72038322R00001 Ocean Plastics Activity RFP Amendment 1.pdf

(x)

72038322R00001 x x copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

720383

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

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Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

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10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

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9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

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Office of Acquisition & Assistance USAID/Sri Lanka and Maldives #44 Galle Road, Colombo 3

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14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

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Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

2/18/2022

The purpose of this Amendment is to respond to questions received from interested parties and make resulting changes throughout the solicitation.

Specific changes are provided below.

Answers to Questions received are provided in Annex 1.

An amended solicitation, highlighting all changes is provided as a reference in Annex 2.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11

2/18/2022

REQ-383-22-000004

Julie Ota, Contracting Officer x

2/18/22

Solicitation No: 72038322R00001 Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity

Specifically, this solicitation is amended as follows:

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

1. In Section C.1 TITLE OF ACTIVITY, DELETE, “Program” and REPLACE with “Activity”.

2. In Section F.5 KEY PERSONNEL, (e) Minimum Qualifications

• Point 1. The Chief of Party must have, bullet no.2, DELETE, “work experience in climate change adaptation” and REPLACE with “work experience in solid waste management and/or ocean plastics reduction”.

• Point 2. The Deputy Chief of Party/Maldives must have, bullet no.1, DELETE, “at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Maldives, leading international donor-supported programs of similar size and complexity” and REPLACE with “at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Maldives, leading relevant programs of similar size and complexity”.

• Point 3. The Deputy Chief of Party/Sri Lanka must have, bullet no.1, DELETE, “at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Sri Lanka, leading international donor-supported programs of similar size and complexity” and REPLACE with “at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Sri Lanka, leading relevant programs of similar size and complexity”.

4. In section F.7 LEVEL OF EFFORT (LOE), DELETE the following paragraph

“The Government may require the Contractor to provide an additional effort up to 105 percent of the LOE, within the period of the contract, until the total estimated cost specified in Section B.3 has been reached.

However, this additional effort shall not result in any increase in the fixed fee, if any”.

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

5. In Section J. LIST OF EXHIBITS, ATTACHMENTS AND LINKS,

• ADD Attachment 5 – Local Compensation Plan Pay Ranges.

• Attachment 9 –Additional Resources: 5th bullet DELETE the link “https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z3WR.pdf” and REPLACE with “https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z5X4.pdf”.

6. In Section L.6 DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS, (a) General Instructions, DELETE, “Volume II – Cost and Pricing Information” and REPLACE with “Cost/Business Proposal”.

7. In Section L.7.2 Page Limitation,

• Paragraph 1, DELETE the sentence “The Technical Proposal is limited to 20 pages” and REPLACE with “The Technical Proposal is limited to 23 pages”.

• Paragraph 1, DELETE the sentence “The text in any text boxes included within the technical proposal must be Times New Roman font not less than 12 points in size” and REPLACE with “The https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z3WR.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z5X4.pdf text in any text boxes included within the technical proposal must be Times New Roman font not less than 10 points in size”.

• Paragraph 2, bullet 1, DELETE, “Cover Letter (not to exceed 1 page)” and REPLACE with “Cover

Page (not to exceed 1 page)”.

8. In section L.7.3.2 Key Personnel and Staffing/Management Plan,

• Paragraph 3, DELETE “Each resume/CV must include at least 3 references within the last 3 years, with a current email address and phone number for each reference” REPLACE with “Each resume/CV must include at least 3 references. At a minimum, two of the references should be able to speak to the candidates' relevant experience and one reference must have worked with the candidate in the last three years”.

• Paragraph 5, ADD “The organizational chart or organogram may be submitted on 11x17 inch paper.”

9. Section L.7.3.3 DELETE the heading “Contractor Capability and Experience” and REPLACE with “Institutional Experience and Capability”.

10. In section L.7.3.3, Institutional Experience and Capability, ADD “This section must not exceed three (3) pages.” before the first paragraph.

