Amendment 0001_RFP 693JJ321R000002 FE.pdf

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693JJ321R000002

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1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

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693JJ3

WASHINGTON DC 20590

1200 NEW JERSEY AVE., SE

OFC OF ACQUISITION AND GRANTS MGMT

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

03/18/20210001

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

03/03/2021

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this amendment to RFP No. 693JJ321R000002 is to: 1) REVISE the text of the

RFP in the sections cited herein; and 2) ADD new Attachment J.9 entitled "Summary of

Questions and Answers." See attached pages for additional instructions and information to

Offerors.

Additional Pages to Amendment 0001:

1) RFP text revisions. - 2 pages

2) New Attachment J.9. - 5 pages

Note: The proposal due date is not extended.

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

Hector R. Santamaria

3/18/2021

RFP No. 693JJ321R000002 Amendment 0001

The purpose of this document is to amend the RFP text. Amendments to the RFP include the following: add new Attachment J.9 “Summary of Questions and Answers;” and REVISE the text of the RFP in the sections cited below.

For the RFP sections cited below, deleted text is shown in strikethrough and added text is underlined and highlighted (in yellow). If a Section or paragraph is not listed below, no text changes apply as a result of this amendment. See new Attachment J.9 for additional notes/clarifications to Offerors.

SECTION J - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

Attachment Number

Attachment Title Number of Pages

J.9 Summary of Questions and Answers

L.5 PROPOSAL FORMAT

PAGE LIMITS: Proposal volumes shall adhere to the page count limitations listed below. The page limit includes all narrative, figures, tables, appendices, and all other ancillary materials except for the following items which do NOT count against the proposal page limitations:

• Proposal cover page;

• Table of Contents (limited to one page);

• Blank Divider pages;

• Resumes (limited to two pages each); and

• Letters of intent to participate from proposed subcontractors, consultants, partners, and proposed new hires. Letter of intent are limited to one page each.

NOTE: Do not zip your files as zipped files may automatically be rejected.

L.7 PROPOSAL CONTENT AND CONFIGURATION

Volume II – Business and Price

Part I – Price Information

(b) ID/IQ Labor Rate Chart. Complete the labor rate chart, Attachment J.1A, including the hourly fully burdened rates for all categories listed and for all years. For an Offer to be responsive, the Offeror shall provide labor rates for ALL labor categories and all years identified in the Labor Price Chart schedule (Attachment J.1A). The yearly escalation shall not exceed 2% for each contract year. The Offeror may escalate the rates starting with Year 2, but the annual escalation (i.e., rate increase from year to year) shall not exceed 2%. Values/amounts in the price proposal, specifically the hourly fully burdened rates for the labor categories, shall be

Amendment 0001 rounded to the closest whole dollar amount, with cents omitted. The labor rate tables shall be submitted within the Adobe PDF file and in a separate unlocked version of Microsoft Excel.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: The hourly labor rates reflect fully-burdened hourly rates for each labor category with all proportional overhead, fringe, profit/fee, G&A, etc. The labor rates per labor category represent the blended hourly rates, which means to include Contractor employee labor, subcontractor employee labor, and consultant labor.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: The Government’s required labor categories are included in Attachment J.1 for all Offerors as input to the cost/price proposal preparation using Attachment J.1A. Price proposals must adhere to the pricing structure established in Attachment J.1A.

Offerors shall complete the tabs and tables in Attachment J.1A as presented in the RFP without amendment (i.e. inclusion or subdivision of labor categories) of categories. Offerors shall complete the tables in Tabs 1 to 4 of Attachment J.1A as presented in the RFP without amendment (i.e. without inclusion or subdivision of labor categories). However, based on the Offeror’s proposed staffing mix and level of effort for TO 0001, the Offeror may modify the tables in Tabs 5 to 10 to include other staff. Separate tables for subcontractors are not permitted.

Resulting awards will include Tabs 1 and 2 of Attachment J.1A with the accepted Contractor loaded labor rates inserted in the pricing table.

