QA_2_-_Business_Questions.docx

NPIN Business Questions

This section states that “Offerors are also required to submit (mail) an original and five (5) copies of your proposal and 2 CDs (technical and business)…”

Please confirm that only two CDs are required in total, making the Offeror’s final submission the following:

· 1 original (technical and business)

· 5 copies (technical and business)

· 2 CDs (technical and business)

Section L.9 corrected per Amendment 00002 to include Past Performance Information.

The Offeror’s final submission must include the following:

· 1 original (technical, business and Past Performance)

· 5 copies (technical, business and Past Performance)

· 2 CDs (1 technical; 1 business and Past Performance)

NOTE: Business and Past Performance Information to be included on 1 CD)

This section states that “In addition to pricing, Offerors are required to submit a spreadsheet list of all labor categories that they anticipate using over the life of the contract.”

Can the Government please provide the labor categories anticipated?

This requirement is removed in Amendment 00002.

Offerors are expected to use their judgment and expertise to develop an independent proposal based on the requirements in the Performance Work Statement

Transition Plan to be included in Volume 2 – Response to RFTOPs 0001 and 0002

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative(s) and Project Officer(s) names will be provided at time of award

All delivery methods (Hand Carry, UPS, overnight courier services, FedEx, etc.) can be delivered to the address Section L.9(d)

Cover page and Table of Contents are excluded from the page limits

Section L.11.D page limitation applies in accordance with L.11.A.

Section L.12 Past Performance Information to be included with Business Proposal as a separate section.

Amendment 00002 corrects Section L.12(a) to read three (3) years

Resumes are not to exceed 3 pages in length for key personnel

In addition to the initial two task orders included as part of the original solicitation package, how many additional optional task order does government plan to issue to those Contractors that make it to the competitive range? What is th timeframe for release of these task orders? What domains will they fall under?

This clause is removed in amendment 00002.

How many awards does the government intend to issue? Will awards be made by domain? Can an offeror be awarded in one domain and not the other?

The Government intends 2-5 multiple awards under this solicitation. An offeror can be awarded under both domains

Is the government requesting that a fully executed subcontract be in place and be provided for each subcontractor being proposed for RFTOP 0001 and RFTOP 0002, or for the IDIQ as a whole? Is a Teaming Agreement sufficient in lieu of the fully executed subcontract? In either case, where should these be included in the submittal and will they count toward the page limits.

A bilateral signed Teaming Agreement is acceptable and should be included with the Business Proposal.

No page limit on Business Proposal

14) 14

Section B.1, Purpose, Page 2

Will this vehicle be available to other Centers, Institutes, and Offices within CDC or will this vehicle only service NCHHSTP?

This resultant contract will only support the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP)

Will issued task orders, regardless of domain, only be to support NPIN work or will task orders be issued to support non-NPIN requirements within NCHHSTP?

Request for Task Order Proposals (RFTOPs) will be issued for within scope activities per Section C.3 Task Order Technical Requirements

Will the sample RFTOPs result in task order awards?

Yes

Where in the Technical Proposal do the past performances belong? Are they an appendix or in a separate volume?

Section L.12 Past Performance Information to be included with Business Proposal as a separate section. Amendment 00002 will add Volume 3 for the Business Proposal

The solicitation does not specifically mention the need for PPQs, but it was include as an attachment. Is it a requirement that all past performances include PPQs?

See Section M.5(d) regarding Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ). The completed PPQ can be used, but Offerors must comply with Section L.12 Past Performance Information requirement

19) 19

Section M.1 (b) Criterion 2: Staffing and Management Plan, page 67

Are resumes part of the 40-page limit for each RFTOP or can they be submitted as an appendix?

Resumes can be submitted in an appendix.

Resumes are not to exceed 3 pages in length for key personnel

"All offerors will be evaluated based on the demonstrated ability to meet the below: " The sentence ends there, with no further information included. Can you please clarify and expand on the required capabilities the bidder will be evaluated on?

Amendment 00002 corrects the misplacement. The sentence removed and replaced under L.11.D

Is it acceptable for the list of contracts referred to, to be included in an attachment, or is it the intent for this list to be included in the Corporate/Capability/Experience section of each RFTOP and subject to page limitations?

