Amendment 3 - 12.9.2022.pdf

Amendment 3: RFP NO. 75N93022R00007

Amendment No.3: RFP No. 75N93022R00007

“NIAID Logistical Meeting and Conference Support Services (MACSS)”

Solicitation Number:

Amendment Number:

Amendment Issue Date:

75N93022R00007

Three (3)

December 09, 2022

Proposal Due Date/Time: Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 3:00 pm, Local Time (Changed)

Issued By: Sevag Kasparian, Contracting Officer

OA/DEA/NIAID/NIH/DHHS

Point of Contact PRIMARY:

Sevag.Kasparian@nih.gov

Sevag, Contracting Officer Phone: 240-669-5177

The purpose of this Amendment is to:

1) Make changes to the RFP

2) Answer questions from potential offerors regarding the solicitation

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this Amendment and all previous Amendments by identifying this amendment number and date of the amendment on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgement may result in the rejection of your proposal. Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

Overall Changes to RFP specific language:

Change to RFP specific language: Attachment 6 Additional Technical Instructions – Pages 1 and 2. The following language is changed:

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The capability of the Offeror to fulfill the requirements of the base IDIQ SOW will be assessed mailto:Sevag.Kasparian@nih.gov based on the Offeror’s response to the base IDIQ SOW and Task Orders 1 and 2 (listed in Attachments

3, 4, and 5).

Section 1:

1) PROPOSAL TITLE PAGE. Include RFP title and number, name of organization, DUNS number, and identify if the proposal is an original or a copy. Offerors that include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall also include the legend regarding Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data prescribed by FAR 52.215-1(e)].

2) TABLE OF CONTENTS

AMEND: SECTION M, page 67. The following language is changed:

2. COST/PRICE EVALUATION

Offeror(s) cost/price proposal will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, cost reasonableness is established through adequate cost competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404.

Cost/price reasonableness will only be evaluated for those proposals found to be in the competitive range.

Questions & Responses

Question 1: Will the government consider setting aside this procurement for Small Businesses as was the previous award?

Response 1: No, the Government has made the determination to solicit this as a Full and Open competition, however Small Businesses may still submit proposal.

Question 2: Please confirm that the proposal is to be submitted in 3 parts rather than 2. Page 47 states two parts (Technical and Business) however the business proposal instructions require a cover page for a business proposal as well as a price proposal.

Response 2: The proposal is to be submitted in two (2) parts: Technical Proposal and Business Proposal. A cover page is required for both the technical and business proposals. Price and all price-related information falls within the Business Proposal.

Question 3: Will the government consider allowing past performance for the last 5 years rather than 3 years as many logistical support contracts were adversely affected during the Covid pandemic.

Response 3: No, Pg. 51 states Offerors shall submit a list of the last 5 contracts completed during the past Three years and ALL CONTRACTS currently being performed that are similar in nature to the solicitation workscope”.

AMEND: Section M on Page 69, the following language is changed:

Adequacy of past performance of comparable or related work similar in size, scope, and complexity. Past performance descriptions may be of active work or work completed within the last three years.

Question 4: Please confirm that the two page CVs are excluded from the page count for the technical proposal.

Response 4: Yes, there are excluded.

Amend Attachment 1, page 2:

B. Page limitations:

1. The total page count of the Technical proposal shall not exceed 30 pages.

2. Total page count does not include:

• Title and Back Page; Table of Contents; Section Dividers that do not contain information other than title of Section; and

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) shall not exceed 1 page. For the Science Writer, CV shall not exceed 2 pages.

3. Pages exceeding limitations will be removed from the proposal and will not be considered.

Amend Attachment 6, page 2:

Section 4: Technical Personnel

Provide information relevant to document individual training, experience, qualifications and expertise necessary for the successful completion of all contract requirements. Limit resumes to 1 page and 2 pages for the Science Writer, relevant to the scope of the contract.

