RFI Responses 22 thru 26.pdf

Question Response

Can the Smithsonian confirm whether the current ECW inventory (Attachment A) represents all units to be included in the Firm Fixed Price PM scope at contract award, and how newly added or The revised Attachment A will serve as the initial inventory for the contract.

Are there any ECWs currently offline, decommissioned, or scheduled for replacement within the base year that should still be included

All ECWs must be included in the PM&I, even if they are currently offline

Will ECWs under other maintenance contracts require only visual/summary inspections, and will those units be clearly identified at task-order issuance?

Part one: At contract start, ECWs covered by warranties or other maintenance agreements will receive visual/summary inspections only until those agreements expire. A list identifying these units will be provided

Request for Information 333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Request for Information 333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Can the Smithsonian clarify what activities are considered included under Firm Fixed Price PM versus billable repair work under IDIQ Time & Materials?

Under the firm fix price PM: 4.1 All pieces of equipment are to be maintained in a manner that enables them to operate at specified environmental control ranges. The routine Planned Maintenance shall also include all items in Attachment B.

include, but are not limited to, the minimum inspection/maintenance requirements as listed in Attachment B.

4.0 Contractor shall furnish all necessary supervision, fabrication, personnel, design sketches, materials, labor, tools, and equipment to perform PM&I services.

These services include, but are not limited to, testing, repairing, cleaning of strainers and coils, adjustments, parts cleaning, lubricating, and cleaning/replacing of filters on an as-needed basis. These services shall be outlined per Attachment B and manufacturers’ recommendations.

The Contractor is responsible for providing any replaceable maintenance materials up to the out-of-pocket threshold for all of the systems that they maintain.

All other expenses shall be pre-approved by the COTR.

On all systems maintained, the Contractor is responsible for providing any replaceable materials including, but not limited to, lubricants, strainers, service valve gaskets, cleansers, and filters that need to be replaced during maintenance. The maximum out-of-pocket expense for these maintenance materials for the Contractor shall be $300.00 per piece of equipment per year.

Under the IDIQ work (ALL pre-approved by COTR): 1. All material for PM&I above the material threshold. 2. Emergency on-site response call (normal work hours). 3. Emergency on-site response call (non-normal work hours). 4. All requested repairs or replacement of equipment.

5. Any requested inspection of ECWs not on the contract inventory.

Is minor corrective work discovered during PM allowed to be completed immediately under PM, or must all corrective actions be quoted and

All repair work needs to be pre-approved by COTR.

Is the First Site Visit considered part of the Firm Fixed Price PM scope, or will it be issued as a It is considered part of the firm fix price of the PM&I.

What asset management system or platform will the contractor be required to use, and will training or access credentials be provided by the Smithsonian?

The contractor is not required to use the Smithsonian Asset Management system. The contractor should maintain the inventory on an Excel spreadsheet and be able to provide all pertinent records and reports. No training is provided by the Smithsonian.

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

What level of data completeness is required during the First Site Visit if asset information (model, serial, refrigerant) is missing or unreadable?

All due diligence is requested by Smithsonian for the contractor to complete the report. The contractor will be provided with a copy of the last inspection report to assist in this process. Any missing information should be listed as unavailable.

Are photographs, trend logs, or alarm histories required as part of asset documentation submissions?

No photographs are required by the contractor. Items stored inside the walk-in should not be photographed. Photographs of deficient equipment needing IDIQ work are encouraged to help describe the problem to the funding entity. All service calls or deficiencies should be provided in the monthly report and the inspection report. Trend logs, life expectancy of equipment and/or other predictive information should be maintained by the contractor for the annual assessment report. All alarms resulting in a service call shall be included in the monthly report.

Will PM work generally be performed during normal business hours, or should contractors anticipate night/weekend access requirements for

All PM&I work shall be completed during normal business hours. No non-normal PM&I work hours are anticipated.

Will Smithsonian staff escorts be required for all locations, and how will access be coordinated for routine PM and emergency service calls?

For routine PM, the contractor will contact the ECW POC to schedule access and escorts as needed.

For emergency service calls, the COTR will coordinate access and escorts.

Are there blackout periods (events, animal care schedules, lab operations) that restrict PM scheduling at certain facilities?

This contract is new; no known blackout times are available. The contractor will have to schedule in advance with the ECWs' POC to confirm access availability.

What level of detail is expected in Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) repair estimates, and is there a target turnaround time for approval?

The ROM should be the contractor’s best estimate based on experience. It would be best if the contractor gives a ROM with a plus or minus percentage for the price range. The target turnaround time for the requested ROM quote is twenty-four (24) hours. 4.3 A Firm Fixed Price repair quote shall be provided within two (2) weeks after the ROM quote if requested by the COTR. The turnaround time for FFP approval will be based on the funding party’s response.

Will repair task orders be issued with Not-To- Exceed (NTE) values, and is contractor authorization required prior to exceeding ROM ranges?

NTE task orders will not be the norm- only in necessary cases with unknown factors. A FFP should be the norm. ROMs are only used to give information to the funding party to help make a decision to proceed to an RFP with a firm fixed price. ROM pricing will not be authorized for IDIQ work.

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Is there a historical average for the number of service calls or repair task orders issued annually under similar ECW contracts?

Based on limited data for the last serval years the estimate is anywhere between 0 -10 per year for service calls. In the past two years there have been four major equipment replacements and/or repairs. The contractor will help let the Walk-in owners be aware of needed repairs and replacements.

No similar ECW contracts information is available.