(c) Task Order 0001 Price Proposal: Complete the Schedule of Services in Attachment J.1A. Labor categories and hourly labor rate ceilings governing Task Order 0001 conform to labor category descriptions in Attachment J.1 and the Offeror’s proposed billing rates in the ID/IQ Labor Rate Chart in Attachment J.1A. The proposed ID/IQ hourly labor rates are the maximum burdened rates allowable for Task Order 0001. The tables in Tabs 5 through 10 within Attachment J.1.A may be modified to add other staff for Task Order 0001 as needed. The Contractor may elect to propose lower hourly rates on Task Order 0001. Values/amounts in price proposal shall be rounded to the closest whole dollar amount, with cents omitted. Offerors are directed to propose unburdened reimbursable travel costs in an amount up to $50,000 per year and unburdened ODCs costs in the amount of $200,000 per year. Note that travel time will not be considered direct labor or chargeable hours. The completed Attachment J.1A shall be submitted as an unlocked version of Microsoft Excel.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: See Attachment J.9, Question 5, for further clarification on how to prepare the price proposal for Task Order 0001.

Attachment J.9

RFP No. 693JJ321R000002

ATTACHMENT J.9

“Summary of Questions and Answers”

The purpose of this document is to summarize Questions & Answers regarding Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 693JJ321R000002 received from potential Offerors. Questions may have been organized into sections, paraphrased and/or combined for clarity. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-8, Order of Precedence – Uniform Contract Format (OCT 1997) applies.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1) Question: Is the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) amenable to an extension of the submission date by two weeks to Monday, April 19? Given the requirements for identifying multiple key personnel a short 30-day proposal writing period will constrain the ability of offerors to propose the best candidates who are also willing to make long-term career commitments to this award.

FHWA Response: No, the FHWA does not anticipate extending the RFP proposal due date/time.

2) Question: Is FHWA amenable to an extension of the due date for questions to Wednesday, March 17? While we have identified some initial questions, the ability to gain clarity from DOT on proposal expectations once we are further into the process will allow for offerors to provide more responsive proposals that will benefit FHWA and ensure a fair competition for all.

FHWA Response: Additional questions/comments may be submitted by 9:00AM (ET) on Monday, March 22, 2021. However, the Government does not guarantee a timely response.

See Section L.10 for further instructions on how to submit questions/comments.

QUESTIONS ON SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES/PRICES

3) Question: In section B.2, the RFP states that the fully burdened ceiling rates accepted at the time of the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) award shall serve as the basis for all future year pricing. Per FAR 52.216-7 (in Section I.1), we will submit annual incurred cost proposals, which will include actual indirect rates and actual costs incurred on government contracts for each fiscal year. Is there a process for proposing updated hourly labor rates during the contract based on changes in indirect rates (fringe, overhead, or G&A) in order to prevent substantial over- or under-billing of costs?

FHWA Response: The proposed fully-burdened labor hour ceiling rates for this ID/IQ are the fixed price unit of issue. Therefore, there is no need to specify the indirect rates that apply to the fully-burdened labor hour ceiling rates. The fully burdened labor hour ceiling rates that are proposed, and accepted at the time of award, will remain in effect for the duration of the ID/IQ (refer to Section L.7 for information on allowable escalation). The FAR clause 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, is referring only to the reimbursement of materials (as defined in the clause at 52.232-7) at actual cost. Per Section B.2 of the RFP, travel and materials shall be reimbursed at cost. Inclusion of indirect burden amounts (i.e., indirect rates) or fee on material costs, including travel expenses, is not allowable.

QUESTIONS ON SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

4) Question: The RFP states that the costs incurred to organize and attend the kick-off meeting and in administrative reporting are unallowable direct costs under the contract and, therefore, cannot be charged as direct costs to the Government. Please confirm that these costs are allowable indirect costs. (REF: Section C.5, C.6)

FHWA Response: Contractors are to handle such costs in accordance with their cost accounting systems and/or disclosure statements.

