36E77619R0067-0001001.pdf

SOLICITATION 36E77619R0067 Seismically Retrofit Boiler Plant (Bldg #3) TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND VA RESPONSE

TRACKING SHEET

ITEM

NO.

DATE

QUESTION

RECEIVED

DATE

QUESTION

ANSWERED

QUESTION GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

1. 6-28-2019 7-1-2019 Is the SF1442 part of the required submission with Phase I?

The SF 1442 is not required with Phase I proposals but will be required with Phase II.

2. 6-28-2019 7-1-2019 Are the Reps and Certs required with Phase I proposal submission?

Reps and Certs are not required with Phase I proposals but will be required with Phase II.

3. 6-28-2019 7-1-2019 Please confirm bid bond is only required for Phase II submission (SF1442 directs us to include one)

Bid Bonds are not required with Phase I proposals but will be required with Phase II.

4. 6-28-2019 7-1-2019 Safety and Environmental Record Evaluation Form appears to only be required with Phase II, please confirm.

Safety and Environmental Record Evaluation Form is not required with Phase I proposals but will be required with Phase II.

5. 6-28-2019 7-1-2019 Is a cover letter required for Phase I proposals? A cover letter is not required with proposals.

However, see section C2 Phase I Proposal Format Part C in solicitation Attachment 1 RFP to DB, a title page is a requirement.

6. 6-28-2019 7-1-2019 Are we only to include Factors 1 and 2 with our Phase I proposals? See section C3 Phase I Proposal Evaluation Factors Part A (1-2) in solicitation Attachment 1 RFP to DB, there are two factors (Technical Approach and Technical Qualifications) that are required for Phase I proposal submission, the evaluation of those factors for Phase I is outlined in the following section C4.

7. 7-2-2019 7-3-2019 Block 13 on the SF1442 directs us to submit proposals to the place specified in Item 8. Section 00 11 21 C.1/C indicates that Phase I proposals will only be accepted via email. Please confirm that we should email our Phase I proposals.

See Section C1 Phase I General Part C in the solicitation Attachment 1 RFP to DB.

8. 7-2-2019 7-3-2019 For Phase I Factor 1 detailed on page 6 of Word Document 36E77619R0067-002 Paragraph C3 there is the requirement to submit an 8-page brief narrative on the offeror’s proposed technical approach for this design-build project however there is no provision for site visit(s) in support of this submission requirement. We believe to properly comply with this Phase I submission requirement the VA should arrange for and require site visits prior to submission of Phase I proposals.

36E77619R0067 is a 2 Phase Design-Build, in this process a Site Visit will be conducted during Phase II. We have been doing D-B projects now for several years where the site visit is conducted for Phase II. This has not previously been an issue with any contractors. In Phase I, the intent is to determine who is most qualified to move on to Phase II. The level of detail in the technical approach does not require a site visit as it should demonstrate a clear understanding of the SOW.

9. 7-2-2019 7-3-2019 Based on the brevity of this Phase I narrative requirement, lack of accompanying required site visit(s), and 195 day design phase that will follow award, it seems that the VA intends for contractor responses to be general in nature and not binding on the final Phase II awardee’s actually design solutions arrived at through the 195 day design period following Notice to Proceed. Is this a correct interpretation of the VA’s intent for Phase I Factor I brief 8 page narrative request?

The technical approach should be related to this project but is more general in nature than what is requested for Phase II (Technical Solution).

10. 7-2-2019 7-11-2019 In PDF document 36E77619R0067-005 page 2 the 365 day schedule is provided from Notice to Proceed through completion of construction. Given the nature and scope of this work, it seems unrealistic to expect that all construction activities will take place in 155 days as allowed for. It seems more realistic that the construction period of performance is at least 365 days following a suitable design period of performance. Not certain that 195 days is sufficient for completion of the design inasmuch as several of the 19 items listed in the scope of work include ‘if necessary’ or other similar language that would suggest investigation by the A/E will be necessary as well as subsequent concurrence by the VA prior to perfecting the final scope of work for the project.

After review, the overall POP has been changed to 420 calendar days after NTP (an increase of 55 calendar days). Please see REVISED Final SOW – 7-11-2019 to see the revised POP and schedule.

