19TC1024R0004_Meeting Minutes.pdf

Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 Solicitation: Janitorial services, ref# 19TC1024R0004-0001

Solicitation No.: 19TC1024R0004 Janitorial services

Pre-proposal Conference/Site Visit –Meeting Minutes

Date: May 6, 2024 Time: 09:00 am – 11:40 am Venue: U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi

Panel: Supervisory Maintenance Engineer

Contracts Supervisor /Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) General Maintenance Foreman Procurement & Contracting Supervisor Contracting Agent

Attendees: 24 representatives from fourteen (14) companies

Introduction:

The Procurement welcomed all interested offerors, explained the purpose of the meeting, and introduced the Embassy’s panel. The rest of the meeting attendees introduced themselves.

The due date for submitting questions concerning this meeting and RFP was set to 10:00 am on May 9, 2024 via email to AbuDhabiContracts@state.gov copying JohnJM@state.gov .

Note to Offerors:

The information contained within these questions and answers is provided for informational purposes and under no circumstances shall it be construed to change any terms and conditions or requirements within the solicitation. If any answer does address a change in the solicitation, it will reference an Amendment.

Overview:

The Contracting Agent explained the following:

• This is a firm-fixed priced contract for a base plus four one-year options to renew. The performance period of this contract is from the start date and continuing for 12 months for “base year and four, one-year options to renew”. The pricing should be in the same format of the RFP. Contract will be awarded to the lowest price, technically acceptable vendor. Award will be made to the lowest priced, technically acceptable, responsible offeror as a method of evaluations. The Contracting Office intend to award a contract based on initial proposals, without holding discussions, although the Government may hold discussions with companies in the competitive range if there is a need to do so.

• Offerors are reminded to submit price proposal considering all the local economic/inflation factors. Once awarded, the contract shall not be modified to increase the cost for any reason. The Embassy has recently experienced that bidders mailto:AbuDhabiContracts@state.gov mailto:JohnJM@state.gov

Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 submit a very low-priced quote to get the award, then request for price modification due to price increase in raw materials etc. A contract modification will not be entertained by the USG. The pricing table format must match the RFP requirements.

The currency must in Arab Emirate Dirham (AED).

• James Zadroga Act was implemented by the USG on June 20, 2020. 2% excise tax will be deducted by the Government on each invoice that is submitted by the contractor when the contract value exceeds $250,000. This is to help 9/11 victims’ health and compensation. Since this is for a good cause, the cost can be absorbed by the contractor if they’d like to.

• All UAE-licensed companies are required to provide a UAE Workmen’s Compensation Plan (WCP). A Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance is a separate requirement of the U.S.

Government, which is mandatory on supplies/services contracts. The list of U.S.

Department of Labor approved DBA insurance providers is here:

https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm. The prospective bidders shall contact one of the insurance providers and obtain an estimated quote. The DBA insurance premium cost must be included with the pricing for each year (Base + four option years).

The DBA insurance premium cost is NOT a reimbursable cost. Once awarded, the contractor must submit DBA insurance policy binder to the Embassy, 10 days after award of the contract as per the RFP, Section 1, Deliverables. The policy start date must be the same as the contract’s performance effective date. The Contractor’s name on the policy must be the same as the Contractor’s license and their SAM registration.

• VAT amount shall not be mentioned on your price proposal as it should be included on the invoice as a separate line item.

• Trafficking In Persons (TIP) is modern slavery, using force, fraud or coercion to exploit a person for profit. The USG has Zero tolerance regarding TIP. As per Section 3, Solicitation Provision:

o requires offerors to submit detailed recruitment plans as part of their original proposal when bidding, which, inter alia, stipulates:

▪ that no fees have been charged;

▪ that the recruiter has complied with all local labor laws in recruitment;

▪ and provided a sample recruitment contract in English.

o Requires a housing plan which includes a copy of the lease contract of the labor camp, including photos of the camp, and its location. If housing allowance is provided to the employees, then a statement must be included in the proposal.

• Offerors must submit duly filled Standard Form (SF) 1449 such as Blocks 12, 17, 19-24, and 30.

• Offerors must carefully read and follow Sections 3 and 4 of the solicitation as to how to submit proposal.

