Am_0001 70FBR625R00000008 Attachment D FEMA Responses Questions-Answers Template.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- 70FBR625R00000008
- Issued by
-
Federal Emergency Management Agency
About this file
This document is a comprehensive Questions and Answers (Q&A) template for a FEMA solicitation for Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Review Technical Support. The solicitation (70FBR625R00000008) is for a commercial single-award Time and Materials contract to provide technical assistance in processing claims related to the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon fire disaster, with an estimated need for up to 350 technical personnel to be deployed to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The contract will be awarded through a two-phase best value competition, with Phase I proposals due on June 2, 2025, and Phase II proposals due on June 13, 2025, with an anticipated award date of July 1, 2025.
Key details include requirements for claims processing support, site inspections, quality control, and appeals assistance, with specific staffing requirements such as Claims Reviewers, Quality Control Specialists, and Team Leads. The contract will support processing approximately 28,000 total claims, including an estimated 5,000 additional Proofs of Loss during the contract period. Contractors must meet specific qualifications, including having at least 15% of personnel with current National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) certification, and provide comprehensive reporting and tracking of claims processing activities. The solicitation emphasizes the need for experienced personnel with relevant background in claims processing, property insurance, and disaster recovery support.
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Sheet1
| Question and Solicitation Reference (Page/Para/Etc.) | Question/Comment | FEMA Response | |
| Statement of Work; Section 14.10 | Section 14.10 states 'Contractor shall provide site inspection support as required.' Based on the current population of processed claims, is there an expected percentage of inspections that need to take place? | The percentage of claims that require site inspections has varied over the course of the program. Site Inspections are required based on the information the claimant has provided to verify the losses claimed and/or the policies and guidance in place for the losses claimed. | |
| Statement of Work; Section 14.7 | Section 14.7 states 'Claims Reviewers shall work with the claimant, designated claimant representative or the Navigator to assist claimant with formulating….' Is it expected that the Navigator will need to be involved in coordination/communications after the NOL is issued? | Yes, the Navigator assists the claimant in building their Proof(s) of Loss for their claim. 3rd Party Claims are not assigned Navigators, the attorney representing the claimant acts in this role. | |
| Statement of Work; Section 12, 6th bullet | Section 12, discussion surrounding rotations states that "Travel time shall not be billed as labor hours." Please allow travel time to be billed up to 8 hours per day as labor hours for contractor travel time. | No, FEMA will not allow travel time for rotations to be billed as labor hours. | |
| Statement of Work; General | Will there be overlap between the newly selected contractor and the incumbent to allow for transition? | Yes, FEMA intends that there will be transition overlap. | |
| Statement of Work; Table 1 - Reports | Can the Government provide templates for the reports required in Table 1? | Report templates will be provided to the selected vendor after award. | |
| Statement of Work, Section 6 - Staffing Request | Bottom of Page 4, top of page 5 - consider adding a Resource Manager to the minimum positions. | The Government will not add positions to the SOW. Vendors may include any additional contract administration staff in their proposal. | |
| Pricing Template | Please add the following positions to the Pricing Template: Contracts Administrator, a Security Specialist, an onsite manager, onsite contract administration support staff, and an invoicing specialist. And Resource Manager, if added to the SOW. | Pricing Template updated with Contract Administration CLIN. | |
| Estimated Award Date | Please confirm the Government intends to award this contract by July 1, 2025. | The Government intends to award this contract by July 1, 2025. | |
| Statement of Work; Section 4. Scope | The first paragraph of Section 4. Scope states the Contractor will support for claimant intake. As the intake deadline is has passed, please define the responsibilities of the contractor as it relates to the intake process. | Intake consists of answering the Claims Office Helpline phone, scheduling appointments for claimants to meet with Navigators, completing front desk tasks: check in of claimants coming into public offices, uploading claimant documents to claims files, and providing status updates for claimants. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | In Attachment A does the offeror update the hours and staff amounts in columns B and C or do those need to stay static? | Hours and number of staff are static. | |
| Page 27 Section H.14 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN | Do the entities being submitted under the small business contractor plan need to be New Mexico certified small business or minority businesses, or is national certification allowable? | There is no requirement for the subcontractors to be New Mexico certified. | |
| Page 12 Section B.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES | Would FEMA be able to provide the total number of claimants broken down by category (Small businesses, individuals, education, local governments, Native American Tribes/Pueblos, etc.) | SOW Background Section is updated with relevant claim information. | |
| Page 12 Section B.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES | How has FEMA staffed the claims office in New Mexico to date? | FEMA has staffed the claims office with FEMA staff, local hires, reservists, and contractors. | |
| RFP, Page 129, Evaluation Phase I - Volume I | Please provide the timeframe/days after Phase I proposal submittal when Offeror can expect evaluation and award consideration email. | Phase I Advisory Down Select Letters are anticipated to be released within 1-5 days after receipt of Phase I proposals, however, this will be dependent upon how many proposals are received. | |
