36C78619Q0253-005.docx

FedBizOpps Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

CLASSIFICATION CODE

SUBJECT

CONTRACTING OFFICE'S

ZIP-CODE

SOLICITATION NUMBER

BASE NOTICE TYPE

RESPONSE

DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)

ARCHIVE

DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

SET-ASIDE

NAICS CODE

CONTRACTING OFFICE

ADDRESS

POINT OF CONTACT

(POC Information Automatically Filled from User Profile Unless Entered)

DESCRIPTION

See Attachment

AGENCY'S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT'S EMAIL

ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

* = Required Field FedBizOpps Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation Rev. March 2010 R Annual Workplace Evaluations at NCA Cemeteries 22556 36C78619Q0253 05-17-2019 N 541620 Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration Contracting Services 75 Barrett Heights Road, Suite 309 Stafford VA 22556 Antionette Collins-Somerville Antionette.Collins-Somerville@va.gov

TBD

USA

www.va.gov Department of Veterans Affairs Antionette.Collins-Somerville@va.gov Work COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR ANNUAL WORKPLACE EVALUATION SUPPORT FOR VA NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6 STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A SEPARATE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES. SOLICITATION 36C78619Q0253 IS BEING ISSUED AS A REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ). THIS NOTICE AND THE INCORPORATED PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES ARE THOSE IN EFFECT THROUGH THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS (FAR). ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES MAY SUBMIT A QUOTE. FAR clauses and provisions enclosed within this RFQ are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-101 and are available in full text through Internet access at http://www.acquisition.gov/far.

1. This is a 100% set aside to Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Open Market, Firm Fixed Price procurement. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541620 Environmental Consulting Services and the size standard is $15.0 Million Dollars. Any firm that does not meet the capability and size standard under this NAICS code should not submit a response. Prospective awardees MUST be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov , PRIOR TO AWARD and through final payment, and must complete the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://www.sam.gov prior to award and through final payment. CONTRACT WILL NOT BE AWARDED UNTIL SAM REGISTRATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

2. This combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items and FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Therefore, all quotations received prior to the RFQ close date will be considered by the Contracting Office. A single award will be made to offerors using Best Value with Tradeoffs.

The Period of Performance shall be for a base and four, one-year options.

The schedule price shall be all-inclusive, including all labor, equipment, materials, travel and supplies to complete the Contract Line Item (CLIN(s))

Base Year - June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020:

Option Year I – June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021:

Option Year II - June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022:

Option Year III - June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023:

Option Year IV - June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024:

Total Base Plus All Options:

SEE ATTACHMENT C: STATEMENT OF WORK

3. The following Provisions and Clauses apply to this procurement:

a). The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Quoters -- Commercial, applies to this acquisition.

Quotes are due on May 17, 2019 12:00 PM EST IT IS THE CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENSURING PROPER SUBMISSION OF THEIR QUOTES. QUOTES SHALL BE SUBMITTED THROUGH Vendor eCMS Portal.

Quote Package shall include the following:

· Quote shall consist of four (4) volumes. The Volumes are I –Price Schedule, Volume II – Technical-Literature Review, Volume III-Past Performance Questionnaire, and Volume IV- Certifications & Representations.

4. The following Provisions and Clauses apply to this procurement:

a). The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial, applies to this acquisition.

Quotes are due on May 17, 2019 12:00 PM EST. All QUESTIONS AND QUOTES shall be submitted through the vendor portal. All questions must be received in the vendor portal by no later than May 10, 2019 at 12:00pm EST, to give reasonable time to respond to questions prior to close of the solicitation. No questions will be accepted after May 10, 2019 at 12:00pm EST. The solicitation closes on May 17, 2019 at 12:00pm EST.

QUOTERS MUST COMPLETE AND RETURN ALL INFORMATION DESIGNATED IN FAR PROVISION 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS, PARAGRAPH (b) AND IN THE STATEMENT OF WORK. QUOTE SHALL BE SUBMITTED BY POTENTIAL QUOTERS, PRIOR TO THE TIME SPECIFIED IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AWARD.

