Warehouse Support Service RFP Amendment 0003_CO Signed.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

PAGE 1 OF

13 PAGES

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9/19/2024

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

PR12601495

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE

19M055 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)

CODE

General Services Office Procurement-Contracting Unit

US Embassy Rabat

KM5.7, Avenue Mohamed VI, Rabat, Morocco

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (NO., street,city,county,State,and ZIP Code)

X

9a. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

19M05524R0002

Prospective Offerors

9b. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

07/26/2024 10a. MODIFICATION OF

CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10b. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

[ X ] The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

[X ] is extended, [ ] is not extended

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods: (a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning 1 copy of the amendment;(b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or(c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers.

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF

OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

Not Applicable

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b)

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor [] is not, [ ] is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this amendment is to:

• Publish the minutes from the site visit (Attachment A)

• Post questions and USG responses (Attachment B)

• Reminder of change the closing date for submitting quotations from: September 20, 2024, to now read:

September 30, 2024, at 17:00 pm local time.

SEE NEXT PAGES FOR DETAILS.

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16A. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

Hirniak, Myron V

15B. NAME OF CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

BY

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C.DATE

SIGNED

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BY

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C.DATE

SIGNED

Attachment A

Minutes from the Site Visit

19M05524R0002 Warehouse Support Services August 08, 2024, at 10:30 am

Introduction:

The U.S. Embassy Rabat Contracting Office opened the site visit at the warehouse location by welcoming all attendees and thanking them for their attendance, then introduced Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Property Management Officer

(PMO).

Discussion of the Solicitation Package:

The Procurement Supervisor explained the conference parameters of equal disclosure and stated that the purpose of the conference was to clarify various proposal requirements, how to submit the solicitation proposal and how the proposals will be evaluated. The specific points below were covered:

• A record of conference minutes will be prepared and posted on SAM.GOV and the U.S. Embassy Rabat website for all prospective offerors.

• All questions will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered in a combined list subsequently by posting them on SAM.GOV the U.S. Embassy Rabat website for all prospective offerors.

• Statements made at the conference do NOT change the solicitation, any changes-if necessary- will be issued by written amendment to the solicitation and will be made available to the prospective bidders on SAM.GOV and the U.S.

Embassy Rabat website for all prospective offerors.

• To ensure full transparency, all offerors received the same solicitation, and they all have equal access to the information.

• The solicitation and the contracting process are conducted in accordance with United States Government regulations, i.e. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Department of State Acquisition Regulations (DOSAR) and the Office of the Procurement Executive.

• SAM: Offerors shall be registered in the SAM (System for Award Management) database at https://www.sam.gov prior to submittal of their offer/proposal as prescribed under FAR 4.1102. Failure to be registered at time of proposal submission may deem the offeror’s proposal to be considered non-responsive to the solicitation requirements and no further consideration will be given.

https://www.sam.gov/

The Procurement Supervisor explained how the proposal must be submitted and highlighted the various sections of the solicitation:

Section A:

SF1449: Contractor to complete Blocks 17a -19 through 27 and 30.a through 30.c

Section B:

• Pricing: Complete pricing tables for base and all option years

• VAT amount shall be priced as separate Line Item

• Temporary Additional Services separately

Section C:

Work Requirements: The COR talked about the scope of work, personnel, schedule of services, type of services, working hours, holidays, duties and responsibilities, and warehouse operations services.

Section D:

Special Contract Requirements (Security- Standards of conduct- Personnel Health Requirements

Section E:

Quality Assurance and Surveillance Plan: The contractor is responsible for management and quality control to meet the terms of the contract. The role of the Government is to conduct quality assurance to ensure that contract standards are achieved.

Section F:

Contractors shall deliver all the items listed in the Delivery Schedule by their Delivery Dates.

Government Furnished Property Six (6) Dollies Three (3) Hand Trucks Three (3) Carts

Section G:

Period of Performance: 12 months, with four (4) one-year option periods. The initial period of performance includes any transition period authorized under the contract.