Section L.12 Past Performance Information to be included with Business Proposal as a separate section.

The technical evaluation criteria for task orders will be evaluated separately in Section M.1 per the evaluation factor criteria #3 Corporate/Capability/Experience

The solicitation states, "If the offeror does not meet criteria in Volume 1.......". Please confirm if the "criteria" referred to here are the Criterion 1 and 2 specified in Section M.1(a). If not, which criteria are being referred to?

Yes, the criteria for Volume 1 is specified in Section M.1(a)

(c) Evaluators.... Will the Government program directors of the individual optional task orders complete the evaluation for their specific task order?

The Task Order Contracting Officer Representative (COR) is responsible to complete Evaluation of Contractor Performance per Section G.1

Please provide an address for express mail or hand delivery. The address provided indicates that is only for regular mail.

All delivery methods (Hand Carry, UPS, overnight courier services, FedEx, etc.) can be delivered to the address Section L.9(d)

It appears that CDC is seeking, through this request, to have Contractors establish fully burdened T&M labor rates from a cost build-up methodology perspective. By creating a list of all labor categories that we anticipate to use for the life of the contract, inclusive of direct labor rates and application of indirect burdens and fee, it will, in essence, create a set of fully burdened T&M rates. Is this what CDC is intending for this proposal requirement? Please advise in detail what the Government’s intent and potential use of this information is?

This requirement is removed in amendment 00002.

If the only evaluation factor criteria is the sum of the prices of the two mandatory CPFF sample task orders, how will CDC use and/or evaluate the information provided by the Contractors as they comply with the request above?

The sum of the two mandatory sample task orders are not the only evaluation factor.

See Section M.4 Source Selection

Will Contractors have to seek a formal contract amendment should they want to bid a labor category for a RFTOP that is not included on the list?

Each RFTOP will require a technical and business proposal.

The requirement to provide a listing of all labor categories anticipated to be used over the life of the contract is removed.

Will Contractors be required to use the above rates for all proposals, even FFP and CPFF, or for just T&M?

This requirement is removed in amendment 00002.

See Section M.5(d) regarding Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ). The completed PPQ can be used, but Offerors must comply with Section L.12 Past Performance Information requirement

Cover page and Table of Contents are excluded from the page limits

“Provide a cover/ contact page- the cover/contact page shall include the following information:

· Company name

· Name and title of the point of contact (POC) authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Offeror’s organization

· Telephone number, email address, and mailing address of POC

· Names, titles, email addresses, and telephone numbers of other POCs that CDC may contact if clarification of proposal is needed.

· Solicitation name and number

· Provide a table of contents”

· Question (a): Is the Cover/Contact page included in the page limit for each volume?

· Question (b): Is the Table of Contents page included in the page limit for each volume?

· Question (c): Does the Table of Contents have to be on the Cover/Contact page?

· Question (d): No mention was made of a Transmittal Letter.

---Is it acceptable to include a Transmittal Letter?

---If a Transmittal Letter is included, is it included in the page limit for each volume?

1.

· Cover page and Table of Contents are excluded from the page limits

· The table of contents does not have to be on the cover page

· A transmittal letter is not required

“The key personnel cited below are considered essential to the work performed under the contract.”

However, the table does not list any key personnel.

· Question (a): Who are the designated key personnel on this contract?

The Offeror determines key personnel based on technical requirements, i.e. Project Director, etc.

“The offeror shall provide resumes of proposed key personnel, which include their experience, education, relevant training, skills, and qualifications to do the work time and effort (labor hours).”

· Question (a): Are key personnel’s resumes included in the page limits?

· Question (b): Is there a maximum number of pages for each key personnel resume, and if so, what is the page limit?

· Question (c): Resumes are required to include “qualifications to do the work time and effort (labor hours).” Please clarify this requirement. What type of information is being requested to meet this requirement?

· No

· 3 pages

· Resume describing experience, skills, projects, education, certification, etc.

“The Government contemplates an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract type.”

· Question (a): How many vendors does the Government anticipate selecting under this IDIQ?

