9. Answers to Questions Amendment 6 SPARC RFP.pdf

Amendment Issuance Date: December 21, 2023

Subject: Amendment 06 to Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 72012124R00004 Reference: SPARC Activity, USAID/Ukraine

Dear Offerors, The purpose of Amendment 06 is to answer questions received in response to the SPARC solicitation, Phase Two and as a result revise the RFP. Highlights in the revised RFP are provided as a courtesy only and may not reflect all changes. Offerors are responsible for reading and understanding the whole RFP. All other terms of the RFP remain unchanged.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Ukraine SPARC RFP.

Sincerely, _______/S/________

Carter Saunders, CPA Contracting Officer USAID/Ukraine

RFP 72012124R00004, Amendment 6 Answer to Questions

SPARC Activity

December 21, 2023

1. RFP Reference: L.8.A. Page Number: 90 Relevant RFP Language: The Offeror must provide a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the energy sector in Ukraine over the next five years. This analysis must discuss:

1. Current state of circumstances in the Ukrainian energy sector;

2. Potential positive and negative developments within and outside of Ukraine, and;

3. An assessment of priority technical areas for USAID to address, and explain how they directly lead to the success of the activity. The Offeror must provide a minimum of five items for each of the four SWOT categories in a prioritized order.

Question: As indicated by the text cited above, the RFP contains three numbered requirements for the SWOT analysis. We kindly request additional guidance on the format envisioned by USAID so that there are similarities in structures provided by offerors.

a. Can USAID confirm that the Phase Two Section A "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis" should be organized with four sections (one for each SWOT category)?

b. Can USAID confirm that the three numbered requirements should be addressed within those four SWOT sections?

Answer: a. Yes, they should.

b. The Offerors may do this or otherwise as the Offeror determines as the better presentation.

2. RFP Reference: L.8.B. Page Number: 88

Relevant RFP Language: The Draft AWP must cover the first 12 months of implementation (assuming award in March 2024)

Question: For planning and budgeting purposes, is USAID anticipating SPARC and ESP to run concurrently until June 2025? If yes, can USAID advise on the appropriate disaggregation of responsibilities/task for the year one work plan [portion of the SPARC Phase 2 technical proposal]?

Answer: For proposal preparation purposes, Offerors should assume that they will be implementing SPARC in full from inception and ensure that their proposals reflect that assumption. ESP’s work plan will not be considered in the evaluation. This better levels the playing field of competition between Offerors.

After award, the successful Offeror may be required to adapt its annual work plan in order to reflect developments in Ukraine, funding availability, and/or other ongoing programs.

Disaggregation decisions regarding SPARC vs ESP will be made after award, not prior.

3. RFP Reference: L.9, Part 3.1.a.4. Page Number: 92 Relevant RFP Language: The Offeror must present security costs broken down by cost element.

Question: Would USAID please provide a plug figure for security costs that Offerors may use to ensure appropriate and equivalent security platforms?

Answer: No. Offerors should assess the security situation independently and budget based on their evaluation of the situation and their corporate policies.

4. Question: In addition to the compiled DEC reports released under Amendment 3, would USAID please provide the most recent USAID ESP reports to Offerors such as the FY23 annual report and FY24 workplan?

Answer: Additional documents are in the redaction process and will be released to Phase 2 Offerors by the end of December 2023.

5. Question: Would USAID please share the most recent Fiscal Year 2023 annual report (finalized in October) from the current USAID Energy Security Project to assist offerors in preparing tailored and responsive proposals during the second phase of this acquisition?

Answer: See Question 4.

6. Question: Section L.9, Part 6, Past Performance (page 96) requires the offeror to list past performance information for itself for contracts “with a cost of at least $50,000,000.” Would USAID consider accepting past performance information for current or past USAID contracts “involving similar work as achieving the objectives of Section C” but below the $50,000,000 threshold?

Answer: No.

7. Question: In Section L.8 (page 89), USAID states that “technical proposals must not make reference to pricing data.” In section L.8.B (page 90), USAID states that the draft work plan must include “the type and projected cost of commodities to be procured based on the most likely scenario.” Would USAID please confirm that only commodity type (and not cost) is required in the work plan or otherwise confirm that the technical proposal may include price estimates for commodities procured?

Answer: The RFP has been revised to eliminate Section L.8.B “4) the type and projected cost of commodities to be procured based on the most likely scenario” under the AWP requirements.

8. Question: Would USAID please clarify whether the offeror’s Phase 1 submission will be considered in the overall assessment of best value in addition to the evaluated elements of Phase 2 or whether the Phase 1 submission will not be evaluated further?