11. L.7.3.5 Technical Proposal Annexes, DELETE no 4 of the additional annexes required,” Position descriptions of Key Personnel (non-COP) (not to exceed 2 pages)” and update the annex numbers.

12. In section L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL, Part 2 – Proposed Costs/Prices, item 1. General Guidance, ADD the following budget line item “Subcontracts”.

13. In section L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL, Part 2 – Proposed Costs/Prices, item 2. Direct Labor Salary and Wages, DELETE the following sentence in the last paragraph “Proposed individuals whose salary histories include salaries in currency other than the U.S. dollars, must show the contemporaneous U.S. dollar equivalent.”

ANNEX 1: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 72038322R00001 Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity

# Question/Concerns USAID Response 1 To level the playing field among offerors, would

USAID kindly provide a general range for total costs and budgets? Without a range, offerors may submit technical and cost proposals that vary considerably, impairing USAID’s ability to conduct fair and reasonable comparative price or cost realism analysis, and potentially risk underbudgeting for implementation.

USAID policy (ADS 302.3.5.7) prohibits the inclusion of dollar ranges in term form contracts. A range or other indication of the Total Estimated Cost-Plus fixed fee will not be provided.

2 FAR 16.306(d)(4) states, “term form shall not be used unless the contractor is obligated by the contract to provide a specific level of effort within a definite time period.” As the flexibility in level of effort described in B.7 is more in line with the CPFF completion mechanism, we respectfully request the removal of the language in Section B.7, which states, “The Government may require the Contractor to provide an additional effort up to 105 percent of the LOE, within the period of the contract, until the total estimated cost specified in Section B.3 has been reached. However, this additional effort shall not result in any increase in the fixed fee, if any.” Alternatively, we request that USAID consider changing the project mechanism to a CPFF completion form. As defined in FAR 16.306(d)(1), a completion form’s focus on successful delivery of the project’s work will provide USAID with the desired flexibility in ordering more level of effort as necessary to complete the project scope of work.

The requirement to provide an additional effort up to 105% of the LOE is deleted.

Section F.7 of the solicitation is amended to reflect this change.

3 Section B.7 states, “The Government may require the Contractor to provide an additional effort up to 105 percent of the LOE, within the period of the contract, until the total estimated cost specified in Section B.3 has been reached. However, this additional effort shall not result in any increase in the fixed fee, if any.” As defined by FAR 16.306(d)(2), fixed fee under a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) term form contract is only payable upon successful completion of the work and delivery of all level of effort specified in the contract. Given this condition, we respectfully request USAID reconsider the proposed restrictions on total estimated cost and fixed fee increases outlined in this clause. Requiring additional level of effort without a commensurate increase in total estimated

Please refer to the response to question #2.

cost introduces the risk that the original total estimated cost may be insufficient for the new level of effort, unreasonably preventing the contractor from earning its full fee. An increase in level of effort under a CPFF term contract also changes the originally negotiated target to earn full fee, increasing contractor risk. We therefore respectfully request that USAID remove the language restricting increases in the total estimated cost and fixed fee in the event that USAID requires the contractor to provide additional effort beyond that originally specified in the contract.

4 In Sections L.7.1 and L.7.2 of the RFP, USAID notes that a cover page is required for the technical volume, as well as specifying what is required in the cover page. The RFP then notes that there is also a cover letter, limited to one page. Can USAID confirm that both the cover letter and cover page are not counted towards the 20-page limit?

Please refer to Amendment #1, Section L. In section L.7.2 to "Cover Letter", is changed to "Cover Page". There is no additional Cover Letter. The cover page does not count towards the page limit.

5 Can USAID advise whether the Contractor Capability and Experience (L.7.3.3) constitutes the same section as Contractor Past Performance Information (L.7.3.4)? If not, can USAID provide additional page allocation for the Contractor Capability and Experience?

The Contractor Capability and Experience is not the same as the Contractor Past Performance Information.

Please refer to Amendment #1 of the RFP. In section L.7.2 Page Limitation all references to the 20-page limitation to the Technical Proposal is revised to 23 pages.