| RFP, Page 129/140, Evaluation Phase I - Volume I and M.4.3 Technical Proposal Evaluation Factors / Page 133, Factor (4) Past Performance | On page 129 and 140, the RFP states: "The experience listed in this section will need to align with the PPQs in Phase II. See Factor 4 - Past Performance." On page 133, the RFP states "Offeror shall submit CPARS and/or PPQ (Attachment C that are representative of the three (3) past performance contracts." Please clarify that Offerors can submit CPARS (when available) and do not have to submit PPQs. | Offerors must submit either CPARS or have a PPQ sent to the Contracting Officer, for each contract/task order/delivery order/call order. The Government is clarifying that either CPARS or a PPQ may be submitted. | |
| RFP, Page 132, Subfactor 3 - Rostering Plan | The RFP states: "1. The Offeror shall describe the subcontracting/partnering relationship for this requirement. The offeror shall detail the types of firms and their capabilities in relation to the SOW. The offeror shall also discuss how many potential plans that they have in place or will have in place by the time of Award. The offeror shall detail the types of firms and their capabilities in relation to the SOW. The offeror shall also discuss how many potential staff are available from each subcontractor or partner to support this requirement. Offerors shall detail the number of staff who are available to immediately deploy upon Award." Please clarify by what is meant by potential plans. | Potential subcontracting plans. | |
| RFP Page 125 and 131 of 144. L.3 Proposal Preparation Instructions. | RFP page size states "Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 | ||
| inches, not including foldouts." Are offerors to assume foldouts are 11 x 17? Please clarify. | All proposal pages shall be 8.5 x 11. Foldouts will not be accepted. The solicitation has been updated to remove references to foldouts. | ||
| RFP Page 125 and 131 of 144 L.3 Proposal Preparation Instructions Font size | RFP states, "Offerors proposal shall consist of .pdf with 12-point font size (text for tables and figures may be as small as 11 point and landscape orientation)". We recommend changing the language regarding text for tables and figures to "as long as the font is legible". The difference between 12 and 11 size font will make it difficult to differentiate between graphics/tables and paragraph text. | Font size shall remain as written. | |
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 7 - Rotations | SOW states: "Contractors may take rotations at ninety (90) day intervals beginning 90 consecutive calendar days after arrival on site following travel." Would the government consider sixty (60) day rotation cycle for contractors working on-site, and ninety (90) day intervals for any staff working from their Residence of Record? | SOW updated to reflect 60 day rotations for deployed staff and 90 day rotations for ROR staff. | |
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 8 - Security | SOW states: " Upon submission of the proposal, the Contractor must provide the names of all Contractor staff so that FEMA may verify their security status and for FEMA IT system access (if applicable). " Please confirm the government needs names of the 350 Rostered Staff after contract award. | Sentence removed from SOW. Staff names, resumes, and security forms will be submitted after award. | |
| RFP Page 141, Subfactor 2 – Program Management Plan | Does the Government intend to implement a formal transition plan between the current contractors and the new awardee to ensure continuity of operations and prevent service disruption? | The Government does not intend to have a formal transition plan. However, the Government intends a transition period from the current to awarded contractor that allows for meetings and conference between the exiting and awarded vendor and the program. | |
| SOW Page 2, Item 6 Staffing Request, Paragraph 2 | For the 200 staff required to be deployed within the first 30 days of award, does the Government anticipate all 200 will be deployed on-site to offices in New Mexico? If not, please provide the anticipated breakdown of on-site versus remote personnel for this initial deployment wave. | Vendors should assume all staff will deploy to NM unless otherwise directed by FEMA. Staff should anticipate deployment in waves to accommodate onboarding. | |
| SOW Page 2, Item 6 Staffing Request, Paragraph 2 | For the 200 staff required to be deployed within the first 30 days, what is the maximum number of personnel FEMA can onboard per day or per week? | FEMA can onboard up to 50 staff per week. | |
| RFP Volume III- Price, Price Proposal p.135 of 144, "Evidence of Responsibility" | Will the Government specify any specific information they request as Evidence of Responsibility. As an example, sub bullet 3 states: "Have a satisfactory performance record" and references Subpart 42.15 which refers to CPARS. Is the Government requesting additional copies of CPARS in the Price Volume? | The offeror shall submit in the Volume III Price Proposal sufficient evidence of responsibility for the Contracting Officer to make an affirmative determination of responsibility pursuant to the requirements of FAR Subsection 9.104-1 and specified in the Price Proposal submittal requirements. Satisfactory CPARS or PPQ will satisfy sub bullet 3. | |
| RFP Page 133 of 144, Factor (4) Past Performance (3 Page Limitation not including CPARS and/or PPQ) | Page 133 states CPARS and PPQ shall be submitted with offeror’s proposal but not later than the proposal due date." The PPQ (Attachment C) states "Please complete the enclosure and return to the Contracting Officers shown below, no later than 1:00 PM ET, June 13, 2025. The questionnaire may be submitted directly to the Contracting Officers at [Rachel.Woods@fema.dhs.gov and Sharon.Edwards3@fema.dhs.gov]." Is it the government intent for only the clients to submit the PPQ back to the government and not the offerors to submit with their proposal? Please confirm if offerors should only submit page 2 of the PPQ with their proposals. | The solicitation has been updated to clarify: Past Performance Evaluators/Assessors shall submit the PPQs directly to the Contracting Officers via email. If CPARS are being provided, CPARS shall be included with the offerors proposal. | |