Delivery Schedule

Working Hours

Section 2:

Clauses (They are all U.S. Government clauses)

Section 3:

Submission of offers (contractors should read carefully the instructions to be able to submit a complete and relevant bid. The offers should be in English

Section 4:

The contract’s awardee will be the lowest priced, technically acceptable offeror who is a responsible contractor

Section 5:

Representations and Certifications

The Contracting Office ended the Meeting by thanking the participants for their participation and interest in serving the U.S. government before adjourning the meeting.

S e c t i o n M are

Attachment B

Questions and answers for Warehouse Support Services No:19M05524R0002

Deadline for receipt of questions was August 13th, 2024, at 17.00 Local time

Q. 1. How many contractor employees are expected each workday?

A.1 The contractor will provide twelve (12) laborers each day

Q. 2. Is there an incumbent?

A.2 Yes, The incumbent, BENI sarl

Q. 3. Can this be subcontracted out?

A.3 Yes

Q.4. We have understood that this is a manpower contract, and following the site visit we confirmed that all equipment and supplies will be provided by the Embassy.

However, the following statement implies otherwise: “Identify the type of equipment, supplies and materials which are necessary to provide the services under this contract. When addressing supplies and materials, the offeror must describe how it will ensure the use of environmentally friendly products and materials in the performance of the contract. Also, ensure to list all the chemical and non-chemical cleaning products that will be used;”

Will the winning contractor be required to provide equipment, supplies, and items? And if not, how do you prefer we answer this question in order to meet your evaluation criteria.

(Section 3, page 47)

A.4 The bidder is only required to provide labors, however, to be considered for the contract, the offeror shall provide evidence that they can provide the necessary personnel, equipment, and financial resources needed to perform the work; including but not limited to a strategic plan for warehouse operations.

Q.5 If the contractor will supply all the cleaning chemicals and consumables for the contract:

(Section 3, page 47)

Does the client have any preferred brand and origin of the cleaning products, especially the cleaning chemicals?

A.5 Cleaning is done using internal regulations for safety and non-toxic chemicals.

Q.6 Does the client have any restrictions on the country of origin of the products to be used?

A.6 No

Q.7 If the Contractor will import any products and equipment to Morrocco for this contract, will the client provide a Tax Exemption Certificate? (Section 3, page 47)

A.7 No

Q.8 What MHEs (Material Handling Equipment) and tools are available in the client’s warehouse that the winning contractor can use once awarded? Can we get a list?

A.8 The list as below:

Six (6) Dollies: different types

Three (3) Hand and platform Trucks

Three (3) Carts four (4) pallet jacks

Q.9 Can we propose a list of additional MHEs and tools if we see something missing that will aid our team in performing more efficiently? (Section 3, page 47)

A.9 Any proposed additional MHE shall be subject to the prior approval of the Post

Occupational Safety and Health Officer (POSHO) and the of the Contracting Officer.

Receiving Operations:

Q.10 Will there be any DG cargo (Dangerous Goods) that will be offloaded out of the containers? Ex. Refrigerants, high volatile chemicals, etc (C.2.1.1)

A.10 Yes. The US government will often have a requirement to load and unload specific types of dangerous goods such as the paint.

Q.11 Any guidelines regarding the client site requirement, entry policies, security checks that are required that will need to integrate with our own policies?

A.11 Please refer to Section D.1: (1) through (2)

Q.12 Any specific rules or regulations that need to be adhered to while working at the location, client site, or camp should be clearly stated, similar to the point about client site guidelines.

A.12 Please refer to section D2: (a) through (f)

Q.13 DBA insurance – does the contractor have to cover this separately or will our staff fall under the client DBA?

A.13 Morocco has a DBA waiver in place. This waiver applies solely to employees who are covered by Moroccan laws. It does not extend to employees who:

a) Are U.S. citizens,

b) Are lawful residents of the United States, or

c) Were hired in the United States.