In section L.7.3.3 Contractor Capability and Experience (See Section M.2.3) the following language is added before the first paragraph, "This section must not exceed three (3) pages."

6 Section L.8, Part 13, notes that the offeror is required to provide a filled Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form found in Attachment 6 of the RFP. Additionally, L.8 Part 2(14) notes that offerors should submit a filled-out form that represents the percentage of work for prime and major subcontractors found in Attachment 8 of the RFP. Can USAID kindly provide Attachments 6 and 8, and confirm that there is no Attachment 5?

There was no attachment 5 with the RFP.

However, compensation plans for both Sri Lanka and Maldives are included in RFP amendment#1. Regarding attachments 6 and 8, USAID has provided links to the forms.

7 We respectfully request that USAID remove the following sentence from Section H.24 (15) — “Copies of all reports received from grantees will be promptly forwarded to the COR” — given that there is no requirement for the COR to receive grantee reports in the GUC authorizing language for ADS 302. We also respectfully request that USAID remove the following sentence from the same section: “At the conclusion of the contract, Section H.24 remains unchanged.

the Contractor must consult with the COR for direction as to which records must be transferred to USAID.” While USAID retains the rights to visitation and inspection for three years after the grant completion date, all records under this contract are considered property of the contractor and must be retained in accordance with the contractor’s records retention policies that originate from audit requirements.

8 Section H.24(10) of the RFP indicates all grants issued under the contract must be to local non-governmental organizations; however, the regulations allow contractors to execute solely in-kind grants to government entities. Would USAID confirm that solely in-kind grants to government entities will be allowed under this contract, pursuant to

ADS 302.3.4.13?

Confirmed.

9 Section F.5 Key Personnel stipulates that “work experience in climate adaptation” is a minimum qualification of the Chief of Party (COP). Given that the focus of this Activity is on reducing plastic pollution and improving solid waste management, would USAID consider removing this as a qualification for the COP?

This qualification has been removed and replaced with "work experience in solid waste management and/or ocean plastics reduction".

The solicitation is amended to reflect this change.

10 Section F.5 Key Personnel stipulates “at least 5 years of experience…leading international donor-supported programs of similar size and complexity” as a minimum qualification for the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) positions in Sri Lanka and Maldives. Would USAID consider relaxing this requirement or, as an alternative, permit offerors to propose minimum required qualifications for the Key Personnel roles, to allow highly qualified local candidates with more diverse technical experience to qualify for the DCOP roles?

Section F.5 (e) 2 Deputy Chief of Party/Maldives minimum requirements is revised as follows:

"at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Maldives, leading international donor-supported programs of similar size and complexity;"

is replaced with, "at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Maldives, leading relevant programs of similar size and complexity;"

Section F.5 (e) 2 Deputy Chief of Party/Sri Lanka minimum requirements is changed as follows:

"at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Sri Lanka, leading international donor-supported programs of similar size and complexity;"

is replaced with, "at least 5 years of experience, preferably in Sri Lanka, leading relevant programs of similar size and complexity;".

The solicitation is amended to reflect this change.

11 Section L.7.1 Organization of the Technical Proposal indicates that the Technical Proposal must contain a section on Institutional Experience and Capability, however, Section L.7.3 Content of the Technical Proposal does not provide a page allocation for this section. Can USAID clarify the page allocation for the Institutional Experience and Capability section in the Technical Proposal?

Please refer to the response to question #5.

12 Section L.7.2 Page Limitation stipulates that the Technical Proposal is limited to 20 pages. May the offeror include a 2-page Executive Summary that does not count against the page limit of the Technical Proposal?

An Executive Summary is welcome but must be included within the page limitation.

13 Section L.7.1 Organization of the Technical Proposal references a Cover Page while L.7.2 Page Limitation indicates that offerors should include a 1-page Cover “Letter” and then provides instructions on what should be included in a Cover “Page.” May offerors provide both a cover page and a 1-page cover letter?

Please refer to the response to question #4.

