Questions and Answers_Warehouse Support Services_RFQ19KU2025Q0002.pdf

Warehouse Support Services – RFQ 19KU2025Q0002

Questions and Answers

Question(s) Answer(s)

01 Incumbent Contractors: Could you confirm whether there is currently an incumbent contractor for the services outlined in the solicitation?

Yes, the current contractor’s name is:

“Silver Chanin Kuwait General Trading and Contracting Company”

02 Site Visit Opportunity: Will there be opportunities to conduct a site visit of the warehouse facilities prior to the contract start date?

No site visit will be scheduled. However, kindly refer to the Performance Work Statement and the following information related to existing warehouse:

• There are racks with standard 117 locations and a low-head room mezzanine floor with an area of 97

sq. meters. Mezzanine Height; 2.7 meters (from ground to mezzanine floor) and 2.3 meters (from mezzanine floor to average ceiling slope height)

• There are 3 doors/gates available to access the warehouse (2-double leaf and 1-single leaf) and a roll-up door with opening size of 3.5 x 3.7 meters

• There is a dispatching area of 45 sq.

meters within the warehouse

• Photos of the existing warehouse is attached to this Q&As

03 Last contract Value and the Number of personnel on the contract.

The current contract value stands at $228,492.00.

Please note, however, that the scope of work and requirements outlined in the new solicitation differ from those in the existing contract.

04 Are there any racks or mezzanine floors in the warehouse? If available, could you kindly share a layout with elevations?

Yes, there are racks with standard 117 locations and a low-head room mezzanine floor with an area of 97 sq. meters. Mezzanine Height; 2.7 meters (from ground to mezzanine floor) and 2.3 meters (from mezzanine floor to average ceiling slope height)

05 Are there any specific numbers of manpower requested for the services?

No Fixed number, the contractor is responsible for providing the necessary manpower to fulfill the obligations of the contract.

06 How many gates are available in the warehouse for access?

3 access doors (2-double leaf and 1-single leaf) and a roll-up door with opening size of 3.5 x 3.7 meters.

07 What is the size of the dispatching area within the warehouse?

Dispatching Area of 45 sq. meters.

08 Does the warehouse have loading docks? No

09 Is a warehouse management system (WMS) required as part of the service?

No

10 Is there a requirement for any warehouse software-trained person or computer knowledge is enough?

No

11 Does the offeror need to provide an equipment operator to relocate the items?

No

12 What is the current number of employees working in this contract?

It’s the contractor’s responsibility to provide all power necessary to fulfil services required under this contract.

Currently, the number of employees working under the existing contract is not fixed. In addition, note that the Statement of Work and requirement(s) under RFQ 19KU2022Q0015 is not the same as the existing contract.

13 When is the anticipated award date? The Government’s target is to have an award before mid-January 2025

14 What is the start date for this contract? Tentative commence start date is March 1, 15 Kindly advice equipment and vehicles provided by the Embassy for the Contractor's daily services

The list of equipment and vehicles is not available at this time. However, it is the Government’s responsibility to provide the contractor with all necessary equipment and vehicles required to complete the services outlined. Please note that contractors will not be operating any Government vehicles. All vehicles will be driven by official Embassy employees, not the contractor.

16 Equipment and Cleaning Supplies: Will the contract require us to provide all working equipment (Computers printers Barcodes reader) and cleaning items ( any specified brand), or will these be supplied by your organization?

It is the Government’s responsibility to provide the contractor with all necessary equipment and if necessary, supplies required to complete the services outlined.

17 Warehouse Size: Could you please provide the dimensions or specifications of the warehouse involved in this contract?

Refer to Performance Work Statement, the following information related to existing warehouse and photos of the existing warehouse:

• There are racks with standard 117 locations and a low-head room mezzanine floor with an area of 97 sq. meters. Mezzanine Height; 2.7 meters (from ground to mezzanine floor) and 2.3 meters (from mezzanine floor to average ceiling slope height)

• There are 3 doors/gates available to access the warehouse (2-double leaf and 1-single leaf) and a roll-up door with opening size of 3.5 x 3.7 meters

• There is a dispatching area of 45 sq.

meters within the warehouse

• Photos of the existing warehouse is attached to this Q&As.