| RFP Page 26, H.10 Liability | Pursuant to the terms of the solicitation/contract, the Government determines final actions on all claims processed by the Contractor. The Government has already determined with the passage of the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act that the Government is wholly liable for the disaster. However, section H.10. Liability Claims, appears to shift to Contractor any and all liability for any claims resulting from any of the work Contractor is to execute on behalf of the Government, with no indemnification. Is the Government’s position with the inclusion of this contract clause that the Contractor is to indemnify the Government and Contractor is to be liable for any and all claims related to the work - without any qualifying standard of care such as of negligence or willful misconduct - even if due to no fault of Contractor? If so, that liability needs a rational cap, such as the amount of insurance recovery in the event of injury to 3rd parties. | The solicitation has been updated to remove Section H.10 Liability Claims | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | The Claims Reviewers/Quality Control Specialist/Appeals Specialist group of Labor Categories in Cells A20, A53, and A87 of the pricing template includes eight specific LCATs, but the spreadsheet only allows for one consolidated labor rate. In order to develop a an appropriate consolidated rate, it would be helpful to understand the anticipated percentage use of each LCAT required (Commercial Property Insurance Professional – Mid; Commercial Property Insurance Professional – Senior; Estimator – Mid; Estimator –Senior; Project Manager – Mid; General Planner – Mid; Project Manager – Senior; General Planner – Senior). |
| Would the government please provide the anticipated percentage use of each LCAT? | Offerors should determine the mix of labor categories (LCATs) based on their proposed staffing plan. Relevant LCATs may include Commercial Property Insurance Professional (Mid/Senior), Estimator (Mid/Senior), Project Manager (Mid/Senior), and General Planner (Mid/Senior). The actual number of staff by position may vary throughout the contract based on mission needs. At least 15% of total personnel must hold a current NFIP certification. The Commercial Property Insurance Professional role identified in the SOW specifically requires this certification, while other LCATs share the same general qualification requirements. Labor categories listed are based on historical usage and are illustrative. Rates should reflect the specific tasks, qualifications, and responsibilities of each position/job title. Refer to Table 2 of the SOW for detailed labor qualifications. The government will not prescribe the percentage use of each LCAT; this should be determined by the Offeror based on their approach. | ||
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | The Claims Reviewers/Quality Control Specialist/Appeals Specialist group of Labor Categories in Cells A20, A53, and A87 of the pricing template includes eight specific LCATs, but the spreadsheet only allows for one consolidated labor rate. Because the anticipated use of each LCAT within this grouping is only an estimate, would the Government consider accepting proposed labor rates for each of the required labor categories: Commercial Property Insurance Professional – Mid; Commercial Property Insurance Professional – Senior; Estimator – Mid; Estimator –Senior; Project Manager – Mid; General Planner – Mid; Project Manager – Senior; General Planner – Senior).? Should Offerors break pricing down into multiple LCATS? | Pricing Template updated with Mid and Senior Level Claims Reviewer/Quality Control/Appeals separated. Offerors should provide a consolidated rate for Mid and Senior instead of multiple LCATs. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | Per the Pricing Template, non-PM staff are shown as being required to work 60 hours per week. Given some of the staff are exempt employees, how should overtime rates be accounted for in the pricing sheet? Would an acceptable approach be proposing a weighted average rate that accounts for 2/3 regular time and 1/3 overtime? | Labor categories listed are based on historical usage and are illustrative. Rates should reflect the specific tasks, qualifications, and responsibilities of each position/job title. Refer to Table 2 of the SOW for detailed labor qualifications. The government will not prescribe the percentage use of each LCAT; this should be determined by the Offeror based on their approach. | |
| RFP, Factor 4 Past Performance, Page 133-134 | Will the government please clarify if a CPARS does exist for each of the three contracts proposed in Phase I of this solicitation, does the Offeror need to provide completed PPQs (Attachment C) for each of the three contracts in addition to the CPARS? | Offerors must submit either CPARS or a have a PPQ submitted to the Contracting Officer for each of the proposed contracts in Phase I. | |
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 4 | Under the quantity of rostered staff, it lists a quantity of 200 for the job/title for Claims Reviewers/Quality Control/Appeals Specialist. It states that “ Labor category can be any combination of the following” Commercial Property Insurance Professional – Mid; Commercial Property Insurance Professional – Senior; Estimator – Mid; Estimator –Senior; Project Manager – Mid; General Planner – Mid; Project Manager – Senior; General Planner – Senior |
| How many of those positions must be a Claims Reviewers/Quality Control/Appeals Specialist with the requirement that they must be NFIP certified? | Quality Control positions are the only contract-required positions to hold an NFIP certification. The number of staff with this certification will depend on the offeror's proposed staffing plan. | ||
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 6, 10. Staffing Qualifications | Is a current NFIP Flood Certification Number (FCN) required as proof of NFIP certification? | Current NFIP FCN is required and must be included in the individual's resume when submitting for Government review and acceptance for the proposed LCAT. | |
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 6, 10. Staffing Qualifications | Will FEMA / HPCC accept any of the following as a qualifying certification for Claims Reviewers/Quality Control/Appeals Specialist: |
1. Can an adjuster use an expired FCN card as proof of NFIP certification?
2. Can exceptional property claims/case processing experience override the requirement to be certified with the NFIPs?
3. There are four (4) types of NFIP certification for an adjuster. Those include Residential, Manufactured Home/travel trailer, Commercial, and Condominium. 1. No, expired FCNs do not demonstrate NFIP certification.