Answer: Phase 1 and 2 submissions will be considered together for source selection.

9. Question: C.4.1 Component 1 Enhanced Energy Supply, sub-component 1.1 Energy Generation and Supply, page 12: Text states, "… underground conventional and unconventional petroleum resources". Can USAID confirm that petroleum resources and their products are part of the Scope of Work? Or is it the priority to focus on natural gas (e.g., conventional or associated petroleum gas and non-conventional shale gas, tight gas, coal bed methane)?

Answer: Task 1.1 “enhanced utilization of Ukrainian underground storage assets” refers to legal, regulatory and promotion efforts to enhance utilization of these assets for gas storage and strategic reserve for European countries. The task does not incorporate oil and gas exploration.

10. Question: C.4.2 Component 2 Improved Demand-Side Management, page 15: Text states, "the Contractor must actively engage in the preparation and adaptation process of the Ukraine's Energy and Climate Change plan, should it not already been adapted." Can USAID confirm that the word

"adapted" should be understood as "adopted" in the context referring to Ukraine's Energy and Climate Change plan?

Answer: Correct. If the plan is adopted prior to award, the successful Contractor may work to improve the plan.

11. Question: L.8 Phase Two: Instructions for the preparation of the Phase Two Technical Proposal, B Draft Year-One Annual Work Plan (AWP) and Long-Term Results, page 90: C.6 states, "The Contractor must perform construction services as approved by USAID. All construction work must be in accordance with the approved construction implementation plan." Can USAID confirm that the AWP should not include any potential construction and A&E activities, since these activities will be authorized via a future modification to the contract and performed by a subcontractor identified post-award? If so, can USAID remove the reference/mention of Section C.6 in Section M-Evaluation Factors for Award?

Answer: Correct. The RFP language under Section M.4 Phase Two, Factor 3 has been updated to remove the reference to Section C.6.

12. Question: L.8 Phase Two: Instructions for the preparation of the Phase Two Technical Proposal, C.

Management Approach, page 90: L.8 states, "It must also explain how the Offeror would scale up and be in conformance with contract requirements in the event USAID pursues infrastructure activities under this award." Can USAID confirm that "infrastructure activities" refer to the potential construction and A&E activities authorized via a future modification to the contract?

Answer: Correct.

13. Question: L.9 Cost Proposal Instructions, Part 6 – Past Performance, page 95: Based on the first round of answers to questions (Amendments 1 and 2) and revised RFP, can USAID confirm that the Contractor with projects in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) does not need to provide information regarding past performance in our submission?

• Alternatively, does USAID prefer a list of all relevant projects to reference against those in the

CPARS?

• Can USAID clarify if it would like Offerors with contracts in the CPARS system to respond to the request to include extraordinary problems impacting performance? Or will the information included in the CPARS be considered sufficient?

Answer: Offerors with projects in CPARS do not need to provide additional information.

14. Question: L.9. Cost Proposal Instructions, Part 10-Security Plan, page 97: Is there a page limit for the requested security plan?

15. Question: RFP language: Procurements: $295,000,000 - To ensure flexibility that respond to current challenges and opportunities and beneficiaries needs, the contractor must provide procurement agent services (“end to end”), for regular program implementation and the wartime needs of Ukraine to advance energy security and tackle challenges associated with each of the activity components. This includes only the raw, unburdened cost of equipment and goods.

1) Does the above mean that the "procurement agent services ("end to end")" should be included in the Days of Level of Effort personnel costs budget, separate from the budget for this "Plug Figure" of $295 million for equipment and goods?

2) Given the wording about "This includes only the raw, unburdened cost of equipment and goods."

in the above, then confirm that such refers to the $295 million and clarify where should CIF (Cost Insurance Freight) or FOB (Free On Board) transport costs, insurance, freight, end user-training, spare parts, and maintenance agreements for such equipment and goods be entered in the cost budget proposal?

Answer: 1) Yes.

2) Costs incidental to procurement (e.g. transport costs, insurance, freight, end user-training, spare parts, and maintenance agreements for equipment and goods) should be assumed in the plug figure. See the revised RFP.

16. Question: In order to best provide the timeframe for all work plan activities (Section L.8.B, requirement 5), will the Government allow Offerors to provide a chart that is 11” x 17”?

Answer: Yes. See the revised RFP.

17. Question: Having registered a local company as a wholly owned subsidiary of a US company in Ukraine and an operational office in Ukraine, is this considered a positive in the evaluation of Phase 2?

Answer: It is neither necessarily a positive nor a negative.

18. Question: Will USAID provide a list of the companies that were down selected to Phase 2?