Q.14 PPE – any specific requirements for PPE or RA can follow the general guidelines of PPE for warehouse?

A. 14 All employees working for the contract will not be allowed to work unless he or she is wearing a uniform. Safety shoes and work gloves should also be provided and be replaced when needed.

Q.15 We would like to know more details about the dimensions of the warehouse.

A15. Warehouse measurements:

Net:2300 m2

Gross: 2600 m2

Q. 16 We will not be able to provide insurance for the goods unless we know their value, is it possible to provide the value at this stage?

A. 16 The warehouse contains more than five thousand (5,000) items with different prices.

Average unit price range is between $9 - $11 million at any given time.

Q. 17 What hardware is required to fulfill this contract? Will it be provided by the government?

A.17 All transportation and material handling equipment will be provided by the U.S.

Government. The contractor shall provide only the manual labor.

Q.18 How many times will there be performance meetings between the government and the contractor?

A18. Meeting will be quarterly and/or when circumstances warrant a meeting

Q.19 Is the embassy providing the vehicles needed to drive between sites?

A.19 The U.S. Government is providing transportation between working sites.

Q. 20 If the embassy will provide vehicles, who is responsible for driving them and performing maintenance?

A.20 U.S. Embassy employees shall be responsible for driving and maintaining USG vehicles.

Q.21. Thirty (30) days is a short period of time to mobilize, what are the Embassy’s plans to get the 12 staff their badges and IT clearances in time for official start date?

A.21 Embassy will issue needed badges and accesses within one (1) week of receiving contractors’ information. Laborers will be escorted all the times by cleared Embassy employees while at work.

Q.22 What is the usual size of shipping containers? And average weight of these containers?

How many packaged in a shipping container?

A.22 Containers shall be 20 feet or 40 feet. Average weight depends on the type of the load.

Q. 23 Is there a forklift to offload in case weight limit is not permissible for manual loading?

A. 23 The forklifts are only operated by US embassy certified employees.

Q. 24 Is there any separate task if the items are rejected during inspection?

A. 24 Property is delivered to the warehouse only after proper inspections and clearances are warranted.

Q. 25. Are there warehouse bins or racks as for the designated storage locations? Are there at a height? If yes, how much on an average?

A. 25 Warehouse has standard shelving. Height is 365 cm.

Q.26 Can there be a delay in putting materials to its designated area for more than 3 days due to unavailability of location or no proper communication?

A. 26 The Warehouse staff shall ensure proper communication and coordination to avoid potential delays in storing furniture.

Q. 27 What is the average weight of these boxes?

A. 27 Average weight for shipping boxes is 20 kg.

Q. 28 How far is the receiving bay from the storage area?

A. 28 The receiving bay is adjacent/attached to the receiving area.

Q. 29. Are Materials received fragile in nature

A.29 Property is a mix of fragile and non-fragile items.

Collect and assemble office supplies from the warehouse for issuance.

Q.30 What kind of products are these?

A.30 Any office supplies that may include but not limited to Toilette papers, paper hand towels, copy papers, cleaning supplies.

Q. 31 Any tools required for assembly of the supplies?

A. 32 US government shall provide necessary tools to assemble supplies.

Welcome Kits:

Q. 32 Will there be training on welcome kit preparation? So as to know how many items part are of it. Any documentation required from us to maintain of issuance for the welcome kit

A. 32 Warehouse staff shall be responsible for preparing and maintaining the welcome kits. Contractor shall only provide manual labor assistance when needed.

Standard Warehouse Items:

Q. 33 Drawers should be fixed if not closed properly. – Does it mean the worker has to have a basic carpentry skill to do this job?

A.33 Carpentry skills are not required. Laborers shall handle property with necessary caution and attention to avoid damage and to assure needed cleanliness. All furniture and equipment in warehouse shall be free of dust, dirt, and sticky surfaces prior to issuance to the customers.

