47QTCB20R0005 QandR_2.pdf

8(a) STARS III Questions and Responses Number 2 (Issued in conjunction with Amendment 01 to RFP 47QTCB20R0005)

Thank you for your interest in the 8(a) STARS III GWAC. GSA is providing the following responses to questions received regarding RFP 47QTCB20R0005. Please also review the STARS III Highlights posted with the pre-solicitation notice on Jun 22, 2020, as well as the questions and responses posted on July 6, 2020. Many of the questions received to date are clearly addressed in the documents already available to potential offerors.

In addressing questions it is the Government’s position that if the response to a question is self-evident in the Request for Proposals (RFP), the response to a question may simply be that the RFP already addresses the matter in the manner the Government intended for it to be addressed, or “The RFP is clear”.

While hundreds of questions have been submitted and considered, not every question received will be addressed. Only questions which were deemed frequently asked and/or those deemed to benefit the procurement process are shown. Where the response to a question indicates the reader should consider the response to a previous question, that reference encompasses both the previous question and the response to it, not just the response.

While these responses may include one or more specific RFP passages in response to a question, interested parties are reminded that the RFP, including all attachments and amendments, serves as the official guidance regarding STARS III proposal preparation.

Questions and responses are organized into the topic areas shown below. Interested parties stand to benefit from reviewing all questions and responses, including previous question and response documents.

● Eligibility

● Relevant Experience

● Past Performance

● Evaluation Criteria

● General topics

Questions regarding STARS III may still be sent to S3@gsa.gov for potential inclusion in a future Questions/Responses document. Inquiries directed elsewhere (including items submitted via the US Postal Service or other delivery service) are not official, might not be received, and may go unaddressed. TELEPHONE INQUIRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

As a reminder, STARS III will use a web-based portal for proposal submission. The offer portal is the ONLY method of proposal submission. Please follow the portal registration and offer submission instructions in Section L as well as the STARS III Offer Portal User Guide provided as an attachment to the STARS III RFP on beta.Sam.gov.

mailto:S3@gsa.gov

Eligibility

Question Response

Q1) The draft RFP stated that only SBA certified small businesses would be considered for award. Please confirm if that restriction still applies.

The draft RFP is no longer applicable. Please examine RFP 47QTCB20R0005 as well as all attachments and Amendment 01, and respond based upon those documents.

Q2) Must all proposed subcontractors be 8(a) Program participants?

No but they do have to be small businesses under NAICS 541512. See L.10 as changed by Amendment 01 to the RFP. Additionally, Q5 in the Eligibility section of the Question and Response document issued on 6 July 2020 and the recorded pre-proposal conference comments on this requirement are no longer applicable.

Q3) Are 8(a) JVs established under the All Small Business Mentor-Protégé program eligible to receive an award on STARS III?

Yes. See L.9.6.1 as changed by Amendment 01 to the RFP which removed the reference to the 8(a) Mentor Protege Program

Q4) What types of teaming arrangements are allowed on STARS III?

Allowable Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTA) include joint ventures (see L.9 as amended) and prime/subcontractor arrangements where a subcontractor letter of commitment is provided (see L.10 as amended). GSA Schedule CTAs, where each team member has privity of contract with the Government, are not applicable to STARS III.

Q5) Can an 8(a) company submit an offer as a STARS III prime, and also as the managing member of a Joint Venture or protege of a Mentor/Protege arrangement?

The SBA has shared its position with GSA that an 8(a) firm is not eligible to receive an award as a Prime and as part of a Joint Venture. We encourage contacting your supporting SBA office for eligibility related questions. Also refer to Q6 in the Eligibility section of Q&R #1 posted with the solicitation on beta.sam.gov on July 6, 2020.

Q6) My firm has the relevant experience for an award in the general scope area but not the sub-areas. Is there a way to build capacity through teaming to also qualify for the sub-areas?

Yes. When a firm has the qualifying relevant experience to be considered for an award on its own and considering the SBA regulations on joint ventures, it appears this situation may lend itself to a prime/subcontractor teaming arrangement. Please consider L.10.

Q7) Can an 8(a) company be a member of multiple joint ventures or Mentor/Protege arrangements which receive STARS III awards?

Joint Venture eligibility (including Mentor- Protege eligibility) is governed by SBA rules and regulations. The SBA has shared its position with GSA that an 8(a) firm can only be a part of one joint venture on STARS III.

Contact your supporting SBA office for JV eligibility related questions.

Q8) My firm will exit the 8(a) program shortly after the August 5, 2020 RFP closing date.

What will happen if the government decides to extend the proposal beyond our exit date?

Will we still be eligible for an award?

As stated in the pre-proposal conference webinar, a firm that has completed its term of participation in the 8(a) Business Development (BD) program or has otherwise exited the program, for example a graduated 8(a) firm, may still be considered for a STARS III award if it was an 8(a) Participant eligible for award on the initial date specified for receipt of offers contained in the STARS III solicitation, and if it continues to meet all other applicable eligibility criteria. Consider 13 CFR 124.507(d)

Q9) My firm will exit the 8(a) program shortly before the August 5, 2020 RFP closing date.

Will we be eligible for an award if we submit our offer before our exit date?

Eligibility is governed by SBA rules and regulations. Contact your supporting SBA office for eligibility related questions.

Consider 13 CFR 124.507(b)(5).

Q10) Can an offeror qualify for STARS III if they have relevant experience providing IT services, but no experience with Emerging Technology or performance outside of

CONUS?

Yes. Refer to L.17.1 through L.17.5. Also refer to question 4 (of this topic section) and consider H.13.1.2 which addresses post-award onboarding opportunities.

Relevant Experience

Q1) The draft RFP required up to three Relevant Experience Projects (REPs) per Functional Area. Based on the Final RFP and instructions, can the government please explain the change?

The draft RFP is no longer applicable. Please examine RFP 47QTCB20R0005 as well as all attachments and Amendment 01, and respond based upon those documents.

Q2) Can the government please confirm that offerors are only required to submit two REP’s in total?

The solicitation is clear. Refer to L.17.1.

Q3) To qualify for the Emerging Technology and/or OCONUS sub-areas, can additional REPs be submitted?

No. Refer to L.17.7.1 and L.17.8

Q4) If an offer indicates that a REP qualifies for scope sub-area 1 and/or sub-area 2 but GSA determines it does not qualify, does that impact the Offeror's ability to receive an award for the main IT scope area?

An offer must include two qualifying REPs to be eligible for an award, and will only be considered for an award in a scope sub-area if one of the REPs also meets the requirement for the specific sub-area. Refer to L.17.7, L.17.8 and M.2.1.1

Q5) We request the government reconsider the language at L.17.3 and reduce the minimum dollar value to less than $100,000 and the minimum period of performance to less than a year in the last 12 months.

The conditions at L.17.3 remain unchanged.

The one year of performance requirement at L.17.3(2) only applies to ongoing projects. A completed project which took less than 12 months to perform and was completed no more than five years prior to the date proposals are due meets the requirement at L.17.3(2).

Q6) To assist in the Government’s validation of a REP where the contract SOW alone does not provide sufficient information, would the Government permit an offeror to describe the claimed work and/or applicable Emerging Technology within Attachment J-7, and then have the Contracting Officer (CO) sign the completed Attachment J-7?

Refer to Amendment 01. Both L.17.4.2 and L.17.7.2 have been revised to allow additional supporting documents in certain cases. Part III of Attachment J-7 also provides the offeror the ability to highlight where supporting information is located within the documents and/or expand on what is contained within them. A CO’s/Corporate official’s signature is not required - only their contact information.

Q7) Will it be possible for an offeror who does not currently qualify for a scope sub-area to obtain an award in scope sub-areas during the life of the contract?

Yes. Refer to H.13.1.2.

Q8) Will the government accept a letter from a contracting officer/corporate official as verification that the scope of work for a REP aligns with the NAICS codes in section L.17.4.1 if there is no FPDS-NG record or the record reflects a different NAICS code?

L.17.4.1 is one of two ways to verify a REP meets the requirements of L.17.3. If the REP is not reflected in FPDS-NG or the FPDS-NG record does not reflect one of the five NAICS listed at L.17.4.1, follow the guidance at L.17.4.2.

Q9) My firm remotely supports customers in OCONUS locations and occasionally sends an individual to the OCONUS location for short periods of time. Does this qualify for relevant experience for the OCONUS sub-area?

No. The solicitation is clear at L.17.8. The government is interested in experience providing IT services where the contractor’s personnel are physically located outside the contiguous United States.

Past Performance

Q1) If we submit a REP where we were the subcontractor, do we submit the prime's CPARS with our offer, or do we use the past performance survey?

For REPs performed as a subcontractor, submit a Past Performance Survey (Attachment J-8) as the prime’s CPARS is an assessment of the prime’s performance.

Refer to L.18.4.2.1.

Q2) For a REP performed as a subcontractor or on a commercial contract, will the government allow the Past Performance Survey (Attachment J-8) to be completed and signed by a Corporate Officer/Official of the Prime with cognizance over the submitted project.

The RFP is clear. Refer to L.18.4.2.2.

Q3) Can an offeror include past performance (CPARS ratings or Attachment J-8) for work performed but not submitted as a REP?

No. Refer to L.18.4.

Evaluation Criteria

Q1) If a REP submission also indicates a qualification for a scope sub-area, will the entire REP be removed from the competition if the sub-area requirements are not validated?

No. After a REP has been determined to be valid for contract eligibility, then scope sub-area eligibility will be considered. See L.17.7 and L.17.8.

Q2) If a company does not have ISO or any other certifications, can they still receive an award?

There is no evident requirement in the solicitation for an offeror must hold any industry credential (e.g. ISO 9001) at the time an offer is submitted. Refer to Q2 in the Eligibility section of Q&R #1 posted with the solicitation on beta.sam.gov on July 6, 2020.

General Topics

Q1) Can the Government explain why there were six functional areas within the scope section of the STARS III draft RFP, but now there is only one scope area with two sub-areas?

The draft RFP is no longer applicable. Please examine RFP 47QTCB20R0005 as well as all attachments and Amendment 01, and respond based upon those documents.

Q2) Can a firm hold multiple STARS III awards?

A legal entity can only hold one STARS III GWAC award. Refer to H.13.2.

Q3) Will Top Secret work be allowed on

STARS III?

Yes. While the STARS III master contract is unclassified, there is no evident restriction in the RFP which limits security requirements at the task order level.

Q4) How will the pricing submitted with my offer be adjusted if a task order requires a Top Secret facility clearance or the place of performance is in a foreign work area?

Refer to B.8.3.1 and B.8.3.5. See L.19 for master contract pricing submission.

Q5) Per RFP instructions, we are permitted a one-page cover page. Can we add that cover page to all attachments?

No. Refer to L.11.1 and L.11.2.

Q6) Following the link at L.6.1 does not allow me to register for the offer portal.

Refer to the Offer Portal User Guide which was posted with the solicitation on beta.sam.gov for portal registration instructions. An updated Guide was posted on July 9, 2020.

Q7) Is a Joint Venture required to register in sam.gov as a separate entity? Do we need to get a separate DUNS for the JV?

Refer to L.1 and FAR 52.204-7

Q8) Our 8(a) status expires next year. If we are on STARS III, are we eligible for sole source task orders after our 8(a) status expires; but we’re still on STARS III?

Refer to Q1 in the 8(a) Graduation section of the Question and Response document posted with the solicitation on beta.sam.gov on July 6, 2020.

Q9) I registered for the 8(a) STARS III GWAC Offer Portal, more than five days have passed and I have not received my username. What should I do?

The portal team has been diligent in sending out user id and password emails within the five day window. Check the Spam folder. Also look for email from “tscportal@gsa.gov”