Attachment Questions and answers-MARAD-Career Support-USMMA (2292025.xlsx
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- Attached to
- RFP 693JF726R000002
- Solicitation number
- 693JFtraining
About this file
This file is a Questions and Answers document for a Maritime Administration (MARAD) Career Support Services Request for Proposal (RFP) for the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). The solicitation (RFP 693JF726R000002) seeks a contractor to provide comprehensive career support services, workforce development, and industry engagement support, with a period of performance from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031 (base year plus four one-year options). The incumbent contractor is Core Recruitment LLC (Contract #693JF722C000044), and the estimated annual population served is approximately 2,500 USMMA undergraduates and recent graduates.
Key requirements include maintaining a graduate database, coordinating approximately 20 presentations/workshops annually, developing a workforce model, conducting career counseling, and supporting maritime industry outreach. The RFP requires in-person events with potential pre-approved virtual alternatives, and mandates specific key personnel qualifications in maritime industry expertise. Proposal submission dates have been amended multiple times, with the current deadline set for January 5, 2026, at 1 pm EST. Offerors must submit three separate volumes (technical, past performance, and pricing) electronically to usmmaproposals@dot.gov, with specific cc requirements, and include past performance questionnaires directly emailed by references.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment three.pdf signed.pdf | ||
| Amendment two.pdf signed.pdf | ||
| Amendment one.pdf | ||
| RFP 693JF726R00002 November 202025.pdf Amendment one.pdf | ||
| Attachment 1 - Pricing sheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment 2 Past Performance Questionnaire -693JF720R000002 docx.docx | DOCX document | |
| RFP 693JF726R00002 November 202025.pdf |
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Sheet1
| Due: | December 29, 2025 | |||
| Career Support Services USMMA, RFP 593JF726R000002 | ||||
| Question # | Page #, RFP Section, Paragraph # | Question | Response | |
| 1 | Page 16, #7 | brian.wiley.ctr@dot.gov is not listed as a recipient for submission here. Please confirm recipient list for offer submissions. | Offerors shall email proposals to: usmmaproposals@dot.gov and cc durba.ray@dot.gov; Tia.belton@dot.gov, confirm in accordance with RFP section L.4.3 | |
| 2 | Page 22, 1.4, Period of Performance | Please confirm that the period of performance should be updated here as well to April. | POP was updated to 04/01/2026 -03/31/2031, please see solicitation amemdment . | |
| 3 | Page 46, L.4.1, Proposal Submission | This first sentence includes "...timelines for ordering and installing equipment." Should that be deleted and replaced "...timelines for delivering the required services in the SOW"? | Recommended changed:The price proposal shall be supported by the technical proposal that demonstrates the offeror's understanding of the work requirements, for delivering the required services in the SOW. Offerors are required to provide proposals, submitted electronically, to usmmaproposals@dot.gov and cc durba.ray@dot.gov, Brian.Wiley.ctr@dot.gov and tia.belton@dot.gov per RFP section L.4.3 . | |
| 4 | Page 47, L.4.4, Proposal Format | Please confirm that cover pages and tables of contents are excluded from each volume's page limitations. | Confirm | |
| 5 | Page 47, L.4.5, Volume I | The third bullet is for "past performance and capability". Is this to be past experience since past performance is volume II? | Yes | |
| 6 | Page 49, M.2 Technical Approach | This paragraph begins with "To be acceptable, offeror's proposal must meet or exceed all the requirements...". However, the table below includes a definition of acceptable that is different. Should that sentence be struck and just refer to the adjectival rating definitions? | No, the table1 in section M.2 for Factor one and Table 2 section M.3 for factor two will be used for evaluation of the proposals per the RFP. | |
| 7 | Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet | The optional outreach CLIN is difficult to price in a FFP manner at this time given the different types and durations of events, activities, materials needed, etc. Could pricing for different levels of events be provided with a program managemnt price? | No. Offerors must propose the FFP Price in accordance with the RFP utilizing the Pricing sheet. | |
