it should be priced only as a contingency in case the onsite storage proves insufficient.

Post Should be priced only as a contingency in case the onsite storage proves insufficient.

PWS 6.1 / Section 2.13-

2.14 - Equipment for Pressure Washing (Technical)

The pressure-washing scope totals approximately 41,000 square feet combined across both properties, 30,000 SF at the Embassy compound and 11,000 SF at Colin Powell Plaza. Does the Government require or prefer electric over gas-powered equipment for work performed on the Embassy compound because of its proximity to secure facilities, or is equipment type left to the Contractor's discretion?

Post Equipment type left to the Contractor's discretion

PWS 2.14.8 - Fish Pond / Koi Care (Technical)

PWS Section 2.14.8 requires daily feeding of Koi Stick to the fishpond and a semi-annual full cleaning that includes removing and temporarily storing live fish. Does the Government require personnel assigned this task to hold specific aquatic or koi care experience or certification, or is general grounds-keeping experience sufficient for this requirement?

Post General grounds-keeping experience sufficient for this requirement

PWS 2.4.6 - Pollinator Garden Installation Cost (Technical)

PWS Section 2.4.6 requires the Contractor to design, develop, and maintain two native-species pollinator gardens as part of the Grounds Maintenance Plan due within 30 days of award. Should the cost of initial installation, including soil preparation and plant procurement, be included within the Base Year CLIN 003/006 monthly pricing, or should Offerors break it out as a separate one-time line item in the Price Proposal?

Post Break it out as a separate one-time line item in the Price Proposal

Section L-002, Subfactor 2 - Evaluation Weighting for Overseas Facility Experience (Strategic)

Section L-002, Subfactor 2 (page 5 of 9, Amendment 0002) states additional weight will be given to past experience working with or on other Government facilities abroad. Please confirm whether this additional weight applies specifically to U.S. Government facilities abroad, or whether comparable experience with other host-nation government, diplomatic, or secured institutional campuses in the Caribbean region would also receive additional consideration.

AQM The host-nation facilities would be considered equal in the evaluation process.

Section L-002 / Factor Two - Subcontractor Past Performance References (Strategic)

Factor Two requires three Past Performance Questionnaires submitted directly to the Contracting Officer by the customers of any significant subcontractor, along with the subcontractor's written consent for the Government to discuss that past performance with the Offeror during any discussion or negotiation phase. For a small, newly formed local Jamaican subcontractor with limited or no formal government contract history, will the Government accept commercial or private-sector references in place of government references for the subcontractor's PPQs?

AQM The questionairre is not limited to only Government agencies. Private sector references are acceptable.

F-006 - Option Year Exercise Outlook (Strategic)

F-006 states the Government has no obligation to extend the contract beyond the Base Year. Beyond satisfactory performance and funding availability, are there known programmatic factors, such as planned changes to the Embassy or Colin Powell Plaza facility footprint or capital improvement plans, that Offerors should account for when planning multi-year staffing and equipment investment across the four option years?

Post No.

Section I / 52.219-9 - Small Business Subcontracting Plan Applicability (Strategic)

The Table of Contents lists 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan clauses among the incorporated provisions (page 3 of 88), but Section H and the award instructions do not state a subcontracting plan dollar threshold.

Since this is a 100% small business set-aside procurement, please confirm whether a formal Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required of a small business Prime, or whether that clause is included for administrative completeness only and does not apply here.

AQM

Since this is a Small Business setaside, there is no specific requirement for a subcontracting plan if it is not needed.

19AQMM26R0340