Questions_and_Answers.pdf

70Z02318QACS01800

Amendment A00003

Attachment 1 – Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers Document

Question 1: What is the estimated volume or number of auctions run and dollar value of those auctions for a complete year?

Answer 1: It is currently unknown what the estimated volume of actions shall be. The USCG cannot predict all of the requirements it may need and the number of active USCG Contracting Officers, Contract Specialists, Purchasing Agents, and Shop Keepers that may utilize the reverse auctioning system. However, it is anticipated that usage of the system would increase over time.

Question 2: As we prepare our pricing proposal, we were hoping for clarification on what appears to be conflicting requirements in the solicitation document. In section V of the RFQ (#70Z02318QACS01800), the

USCG outlines the CLINs for the Base Period and Option Periods 1 – 4. In these, you are requesting CLIN fees be outlined for the ‘License for access to and the utilization of the online federal Reverse Auctioning System, training for the system, and all other work as established in the Statement of Work’. This is a monthly basis license fee request. In addition, this license fee is discussed further in Section XIII Factor Three when it is stated that our response should provide ‘An analysis of the training offered by your platform to federal end users, including methods for remote training sessions, as well as the prices associated with these training sessions (if any). This section shall also provide a price for a universal license for all members of the

USCG to utilize your platform.’. However, in this same section (XIII) in Factor Two, the USCG indicated that ‘Fees shall only be accepted as part of quotations submitted by Contractors providing quotes submitted through the reverse auction platform and shall not result from direct payments from the USCG to the Reverse

Auctioning platform.’ These fee requirements (one for licensing and one for a % of quotes) seem at odds, can you provide clarification?

Answer 2: The USCG requires the price of a universal license to utilize the system for all potential USCG personnel. This is the price for the USCG to use the platform itself.

The USCG is also seeking prices in regards to training on your system if in-person training sessions are to be utilized. This would be separate from the price to use the system. However, as noted, the USCG seeks to maximize the amount of webinars and other such methods to keep potential training prices low.

In regards to the quotation fees, the USCG does not consider this to be part of the license to access and use the reverse auctioning platform. These fees are the percentages added on to quotations by potential awardees submitted through the reverse auctioning system as part of active solicitations inputted into the platform. The

USCG shall not pay these directly to the reverse auction platform holder, but requires the breakout of this information to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. Should your reverse auctioning platform not function in this manner, then you shall describe the manner in which your platform functions regarding any fees outside the license so the Government may evaluate it. The amended evaluation criteria clarifies this.