Attachment B-Questions and Answers.pdf

Supply and Delivery High-Grade Gasoline 95

Attachment B - Questions and Answers

Solicitation # 19J01026R0003

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

Question (1): Section. 5.1. Please specify the technical requirements, brand, or performance specifications for the fuel pump and electronic fuel management system to be furnished and installed upon contract award, so offerors can accurately price this deliverable.

Answer: The requirement is performance-based. The Government does not specify a particular brand for the fuel pump or electronic fuel management system. The Contractor shall provide and install a complete, fully integrated system consisting of a fuel pump with two (2) nozzles and an electronic fuel management system capable of accurate fuel dispensing, transaction recording, vehicle and/or user tracking, and report generation, as outlined in the solicitation.

Please refer to Amendment No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

The system shall be commercially available, compatible across all components, and suitable for continuous operational use. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that the proposed system is compatible with the existing infrastructure.

Following the pre-proposal conference, the Government provided attendees the opportunity to visit the site and inspect the existing pump and the designated installation location. Offerors shall rely on the site visit and their professional expertise to determine system compatibility, configuration, and any necessary dimensions or integration requirements.

Question (2): Section. 5.3. Please specify the technical requirements, compatibility standards, and specifications for the 250 fuel smart cards and two card readers to be supplied upon award.

Answer: Please refer to Amendment No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

Question (3): Section. 5.4. Please specify the minimum hardware and software specifications for the standalone computer to be provided for the Motor Pool. Is commercially available fuel management software acceptable, or must the contractor develop a custom system?

Answer: The requirement is performance-based. The Government does not prescribe specific brand names or proprietary specifications for the standalone computer to be provided. The

Contractor shall provide a commercially available, standard business-grade computer system sufficient to support the fuel management system, including data processing, reporting, and system operation functions. Commercially available fuel management software is acceptable, provided it meets the functional requirements of the solicitation

Question (4): Section. 5.1. When will the incumbent contractor remove the existing fuel pump? Will the incoming contractor be required to install the new pump before the incumbent removes the old one to avoid any gap in fuel dispensing operations?

Answer: Yes, the incumbent contractor will remove the existing pumps and hardware to manage the fueling system. The incoming contractor cannot install the new systems before the outgoing contractor removes their systems. Please refer to Amendment No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

Question (5): Section. 6.1. Please specify the exact ASTM or EN standard number applicable to High-

Grade Gasoline Octane 95 under this contract, so offerors can ensure their supply chain and third-party testing are compliant.

Answer: Please refer to Amendment No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

Question (6): Section. 7.1. Who bears the cost of third-party laboratory fuel inspection reports when requested by the COR? How frequently are such reports expected to be requested during a typical contract year?

Answer: The Contractor shall bear all costs associated with this requirement. Please refer to

Amendment No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

Question (7): Section. 8.1. Please indicate the approximate frequency of emergency deliveries (outside

08:00–18:00, Sunday–Thursday) expected annually, so offerors can factor this into their operational planning.

Answer: The requested data is not available. Please refer to Amendment No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

Question (8): Section. 3.1 / Sec. 8. The 24-hour pre-delivery notification requirement applies to normal deliveries. Is this requirement waived or reduced for emergency deliveries under Section 8?

Answer: Yes, the Contractor shall comply with the instructions of the Contracting Officer (CO) or the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) regarding emergency deliveries, as set forth in

Section 8, Subsection 8.1, “Emergency and After-Hours Delivery”. Please refer to Amendment

No. 0002 to the solicitation for revised information regarding this requirement.

Question (9): Section. 2.2.3. The solicitation states that tanker truck size shall be determined by the

COR. Please indicate the expected range of tanker sizes (minimum and maximum capacity in liters) to allow offerors to plan their fleet accordingly.

Answer: The requested data is not available.

Question (10): Section. 16 / Sec. 5.1. Please confirm the exact location within the Embassy compound where the new fuel pump is to be installed, and confirm that adequate electrical power infrastructure

(220V, 50Hz) is already in place at that location.

Answer: The installation will be inside the U.S. Embassy compound. Following the pre-proposal conference, the Government provided attendees the opportunity to visit the site and inspect the existing pump and the designated installation location. Please refer to Section 16

“Government-Furnished Property (GFP)”.

Question (11): Pricing / SubCLIN. Please confirm whether the Economic Price Adjustment under Section

12 applies only to SubCLIN .1 (fuel cost) and not to SubCLIN .2 (delivery charge), and whether the delivery charge is fixed for the full contract duration with no adjustment mechanism. Kindly note that delivery charges will also be affected throughout the full contract duration.

