MINUTES OF THE PRE-QUOTATION CONFERENCE AND SITE VISIT_19RP3825Q0111.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

MINUTES OF THE PRE-QUOTATION CONFERENCE AND SITE VISIT

August 12, 2025

RFQ NO. 19RP3825Q0111

RENOVATION OF CMR BASEMENT

INTRODUCTION

The Contracting and Procurement (C&P) Representative, Jewela Acuzar, opened the meeting by welcoming all attendees and facilitating introductions. She invited other representatives from C&P and Facility Management (FAC) to introduce themselves.

Attendees were reminded that even if C&P was holding the Pre-Quotation Conference, it remains their responsibility to thoroughly review the solicitation document in its entirety.

I. DISCUSSION OF THE SOLICITATION PACKAGE

1) SF 1442 cover sheet

- Block 13: Deadline of submission of offers: August 26, 2025, no later than 4:00pm (Philippine local time)

- No offers will be accepted after 4:00pm.

- EMAIL SUBMISSIONS are encouraged and will be accepted. Send to

ManilaContracting@state.gov into 2 separate file folders indicating Volume 1 and Volume 2. File size must not exceed 10MB per email. (refer to the Invitation Letter)

- Complete blocks 14 through 20c and 30a-30c

2) Section A. PRICING, page 3

- Firm Fixed Price. Shall include all labor, materials, all insurances (see FAR 52.228-4 and

52.228-5), overhead, and profit.

** Price is not subject to adjustments due to any escalation in the cost of materials, tools, equipment, fuel, transportation, labor or inflation rate, or because of the contractor’s failure to properly estimate or accurately predict the cost or difficulty of achieving the results required, or due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

- Value Added Tax. VAT shall not be included in the price as it is not applicable to this contract. The US Government is exempt from payment of taxes.

- U.S. firms are eligible to be paid in US dollars and should submit their offers in U.S.

dollars.

- Local/Foreign firms must submit prices in Philippines Pesos. Payments will also be made in Philippine Pesos.

3) Section B. STATEMENT OF WORK, page 4

In case of differences between small and large-scale drawings, the latter will govern.

4) Section C. PACKAGING AND MARKING, page 5 Mark materials delivered to the site as indicated in the RFQ.

mailto:ManilaContracting@state.gov

Please note that coordination for duty free shipments consigned to the U.S. Embassy Philippines shall be coursed through the GSO Customs and Shipping office. Their contact information shall be provided upon award.

Also, assistance from the GSO Customs and Shipping Office is limited to the issuance of a certificate of tax exemption relative to this requirement.

5) Section D. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE, pages 6-7

- The Contracting Officer’s Representative or his/her authorized representatives will inspect the services from time to time to determine that the work being performed, and the supplies furnished are satisfactory or acceptable.

6) Section E, DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE – pages 8-10

- The entire work must be completed and ready for use not later than 45 working days after issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

- LIQUIDATED DAMAGES, page 8 – Php13,000 for each calendar day of delay

- NOTICE to PROCEED, page 9 – will be issued after receiving and accepting of evidence of any bonds or insurance. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to issue the Notice to Proceed.

- WORKING HOURS, page 10 – 0730H – 1630H, Mondays through Fridays, excluding Philippine and American holidays.

Other hours, if requested by the Contractor, may be approved by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

7) Section F. ADMINISTRATIVE DATA – page 11

652.242-70 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE – Engineering Draftsman

- The COR is not authorized to issue changes or direct the Contractor to perform work outside the scope of the contract. Only the Contracting Officer or CO has the authority to issue a change or changes to the contract terms and conditions through contract modification(s)

- Payment: Requests for payment may be made no more frequently than monthly. 30 days EFT from receipt of correct invoice/billing statement.

- Invoices or billing statement must be submitted electronically to MNLFMCDBO@state.gov

8) Section G, SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS – pages 12-15

- Performance & Payment Bonds, page 12 – 50% of the contract price

- Insurance, page 12: in USD or equivalent in local currency o Bodily injury- $865 per occurrence; $1730 cumulative o Property damage- $865 per occurrence; $1730 cumulative

- Laws and Regulations, page 14 o The Contractor shall comply with all laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work without additional expense to the U.S. Government mailto:MNLFMCDBO@state.gov o Compliance with all local labor laws, regulations, customs and practices pertaining to labor, safety and similar matters that is not inconsistent with the requirements of this contract.