| 8 | Page 25, 2.3 | The language in the second paragraph says this optional work is intended to boost participation in Federal programs like SIP not specific only to SIP. Does MARAD see this additional work potentially expanding to support workforce development in other maritime aspects? | Yes | |
| 9 | Page 26, 4.1 | Please confirm if the October 1st date should be changed to April here as well. | October is the annual report date and April is the contract start date | |
| 10 | General/Cover Page | Incumbent Contractor: Can the Government confirm if this solicitation is a recompete of the services currently or previously performed under Contract #693JF722C000044? If so, can the Government confirm if the incumbent is Core Recruitment LLC? | Yes | |
| 11 | 1.5 Place of Performance, Page 22-23 | Staffing Location Requirements: This section lists specific addresses for the USMMA and various State Maritime Academies (SMAs). Can the Government clarify if full-time, on-site contractor staff are required at each of these specific locations daily? Alternatively, is a hybrid model acceptable where staff work remotely or from a central location and support these sites via the travel/site visits mentioned in Section 2.1 and 7.0? 3333 | No. Full-time, on-site contractor staff are not required at each of the specific locations; hybrid model is fine. | |
| 12 | 5.0 Staffing Qualifications, Page 28 | Key Personnel Restrictiveness (Program Lead - Workforce): The requirement for the "Program Lead - Workforce Development" specifies experience "advising on U.S. Navy Strategic Sealift Officer roles". This requirement seems to be highly specific to the incumbent's current workflow. Would the Government consider broadening this to ensure fair competition and avoid limiting the pool of qualified offerors? | The Program Lead - Workforce Development ideally must be knowledgeable about Strategic Sealift Officers (SSOs) | |
| 13 | 5.0 Staffing Qualifications, Page 28 | Key Personnel Restrictiveness (Program Lead - Career Services): The requirement for the "Program Lead - Career Services" mandates "5 years of mariner recruitment experience" specifically within the "U.S. maritime workforce". There are specific “career counseling” occupations, as well as qualifying credentials, across all of the military services and Coast Guard that would be more than highly applicable to this role, even more so than “recruitment experience” As currently written this does appear to be a very specifically stated requirement and evaluation criteria designed to preclude fair competition from anyone other than the current incumbent. | ||
| Given the nature of career counseling, would the Government provide clarification on this description and revise it to include more applicable qualifications, program management, and career advisement experience in lieu of the specific mariner recruitment experience this is presently limited to? | No, we need knowledgable people in the maritime industry. | |||
| 14 | 5.0 Staffing Qualifications, Page 28 | Key Personnel Restrictiveness (Outreach Specialist): The "Outreach Specialist" role prefers a candidate who holds a "USCG Unlimited License" or is a "Strategic Sealift Officer". These are high-level operational credentials that are seemingly overqualified for an outreach/marketing role. Can the Government clarify if this is a mandatory "go/no-go" requirement, or if a candidate with strong maritime marketing experience but without a license will be rated equally? | Candidate with strong maritime marketing experience would be acceptable | |
| 16 | L.4.5 Proposal Format, Page 47 | Key Personnel Evaluation Scoring: The RFP states that the proposal must demonstrate the Program Manager's resume meets all requirements. However, the RFP does not detail how the Key Personnel resumes are weighted against the Technical Approach narrative. Will the Key Personnel resumes be scored as a standalone sub-factor, or are they simply a pass/fail compliance check within Factor 1? | Under Factor 1 – Technical Approach, the Program Manager’s résumé is not a separate scored sub-factor. The RFP does not assign it independent weighting, point value, or scoring criteria. |
Instead, the resume is treated as a mandatory compliance requirement within Factor 1.The Government will review the resume to confirm that the Program Manager meets all minimum education, certification, experience, and skill requirements in accordance with SOW Section 9. Per the RFP, Factor 1 will be evauated based on the adjectival ratings as identified in section M.2.