· Question (b): How many awards will the Government make under this IDIQ (the basic contract)?

· Question (c): Does the Government intend to award the two RTOPs at the same the basic contract is awarded?

· Question (d): How many awards does the Government intend to make per domain?

· The Government intends 2-5 multiple awards under this solicitation. An offeror can be awarded under both domains

· The Government intends 2-5 multiple awards under this solicitation. An offeror can be awarded under both domains

· Yes

· One per domain at time of award

“…Offerors are also required to submit (mail) an original and five (5) copies of your proposal and 2 CDs (technical and business) to: Regular Mail, Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) Attn: Mrs. Arnette Mayhew, Solicitation No. 2014-N-15803, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3630, MS K-14, Atlanta, GA 30341”…

· Question (a): Is it acceptable for Offerors to hand-carry proposals to the agency for submission?

· Yes, see response #6 above

“Once the Government has reviewed the proposals to determine which contractors meet the mandatory requirements, the Government may request proposals for optional task orders that may be awarded at the same time as the basic contract awards. The optional tasks will not impact the basic contract award selections, and contractors are not required to propose on the optional task orders. Only proposals from the basic contract awardees will be considered for optional task order awards.”

· Question (a): Based on the instructions in Section L. 13 which references “Optional Task Orders,” will the Task Orders 1 and 2 included in this IDIQ response be awarded?

1. Page 64 of 70, Section L.12 (a) states:

“Offeror shall submit the following information as part of its technical proposal. A list of contracts awarded or completed during the past five (5) years that are similar in nature to the solicitation work scope.”

· Question (a): In which volume and section of the proposal should this List be placed?

· Question (b): Is the List of Past Performance included in the page limits for each volume/section?

· Question (c): What is the minimum and maximum number of contracts required for this list?

· Question (d): Can subcontractors be included on this list?

· Section L.12 Past Performance Information to be included with Business Proposal as a separate section. Amendment 00002 will add Volume 3 for the Business Proposal

· There is no page limit on Business Proposal

· See Amendment 00002; 3 years relevant experience, no minimum or maximum number

· Yes, if relevant work and meeting the requirements of L.12

Page 64 of 70, Section L.12 (a) (see above) says that these contracts on the required list should be “…awarded or completed during the past five (5) years.”

However, page 66 of 70, Section M.1 (a) Evaluation Factors for Basic Contract (Volume 1), Criterion 2, states:

“The offeror shall document and demonstrate recent experience, expertise, and the capacity to manage similar or related work within the last three years that is comparable in complexity and scope to the required tasks in the Performance Work Statement; (bold font is the Offeror’s).”

And, page 67 of 70, Section M.1(b), Evaluation Factors for Criterion 3, Corporate Capability/Experience (Volume 2) states:

“The offeror shall provide documentation or references of recent experience as it relate to performing the tasks and technical requirements specified in the Performance Statement of Work. The documentation or references shall demonstrate the offeror’s ability to perform work on time, within budget, and at a high level of quality.”

· Question (b): Is it acceptable for Offerors to provide the same contracts for the List required in Section L.12 (a) and for the documented recent experience required in Section M.1(a) Criterion 2 (Volume 1) and Sections M.1 (b), Criterion 3 (Volume 2)?

· Question (c): Is the list of contracts required in Section L.12 different from the requirements in M.1 (a) 2 (Previous Experience)?

· Question (d): What is the minimum and maximum number of contracts/projects required to meet the Section M.1(a) and M.1(b) evaluation criteria?

· Question (e): Are the criteria the same to meet the Section M evaluation criteria and the Section L requirements, and if so, what period of time applies? Must these contracts have been awarded or completed within the last five (5) years or within the last three (3) years?

· Question (f): Regarding the requirement to “document and demonstrate recent experience, expertise, and the capacity to manage similar or related work “ [Section M.1(a)] and the requirement for “documentation or references of recent experience” [Section M.1(b)] is there any specific information that is required for each reference, and if so, what is required?

· Yes, recommend following the Section L and M instructions and any subsequent solicitation amendments

· Section L are the instructions and Section M are the Evaluation Factors for Award. Can use the same information as appropriate

· There is no minimum or maximum number, only related work within the last three years.

