Solicitation 19C2021Q0003 Questions and Answers - FINAL.pdf

SOLICITATION 19C02021Q0003 JANITORIAL AND CLEANING SERVICES FOR EMBASSY

BOGOTA

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question # 1: Please confirm the cost of the permit or security study carried out by the Embassy to the personnel that will work in the facilities.

Answer #1: The approximate cost is USD $50 per employee.

Question # 2: Please confirm if the American Embassy will supply cleaning supplies, personal protection items

(Gloves, Masks, Glasses) and equipment (Squeegee buckets, Preventive Notices, Vacuum Cleaner, Pressure washer, Polisher) for the provision of cleaning services. According to the technical visit, we were told that the supply of supplies, including gloves, would be paid by the American Embassy.

Answer #2: The Embassy will provide the supplies and equipment necessary for the cleaning services including buckets, water hoses, electric extension, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, etc. See page 28 in the solicitation for a list of the equipment the U.S. Embassy will provide.

The contractor must provide all PPE required, taking into consideration all the risks involved in the tasks performed by their personnel. The contractor shall work in coordination with the ARL (Administradora de riesgos laborales) performing the risk assessments and assuring that their employees are protected accordingly. Gloves, masks, glasses are all part of the PPE that must be supplied by the contractor.

Question #3: What is the exact number of current employees working Janitorial Services at the U.S. Embassy

Bogota, specifically, that we would have to inherit?

Answer #3: The solicitation is based on estimated square meters to be cleaned and not number of personnel, please see table in page 14, under the Description column, the number of people and detailed schedule for each building/area. The contractor is autonomous to decide who to contract.

The current workforce is composed of the following staff:

24 workers for the Embassy compound

1 worker for the exterior warehouse

1 worker for Guaymaral (3 days / week = 24 hrs per week).

1 supervisor

Question #4: Is the current Janitorial Supervisor bi-lingual?

Answer #4: Yes.

Question #5: What is the salary range of the supervisor?

Answer #5: The U.S. Embassy does not have this information, the salary for this person is determined by the contractor based on Colombian labor laws.

Question #6: What is the salary range of the janitorial employees?

Answer #6: The U.S. Embassy does not have this information, the salary for employees in this contract is determined by the contractor based on Colombian labor laws.

Question #7: In the event the U.S. Embassy is unaware of the salaries, can you confirm if salary ranges are superior to Colombian minimum wage and if the employees receive any subsidies, commissions, or additional allowances to their salary.

Answer #7: The U.S. Embassy does not have this information, the salary for employees in this contract is determined by the contractor, all mandatory salary benefits dictated by Colombian labor laws must be provided.

Question #8: What is the value of the incumbent contract for one year or last year 2020? As well as the year-to-date value?

Answer #8: The previous formal contract was awarded to Aseocolba via contract SCO20014C0005 for an amount not to exceed COP 3,155,927,347.26 total for the base year and four option years.

Question #9: If salary ranges are unavailable, is there an employee roster with contact including phone numbers, where we can interview to hire the employees we would inherit?

Answer #9: No, but if your company is awarded with the contract we can provide the contact information of the previous contract holder so they can provide information of incumbent employees.

Question # 10: Since we are inheriting the incumbent employees, and to offer the most competitive rate to the U.S.

Embassy and match or improve incumbent employee pay, an idea of exact employee count, salary ranges and benefits establishes the baseline for quoting. How many cleaning staff is on the jobsite?

Answer #10: See answer to question # 3

Question # 11: For the previous cleaning company what was the annual total budget? The yearly contract for each year.

Answer #11: See answer to question #8.

Question #12: Would you please kindly provide further contact information including emails for the brokerage offices that provide DBA insurance coverage?

Answer #12: To view a complete list of authorized Carriers visit the Insurance Carrier section on the U.S.

