Pre-Proposal Conference Minute - Interpretation Services.docx

Chapter 4 - Solicitation Documents October 2004 January 20, 2021

Embassy of the United States of America Paseo de la Reforma No. 305, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, 06500 Mexico City.

Minute from Pre-Proposal Conference – Interpretation Services, January 20, 2021

Introduction

The Contracting Officer welcomed all attendees, introduced COR and Contracting Specialists.

Discussion of the Solicitation Package

Speakers: Contracting Officer, C. Melora Johnston Contracting Assistant, Marisa Calva Contracting Officer Representative, Jose Ignacio Lopez

Purpose:

The purpose of this pre-quotation conference is to brief all prospective offerors about the solicitation. In this meeting, you will learn how doing business with the U.S. Government differs from commercial practice because the solicitation and award processes are regulated under the Federal Acquisitions Regulation (FAR).

Submittal deadlines:

Questions: Please refer to section 3.3.2 (e) of the RFQ.

Proposals: Please refer to section 3.3.1 of the RFQ.

Pre-proposal conference minutes will be posted on Contracts Opportunities in BETA.SAM website.

Before we go through the solicitation, I would like to point out the following important notes:

Statements

The statements made here do NOT change the solicitation. All changes will be made by written amendment to the solicitation.

Amendment

It may be necessary to amend (change) the solicitation during the solicitation period for such reasons as:

All amendments will be posted on the Contracts Opportunities section in BETA.SAM website. The U.S. Government implements the Fair Release of information, in other words, what you tell one, you must tell everyone.

Questions

I have received 47 questions in advance. We will go over these questions and any new ones arise during this meeting at the end of this session (if there is enough time), but all the formal answers will be posted. Please type all your questions in this session’s videoconference chat.

Please note that questions must be sent in English as answers will be provided in English; if question are received in Spanish, answers will be provided in English.

The Questions & Answers document will be posted on Contracts Opportunities in the BETA.SAM website.

In order not to jeopardize this solicitation process, please do not contact any person in the U.S. Embassy other than the Contracting Team.

Solicitation

The solicitation is divided into the following 5 sections:

Section 1 – The Schedule – We will mostly go over this section.

Section 2 – Contract Clauses – We will not go over the clauses only clause 52.225-50 Trafficking in persons, 52.204-24 & 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment and 52.229-12 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements.

Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions – Slightly go over the points that your proposal must contain.

Section 4 – Evaluation Factors – It refers to how we evaluate each proposal.

Section 5 – Representations and Certifications – This section must be filled-in by each offeror, if applicable.

We will only go over important points in these sections:

Section 1 – The Schedule

1. Scope of Services

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has a requirement for interpretation services in support of U.S. agencies and sub-agencies supported by the Embassy. The interpretation services will include both English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English interpretation.

1.2 Type of Contract

This is a multiple award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity type contract, under which firm-fixed price task orders will be issued for services.

A multiple-award contract is a type of indefinite-quantity contract which is awarded to several contractors from a single solicitation. Performance of services is then made via an individual task order placed with one of the contractors pursuant to procedures established in the contract. All contractors receiving awards under a solicitation are given a fair opportunity to be considered for each task order issued during the life of the contract.

1.3 Period of Performance

The performance period under this contract will commence on the date listed in the Notice to Proceed and continue for twelve months with four (4) one-year options for renewal.

1.4 Minimum and Maximum Amounts

During the Base Year of the Contract, and during any option year that might be exercised, the U.S. Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $500.00 U.S. dollars. The amount of all orders shall not exceed $320,000.00 U.S. dollars per option year.

The maximum annual amount stated above ($320,000.00 U.S. dollars) is the maximum aggregate dollar value of all task orders awarded to all contractors during any one-year period. This ceiling is not being subdivided equally amongst the number of contracts, nor is it being multiplied by the number of contracts.