Are there ECWs containing hazardous, biohazard, or low-level radioactive materials that require special training, escorts, or certifications for access?

All contents of the Walk-in should be treated as priceless items. The low-level radioactive ECWs are exempted form interior PM&I. All other Hazards should be investigated with the POCs of the ECW for safety protocol. No known certifications or extensive training for hazard material are available at this time. All necessary escorts should be arranged with the POC.

Will the Smithsonian provide site-specific safety orientations or training prior to First Site Visits and PM work?

No training will be provided by the Smithsonian for site specific safety orientations or prior to the First Site Visit and PM&I work. All safety requirements should be verified with the POC of the ECW.

Are lockout/tagout procedures standardized across facilities, or location-specific?

Smithsonian safety's response: Lockout/tagout is covered in the SI Safety Manual Chapter 12 which basically follows the OSHA Standard in 1910.147. The expectation is that contractors implement the requirements of the standards and address the site-specific control of hazardous energy as it applies to the project. In some cases, depending on the work, contractors may have to coordinate with OFMR to identify the sources of hazardous energy lockout points.

Contractors should outline in detail their lockout/tagout procedure in the site-specific safety plan or JHA/AHA. So yes, we would be looking for the location or site-specific procedures that is planned to be implement.

Will multiple contractors be awarded under this IDIQ, and if so, how will task orders be distributed (rotation, best value, availability)?

Only one contract is awarded for the Solicitation. The awarded contractor will have the first option to provide an IDIQ proposal for IDIQ work based on the contract labor and material markup rates.

What performance metrics (response time, documentation quality, PM completion rates) will be used to evaluate contractor performance and option-year renewals?

Performance will be evaluated based on timely completion of all SOW requirements, documentation quality, responsiveness, adherence to PM schedules, and overall reliability. Full compliance is expected for option year renewal.

Is there a minimum or target PM completion schedule (quarterly, semiannual, annual) for ECWs under the Firm Fixed Price portion of the contract

The PM&I inspection is completed on a semi-annual basis. 4.2 The second semi-annual PM&I shall take place six (6) months after the first. Price sheet line 3: Planned maintenance and inspection (occurs twice a year)

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

L.1.2. The Smithsonian anticipates awarding a firm fixed price contract for this work effort, to the responsive, responsible Offeror, who’s technical and cost proposal is, in the opinion of the Contacting Officer, determined to be the most advantageous and in the best interest of the Smithsonian Institution.

“L.1.3. The Offerors' proposal(s) in response to this RFP shall be prepared in accordance with the instructions in this Section L.

Offerors whose proposals deviate from these instructions may be disqualified at the discretion of the Smithsonian. Failure to furnish complete information requested in this RFP may cause Offeror to be judged non-responsive and immediately removed from further consideration.”

“M.2.1. Failure to furnish complete information requested in the RFP may cause Offeror to be judged non-responsive and immediately be removed from further consideration.”

M.3.1 Award of a contract shall be made to the responsive, responsible Offeror, whose combined technical and cost proposal is in the opinion of the Contracting Officer, determined to be the most advantageous and in the best interest of the Smithsonian Institution.

“M.3.2 Each Offeror’s technical and price information will be evaluated for completeness, and reasonableness to determine the Offerors understanding of the work and ability to perform the contract. Completeness is evaluated by assessing the level of detail the Offeror provided in technical and price information for all requirements.”

Questions: Might the SI provide more details on the requirements for the technical proposal? Or should offerors address the requirements in the SOW and capabilities for the ECW scope?

The technical evaluation is based on how well the contractor's proposal meets the expectations of fulfilling the SOW requirements and the demonstration of knowledge of those requirements. The Bid sheet is a requirement for a proposal to be considered for evaluation.

Is cleaning the interior of the boxes included in the fixed price portion of the contract? If not, is it done by onsite personnel?

The Smithsonian onsite POCs are responsible for cleaning the walk-ins. The contractor is only responsible for cleaning associated equipment parts as per Manufacturer’s recommendations.

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Are fire suppression and alarm assets require specific technical licenses. Are they included in the scope? If so, what scope is required?

The fire suppression and alarm assets are under other entities purview not the ECW awarded contractor. The contractor should note if there is a obvious deficiency that needs to be addressed by others.

Under the fixed price portion of the contract, is the scope for safety features like alarms and cameras, BAS and controls, timers, and other components listed on the asset list generally limited to inspections confirming operation and proposals for repairs like refrigerant components?

If other tasks are required, can you please describe?

The Alarms and cameras are visual or audible sound inspected only with no Planned Maintenance required by the contractor. The Building Automated System (BAS) should be adjusted or replaced e.g.

Temperature probe. Controllers should follow manufacturers recommendation for Planned maintenance. Controllers that are proprietary and out of the contractor’s certification/technical level should be listed in the first site visit inspection to be excluded from the PM and require a visual inspection only. Timer’s part of the Walk-in equipment, such as defrost timers, should be included in the PM following manufacturers’ recommendations. Timers on a BAS system controlled by the Smithsonian, the contractor sho8ld consult the Smithsonian technician for any need PM. Any other safety components that is not typical on a walk-in system should be exclude from PM, these items shall be listed at the first site visit. The contractor is encouraged to list all Walk-in deficiency observed and provide proposals for repair /replacement of the equipment that is within the contractor’s technical realm above the $300 material threshold per walk-in.

Any item outside the contractor’s expertise should be listed as a deficiency to be addressed by others.

Do the contents of any ECWs require specialized safety training? If so, please describe.

No known training is required at this time. The low radioactive walk-ins are exempt form interior

PM&I.