Questions and Answers 20230421.pdf

# Reference Question Answer 870 L.10.1(b) & Q&A

#667 Under Question #667, please confirm that if a “private equity parent company” owns two entities but does not exercise day to day control over the entities (e.g., both companies operate with their own management teams, employees, facilities, information technology infrastructure, and any interaction between portfolio companies with the same private equity sponsor occurs at arm’s length), both entities are able to bid on this solicitation?

The Government confirms this is correct.

871 L.10.1(b) & Q&A #669

Under Question #669, please confirm that if the mentor in a mentor-protégé joint venture is owned by the same “private equity parent company” as another mentor that submits a bid as part of a MPJV, but the “private equity parent company” does not exercise day to day control over the mentor of the MPJVs, both MPJVs are able to bid on this solicitation?

The Government confirms this is correct.

872 L.10.1(b) & L.10.6.3 Reference the following limitations:

1) “Offerors being permitted to provide ONLY ONE PROPOSAL for consideration. More than one proposal is not permitted for affiliates, which is defined as associated business concerns or individuals if, directly or indirectly either one controls or can control the other; or third party controls or can control both. An Offeror found submitting more than one proposal will have all of its proposals disqualified and removed from further award consideration.”

2) “In the event that a company submits a proposal on behalf of itself, and is also a member of a Joint Venture, then the REP may not be used in more than one proposal are no more than one proposal.”

If the Top 30 Offerors are validated, at a fair and reasonable price, and the reserves are met (i.e., potential awardees have been identified), does VA intend to review proposals outside the Top 30 that had not been evaluated yet to verify that the potential awardees did not violate either of the above conditions?

No. Per RFP section M.1.1, once the Top 30 have been validated at a Fair and Reasonable price, and the reserves have been met, Acceptability Reviews will cease, and contract awards will be made

873 H-4, L.13.3 & Q&A #867

As a follow-up to the answer to question 867 and regarding the following statement in Sections H-4 and L.13.3 of the Solicitation, "For Mentor/Protege Joint Ventures, subcontracts to the Mentor only count if the Mentor qualifies for that socio-economic category" if the Mentor performs work through an arrangement other than a subcontract, then can that work count if the Mentor does not qualify for that socio-economic category?"

No, the intent of the Small Business Participant Commitment is to account for work by the actual entity performing it. Therefore, if a Mentor performs the work and the Mentor does not qualify for that socio-economic category, then the Mentor's work cannot be counted towards that socio-economic category.