26Q0032_QandA_final.pdf

RFQ 19PE5026Q0032 – Spanish Language Training Service

QUSTIONS AND ANSWERS

P1. Could you please clarify whether prime contractors are permitted to subcontract the instructional services? If subcontracting is permitted, are subcontractors required to have an established business presence in Peru, or is that requirement applicable only to the prime contractor?

A1. Please refer to Section 2, DOSAR 652.424-73 – Authorization and

Performance.

P2. Whether past performance and capability information (Section 3, Addendum to

52.212-1, Item 1) may reference the subcontractor's relevant experience delivering similar language training services, in addition to the prime's contract management experience, provided the roles are clearly delineated.

A2. Please refer to Section 3 – Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Item 1 (Past

Performance Requirements). The provision allows offerors to demonstrate capability through relevant experience, which may include subcontractor performance if roles and responsibilities are clearly identified.

P3. Any additional documentation the Contracting Officer would expect to see in the offer to demonstrate the prime/subcontractor relationship is sufficient to meet the responsibility and acceptability criteria in Section 4

A3. Refer to Section 4 – Evaluation Factors (responsibility criteria) together with

Section 3 – Addendum to 52.212-1, Items 1, 4, and 6.

Offerors should provide documentation showing:

• the subcontractor’s role;

• evidence of adequate resources and capability (Section 4: FAR 9.1 responsibility);

• how the subcontractor supports technical approach (Section 3, Item 6).

A formal teaming agreement or letter of intent is acceptable but not specifically mandated.

P4. In Section 1.2 (Price), the solicitation states that Spanish language classes may be provided either in person or virtually. However, the pricing schedule estimates

910 in-person sessions and 390 virtual sessions annually. Could you please clarify whether the Government will accept a quotation proposing 100% virtual instruction, or whether the requirement is expected to be performed as a combination of both in-person and virtual instruction?

A4. Please refer to Section 1, paragraph 1.2 Price

P5. Is there a current incumbent performing these services? If so, would you be able to provide the name of the incumbent contractor and the current contract award value?

A5. The Government does not provide incumbent or contract value information in this solicitation.

P6. For operational and pedagogical efficiency, may the Contractor propose delivery in consecutive blocks of two or four hours (i.e., two sessions delivered back-to-back as a single 2-hour class = 2 billable sessions; a 4-hour class = 4 billable sessions), while maintaining the total annual count of 1,300 estimated sessions?

A6. Please refer to Section 1, paragraph 1.2 Price

P7. Does "one hour" refer to sixty (60) minutes of active instruction, or is the standard 55-minute academic hour (55 minutes of instruction plus 5 minutes of transition/break, commonly used in language schools) acceptable for the purpose of session counting?

A7. Refer to Section 1, paragraph 1.2 (Price).

The solicitation defines each session as one hour in length. A 60-minute instructional hour is required unless otherwise modified by the COR.

P8. Confirm if one session corresponds to one hour of instructor time regardless of the number of students in the class (i.e., a 60-minute class with 1 student and a 60-minute class with 6 students both count as one session for billing purposes).

A8. Please refer to Section 1, paragraph 1.2 Price

P9. Will all in-person sessions (CLIN 001, 910 sessions/year) be delivered at the

U.S. Embassy premises in Surco, or is there flexibility for some sessions to be delivered at the Contractor's facilities in Miraflores? If delivered at the Embassy, is a dedicated classroom assigned for the duration of the contract, and are Saturday sessions (per Section 1.2 schedule) anticipated on a regular basis or on an as-needed basis?

A9. Please refer to Section 1, paragraph 6. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED

PROPERTY AND INFORMATION

P10. Are Contractor instructors required to complete a background check, security clearance, or Personal Identity Verification (PIV) as referenced in FAR 52.204-9 in order to access the Embassy premises? If so, what is the estimated processing time, and are there associated costs to the Contractor?