2. No, because the Government does not have a definition for "exceptional property claims/case processing experience."
3. No question was posed.
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 6, 10. Staffing Qualifications | Staffing Qualifications: Staff are not required to hold an insurance adjuster license; however, they must fulfill the minimum qualifications as outlined in Table 2 –Qualifications. To qualify for a FCN, the NFIP requires that the individual be a licensed adjuster for at least 4 years. Is there any opportunity to adjust the qualification to a licensed independent insurance adjuster with 4 years of property loss experience? | No, FEMA will not adjust the qualifications. |
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 9, 14.Tasks, 14.20 and 14.21 | 14.20 Assisting with Appeals and 14.21 Assisting with Arbitrations, Appeals, and Audits: |
1. Will there be separate teams established in support of these roles?
2. Will there be different production considerations given to those teams?
| 3. What staffing level should be estimated for this Task? | The majority of current workload requires support to claims review, the work will transition to appeals and arbitration support over the course of the contract. Contractor will be notified when the transition to Appeals, Audits, and Arbitration support will take place. | ||
| Attachment B - SOW, Page 30-31, Table 3 - Performance Requirements Target Summary | In Table 3, there is no Claims Intake Stage. Was this omitted for a reason? Page 2 of the Statement of Work (SOW) states, "The Contractor shall provide support for operational areas that include, but are not limited to: claimant intake..." and page 3 "The contractor will also provide administrative support staff who will support intake both in-person as well as via the Claims Office in-boxes." | The submission deadline for claims has passed. Intake consists of answering the Claims Office Helpline phone, scheduling appointments for claimants to meet with Navigators, completing front desk tasks: check in of claimants coming into public offices, uploading claimant documents to claims files, and providing status updates for claimants. | |
| N/A | Can FEMA provide any guidance on the percentage of staff or the specific staff who can be expected to work from their Residence of Record vs. FEMA authorized locations? This will be useful in correctly framing our technical approach and pricing assumptions. | ROR support will be based on operational need. For bidding purposes, assume all staff will be deployed to Santa Fe, NM. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | What is the wage determination required for this contract? | Applicable Wage Determinations are listed as Attachment E - SCA Wage Rates 1-3. For non-listed labor categories, please see the Service Contract Act Directory of Occupations and Conformance Process procedures listed at the end of the wage rate form. | |
| Attachment A | As a cost savings to the government, would the government consider adding a CLIN For 1.5 X overtime that is only charged when used instead of the government paying for overtime use for every hour worked based on the current pricing model? | Pricing Template updated with Regular Time Rate and Overtime Rate. | |
| Attachment A | Is it the government intent for 1 Full time equivalent to be 2080 hours to be billed? | Yes, the Government's intent is 2080 hours is full time. | |
| Attachment A | The government has 352 staff in Labor section and has 350 staff to be in Santa Fe, NM area in ODC section. Is it the government intent for all personnel, except PM and DPM, to be in Santa Fe area for the Base Year of the contract? | Correct, PM and DPM are not deployed positions. | |
| Attachment A | The government expects 262 staff for OY1 and 175 staff for OY2 in Santa Fe, NM area per ODC sections. Do the contractors have a choice to determine which LCATs are provided within Santa Fe, NM for the option years? | At any point over the course of the contract and based on operation needs, the contractor will determine the LCATs and personnel required to support the tasks and requirements of the program. | |
| Attachment A | For pricing the Other Direct Costs (ODCs), will the Government consider establishing a Not-To-Exceed (NTE) threshold based on applicable GSA per diem and lodging rates, with exceptions permitted only when supported by a Government-approved housing waiver? We also request confirmation that this NTE threshold would exclude any ODC handling fees, subscription-based costs, or gross receipts taxes, which may be priced separately as appropriate. | No, the Government will not consider a NTE threshold. | |
| Attachment A | |||
| Statement of Work, Pg 3 | Attachment A does not have an LCAT for Claims Team Lead and Statement of Work states, "For every ten (10) claims reviewers and quality control specialists, the contractor shall designate one (1) Team Lead who will monitor performance, provide direction, and review work for compliance with Government standards" would the government add an LCAT for Team Leads? | The Team Lead position is included in the pricing template. | |
| Statement of Work, Section 14.8, Pg 10 | Section 14.8 calls for Quality Control staff would the government add an LCAT for QA/QC? | LCAT for Quality Control is included in Claims Reviewers/QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST/Appeals Specialist. | |
| RFP "Principal Place of Employment" Section F.3, Page 16 | Section F.3 of the RFP notes that work may be performed from a "Residence of Record or other location as directed by the COR." In light of this, can the government confirm whether Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are required to be physically present on-site, or if they may fulfill their responsibilities remotely—provided that additional staff are available on-site to collect data and support field operations? Additionally, would the government accept a hybrid model where SMEs provide guidance and oversight remotely while maintaining communication with on-site personnel? | ROR support will be based on operational need. For bidding purposes, assume all staff will be deployed to Santa Fe, NM. | |
| RFP Pg. 126 Basis for Award and |
Pg. 137 Basis For Award
| Pg. 137 Evaluation and Award | Can the government clarify the relative weighting of technical versus price factors in the best value determination? | Per the solicitation, when Technical Factors 1, 2, 3, and 4 are combined, they are significantly more important than Price Factor 5. |
| RFP PHASE 1: RELEVANT EXPERIENCE |
Requirements to quality as Relevant Experience
| Page 127 of 144 | Subsection a. states, "At least one (1) example contract demonstrates a three (3) to five (5) year contract or agreement..." For IDIQ or BPA contracts, is the total length of the base contract sufficient to demonstrate a three to five year contract agreement? OR, must any relevant Task Order have a three to five year period of performance? | The IDIQ or BPA must meet the contract duration requirement, associated orders may be shorter, however, the vendor must show that the work must be relevant to the technical requirements as detailed in the SOW of this solicitation. |
