Questions(betasamresponse).pdf

A&E MATOC questions

1. Would you confirm the value of the total contract which is up to five years – is $1.6M as stated in the initial Description?

Response: The total value of the A&E work is estimated at a grand total of $1.6m over 5 years.

If you receive a contract award, you are only ensured $3,000, you will need to compete for future task orders that make up the $1.6m with fellow contract holders.

2. If our ISO Certification is in process at the time of submittal, would that be considered acceptable?

Response: Factor 4 has been updated to: “Evidence of ISO 9001:2015 certification of prime contractor preferred, not required.”

3. BEP intends to award contracts that shall not exceed $1.6 million. Is this amount for the entirety of the contract (base year plus option years) or per each contract year.

Response: Grand total of all 5 years.

4. BEP intends to award task orders “as the need arises.” Please elaborate on BEP’s process for issuing and awarding task orders.

Response: BEP will follow applicable procedures of FAR 36.6 to select task order awardees amongst contract holders as needs arise.

5. How many total contracts does BEP intend to award?

Response: Multiple

6. Factor 2 past performance notes the requirement to provide “at least three (3)” references. The SF330 Section F generally requires ten (10) projects to be included. Is BEP asking for only three SF330 Section F projects or ten SF330 Section F projects?

Response: Factor 2 states, “In order to facilitate the Government’s evaluation of the contractor’s past performance, the contractor shall submit a past performance questionnaire to at least (3) three of the references listed in section F of the SF-330, or provide the associated Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) as an attachment to the technical proposal submission (any CPAR attached does not count toward the total page count).” The BEP is not requiring ten projects be included in your SF-330 Section F.

7. The solicitation notes, “the offeror shall provide a copy of their ISO 9001:2015 certification.”

However, this certification is not an industry standard for architecture and engineering firms.

Please consider removing this as a requirement.

Response: See above. Factor 4 Criteria has been updated to: “Evidence of ISO 9001:2015 certification of prime contractor preferred, not required.”

8. Factor 5 lists key personnel as follows: Specialized Technical Personnel; Project Manager; Project

Superintendent. However, the solicitation does not include a description of the job responsibilities or requirements needed by the Project Superintendent. We believe this role is more applicable to a general contractor; please consider removing this position as a requirement.

Response: Project Superintendent position has been removed from factor 5.

9. The solicitation notes the requirement of Contractor Teaming Agreements. Is BEP asking for CTAs to be provided in the proposer’s submission or simply have CTAs available to submit to BEP upon award? Yes, they should provide teaming arrangement with proposal.

Response: Any applicable CTA’s should be submitted with the proposal.

10. Specialized Experience (36.602-1(a)(1)and(2) Section F of SF-330 “The Offeror shall demonstrate experience acting as the prime contractor and managing construction subcontractors in design-build projects.” Can you please clarify this statement?

Seems out of place for this type of contract as it does not appear to be a design/build procurement.

Response: The BEP may have future task orders under this MATOC for design build services, and therefore want to know the A&E’s experience serving as the prime.

11. Quality Control/Assurance/Title II Services (FAR 36.602-1(a)(6)

“Evidence of ISO 9001:2015 certification” Is the prime required to possess this certification or can it come from a sub consultant?

12. Past Performance (FAR 36.602-1(a)(4) If a CPAR is submitted does the questionnaire still need to be emailed to you?

Response: No.

13. On a side note, we can’t access that attachment for some reason.

Response: PPQ document has been re-attached to notice beta.sam. If you still have issues, please contact me directly at joseph.pishioneri@bep.gov and I will provide you the PPQ.

14. I have a question regarding the attached solicitation, which asks respondents for proof of ISO 9001:2015 certification. Is it absolutely required for respondents?

mailto:joseph.pishioneri@bep.gov

15. We are interested in pursuing the AE Contractor Solicitation for the BEP DCF Upgrades and the solicitation states that evidence of ISO 9001:2015 certification is required. We are a small business and ISO 9001 is not common among small business firms. We were curious if this requirement could be modified to open the solicitation to more small business firms?

16. Under “Submission Requirements” for “Factor 1: Specialized Experience”, a limit or expected number of projects to be submitted is not listed. What is the limit number of projects is an offeror can submit for this factor?

