QA N2 RFQ 19FR6325Q0047.pdf

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS N2

RFQ 19FR6325Q0047- PAYROLL SERVICES FOR LOCALLY EMPLOYED

STAFF

1. Incumbent Contract - Could you please confirm whether this requirement is a new procurement or a recompete of an existing contract, and if so, the name of the incumbent service provider and the contract number?

This is a re-competition of an existing contract 19FR6321D0001. The current incumbent is Value Plus

2. Average Monthly Headcount- The RFQ references a range of approximately 150–440 locally employed staff. For pricing purposes, can you confirm the current average monthly number of staff being processed under the existing arrangement?

This is mentioned in the pricing tables. The estimated number of employees is 400. Please refer to the pricing schedules of the RFQ in pages 7 to 16. This will be the basis of the price evaluation.

3. Task Orders and Invoicing Structure- Will the awarded contractor submit one consolidated monthly invoice for all services, or will separate task orders / invoices be issued per pay period?

Normally one task order shall be issued for the year subject to the availability of funding. The contractor shall provide monthly invoices.

4. Data Format and Language- Will payroll input data (hires, terminations, allowances, overtime, adjustments, etc.) be provided primarily in English, French, or both? Additionally, will the Embassy provide a secure data exchange platform (for example, SFTP, SharePoint, or another encrypted transfer method), or is the contractor expected to propose the secure transfer method?

The data shall be provided in English with codification as shown in Attachment B.

The US Embassy shall not provide a secure data exchange platform. The Contractor shall propose a secure transfer method.

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5. Payroll Execution vs. Reporting- Will the Embassy continue to execute payroll disbursements directly to employees from its own account, or will the contractor be responsible for payment execution in addition to calculation and reporting?

The US Government shall execute payroll disbursements to Locally employed staff. The Contractor shall provide calculation, reporting and declaration of contributions in the DSN platform. No payments shall be made by the Contractor

6. Will the contractor be responsible for DSN submissions on behalf of the Embassy, or only for preparing and delivering DSN-compliant payroll files for Embassy submission?

The Contractor shall be responsible for DSN submissions of contributions and taxes for each locally employed staff on behalf of the US Embassy Paris

7. Evaluation Basis- The RFQ indicates a Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) award approach. Can you confirm whether the technical evaluation will consider past performance and qualifications (for example, experience with multinational or expatriate payroll administration), or will the award be based strictly on price among technically acceptable vendors?

Past performance will be considered as part of the technical evaluation. The contractor shall provide a list of clients over the past 5 years demonstrating prior experience in similar payroll services for organizations with complex payroll structures in France, as requested in section 3 – A.2(3).

8. Eligibility of U.S.-Based Firms with French Support- Please confirm that a U.S.-based payroll and accounting firm utilizing a DSN-compliant French payroll partner for local statutory compliance remains eligible for award under this RFQ.

As expressed in the scope of services in Paragraph II, subcontracting is not authorized for this project. This is for security reasons considering the sensitivity of information.

9. Transition / Implementation Period- Is there an anticipated transition or onboarding period

(for example, 30 days) between award and the first pay cycle under the new contract? If so, will that setup / transition effort be covered under a separate CLIN or is it expected to be included in the monthly unit pricing?

The Contractor shall include the estimated transition period (timescale for implementation) of in its proposal as required in Section 3- A2 (6-d). The cost shall be included in CLIN0001- Preliminary study and set-up services for the base year schedule. This is a one-time cost. Please refer to the pricing schedule on page 7.

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10. VAT Treatment- Should pricing be submitted in euros exclusive of VAT, with VAT listed as a separate line item, as described in the RFQ? We would like to confirm how you would like VAT displayed in the pricing schedule.

Please refer to the pricing schedule page 7 to 16. VAT shall be a separate line item

11. Prior Performance Expectations- If there is any specific performance expectation from the current service provider (for example, error thresholds, timeliness standards, reporting format), can you please share those so we can confirm alignment?

Please provide a list of clients with similar complex projects in France as part of your proposal as requested in Section 3-A2(3). Reference check may be conducted, and discussions may be held with the client’s contact person to check the contractor quality of services, compliance with contract terms, effectiveness of managements, business integrity as mentioned in Section 3- A.2 (3).

12. Pre-Solicitation Conference Materials- We understand a pre-solicitation / pre-proposal conference was planned. We were not able to attend. If there are presentation materials, minutes, or a Q&A summary from that session, may we receive a copy to ensure our quotation reflects the most current guidance?

Documents are uploaded to SAM.gov. Please find attached as well.

13. Post-Submission Point of Contact- Following submission of our quotation to

ParisContracting@state.gov, should all follow-up communication be directed to you, or to Ms.

Hibert, or to both?

Please send any communication to Pariscontracting@state.gov

14. Can a US company located in Florida perform these services or does the payroll firm need to be in Paris?

Please ensure your company is compliant with the specific requirements expressed in Paragraph II- Scope of services and Paragraph 3.4-Key Personnel of Block 20- Work statement to perform the services.

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