· Section L are the instructions and Section M are the Evaluation Factors for Award. Amendment 00002 changes the period to three years.

· No, but vendors must show they have worked on similar projects per experience detailed in their proposal.

Page 64 of 70, Section L.12 (a) states:

“Offeror may also submit past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition. For the purposes of this solicitation, a "major subcontract" is defined as $500,000 or greater.

· Question (a): Should the offeror base the $500,000 amount for major subcontractors on the representative task orders? OR

· Question (b): Should the offeror base the $500,000 amount for major subcontractors on an estimation of their participation since this is an IDIQ vehicle and we don’t know how much we will potentially give to a subcontractor over the life of the contract?

· Question (c): We assume that the Government finds it acceptable for an Offeror’s proposed subcontractors to provide descriptions of past performance projects whose value was less than $500,000. Is this correct?

· The Government determined any subcontract valued at $500,000 or above is considered a major subcontract

· See above response

Page 69 of 70, M.5 states:

“Each offeror shall be evaluated on its past performance under current and prior contracts. By past performance, the Government means the offeror's record of conforming to specifications and to standards of good workmanship; the contractor's record of forecasting and controlling costs; the offeror's adherence to contract schedules and terms, including the administrative aspects of performance; the offeror's reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and generally, the offeror's business-like concern for the interest of the customer and the degree of quality of deliverables and performance.”

· Question (a): Does “current and prior contracts,” in the first sentence, refer to the Past Performance Information (the List of Past Performance) addressed on Page 64 of 70, L.12?

· Question (b): Does “current and prior contracts,” in the first sentence, refer to the Past Performance Questionnaires referenced on page 69 of 70, M.5(d)?

· Question (c): Will evaluation of past performance be predicated on any information other than that contained in the List of Past Performance, and the Questionnaires, and if so, what information?

· Yes, other sources available to the Government such as Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS)

Page 63 of 70, Section L.11.C, last sentence, states:

“If the offeror does not meet criteria in Volume 1, the proposal will be eliminated from the competitive range and will not be considered for task order evaluation.”

And Page 69 of 70, M.5 (a) states:

“Each offeror shall be evaluated on its past performance under current and prior contracts.”

· Question (a): What constitutes “meeting criteria in Volume 1” with regard to Past Performance?

· Question (b): What specific Past Performance information must be provided to meet criteria in Section L.11.C and Section M.5??

· Offerors must respond to the evaluation criteria as it applies to the technical and experience of the Basic contract per Section M.1(a). Past Performance Information specified in Section L.12 is evaluated in accordance with Section M.5

· See Section L.12 instructions for Past Performance Information

52) 52

PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTION

Regarding Past Performance Questionnaires: Page 69 of 70, M.5(d) states that “The Government will evaluate the quality of the Offeror's past performance based on collaborated past performance evaluations included in the Offerors proposal ….”

and Section M.5(i) states “Past performance will be evaluated for only those Offerors remaining in the competitive range after completion of the review of the technical proposals.”

· Question (a): Does this mean that the Offeror’s clients are to fill out the Questionnaires prior to submission of the proposal, and return them to the Offeror, so that the Offeror then includes all client Questionnaires as part of the proposal document?

· Question (b): If completed Questionnaires are required to be part of the Offeror’s proposal, in which volume and section of the proposal should they be placed?

· Question (c): If completed Questionnaires are required to be part of the Offeror’s proposal, are these Questionnaires included in the page limits that are specified for each Volume?

· Question (d): If completed Questionnaires are required to be submitted as part of the Offeror’s proposal, what minimum and maximum number of Questionnaires is required?

· Question (e): If past performance is only being “evaluated for Offerors remaining in the competitive range after completion of the review of the technical proposals,” what information regarding past performance does the Government require now as part of the proposal, vs. what information will be collected later?

· Question (f): If past performance questionnaires are required, can subcontractors’ past performance questionnaires be submitted.

