Amendment 0001_Questions and Answers_Bottled Drinking Water and Extended Shelf Life Drinking Water 11.30.2021.pdf

Bottled Drinking Water and Extended Shelf Life Drinking Water

Solicitation No. 70FB7021R00000018R

QUESTIONS / ANSWERS

November 30, 2021

1. Since this Solicitation is listed under the NAICS (North American Industry Classification

System) would water(s) from Canada and/or Mexico be deemed acceptable as they are also TAA Compliant countries?

Government Response: Ensure compliance under the posted NAICS code unless otherwise stated in the solicitation.

2. Solicitation Section E.6, p 26, E.1.3, Proposal Instructions:

Volume I - Technical* Bottled Water and/or Extended Shelf-Life Water, 10 pages, Word Doc or PDF Optional – Vendor Managed Inventory (Storage), 10 pages, Word Doc or PDF

Question: We interpret that FEMA is allowing 10 pages for Volume I, Technical for Bottled Water and/or Extended Shelf-Life Water AND 10 pages for Vendor Managed Inventory (Storage). Please clarify if this is correct and it is 10 pages each?

Example: Bottled Water = 10 pages, Extended Shelf Life = 10 pages, and VMI = 10 pages?

Government Response: No. The page counts are as follows:

Technical* Bottled Water and/or Extended Shelf-Life water total 10 pages.

Optional - VMI storage total 10 pages.

3. Standard Form 1449, page 1, block 10 has the solicitation marked as “Unrestricted”, however Section C., page 14, section (i) (14) (i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside is marked.

Please clarify if the solicitation is unrestricted or set-aside?

Government Response: This solicitation is a Total Small Business Set-aside

4. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 2, “New Jersey, New York, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands”; CLIN 0001 – 10-year ESL Water, Steady State.

There are no CLIN’s associated with the US Virgin Islands. Can FEMA please issue instructions to offeror’s how to account for this territory?

Government Response: Deliveries will not be made directly to the US Virgin Islands.

5. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 2, “New Jersey, New York, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands”; CLIN 0015 – 2-Years Bottled Water Shelf life for Steady State.

There are no CLIN’s associated with the US Virgin Islands. Can FEMA please issue instructions to offeror’s how to account for this territory?

Government Response: Deliveries will not be made directly to the US Virgin Islands.

Any water meant for that territory will be requested to be sent to one of FEMA’s delivery locations in Puerto Rico.

6. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 2, “New Jersey, New York, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands”; CLIN 0031 –Bottled Water Emergency.

This CLIN represents the referenced locations above for FEMA Region 2. Can FEMA please clarify to the offeror’s how to for the OCONUS locations of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands since delivery to those locations involve additional logistical requirements by way of ocean shipment and on-island delivery?

Government Response: FEMA will not direct or limit the offerors on how to make deliveries to OCONUS locations. Offeror’s delivery methods are up to each offeror.

7. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 9, “Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa” CLIN 0001 – 10-year ESL Water, Steady State.

There are no CLIN’s associated with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. Also, should offerors be prepared to also ship to Saipan? Can FEMA please issue instructions to offeror’s how to account for these territories?

Government Response: Deliveries will not be made directly to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or Saipan. Any water meant for these territories will be requested to be sent to DC Guam.

8. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 9, “Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa” CLIN 0015 – 2-Years Bottled Water Shelf life for Steady State.

There are no CLIN’s associated with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. Also, should offerors be prepared to also ship to Saipan? Can FEMA please issue instructions to offeror’s how to account for these territories?

Government Response: Deliveries will not be made directly to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or Saipan. Any water meant for these territories will be requested to be sent to DC Guam.

9. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 9, “Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, an American Samoa” CLIN 0038 –Bottled Water Emergency.

This CLIN represents the referenced locations above for FEMA Region 9. Can FEMA please clarify to the offeror’s how to provide for the OCONUS locations of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa since delivery to those locations involve additional logistical requirements by way of ocean shipment and on-island delivery? Should Saipan be provided?

Government Response: Deliveries will not be made directly to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or Saipan. Any water meant for these territories will be requested to be sent to DC Guam. FEMA will not direct or limit the offerors on how to make deliveries to OCONUS locations. Offeror’s delivery methods are up to each offeror.

10. Attachment 1, Pricing Schedule, FEMA Region 10, “Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington” CLIN 0039 –Bottled Water Emergency.

This CLIN represents the referenced locations above for FEMA Region 10. Can FEMA please clarify to the offeror’s how to provide for the OCONUS location of Alaska since delivery there involve additional logistical requirements by way of ocean shipment and local delivery?

Government Response: FEMA will not direct or limit the offerors on how to make deliveries to OCONUS locations. Offeror’s delivery methods are up to each offeror.

11. In the proposed SOW, Product Standards listed under IV. SPECIFIC WATER REQUIREMENTS states that the Extended Shelf Life Water shall have an expiration date or "best if used by date" that is no sooner than 120 months (10 years) from the date of delivery or as negotiated by the CO.

What evidence does a CO need to provide to FEMA to justify the bottled water has at a minimum 120 month or 10 year shelf-life?

Government Response: The printed shelf-life on the packaging will be sufficient evidence. *Please see revised SOW which revises “date of delivery” to “date of award” regarding shelf life.

12. Does this include a real-time and/or accelerated stability report with Title 21 (CFR) test results for the bottled water from an independent certified 3rd Party Laboratory?

Government Response: A certification attesting to Title 21 compliance will be required with each delivery order. * Please see updated Factor 1