A10. Security clearance will take approximately 25 days to complete; it has no cost to contractors.

P11. Of the estimated 1,300 annual sessions, does the Government have an approximate distribution among proficiency levels (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) to help offerors appropriately size delivery capacity by level?

A11. Refer to Attachment 1 – PWS, Sections 1–3, which require instruction across all levels but do not specify quantities.

P12. How does the Government anticipate managing student turnover throughout the contract year (e.g., new officers arriving mid-contract who require Beginner instruction while ongoing classes are at Intermediate/Advanced levels)? Is the

Contractor expected to accommodate ad-hoc onboarding of new students through individual sessions before joining group classes?

A12. Refer to Attachment 1 – PWS Section 3(b) (Learner Goals & Evaluation) and Section 5 (Training Tasks).

The Contractor should expect onboarding of new students and provide individualized assessment and initial sessions as needed.

P13. For virtual sessions (CLIN 002, 390 sessions/year), will the Government provide the online conferencing platform (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams), or is the

Contractor expected to provide it? Additionally, would the Government find acceptable the inclusion of the Contractor's proprietary Learning Management

System (with structured CEFR-aligned curriculum, exercises, and progress tracking, available for both in-person and virtual students) as a complementary component of the service?

A13. Refer to Section 6 – Government-Furnished Property and Information and PWS Section 4 (Program Support).

The Government may provide platforms already in use (e.g., Teams). Contractors may propose an LMS as supplemental instructional material at no additional cost unless separately priced as a distinct service element.

P14. May the Contractor propose an operational model consisting of one Lead

Instructor plus one designated Backup Instructor per delivery modality (in-person and virtual), supported by a formal Continuity of Operations Plan? If so, are CVs required for both Lead and Backup Instructors, or only for Lead Instructors? Is

COR approval required for planned substitutions (e.g., vacation, training) or only for permanent replacements?

A14. Refer to PWS Section 4.2 and 4.4 (Instructor Requirements and

Supervision).

A Lead/Backup structure is acceptable. CVs demonstrating qualifications must be provided for all proposed instructors. COR approval is required for permanent replacements.

P15. What is the Government's policy regarding student cancellations or no-shows? Specifically: (a) if a session is cancelled by the student with less than twenty-four (24) hours' notice, is the. session considered delivered and billable?

(b) Is a rescheduling window available? (c) How should offerors reflect this in their pricing structure?

A15. There is no explicit cancellation policy in the solicitation. Contractors should propose a reasonable policy consistent with Section 1.2 (Price) and PWS Section

3(c) regarding time utilization. Final terms are subject to negotiation and COR approval.

P16. What is the expected invoicing frequency (monthly, bimonthly), and what supporting documentation must accompany each invoice (attendance sheets, progress reports, session logs)? What is the standard payment term (Net 30, Net 45, Net 60) following invoice submission through the MyILMS portal?

A16. Invoices are submitted in a monthly basis and will be processed after COR’s approval. Payment terms are net 30 days after receipt of a proper invoice.

P17. Section 6 of the Statement of Work indicates the Government shall provide

NFATC textbooks as Government-Furnished Property. Does this apply to all proficiency levels (Basic through Advanced) and to both in-person and virtual sessions? For specialized instructional content (e.g., business, legal, or medical

Spanish requested by specific students), should the Contractor include these materials at no additional cost within the unit price, or would such supplementary content be treated as a distinct service element?

A17. Refer to Section 6 – Government-Furnished Property.

NFATC textbooks may be provided. Specialized materials (business, medical, legal

Spanish) should be included within the contractor-furnished materials described in

PWS Section 4.1, unless proposed as a distinct priced element.

P18. Section 1.3 refers to invoice submission through the MyILMS portal but does not specify the currency of payment. Are payments made in United States Dollars

(USD) via international wire transfer to a Peruvian bank account, or in Peruvian

Soles (PEN) equivalent? If in USD, does the Government have a preferred banking framework for wire transfer to non-U.S. accounts?