IT IS THE CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENSURING PROPER SUBMISSION OF THEIR QUOTES IN THE VENDOR PORTAL. PROCEDURES FOR UPDATING ALREADY SUBMITTED QUOTES ARE PROVIDED IN THE VENDOR PORTAL GUIDE.

Please go the VA eCMS Vendor Portal website at https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov to register. Once on the webpage, proceed to the Vendor Portal Login section located on the far-left side of the webpage and click on ‘Request a user account’ to register. In the event an Offeror is unable to submit their Quotes through the Vendor Portal domain, prior to the deadline for submission of Quotes, contact the VAAS helpdesk at 1-877-634-3739, or via email at VA.Acquisition.Systems@va.gov. Quotes transmission/successful uploads must be completed by the deadline for submission of Quotes.

Offerors unable to submit their Quotes through VA eCMS Vendor Portal, may submit their Quotes via email, PROVIDED THE VA eCMS Vendor Portal registration requirements have been fulfilled AND Offerors have contacted the VAAS helpdesk for assistance in their Quotes submission. A copy of the email correspondence with the VAAS helpdesk shall be forwarded to the Contract Specialist, Antionette Collins-Somerville, at Antionette.Collins-Somerville@va.gov as proof of email correspondence. If a request for assistance with the VAAS helpdesk proves unsuccessful in an Offeror’s ability to submit a Quotes prior to the closing date, via the Vendor Portal, the Offeror shall submit to the Contracting Officer correspondence that contains the date, time, and name of helpdesk representative the Offeror contacted to include the reasons why the Offeror could not submit a Quotes via the Portal. The offeror shall receive approval from the contracting officer prior to submitting Quotes via email. This document shall be submitted with the Offeror’s Quotes.

ATTACHMENT A- Vendor eCMS Portal Guide In the event an Offeror has not requested submission assistance from the VAAS help desk prior to the closing date, nor has submitted correspondence that identifies reasons why the Offeror could not submit their quote via Vendor Portal, the Offeror will be considered non-responsive and the quote, if late, will not be accepted.

Quote shall include the information listed below. Quotes that fail to furnish the required information or reject the terms and conditions of the RFQ may be excluded from further consideration. The following factors will be considered when evaluating the quotes: Technical and Price. The Offeror’s quote shall consist of four (4) volumes. The Volumes are I –Price Quoatation, Volume II – Technical Approach, Volume III – Past Performance Questionnaire, and Volume IV- Offer & Award Documents, Certifications & Representations.

2. RFQ FILES. Offerors’ quotations shall be submitted in accordance with the following instructions:

a. Format. The submission shall be clearly indexed and logically assembled. Each volume shall be clearly identified and shall begin at the top of a page. All pages of each volume shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date and solicitation number in the header and/or footer. Quotation page limitations are not applicable to this procurement. All files will be submitted as either a Microsoft Excel (.XLS) file or an Acrobat (PDF) file or compatible as indicated in the table. Page size shall be no greater than 8 1/2" x 11" with printing on one side, only. The top, bottom, left and right margins shall be a minimum of one inch (1”) each. Font size shall be no smaller than 12-point. Arial or Times New Roman fonts are recommended. Characters shall be set at no less than normal spacing and 100% scale. Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size not less than 8-point and may be landscape. Line spacing shall be set at no less than single space. Each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line. Page numbers, company logos, and headers and footers may be within the page margins ONLY, and are not bound by the 12-point font requirement. Footnotes to text shall not be used. All proprietary information shall be clearly and properly marked. Pages in violation of these instructions, either by exceeding the margin, font or spacing restrictions will not be evaluated.

Tech.pdf None

Technical Approach (Company Name) Price.xls

OfrRep.pdf None

Submit the following documents in response to this RFQ:

A narrative summary stating the number of years (experience) performing evaluations of cemetery operations for safety and health requirements and are knowledgeable of NCA safety and health requirements and experience performing the type of services listed in the SOW at a facility in comparable size to NCA Provide proof of training/education certificates, diploma or degree (minimum a BS in the engineering, science, or safety disciplines) c). VOLUME III- PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE- Quoters must identify previous federal, state, and local government and private contracts that they have completed and that are similar to the contract being evaluated. List a minimum of three (3), but no more than five (5) contracts for evaluation limited to the last five (5) years. Quoters are required to complete the Business Management Questionnaire. Please see Attachment D.

