Amendment 0003 Attachment 14 Q_A.pdf

Attachment 14, Questions and Answers (Q&A) for RFP 47QSCC23R0040 Amendment 0003

Amendment 0003 Q&A

1. We have received new guidance regarding the customs process for Qatar: Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Customer and Carrier Advisory, June 20, 2023, CA-23- 06-20/0048. This guidance states that advanced written approval for all cargo entering/exiting the country, regardless of mode of transportation, is taking about 30 days. It will no longer be tenable to deliver to Qatar in 3 business days; every order will be late regardless of contractor intervention due to circumstances outside their control. Would GSA please consider extending the delivery timeframe for Qatar to at least 30-35 days?

Answer: No, GSA will not be extending delivery timeframe.

2. Based on Q&A in the previous solicitation, there are other regions besides Qatar (see previous question) that may also require more time for delivery since initial market research was done.

Would GSA consider (a) re-evaluating the delivery timeframes and providing new requirements via amendment, (b) allowing offerors to quote delivery with the proposal, or (c) allowing the awarded contractor to quote delivery at the time of order?

Answer: No, the government will not be amending the solicitation on the delivery timeframes per country.

3. This section indicates that JCCS registration information shall be submitted only as part of Vol 3, should the bidder reach that stage. However, Vol 1, Tab 12, requests JCCS registration information. When shall JCCS registration information be submitted?

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

4. Why are suppliers required to be JCCS registered? Why has JCCS registration for suppliers being required for this specific RFP?

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

5. Page 20 of the RFP States that JCCS Registration will be required for CONUS Suppliers as part of Volume 3.

Page 24 states: The offeror must have an active and complete JCCS registration for prime and its subcontractor(s) located in the CENTCOM Area of Region ). Prime and all subcontractors, including suppliers, must have an active and complete profile. The offeror must have Vendor ID numbers for both prime and ALL subcontractors proposed.

Page 43 E.14.1 states: The JCCS factor will be rated with the following adjectival ratings:

1. Acceptable: Indicates that the offeror’s proposal contains the supplier names and Vendor ID for each NSN listed in Attachment 13. The offeror provided suppliers with an active and complete profile.

Please confirm that the JCCS requirement is ONLY for the prime contractor and OCONUS suppliers. Please confirm that any NSNs manufactured by CONUS suppliers are not required to have a JCCS registration. Should these be marked "N/A"?

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

6. Offerors are to propose both a dollar value and percentage of material markup. Please confirm the percentage is the contractual markup. For example, if material price is adjusted during contract performance in compliance with the EPA clause, the contractual percentage markup is applied to calculate the updated final per-unit price.

Answer: No. As stated in the solicitation the markup amount must be inclusive of sourcing, management, transportation, general and administrative expenses, overhead, taxes, packaging, delivery, anticipated profits, and any other direct and indirect cost associated with this requirement. Commodity increases are costs associated with sourcing.

7. A previous CENTCOM solicitation was amended to clarify that only GSA personnel will use the e-portal. Please confirm customers / end users will not access the e-portal.

Answer: Yes, only GSA personnel will use/have access to the e-portal.

8. For the toner letter, which specific parts of FAR 15 regulations apply to the toner letter requirement, and how are offerors to present this information to be compliant?

Answer: FAR 15 reference relates to the offeror demonstrating it has the ability to sell compliant toner via an open market procurement, hence demonstrating compliance with the Multiple Award Schedules, GWAC's and any other contracting vehicle does not demonstrate compliance.

9. The process to get customs, duties, and taxes either waived or reimbursed is typically contingent on delivering directly to the military end user. Similarly, VAT can often be exempted if able to use the end user's VAT number. Since the contractor will not deliver immediately to the end user, these methods are not sufficient to obtain the required exemptions. We are also aware of some Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) within the CENTCOM region, but unlike other similar GSA procurements that expressly speak to the SOFA process, this solicitation does not.

To ensure all customs, duties, and taxes can be waived or exempted, will GSA consider either incorporating the applicable SOFA guidance and/or processes into this contract OR providing a letter the contractor can use to get VAT exempted stating GSA is the customer and the end users are military employees.

