S02_Amendment 0002 for Solicitation 36C10F24R0002.pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 7

0002 None

003C4

Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management (00CFM3B) 425 I Street NW Washington DC 20001

101F

Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management 425 I Street NW Washington DC 20001

To all Offerors/Bidders 36C10F24R0002

06-03-2024 X

X X

X 1

Telecommunication Infrastructure Contract

The solicitation referenced in Block 9A above is hereby changed as follows:

1) Posting of RFI questions and answers.

The proposal due date and time remains the same as stated in Amendment 0001 which is 07/12/2024, 1:00pm CST.

No other changes.

Jason Hardy Contracting Officer

VA-CFM-2023-0016

07/02/2024

36C10F24R0002 OIT Telecommunication Infrastructure Contract

Pre-Proposal RFI Questions and Answers

Question 1: EVALUATION FACTOR 3: PAST PERFORMANCE: Can the government confirm if the vendor will be able to use commercial experience as past performance?

Answer 1: Evaluation Factor 1 and 3 have been changed to allow commercial experience for project examples. However, at least one project should be Government related.

Question 2: On the cover page of the RFP SF1442 form, in block #12a, there is a question which reads, “THE CONTRACTOR MUST FURNISH ANY REQUIRED PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS?” The ‘Yes’ box is checked in this block.

Question = Does this indicate that the offeror must furnish a bid bond, performance bond, or other type of bond with the proposal? If so, what type and dollar value are required?

Answer 2: SF1442, Block 12a is marked as “Yes” in error. There are no bonds required for this solicitation or as a response to the solicitation.

Question 3: On the same SF1442 page, in block #13b, there is a statement reading, “An offer guarantee _X__ is ___is not required. The ‘is’ box is checked.

Question = Does this indicate that the offeror must furnish a bid bond, performance bond, or other type of bond with the proposal? If so, what type and dollar value are required?

Answer 3: SF1442, Block 13b is marked as “is” in error. There is no offer guarantee required for this solicitation or as a response to the solicitation.

Question 4: On page 43 of the RFP, there is a requirement for 2-3 Past Experience citations of similar size and scope, completed in the last 5 years or in progress but at least 75% completed.

Question = Do all required Past Experience citations need to come solely from the Prime Offeror, or can we use 1, 2, or 3 Past Experience citations from a subcontractor?

Answer 4: Past Performance projects/references should come from the Prime Offeror, not from a subcontractor.

Question 5:

Evaluation Factor 1: Company Experience (page 43):

The requirement of “The offeror shall submit up to 3 contracts/task orders but not less than 2 demonstrating a minimum of 3 years’ experience performing telecommunication services in a Government environment.”

Question: Is the requirement for a minimum of three years’ experience applicable to each individual task order submitted, or does it pertain to the overall experience of the company in providing telecommunication services within a Government environment?

Answer 5: The offeror should demonstrate three years’ experience overall, not necessarily 3 years’ experience per contract/task order.

Question 6:

Resumes (Page 44):

Evaluation Factor 2: Project Management, second paragraph: the instruction provided stated “Offers shall provide resumes for those project managers, technicians and other personnel anticipated to support this contract.”

Is the Government requesting resumes for all proposed personnel or specifically for key personnel? If the Government wants resumes for key personnel, please provide the positions requiring resumes.

Answer 6: the offeror shall provide resumes for all positions. The personnel should have at least 3 years of experience and BICSI Certification or training for technicians is desired.

Question 7:

Labor hours per FTE:

Can the Government confirm that the total hours allocated for each labor Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) are 2000 hours per year? Typically, industry standards use 1920 or 1880 hours per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) per year to account for holidays and allowable paid time off.

Answer 7: The 2000 hours per year under the CLINs incorporates hours for holidays and allowable paid time off.

Question 8:

Solicitation Title:

The solicitation title on SAM.gov and on SF 1442 has Telecommunications Infrastructure Contract, however, the SOW has Telecommunications Infrastructure Management.

What solicitation title does the government want to be used on the proposal response documents?

Answer 8: The proposal response documents should use “Solicitation 36C10F24R0002 Response

– Telecommunication Infrastructure” for the email subject line and “RFP: 36C10F24R0002:

Telecommunication Infrastructure” for the Proposal Cover Page(s).

Question 9:

Vendorization Self-Service Portal – Under 5.3 Pricing:

Question: Do the vendors need to register via the link provided prior to proposal submission, or is this done after the contract award? If this needs to be completed before proposal submission, please provide a workable URL link. (https://vaww.cpm.fsc.va.gov/ does not work)

Answer 9: Vendors are not required to register via the vendorization self-service portal prior to proposal submission. It would be required of the awardee after contract award.

Question 10:

Which statute holds priority for the government between the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act (SCA) for this contract?

Answer 10: the majority of the work will fall under the Wage Rate Requirements (Construction) – formerly the Davis-Bacon Act and a Department of Labor conformance may be required. In the meantime, build out the Price Schedule using the SCA WD and an REA will be considered as required and if applicable. Please send Department of Labor Conformance requests to jason.hardy@va.gov using SF1444 as soon as possible.

Question 11:

On page 42, FAR 52.211-6 is referenced as below:

In accordance with FAR clause 52.211-6: Brand Name or Equal, the above material list represents sample materials that shall be used under this contract which will satisfy the Government needs and are preferred.

The use of “equal” products is permissible if the salient characteristics of the proposed material equal the above materials. Please submit any proposed equal materials to the COR for evaluation and approval.

Does the above-mentioned submittal process need to happen with RFP response or is the awarded respondent submitting equals for each project handled under this award?

Answer 11: The awarded contractor shall submit equals for each project after award as applicable for the COR review and approval. There is no requirement for equals for proposal submission.