11. 7-2-2019 7-11-2019 The Risk of the ‘If Necessary’ language in the scope of work will not be resolved during Phase I and Phase II contractor evaluation, proposal preparation, and submission of proposals to the VA. Rather it will be worked out and resolved during the design phase that follows NTP. Is the VA’s expectation that the contractor will assume this risk and include ‘worst case scenarios’ in pricing the 19 item

After review, the SOW has been revised in order to address the concern at hand. Please see REVISED Final SOW – 7-11-2019 to see the revised language.

scope of work? Or is the VA’s intention that this risk be deferred until the design has been completed and priced as after award changes to contract. In other words, is it the VA’s intention that the contractors are to assume the ‘best case scenarios” in their bid day pricing. Please note in responding to these risk assumption questions, we believe it is unreasonable to expect the contractors to assume the risk of the ramifications of increased scope both in terms of time and cost that result from engineering analysis that won’t be known with certainty until the ‘after award’ design phase has concluded and would presume that any other contractor biding this project would hold the same opinion.

12. 7-3-2019 7-3-2019 Please confirm Attachment 11 - Contractor Safety and Environmental Record Evaluation is not needed until Phase II.

Please see response #4 above.

13. 7-3-2019 7-3-2019 During what phase are we required to submit the Reps and Certs? Please see response #2 above.

14. 7-3-2019 7-3-2019 Please confirm we can place the SF 1442, any amendments, and the

Reps and Certs after the Title Page and detailed Table of Contents?

Ph I:

- SF 1442 not required

- Amendments shall be acknowledged on the Title Page

- Reps and Certs not required (See Section C1 Phase I Proposal Format in the solicitation Attachment 1 RFP to DB.)

Ph II:

- Signed SF1142 shall be submitted in Volume II Price.

- Copy of amendments shall be acknowledged/included in Volume III Administrative

- Reps and Certs shall be submitted in Volume III Administrative (See Section D2 Phase II Proposal Format in the solicitation Attachment 1 RFP to DB.)

15. 7-3-2019 7-3-2019 Under C2. Phase I Proposal Format, item (C), it states the Phase I proposal shall “not exceed a total of 20 (twenty) pages in Microsoft Arial size 12 font.” Please confirm we can exclude from the page count the administrative items below as we feel 20 pages is not enough to include all these items and still have space to meet the requirements for Factors 1 and 2?

a. Cover/Title page (1 page)

b. Table of Contents (1 page)

c. Preface (1 page)

d. SF 1442 (2 pages)

e. Any future amendments (none as of now)

f. Reps and Certs (7 pages)

g. Bonding Capacity letter (1 page)

Together, items a - f take up 13 of the 20-page maximum. This leaves only 7 pages in which to discuss Factor 1 and Factor 2. If there are any amendments released, the number of pages allocable for Factor 1 and Factor 2 would decrease again.

For Phase I proposals:

- Cover/Title and TOC do not count toward page count

- See response #16 regarding Preface

- SF 1442 is not submitted with Phase I

- Amendments shall be acknowledged on the Title Page for Phase I; they will be further acknowledged and included in Phase II with the

SF 1442

- Reps and Certs are not submitted with Phase I

- Bonding Capacity letter is a part of Phase I Factor 2 Technical Qualifications – Capability to Perform and will be counted toward your page count

16. 7-3-2019 7-11-2019 Refer to C2. Phase I Proposal Format, item (C) where it refers to a “preface” for the Phase I proposal. There is no other reference to a preface anywhere in the instructions for Phase I. What content should be included in the preface?

Please remove the term “preface” from C2 Phase I Proposal Format, Item C as it is no longer applicable.

Please see REVISED Specs RFP to DB – 7-11- 2019.

17. 7-3-2019 7-8-2019 If the prime contractor has a teaming partner and major subcontractor with whom they have signed a teaming agreement, can we use the past performance of our teaming partner for a project under Factor 2?

Past Performance is not a factor for this solicitation, however, in reference to the Corporate Experience subfactor (Factor:

Technical Qualifications); a teaming partner or major subcontractor may be used for a project.

They may also be utilized to complete item 4 of the criteria (Project Prime Contractor and Major Subcontractors …)

Please Note: See REVISED Spec RFP to DB – 7-11-2019; in Factor 2, Technical Qualifications, Subfactor Corporate Experience the following sentence has been removed, “Scoring will be more favorable if both criteria are met.”

18. 7-3-2019 7-8-2019 We noticed that the Phase I proposal requirements do not ask for design team qualifications. We’re wondering if the Government would like us to submit an SF330 for our lead design firm with the Phase I Proposal? If so, would this count toward the page limits?

An SF330 is not required.

ITEM