| RFP PHASE 1: RELEVANT EXPERIENCE |
Requirements to quality as Relevant Experience
| Page 127 of 144 | Subsection b. states, "At leason one (1) example contract cited has an award total value of at least $100M and work is relevant to the technical requirements as detailed in the SOW of this solicitation" For IDIQ or BPA contracts, is the total award value of the contract across all task orders sufficient to demonstrate a total value of at least $100 Million? | The total contract award value of the contract across all task orders is sufficient to demonstrate the total value of at least $100M and the work is relevant to the technical requirements. |
| RFP PHASE 2: BUDGET VOLUME |
6. Staffing Request
| SOW Page 7 of 31, bullet 3 | The section states, "Rotations shall be for a minimum... Travel time shall not be billed as labor hours. No accrual of days shall be permited. Extension of rotation beyond the allowable " There appears to be missing text following "allowable." Please provide any additional intended language. | SOW language updated. | |
| RFP Section L.3, Proposal Preparation Instructions (Page 125) | The RFP states that the Executive Summary should “only restate the contents of the proposal.” Can the Government confirm whether it will accept the inclusion of win themes, value propositions, or risk mitigation strategies in the Executive Summary, provided they are directly tied to the content of the technical and management volumes? | No, the Executive Summary should only restate the contents of the proposal. | |
| Statement of Work, Section 8, Place of Perfirmance, Pg. 5 | What percentage of the work is expected to be performed on-site versus remotely? | Offerors should assume all staff will be deployed to Santa Fe, NM. | |
| Statement of Work |
Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Review Technical Support
12.TRAVEL AND STAFFING:
Bullet 6 Page 7 of 31 "Rotations shall be for a minimum of seven (7) days and a maximum of fourteen (14) calendar days (including travel days) as long it is operationally permissible and does not adversely impact the mission. No accrual of days shall be permitted. For bidding purposes assume fourteen (14) days. Travel time shall be not be billed as labor hours. No accrual of days shall be permitted. Extension of rotation beyond the allowable"
| The last sentence ends abrputly. Could the government expound upon what appears to be a clarifying statement on allowable extension requests beyond the initiall allotted fourteen (14) days of rotation time. | SOW language updated to, "Extension of rotation beyond the allowable 14 day maximum is not permitted…" | ||
| Statement of Work, Section 8, Place of Performance, Pg 5 | Place of duty - “please clarify the government’s expectations regarding place of performance. The SOW states that “Actual Work location will be determined based on tasks being performed“ later in the document it says “…assume all technical staff will deploy to Santa Fe, New Mexico“ can the government please specify which labor categories are considered “technical staff“ and must deploy and be physically present in New Mexico. | Technical staff is defined as staff who are completing any of the tasks outlined in Section 14: Tasks of the SOW. Actual duty station/working location will depend on operational need. For bidding purposes, offerors should assume that all technical staff are deployed to Santa Fe, NM. | |
| RFP Section L, Phase 1, Relevant Experience (Pg 127) | Can the offeror demonstrate relevant experience by combining its experience with the experience of its affiliates, who are commonly owned and managed? | Relevant Experience will only be considered for the Prime or JV member bidding on this solicitation. | |
| RFP Section L, Phase 1, Relevant Experience (Pg 127) | For Factor 1 – Relevant Experience, the RFP requires submission of three contracts performed as the Prime or in a Joint Venture within the last five years. For the purposes of evaluation, would the Government consider past performance examples submitted by a proposed team member (e.g., subcontractor) if that entity served as the Prime contractor on the cited effort and will play a critical role in performing the current contract? | Relevant Experience will only be considered for the Prime or JV member bidding on this solicitation. | |
| RFP Section L, Phase 1, Relevant Experience (Pg 127) | If any of the above is true, can the offeror submit one or more contracts for one entity that meets the first requirement (3-5 years in work relevant to the SOW) while the other entity submits one or more contracts that meet the second requirement (award value of at least $100M with work that is relevant to the SOW)? | Relevant Experience will only be considered for the Prime or JV member bidding on this solicitation. | |
| Attachment C | |||
| RFP Section L, Phase 2, Past Performance (Pg 133) | Attachment C indicates the PPQ form should be sent directly from the contract's POC whereas RFP Section L on pg 133 states, "Offeror shall submit Past Performance for the three (3) contracts proposed in Phase I of this solicitation." Can the government clarify if the contract POC or the offeror should submit the PPQ to government? | The solicitation has been updated to clarify: Past Performance Evaluators/Assessors shall submit the PPQs directly to the Contracting Officers via email. CPARS shall be included with the offerors proposal. | |
| SOW, Pg 15, Table 2 | The SOW specifies that the Program Manager must have a Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field and a minimum 15 years of experience performing program management functions, including experience as a Project Manager on multiple projects. If a candidate meets the required experience—minimum 15 years of experience performing program management functions, including experience as a Project Manager on multiple projects—and also possesses highly relevant experience administering FEMA wildfire claims programs, would the Government consider this experience sufficient to meet the qualification in lieu of the formal educational requirement? | ||
| No, the Government will not waive the education requirement for the PM position. | |||