Answer: As stated in the solicitation, Customers must not be charged taxes or duties on items delivered under this contract. Contractors are responsible for handling customs and border clearance procedures in accordance with country requirements while ensuring customs, taxes, and other duties are either waived or reimbursed. The CO will provide a letter for the contractor that the end products are going to military customers, however it is up to the contractor to obtain the exemption. If the letter is not sufficient, the contractor is still responsible for tax or duties on commodities delivered to end customers.

10. A previous CENTCOM solicitation was amended to clarify that "warehouse documentation illustrating… TAA and AB1" compliance refers to "invoices, receipts, shipping documents, and pictures" while "shipment records for the previous six-month period" refers to "proof of receipt of delivery." A similar GSA procurement solicited after this removed the shipment records reference entirely to instead require tracking information be downloadable for at least 6 months. Please clarify the exact documentation and requirements for both references.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

11. Tab 4, Completion of all Representations and Certifications has a page limit of 10. However, Attachment 1 in its entirety is 50 pages, and the required FAR, 52.212-3, is 19 pages. Please either remove or increase the page limit for Tab 4.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

12. Tab 5, SAM.gov Registration has a page limit of 10; however, its description states there is "no submission requirement for proof of registration." Please clarify what content, if any, is required for Tab 5 submission and confirm the page count.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

13. For items with shelf-life requirements, please confirm that the Contractor's warehouse in the CENTCOM region will act as a Government depot and, therefore, like other depots, the Contractor will be authorized to deliver material under this contract provided the identified shelf-life has not expired prior to delivery to the customer.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

14. Could GSA provide a list of potential customer delivery locations?

Answer: GSA will not provide delivery locations.

15. Is GSA able to share the total number of DODAACs for each country?

Answer: No, this information will not be provided.

16. Please consider giving offerors more than two options for oral presentations or offer the two options more than two weeks out. Many businesses are very business this time of year, and it is not always possible to get out of prior engagements without more notice.

Answer: The government will not amend this section.

17. Please confirm that Volume 1, Tab 12 instructions to provide a list of JCCS Vendor IDs applies only to the Prime and any subcontractors performing in region because CONUS suppliers will be provided in Volume 3.

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

18. 1. GSA provides confirmation of JCCS to offerors who request it prior to Volume 3 submission?

2. GSA provides confirmation of JCCS status after Volume 3 submission and allows offerors to make the necessary revisions?

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

19. The proposal must include Letters of Intent or Agreement for all subcontractors, and must be signed by both the subcontractor and the prime contractor. Does this include CONUS sources of supply? Or are letters only required for subcontractor performance work outside of supplying product, such as logistics and warehousing?

Answer: All sources of supply must be included in the Letters of Intent.

20. Q&A in a previous solicitation seemed to imply the proposed lease agreement would be submitted with Volume 1, Tab 7. However, while RFP instructions for the Subcontractor Letters of Commitment are in E.8, Instructions for Volume 1, the lease agreement RFP instructions aren’t until E.9.1.1.e under Instructions for Volume 2. Please confirm the lease agreement will not be submitted until Volume 2 is requested.

Answer: Yes, the lease agreement is requested in Volume 2.

21. Could GSA please provide the estimated demand for the "bearer pick-up option"? This data will likely affect offerors' distribution and staffing solutions.

Answer: GSA does not have data to share with the general public.

22. We request the following NSNs be removed:

• 5920014906691 (not TAA compliant)

• 7110016221767 (no approved source)

• 5440002271594 (no approved source)

• 7105014621050 (no approved source)

• 5210007823520 (no approved source)

• 7105016650851 (no approved source) Answer: GSA will not remove these NSN's so offeror must find alternate sources of supply that are from approved sources and are TAA compliant.

23. The Government states that "The portal must be able to provide live tracking of orders, including shipments traveling by ocean freighter to stock the warehouse." For the live tracking of orders, does the Government require status only (example: in transit, Cargo loaded, etc) or Geographic location in the map? Please clarify.

24. The Government states that the e-portal must provide "information on all commodities such as the country of origin and whether the items are AbilityOne, UNICOR, TAA, and/or Berry Amendment requirement, including documentation on the portal illustrating compliance on every shipment." Please advise the specific documentation illustrating compliance on every shipment.

Answer: The government is allowing the offeror to demonstrate how it would meet these requirements during the Live Test Demonstration.