1.5 Pricing

The fixed prices established below for the Base Year and Option Years for interpretation services and the associated equipment shall apply to individual task orders issued under the contract. The fixed prices shall include all direct and indirect costs, including labor, materials, overhead, general and administrative expenses, profit, and preparation days. Any costs not separately priced shall be considered to be included in the overhead and other indirect costs.

Payment currency

Offers and payments for US firms:

U.S. firms are eligible to be paid in U.S. dollars. U.S. firms desiring to be paid in U.S. dollars should submit their offer in U.S. dollars. A U.S. firm is defined as a company which operates as a corporation incorporated under the laws of a state within the United States.

Offers and payments for local or foreign forms Any firm that is not a U.S. firm is a foreign firm. Any local or foreign firm that does not meet the definition of a U.S. firm shall submit its prices and receive payment in local currency unless the foreign or local firm has a U.S. dollar bank account in Mexico.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

Value Added Tax (VAT) for offers in Pesos, Mexican currency, is not included in line item rates. Instead, it will be priced as a separate amount in the contract and on the Invoices. Local law dictates the portion of the contract price that is subject to VAT; this percentage is multiplied only against that portion.

VAT shall not be included in the CLIN rates or Invoices for U.S. firms as this is not applicable to U.S. based vendors.

Sections 1.9 through 1.13:

Please add your firm fixed rates. Estimated quantities are yearly estimates and per unit.

Prices should be fixed prices that cannot be changed after the contract award, for the base year and option years. And there should not be any additional costs to the ones stated in this solicitation.

The following is the process for pricing filling:

You must multiply the yearly estimated quantity (previously established by the US Government) by your unit price and the result will give you the total price for each row. Then to obtain the subtotal amount you must sum the total price of all the rows and place the result in the subtotal box. To obtain the IVA (only for offers in Mexican currency), multiply the subtotal amount by 16% and place the result in the IVA box. And the total for the base year will be the sum of the subtotal box plus the IVA box (for offers in Mexican currency). For U.S. Firms, the subtotal box should be the same as the total for the base year box. This procedure will be the same for the calculations of all the option years.

* Please do not use more than two decimals as they can affect the final pricing mathematics.

The Contracting Officer Representative will tell you when these services are required:

Speaker: Contracting Officer’s Representative, Juan Ignacio Lopez

The U.S. Government would require interpretation services from Spanish to English and vice versa, employing the use different interpretation techniques. Requirements will also include use of both standard and non-standard terminology, which will be required at both formal and informal venues, and will encompass a wide range of subject matters.

As COR, I will be the person who will request these services and who will send the task orders to you during working hours from 08:00hrs. to 17:00hrs. local time.

Every order will be different, and I will send all the information about each service request.

I hope to work with you very soon.

My colleague Marisa has more information for you.

Speaker: Contracting Specialist – Marisa Calva

1.13.2 Designate a Project Manager

The Contractor shall designate a Project Manager who shall be the Contractor’s point of contact and delegated authority to lead the project. The incumbent shall be responsible for managing the Contractor’s workforce under this contract and shall be the Contractor's liaison with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The incumbent shall be available at all times during the performance period of these services to receive and implement orders or special instructions from the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer's Representative/Government Technical Monitor and ensure a smooth and effective operation. In the event that the Project Manager is absent, the Contractor shall designate a substitute Project Manager and notify the COR immediately.

The Project Manager and the substitute Project Manager shall have sufficient English language skills to be able to communicate with members of the U. S. Government staff and the administrative skills required to perform the administrative aspects of this contract.

1.21 Task orders

The COR shall be responsible of issuing task orders to request interpretation services.

Each task order statement of work will include a description of the specific project requirements, including the required services, equipment, and any other required deliverables. All task orders issued shall be subject to the applicable terms and conditions of the IDIQ Contract. All services under this contract shall be ordered through a Task Order Form OF 347 (attachment 5), issued and signed by the C.O.