All furniture and equipment in warehouse shall be free of dust, dirt, and sticky surfaces prior to issuance to the customers-

Q. 34. If the Embassy is providing the correct items to do this task with correct replenishment. How do we raise a complaint in case the product is not serving the purpose.

And can result in imperfect results

A.34 The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will receive and document all complaints from Government personnel regarding the services provided. If appropriate, the COR will send the complaints to the Contractor Officer for corrective action.

Clean all cushioned furniture items:

Q. 35. Will there be vacuum cleaners to maintain this and carry this task out?

A.35 The U.S. Government shall furnish all necessary tools and equipment.

Sweep and wet mop all floor areas in the warehouse on a monthly basis:

Q.36 How much area to be cleaned? Cleaning equipment standards? Cleaning PPEs are supplier by client or by us? Like chemical aprons. Gumboots, rubber gloves etc.?

A.36 The contractor shall be responsible for providing all necessary PPE and uniforms.

Sweep all floor areas in the warehouse whenever a large shipment or delivery has been made:

Q. 37 Does it mean whenever there is a shipping container?

A.37 Not necessary when the container is received. This task shall be performed when circumstances are warranted in the warehouse.

Corridors shall be free of any boxes, crates, packing supplies, or property items:

Q. 38. What if the inspection takes long and boxes are kept on floor? Does this require any prior communication

A.38 The Warehouse staff shall ensure proper communication and coordination.

Disposal Sale Operations:

Q. 39 Move designated items from the warehouse to sale display areas. – Is this within the warehouse?

A.39 Display area could be within the warehouse or at the Chancery.

House Make-Ready Services:

Q. 40 Do all of the services requested require carpentry skills? Or skills of movers and packers? This question for all houses make ready product.

A.40 Carpentry skill is not required. Laborers shall handle property with necessary caution and attention to avoid damage.

Programmatic event set up services:

Q. 41 What size of vehicle is required depends on how many tables or chairs are required?

A.41 USG owned trucks are utilized to transport tables and chairs.

Q.42 Will the vehicle driver need prior permission to pick up and deliver?

A.42 Contractor laborers shall not drive USG vehicles.

Q.43 Does items need to be picked up from elsewhere?

A.43 The Contractor shall provide Warehouse Support Services for the U.S. Embassy in

Rabat, the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca, the Embassy warehouse in Temara and

Embassy/Consulate apartments located in Rabat and Casablanca in accordance with

Section C. Description/ Specifications/Work Statement.

Q.44 Does cleaning of these items after the event is expected out of us?

A.44 Contractor shall complete cleaning of all furniture and equipment prior to the scheduled delivery time.

Personnel Requirements:

Q.45 Will you require 12 personnel total? Or 12 personnel per site?

A.45 The contractor will provide twelve (12) laborers each day.

Award:

Q. 46 Is this contract multiple award?

A. 46 NO

Contract Type:

Q.47 Is this tender separate contracts? Will the routine services be Firm Fixed Price? Will the

Temporary Services be an IDIQ?

A. 47 This is a firm fixed price indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with standard/routine and temporary-additional services.

Holidays & Events:

Q. 48 Will the US Embassy ever request more than 12 personnel to support holidays and events?

A. 48 The Contractor shall provide Temporary Additional Services when requested by the

Contracting Officer through a task order. Temporary Additional Services delivered shall be in addition to the Standard/Routine Services and shall be priced at the unit price shown below. The tasks to be accomplished shall be additional quantities of the same tasks described in Section C but will occur after hours or on weekends and holidays.

Contractor employees shall be on site only for contractual duties and not for other business purposes."

Q. 49 Will USG allow relevant administrative personnel on site during work hours (e.g., English/Arabic speaking Project manager, supervisor, etc.)? Solicitation Page 9 C.1.1

A. 49 Project Manager are allowed into the warehouse premises when requested and after securing necessary approvals.

The laborers are required to report to the warehouse every day in the morning by 08:00.