| 17 | Section M, Table 1, Page 49 | Evaluation Criteria Objectivity: The RFP utilizes broad Adjectival Ratings (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable) for Factor 1. To ensure an objective evaluation rather than a subjective one, can the Government provide the specific weightings or point values assigned to the sub-criteria listed in Section L.4 (e.g., "Stakeholder Relationships" vs. "Service Obligation Support")? | Adjectival ratings for factor one and two will be evaluated based on the description as mentioned in section M 2 and M3. |
| 18 | 2.1 Task One, Part A, Page 24 | Data Migration: The contractor is required to "Create a database to track potential users" and "Maintain a database of graduates". Does a historical database currently exist from the previous contract that the awardee will inherit/migrate, or is the contractor expected to build this dataset from scratch? If a database exists, what format is it in? | Yes, current data already exists which Government owns and it needs to be extracted if it is awarded to a different offeror. |
| 19 | Section B (CLINs), 7.0, Page 3, 29 | Travel Costs: The Price Schedule includes "Not To Exceed" (NTE) figures for travel (e.g., CLIN 00004 is NTE $65,000). Can the Government confirm that these NTE amounts are government-provided plug numbers that all offerors should use in their price proposals to ensure a fair comparison? | All offerors are requested to accept all NTE amounts Government identified in the solicitation for any CLIN and also in the Price proposal. No one will be allowed to change the amount. This amount is estimated based on the historical information. |
| 20 | 2.3 Task Three, Part C, Page 25 | Optional Services Funding: The RFP states that Part C (K-12 Outreach) services are "Optional" and "currently unsure if funding will be available". For the purpose of the Price Proposal (Volume III), should offerors price these optional CLINs based on a full year of performance, or will the Government provide a specific scenario/quantity for evaluation purposes? | Yes |
| 21 | SOW Part A, B | Will MARAD provide historical graduate placement data, employer engagement information, or prior workforce assessments as Government-Furnished Information (GFI)? | Yes, to the extent that the requested data is available. |
| 22 | SOW Part A (Career Support Services | Will the contractor have direct access to SMAs, USMMA, maritime unions, and employers to conduct career counseling, workforce consultations, and outreach tasks? | Yes |
| 23 | SOW Part C – Optional Tasks | Should offerors assume funding for Part C (K–12 Outreach) in the base year, or provide a notional approach only since it is identified as “optional”? | Assume in base year |
| 24 | PPQ - Submission Date | The submission date listed on the PPQ (10/24/25) does not match the submission date requested elsewhere in the requirement (12/22/25) | Submission date will be revised via solicitation amendmend. |
| 25 | Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet | Can the Government provide a breakdown of the historical Level of Effort (LOE) and labor categories (LCATs) utilized under the incumbent or previous contracts for this requirement, including annual hours or FTE allocation per labor category? | No |
| 26 | Period of Performance (PWS vs. SF 1449) | The Period of Performance listed in the PWS (Section 1.4) differs from the dates on the SF 1449 continuation pages. Can the Government please confirm the correct Period of Performance for the base year and each of the option years? | Tentative PoP 04/01/2026 -03/31/2031 base year plus four |
one year options.
| 27 | Workforce Model Deliverable | Does MARAD require the workforce model (Part B) to be delivered in a specific format (e.g., Excel tool, database, dashboard platform), or will the format be at the discretion of the contractor as long as it fulfills the requirements? | Offeror will be responsible for developing a model that predicts current and future Mariner needs. Excel tool will be prefered but format will be at the discretion of the contractor as long as it fulfills the requirement. |
| 28 | In-Person vs. Virtual Events | For planned career workshops, job-readiness sessions, and SMA career fair visits referenced in the PWS, can the Government clarify whether participation is expected to be: primarily in person, primarily virtual, or a combination of both based on academy coordination? | In person or prior approved virtual |
| 29 | Staffing Plan | Section L requires a complete technical and management approach but does not specify subheadings. Does the Government require any specific internal structure or section titles within Volume I, or may offerors structure the narrative as they determine appropriate? | Section L section 5 factor 1, offerors are requested to identify each technical requirements of the scope of work and respond clearly. For example: Identify the topic -Maritime Industry and Program expertise: Respond clearly per the RFP. |
| 30 | SAM Reps & Certs | The RFP requires an offeror to provide their representations and certifications. Does a PDF extract from SAM.gov satisfy this requirement, or is a specific SAM report version required? | YES. Submission of a copy of the Representations and certifications from SAM.gov (most updated) with the proposal volume I. |
| 31 | Separate Sections for Technical Approach | Section L requires a complete technical and management approach but does not specify subheadings. Does the Government require any specific internal structure or section titles within Volume I, or may offerors structure the narrative as they determine appropriate? | See response to question # 32. |
| 32 | Resume Location and Format | The RFP allows 2 pages for resumes but does not specify placement. Should resumes be included at the end of Volume I as an appendix, or submitted as a separate attachment outside the 10-page narrative? | Resume should be included in Volume 1 |
| 33 | Volume II: Past Performance Questionnaire Submission Process | Attachment 2 includes the Past Performance Questionnaire but does not specify the submission procedure. Should completed questionnaires be: a) returned directly to the Contracting Officer by the references, or b) collected by the offeror and included in Volume II? | Offeror's references must email directly filled Attachment 2 Past Performance questions to the Contracting Officer at durba.ray@dot.gov and cc brian.wiley.ctr@dot.gov and tia.bolton@dot.gov prior to the close of the RFP per RFP section L.6 Factor two last paragraph. |
| 34 | Volume II Page Limit | Please confirm that Volume II has no page limit | Offerors shall provide no more than two (2) pages for the referenced project example (Total 2 pages for Past |
Performance).