9) Section H, CLAUSES – pages 18-34

- Contract clauses are incorporated by reference or full text and forms part of the contract. The clauses can be accessed electronically at Acquisition.gov. If the Contractor is unable to access the sites, the Contractor may request the Contracting Office for a full text copy in writing, and a copy shall be provided.

- FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance, page 16 The Contractor shall maintain registration in SAM during contract performance and through final payment of any contract.

- FAR 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons, page 17. The USG has a zero-tolerance policy re trafficking. Every instance of trafficking will be examined and could result in termination of employees or subcontractors, suspension of contract payments or contract terminations.

- 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management, page 18 and 26 – Payments will be made by Electronic Funds Transfer so the Contractor must ensure the correct EFT payment information is provided in SAM or the designated disbursement office.

- On pages 19-22, one of the FAR Clauses incorporated in full text is FAR 52.204-25, titled

PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING FOR CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO

SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT. This FAR clause implements Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA.

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a U.S. law passed every year by Congress.

It sets the budget, policies and priorities for the Department of Defense and national security programs. Essentially, it decides how much money the military gets and how it can be spent, covering everything from troop pay to weapons systems to cybersecurity initiatives.

Section 889 of the NDAA is a significant provision aimed at protecting U.S. national security by restricting the use of certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from companies linked to foreign adversaries, particularly China.

PROHIBITED COMPANIES:

• Huawei

• ZTE

• Hytera Communications

• Hikvision

• Dahua Technology

These companies are considered to pose risks to U.S. national security due to their ties to the Chinese government.

SCOPE:

• The restrictions apply to telecommunications equipment, video surveillance systems and related services.

• It also includes any equipment or services that use components from the prohibited companies.

WAIVERS AND EXCEPTIONS:

• Federal agencies can request waivers for specific cases, but these are limited and require justification.

• Waivers are temporary and must be approved by the Director of National

Intelligence or other authorized officials.

Offerors are required to certify:

o That they will or will not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government.

o Whether they do or do not use covered telecommunications equipment or services that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services

If the offeror does not comply with representations and certification (either in their offer or in SAM), the offer is considered non-responsive. The CO may remove the offer from consideration for award per FAR 4.2103. If the Offeror represents that it does use the prohibited technology or services, it is only eligible for award if a narrow exception applies or if a waiver is obtained.

- 652.242-73 Authorization and Performance, page 31 Offeror warrants that it is authorized to operate or do business in the Philippines, has licenses and permits required to perform the contract and shall fully comply with the laws and regulations of the Philippines during performance of the contract. If a subcontractor or joint venture partner will perform the work, they too should agree to the requirements mentioned.

10) Section I, LIST OF ATTACHMENTS – pages 32-43

• Attachment 1 – Standard Form 25 – Performance and Guaranty Bond

• Attachment 2 – Standard Form 25A – Payment Bond

• Attachment 3 – Sample Bank Letter of Guaranty

• Attachment 4 – Breakdown of Price by Divisions of Specifications – Do not change the format of this template

• Attachment 5 – DRAWINGS – page 38

• Attachment 6 – SCOPE OF WORK – page 39 - To be discussed by COR https://www.acquisition.gov/content/part-4-administrative-and-information-matters#id1989G0W90SA

• Attachment 7 – U.S. and Philippine Holidays

• Exhibits 1 – 3 – Attached are the relevant exhibits and circulars detailing the potential fees that may be applied by the Forbes Park Association to this requirement.

11) Section J. Quotation Information – pages 44- 48

- Each proposal must consist of the following in separate volumes

Volume I:

Standard Form 1442 Section A (PRICING) (indicate currency) Section L (REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS) Completed Attachment 4, "BREAKDOWN OF PROPOSAL PRICE BY DIVISIONS OF

SPECIFICATIONS

Proof of SAM Registration and UEI number

Volume II:

Performance schedule in the form of a time scaled Network Diagram CPM or Critical Path

Method Schedule Business Management/Technical Proposal

- Under the Business Management/technical proposal please make it as your checklist and ensure that each item is addressed.