QUESTIONS ON SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO

OFFERORS

5) Question: The Government’s instructions in Attachment J.1.A. note that “the Offeror may propose additional labor categories if deemed necessary.” This instruction appears to be in conflict with Section L.7 of the RFP, which states on page 71 that “Offerors shall complete the tabs and tables in Attachment J.1A as presented in the RFP without amendment (i.e.

inclusion or subdivision of labor categories) of categories.” Please confirm that offerors can add rows and columns for additional labor categories beyond the two “Other Labor Category, if Proposed” rows/columns already on the “TO 0001 Summary LOE” tab and each of the “Year 1 Detailed LOE tabs”. (REF: Section L.7, Attachment J.1.A)

FHWA Response: In Attachment J.1A Tab 1, entitled “On-Site IDIQ Rates”, and Tab 2, entitled “Off-Site IDIQ Rates,” are to be used to propose the ID/IQ Labor Rates. Tabs 3 to 10 of Attachment J.1A are to be used for the Task Order 0001 price proposal. Tabs 1 and 2 of Attachment J.1A must adhere to the pricing structure established, and Offerors must complete the ID/IQ Labor Rate Chart as presented without amendment (i.e. without inclusion or subdivision of labor categories). Thus, Offerors must not add rows and/or columns for additional labor categories to the ID/IQ Labor Rate Chart in Tabs 1 and 2.

However, based on the Offeror’s proposed staffing mix and level of effort for TO 0001, the Offeror may modify the tables in Tabs 5 to 10 to include other staff in addition of the Program Manager, the Lab Manager and the Communications Manager. Any other proposed staff for Task Order 0001 must conform with the labor categories descriptions in Attachment J.1. If proposing other staff, Offerors must use the labor categories in Attachment J.1 and shall not create new labor categories. The hourly labor rate ceilings governing Task Order 0001 must conform with the Offeror’s proposed billing rates in the ID/IQ Labor Rate Chart in Attachment J.1A. See the amended RFP text to deconflict instructions.

6) Question: The RFP states that all offers must address the approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in Transportation Acquisition Regulations (TAR) clause 1252.239-70. Can the government please provide copies of the Federal and DOT policies and procedures with which the security plan is required to comply?

Additionally, can the government please provide a copy of DOT Order 1350.2 detailing the accreditation requirements?

FHWA Response: The TAR clause can be located at https://www.acquisition.gov/tar. See TAR 1252.239-70(b) for applicable Federal and DOT policies and procedures. DOT Orders can be located at https://www.transportation.gov/mission/dot-orders. Note that DOT Order 1630.2B was replaced by DOT Order 1630.2C.

7) Question: The table of contents would enable the reader and evaluator to more easily identify and find RFP requirements addressed in the proposal. We recommend that the Table of Contents, TOC, DOES NOT count toward against Page Count. (REF: Section L.5)

FHWA Response: Understood. Offerors may include a Table of Contents, which will not count toward Page Count. The Table of Contents, however, must not exceed one page.

8) Question: Please confirm the font size also applies to text within the tables/diagrams.

“Footnotes, legends, or labels associated with tables or diagrams shall be Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial font, with size not less than 10 points.” (REF: Section L.5(d))

FHWA Response: Correct. Text within tables and diagrams must adhere to a font size no less than 10 points.

9) Question: Will the list of personnel who wrote the proposal be outside the page count? We recommend that the list of personnel who wrote the proposal DOES NOT count against Page Count. “The offeror shall indicate in Volume I of the proposal, the name(s) and titles(s) of the person(s) who wrote the proposal and his/her relationship to the offering organization.” (REF: Section L.7)

FHWA Response: No change. An exception to page count limitations will not be made for the listing of those who wrote the proposal and his/her relationship to the offering organization.

