Pre-Proposal Conference Minutes.pdf

Embassy of the United States of America Podgorica, Montenegro

The Embassy of the United States of America

GSO

Dzona Dzeksona 2 81000 Podgorica Montenegro

SOLICITATION 19MJ1923Q0008

Subject: Minutes from Pre-Proposal Conference for Payroll Services

Date: July 6, 2023

Time: 10:30 AM

Panel: Marisa MacIsaac, General Services Officer & Contrac ng Officer Jelena Kaludjerovic, Procurement Agent

Ljudmila Vukasojevic, HR Assistant (COR)

A endees: Representa ves from 5 prospec ve offerors

Stefan Lakic- KPMG

Shahroz Khan- Dynamic Accoun ng Solu ons Inc.

Asad Arshad- Dynamic Accoun ng Solu ons Inc.

Ninela Kojic- Unija Smart Accoun ng d.o.o.

Tierra M. Jenkins- Vanguard Wilson Corp

Ivana Djurasevic- Ekonomik Accountants d.o.o.

Introduc on:

The Contrac ng Officer (CO) welcomed all a endees, introduced herself and other panel members. She noted that this pre-quota on conference was an opportunity to provide some clarity regarding the solicita on and for quoters to ask ques ons, whilst the complete Q&A would be posted on SAM.gov.

Ques ons received via email were answered on spot, and the transcript is included in the a achment (Q&A) along with other ques ons asked during the pre-quota on conference.

The CO asked all prospec ve offerors to send any addi onal ques ons they might have by 4PM on July 11, 2023 (CEST) and send them to podgoricasolicita ons@state.gov. All ques ons will be posted on SAM.gov website.

Discussion of the Solicita on Package

The following was emphasized:

- The due date for the quotes is by 4PM on July 25, 2023.

- Due date for ques ons is by 4PM on July 11, 2023.

- SF-1449 must be completed (as per instruc ons provided in the solicita on document) and the block 24 should list the total value of the quote for the base year and the op on years.

- Performance Work Statement includes descrip on of services which are required to be performed by the Contractor.

- It is important to pay a en on to Sec on 3, Solicita on Provisions, which includes a list of documents which need to be provided for a quote to be considered complete and which will be used for further evalua on of offers.

Ques ons & Answers:

Q: Is completed registra on on SAM.gov website a direct prerequisite for quote submission?

A: You need to provide a proof that you started SAM.gov registra on at a minimum. If you are selected, you would be asked to prove that you have an ac ve SAM.gov registra on at that moment.

Q: Do I need to be present in Podgorica to qualify to submit RFQ?

A: No. However, one of the solicita on provisions (see Sec on III) is to have an office located in

Podgorica.

Q: Are there any addi onal suppor ng documents or evidence that need to be submi ed along with

Sec on 5? We want to ensure that we include all the necessary documenta on to substan ate our representa ons and cer fica ons.

A: You do not need to submit any addi onal documents regarding Sec on 5, you only need to fill in the required fields.

Q: Are there any addi onal documents that we need to submit in general for any requirement that you have men oned?

A: Please see Sec on III for instruc ons on requirements and documents you need to submit.

Q: Regarding the proof of ac ve SAM Registra on, does it have to be completely ac ve on pla orm

SAM.gov to par cipate in solicita on process?

A: You need to provide a proof that you started SAM.gov registra on at a minimum. If you are selected, you would be asked to prove that you have an ac ve SAM.gov registra on at that moment.

Q: Is it possible to submit solicita on documents via mail address podgorica.solicita on@state.gov and via official post office too?

A: Your quota on must be submi ed electronically to PodgoricaSolicita ons@state.gov only.

Q: Given that request for quota on refer to the period of 5 years, may you please provide us informa on what is the projected number of employees during next 5 years or whether you expect that number of employees will increase, decrease, or remain on current level?

A: We cannot predict, but we es mate a 5% increase.

Q: What is the current average number of monthly reimbursement requests submi ed to the Health

Fund and SS Child Care Department for the reimbursement of salary costs for employees who are on sick, maternity, or parental leave?

A: Current average number of monthly reimbursements is five.

Sick leave &pregnancy leave (Health Fund)

Maternity/parental leave (SS Child Care Department)

January 2 3

February 3 3

March 2 2

April 2 2

May 4 3

Q: What is the current average number of registra on and deregistra on of employees per month or per annum?

A:

registra on deregistra on Total per year

2020 11 2 13

2021 33 6 39

2022 16 3 19

2023 (January-June) 8 3

Q: Would it be possible to get model of the Contract with precisely regulated rights and obliga ons or at least informa on what clauses from the Sec on 2 are applicable for this procurement?

A: Contract will contain same clauses as the Solicita on Document contains. Clauses from Sec on 2 which will be applicable to the subsequent Contract are already contained in Solicita on Document shared with you.

Q: What exactly is Block – 12 “Discount Terms” (SF-1449)?

A: This is the field which needs to be filled in by the quoter. Please note here if you are providing discounted prices.

Q: What is the proper meaning of the “Code” & “Facility Code” mentioned in Block 17a and do we have to fill it out?

A: Please include name and address of the contractor. You do not need to fill in fields ‘Code’ and ‘Facility Code’.

Q: Can you confirm if the office presence is mandatory in Podgorica?

A: Yes, it is required to have an office in Podgorica. Contractor personnel will be required to come to the Embassy regularly to collect claims and to visit the host government ins tu ons.

Q: What is the ‘foreign end product’ men oned on page 46 of the Solicita on Document?

A: Foreign end product means an end product other than a domes c end product. This is not applicable as this is services contract.

Q: Can we do subcontracts with vendors form Podgorica?

A: Solicita on does not explicitly include as an answer a yes or no, so you could include that in your solicita on.

Q: Where can we find SF-1449 form?

A: It is included as the Cover Page of the Solicita on Document.

Q: How much me do we need un l the documents are approved in SAM.gov.

A: That varies. Our sugges on is to call the help desk (Monday- Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET). U.S. calls:

866-606-8220; Interna onal calls: +1 334-206-7828.

Q: Can you clarify Prohibi on on Contrac ng with Inverted Domes c Corpora ons (Sec on IV)?

A: Inverted domes c corpora ons are companies that move their headquarters or opera ons overseas to take advantage of lower tax rates. Government agencies are not permi ed to use appropriated funds (or otherwise made available) funds for contracts with either an inverted domes c corpora on, or a subsidiary of an inverted domes c corpora on, unless excep on at 9.108-2(b) applies or the requirement is waived in accordance with the procedures at 9.108-4.

Conclusion

The conference concluded and a endees were thanked for their presence and expression of interest in serving the U.S. Government. The mee ng was adjourned.

Sincerely, Marisa MacIsaac

Contrac ng Officer