Past Performance Reference Check Form – please ensure that you have your clients sign the page before sending them back to you.

If the offeror is proposing a joint venture—

- The contractor should state that they are proposing a joint venture

- They should provide the requested information.

- The joint venture agreement must be provided to by both partners in the performance of the contract

- Confirm that performance and authorization of joint venture partner is in accordance with DOSAR 652.242-73 in Section 2

- Proof of SAM Registration as joint venture – register the joint venture as a new entity.

If no joint venture is proposed, include a statement that all work will be performed by the offeror/company.

- Electronic submissions are allowed. Offers must be emailed to

ManilaContracting@state.gov in 2 separate file folders indicating Volume I and Volume 2.

Kindly follow the submission specific size and format not to exceed 10MB per file.

- SITE VISIT – page 49

Site visits serve as an opportunity for offerors to gain firsthand knowledge of the project site, its surroundings, and any existing conditions that may impact construction activities.

Mandatory. Acceptance of any offer is contingent upon compulsory attendance of the site visit. Failure to attend the site visit will result in proposal rejection.

mailto:ManilaContracting@state.gov

Taking photos is not allowed during the site visit. Offerors are urged and expected to inspect the site where the work will be performed.

- MAGNITUDE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT - page 49 It is anticipated that the range in price of this contract will be: between $25,000 and $100,000.

This is not the budget. It means that the U.S. Government’s estimate for this contract is within this range.

- LATE QUOTATIONS - page 49: Late quotations shall be handled in accordance with the FAR 52.214-7.

- 52.204-7 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) - page 50 Contractor should have an active registration at the time their offer is submitted.

Your offer may be ineligible from further consideration without proof of registration in

SAM.

To register in SAM, please go to www.sam.gov SAM registration is FREE OF CHARGE. There are companies that offer services to assist contractors in registering or renewing your SAM registration for a fee. Although it is ultimately the contractor’s prerogative if they decide to go through them, please be reminded that SAM registration is free of charge.

12) Section K. EVALUATION CRITERIA – page 51

- Criteria by which the USG will evaluate offers.

- The Government intends to award a contract to the lowest priced, technically acceptable offeror, who is a responsible contractor.

- Acceptability will be determined by assessing the offeror’s compliance with the terms of the RFQ and attendance to the site visit.

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

13) Section L, REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS OR QUOTERS - pages 52-62

- Fill out only those that are applicable and indicate N/A for item/s that do not apply.

- NDAA: 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 under pages 57-59

14) QUESTIONS

- QUESTIONS must be submitted in writing so that written answers can be provided. Oral answers or any changes discussed during this conference are not binding unless provided in writing by the Contracting Officer.

- Written questions must be submitted on or before 14 August 2025, 4 P.M. (Philippine local time); Note: indicate the RFQ number, specific section, subsection, paragraph no. in http://www.sam.gov/ listing questions; No additional questions will be accepted after 14 August 2025, 4 P.M.

(Philippine local time)

- If answers to questions necessitate a change in the solicitation, an amendment will be issued. If not, a general Questions and Answers will be posted on SAM.gov.

15) REMINDERS

- Deadlines shall be strictly observed.

- Follow instructions.

- Submit required volumes and indicate currency on offer.

- Any extension to the submission deadline shall be through an amendment issued by the

Contracting Officer.

- Any updates, questions and answers, minutes of the meeting and amendments (if any) will be posted on SAM.gov and the U.S. Embassy website.

- The Embassy will not always provide you with notifications about the updates, so offerors are encouraged to check the SAM.gov website regularly.

II. SITE VISIT

All attendees were shown the sites and were given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with each area. Official/ approved photos will be provided by the COR to all attendees.

CONCLUSION

The Pre-Quotation Conference and Site Visit concluded, attendees were thanked for their presence and expression of interest in serving the U.S. Government. The meeting was adjourned.

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved by:

Jewela S. Acuzar Noel Arturo G. Ocampo Michael Warren Procurement Agent Supervisory C&P Specialist Contracting Officer