· Yes, the Offeror can submit the Questionnaires with their proposal OR submit Past Performance Information on their own format provided that all information is contained as required by Section L.12

· Section L.12 Past Performance Information to be included with Business Proposal as a separate section. Amendment 00002 will add Volume 3 for the Business Proposal

· There is no page limit for the business proposal

· There is no minimum or maximum

· See instructions in Section L.12 Past Performance Information and Section M.5 for Past Performance Evaluation Factors

· Yes if it meets the requirements in L.12

1. Page 3 of 70, Section B.6.1 Firm Fixed Price states:

“Pursuant to FAR 15.4, Pricing, and FAR 16.2, Fixed-Price Contracts, the Firm-Fixed Price for each task order will be negotiated based on the price to complete the work. After acceptance of a fixed price task order by the Contractor, the task order price will only be adjusted to reflect changes in scope or conditions.”

· Question (a): If an Offeror is awarded both the basic contract and is also awarded one or more of the sample Task Orders (RFTOP #0001 and 0002), will the Government give the Offeror the opportunity to negotiate the Task Orders based on additional information that will be available to the Offeror post-award?

· Discussions, if held will be prior to award. A Postaward Conference will be held for successful Offerors

Page 61, Section L.10, Business Proposal Instructions (c) states:

“The spreadsheet shall also provide all indirect categories and rates to be used during the life of the contract as well as a proposed fixed fee.”

· Question (a): Should the Offeror provide ceiling rates so we can discount on the task order level?

Yes, the vendor may provide discounts

Page 60, Section L.10, Business Proposal Instructions, states:

“The business proposal shall be comprised of the following elements:

(a) Contract Form (page 1) and Representation and Certifications. The contract form found in Part I, Section A, and the Representations and Certifications contained in Part IV, Section K, of this Request for Proposal must be executed by an official authorized to bind the Offeror…..”

· Question (a): Is it acceptable for the Offeror to reference the ORCA and provide certification validity information in lieu of completing Section K?

· Include ORCA certifications with Business Proposal

56) 56

BUSINESS PROPOSAL-COST-RELATED QUESTION

Page 61 of 70, Section L.10, Business Proposal Instructions, states:

“(c) In addition to task order pricing, Offerors are required to submit a spreadsheet list of all labor categories that they anticipate using over the life of the contract….”

· Question (a): Will the government consider providing a list of labor categories used to satisfy task orders issued under the current IDIQ?

The requirement is removed in amendment 00002.

Page 3 of 70, Section B.6.2, 2nd paragraph states:

“Contractors will be required to submit a cost proposal with supporting information for each cost element, including, but not limited to, Direct Labor, Fringe Benefits, Overhead, General and Administrative (G&A) expenses, Other Direct Costs, and Profit consistent with their approved Federal cost accounting system and provisional billing rates.”

· Question (a): Will the Other Direct Costs be established at the IDIQ level or at the Task Order level?

· Task Order level

· Question (a): Does the Government expect the Offerors to pay for O&M and storage/housing for Government Owned/Furnished equipment in Attachment J.4?

· No, if equipment isn’t needed the government will determine what property should be discarded.

· The Government intends 2-5 multiple awards under this solicitation. An offeror can be awarded under both domains

Section L.12 of the RFP, titled “Past Performance Information” (p. 64) says “Offeror shall submit the following information as part of its technical proposal” and lists information to include for similar work within the last five years. This includes contract number, type, value, etc.

On page 66, references are made to the Previous Experience section for the Basic Contract volume, wherein offerors should describe related work within the last three years. Then on the next page (67), for the Corporate Capability/Experience section for each of the task orders, it just says “recent experience.”

Please clarify instructions for past performance requirements, namely:

· Should offerors submit information on similar work from the past three or five years?

· Can past performance information be in an appendix and not counted toward the 15-page limit for Volume I of the technical proposal?

1. Can you please explain how the Past/Present Performance Questionnaire will be used and what, if anything, offerors are supposed to do with it?

1. Page 60 delivery method, what is the address for FEDEX delivery?

1. In Section L, p. 61, there is a requirement to provide separate pricing for the discreet tasks. Should offerors break out the pricing at the second or third levels? For example should we provide separate pricing for Tasks 1.1.1, 1.1.2, and 1.1.3, or do you prefer that we roll up those costs and just provide pricing for Task 1.1?