25. E.1(11)(c ) states that the offeror agrees to hold prices firm for 30 days from the date specified for receipt of offers. E.3 states that the offeror agrees to hold prices firm for 200 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers. Please clarify.

Answer: E.1(11)(c) is the original clause. E.2 is the start of the addendum to the clause.

26. Can the Government specify, for purposes of the LTD, the product/commodity categories required for viewing in the e-portal?

Answer: The requirements for the LTD are stated in the solicitation, in section E.13 Evaluation Ratings for Factor 7 - Live Test Demonstration.

27. There is no Cover Page requirement listed under Volume 4; the Tabs for Volume 4 begin at the Table of Contents. Is the Government waiving the requirement for a cover page under Volume 4?

Please clarify.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

28. Multiple Awards/Single Award. "The Government will be awarding only one contract under this solicitation." However, the Government states that it reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered. Is the Government stating that the future demand may be different than historical demand, or is the Government stating that it will seek to obtain product services elsewhere if it seeks less than the quantity offered. Please clarify.

Answer: The future demand may be different than the historical demand.

29. Will the Government release the names/companies of technical consultants/advisors under contract with GSA to read and advise on portions of the written proposals? Offerors will need this information to determine whether companies or individuals providing these services to the Government represent a conflict of interest with those specific technical consultants and advisors working for the Government. Additionally, consultants/advisiors may not be aware of a conflict that the Offeror may be aware of. Will OCI procedures be used as a means of recusing companies/individuals performing "read and advise" functions for the Government once companies have submitted proposals, if OCI exists?

Answer: The Government will not release this information. It is the contractor's responsibility to identify any actual or potential OCI and offer a mitigation plan. If an actual or potential OCI is identified that cannot be feasibly mitigated, avoided, or resolved in accordance with FAR Part 9.5, that offeror may be ineligible for award. In accordance with FAR 9.504, the contracting officer shall award the contract to the apparent successful offeror unless a conflict of interest is determined to exist that cannot be avoided or mitigated. Before determining to withhold award based on conflict of interest considerations, the contracting officer shall notify the contractor, provide the reasons therefor, and allow the contractor a reasonable opportunity to respond. If the contracting officer finds that it is in the best interest of the United States to award the contract notwithstanding a conflict of interest, a request for waiver shall be submitted in accordance with

9.503. The waiver request and decision shall be included in the contract file.

30. There is a one (1) page limit but no submission requirement stated for Tab 2. Please clarify.

31. Respectfully request an extension for the Volume I proposal deadline until 12 September 2023 to allow time to review and evaluate answers to Industry questions.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

32. Question submission deadline is stated as August 17, 2023. Given that the possibility exists that questions answered by the Government will contain ambiguities and will necessarily require additional clarification once answers are released to industry, will Industry be authorized to submit additional questions for claification to answers that are released after the question submission date?

Answer: No questions will be answered after the deadline.

33. Please clarify that this is only Prime Contractor POC information.

Answer: POC contact information is only for the Prime Contractor.

34. Due to the 2-page limitation and significant amount of information required for this subsection, can the Government confirm that the minimum acceptable requirement for supplemental information is a "flowchart of the contractor’s distribution channel that will be used to execute the requirement, to include all levels of the supply chain. The contractor’s distribution channel flowchart should start and show how the process originates inCONUS before being transported

OCONUS."

Answer: As stated in the solicitation, A written supplement is required for Section E.9.1(1)(a).

The written supplement must include a flowchart of the contractor’s distribution channel that will be used to execute the requirement, to include all levels of the supply chain. The contractor’s distribution channel flowchart should start and show how the process originates in CONUS before being transported OCONUS. This written supplement is limited to 2 pages in length.

35. Factor 2 is limited to 15 pages. Given the requirements for resumes, and the specificity required for qualifications of the technical staff, supervisors and workers, separate from the resumes, as well as the additional responses required for this section, respectfully request the Government remove resumes from the page limitation or extend page limitation for submission in this section.

Answer: The Government will not remove the page limitation for this section.

36. The SSR, previously entitled SF 295, is documented by Government agencies. In the event no SSR is available, will the Government accept a written letter from the respective Contracting Officer describing Small Business Utilization goal achievement in lieu of a SSR?

