RMS RFQ Q A Alaska Detachments Helicopter Transportation Services final.docx

Remote Mission System Alaska Detachments Helicopter Transportation Services Question &Answers 1 Question: Is an incumbent contractor currently performing these services, if similar services have been performed in the past, or if this is a new requirement.

Answer: No there is not an incumbent contractor as this is a new requirement to provide Helicopter Transportation Services for the USCG for Personnel and/or Sling loads to USCG Remote locations.

2. Question: We are reading through the solicitation and notice some of the USCG R21 sites historically serviced out of Juneau have been moved to the Ketchikan AOR. Is there a specific reason for this move? Can we still service these sites from Juneau or are they specifically to be serviced from the Ketchikan AOR?

Answer: They are to be serviced specifically from the Ketchikan AOR (Area of Operation).

3. Question: If the site is not in the AOR we are not to fly the missions?

Answer: Each AOR; Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Anchorage are divided by latitudes and longitudes shown in Appendix A of the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation. Each is a separate location that has the possibility of being awarded as a separate contract. Up to 4 separate contracts for the AORs of any combination, or all AORs could be awarded on one or more contracts depending on lowest price technically acceptable that is proposed for that specific AOR.

4. Question: Of concern is the division of SE AK into 2 separate AORs, the sites that are owned by AT&T (Mubday, Manley and Gunnuk) that are in the Ketchikan AOR the escort for these sites and any sites further south (Kasheverof) that may need an escort, must take an escort from AT&T and the escorts are in Juneau, and some of the sites historically served out of Juneau are moved into the Ketchikan AOR.

Answer: This is a new requirement to provide Helicopter Transportation Services for the USCG for Personnel and/or Sling loads to USCG Remote locations. Contracted technicians require the AT&T escorts to complete work, but the USCG personnel don't necessarily require escorts.

5. Question: How many days per year do you estimate that our aircraft will be chartered and flown under this contract?

Answer: As a new requirement that is difficult to predict since we don’t have historic data. Our initial requirements plan was for four visits to every site listed in appendix A of the respective AOR plus a margin of 10% for unexpected visits, special projects, and training.

6. Question: How many of these days (estimated) will fall in June, July, and August?

Answer: The majority of travel will occur between May and October. Bidding companies should expect the majority of travel to be requested between June-Aug.

7. Question: SOW Pages 1/8 Section 1.2, Page 5-6 Section 4.3, Section C.11 PRS -- If our aircraft is unavailable during 10, 20, or 30 day increments due to previously booked charters and we are unavailable for a charter after multiple calls from USCG to book, what repercussions, if any, would be implemented?

Answer: The Performance Requirement Summary (PRS) list the contracts performance requirements. Noncompliance with the PRS will likely result in a contract deficiency report and be noted in final CPARS review.

Please provide clarification on charter pricing:

8. Question: Can we charge a Daily Flight Rate Minimum? If so, where would we list this minimum? For example: If we had a charter for the departure point of Girdwood and we flew to Pigot Point site and the crew only needed 1 hour of standby time, would we only be able to charge the flight time from Girdwood to Pigot Point and return (1 hour flight time) plus 1 hour of standby time?

Answer: Gov’t is requesting a bid for an hourly rate flying from the departure points listed in Appendix A P00001 and a daily rate was not considered. I’m not aware of any provisions that prevent bidding companies from requiring a daily minimum flight time. Minimums would need to be clearly annotated on bid so the team evaluating costs can take the minimums into consideration.

9. Question: If we cannot charge a Daily Minimum rate can you add a Daily Availability Rate price plus flight time instead of only allowing us to invoice hourly flight time and standby time?

Answer: This sounds like a FFP (fee) in addition to the T&M rate and not how the contract was constructed. The Contract was constructed for a quoted hourly flight time rate and an hourly stand by time for each one year period.

The Appendix A for each AOR has been modified to show one standard departure area for each AOR. The Anchorage AOR was modified to include the Area of Girdwood and the Anchorage airport. Flights would occur only in the individual AORs as awarded. It is possible that the Government could award more than one AOR to a single awardee based on the lowest price technically acceptable for each AOR as proposed.

Additional flight origination points will be discussed, on a case-by-case basis, between the Contractor and the COR, but shall always be available from for the departure points. The flight hour price and/or stand by time per period will be the price paid for the specific AOR as awarded.

If a minimum flight time in the pricing sheet under the column for Flight time minimum by the hour. If additional detail is required provide in notes in the pricing sheet. Minimum required times will be a factor for the total evaluated price.

Also in the notes of the pricing sheet, it is requested that the offeror provide if there are billing increments that are charged in billing less than one after the minimum is met.

10. Question: In the SOW Page 5/8 Section 4.3 and Attachment 1 Price Schedule -- If our helicopter is chartered and we are meeting the USCG Crew in “Departure Point” Seward, AK and the flight originates from our base in Anchorage (our “Place of Performance”) can we only charge USCG for the hourly time flown out of Seward and NOT the time flown from Anchorage to Seward then after the crew flights the return Seward to Anchorage portion?