· Amendment 00002 revises the requirement to three years

· Past performance information required in L.12 is part of the business proposal and there is no page limit

· See Section M.5 Past Performance Evaluation. The Past Performance Questionnaires are the Offerors business references

· All delivery methods (Hand Carry, UPS, overnight courier services, FedEx, etc.) can be delivered to the address Section L.9(d)

· Separate pricing for each discreet task (i.e. 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, etc.) and the aggregate total for task level, i.e. 1.1

· The Government intends 2-5 multiple awards under this solicitation. An offeror can be awarded under both domains

a. Please provide estimated labor categories and hours for the base year

b. Please provide the current year’s estimated labor categories and hours NOTE: On a previous RFP released by PGO, 2014-N-15787, “PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO DETECT AND CONTROL EMERGING AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES IDIQ”, the above information was provided in the RFP documents.

· Offerors are expected to use their judgment and expertise to develop an independent proposal based on the requirements in the Performance Work Statement

c. This could be very voluminous considering a large business subcontractor could have hundreds of current contracts. Should the total number of past performance references be limited to three?

· There is no minimum or maximum requirement, and the requirement is reduced to three years

a. Should each offeror take the initiative to send the Performance Questionnaire provided in Section J to their top 3 Past Performance cited contracts and have their respective clients send the completed questionnaire back to the government?

· The Offeror can submit the Questionnaires with their proposal OR submit Past Performance Information on their own format provided that all information is contained as required by Section L.12

a. Should there not be 3 CDs submitted – Technical, Sample Task Orders and Business?

b. The Volumes for the proposal response would then be:

i. Volume 1: Basic Contract Response to Technical Approach and Similar or Previous Experience – Page Limit is 15 pages

ii. Volume 2: Response to Specific Technical Approach to Each RFTOP – Page Limit is 40 pages for each RFTOP

· RFTOP #0001 per Attachment #J.6: “Domain 1: Information and Communication Technology”

· RFTOP #0002 per Attachment #J.7: “Domain 2: Communication and Education”

iii. Volume 3: Business Proposal

c. Therefore given 3 Volumes and a requirement for submitting an original and 5 paper copies (total of 6), then total number of binders required would be 18. Is this correct?

· One (1) CD for Technical (Volume 1 and 2); one (1) CD for Business Proposal and Past Performance Information (see response #3 above)

Estimated date of award is Sep 1, 2014

Cover page and Table of Contents are excluded from the page limits

Past Performance is not scored Section M.5(b). Past Performance will only be evaluated for those Offerors in the competitive range per Section M.2

See Amendment 00001

Section B.6.3 is corrected in Amendment 00002

At the Task Order level for each individual award

Yes, RFTOP 0001 and 0002 will awarded simultaneously with the IDIQ

Yes, signed by both parties

Business Proposal

This is added in amendment 00002.

All delivery methods (Hand Carry, UPS, overnight courier services, FedEx, etc.) can be delivered to the address Section L.9(d)

The Government intends 2-5 multiple awards under this solicitation. An offeror can be awarded under both domains

Before award the success criteria will be based off the technical evaluation criteria listed in the NPIN Solicitation on page 64 with section L.11 D. After award success criteria will be in accordance with performance base matrix within the quality assurance plan.

L.9 (d) states that, “Offerors are also required to submit (mail) as original and five (5) copies of your proposal and 2 CDs (technical and business) to…” Question - Please clarify which of these proposal submission instructions Offerors should follow.

Section L.9 corrected per Amendment 00002 to include Past Performance Information.

The Offeror’s final submission must include the following:

· 1 original (technical, business and Past Performance)

· 5 copies (technical, business and Past Performance)

· 2 CDs (1 technical; 1 business and Past Performance)

NOTE: Business and Past Performance Information to be included on 1 CD)

All delivery methods (Hand Carry, UPS, overnight courier services, FedEx, etc.) can be delivered to the address Section L.9(d)

See response #52 above – All proposal information is required by the due date in Amendment 00001

This requirement is removed in amendment 00002