Oversight RFQ Questions and Answers.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 12 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Post-Accident Toxicological Testing Oversight
- Solicitation number
- 693JJ626Q000027
About this file
This file is a Questions and Answers document addressing clarifications on the Federal Railroad Administration's Request for Quote (RFQ) 693JJ626Q000027 for Post-Accident Toxicological Testing (PATT) Oversight services. The RFQ seeks a small-business set-aside Purchase Order for technical and scientific oversight specializing in forensic toxicology, laboratory testing procedures, proficiency testing, and 49 CFR Part 219/Part 40 compliance review services. The total estimated value is $2,700,000 covering a 60-month base period plus options, with a potential six-month extension under FAR 52.217-8. The contract will be awarded on a firm-fixed-price basis with monthly installments per Contract Line Item Number (CLIN).
Key clarifications from the Q&A include: resumes for auditors may be submitted as a separate appendix beyond the three-page Volume 2 limit; offerors may propose alternative travel and other direct cost (ODC) quotes within the stated limit; the $2,700,000 does not include the six-month extension value; invoicing will consist of monthly installments; reference laboratories may be selected post-award; all laboratory testing, specimen preparation, shipping, materials, and proficiency-testing costs must be included in the firm-fixed-price quotation; proposed expert consultation must provide response within one to two days or notification within 24 hours; and equivalent certifications to F-ABFT and D-ABFT credentials include National Registry of Certified Chemists (NRCC) or Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT). Additionally, the government clarified that certain SOW language regarding locomotive engine testing was included inadvertently, FAR 52.222-43 and 52.222-44 were removed as they do not apply, and SF 30 and SF 1449 forms are not required.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Synopsis Solicitation Amendment 1.pdf | ||
| Attachment 1 - Statement of Work.pdf | ||
| Attachment 2 - Pricing Sheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Synopsis Solicitation - RFQ.pdf |
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Text version
Cahill Swift
| Question | Answer | |
| Can FRA provide page limits on each section, as well as an overall total? In particular, please confirm: (a) whether the Volume 1 cover letter is subject to a page limit; and (b) whether the auditor resumes required by SOW Section C.3(a) count against the three-page limit for Volume 2 or may be provided as a separate appendix? | There is not necessarily a page limit, unless otherwise stated. The cover letter should cover the information listed, but any detail should be provided in the subsequent parts. The resumes can be included as a separate appendix. | |
| Section 2.3.1 (Cover Letter) items 7 and 8 refer to SF 30 and SF 1449. Are these requiredcomponents of the cover letter? If so, please detail how SF 1449 Sections 23 and 24 should be filled out? | ||
| Is the Travel/ODC listed on the pricing sheet a firm amount or can offerors provide a different quote? Additionally, should the $80,000 travel amount for the six-month FAR 52.217-8 extension period be prorated to reflect the six-month duration (i.e., to $40,000) | The travel amount listed should be the limit, but offerors can provide a different quote | |
| Section 2.3.2, Prior Experience Question (a), references experience “designing and conducting laboratory and in-revenue field tests on active locomotive engines across varying environmental conditions.” This does not appear to correspond to any requirement in the SOW. Please confirm whether this element applies to this procurement or should be disregarded. | This should be disregarded | |
| FAR 52.222-43 and 52.222-44 (Service Contract Labor Standards price adjustment) are included in the clause list, but no wage determination is attached to the RFQ. Please confirm whether the Service Contract Labor Standards apply to this requirement and, if so, provide the applicable wage determination. | ||
| Invoicing and payment structure. Please confirm the anticipated invoicing frequency and structure under the Firm-Fixed-Price CLINs (e.g., equal monthly installments per CLIN versus deliverable-based billing). Additionally, clause list includes FAR 52.212-4 Alternate I, which FAR 12.301(b)(3) prescribes only for time-and-materials or labor-hour acquisitions. Because the | ||
| resulting award is contemplated as a firm-fixed-price purchase order, please confirm that the basic version of FAR 52.212-4 (Nov 2023) will be incorporated in lieu of Alternate I. | Montly installments and yes only the basic version of FAR 52.212-4 will be incorporated | |
| Total estimated value and price evaluation. Please confirm whether the $2,700,000 total estimated value stated on page 1 of the RFQ reflects the 60-month base-plus-options period or also includes the potential six-month extension under FAR 52.217-8, and confirm how the Government will total price for evaluation purposes (e.g., base period plus all option periods | ||
| plus the 52.217-8 extension amounts). | The $2,700,000 total estimated value reflects the 60-month base-plus-oiptions period, it does include the potential for a six month extension |
Human Element
| Question | Answer |
| Section 2.3.2 requires at least two of the three prior-experience examples to represent work performed by the Prime Quoter and permits examples where the Quoter performed as a subcontractor. Please clarify whether the requirement for at least two prior-experience examples performed by the Prime Quoter may include relevant work performed by the Quoter as a subcontractor, or whether those two examples must represent contracts where the Quoter served as the prime contractor. | Experience where the Quoter is the subcontractor is acceptable. The important thing is the experience in the relavent tasks. |
| For purposes of the inspection-team qualification requirement, please identify what certifications or professional credentials FRA considers equivalent to the specified F-ABFT and D-ABFT credentials, and whether FRA will evaluate equivalency based on credentialing organization, education, professional experience, or a combination thereof. | An equivalent certification for ABFT would be a credential from the National Registry of Certified Chemists (NRCC) or the Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT). |
| Please confirm whether the required forensic toxicology credentials may be satisfied by qualified personnel employed by a proposed subcontractor, provided those individuals are identified as members of the Quoter’s proposed inspection team. | Yes, that is how it the forensic toxicologists are accessed by the current contractor. That is, as individual subcontractors. |
| Please clarify whether relevant experience performed by proposed key personnel while employed by another organization may be submitted as Prime Quoter experience under Factor 1, or whether Prime Quoter experience must have been performed contractually by the legal entity submitting the quotation. | While it would be ideal for the experience to be attained while employed by the quoter, it is acceptable for the previous relevent experience to occur with a different organization. The most important thing is that the personnel are able to sucessfully peform the needed tasks. |
| Factor 1(a) requests experience designing and conducting laboratory and in-revenue field tests on active locomotive engines across varying environmental conditions. Please confirm whether this experience is applicable to the PATT Oversight requirement and will be evaluated under Factor 1, or whether this language was included inadvertently. | That sentence appears to have been included inadvertly from another FRA requirement. |
| Please clarify whether the Quoter is expected to identify and commit the proposed reference laboratory or laboratories at the time of quotation, or whether reference laboratories may be selected and approved after award. | Reference laboratories may be selected and approved post-award. Please provide experience with and/or knowledge of the split sample testing process. |
| Please confirm whether all reference-laboratory testing, specimen preparation, shipping, materials, and associated proficiency-testing costs are expected to be included within the Quoter’s Firm-Fixed-Price quotation. | Yes, the costs should be included in the firm-fixed-price quotation |
| For pricing and staffing purposes, can FRA provide the anticipated locations, historical locations, or reasonable geographic assumptions for the three annual laboratory inspections and five annual Class 1 Railroad Part 219 compliance reviews? | The laboratory is being separately competed so the exact location of the laboratory inspections can not be determined at this time. Some of the possible locations for the compliance reviews includes Omaha, NE, Ft. Worth, TX, Jacksonville, FL, and Washington, D.C. However the amount of contractor support is determined on a case by case basis. |
| Please clarify FRA’s expected response time for the 7-day-a-week/extended-hour expert consultation requirement, including whether FRA requires a specific maximum response time for initial verbal consultation and whether dedicated on-call coverage is expected. | Within a day or two for most questions, and at least a notification of the receipt of the inquiry within 24 hours |
| Section 2.3.1 (Cover Letter) items 7 and 8 refer to SF 30 and SF 1449. Are these requiredcomponents of the cover letter? If so, please detail how SF 1449 Sections 23 and 24 should be filled out? | In this instance I did not include an SF 1449, so I removed that language from the Synopsis/solicitation instructions. Whie there will be an amendment to the RFQ, at the discretion of the CO,no SF-30 will be required. |
| FAR 52.222-43 and 52.222-44 (Service Contract Labor Standards price adjustment) are included in the clause list, but no wage determination is attached to the RFQ. Please confirm whether the Service Contract Labor Standards apply to this requirement and, if so, provide the applicable wage determination | FAR 52.222-43 and 52.222-44 were provided in error and have been removed from the RFQ. This requirement does not fall under the Service Contract Labor Standards. |
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