Addendum 2 - Q and A 5-24-24.doc

Cully M. Johnston Procurement Specialist IV

FMPS

Procurement Department

Argonne National Laboratory

9700 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 201

Lemont, IL 60439

(630)252-7049 cjohnston@anl.gov

05/24/24

TO ALL PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS:

Subject:

Q&A (Round 2) Request for FORMDROPDOWN No. 4-B148-P-00032-00 Addendum No. 2 Attached herewith for your information and use in preparing your proposal for subject project is one (1) copy of Addendum No. 2.

Kindly acknowledge receipt of this Addendum by email or include a signed acknowledgement with your proposal.

Sincerely, Cully M. Johnston Procurement IV Procurement Department

Receipt Acknowledged:

Company:

By:

cc:

File

CF

Addendum No. 2

TO

REQUEST FOR FORMDROPDOWN

4-B148-P-00032-00

FOR

Argonne National Laboratory

BLDG. 201 OCF

9700 S. Cass Ave.

Lemont, IL 60439

05/24/24 This addendum is being issued to modify the subject Request for FORMDROPDOWN as follows:

General Clarification: This RFP is issued by UChicago Argonne LLC, operator of Argonne National Laboratory, a DOE Prime Contractor. Questions addressed to “The Government” have been considered to be addressing Argonne National Laboratory, referred to herein as “Argonne” or the “Laboratory.”

Q: Does a DOD Secret facility clearance meet the requirements of this solicitation?

A: No, the standard application/review process for approval by DOE would still be required.

Q: Proposal Part I requires three completed and executed solicitation documents:

Pre-Award Information and Booklet of Representations and Certifications

Organizational Conflicts of Interest

Property Management Questionnaire

Does Argonne want these documents attached to our proposal submission package as separate files or inserted into our Part I proposal?

A: No preference, as long as they’re easily accessible.

Q: The statement of need says we would need to accept or provide qualified replacements for approximately 300-350 contract workers. Historically, what percentage of the staff is full time versus part time?

A: The majority are part-time, though that is subject to change.

Q: In general, what is the breakdown between Research and Development, Professional Technical, and Professional Administrative?

A: See Addendum 1.

Q: We are an unpopulated joint venture with 3 partners. Does ANL consider our 3 Joint Venture partners “the company” that they will be contracted with?

A: Yes.

Q: The Enclosure 1, Part II – Technical Proposal , A, Experience Performing Similar Work, 2, asks for 3 client references. If we have a team, should we include only references from the prime or should we include 2 for the prime and 1 reference for a sub?

A: See Addendum 1.

Q: Appendix C – Rate Schedule, just has a single range for each labor category and level for each year. Would Argonne consider having a one rate table for full time staff with fixed rate ranges and a second rate table for part time staff with fixed rate ranges?

A: No, please submit one range for each labor category.

Q: Enclosure 5 is the Reps and Certs. Does just the prime need to complete these or do sub tier teammates complete them as well? Enclosure 6 is the OCI Disclosure Statement. Does just the prime need to complete this or do sub tier teammates complete it as well?

A: Only the company Argonne is contracting with. For instance, for Enclosure 5, the company name, UEI, and address should match the SAM.gov entry for the proposing company.

Q: SOW Part II Timekeeping and Billing. It appears billing and reports are due weekly but in the Draft BPA it states billing can be done biweekly. Please clarify the frequency of billing and usage reports.

A: Usage reports should be available on a weekly basis. Offerors may propose weekly or biweekly invoicing schedules and contract documents will be adjusted if necessary during negotiations.

Q: Section II Selection of Workers on 2B Appendix B SOW states, “ The Contractor shall complete onboarding as soon as possible and place the contract worker on Argonne work as soon as possible but no later than within 30 calendar days of receiving the Task Order (or as otherwise specified in the request). But Article II – Authorization of the schedule on Draf Staff Aug BPA states “The contractor shall be given no more than ten (10) business days to onboard an individual. Can you please clarify the maximum amount of days for onboarding?

A: The 10-day onboarding clock is within the 30-day Specific Assignment submission window. See example:

Argonne submits Specific Assignment form to contractor. 30-day clock starts.