10) Question: Offerors cannot escalate at or below 2% and maintain rates that are rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount. To resolve this issue, we request that the Government allow labor rates to be bid without rounding. REF. TEXT: “The yearly escalation shall not exceed 2% for each contract year. Values/amounts in price proposal, specifically the hourly fully burdened rates for the labor categories, shall be rounded to the closest whole dollar amount, with cents omitted.” (REF: Section L.7)

FHWA Response: Offerors may escalate the labor hour rates on an annual basis starting on Year 2. Per the RFP, the annual labor rate escalation (i.e., rate increase from year to https://www.acquisition.gov/tar https://www.transportation.gov/mission/dot-orders year) shall not exceed 2%. Cents must be omitted from the proposed values; therefore, offerors must round an amount to the nearest whole dollar.

QUESTIONS ON SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

11) Question: The RFP describes the need to provide a small business subcontracting plan in accordance with Section J.4, and that proposals without an adequate plan may not move forward through the various stages of review. However, are there a) specific evaluation criteria connected to the subcontracting plan, b) minimal amounts of small business subcontracting required, c) additional points or weightings available for proposals with high degrees of small business subcontracting, or for offerors who are themselves small businesses?

FHWA Response: Per Section M.2 of the RFP, the subcontracting plan will be evaluated to ensure that the Offeror satisfactorily addressed the requirements/instructions in the Attachment J.4, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, which includes the Government’s goal percentages for planned subcontracting dollars.

12) Question: We respectfully request that the Government provide additional data to assist offerors in preparing their level of effort (LOE). Without quantifiable metrics that describe the amount of work within each statement of work (SOW) element, non-incumbent offerors do not have enough information to properly assign labor categories and hours. For example

– in Task 2.3, how many demonstrations are supported each month? Similarly, in Task 3.2, how much graphics work is requested by the COR, and how many presentations are expected, and at what specific technical levels? These are just a few examples of data non-incumbents need without a fully defined historical LOE that provides estimated labor categories and hours. REF. TEXT: The Technical Capability Evaluation includes the following criteria: “The Task Order 0001 Proposal demonstrates a realistic staffing mix and level of effort for the work to be performed. (REF: Section M.2)

FHWA Response: See Attachment J.1.B, PWS for TO0001, for the Government’s level of effort estimates for Tasks 2 and 3, as well as estimates for travel and ODCs. Attachment J.3, STOL II Task Order History, is also provided to assist with defining the historical level of effort. Additionally, the supplemental data below is provided to be indicative of work performed but should not be considered an exhaustive list. Based on historical needs and work performed, typical work during one year of performance may include, but not limited to, the following activities:

• Lab Tours – 35 supported.

• Conferences – 14 (including TRB, AVS, SXSW, SAE World Congress, ITS America).

• Presentations – 15 (These were primarily high-level presentations, as opposed to technical, with information for the Office Director to use in briefings to FHWA and DOT leadership, as well as for presentations at conferences.)

• Publications – Contributed to and featured in four (4) issues of Public Roads Magazine appearing on 26 pages.

• Outreach – 12 Fact Sheets developed, 15 more in development, 5 Post Cards developed.

• Webpages – 13 webpages developed/updated.

• Research Showcase – Provided event support including communications and logistical.

support for FHWA Research Showcase at DOT Headquarters – Approx. 20 booths.

• Renovated Lab Space – Provided design and layout support for expanded Lab Space including modernized and upgraded workstations.

• Organized and inventoried lab space and equipment – Included working with COR and

Government Property Manager to surplus obsolete/damaged equipment and add new equipment to the inventory.

• Lab Safety Plan – Developed plan, provided Job Hazard Analysis, assessed training requirements, made sure staff was knowledgeable about the safety plan and maintained training records.

Note, this list serves as a sample of work completed during one performance year. The list is indicative of the type of work that might be performed, but not exhaustive. Some of the work will be recurring on an annual basis, such as tours, presentations, publications, lab inventory. Other work could occur less frequently and may be a onetime occurrence. For example, providing event support for FHWA Research Showcase, which is not a recurring event.