Question 12:

Evaluation Factor 3: Past Performance

Does the government want the signed PPQs included in Volume 1 Technical of the proposal under the Past Performance section, or is it emailed directly to the CO or both?

Answer 12: PPQs should be emailed directly to the Contracting Officer which is preferred.

However, PPQs would be accepted if submitted with the proposal.

Question 13:

Does the Government want the General Contractor Reference Form for each past performance reference included in Volume 1 Technical under the Company Experience or Past Performance of the proposal?

Answer 13: The General Contractor Reference Form(s) should be submitted under Volume 1 – Technical > Past Performance.

Question 14:

If the signed PPQs are to be included in Volume 1 Technical, can the government increase the page limit to 60 pages or more?

Answer 14: PPQs and the General Contractor Reference Form(s) page counts will not be counted into the page limitations.

Question 15:

Can you please affirm if the Government intends to award a FFP contract as indicated on top of page 3, and on section 2.3 on page 50 . . . and not a Time and Materials basis? In other words, the Govt will pay contractors BASE YEAR - TOTAL PRICE estimated at 20,000 hours per year and not on a per hour basis.

Answer 15: Yes, the Government intends to award a Firm-Fixed Price contract, not a Time and Materials contract. The base year and subsequent options estimate hours are 20,000 per year and is not on a per hour basis.

Question 16:

On page 50, there is a reference to 2.4 - 52.222-5 CONSTRUCTION WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS— SECONDARY SITE OF THE WORK (MAY 2014) and 2.6 52.222-30 CONSTRUCTION WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS—PRICE ADJUSTMENT (NONE OR SEPARATELY SPECIFIED METHOD) (AUG 2018). The Government has also included both SCA and DBA Wage Determination. Since there are no metrics by which to estimate how much work will be SCA vs DBA, does the Government intend for contractors to establish the CLIN HOURLY LABOR COST using the SCA WD and submit for an “Equitable Adjustment” for any work that is subject to Davis Bacon WD’s? If not, how does the Government desire contractors to come up with composite rates without workload estimate?

Answer 16: See the answer to question 10 above.

Question 17:

Would a response from a Joint Venture be acceptable?

Answer 17: Yes, a proposal from a Joint Venture is acceptable.

Question 18:

What do you mean by “However, it is the responsibility of the contractor to propose any and all items required for a complete system if not identified in the BOM attached to this specification.”. There is a BOM on page 31. Where/when do contractors “propose” items not identified in this BOM? It only appears that we are to propose FFP on pages 3-5 for labor.

Answer 18: If items are discontinued and replacements are available. Items would be proposed during the performance of the contract, not at time of the proposal. Only propose firm-fixed prices in accordance with the CLIN schedule.

Question 19:

Are the “Labor Clins” referred to in 1.2 Purpose those identified on pages 3-5 or in section 14.0 Labor Tasks on pages 29 – 31?

Answer 19: Labor CLINs referred to in 1.2 Purpose of the SOW refers to example Labor Tasks under 14.0, not the Labor Category CLINs on Pages 3 -5.

Question 20:

What is the purpose of the “14.0 Labor Tasks on pages 29 – 31?”, are they simply to show typical types of work that may need to be performed?

Answer 20: 14.0 Labor Tasks on pages 29 – 31 shows typical types of work.

Question 21:

Under “Price Schedule” the Govt states that this is a Firm-Fixed-Price contract and NOT a T&M contract. As such it is assumed that since the Gov’t has identified 10 FTEs with 2,000 hours each, that it will contract 10 FTEs full-time from the contractor. The contractor will utilize this workforce to accomplish the duties listed in 14.0 Labor Tasks on pages 29 – 31 and elsewhere. On the occasion that there are no Labor Tasks for a particular day for some of the 10 FTEs to accomplish it is assumed that they are to report to a location/office such as identified in “1.7 Government Furnished Property, the contractor shall be provided access to Government furnished facilities. This shall include office space, desk, telephone, chair, and shared network printer.”, for any non-productive, yet billable time.

Answer 21: All will report to the office. Not all will have logical access to VA Networked systems.

Est. 4 will have assigned stations.

Question 22:

How do contractors get reimbursed for any Davis Bacon Wage Act labor as opposed to Service Contract labor? Typically, the way this is handled is the contractor would build out the “Price Schedule” using SCA rates and submit to the Govt an “Equitable Adjustment” when DBA wages are required by law, as such need for DBA wages are unpredictable in this scenario.

Answer 22: See the answer to question 10 above.

Question 23:

How will the Govt accommodate the cost for a directional bore if needed on a project? Certainly, that cannot be factored into an hourly rate.

Answer 23: Contractor will not be performing directional boring for outside plant underground installations.

Question 24:

Will the Govt provide vehicles?

Answer 24: No

Question 25:

On Form 1442, block 12a. “THE CONTRACTOR MUST FURNISH ANY REQUIRED PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS? “ – YES. Also, on block 13b “An offer guarantee” required – YES. This implies a BID BOND is due with the proposal submission. No information is given regarding this BID BOND, such as what the % of the Bid Bond must be. There is nothing on pages 43-48, Instructions/Evaluation, that indicates where the BID BOND/GUARANTEE is supposed to be presented in the proposal document. Can you please clarify?

Answer 25: SF1442, Block 12a is marked as “Yes” in error. There are no bonds required for this solicitation or as a response to the solicitation.

Question 26:

The link on VOLUME 2 – PRICING, etc: https://vaww.cpm.fsc.va.gov/, does not work.

Please note: offerors are to ensure vendorization via self-service portal:

https://vaww.cpm.fsc.va.gov/ ID.me Walkthrough v2.pdf Customer Engagement Portal (CEP) Vendor File Webform User Guide v1.pdf

Answer 26: Noted, this issue will be addressed with the awardee.