Contractor proposes candidates/rates. Argonne interviews candidates and negotiates the rate.

Argonne notifies Contractor of the selection of a specific candidate at the negotiated rate. 10-day onboarding clock starts.

Q: Section III of 2B Appendix B SOW Section III Holidays is not consistent with the holidays in the Draft BPA Article 4 Section 3 Holidays/Laboratory Closures as the SOW includes the annual holiday closure and the BPA just lists Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve during that time (New Years Day would fall in the next year). Please clarify which holiday schedule we should use.

A: N/a. The documents are consistent.

Q: Draft BPA Article XII. Is there an anticipated number of employees/hours that will be spent in radiological areas and if access is required will it be in the Task Order requests?

A: The number of workers accessing radiological areas is expected to be low, though that may change as requirements dictate. It will be noted in the Specific Assignments’ SOWs if access is required.

Q: Historically, what percentage of employees are local vs non-local (requiring per diem)?

A: No data available as this is not something that is considered relevant by the Laboratory. Note, the Laboratory does not reimburse for relocated workers/per diems/etc. Travel reimbursement is only provided for Argonne-required trips to locations other than the Argonne Lemont Campus as part of the worker’s Specific Assignment. From the SOW:

Offsite Work: Contract workers are permitted to telecommute with prior written permission of the sponsoring Division and the Contractor. Argonne is not responsible for any telecommuting expenses.

Onsite Work: Argonne is not responsible for any commuting or relocation expenses if onsite work is required.”

Q: Historically, what percentage of employees are remote?

A: It has varied significantly over the years, but roughly 20%.

Q: Can Argonne provide the not to exceed travel amount for each year of the contract?

A: There is no not-to-exceed travel amount as travel is only approved by the Argonne Technical Representative or their designee on a case-by-case basis. If the travel is part of the specific assignment, it is reimbursable, subject to the requirements of Appendix “A”. Offerors should not be proposing a dollar amount for travel, nor will a not-to-exceed travel amount be established in the agreement.

Q: Are there any Key Personnel on this RFP? If yes does Argonne require their resumes to be submitted with the response?

A: Your proposal should address the requirements of the Statement of Work and RFP Instructions however you see fit.

Q: What is the anticipated award date?

A: We will begin technical evaluations immediately after the proposal submission due date and will make an award after the evaluation and best value/trade-off analysis are completed.

Q: What is the proposal validity?

A: Enclosure 1, page 4: “Acceptance Period of Proposal: Offeror shall provide a statement that the proposal will remain valid for acceptance for a minimum period of 120 days after the closing date set for receipt of proposals.”

Q: What is the maximum ceiling value of the project? What are the anticipated annual hours?

A: Not disclosed/unknown. Historical spend information has been provided. It should be understood that there is no guarantee and this RFP neither commits nor obligates the Laboratory to purchase any services under this RFP or its resulting agreement.

Q: Can Argonne consider a one-week extension on the submission deadline?

A: No.

Q: RE: “Experience Performing Similar Work”: Can Argonne accept state or commercial PPs?

A: Argonne considers the instructions clear.

Q: Does the agency require resumes for the given Job positions mentioned in SOW Enclosure A?

A: All requirements are contained in the RFP.

Q: In Enclosure (C) Are these the pay rates or the bill rates including the profit margin of the vendor?

A: See Addendum 1.

Q: Is it Argonne’s intent that offerors should develop their fully burdened rates by using the specific base pay rate ranges provided in the solicitation?

A: Argonne provided the base pay ranges for informational purposes.

Q: In order to provide competitive rates, may we ask the distribution of personnel by labor category that are eligible for benefits and who are not? Typically, personnel working less than 32 hr per week are not eligible. Doing so will also allow for equitable pricing among all of the proposers including the incumbent. Will Argonne provide the breakdown of full-time and part-time personnel working on the current contract? This will enable offerors to develop a competitive pricing model that minimizes cost to the Laboratory.

A: The Laboratory believes the instructions and information already provided are comprehensive and sufficient to conduct an open best value evaluation.