Question 5: What types of documents are exchanged or anticipated to be exchanged in the “daily documents transfer” referred to on Page 2 of 8 of the SOW?

Response 5: Any documents needed or requested, email inquiries, work plans, reports, travel statuses, etc.

Question 6: Please define what is meant by “Reception” support at meetings. (SOW, Page 2, Item A.4)

Response 6: On-site support, reception (welcome guest at the registration desk and provide them their meeting materials).

Question 7: Please define what is meant by “public relations”. (SOW, Page 5, Item 5.g).

Response 7: Post conference material that may be accessible to the public.

Question 8: What methods, software, services or platforms are currently being used to transfer documents among Contractor, COR and Federal Program Staff?

Response 8: Primarily emails, however some task leaders and coordinators use SmartSheet.

Question 9: Will all honoraria and travel reimbursements be paid in US Dollars?

Response 9: Yes, but it is possible to be required to convert currency if the attendee is not a U.S.

resident.

Question 10: RFP page 38: Section J Business Proposal Attachment 12: the Excel document is for a cost-plus fixed fee contract type. Given Amendment One clarification that all task orders will be awarded as Time & Materials or Firm Fixed Fee type contracts, please confirm that this attachment is not appropriate and that offerors may provide an appropriate budget template for Task Order 1 and Sample Task Order 2.

Response 10: Attachment 12 document is applicable. Simply fill out the portions that are applicable to your proposal (e.g. labor, materials, etc.). Offerors may not submit their own budget template. Costs should be proposed independently for Task Orders 1 and 2.

Question 11: RFP page 47: Section 4 Separation of Technical and Business Proposals states that, "The technical proposal must include direct cost and resources information, such as labor-hours and categories and applicable rates, materials, subcontracts, travel, etc., and associated costs so that the offeror's understanding of the project may be evaluated." (Emphasis added.) Please confirm if offerors are to include loaded costs in the technical volume or rather should only level of effort estimates be in the technical volume and actual proposed costs should be in the business volume.

Response 11: Costs should not be included in the technical proposal. Level of effort for estimates for labor categories should be included in the technical proposal. Cost/Price should be included in the Business Proposal.

Change to RFP specific language. Page 47:

4. Separation of Technical and Business Proposals

The proposal must be prepared in two parts: a "Technical Proposal" and a "Business Proposal."

Each of the parts shall be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of, and concurrently with, evaluation of the other. The technical proposal must include resources information, such as labor-hours and categories and applicable materials, subcontracts, travel, etc. However, the technical proposal should not include pricing data relating to individual salary information, indirect cost rates or amounts, fee amounts (if any), and total costs. The technical proposal should disclose your technical approach in as much detail as possible, including, but not limited to, the requirements of the technical proposal instructions.

Question 12: RFP page 66: Is an annual financial report necessary as part of the business proposal?

Response 12: Yes, as specified on page 66.

Question 13: Sample Task Order 2: For the sample Task Order 2, the travel assumptions are for 40 invited speakers, and the form also suggests there should be 2 staff members onsite. Can the government confirm that our estimates should add 2 contractor staff to the budgeted travel expenses, including the room block and airfare?

Response 13: Yes.

Question 14: Attachment 10 appears to be for a clinical research award, please confirm this is not required for a logistical support contract.

Response 14: Offerors must complete the form. See page 47 under Section L – Proposal Summary and Data Record (NIH-2043).

Question 15: Attachment 11, please confirm that offerors that are small businesses do not need to complete the HHS subcontracting plan template.

Question 15: That is correct. Small Business Offerors are excluded from the requirement to complete and submit Attachment 11 – HHS Subcontracting Plan Template.

Question 16: Attachment 14, please confirm that following Amendment No. 1 to the RFP that this attachment is no longer required to be completed and submitted.

Question 16: Certified Cost of Price Data is not applicable. Attachment 14 is not required to be completed and submitted.

End of Amendment No. 3