Answer: Please refer to Section 12, Subsection 12.7 “Price Adjustment (Economic Price

Adjustment – Fuel)”.

Question (12): Section. 12 vs. FAR 52.216-2. Section 12 provides for monthly price adjustments tied to the Government of Jordan's official fuel price with no stated cap. FAR 52.216-2 limits aggregate price increases to 10% of the original unit price. Please clarify which provision governs in the event of a conflict, and whether the 10% cap applies to this contract.

Answer: The Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) mechanism set forth in Section 12 of the solicitation is specifically tailored to this requirement and reflects the Government of Jordan’s regulated fuel pricing system, which is mandatory and binding on all fuel suppliers. Please refer to the solicitation amendment for removing FAR 52.216-2 from the solicitation and incorporating new language for EPA.

Question (13): General. Please confirm the expected contract start date and the base year period of performance.

Answer: The anticipated contract start date is October 27, 2026.

Question (14): FAR 52.229-11 / 52.229-12. If the offeror is a Jordanian company registered in Jordan with no U.S. tax presence, please confirm whether a full exemption from the 2% excise tax under 26

U.S.C. 5000C is available via IRS Form W-14, and what supporting documentation is required to claim it.

Answer: Jordanian company registered in Jordan are not exempted from the 2% tax. The resulted contract from this solicitation is subject to James Zadroga act. Offerors are responsible for completing IRS Form W-14, as applicable, to certify their tax status. The Contracting Officer does not make determinations regarding tax exemption eligibility. Any applicable tax treatment will be administered in accordance with the referenced FAR clauses and IRS guidance.

Question (15): FAR 52.232-33 / SAM. Please confirm the process for a Jordanian company to set up international Electronic Funds Transfer to a Jordanian bank account through SAM and confirm whether the Embassy's FMO has an established process for processing payments to Jordanian IBAN bank accounts.

Answer: Payment will be made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) in accordance with FAR

52.232-33 and in the contractor’s SAM.gov registration. Jordanian companies may designate a Jordanian bank account with an IBAN for receipt of payments, and by providing accurate banking information to the Embassy Financial Management Office (FMO). The Embassy FMO processes EFT payments in accordance with U.S. Government financial management procedures for vendor bank accounts, including international IBAN-enabled accounts.

Question (16): Page 28, Section A. What if the contractor is new, does not have many clients and no audited financials for the last 5 years, but it will be supported by a competent entity who has all required competencies, technicalities and financials to support to fulfill the contract. Will that affect the scoring of the company?

Answer: The Government is seeking proposals from qualified, responsible offerors.

Question (17): What is the minimum order qty for each delivery for gasoline 95?

Answer: Please refer to FAR 52.216-19 “ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995)”

Question (18): Please advise the Capacity of gasoline 95 and gasoil tanks at discharge locations.

Answer: The current tank capacity is 37,000 liters. The Government reserves the right to modify or replace the tank with a different capacity at any time during the contract period of performance.

Question (19): Could you please confirm whether economic price adjustment provisions will be considered due to fluctuations in global fuel market pr

Answer: Please refer to the Government’s Response to Question No. 11.

Question (20): As fuel prices fluctuate constantly, especially now, how do you want us to bid this- just our profit % and leave the fuel price estimate blank?

Answer: Please refer to the Government’s Response to Question No. 11.

Question (21): Historically I found the previous awards and I was curious historically what the average profit margin % that the government found favorable to win the bids?

Answer: The offeror is responsible for submitting pricing proposal as required in the solicitation and by completing Section one, Pricing, of the solicitation.

Question (22): The solicitation requires that any document submitted in Arabic be accompanied by an

English translation. Kindly clarify: a) Is the English translation required to be a certified/attested translation, or is a non-certified translation prepared by the offeror acceptable? b) If attestation or certification is required, by whom must it be performed — a licensed translation office in Jordan, a notary public, or another specific authority?

Answer: In accordance with for FAR clause 52.214-34 Offers submitted in response to this solicitation shall be in the English language. Offers received in other than English shall be rejected. Therefore, it is incumbent upon offerors that any document submitted in any other language than English be translated by a certified translator. Translation services are at the expense of the Offeror.

Question (23): Subcontracting is not permitted. Kindly clarify whether the use of third-party trucks or transportation assets on a rental/hire basis to supplement the prime contractor's own fleet — where the prime contractor retains full operational control, supervision, and responsibility for the delivery — constitutes subcontracting within the meaning of the prohibition, or whether it is permissible as an equipment rental arrangement.

Answer: The contractor must own all the assets and equipment and have the labor force needed to successfully perform the requirements of the contract.

End of Questions and Answers and Attachment B