19 Kindly clarify if the contractor shall have fixed number of personnel for this contract or we will have flexibility to increase or decrease the number of personnel based on needs of Embassy.

Correct. It’s the contractor’s responsibility to provide all power necessary to fulfil services required under this contract.

20 Please clarify warehouses are with in US Embassy compound or located outside?

Inside the Embassy compound.

21 Please clarify if US Embassy can facilitate to contractor a memorandum addressed to Kuwait Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) to open a labor file specifically for hiring manpower under the contract?

No.

22 Is there a need for a warehouse operator, and if so, is a specific type of license mandatory?

No.

23 Task Requirements - Item Placement. Who manages the inventory of furniture and appliances?

Is there an existing Warehouse Management System (WMS) in place or is the Contractor expected to manage its own WMS for each product?

Inventory is handled by the Embassy Staff. The contractor is not responsible of managing WMS for products.

24 Task Requirements - Reporting and Documentation.

Is there a template the Government uses or will the Contractor provide the template for the daily log?

There is no specific template. Refer to “Specific Tasks” paragraph under “Reporting and Documentation”

25 Is any assembly of tables and chairs required? If so, is the Contractor expected to provide tools for assembly? If so, can the Government provide a list of tools the Contractor is expected to provide?

No.

Can the Government provide a copy of safety and security protocols established by the Embassy?

Yes.

27 Should we submit our quotation on a separate sheet, or is it acceptable to use the pages provided in Section 1 (Pages 6, 7, and 8)

Contractor is required to complete and submit pricing tables in the released RFQ.

28 Will tools and materials for cleaning the warehouse and storage containers be provided from your side?

The Government will provide all necessary tools and supplies.

29 Do you need our employees to operate the MHE’s? Should they be licensed from Kuwait Traffic Dept?

No.

30 Is the service area limited to the U.S. Embassy premises, or will it include additional locations within Kuwait?

If additional locations are included, could you specify these locations or provide more details?

Refer to Performance Work Statement.

Services could include locations outside the Embassy compound to various residential units located within 20 Km radius from US. Embassy Kuwait, Bayan area.

31 Are contractors required to maintain heavy equipment and manpower at all specified locations permanently?

If so, could you clarify the locations?

No.

32 The RFP states a mobilization period of 10 days.

Given that manpower mobilization may require more time, would there be any flexibility to extend this period?

Additionally, would sub-contracted manpower be permissible for this contract?

Mobilization is expected within a minimum of 10 days.

Regarding subcontracting, kindly refer to the Continuation to SF-1449, paragraph 3 “Personnel Requirements,” which clearly states:

“No subcontracting is allowed for any type of services covered under this contract.”

33 Is manpower required on a 24/7 basis, or will specific work hours apply?

Refer to section paragraph 1.3.2 Schedules.

34 Could you confirm if Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance is required, or if standard local insurance as per Kuwait regulations will be acceptable?

DBA insurance is required.

35 Could you confirm whether the list of public holidays (p.35) aligns with the days our personnel would be expected to perform services, or if there are exceptions?

The contractor could be required to work during Embassy official holidays only if instructed by the COR with a funded modification and/or task order in place prior commencing any services.

36 The document (p.3) specifies a minimum order count of one weekend and a maximum of 52 weekends for the IDIQ, but there is no mention of regular working days. Could you provide records of tasks performed over the past 12 months, clearly showing work completed on weekdays versus weekends?

While p.6 indicates 10 Fridays and 10 Saturdays annually for estimated service needs, there’s no estimated quantity for regular working days. Could we receive an estimate of the typical workload expected on workdays?