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

37. The Government states that the e-portal must provide the Government with the ability to view, among other things, "requisition numbers". Is this the same as the "Order Number" listed in Attachment 4 of this RFP? If not, for purposes of the e-portal and this RFP, can the Government clarify and define "requisition numbers"?

Answer: Requisition numbers are generated by GSA and order numbers are generated by vendors.

38. Please confirm that this Tab includes only the completed Attachment 7 and one (1) additional page containing Chart B.6 completed by the Offeror.

Answer: Yes, confirmed.

39. Can the Government state the required/recommended Small Business subcontracting goals for the Subcontracting Plan?

Answer: GSA's Fiscal Year 2023 Goals: 33 percent of prime contracts for small businesses, 21.90 percent of prime contracts for small disadvantaged businesses, 5 percent of prime contracts for women-owned small businesses, 3 percent of prime contracts for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, 3 percent of prime contracts for HUBZone small businesses.

40. Will the "Bearer Pick-up Option" be indicated by the customer when the item is ordered? Is there a requirement for the e-portal to have this option available?

Answer: Yes, the bearer pick-up option will be indicated by the Program Office when the item is ordered. The option does not need to be in e-portal.

41. The Government states that the "Bearer Pick-Up Option" will be discounted. There is no provision for a pricing discount for "Bearer Pick-up Option" in Attachment 7. Please advise the Government's mechanism for pricing the Bearer Pick-Up Option.

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

42. For Large Orders, if the order cannot be filled locally, the 35-day delivery period after receipt of orders may not be sufficient time for submission of a PO, order fulfillment, loading, shipping via ocean carrier and delivery to the CENTCOM warehouse and subsequent customers. Sailing time alone from CONUS to CENTCOM is a minimum time of 35 days. For any contractor to be successful and cost effective, the Government must account also for product availability, current CONUS ground transportation delays, shipping schedules and customs processing time, just to name a few. Current average pipeline from order placement in CONUS to warehouse delivery is 75 days to CENTCOM on US Flag Ocean Carriers. It is unclear what items would be required to fulfill Large Order Requests, so pricing a contingency for this is not possible. If the Government maintains the 35-day delivery period for large orders, and those orders must be procured from CONUS, will the Government consider extending the 35-day delivery requirement on a case-by-case basis? If not, will the Government pay additional costs for air shipments to meet the 35-day delivery requirement for each large order? If not, will the Government provide historical details of past large orders for planning purposes?

Answer: The Government will not extend the 35-day delivery period for large orders. The Government will not pay additional costs to meet the 35-day delivery.

43. Instructions for Volume 1, Tab 12 state "Any offeror (and its subcontractors in the CENTCOM AOR) not having an active and complete profile or who fails to provide a valid Vendor ID at the time of Volume 1 submission deadline will be determined non-responsive and removed from consideration.” However, Section E.9.8 Instructions for Volume 3 state: “JCCS Supplier List will only be requested from those offerors that receive notification by the government that their Overall Adjective Rating for Volumes 1 and 2 are “Acceptable” or higher.” Will the Government clarify requirements for Volume 1 Tab 12 to comply with the requirements for Volume 3?

Answer:.Please see amendment 0003.

44. Paragraph 3 asks for “A written plan discussing how the offeror will ensure quality…” This is not included in the outline for the written supplement. Is this requirement to be included in the oral presentation or the written supplement?

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

45. Instruction for Volume 2 Oral Presentation paragraph 4 asks for “A written explanation of how the offeror will track metrics” for the QASP. This is not included in the outline for the written supplement. Is this requirement to be included in the oral presentation or the written supplement?

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

46. The page limit for the subcontracting plan is limited to 10 pages. Would GSA consider increasing the page limit to 19 pages, which is the same number of pages in the GSA Subcontracting Plan Template (version updated February 2021)?

Answer: Please see Amendment 0001.

47. Please confirm that the submission for Factor 6 is a document with written narrative that also includes a copy of the offeror's latest SSR report in the Factor 6 submission.

Answer: Narrative and latest SSR report.

48. In lieu of delivery, GSA has incorporated a pick-up option and directed a discount for next day pick-up of in-stock items. How would GSA evaluate this discount since this does not appear to be part of the evaluation criteria?

Answer: GSA will not evaluate the price of the discount.

49. Approved large orders are not to be fulfilled from inventory stock and can not be processed until approval is received from the PMO/COR. As written, approved orders will be granted an allowable delivery time of 35 days after receipt of order. Will GSA consider changing the allowable delivery time for large orders from 35 days to 45-60 days, considering the order preparation times, in-land trucking, port to port processing and sailing times and customs clearance at destination?

Answer: No, GSA will not consider changing the allowable delivery time.

50. Under paragraph C, the following is written: Volume 3, Factor 8 JCCS Registration for CONUS suppliers. Question: Is GSA's expectation for attachment 13 as part of Volume 3, for bidders to include supplier names and respective JCCS registration numbers only if NSN is sourced from CONUS based suppliers? This appears as a conflicting statement when compared with the language on page 23, definition for Tab 12, which states: The offeror must have an active and complete JCCS registration for prime and its subcontractor(s) located in the CENTCOM Area of Region). Prime and all subcontractors, including suppliers, must have an active and complete profile. Please clarify.

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

51. Demand will be dynamic. Attachment 3 identifies forecasted volumes in CENTCOM. This is not a guarantee of such demand levels and demand will change over time. The contractor is expected to track demand and make forecasts accordingly. Question: As customers rotate, end user requirements often change, and new incoming customers bring their own ordering patterns. As a result, there is high probability the contractor will face situations with slow moving inventory for certain NSNs. How would GSA deal with residual inventory at the end of the contract Period of Performance? Is GSA planning to incorporate a residual inventory clause in the contract to the awarded company?

Answer: GSA has no role in the residual inventory. The remaining property at the end of the Period of Performance is solely the contractor's responsibility and at the contractor's discretion for liquidation.

52. Delivery is within 3 business days to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain from receipt of customer orders. Considering the tax exemption process and customs formalities between Middle East countries, boarder crossings and movement requirements and site access formalities, fulfilling orders within 3 business days is very aggressive and not achievable. Would GSA and customers located in these countries consider a delivery within 7–10 business days for customers located in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain? Alternately, should contractors plan for commercial import of goods in certain countries in order to meet this required delivery date of 3 business days?

Answer: No, GSA will not consider changing the allowable delivery time.

53. Can GSA clarify if the expectation and requirement for contractors is to track and forecast demand and accordingly self-initiate inventory replenishment and procurement process for forecasted demand without specific guidance and approval from GSA?

Answer: It is the responsibility of the contractor to track demand and forecast for NSNs listed in Attachment 3. GSA will not provide guidance nor approval for tacking/forecasting processes implemented by the contractor.

54. The requirement states, "Provide sufficient supporting documentation demonstrating that the contractor will comply with the QASP as identified in Attachment 5." Can GSA elaborate on what is meant by supporting documentation and/or provide examples of what is expected from bidders to provide?

Answer: GSA is not requesting documentation. GSA is requesting a supporting narrative demonstrating that the contractor will comply with the QASP as identified in Attachment 5.

55. RFP section on page 23, bullet Tab 12, reads: The offeror must have an active and complete JCCS registration for prime and its subcontractor(s) located in the CENTCOM Area of Region ).

Prime and all subcontractors, including suppliers, must have an active and complete profile. The offeror must have Vendor ID numbers for both prime and ALL subcontractors proposed. Any offeror (and its subcontractors in the CENTCOM AOR) not having an active and complete profile or who fails to provide a valid Vendor ID at the time of Volume 1 submission deadline will be determined non-responsive and removed from consideration. Question: Can GSA confirm JCCS registration numbers is not required for suppliers based in the US which will not be involved in a delivery of product to customer locations?

Answer: Please see amendment 0003.

56. Upon receipt of the Delivery Order (DO), the contractor will deliver all items to the destination, identified in the DO within 3 business days to ordering customers in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and within 10-15 business days to customers in Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Egypt.

Question : Can GSA provide a list of active customer locations / DoDAAC's in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, KSA, UAE, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and Israel?

Answer: GSA cannot provide a list of active customer locations or DoDAAC's.

57. We recommend NSN 5120016272079 be removed as it has no approved sourced.

Answer: This item will not be removed.