Q. 50 Do all laborers need to report to one location (i.e., the Embassy warehouse in Temara) or will there be a need for a pre-defined number of laborers to be located in Casablanca, for example, since a percentage of the operations will take place there and there is a significant distance from Rabat? Solicitation Page 10 C.1.3.2

A. 50 Contractor labors shall report to the warehouse each day. The COR shall communicate any change of location to the contractor with a prior notice.

The United States government will provide transportation to all other work sites for the laborers.

Q. 51 Will USG provide transportation of the warehouse items as well (e.g., USG to provide trucks that will be loaded/unloaded by laborers) or will the Contractor need to provide and operate such trucking service? Solicitation Page 10

A. 51 The United States government will provide transportation to all other work sites for the laborers.

Dismantle and unpack shipping containers and crates.

Q. 52. Will the Contractor be responsible for the disposal of packaging materials? Solicitation

A.52 No. Laborers will only assist in moving packaging materials to the disposal location.

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Q.53 Will the Contractor be responsible for providing packaging materials for packaging, re-packing, cleaning tools and supplies for the furniture and the warehouse, hardware tools to fix furniture, and other warehouse tools/machinery (e.g., powered pallet stackers, etc.)?

If “Yes”, is there a predefined list of items, quantities, and/or standards for the tools and cleaning materials? (e.g., specific acceptable MSDS, prohibited materials [other than those included in FAR regulations], etc.)

If “No”, will USG be open to receiving requests from Contractor to provide materials necessary for laborers to provide the work and/or provide the work safely? Solicitation

Page 11 C.2.1.1 + C.2.1.2 + C2.1.3

A.53 No. any proposed additional MHE shall be subject to the prior approval of the Post

Occupational Safety and Health Officer (POSHO) and the Contracting Officer.

Q. 54 Can the USG provide, prior to deadline, links to unclassified applicable documents and procedures relevant to Contractor’s work. These include the "General Instructions" that apply to all warehouse support service personnel. This will help Contractor plan for requirements in its work policies and training programs to laborers.

A. 54 Workload is managed on a day-to-day basis. Warehouse staff will be responsible on the planning and administration of all tasks and activities.

Q. 55 Is there a union agreement in place? If so, please provide a copy of it.

A. 55 There is no union agreement in place.

Q. 56 Does VAT apply, or has DoS negotiated a waiver with the Moroccan Government?

A. 56 Yes. VAT will be priced as a separate Line Item in the contract and on Invoices. Local law dictates the portion of the contract price that is subject to VAT; this percentage is multiplied only against that portion. It is reflected for each performance period.

Q. 57 Is there an incumbent contractor? If so, please provide contract number

A. 57 Yes, The incumbent, BENI sarl . Contract Number. Please see A.2

Q. 58 Is this a follow-on contract to solicitation number SM0550-16-Q-0002?

A. 58 No

Q. 59 Please confirm there is no exemption for VAT on this contract, i.e., that 100% of the cost of these services is subject to VAT.

A. 59 No Exemption for VAT. VAT will be priced as a separate Line Item in the contract and on Invoices. Local law dictates the portion of the contract price that is subject to VAT; this percentage is multiplied only against that portion. It is reflected for each performance period. Please see A.56.

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Q. 60 Please confirm there is no Defense Base Act insurance requirement for this contract.

A.60 Please see answer A.13

Q. 61 In what currency should proposals be submitted?

A. 61 Moroccan Currency

Q. 62 In what currency will monthly invoice payments be made?

A. 62 Moroccan Currency

Q. 63 Is there any equipment, other than personal protective equipment, that the contractor must supply such as forklifts, trucks, etc.?

A. 63 Contractor shall provide only manual labor. The contractor will provide twelve (12) laborers each day.

Q. 64 Please confirm the Government is responsible for transporting Warehouse Services personnel between job sites.

A. 64 Yes. Confirmed

Q. 65 In lieu of submitting a completed set of representations and certifications, cannot the existing SAM representations and certifications suffice?

A. 65 Potential bidders are required to sign the representation and certification.