This is information is not available.

Note that temporary additional services outlined in the pricing structure are only estimated and not fixed.

37 While p.6 indicates 10 Fridays and 10 Saturdays annually for estimated service needs, there’s no estimated quantity for regular working days. Could we receive an estimate of the typical workload expected on workdays?

This information is not available. The contractor must comply with Performance work statement and contract terms and conditions.

38 P.10 indicates the need for a designated supervisor.

Could you confirm if this role requires specific qualifications?

Refer to paragraph 1.3.1

39 P.11 mentions a Heat Remediation Plan. Our HSEQ team is assessing requirements for this; could we clarify any particular measures expected?

Offerors are expected to submit a heat remediation plan to the COR to approve

40 The contractor’s liability for any potential damages to furniture during movement is mentioned (p.11).

Could we confirm if there are specific protections or limits on this liability?

No. The contractor is responsible for damages that are caused by the contractors’ staff due to negligence or adherence to contract terms.

41 P.11 also estimates that 20-100 units of furniture/appliances will be moved each year. Could you confirm if this range is representative of past needs?

Yes.

P.13 mentions a weekly meeting setup requirement involving 2-4 tables and 10-20 chairs. Could we receive additional details on the regularity of this setup?

This information is not available

43 Equipment weights are noted as 25-200kg (p.14);

however, dimensions are not specified. Could we receive approximate dimensions to better prepare?

This information is not available

44 P.15 references a required “transition plan.” Could we confirm specific expectations or deliverables for this plan?

P.17 mentions the QASP, which our HSEQ and operations teams would like to review further. Are there specific quality control standards or checklists for the QASP?

Contractors are expected to comply with “Deliverables” outlined in the contract terms.

45 The RFP mentions that contractors are responsible for "supply, quality control, and record maintenance."

Could you clarify the scope of "supply" in this context? Are contractors expected to provide specific supplies or materials?

The Government will provide the contractor with all tools and/or supplies necessary

46 Are there any special requirements for uniforms or specific tools that contractors must provide?

No.

47 Can the Government define the standards for "safety shoes, safety, glasses, safety masks, head protection, body harness etc."

No.

48 Is the Receiving Clerk a Government Employee or is the Receiving Clerk the responsibility of the Contractor?

The Receiving Clerk is a Government Employee.

49 The Government states that "The contractor is responsible to provide all power support necessary to complete all work related to warehouse support as identified in this contract." Can the Government define "power support"?

All man power support needed to comply with contract terms and conditions

50 Can the Government define the requirements for "safety shoes"?

Toe protection: Must withstand 200-joules impact and 15KN compression.

Slip resistance: Soles should be slip-resistant.

Metatarsal protection: Guards against impact to the metatarsal bones.

Electrical hazard protection: Insulates against electric shock.

Static dissipation: Prevents static buildup.

Puncture resistance: Protects against sharp objects.

Dielectric insulation: Provides electrical insulation.

51 Can the Government define the requirements for approved uniforms when on duty?

No specific requirement pertaining uniform.

However, proposed uniforms must be approved by the Contracting Officer's Representative

(COR).

52 The Government states that the maximum contract value is: "Maximum: The amount of all orders shall not exceed Fifty-Two (52) weekends (Fridays and/or Saturdays). This reflects the contract maximum for the base year and each option period for temporary/additional services." This does not account for normal hours, but rather only additional temporary/additional services on weekends. Can the Government clarify its position regarding the Maximum award, because the normal working hours as defined in PWS 1.3.2 are from Sunday - Thursday and not just weekends.

Maximum is related only to temporary and additional services

53 Could you please clarify the exact frequency and expected duration of tasks like furniture and appliance relocation, cleaning of warehouse spaces, and event setups mentioned in the scope of work?

This information is not available

54 Nationality Specifications: Are there any specific nationality requirements for the staff, or can any nationality be considered?

No. All staff members working under this contract must be cleared by the security department.