Answer: All billing begins and ends at requested departure points. The Anchorage Appendix A has been modified to show only the within a 50-mile drive from Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in order to include the Girdwood area as a departure point.

11. Questions: Attachment 1 Price Schedule and Page 34 Section Volume II: Price -- Please provide further instructions for filling out each column in the Base Period and Option Years.

Specific questions:

1. A. In column 1 under “Flight Time:” is this column supposed to be left blank? Or is it for an hourly minimum for the day? Or is it for the flight time from our “Place of Performance” to each “Departure Point location”? For example: Next to Seward (SWD) we would enter the Flight Time from Anchorage to Seward.

1.

Answer: The pricing sheet has been updated to show only the Anchorage area. Flight time would start from the departure point. For Anchorage it would be within a 50 mile radius of Anchorage International Airport.

1. B. In column 2 under “Unit Price” we would enter the hourly rate of flight time from the “Departure Point” Seward (SWD) and we would not be able to invoice the flight time from Anchorage to Seward? (regarding previous question .)

1. C. In column 3 “Standby Time” is this supposed to be left blank?

Answer: Standby time would be used for temporary weather delays or standby on site while work is completed and the individual USCG remote sites. As a new requirement that is difficult to predict since we don’t have historic data. Our initial requirements plan was for four visits to every site listed in appendix A of the respective AOR plus a margin of 10% for unexpected visits, special projects, and training.

D. How many of these days (estimated) will fall in June, July, and August?

Answer: The majority of travel will occur between May and October. Bidding companies should expect the majority of travel to be requested between June-Aug.

12. Questions: SOW Pages 1/8 Section 1.2, Page 5-6 Section 4.3, Section C.11 PRS -- If our aircraft is unavailable during 10, 20, or 30 day increments due to previously booked charters and we are unavailable for a charter after multiple calls from USCG to book, what repercussions, if any, would be implemented?

Answer: The Performance Requirement Summary (PRS) list the contracts performance requirements. Noncompliance with the PRS will likely result in a contract deficiency report and be noted in final CPARS review.

Please provide clarification on charter pricing:

13. Question: Can we charge a Daily Flight Rate Minimum? If so, where would we list this minimum? For example: If we had a charter for the departure point of Girdwood and we flew to Pigot Point site and the crew only needed 1 hour of standby time, would we only be able to charge the flight time from Girdwood to Pigot Point and return (1 hour flight time) plus 1 hour of standby time?

Answer: Gov’t is requesting a bid for an hourly rate flying from the various departure points and a daily rate was not considered. I’m not aware of any provisions that prevent bidding companies from requiring a daily minimum flight time. Minimums would need to be clearly annotated on bid so the team evaluating costs can take the minimums into consideration.

14. Question: If we cannot charge a Daily Minimum rate can you add a Daily Availability Rate price plus flight time instead of only allowing us to invoice hourly flight time and standby time?

Answer: This sounds like a FFP (fee) in addition to the T&M rate and not how the contract was constructed.

15. Question: SOW Page 5/8 Section 4.3 and Attachment 1 Price Schedule -- If our helicopter is chartered and we are meeting the USCG Crew in “Departure Point” Seward, AK and the flight originates from our base in Anchorage (our “Place of Performance”) can we only charge USCG for the hourly time flown out of Seward and NOT the time flown from Anchorage to Seward then after the crew flights the return Seward to Anchorage portion?

Answer: All billing begins and ends at requested departure points.

16. Question: Attachment 1 Price Schedule and Page 34 Section Volume II: Price -- Please provide further instructions for filling out each column in the Base Period and Option Years.

Specific questions:

1. A. In column 1 under “Flight Time:” is this column supposed to be left blank? Or is it for an hourly minimum for the day? Or is it for the flight time from our “Place of Performance” to each “Departure Point location”? For example: Next to Seward (SWD) we would enter the Flight Time from Anchorage to Seward.

Answer: The Pricing sheet has been modified to allow a column for minimum flight time. The AOR destination point has been modified to show departure point in Anchorage within a 50 mile drive from the city of Anchorage.

1. B. Question: In column 2 under “Unit Price” we would enter the hourly rate of flight time from the “Departure Point” Seward (SWD) and we would not be able to invoice the flight time from Anchorage to Seward? (regarding previous question 3.)

Answer: The unit prices are for flight time and stand by time. The Departure point of Seward has been removed from the Pricing sheet and the pricing sheet updated.

1. C. Question: In column 3 “Standby Time” is this supposed to be left blank?

Answer: The Government is requesting a hourly rate for standby time. If the standby time is billed in less than hourly increments please identify those increments in the notes of the pricing sheet.

17. Clarification: The Pricing Sheet on the first page is looking for fully loaded Flight Hours Price and fully loaded standby time priced by the hour for location and Helo type. The Second page is looking for how those rates are built. The offeror is to show how flight hour’s price and stand by price is built to include overhead, fuel, and any other elements that are used to build the pricing for each flight hour and stand by hour. If there are required minimums such as 3 hours flight time or restrictions on standby time please provide that information as notes in the pricing sheets.