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | How many claims are in cue for Letter of Determination? How many claims are outside the required timeframe? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please provide the final total of claims submitted by the deadline of March 14, 2025? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please confirm the number of current open claims sorted by claim type? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please confirm the number of current open claims that are third party claims? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please confirm that all claims are entered into the CLIP system? If not, how many potential claims are in cue waiting for completed Notice of Loss? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please provide the number of potential claims are in cue waiting for completed Notice of Loss? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please provide the number of claims are currently scheduled for appeal? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Is it the expectation of government that the contractor take over claims that are already in the appeals process? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Will the Government please provide the number of claims are outside the required timeframe? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Statement of Work, 6. Staffing Request | Given the average age of claim/loss and the potential complexity of the remaining open claims. Will the Government add a Lcat for a Seniors Claims Reviewer? | The solicitation and pricing template already includes this LCAT. | |
| Statement of Work, 8 Place of Performance | The RFP states that “Contractors may also work from their Residence of Record or other location as directed by the COR,” and that actual work locations will be determined based on tasks being performed. In addition to locally based staff, will the Government permit remote claim reviewers whose Residence of Record is outside of New Mexico, in order to access a broader pool of qualified personnel and support surge capacity when needed? | Actual duty station/working location will depend on operational need. For bidding purposes, offerors should assume that all technical staff are deployed to Santa Fe, NM. | |
| Statement of Work, 3. Background | Can the government please confirm the active number of acknowledged claims pending, and the active number of proofs of loss pending? | Relevant claims information has been updated in the Background section of the SOW. | |
| Page 127-129 of 144, Phase I Technical Volume - Proposal Content, Factor 1 Relevant Experience Submission Instructions & Methodology, Factor 1 Relevant Experience Evaluation Phase, and Rating Table Factor 1: "Offeror demonstrated at least one (1) contract has an award value of at least $100M with work that is relevant to the technical requirements as detailed in the SOW of this solicitation." | Will the Government please confirm that a single-award BPA, contract, or task/call order can be used to meet Factor 1 - Relevant Experience requirements? | A single-award BPA, contract, or task/call order can be used to meet Factor 1 if the work was performed as the Prime or JV that is proposing for this contract. | |
| Page 127-129 of 144, Phase I Technical Volume - Proposal Content, Factor 1 Relevant Experience Submission Instructions & Methodology, Factor 1 Relevant Experience Evaluation Phase, and Rating Table Factor 1: "Offeror demonstrated at least one (1) contract has an award value of at least $100M with work that is relevant to the technical requirements as detailed in the SOW of this solicitation." | To maximize competition to the Government's benefit, will the Government please consider revising the awarded contract value threshold to $75 million to meet Factor 1 - Relevant Experience requirements? | No, the Government will not lower the value threshold for this requirement. | |
| Phase I, Factor (1) Relevant Experience (page 127 of 144), and Phase II, Factor (4), Past Performance (page 133 of 144) | In Phase 1, Factor - 1 and Phase II, Factor - 4; can the government please confirm that offerors may submit prime past performance projects from major subcontractors on the team to showcase the full breadth of experience on the team? | Relevant Experience will only be considered for the Prime or JV member bidding on this solicitation. | |
| RFP Page 26, H.10 | Can the government please consider revising Section H.10 Liability Claims by removing the indemnity that the Contractor provides Government since it is not non-standard for FEMA contracts? | The solicitation has been updated to remove Section H.10 Liability Claims. | |
| RFP Page 134, Price Proposal section, it states “Completed Pricing Template: should of Fixed Labor Rates and Overtime labor rates base and all option periods for ALL labor categories, including SCA exempt and non-exempt labor, See Attachment A – Pricing Template (Pricing template shall remain in Excel with active formulas)” | Can the Government allow offerors to add columns for Overtime labor rates to Attachment A or can the government provide an updated Attachment A with Overtime labor rates sections? If not, can the government please confirm the overtime rate that is permitted is the standard 1.5 times the regular rate for overtime. | Pricing Template updated with Regular Time Rate and Overtime Rate. | |
| RFP Page 28 of 144; Section H.14 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN 135. | Can the government please confirm if the ratio used in the example ($4M) reflects an overall SB target goal of 40%? (“For example, if a contract is awarded for $100 Million, of which $10 Million is planned to be subcontracted, the subcontracting goal for all small business for the contract is $4 Million.”) | The overall SB target goal is 47%. For the example calculation, Solicitation Section H.14 has been revised to state "the subcontracting goal for all small business for the contract is $4.7 Million". | |
| RFP Volume III- Price; Factor (5) Price. Page 135 | Can the government confirm the subcontracting plan is due within seven (7) days of contract award and therefore should not be included with the Phase II price proposal? | The subcontracting plan is due within seven (7) days of contract award. | |
| RFP page 127 (Section L, Factor 1): "Offeror shall submit three (3) examples of contracts . . ." | Is it permissible to cite as an example contract a single task order under an indefinite delivery vehicle? | Yes, a single order under an IDIQ contract may be submitted as an example contract. | |
| RFP page 133 (Section L, Factor 4): "Offeror shall submit | |||
| CPARS and/or PPQ (Attachment C) that are representative of the three (3) past performance contracts" | Some of the past performance contracts cited by offerors will be indefinite delivery vehicles that each encompass multiple task orders, with separate CPARS evaluations for each TO. In such cases, a single contract may have dozens of associated CPARS evaluations. To reduce the amount of information to be reviewed in Volume II, would the Government consider setting a maximum number of CPARS evaluations to show for each cited past performance contract? | For IDIQ contracts submitted, contractors shall submit at least one (1) CPARS or PPQ for at least one (1) but no more than three (3) Task Orders issued under the IDIQ. The Government will also check performance information in Contractor Performance |
Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).
| SOW 6. Staff Request, page 4-5 states, "At a minimum, contractor shall propose a Contracts Administrator, a Security Specialist, an onsite manager, onsite contract administration support staff, and an invoicing specialist. All proposed contract administration positions must be included in the management approach of the proposal and their specific role must be clearly defined." | Are the onsite manager and onsite contract administration support roles considered field positions? Will they be considered to be 2 of the 26 Team Leads? | Yes, these positions are considered field staff. The onsite manager should fill a Team Lead position; contract coordinator support should fill an Administrative Support or Team Lead position. |
| SOW 6. Staff Request, page 4-5 states, "At a minimum, contractor shall propose a Contracts Administrator, a Security Specialist, an onsite manager, onsite contract administration support staff, and an invoicing specialist. All proposed contract administration positions must be included in the management approach of the proposal and their specific role must be clearly defined." | Should the offeror assume that labor associated with these requirements are included in the labor categories and hours prescribed by the pricing template (e.g. Rows 14-23; Columns B and C)? If not, should the offeror assume that these are indirect costs to the contract? | These positions should be accounted for in the Contract Administration CLIN. Costs totaling 2% of all labor and travel is being provided for Contract Administration CLIN, the pricing template has been updated to account for this cost. |
| Table 2 Qualifications, SOW page 18 | Would the government consider making the "& any industry-standard certification required for specific SME type (Ex: Engineers must have Professional Engineer registration)" preferred? | The industry-standard certification is a requirement for all SME positions. |
| Table 2 Qualifications, SOW page 18 | Would the government consider a SME Mid position (Subject Matter Specialist) to accommodate technical specialists that are not at 10 years of experience (Example: risk reduction specialists)? | No, Senior Level SMEs are required for this program. |
| Table 2 Qualifications, SOW page 20-23 | Table 2 - Consider removing Labor categories and adding level to the positions. Example: The Claims Reviewer/Quality Control/Appeals Specialist position has eight different labor category/level combinations. All except Insurance specialist have the same education/experience requirements and roll up to one price. Can the government confirm that each labor category/level will not have a separate bill rate and that the bill rate will be established at the position level? If so, would the government consider removing labor category and adding level to the positions? |
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| Why is this important to us? | The bill rate will be established at the position level. | ||
| Table 2 Qualifications, SOW page 26 | The Team Support experience requirement reads "A minimum of five years of combined experience in claim/case processing roles including customer service, data entry, reviewing, and evaluating various types of disaster related losses." Would the government consider removing "in claim/case processing roles?" | SOW updated to remove the claims processing requirement for Team Support. | |
| RFP page 46 (FAR 52.212-4 Alt I) (e) Definitions. (1) (iii) (D) The following subcontracts for services which are specifically excluded from the hourly rate: [Insert any subcontracts for services to be excluded from the hourly rates prescribed in the schedule.] | Consider including commercial services from non-U.S. citizens performed by subcontractors located outside of the U.S., such as administrative services performed by an overseas subsidiary. | No, the Government will not consider non-US citizens to perform this work outside the US. | |
| RFP page 47 (FAR 52.212-4) Alt I (e) (1) Definitions. (ii) Materials.(D)(1), (1) Other Direct Costs. The Government will reimburse the Contractor on the basis | |||
| of actual cost for the following, provided such costs comply with the requirements in paragraph (i)(1)(ii)(B) of this clause:[CLIN 0002, 1002, 2002] | Should CLINs 0003, 1003, and 2003 be included in this clause? | Travel should be included in this clause. However, please note that the Pricing Template and CLIN structure have been revised. Travel is now included in CLINs 0002, 1002, 2002. No changes will be made to this clause. | |
| RFP page 48 (FAR 52.212-4) Alt I (e) (1) Definitions. (ii)(D)(2), "Indirect Costs (Material Handling, Subcontract Administration, etc.). The |
Government will reimburse the Contractor for indirect costs on a pro-rata basis over
| the period of contract performance at the following fixed price:[None]" | Attachment A Pricing Template includes a line for ODC Handling Fee but the completed FAR clause indicates "None." Please clarify whether indirect costs will be allowed on Other Direct Costs (CLIN 0002, 1002, 2002) and Travel (CLIN 0003, 1003, 20003). If indirect costs on ODCs and travel CLINs is allowed, please revise FAR 52.212-4 Alt I accordingly. | ODC Handling Fee has been removed from the Pricing Template. Please also note that the CLIN structure has also been revised. 52.212-4 Alt 1 has been updated per FAR instructions. No Indirect Costs will be allowed on ODCs and Travel CLINs. | |
| RFP Page 134 (Section L.3, Phase II, Volume III, Price Proposal, Completed Pricing Template), "Schedule of Fixed Labor Rates and Overtime labor rates base and all option periods for ALL labor categories…." | Is the Schedule of Fixed Labor Rates and Overtime rates a separate document from Attachment A - Pricing Template? Attachment A does not include separation of Labor Categories (e.g. Estimator - Mid. and Estimator - Senior) within the overarching Position/Job Title ( e.g. Claims Reviewers/Quality Control Specialists/Appeals Specialists) or standard rates and overtime labor rates. | Pricing Template updated with Mid and Senior Level Claims Reviewer/Quality Control/Appeals separated. Regular Time and Overtime hours have also been separated. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | We request that FEMA consider splitting the one Claims Reviewers/Quality Control Specialists/Appeals Specialists into a mid and senior level so we may provide a rate commensurate with the years of experience required for a mid level vs senior level. | Pricing Template updated with Mid and Senior Level Claims Reviewer/Quality Control/Appeals separated. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | May contractors alter the hours or quantities in Attachment A? | No, hours are fixed. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | Is the single rate requested in Attachment A for each Position/Job Title required to cover regular time and overtime? May a separate overtime rate be provided? | Pricing Template updated with Regular Time Rate and Overtime Rate. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | Please confirm that Gross Receipts tax should be applied to total costs except ODCs (subscriptions to Xactimate, AcreValue, Ridge Top, and other online systems). | Offerors should review Gross Receipt Tax laws to conduct work in the State of New Mexico to determine what is required. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | May contractors include additional Miscellaneous Costs and ODCs in Attachment A, such as PPE as required to be furnished by the contractor as stated in the SOW? | Miscellaneous costs may be included in the Miscellaneous line for costs incurred by the contractor and allowable per the terms of the contract. PPE must be furnished by the contractor and therefore is no cost reimbursable by the Government. | |
| Attachment A - Pricing Template | Please advise whether additional tax may be included for positions located outside of New Mexico per SOW page 5, Section 8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: "Contractors may also work from their Residence of Record or other location as directed by the COR. Actual work locations will be determined based on tasks being performed." | The Government will not accept additional tax if working outside of NM at ROR or other locations. | |
| RFP, page 20, G.5 Invoice Instructions, "support for T&M labor costs must incldue the labor category…" | Does "labor category" equate to the Position/Job Title (e.g., Team Support) or Labor Category (e.g., Project Manager - Mid. or General Planner - Mid.)? | The "labor category" equates to the Position/Job Title. | |
| RFP, page 31, Clause 3052.204-71 | |||
| Alt I Contractor Employee Access (Jul 2023), "(l) Contractors shall identify in their proposals the names and citizenship of all non-U.S. citizens proposed to work under the contract. Any additions or deletions of non-U.S. citizens after contract award shall also be reported to the Contracting Officer." | Please confirm whether non-US citizens will be authorized to perform services on this contract, such as administrative positions, financial specialist, etc. | Non-US citizens are not eligible to obtain a favorably adjudicated EOD and therefore not authorized to perform work on this contract. | |
| RFP page 30, Section I. | To encourage greater cost savings and efficiencies, please consider including FAR clause 52.244-6 for contractors to utilize commercial services subcontracts in support of, "(b)To the maximum extent practicable, the Contractor shall incorporate, and require its subcontractors at all tiers to incorporate, commercial products, commercial services, or non-developmental items as components of items to be supplied under this contract." | ||
| As prescribed in FAR 44.403, FAR 52.244-6 is for use in non-commercial contracts and will not be added as this is a commercial services contract. | |||
| RFP page 59, Section I 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Item (JAN 2025) "Notwithstanding the requirements of the clauses in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this clause, the Contractor is not required to flow down any FAR clause, other than those in this paragraph (e)(1), in a subcontract for commercial products or commercial services. Unless otherwise indicated below, the extent of the flow down | |||
| shall be as required by the clause- (e)(1) (xvi) [ ] (A) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (NOV 2021) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627)" | Please confirm whether the Contracting Officer intends that FAR clause 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons flows down to subcontracts for commercial services, as this was not selected in the RFP. | Yes, FAR 52.222-50 flows down to subcontracts and the clause has been revised to checked/added in the solicitation. | |
| RFP page 62, Section I HSAR 3052.212-70 Contract terms and conditions applicable to DHS acquisition of commercial items. (JUL 2023) 3052.204-72 Safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information and Alternate I | If the contractor’s performance of the contract will involve Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), please identify the CUI categories that will be involved. | The applicable CUI category is Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information. |
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