Department of Labor website – https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/dlhwc/ExplainingDBA

The DOL list includes:

Clements Worldwide

Abdallah Ahmed

Vice President, Global Organizations aahmed@clements.com

Keep in Copy to Maria Castillo Diaz (Mcastillodiaz@clements.com)

Office: +1-202-741-1560

Cell: +1-202-340-9873

Fax: +1-202-521-9318

WRM-Worldwide Risk Management Inc.

Jason G. Allen

President allenj@worldwiderisk.com

Office: 207-878-2510

Cell: 207-576-3201

Fax: 207-221-1067

AH&T Insurance

Mike Kelly mkelly@ahtins.com

Office: 703-554-6274

Cell: 804-439-0493

Fax: 703-547-0278 http://www.ahtins.com/

AIG General Insurance

Jayra Valencia

Casualty Underwriter

Jayra.Valencia@aig.com

American Home Assurance Company| AIG Property Casualty https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/dlhwc/ExplainingDBA mailto:aahmed@clements.com mailto:Mcastillodiaz@clements.com mailto:allenj@worldwiderisk.com mailto:mkelly@ahtins.com https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ahtins.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7CRiveraS%40state.gov%7Cbcd2aef3bb4d4e95ff6608d8d5241bdb%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637493698371058871%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=IEK7d1eK5faaEYNl0TXFvUya3A4sNSpFl6GiAgg%2Fdtk%3D&reserved=0 mailto:Jayra.Valencia@aig.com

Tel +971 4 509 6219 | Mobile +971 56 689 0313

Global Underwriters

Ryan Hampel ryan@globalunderwriters.com

Peter Schulteis peter@globalunderwriters.com

Defense Base Act Division

Phone: 800-423-8496 (Inside USA)

Phone: 513-533-1500 extension 10 (Outside USA)

Fax: 513-533-1055

Web: http://www.Defensebaseact.com

Web: http://www.globalunderwriters.com

Question # 13: DBA insurance: After consulting with some insurers and specifically with CHUBB SEGUROS SA, they inform us that they do not grant DBA insurance to maintenance companies for cleaning work and in order to search for this policy in the market in the USA it is necessary to do through a broker in the USA. This makes it impossible for companies to have their headquarters in Colombia and the process would be quite expensive.

Additionally, the issuance value of the DBA policy causes an extra cost which would leave any offer out of competition.

Given the above, we request to validate the policies of the DBA policy requirement and if it would apply in all respects to the service according to the ongoing process, otherwise, exclude it from the terms in order to facilitate participation.

Answer #13: The Defense Base Act insurance is required by the U.S. Government for all contractors and sub-contractors doing work overseas. For more information go to: https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/ExplainingDBA.htm

Question # 14: Since cleaning routines could vary significantly from pandemic circumstances to normal activity under full traffic activity, the economic proposal could also vary considerably at least for 2021 depending on facility traffic assumptions. A potential contractor could bid 50% or less traffic estimates which would result in a significant price discount. As a company we could reduce significantly the people required under normal circumstances at least for 2021, however, we understand that the embassy wants to operate or at least have the entire team although some part remains at home. In this sense, we would like to know if the economic proposal should take into account normal circumstances or actual restrictions at least for 2021.

Answer #14: Your company must submit pricing based on regular and normal working conditions.

mailto:ryan@globalunderwriters.com mailto:peter@globalunderwriters.com https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defensebaseact.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7CRiveraS%40state.gov%7C9a046786a60b4d1a9d8e08d8d48aa0b8%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637493039160465736%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=chCAFbFhUQXjWdtO3tZkultchEe3%2F8xsPFj%2BQ%2F5lRHA%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalunderwriters.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7CRiveraS%40state.gov%7C9a046786a60b4d1a9d8e08d8d48aa0b8%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637493039160475696%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=yDJpDTe5KMIhgC2XDIF8Yvzfn3B9ua8TNGDFCB220Q0%3D&reserved=0 https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/ExplainingDBA.htm