24June2021_Question and Answers for 692M15-20-R-00012-FINAL.pdf

Questions and Answers for SIR 692M15-20-R-00012

As of: Thursday June 23, 2021 (Questions #28-29)

Refer to attachment entitled, “3June2021_Question and Answers for 692M15-20-R- 00012,” For Question and Answer #1 and #2, attachment entitled“9June2021_Question and Answers for 692M15-20-R-00012 V2,” for Questions and Answers #3-#14 and attachment entitled, “10June2021_Question and Answers for 692M15-20-R-00012 V2_15June21” for question and answers #15-#27.

# SIR Section: SIR Page

Number(s):

Question:

Question

#28

Section I 33 There appears to be an error regarding the System for Award Management (SAM) clause on page 33 of the Solicitation (under letter F). The clause language indicates that if a SDVOSB is registered as such in SAM, and submits an offer, that it also acknowledges that they are designated as a SDVOSB by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and that such designation appears on the Veterans Affairs website listed in the Solicitation.

The VA program mentioned in the clause and the related website is “Vets First”, and is only applicable to the VA - specifically to VA SDVOSB set-asides (the weblink listed does not work by the way).

Designation by the VA under its Vets First program is only required if a company wants to compete for VA only SDVOSB set-asides. For all other Government agencies, the SBA policies, procedures, and requirements for SDVOSB are delineated under FAR Part 19, and are under the cognizance of the Small Business Administration.

Please confirm that a business representing itself as a SDVOSB under FAR Part 19 does not also need to acknowledge that they are designated by the VA under its Vets First program.

Answer #28 Response Outside of a SDVOSB set-aside, as either a small business set-aside or unrestricted competition, all vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.

The correct website is https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/

Please understand that this is an unrestricted competition, not a set-side for SDVOSB, therefore the award would not be made based on SDVOSB status or designation in https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/.

In addition, this is a required clause and cannot be removed or tailored at this time. It is being reported to our Policy department that there is a discrepancy and an incorrect web address that needs to be corrected.

Question

#29

CLIN 0002 Section B and

C4

Page 2 and 6-

Based on the answer provided by FAA to the last set of questions, it is not clear to us what FAA’s intent is for staffing the Advanced Pavement Materials lab.

The following question and Response from last week:

Q: Can the government provide a historical data for the number of labor categories used for the NextGen Lab and the expectation of number of labor categories required for the Advanced Pavements Lab?

https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/ https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/

A: The same labor categories and number of labor categories have been used in the past (1 Pavement Materials Laboratory Manager, 1 CELT1, 1 CELT2, and 1 CELT3).

The Government’s answer implies there are no new labor categories or staffing required to cover operation of the Advanced Pavement Materials Lab.

The pricing spreadsheet, however, has separate locations for Support Services for the NG Pavement Materials lab and the Advanced Materials lab.

Based on the above answer, it appears that the cost for the 4 required labor categories should be provided by us in the NG Pavement Materials Lab, and $0 in the Advanced Pavements lab.

Given that this is a FFP contract, we believe it is critical that the Government provide clarification. Can you please clarify?

Answer #29 Response Section B of the SIR states:

Please note that CLIN 0002 in the base year is an option to be exercised when the construction of the new Advanced Pavement

Materials Research Laboratory is complete, approximately in the third quarter of FY 2022 and therefore may be exercised in part at that time.

CLIN 0002 is defined in Section B as: Advanced Pavement Materials

Research Laboratory support services as set forth in Section C (Firm-

Fixed Price). This Option may be exercised partially.

The labor for the Advanced Pavements Lab (there is no historical data because it is not operational yet) would be priced under Option CLIN 0002. No additional labor categories are needed, however the number of personnel under those categories may increase to support the Advanced Pavement Materials Research Lab. That number of personnel and mix of labor categories (Pavement Materials Laboratory Manager, CELT1, CELT2, and CELT3) is for the Offeror to propose. The total proposed cost of the labor for the Advanced Pavements Lab will priced under option CLIN 0002-4002 which may be exercised partially.