Q: Do you have an estimate of prospective bidders?

A: No.

Q: Will this RFP be awarded to a Sole Source or multiple vendors?

A: This is a competitive solicitation, not a Sole Source RFP, as evidenced by the posting to SAM.gov. As mentioned in Addendum 1, Argonne expects a single awardee.

Q: Are workers under this contract allowed to work in any of the 50 states?

A: Per the SOW: “Offsite Work: Contract workers are permitted to telecommute with prior written permission of the sponsoring Division and the Contractor. Argonne is not responsible for any telecommuting expenses.

Onsite Work: Argonne is not responsible for any commuting or relocation expenses if onsite work is required.”

Q: Would ANL prefer the Contractor to use the ANL timekeeping system or the Offerors’ timekeeping system?

A: Per the SOW: “The Contractor’s timekeeping system must include the following:

The system must able to accommodate multiple work project identifiers and multiple approvers per contract worker and have the ability to calculate the total accumulated hours for each worker.

If access to the system is provided to Argonne staff, the system must not have any click-through terms and conditions and must not require the Laboratory or its employees to indemnify Contractor, software provider, or any other party.

The Contractor will provide detailed billing for each contract worker by project/task, hours and dollars, and total accumulated hours worked to date on a weekly basis.

Overtime rates will not apply.”

Q: Does the lab require a certain vendor for background checks?

A: No.

Q: Which prescreening requirements are needed for the background check i.e. SSN trace, nationwide criminal search, education, employment verification, drug testing, etc.?

A: The contractor must perform checks sufficient to conform with the requirements of the clauses included in the Draft Staff Aug BPA, SOW, and Appendix “A”.

Q: We noticed that the Any Auto box is checked under Automobile Liability. We have $1,000,000 coverage for Hired Auto and Non-Owned Auto. Will this suffice?

A: Yes.

Q: If the Offeror sources a Worker who requires security clearance, who is responsible for providing it?

A: Per the SOW, “However, the Contractor must also obtain and maintain a facility security clearance (FCL) for its organization in order to host some workers with L and Q security clearances. If the Contractor does not already hold a FCL, it will be required to complete a Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) review.” Per the Evaluation Criteria: "While lack of an existing DOE or DOE Facility Clearance will not by itself preclude any offeror from an award, possession of a FOCI clearance will weight the rating of this criterion more heavily against offerors who do not have such clearance." The lack of an existing clearance may negatively affect the adjectival rating and may increase the assessed risk.

Q: Would there ever be an instance where the Offeror would have to supply the Worker with equipment for the role like a laptop or printer?

A: No.

Q: Will there ever be a need for international sponsorship for any of the Contractors? Also, will ANL provide an Immigration Support Letter for the job assignment?

A: Per the SOW: “Contractor personnel who are not U.S. citizens are subject to additional approval through the Argonne Foreign Assignment/Visit Online Report (FAVOR) System before they may begin a new assignment or have a current assignment extended. The Argonne host Division’s administrative staff shall be responsible for obtaining this approval, but the Contractor is responsible for ensuring the approval is granted before work begins. If an assignment requires U.S. citizenship, this will be indicated in the initial request to the Contractor.”

Q: How much travel is anticipated for a Worker?

A: Unknown, but most will not have travel required in their specific assignments.

Q: On the rate sheet, there is a % for G&A Travel if applicable. Is this applicable for this RFP?

A: The offeror shall propose a G&A rate for travel if they intend to charge a G&A markup when invoicing for travel reimbursements. If the offeror intends to invoice for travel reimbursement at cost, they should not propose a G&A rate for travel, or they should propose a rate of 0%. Thus, it’s up to the offeror to determine applicability.

Q: Are Workers required to have proof of vaccination for Covid-19?

A: All requirements are stated in the RFP and its enclosures.

Q: Are there any state mandated trainings, like sexual harassment, given on the worksite?

A: Yes, required trainings are given as part of the Laboratory onboarding process, either on-site or remotely.

ALL OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED RFP, AS AMENDED, REMAIN THE SAME.

U. S. Department of Energy laboratory managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC