A0002_UC Solicitation Questions and Answers.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- 70CDCR23R00000006
- Issued by
-
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
About this file
This document contains questions and answers regarding solicitation number 70CDCR23R00000006 from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for unaccompanied children and family unit transportation services. The solicitation seeks a contractor to provide ground, air, and medical transportation for migrants and families between intake centers, hospitals, ports of entry, hub sites, and other facilities nationwide. Key requirements include operating a travel management system, maintaining a fleet of vehicles including buses over 15 passengers, providing drivers and child and family protection care specialists, and obtaining necessary licenses and permits in all states of operation. The contractor must also handle all food service needs, maintain medical supplies, and provide registered nurses on international flights transporting over 100 passengers.
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| Number | Reference | Question Category | Question | Response |
| 1 | Section L, Vol I, Page 81 | Contract | Section L-6 limits the Corporate Experience to 12 pages; does a cover page, executive summary and table of contents count against the limit? | Section L.4 General Proposal Submission Instructions states, "Cover/Title, glossaries, definitions, and similar reference-type material are acceptable in the written volumes, and do not count towards the associated page limits." Accordingly, the cover page and table of contents would not count towards the page limit. However, the executive summary would count towards the page limit. |
| 2 | Section L, Vol 1, Page 81 | Contract | Do Corporate experience references have to be for contracts performed for at least one year (to match past performance references)? | No, however at least one Corporate Experience must meet the requirements of the Past Performance reference. Otherwise the vendor is required to demonstrate relevant experience performing projects similar in size, scope, and complexity to this requirement. |
For Factor 1, the offeror will be evaluated on the extent to which the offeror has demonstrated the qualifications and corporate experience in performing work similar to this requirement. If an offeror feels that any particular reference can demonstrate the qualifications then it is on the offeror to make that business decision, and the government's evaluation team will evaluate based on the information in M.7
| 3 | Section L, Vol 1, Page 81 | Contract | Do the corporate experience references have to match the Phase II Past Performance references? | In accordance with Section L.7 Volume IV - Past Performance (Factor 4), at least one past performance reference shall be a reference from Volume I - Factor I Corporate Experience. Accordingly, one Corporate Experience reference must also be submitted for Past Performance at a minimum. |
| 4 | Section L, Vol 1, Page 81 | Contract | Government Points of Contact (COR/CO) for corporate experience referenced projects change over time; do we list the last known COR or CO in our reference? | Yes, the last known points of contact (COR/CO) should be submitted with the corporate experience references. |
| 5 | Section L, Vol 1, Page 81 | Contract | A contractor may have references from performance periods that are more than 5 years old at the start of the reference. If a portion (such as 6 months of a final option period) of the experience is less than 5 years old, is that an acceptable reference? | The Volume I - Corporate Experience (Factor 1) paragraph of Section L.6 limits submission to projects "completed" within the last five (5) years. As long as the project's period of performance was active within the last five (5) years, it may be submitted as corporate experience. |
| 6 | Section L, Vol 1, Page 81 | Contract | The difference between ground and air transport is the “mode of transportation”. If a contractor has extensive experience in arranging for and transporting migrants but little to no experience in transporting by air, will that disqualify an offeror from Phase II? | We cannot say "yes" or "no" to this hypothecia circumstance. |
The Government will evaluate and assign a confidence rating in accordance with the solicitation for each factor based on information contained within the vendor's proposal. The references are required to demonstrate relevant experience performing projects similar in size, scope, and complexity to this requirement.
7 Section L, Phase 1, Vol II, Page 82 Contract In addition to providing a MS Word or PDF format document, can the offeror submit a web link within the MS Word or PDF formatted document so the committee can watch the Travel Management System (TMS) work in real time? No, the vendor's submission must be wholly contained within the MS Word or PDF document.
Screenshots are acceptable.
| 8 | L.4, Page 80 | Contract | L.4 states that font size smaller than 12-point may be used for graphics and tables. Can the USG confirm this can also be used for headers, footers and on the cover page? | In accordance with section L.4 General Proposal Submission Instructions, 12 point-font shall be used except for graphics and tables. Accordingly, headers, footers, and cover page shall use 12 point-font. |
| 9 | L.6, Page 81 | Contract | L.6 lists a 12 page maximum Volume page count, with a 4 page maximum per reference page count. Will the USG confirm that if the 4 page maximum is not utilized, that the additional page count (up to 12) can be used for introductory narrative? | USG confirms that introductory narrative may be incorporated. However, the submission must comply with the 12 page maximum. |
| 10 | L.6, Page 82 | Contract | L.6 states that at a minimum, the offeror should address “corporate infrastructure and available resources (facilities, vehicles, staff, etc.)”. However, this is not easily presented within our 3 experience references. Will the USG allow a 2-page introduction to the Corporate Experience section to highlight our corporate infrastructure and available resources? | No. The volume I page limit is a maximum, with a four pages maximum per |
reference project. If the offeror chooses they may address other elements, such as corporate resources and infrastructure within the overall 12 page limit outside the individual references.
| 11 | L.7 Proposal Instructions | Contract | Will Past Performance Questionnaires be accepted if returned prior to the vendor Down Select? i.e. Can the questionnaires be sent out now? | Past performance questionnaires shall not be submitted until the Phase II proposals are due and will not be evaluated before Phase II. |
| 12 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 9.1.2.4 | Technical - Equipment | Transportation staff are equiped with cellular telephones - will this suffice? | A smart cell phone will suffice, or other type of technology capable of meeting the requirements. |
| 13 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 9.9 | Technical - Hub/Site Offices | Do all mission requests originate from the four listed hub locations? | No, the transport requests may originate from anywhere in the United States or territories. |
| 14 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 9.9 | Technical - Hub/Site Offices | What percentage of mission requests originate from a site other than the listed hub locations? | Less than 5% of mission requests originate from a site other than the hub locations. |
| 15 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 9.1.2 | Technical - Ground Transport | Will large capacity vehicles (>15 passenger) be needed for this contract? | Yes, large capacity vehicles (>15 passengers) will be required for this contract. Vehicles such as buses will need to be used for both local and long haul trips. For efficiency purposes local trips near the hub may be required with multiple drop offs in a single trip. |
It is incumbent on the offeror to devise and propose the best approach to meet the requirements of the PWS, including utilizing their own transportation resources, chartering resources, etc.
16 Att.1 PWS, Section C, 3 Technical - Scope In FY22, individuals were transported 2.7 million miles. Could you provide a breakdown of mileage from each hub location? The program offices does not have data broken down by hub location. However, we are currently collecting a breakdown of transportation for the last twelve months. We are sanitizing PII from the list and getting it ready for distribution. As the detailed historical data does not impact the volumes or evaluation of Phase I, this information will be provided in Phase II.
| 17 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 9.1.2 | Technical - Ground Transport | Will the use of rental car services and transportation services, i.e Uber, Lyft, etc., be permitted? | Yes |
| 18 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 15.1 | Contract - Equipment | Will the Government provide GPS, audio/visual equipment, cell phones? | No, the Government will not provide GPS, audio/visual equipment, or cell phones. The only equipment the government will provide are laptops for data entry in the government network. |
| 19 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 13.2.1 | Technical - Incumbent staff list | Are the uncumbent staff members of a union? | No |
| 20 | Att.1 PWS, Section C, 13.1 | Contract - Transition In | Upon award, the contractor will incur activation expenses (ie. commercial space, recrutment and hiring, etc.). Will activation costs be reimbursable on their own in a separate clin? | The activation costs are anticipated to be part of the Transition-In CLIN. |
| 21 | Section C, PWS, Safeguarding of Sensitive Information Pages 66-75, as well as, Section H.13. | Technical - IT | "Each individual employed under the contract shall be a citizen of the United States of America, or a noncitizen who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence as evidenced by a Permanent Resident Card (USCIS I-551). Any exceptions must be approved by the Department’s Chief Security Officer or designee." Does the following section apply to employees located at the Contractor's corporate office that provide support to the site. “Sensitive Information Limited to U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents” | Yes, this applies to all employees under this contract or support staff that would have access to the sensitive information or access to the noncitizens being transported. |
| 22 | Section C, PWS, Safeguarding of Sensitive Information Pages 66-75, as well as, Section H.7, Sub-Section e | Technical - IT | "Authority to Operate. The contractor shall not input, store, process, output, and/or transmit sensitive information within a contractor IT system without an Authority to Operate (ATO) signed by the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, in consultation with the Headquarters or Component Privacy Officer. Unless otherwise specified in the ATO letter, the ATO is valid for three (3) years. The contractor shall adhere to current government policies, procedures, and guidance for the Security Authorization (SA) process as defined below." Is the expectation here that the facility must receive an ATO as well as the Contractor’s data center where all information is stored. If so, is the provider expected to achieve an ATO for all systems that hold any government information based on a NIST 800-53 Moderate level? | Yes, the contractor facility and data center must receive an ATO. |
| 23 | Section C, PWS, Safeguarding of Sensitive Information Pages 66-75, as well as, Section H.8 | Technical - IT | "Applicability. This clause applies to the contractor, its subcontractors, and contractor employees (hereafter referred to collectively as “contractor”). The contractor shall insert the substance of this clause in all subcontracts." Information Technology Security and Privacy Training (MAR 2015). Does this section apply to all employees that may have access to agency information at any of the Contractor's locations? | Yes, it applies to all employees that may have access to agency information. |
| 24 | Section C, PWS, Safeguarding of Sensitive Information Pages 66-75, as well as, Section H.7, Sub-Section e | Technical - IT | Award of the contract assumes a provisional ATO until the Agency AO has the resources and time to work as a partner throughout the authorization process. Without a defined compliance framework and outside the security control library within NIST SP 800-53, 4300A DHS Sensitive System Policy, and DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook, all efforts will be made to work with the contractor and Agency AO to define a compliance framework suitable to the type of information contained within the information system taking into consideration the increased physical security of the sites. Independent assessment of the self-defined framework must be completed annually by the Contractor with the first assessment happening after the partnership between the Agency and Contractor have a signed ATO at the end of the SA process. | There was no question asked. |
| 25 | 9.4.3. UC or FAMU Arrival at ORR Facility or Other Location | Technical - Medical | Upon the UC’s arrival, the receiving ORR care provider or other location the contractor shall: Ensure receipt of sufficient medication supply, and ensure a refill is obtained, if required. The apprehending agency should fill the perception if the apprehending agency medical clearance mentions of a medication before taking over custody. In an occasion that during transport the individual is taken to urgent care or emergency room, the contractor will assist with filling the prescription. Question: Will the contractor be reimbursed for required prescription filling/refilling? | Yes, costs for prescription fills/refills will be reimbursed at cost under the Other Cost CLIN (X003). |
| 26 | 2. 10.4.13. Medical Support Staff | Technical - Medical | For clarification, will a registered nurse with the listed qualifications be required to be present on all ground and air transports? If yes, will there be a required ratio of nurse to UC/FAMU? | No, nurses will not be required on all transports. International flights will require one nurse for flights below 100 passengers. For flights above 100 passengers, two nurses are required. |
We may require at least one nurse on missions with a large number of individuals, or for special cases, such as passengers with disability.
Medical staff such as this are reimbursed at cost in the applicable surge CLIN.
| 27 | Att.1 PWS, 9.10.1, Page 21 | Technical - Food Service | What is average time people are under our care? Do all meals originate from the four Hub sites? | Average time in custody for FY'22 was 6.20hrs. Most of the meals originate from the four site/hub locations, but if we pick up at a site other than 4 hubs the meals must be purchased there. |
| 28 | Att.1 PWS, 9.10.3, Page 21 | Technical - Food Service | What is the maximum amount of additional portions allowed per person per meal? | There is no limit on the number of meals. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) stipulates that UCs or FAMUs should have ready access to meals, snacks and water. |
| 29 | Att.1 PWS, 9.10.5, Page 21 | Technical - Food Service | Is there historical data on average daily number of special diets requested? Is there a breakdown on types and quantity of all special diets? | This is heavily dependent on many factors, including the population that is entering the program and demographics at the time. For example, in 2022, there was a large demand for special meals due to the influx of Afghan refugees, however this demand dropped off the following year. The government is not able to accurately predict the immigration populations that may arise during performance. |
Currently we estimate about 1% or less of about 269K transports annually require special diet requests.
| 30 | Att.1 PWS, 9.10.7, Page 21 | Technical - Food Service | If transport entails more than one meal period, how is contractor able to comply with the standard of supplying three meals a day, two of which are hot? | Most of these meals are in transit. The meals will need to be purchased and logged by the transport staff who will track the meals and time the food is provided. |
| 31 | Att.1 PWS, 9.10.11, Page 21 | Technical - Food Service | ICE Family Residential Standards require at least two meals a day be hot. Does this apply while in transit? | Yes, this applies while in transit. |
| 32 | L.5, Page 79 | Contract | Upon receipt of an Advisory Down Select notification, how much time does the Government anticipate giving bidders to submit Volume III, IV, and V? For example, if notifications are issued August 25th, when will Volumes III, IV, and V will be due? | The amount of time to be provided for Phase II submission is not known at this time. However, the Government intends on providing sufficient time between the Advisory Down Select notification and the Phase II submission to ensure high quality submissions. |
| 33 | L.6, Page 81 | Contract | Confirming that for Volume I, Corporate Experience, that subcontractor past performance can be used to demonstrate team experience for this scope. | Previous corporate experience obtained as a subcontractor may be submitted, however it would benefit the vendor to provide a clear explanation and delineation of the services provided as the subcontractor (not just what the prime contractor did) to meet the recruitments of the Volume I submission. |
| 34 | L.6, Page 81 | Contract | Looking for clarity on the reference projects to be used in Volume I corporate experience. Understand that Offerors are supposed to map the relevancy between Prime/Sub project references to that of this UC/FAMU transportation contract. Does this Volume I requirement differ from Volume IV Past Performance where we again are supposed to map relevancy with this UC/FAMU transportation contract? We are just looking for clarity on how Volume I and Volume IV differ. Or is it ICE's expectation that Volume IV is a shorter narrative to what is proposed in Volume I? | Volume I - Corporate Experience looks at the vendor's experience at performing projects of similar size, scope, and complexity. Whereas Volume IV past performance is a measure of how well the vendor satisfied the customer, adhered to applicable federal, state, and local laws/regulations, and conducted its business in an ethical manner. |
| 35 | L.6, Page 82 | Technical | Would the Government like to see screenshots of the data management system? | This is acceptable within your submission and counts within the page limits. |
| 36 | L.7, Page 83 | Contract | Given the importance of the travel management system in Phase I, would the Government like this to be addressed in its oral presentation through a short demonstration in Phase II? This will allow ICE the certainty that a system is working and viable and not just a concept on paper. | This question addresses elements only applicable to Phase II and per the RFP will not be addressed. |
| 37 | L.7, Page 84 | Contract | For Volume IV only, "Offerors shall provide information for no more than three (3) recent and relevant contracts in which they served as the prime contractor or subcontractor for services of at least one (1) year in duration…." Many adjacent contracts to this DHS ICE transportation contract supporting UCs and FAMUs have been sole sourced given the immediate nature of the required services. Those sole source contracts are highly relevant to this Program and can typically have a period of performance of under one-year of performance. We ask that the Government please consider removing the requirement for one full year of support in order to submit these highly relevant transportation contracts. The answer will drive Offerors' selection of Phase I past performance references that will be used for Phase II. | The Government intends to keep the one year period of performance requirement. The one year period of performance allows the Government to make a better evaluation of the quality of performance for Volume IV references. |
| 38 | PWS 9.1, Page 12 | Technical | "The use of global positioning system (GPS) devices such as phone or tablets shall be required." Is the GPS devices for the tracking of buses, vans, and air transportation? Or are the GPS devices to track the location of the CFPCS and UCs/FAMUs? | The GPS is for tracking both the fleet's transport vehicles and the teams. |
| 39 | PWS 3.0, Page 7 | Technical | Does the Government require a travel management system that also tracks the transportation of each UC or FAMU in real time that the Government can access? | The contractor will be required to have a system/database to track all transports. The government will also issue government laptops for specific data entry into the government system. |
| 40 | PWS 9.1.2.2, Page 13 | Technical | Does the Government require access to the data produced by the GPS tracking software for its Fleet? Does the Government require real time data to the location of each bus/van? | Yes, it shall be accessible to the government and in real time. |
| 41 | PWS 9.22.2, Page 34 | Technical | "Real-time access to live data will be provided to the COR and his/her designee, and other ICE staff as directed." Is it the Government's expectation that they will need to see real time GPS data? | Yes, the Government expects to see real time data. |
| 42 | Final PWS, Paragraph 7 - Page # 10 | Technical | Can the Government provide the estimated number of trips and locations (originination and final destination) for transportation of UCs and FAMUs with special needs or disabilities? | No we do not collect the data for populations with special diet needs but estimate about 1% or less of about 269K transports. |
| 43 | Final PWS, Paragraph 9.23 - Page # 38-39 | Technical | Can the Government provide the total number of helpdesk tickets initiated and closed on current system(s)? | The Government does not have access to this data. The contractor is responsible for providing the Transportation Management system that PWS Section 9.23 falls within. The Government does not issue helpdesk ticks into this system. The Government does not input data into this system, only have read-only access to monitor, research, reporting, quality control, etc. |
| 44 | Final PWS, Paragraph 9.23 and Pricing Template - Page # 38-39 | Technical | We see a single Information Technology (IT) Labor Catergory, IT specialist in the governement provided pricing template? Does the government intend to include IT help desk technician(s), system administrator(s) and/or cyber secruity specialist(s) in the scope? | A help desk technician can be included under IT but not system admins or cyber security specialist. |
| 45 | PWS /8.1 / Page 10 | Technical | Other than Arizona an Texas what states will the contractor be operating in and need state licensing? | Performance of this contract is nationwide. States have various and diverse transportation and business regulations, licensing requirements, insurance, etc. The contractor is responsible for meeting all state and federal license requirements to ensure performance across all areas where performance is required. |
| 46 | PWS /9.1.2.6 / Page 15 | Technical | "CFPCS shall be limited to 50 hours, maximum, driving time per work week of seven days with 70 hours, maximum" Does this mean no more than 70 hours of any work for the week? | The PWS has been updated to reflect a maximum of 10 hours driving time per day. |
This maximum does not impact other work that is performance while not driving.
| 47 | PWS /9.1.2.6 / Page 14 | Technical | "For those instances in which a UC or family member that requires a child safety seat (car seat or booster as required by Federal, state and local law), make sure the car seat or booster is properly installed and appropriate seat restraints devices are properly used and secure." Is the contactor responcable for providing the Car seat / boooster seat? | Yes, the contractor must provide the car seats and/or booster seats appropriate to the child's age and weight. |
| 48 | PWS / 9.9 / page 20 | Contract | Do you have a list of locatins for the current hubs/site office(s)? | For security reasons, the Government does not release the addresses of the hubs/site offices. However, the hubs/sites are within the cities listed within Section 9.9 of the PWS. |
| 49 | PWS / 9.13 / page 23 | Technical | Is this different than the Hubs/sit office(s) in 9.9? | It's the same as hub/site offices. |
| 50 | PWS / 14 Background Inv / page 60 | Technical | Would a current Secret Clearance (DOD) be considered a adequate, current investigation by another federal agency, for reciprocity? | It depends, a DOD secret will still have to go through our Personnel Security Division reviews either level T3 or T4 investigation. Our Personnel division will still look at derogatory information that may have come up from the last date of investigation. |
| 51 | PWS / 9.22.1 / Page 34 | Technical | What Data base is currently being used? | This would be the contractor's system which captures all the transport data. The Government will not share specific name of the incumbent's system due to it being part of their approach. Offerors are recommended to use their business judgement to propose a system which can meet the requirements of the PWS. |
| 52 | Attachment 2 | Technical | Is there a Union? If so can we get a copy of the CBA? | See response to #19 |
| 53 | Attachment 6 | Contract | Will the government provide a copy of the senortity list of incumbent staff in order to accurately capture vacation hours per SCA/WD requirements? | The government cannot guarantee it will have access to a seniority list of incumbent staff, therefore it cannot guarantee one will be provided. |
| 54 | PWS /9.16.1.4 / page 25 | Technical | The PWS indicates "basic medical supplies" shall be available. Can the goverment please define a "basic medical supplies. Is this something off the shelf at CVS or an EMT bag? | CFPS will have a basic first aid kit. The government recommends following the Red Cross recommendation for what is included in a first aid kit. |
Further, there is a more specialized kit required for nurses on international flights. This checklist is attached to the RFP.
55 PWS / 10.4.7 / page 47 Technical The PWS 10.4.7 under Duties, notes that the UC/Families are medically cleared. Who performs the medical clearance ahead of travel? Is this part off the contract? The apprehending agency shall provide the medical clearance.
There may be instances where the contractor will be required to get a medical clearance by a nurse, urgent care, emergency clinic, etc. Medical clearance will include summary of any issues identified, medical conditions/disease exposure identified, referral to medical facilities, and medications prescribed. These are infrequent, usually relating to instances where a UC is outside a facility and requires transportation to a new destination.
56 PWS / 10.4.13 / page 50 Technical The PWS notes that medical support staff are required in 10.4.13. No other mention of medical support staff exists within the PWS. 10.4.13 infers that medical support staff (registered nurses) provide medical support on all transports as a medical lead and also “maintains communication with dispatch staff and healthcare providers while assisting patients onsite.” Is the requirement that the contractor provide a Registered Nurse at all sites at all times as well as provide a Registered Nurse on all transports? If not, will the government please advise on the precise requirements for when a Registered Nurse is required? Nurses will not be required on all transports. The COR/Unit Chief/Section Chief will advise contractor on which transports may require a nurse.
Nurses are required on international flights. See response to Question #26
| 57 | PWS / 10.4.13 / page 50 | Technical | The PWS notes that medical support staff are required in 10.4.13 and that they must possess a registered nurse certification. Can paramedics be used in liu of RN's? | Paramedics may not be used in lieu of RNs. It must be a registered nurse. | |
| 58 | PWS/ 9.16 / page28 | Technical | What are the medical records reporting requirements to State authorities and to ICE/ORR | Not applicable. We do not report anything to the State. Any documentation stays within the UC/FAMU file until they reach their destination. | |
| 59 | PWS / 9.16 / page28 | Technical | What is the mechanism for uploading medical reocrds changes, edits, etc. | The medical documentation stays within the UC/FAMUs file. | |
| 60 | PWS / 9.1 / page 12 | Technical | Pregnant patients in their 3rd trimester will not fly without medical clearance. Again who is providing medical clearance? | Similar to an instance in question #55. The apprehending agency provides medical clearance, but if it's a non-detained UC/FAMU the contractor will be required to get a medical clearance. Medical clearance will include summary of any issues identified, medical conditions/disease exposure identified, referral to medical facilities, and medications prescribed. | |
| 61 | PWS / 9.1 / page 12 | Technical | The contractor staff shall maintain constant “line of sight” supervision of each UC and FAMU during the transport. Is there a min/max ratio of supervisor to UC? | The ratios can be found in PWS paragraph 8.6 CFPCS-to-UC Ratios. | |
| 62 | PWS / 9.16.2.7.4 / Page 26 | Technical | If a UC or FAMU has a suspected adverse reaction to a medication, the Child & Family Protection Care Specialists shall call emergency services (911) immediately and notify JFMTCU | ||
| Section Chief Documentation of adverse reactions and the physician’s response shall be kept in the UC or FAMU’s record. Are physicians required to be with UCs during transport? | No, physicians are not required to be with UCs during transport. This means if UC is seen by a physician after being taken to a hospital, the medical documentation will be kept in the UCs file. |
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