| 35 | Cross-Volume Consistency Requirements | Does the Government expect labor categories described in Volume I (technical approach) to match exactly the labor categories listed in the pricing sheet in Volume III? | No |
| 36 | Conflicting Period of Performance Dates | The SF 1449 continuation pages list CLIN performance dates beginning April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2031, while PWS Section 1.4 lists the base and option years beginning November 29, 2025 – November 28, 2030. Can the Government confirm the correct Period of Performance for the base year and each option year? | Based Year: 04/01/2026-03/31/2027 + 4 one-year Options; POP: 04/01/2026-03/31/2031 |
| 37 | Clarification of Primary Place of Performance | The PWS references work supporting USMMA (Kings Point, NY), State Maritime Academies, and nationwide K–12 institutions. Can the Government confirm whether there is a designated primary place of performance for contractual purposes (e.g., USMMA Kings Point), or whether performance is considered virtual/contractor-site unless travel is required? | April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2031 |
| 38 | In-Person Requirements vs. Remote Support | The PWS does not specify which activities must be performed onsite and which may be done remotely. Can the Government confirm which tasks, if any, require mandatory onsite performance at USMMA, State Maritime Academies, or other locations? | All events are required in person unless pre approval for virtual is agreed upon |
| 39 | State Maritime Academies – Frequency of Visits | The PWS includes contractor participation in SMA career fairs, presentations, and outreach activities. Does the Government anticipate a required or estimated number of in-person visits to each State Maritime Academy per year? | All events are required in person unless pre approval for virtual is agreed upon |
| 40 | K–12 Outreach Locations (Optional Work) | The Optional Work under Part C references activities in K–12 institutions across various catchment areas. Can the Government clarify whether outreach activities are expected primarily in person, virtual, or determined by the individual institution and MARAD? | All events are required in person unless pre approval for virtual is agreed upon |
| 41 | Place of Performance for Workforce Development Activities | Workforce assessments and workforce model development may not require onsite activity. Can the Government confirm whether all workforce development support activities under Part B may be performed from the contractor’s location? | All events are required in person unless pre approval for virtual is agreed upon |
| 42 | Onsite Meeting Requirements | Does the Government anticipate any required onsite meetings at MARAD or USMMA headquarters, or will meetings primarily be virtual unless otherwise specified? | All events are required in person unless pre approval for virtual is agreed upon |
| 43 | Submission Location and Format for SF 1449 and SAM Representations & Certifications | The solicitation requires offerors to submit a signed SF 1449 and a copy of their SAM Representations and Certifications; however, Section L does not specify in which volume these documents must be placed or whether they should be submitted as standalone attachments. Can the Government clarify where and how the signed SF 1449 and SAM Reps & Certs should be submitted (e.g., included within a specific volume such as Volume III, attached as separate files, or submitted in a particular file format)? | Attached as a separate file |
| 44 | Do Volumes I, II, and III need to be submitted as separate files? | Section L.4 instructs offerors to submit “three (3) separate Volumes,” but the solicitation does not specify whether these volumes must be submitted as separate PDF documents or whether a single consolidated PDF containing all three volumes—clearly labeled and indexed—would be acceptable. Can the Government clarify whether the volumes must be submitted as separate files, or whether a single consolidated file is acceptable? | Submit as three separate files per the RFP and clearly identify the volume numbers. Technical proposal must not have any pricing information. |
| 45 | Please advise whether there is an incumbent contractor currently performing the services outlined in this RFQ. If there is an incumbent contractor, please provide the contractor name and contract number? | 693JF722C000044 - Core Recruitment LLC | |
| 46 | L.4.5 | Section L.4.5 states the total page count for Volume I-Technical Approach is 10 pages + 2 pages resume = Total 12 pages. It also states the Program Manager's resume "Must not exceed 2 pages of the resume". Please confirm that the 12-page limit for Volume I includes the Program Manager's two-page resume. | Confirm. Total 12 pages includes Program Manager's resume. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. |