• Offerors must submit an audited financial statement for the last three years as minimum. Bank statement cannot be accepted. It must be audited by a third party.

• Pricing and Technical proposals must be submitted separately.

https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm

Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4

• Proposal must be submitted to the Embassy electronically to AbuDhabiContracts@state.gov copying JohnJM@state.gov marking the subject line "Proposal Enclosed – Solicitation No.: 19TC1024R0004.

• Evidence of System for Award Management (SAM) registration completion details i.e., “Active” status on www.SAM.gov is a MUST. The Government may not consider a proposal for evaluation without “Active” SAM registration status.

• Only PDF documents will be accepted. Ensure your attachment does not exceed 10MB per file. If there are more files to be attached, send separate email(s) within the stipulated file size restriction, following the abovementioned subject line marking instruction.

• The answers to the questions will be sent to all the interested offerors (even those who were unable to attend the pre-proposal conference/site visit) along with the meeting minutes.

• The RFP submission (soft copy only) deadline is at 04:00 pm (UAE time) on May 24, 2024. The deadline will NOT be extended.

• Offerors were informed of the evaluation process that is outlined in Section 4, Evaluation Factors.

o Compliance Review - initial review o Technical Acceptability - a review of past performance and experience o Price Evaluation o Responsibility Determination – financial resources, SAM active registration, etc.

• The Contracting Office is the POC until the contract is awarded and “Notice to Proceed” (NTP) is issued. The COR becomes the primary POC after issuance of an NTP. COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative who is ears and eyes of the Contracting Officer.

The COR explained the Scope of Work (SoW) of the solicitation in detail.

o The SOW is very descriptive with sufficient information to provide a competitive proposal.

o NO sub-contractor is allowed to submit proposal. However, recycling program can be sub-contracted.

o Proposal Tools & equipment cost must be submitted only for the Base Year as per the pricing table, Section 1, 1.2.

o The Contractor shall deliver standard services between the hours of 6:00AM and

5:00PM.

o Nine (9) male and two (2) female cleaners and one (1) on-site supervisor are required to perform the requested services.

o The Embassy Compound is a LEED Gold certified Building. Therefore, Contractor must follow the criteria outlined in the solicitation, Section 1, 1.3.6. when evaluating alternative cleaning products.

o List of supplies details (Consumables) outlined in Section 1, Attachment 4-A must be reviewed to prepare a price proposal. The quantity mentioned in the attachment is for a month.

mailto:AbuDhabiContracts@state.gov mailto:JohnJM@state.gov http://www.sam.gov/

Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 o There are interior and exterior fountains which need skimming and cleaning.

Treating the water in the fountains are NOT part of the scope.

o Check the working condition/level of the installed hand sanitizer assembly as per Section 1, 1.3.1.14. Refilling of hand sanitizer is part of the scope. Hand sanitizer will be supplied by the Embassy.

o Check the working condition of the air-freshener installed at all restrooms and replace the cartridge when empty. Replace the battery when need a replacement. If an air-refresher assembly is found to be not operating properly then notify the COR for replacement of the unit as per Section 1, 1.3.1.15.

o The Contractor shall conduct monthly training/s (at least one) to all workers at site to make sure to follow Contractor’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to accomplish the expected quality service.

o Two (2) cleaners are assigned to the Embassy Health Unit (HU) who would be trained by the HU. Medical waste disposal from the HU is not within the scope.

o Cleaning outside the Embassy building is not within the scope.

o The Contractor shall have at-least twenty-five (25) cleaning contract services successfully completed in the past ten (10) years in the UAE with the similar capacity of the firm or more volume of the cleaning tasks involved in the contracts to demonstrate their prior experience with relevant past performance information and references as per Section 1, 4.2.1.

o The on-stie Supervisor shall have eight (8) years of continuous cleaning supervisory experience as per Section 1, 4.2.2.

o Each janitorial cleaner shall have three (3) years of continuous cleaning experience as per Section 1, 4.2.3.

o Go through Section 3 (Solicitation Provision) thoroughly as it explains how a technical quote must be submitted.

Site visit was conducted following the pre-proposal conference.

The pre-proposal conference and site visit adjourned at 11:40 am.