Response: Factor 1 now reads, “At least a minimum of three specialized experiences in the last 5 years to be considered. There is no maximum.”

17. Under “Factor 2: Past Performance”, at least (3) three past performance questionnaires (PPQ) or Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) are required. Is it expected that offerors will submit projects under Factor 1 that do not have a PPQ or CPAR?

Response: Factor 1 now reads, “At least a minimum of three specialized experiences in the last 5 years to be considered. There is no maximum.” It is possible an offeror could have specialized experiences beyond three that don’t have a PPQ or CPAR.

18. Obtaining ISO 9001:2015 certification can be a costly and lengthy process. As this is a small business set aside, would you consider allowing “ISO 9001:2015 Compliant”? This would be a self-certification rather than a third party certification.

19. The instructions for Section F of SF-330, under specialized experience, contains a statement that “the Government will not consider the experience of proposed subcontractors.” This seems to contradict the statement regarding contractor teaming agreements where experience of each party will be evaluated to the extent of the party’s role in the contract. Please clarify.

Response: The language for factor 1 selection criteria has been changed to the following:

Contractor Teaming Arrangements: In the instance that two or more companies form a partnership or joint venture to act as a potential prime contractor, Experience of each party to the contractor teaming arrangement will be evaluated only to the extent that it relates to the work that each party will be responsible for under the IDIQ. experience of the contractor teaming arrangement, operating as a team, is more relevant than experience of the individual parties to the team as it represents experience of the team rather than that of the individual players.

20. Under Factor 5, a “Project Superintendent” is listed as a key position. There is also a reference to “managing construction subcontractors” in the instructions for completion of Section F of SF-

330. Is there a construction component to this IDIQ contact?

Response: Project Superintendent position has been removed from this requirement. There is no construction component to this requirement. However, in the case that there are future design build projects, the BEP is requesting contractor’s experience.

21. Can you please supply a list of the potential projects for this contract, or past projects that have been completed under this contract?

Response: An example would be laboratory renovations to upgrade lab spaces in the Annex Building.

22. Please specify what roles are required under “Specialized Technical Personnel” (RFP p.5).

Response: Specialized Technical personnel includes any architect or engineer working on the contract.

23. Is a general contractor required at this stage, or can the “Project Superintendent” (RFP p.5) be a CA construction manager on the design team?

Response: Project Superintendent has been removed from this requirement.

24. Can we submit projects in SF330 Part I, Section F on which we were not prime?

Response: No.

25. Please confirm that this submission is to be submitted electronically?

Response: Yes.

26. Under the description it states “The total amount for each individual contract shall not exceed $1.6M” – is this the total amount per task order or the whole contract?

Is the $1.6M the construction cost or A/E fee?

Response: The total value of the A&E work is estimated at a grand total (including cost and fees) of $1.6m over 5 years. If you receive a contract award, you are only ensured $3,000.

Future task orders that make up the $1.6m will be awarded amongst IDIQ contract holders following procedures in FAR 36.6.

27. Architecture and engineering firms do not typically have project superintendents. This is typically a construction firm position. We request the removal of this key personnel requirement to increase competition.

Response: Project Superintendent has been removed from this requirement.

28. Specialized Experience states: “The Offeror shall demonstrate experience acting as the prime contractor and managing construction subcontractors in design-build projects.”

Since this notice is for Architect and Engineering IDIQ services, managing construction subcontractors in design-build projects is not appropriate. Recommend modifying to “The Offeror shall demonstrate experience acting as the prime contractor and managing design subcontractors in design projects.”

Response: In the case that there are future design build projects under this IDIQ, the BEP is requesting contractor’s experience.

29. Would the Government prefer submissions to be hard copies or an electronic copy? If hard copies, how many copies should be provided? If electronic, what is the maximum file size allowed to be sent?

Response: Electronic submission is required. The maximum e-mail size is 10 Megabytes.

30. How many projects should we submit for section F?

Response: At least three. Maximum of ten (10).

31. Can we submit ongoing projects as example projects in section F?

Response: Yes.

32. Do we have to be the prime on all example projects in section F?

Response: Yes.