A18. The solicitation does not specify currency. Payments are generally made in

U.S. Dollars (USD) via wire transfer. Banking arrangements will be coordinated during contract administration.

P19. PWS Section 5 states that "all students shall be measured on their language proficiency levels in accordance with the National Foreign Affairs Training Center

Language Proficiency Test." Attachment 1, Section 3(b) Note, however, clarifies that "NFATC levels may be used as a reference framework where appropriate, but formal NFATC testing is not required under this contract." Could the Government confirm which framework applies for the purposes of this contract: (a) formal

NFATC/ILR testing (which may require Certified OPI examiners), (b) internal assessments aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for

Languages (CEFR) and mapped to ILR/NFATC equivalents, or (c) another accepted alternative such as ACTFL guidelines?

A19. Refer to two sections:

• PWS Section 5.1.3 (Student Testing) — requires use of tests approved by

NFATC, DLI, MLA, ACTFL, FSI, or similar bodies.

• Attachment 1, Section 3(b) Note — NFATC levels may be used as a reference, but formal NFATC testing is not required.

Therefore, the acceptable framework is (b) internal assessments aligned to accepted standards (CEFR/ACTFL/ILR) unless the Government specifically requests NFATC testing.

P20. Regarding insurance requirements under FAR 52.228-5 (Insurance – Work on a Government Installation) and Section 3, item 6(d) of the solicitation:

(a) Could the Government kindly provide additional guidance on the required insurance coverage, including: (i) whether the Embassy maintains a list of preferred or approved insurance providers from which offerors are expected to select coverage, and (ii) the minimum coverage limits for General Liability, Employer's Liability, and any other applicable insurance types under this contract?

(b) Should the cost of insurance be reflected (i) as part of the CLIN unit price per session, (ii) as a separate line item in the pricing tables (similar to VAT under

Section 1.1), or (iii) in another manner? Clear guidance on this point will ensure consistent pricing across offerors.

A20. That clause does not apply in this case.

P21. How many hours of instruction per day will the teacher be expected to provide? Also, how many days per week and which days?

A21. Refer to Section 1.2 (Price) and PWS Section 5 (Specific Tasks).

Classes are scheduled Monday–Friday 8:00–17:00 and Saturdays 8:00–12:00, with actual daily hours determined by assigned student schedules.

P22. Could you please share any curriculum requirements or learning outcomes that the program should satisfy? For example, Spanish for Business, Spanish for

Diplomacy, Medical Spanish.

A22. Refer to PWS Section 2 (Scope of Services) and PWS Sections 5.1.1–5.1.2.

Training must include job-relevant language, Peruvian cultural context, and specialized terminology as needed for learners’ professional objectives

P23. Could you please confirm the anticipated commencement of services following award?

A23. The start date will be determined after award and completion of instructor security vetting. Performance is expected to begin promptly thereafter.

P24. Could you please clarify whether any required Peruvian business licenses or permits must be in place prior to contract award, or whether they may be obtained after award and prior to the commencement of onsite performance?

A24. All information required in this solicitation must be included in the contractor’s offer submission.

P25. If the Government elects to award virtual instruction only, would local business licensing requirements still apply to the contractor under this solicitation?

A25. Please refer to Section 2, DOSAR 652.424-73

P26. The CLIN schedule provides one unit price for in-person instruction and one unit price for virtual instruction. However, the solicitation also requests pricing broken down by individual and group instruction. May the offeror enter one firm-fixed price per modality in the CLIN schedule and provide a supplemental breakdown showing that the same rate applies to one student and to groups of two to six students?

A26. Yes. The CLIN structure requires one unit price per modality (in-person and virtual). A supplemental breakdown demonstrating pricing equivalency across class sizes may be included in the price proposal. This aligns with the requirement in

Section 1.2 (final paragraph) to provide pricing clearly broken out by service element.

END OF DOCUMENT