| 47 | 1.3 (Part A) | PWS Section 1.3 (Part A) states the Annual report must be submitted by January 1st. However, PWS Section 4.1 specifies an annual report must be submitted by October 1 each year following the Contract Award. Please clarify the correct due date for the annual report detailing graduate contacts and employment results. | Data colleced by Oct 1 and report due by January 1 of the following year. |
| 48 | 4.1 | PWS Section 4.1 states the Project Management Plan must be submitted within 4 weeks of award. PWS Section 2.1 lists developing a Project Management Plan as Task One. Given the complexity, please confirm the expectation that a complete PMP is due within four weeks of award. | Yes. |
| 49 | PWS Section 1.5 and 13 list the place of performance for K-12 identified institutions as "Various Locations Nationwide". Given that Part C is optional work, please clarify if the travel funding for the Base Year (NTE $65,000, Item 00004) and Option Years includes anticipated costs for any optional K-12 outreach events, should the option be exercised later in the period of performance. | For Option Year One, look at line item #00010 NTE $66,950.00 | |
| 50 | What is the estimated total population of USMMA undergraduates and recent graduates (within their five-year obligation period) who are eligible to receive career support services under this contract annually? | 2500+ | |
| 51 | The PWS requires "Coordination of a pre-determined number of PDCS Potential Presentations/Workshops and/or SMA career fair visits". What is this pre-determined number of events (presentations/workshops/visits) the contractor is required to coordinate and/or attend annually? | Approximately 20 annually | |
| 52 | What is the estimated maximum number of PDCS Presentations/Workshops and SMA career fair visits that the travel budget (e.g., Base Year NTE $65,000, Item 00004) is intended to support? | It is unknown so a Not to exceed(NTE) amount is added for funding and actuals will be applied against the NTE amount. | |
| 53 | 5 | Would the government consider removing the specific experience requirement requiring the roles to be a maritime graduate and having maritime recruiting experience, in order to increase competition related to this solicitation? | No. |
| 54 | 4.1 | PWS Section 4.1 requires the contractor to "maintain a database of graduates to track interactions, information dissemination, and other activities". Please confirm the estimated number of active records (students/graduates) that the contractor will be required to manage within this database annually. | Approximatley 2000 records |
| 55 | 4.1 | PWS section 4.1 Database Technical & Security Compliance requires the contractor to maintain a graduate database. Please clarify the specific IT security and compliance requirements the database system must meet (e.g., handling of PII/Privacy Act information, FedRAMP or other government security standards). | Comply with the DOT Office of security standards SOC-2 and NIST 800-53. |
| 56 | 4.1 | PWS section 4.1 Database Technical & Security Compliance requires the contractor to maintain a graduate database. Please clarify whether the government will provide an existing database platform or historical data files, or if the contractor is responsible for developing, hosting, and maintaining a fully compliant system. | Goverment will provide real data files from the existing graduates details and the contractor shall create a public facing graduate portal. |
| 57 | 4.1 | PWS section 4.1 Database Technical & Security Compliance requires the contractor to maintain a graduate database. Please clarify whether the government requires interoperability with USMMA or MARAD systems, including system access or data integration expectations. | Standalone system built and operated under the DOT OCIO as an independent portal. |
| 58 | 3 | Will the Government please clarify the solicitation number in section 3 "Submission of Offers" as there is a discrepancy in the title of RFP. | Solicitation #693JF726R000002 |
| 59 | Would the government kindly disclose the identity of the incumbent contractor for the predecessor activity as well as the contract number? | 693JF722C000044 - Core Recruitment LLC | |
| 60 | Would the government accept submitted CPARs in place of the past performance questionnaire? | No. Past Performance questionnires must be submitted prior to the close of the RFP. See answers to question number #33 |
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