Quoters will be asked to have references submit past performance questionnaires that include contract number(s), the firms or organizations for whom quoter’s performed services, the dates of performance, points of contact with telephone numbers, and ratings on past performance in conjunction with any other relevant information. The Government reserves the right to determine the relevance of past performance information. If no past performance information is readily available, the Offeror’s past performance will be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably.

d). VOLUME IV - OFFER AND AWARD

DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS/REPRESENTATIONS

Certifications and Representations - An Acrobat PDF file shall be created to capture the signatures for submission. This Volume shall contain the following:

Acknowledgement of Amendments, if any.

Any proposed exceptions to solicitation terms and conditions Offerors are hereby advised that any Offeror-imposed terms and conditions which deviate from the Government’s material terms and conditions established, may render the Offeror’s quote Unacceptable, and thus ineligible for award.

3). The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers based on Best Value with Tradeoffs:

Technical and Past Performance is more important than Price Technical Past Performance Price Quotes submitted in response to this RFQ will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

CRITERIA 1: Technical Approach (Non-Price):

The quotation will be evaluated for the vendor’s response to the SOW requirements to determine if it demonstrates, a sound, thorough and viable technical approach that specifically addresses all aspects of the technical approach clearly and convincingly demonstrating subject matter expertise and understanding of the requirement. The Vendor shall provide evidence the extent to which they clearly and convincingly demonstrate their subject matter expertise, understanding of the tasks and understanding of the requirement. The Vendors quotation shall detail the planned technical approach that will be utilized to accomplish all the tasks in the SOW and offer a technical capability that clearly demonstrates the Vendor’s ability to successfully perform all SOW requirements. Offerors shall include in their technical quote a narrative describing the firm’s experience performing the services stated in the SOW.

Quoters in the field of safety management must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience performing evaluations of cemetery operations for safety and health requirements and are knowledgeable of NCA safety and health requirements and experience performing the type of services listed in the SOW at a facility in comparable size to NCA. Proof should include a list of facilities/companies/agencies, size of facility and timespan of service provided for the facility where the offeror has performed the same or similar work.

Quoters must provide proof of staff specialized in the field of safety management; who have at a minimum a BS in the engineering, science, or safety disciplines; experience in conducting safety inspections in accordance with 29 CFR Part 1960; project manager and AWE facility survey personnel shall each have at least 5 years of safety management/safety inspection work experience.

CRITERIA 2: Past Performance Approach (Non-Price):

Quoters will be asked to have references submit past performance questionnaires that include contract number(s), the firms or organizations for whom offerors performed services, the dates of performance, points of contact with telephone numbers, and ratings on past performance in conjunction with any other relevant information. The Government reserves the right to determine the relevance of past performance information. If no past performance information is readily available, the Offeror’s past performance will be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably.

Past performance will be evaluated for quality, timeliness (i.e. recent), problem resolution, business relations, customer service and relevance (i.e. experience in providing services similar in size, scope, and complexity as described in the SOW). The CO may also consider past performance information from sources other than those provided by the offerors. In comparing technically equivalent proposals, the CO may make an award to a higher priced offeror who has a better past performance history than a lower priced offeror.

The CO will evaluate past performance to assess the historical facts of the offerors’ work experience, quality and relevance of that experience, and how well each performed under other contracts. The CO will consider references from either inside or outside the federal government, so long as the performance is recent (within the last five years) and relevant (for the same or similar items).

CRITIERIA 3: Price Approach Price will be evaluated by the CO for the base and all option periods to determine reasonableness and may be evaluated to determine whether the price realistically supports the requirements of the solicitation. If more than one offer is received, the prices from the offers will be entered into an abstract or documented in the CO’s Statement of Award. One or more of the techniques below will be used to ensure a fair and reasonable price:

Failure to submit all required documentation as required may result in your submission being found to be technically unacceptable.

c). The provision at Addendum to FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (OCT 2014).

BASIS FOR AWARD: The Government will make award to one (1) vendor whose quotation offers an integrated approach for meeting the requirements of the SOW. The Government will evaluate all quotes on a Best Value with Tradeoffs. To be technically acceptable, the service being quoted must meet the laid-out tasks in the SOW. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions based on the initial evaluation of quotes.

Quoters are urged to ensure that their quote is submitted on the most favorable terms, since less than their best potential could result in exclusion of the quote from further consideration. Assurances of technical capability without a clear demonstration to support the claim may adversely influence the evaluation of the quote. Failure to include all required documentation as required in this RFP, may result in your submission being found to be technically non-responsive and removed from further consideration.

Evaluation Process: A Responsibility Determination will be made in accordance with FAR 9.1 Responsible Prospective Contractors. The Government will make use of several data bases to aid in establishing a more complete picture of responsibility and ability the databases include, but are not limited to Experian, PPIRS, EPLS, VetBiz and SBA.

d). The provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items applies to this acquisition.

e). The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

f). The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

A written and signed/dated, by the Contracting Officer, contract of award to the successful Offeror shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

Clauses: SBA ACT 8(D)(13)(B); DIGNITY STANDARDS; FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions (OCT 2018) applies to this acquisition. Addendum to the clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (JAN 2019) applies to this acquisition. Under paragraph b, the following clauses are incorporated:

52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995); 52.204–10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Oct 2018); 52.204–14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (OCT 2016); 52.204–15, Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery Contracts (OCT 2016); 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (OCT 2015); 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Oct 2018) (41 U.S.C. 2313); 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011); 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2018); 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (JAN 2017); 52.219-27, Notice of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011); 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Jul 2013); 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (JAN 2019); 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011); 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) (E.O.'s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury); 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management (Oct 2018); 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party (MAY 2014) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (c), applicable to commercial services, that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items: 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018); 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards—Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts); 52.222-44, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards—Price Adjustment (MAY 2014); 52.222-55, Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (DEC 2015).

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: CLAUSES

52.203-19, Prohibition On Contracting With Entities That Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements (JAN 2017); 52.216-18 ORDERING (OCT 1995); 52.216-19 ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995); 52.216-21 REQUIREMENTS (OCT 1995); 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999); 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000); SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS; 52.232-19 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR (APR 1984); VAAR 852.219-10 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (JUL 2016)(DEVIATION); VAAR 852.219-74 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUL 2018) INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference(FEB 1998); 52.203-17CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENT TO INFORM EMPLOYEES OF WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS (APR 2014); 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (JUL 2016); 52.211-17 Delivery of Excess Quantities (SEP 1989); 52.228-5 INSURANCE—WORK ON A GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION (JAN 1997); 52.232-19 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR (APR 1984); 52.232-18 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS (APR 1982); 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments To Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013); 52.246-1 Contractor Inspection Requirements (APR 1984); 52.237-3 CONTINUITY OF SERVICES (JAN 1991); 52.246-16 Responsibility for Supplies( APR 1984); 52.247-34, Limitations on Subcontracting-Monitoring and Compliance (JUN 2011);

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html https://www.va.gov/oal/business/pps/policy.asp

WAGE DETERMINATION SHALL BE DETERMINED AT AWARD

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: SOLICITATION PROVISION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998); 52.204-7, System for Award Management (OCT 2016); 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (JUL 2016); 52.204-17, Ownership Or Control Of Offeror (JUL 2016);

52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998); VAAR 852.203-70 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING (MAY 2018); VAAR 852.203-71 DISPLAY OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS HOTLINE POSTER (DEC 1992); 852.211-75, Product Specifications (JAN 2008); VAAR 852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV 2018); VAAR 852.237-70 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES (APR 1984); VAAR 852.246-71, REJECTED GOODS (OCT 2018)

SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (AUG 2018); 52.203-18 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS OR STATEMENTS—REPRESENTATION (JAN 2017); 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984); 52.219-6 TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET ASIDE (NOV 2011); 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006); VAAR 852.233-70 PROTEST CONTENT/ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (OCT 2018); VAAR 852.270-71 ALTERNATE PROTEST PROCEDURE (OCT 2018); VAAR 852.270-1 REPRESENTATIVES OF CONTRACTING OFFICERS (JAN 2008);

WAGE DETERMINATION TO BE DETERMINED

All QUESTIONS AND QUOTES shall be submitted through the vendor portal. All questions must be received in the vendor portal by no later than May 10, 2019 at 12:00pm EST, to give reasonable time to respond to questions prior to close of the solicitation. No questions will be accepted after May 10, 2019 at 12:00pm EST. The solicitation closes on May 17, 2019 at 12:00pm EST.

QUESTIONS FROM SOLICITATION 36C78619Q0253 ANNUAL WORKPLACE EVALUATIONS AT NCA CEMETERIES

QUESTION 1: Program review – midway through period of performance – Can it be done in the beginning? We would like to start with this Phase within 30 days of the contract award. The purpose of conducting this Phase in the beginning is to ensure TSS knows exactly what the Safety Program Management Staff (SPMS) wants (e.g. goals, priorities, workload, desired outcome, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, etc.).

ANSWER 1:

Yes, program review can be done in the beginning (within the first 30 days).

QUESTION 2: Can you share a copy of the SAFE application already in use?

ANSWER 2:

No, the SOW speaks of SAFE for a specific purpose. Safety Automated Facility Evaluation” (SAFE), is use for the documentation and tracking of AWE findings. VA uses the key elements of 29 CFR Part 1960 and the corresponding SAFE database to monitor and support safety compliance activities at all VA facilities. Non VA employees (Contractors) are not allowed access to SAFE. NCA Staff will input the finding into SAFE.

QUESTION 3: Can you share a copy of the NCA AWE Checklist?

ANSWER 3:

A copy of the NCA AWE Checklist is attached to the combined synopsis solicitation. Please see attached.

QUESTION 4: Can you share a copy/link to all VA/NCA safety and health publications? I found VA Directive 7700, but that only covers the roles and responsibilities.

ANSWER 4:

Please see NCA Directive 7700 Occupational Safety and Health Program attached.

QUESTION 5: Has NCA looked into the Air Force Safety Management System (AFI 91-202)?

ANSWER 5:

No, Air Force Safety Management System (AFI 91-202) not applicable to cemetery operations.

QUESTION 6: Page 3 of SOW indicates "all travel will be cost-reimbursable". Is there a NTE value that should be used for travel?

ANSWER 6: Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on page 3 of Attachment C-NCA FY19 AWE Statement of Work; The following has been revised and cost reimbursement for all travel has been removed. The following has been revised on page 6 of Attachment C- NCA FY19 AWE Statement of Work; “Anticipated requirements for travel include Contractor or combined Contractor/NCA staff teams performing facility assessment visits, inspections, or training, all travel will in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. Travel shall be inclusive with the price quote.”

This is a firm fixed price procurement and travel shall be included. The schedule price shall be all-inclusive, including all labor, equipment, materials, travel and supplies to complete the Contract Line Item (CLIN(s)).

QUESTION 7: Please confirm contract type is Firm Fixed Price exclusive of travel.

ANSWER 7: Please see the combined synopsis notice; Section 1.: 1. This is a 100% set aside to Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Open Market, Firm Fixed Price procurement inclusive of travel.

QUESTION 8: Please confirm that 1/12 of the contract value can be billed monthly so that "Est. QTY" is 12 (monthly) vs. 1 (year) on the Price Schedule for each CLIN or provide some other equitable invoicing schedule e.g. % completed monthly or unit price per location for Phase 4. A single invoice after completion of a year's worth of work poses a huge financial burden especially on an SDVOSB firm.

ANSWER 8: Please see the Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/solicitation with price schedule that outlines pricing shall be priced on the yearly unit price. Please see solicitation 36C78619Q0253; ATTACHMENT B: Contract Administration. Please see solicitation 36C78619Q0253; Attachment B: Contract Administration; Section B -Continuation of SF 1449 Blocks; 3. Invoices: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears monthly.

Please see revised ATTACHMENT B-Contract Administration.

QUESTION 9: Please confirm if the Service Contract Labor Standard Clause (52.222-41) is applicable to this Solicitation and Contract?

ANSWER 9: Yes, FAR 52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards Clause applies under 52.212-5(c). Wage Determinations to be determined.

QUESTION 10: Since 2017/2018 was the first year that NCA AWE's were performed by a 3rd party contractor, would NCA consider 5 years of NCA experience (NAICS 541620) and/or 5 years of VHA AWE/Safety Assessment experience by the prime SDVOSB contractor as also meeting the qualification requirements on page 8, under Criteria 1, 2nd paragraph?

ANSWER 10: Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/ solicitation on page 8 outlines the following requirement: “Offerors in the field of safety management must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience performing evaluations of cemetery operations for safety and health requirements and are knowledgeable of NCA safety and health requirements and experience performing the type of services listed in the SOW at a facility in comparable size to NCA. Proof should include a list of facilities/companies/agencies, size of facility and timespan of service provided for the facility where the offeror has performed the same or similar work.”

Proof must be provided with a list of facilities/companies/agencies, size of facility and timespan of service provided for the facility where the offeror has performed the same or similar work.

QUESTION 11: Please confirm that "file names" in table on Page 6 of 11 should correspond to Factor i.e. Factor Price should be (Company Name) Price.xls vs. (Company Name) Tech.pdf.

ANSWER 11: Please see Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/ solicitation on page 6 outlines the file name for the following requirement:

Tech.pdf None

Technical Approach (Company Name) Price.xls

OfrRep.pdf None

QUESTION 12: Please confirm that copies of proof of training certifications, diplomas, are required but are not included in 50 page limit? Alternatively do the certifications and degrees simply need to be cited in the resumes? Generally copies of diplomas are not required in proposals of this nature.

ANSWER 12: Please see Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/ solicitation lists the following requirements for submission for proof of training/education certificates, diploma or degree listed in FAR 52.212-1; b. Volume II- Technical Approach- “A narrative summary stating the number of years (experience) performing evaluations of cemetery operations for safety and health requirements and are knowledgeable of NCA safety and health requirements and experience performing the type of services listed in the SOW at a facility in comparable size to NCA Provide proof of training/education certificates, diploma or degree (minimum a BS in the engineering, science, or safety disciplines)” Please see Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/ solicitation lists the following for the evaluation. FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation- Criteria 1: Technical Approach(Non-Price): Offerors must provide proof of staff specialized in the field of safety management; who have at a minimum a BS in the engineering, science, or safety disciplines; experience in conducting safety inspections in accordance with 29 CFR Part 1960; project manager and AWE facility survey personnel shall each have at least 5 years of safety management/safety inspection work experience.”

The page limitation has increased from 50 page to 75 pages.

QUESTION 13: Basis for Award (page 9 of 11), page 2 of 11 "A single award will be made to offerors using Best Value with Tradeoffs" and page 8 of 11 " Technical and Past Performance is more important than price" and "In comparing technically equivalent proposals, the CO may make an award to a higher priced proposal who has a better past performance history than a lower priced offer" all indicate basis of award is "best value" but page 9 of 11 also states, "Award will be made to lowest price technically acceptable, responsible offeror." Please confirm that basis of award is indeed best value vs. LPTA.

ANSWER 13: Please see Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/ solicitation, page 9 has been revised to the following: “The Government will make award to one (1) vendor whose quotation offers an integrated approach for meeting the requirements of the SOW. The Government will evaluate all quotes on a Best Value with Tradeoffs. To be technically acceptable, the service being quoted must meet the laid-out tasks in the SOW. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions based on the initial evaluation of quotes.”

QUESTION 14: Should the basis of estimate information used to calculate total price be sub-tasked by SOW Phases 1 - 4 to support and correlate to the technical approach outlined in the Technical Approach Volume?

ANSWER 14: Please see Solicitation 36C78619Q0253 on the combined synopsis/ solicitation, page 6 lists the following for Volume I: Price Quotation; “The Vendor shall submit pricing for the total performance period delineated by each task. Prices shall be provided in accordance with the format included in the planned CLIN structure schedule, and the quote shall include the basis of estimate (BOE) information used to calculate the total price. The quotation must specifically include the total level of effort for the SOW requirements. Vendor’s quotes that do not include the total level of effort for the SOW requirements will be considered non-responsive and non-compliant with the Request for Quotation instructions. The Vendor’s overall quoted price shall illustrate how the Vendor understands the SOW requirements by substantiating the validity of the Vendor’s technical approach to performing the SOW requirements. Therefore, any limitations and/or assumptions in the price quotation shall be included by the Vendor.”

The BOE information used to calculate the total price based on the SOW requirements and include the total level of effort for the SOW.

QUESTION 15: Page 7 Section c). VOLUME III- PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE states, "List a minimum of three (3), but no more than five (5) contracts for evaluation limited to the last five (5) years. Quoters are required to complete the Business Management Questionnaire. Please see Attachment D." However, Attachment D states, "List no more than (3) contracts for evaluation limited to the last five (5) years." Please confirm that 3 - 5 Business Management Questionnaires are acceptable.

ANSWER 15: Attachment D- Business Management Questionnaire has been revised and states the following: “List a minimum of three (3) contracts, but no more than five (5) for evaluation limited to the last five (5) years.”

QUESTION 16: Can you please provide the map with locations as indicated on page 2 of SOW - Place of Performance, or a listing of the 117 sites?

ANSWER 16: Please see attached map and listing.

QUESTION 17: Paragraph c). VOLUME III- PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE states "Quoters are required to complete the Business Management Questionnaire. Please see Attachment D." It also states "Quoters will be asked to have references submit past performance questionnaires". Please clarify who is to complete and submit the questionnaires.

ANSWER 17: “Quoters will be asked to have references submit past performance questionnaires that include contract number(s), the firms or organizations for whom offerors performed services, the dates of performance, points of contact with telephone numbers, and ratings on past performance in conjunction with any other relevant information.” Quoters will be asked to have the reference submit the past performance questionnaire for whom the Quoter performed the service.

QUESTION 18: The first full paragraph on page 9 states "The CO will consider references from either inside or outside the federal government, so long as the performance is recent (within the last three years) and relevant (for the same or similar items)." In two other places in the document, and on the questionnaire, the requirement for evaluation of references is the last 5 years. Please verify which is accurate.

ANSWER 18: Attachment D- Business Management Questionnaire has been revised and states the following: “List a minimum of three (3) contracts, but no more than five (5) for evaluation limited to the last five (5) years.”

QUESTION 19: Since quotes are due on May 17, 2019 12:00 PM EST., questions due no later than May 10, 2019 at 12:00pm EST and to provide enough time for government to respond and offeror to address, will the government grant a 2-week extension for the quote due date?

ANSWER 19: No extensions will be granted at this time. It's the potential vendors responsibility to submit questions prior to May 10, 2019 the solicitation has been posted since April 23, 2019.

QUESTION 20: SOW Ref: Pg 7 5. REQUIRED STAFF QUALIFICATIONS o The Contractor selected must provide evidence, through past performance, of experience, capability, and willingness to commit the resources necessary to plan, organize, and execute tasks in an expeditious and efficient manner. o The Contractor shall provide staff specialized in the field of safety management. The Contractor must provide safety specialists to conduct the AWE who have at a minimum a BS in the engineering, science, or safety disciplines. The staff provided for AWE purposes should have experience in conducting AWEs in accordance with 29 CFR Part 1960. The project manager and AWE facility survey personnel shall each have at least 5 years of safety management/safety inspection work experience. Q: Will the government accept two Associate’s degrees in the safety arena such as (Associate In Applied Science, Occupational Safety & Health Technology and Industrial Technology) with other safety course certificates and years’ experience as an equivalent to the referenced BS requirement?

ANSWER 20: Page 8; FAR 52.212-2: Criteria 1: Technical Approach: “Quoter must provide proof of staff specialized in the field of safety management; who have at a minimum a BS in the engineering, science, or safety disciplines; experience in conducting safety inspections in accordance with 29 CFR Part 1960; project manager and AWE facility survey personnel shall each have at least 5 years of safety management/safety inspection work experience.”

See attached document: ATTACHMENT A-eCMS Getting Started Guide for Vendors.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT B-Contract Administration.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT C -NCA FY19 AWE Statement of Work 41219.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT D-Business Management Questionnaire.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT E- Copy of NCA_Master Location.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT F-NCA AWE Checklist v3.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT G-NCA Directive 7700 Signed by PDUSMA 1-15-2019.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT H-NSTVC_FY19 MAP.

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