The COR or designated GTM shall be responsible of delivering the task orders on behalf of the C.O.

1.22 Authorized Ordering Officials

Those authorized to issue task orders under this IDIQ contract are as follows:

· Any warranted Contracting Officer assigned to the General Services Office at the U.S. Embassy.

The above delegation includes full authority to award and administer task orders issued under the IDIQ contract.

NOTE: All authority to change or modify the basic IDIQ contract, including the exercising of any options, remains with the Contracting Officer assigned to the General Services Office at the U.S. Embassy Mexico City.

List of Attachments within this Solicitation

· Attachment 1: Payment Registration Forms – Pesos

· Attachment 2: Payment Registration Forms – U.S. dollars

· Attachment 3: Payment Registration Forms – USD in Mexican Bank

· Attachment 4: How to Obtain a DUNS Number and register to SAM: All vendors must have an active SAM registration in order to be eligible for award. Please follow the instructions contained in Attachment 4. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us so we can help you through the process. If you follow each step of the process, you won’t have trouble. First you will have to obtain a DUNS number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform), then a NATO code (https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx) and then proceed to obtain a registration in the SAM website (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/). Please consider that it is very important that all company information be submitted exactly the same in all three registrations (same uppercase and lowercase letters, accents, commas, spaces, symbols, etc.) so that the registrations can be successful – any inconsistency between registrations will be rejected by the system automatically and the process will take longer or have to be restarted until inconsistencies are corrected. Also note that all these registrations are absolutely free of charge.

· Attachment 5: Sample of Task Order Form OF 347

Section 2 – Contract Clauses

· You will find all FAR and DOSAR clauses that protects the USG and the Contractor. You can go on acquisitions.gov to review them. If you have any questions, please email us.

· FAR Clause 52.225-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons. Defined as exploitation of all kinds. The U.S.G. has zero tolerance for this matter. If there is a suspicion of trafficking in persons, the U.S.G has the right to investigate and terminate the contract.

· National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Clauses 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment. NDAA is the name for each of a series of U.S. federal laws specifying the annual budget and expenditures of the U.S. Department of Defense. And regarding the covered telecommunications equipment, due to recent changes in U.S. law, your company may be prohibited from contracting with the U.S. Government if you utilize Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei, Hytera, Hangzhou, Dahua or, ZTE Technologies (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities) in your daily operations. This technology includes for example, routers, modems, or telephonic communications equipment.

· FAR Clause 52.229-12 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements. This clause applies only to foreign persons. The Government will withhold a full 2 percent tax of each payment unless the Contractor claims an exemption. Exemptions shall be claimed through the Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-14.

Section 3 - Solicitation Provisions

This section provides detailed instructions on how to prepare your proposal. Each proposal must contain 4 volumes. Please provide all of the requirements stated in each volume in separate volume files.

Proposals must be sent electronically by sending it to the emails stated in the Solicitation, no later than Friday, February 19, 2021, before 5:00 p.m., CT.

As per FAR clause 52.214-34, proposals must be sent in English.

Section 4 – Evaluation factors

· To be acceptable and eligible for evaluation, proposals must be prepared in accordance with Section 3 – Solicitation provisions and must meet all of the requirements set forth in other sections of this solicitation.

· Award will be made to the lowest priced, technically acceptable, responsible offerors.

· The Government reserves the right to reject proposals that are unreasonably low or high in price.

Section 5 – Representations and Certifications

This section identifies the type of company or business that each one has. Fill-in sections that are applicable. You only need to complete this section if you do not have your SAM registration active.

Make sure you comply with dates and times. The C.O. reserves the right not to answer or receive late questions or proposals.

Questions

The following questions were received prior to the date of this conference

(Enclosure)

The attached questions were asked during the conference or prior to the conference:

Conclusion

The conference concluded and attendees were thanked for their presence and expression of interest in serving the U.S. Government.

Sincerely,

Enclosure:

Questions and Answers

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS