36C79120R0003-0003001.pdf

36C79120R0003 - SDC Materials & Handling

Questions and Answers – 3 – FINAL Questions

March 26, 2020

Q1. Our understanding is this is an IDIQ and Task Orders will be issued in conjunction with and after contract award. Will this be a single award IDIQ contract? When the contract is awarded does the Government intend to issue a Task Order for the HDOS or EDOS at the same time?

A1. See E.10 Basis for Award: The Government will award a single IDIQ contract resulting from the solicitation to the responsible offeror, whose proposal conforming to the solicitation represents the Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) offer. I

It is anticipated that the task order for EDOS will be issued at time of award with an effective date for period of performance starting November 1, 2020. The task order for HDOS will be dependent upon another contract and program requirements, so may be issued at award or later date.

Q2. Please define the term Transition and Phase-In. In our opinion the terms are being used interchangeably and this is causing confusion.

A2. Phase In and Transition are defined the same. Phase in and Transition Period costs are different from CLNS 001-0013, as this should be the cost of onboarding new employees and getting personnel security checks to work the facility. This is not the CLN for labor work commencing on the contract.

Q3. If Transition and Phase-In are 2 separate tasks, which CLIN is used to price Transition?

A3. CLN 0014 should be used to price for phase in and transition costs.

Q4. Does the Government view Phase-In as a task under Transition? If so how is the cost for

Transition priced since there is not Transition CLIN. If Transition is a task under Phase-In, are the Transition cost included in CLIN 0014 Phase-In Period?

A4. Phase In and Transition are defined the same. Phase in and Transition Period costs are different from CLNS 001-0013, as this should be the cost of onboarding new employees and getting personnel security checks to work the facility. This is not the CLN for labor work commencing on the contract.

Q5. There appears to be a conflict between the dates for Transition and Phase-In in Paragraph 3.4 and Base Period Performance (30 day Phase-In) in Table 5.1. EDOS would have a 9 month Period of Performance and HDOS would be a 10 month Period of Performance. Please clarify.

A5. The phase in period is a minimal of 30 days but could be longer based upon task order issuance and effective date for period of performance. The contractor has the opportunity to have more days than 30 based upon task order period of performance.

Please review amendment 001 for corrected Period of Performance. Period of performance on the awarded IDIQ is considered the period in which task order are issued.

The task order period of performance will be incorporate both phase in /transition and actual work period to be completed. Task Order level will define period of performance.

Awarded date of task order is different from effective date for period of performance.

Q6. Reference the table in 5.1, Base Period (to include one-month Phase-In Period) | Twelve months after date of contract award. If the Phase-In is included in the base year and has already been priced in the pricing attachment, why is there a separate CLIN (0014) required?

A6. See Amendment 0001 which has identified changes in the solicitation to include period of performance.

Q7. Paragraph 3.4 iii states “It is anticipated that the contractor shall onboard and train staff October 1 through October 31, 2020 and Transition staff from the incumbent contractor November 1 to November 31, 2020”. Are these two periods part of the CLIN 0014 or is transitioning staff not part of the Phase-in? Table in 5.1 states the Base Period includes a one-month Phase-In, this is a 2 month period. Is the Base Period 10 months or 11 months?

A7. See Amendment 0001 which has identified changes in the solicitation to include period of performance.

Q8. Paragraph 3.4 iv states “contractor shall onboard and train staff August 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020.” Does this mean that full performance on this Task Order begins on 1 November 2020?

A8. See Amendment 0001 which has identified changes in the solicitation to include period of performance.

Q9. Paragraph 3.5 states “All services will be performed at the SDC facility located on 1st Ave Bldg. 37, Hines, IL 60141.” Are there two separate areas within this facility for EDOS and HDOS? If not, how can operations be conducted with two contractors in the same area during the month of November?

A9. All work is completed at the SDC facility. There are defined workspaces for both EDOS and HDOS in the warehouse and will allow for contractor overlap and movement in space. As activities under EDOS and HDOS, are defined in the VA SOP provided in Attachment 1.

The contractors will adhere to SOPs and refer to VA Federal Employee for guidance in procedures of use of space.

Q10. Based on Paragraph 3.3, is the contractor to assume that the base year for HDOS is from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021 and for EDOS 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021?

A10. See Amendment 0001 which has identified changes in the solicitation to include period of performance.

Q11. Since there are two operations within the 350,000 sq. ft. SDC warehouse facility, Enterprise Distribution Operations Paragraph (EDOS) and Healthcare Equipment Distribution Operations Paragraph (HDOS) with the potential for 2 contractors to be working in this area, are the work areas physically separated to command & control, workloads, storage?

A11. There are defined workspaces for both EDOS and HDOS in the warehouse and will allow for contractor overlap and movement in space. As activities under EDOS and HDOS, are defined in the VA SOP provided in Attachment 1. The contractors will adhere to SOPs and refer to VA Federal Employee for guidance in procedures of use of space.

Q12. Based on Paragraph 3.3, is the contractor to assume that the base year for HDOS is from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021 and for EDOS 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021? If so this is in conflict with Table 5.1

A12. See Amendment 0001 which has identified changes in the solicitation to include period of performance.

Q13. The pricing attachment does not support a Phase-In/Transition as the base year is for a full year with no mention of Phase-In/Transition, yet the Table in Paragraph 5.1 states “Base Period (to include one-month Phase-In Period)”. Which is correct and is this Phase- In period for the HDOS or EDOS or both?

A13. See Amendment 0001 which has identified changes in the solicitation to include period of performance. See amendment 002 for updated Attachment 3 - Proposal Pricing.

This concludes the questions and answers period for solicitation 36C79120R0003.