14 Section L.7.3.5 Technical Proposal Annexes allocates an annex for offerors to propose position descriptions for non-COP Key Personnel (namely, the DCOP roles in Sri Lanka and the Maldives).

Would USAID consider allowing Offerors to also provide position descriptions for selected non-Key Personnel positions and increasing the page limit for this annex?

This annex has been removed. Please refer to the amended RFP.

15 Section L.7.3.2 Key Personnel and Staffing/ Management Plan states that each resume/CV presented for Key Personnel must include “at least 3 references within the last 3 years.” Please confirm our understanding that the references provided should have worked with the candidate at some point within the last three years?

Please refer to Amendment #1 of the RFP. In an effort to obtain both recent references and references that can speak to key personnel’s relevant experience, this requirement is revised to read, "at least 3 references. At a minimum, two of the references should be able to speak to the candidates' relevant experience and one reference must have worked with the candidate in the last three years."

16 Can USAID provide an estimated ceiling for the contract value?

Please refer to the response to question #1

17 Section L.8 Instructions for the Preparation of the Cost/Business Proposal – Could USAID provide exchange rates for offerors to utilize in the detailed budgets for Sri Lanka and Maldives.

No.

18 We would like to request that USAID consider extending the submission deadline for two weeks

The submission date remains unchanged.

for this proposal considering the short turnaround time between question submission and the submission date of proposals.

19 Can USAID clarify if the program name is “USAID Ocean Plastics Reduction Program (Ocean Plastics)” (see C.1) or “USAID Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity” (see D.2)?

The program name is "USAID Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity". The RFP has been amended accordingly, see Amendment #1 to the RFP

20 Would USAID consider increasing the electronic submission size per email to 20 MB?

The submission size per email remains unchanged.

21 May offerors modify the subject line for proposal submission to indicate the following:

-Whether the attachment is for the Cost or Technical Volume

- What number of emails is to be expected (i.e., 1 of 4)

Yes.

22 Would USAID consider amending the RFP to allow the font in text boxes to be smaller than 12 point as long as it is legible, similar to graphics, charts, graphs, etc.?

Yes. Please refer to Amendment #1 of the RFP. Offerors are allowed to use font not less than 10 points for text boxes.

23 We kindly request that USAID allow key personnel references that are older than 3 years if the reference is for previous work of direct relevance to the requirements of the solicitation.

Please refer to the response to question #15.

24 Consent to Subcontract (page 109 of 114) requires offerors to address each element in FAR 44.202-2 for all proposed subcontractors to be considered should the contracting officer determine that it is in the best interest of the USG to provide consent to subcontract at the time of award. Will the Government confirm that offerors with an approved purchasing system may instead provide information to adhere with notification procedures outlined in FAR 52.244-2(alternate 1)?

Confirmed.

25 In the Contractor Past Performance Information attachment, USAID lists that there is a 2-page limit per activity as well as a 2-page limit for Performance in Using Small Business (SB) Concerns. However, in the RFP there is no page limit mentioned in the list of technical proposal annexes. Can USAID please clarify if there are or are not page limit requirements for this annex?

Page limits for all sections are articulated throughout Section L.

26 The RFP states that the technical proposal is limited to 20 pages, allocating 15 for the Technical Approach and 5 for the Key Personnel and Staffing/Management Plan. Would USAID clarify if the Institutional Experience and Capability

Please refer to the response to question #5.

section is included in the 20-page limit or is there no page limit for this section?

27 Do we understand correctly from the RFP, that offerors can budget/include cost for the administrative and financial support labor in addition to the Professional technical LOE threshold mentioned in the solicitation? Please confirm.

Confirmed. The 37,165 days of LOE is for professional technical person-days as defined in Section F.7.

28 The guidance offered on LOE seems to suggest an expected budget amount higher than what was originally projected in the USAID business forecast.

Can USAID confirm whether the previous business forecast is still an accurate range for the program value?

Please refer to the response to question #1

29 Are the letters of commitment included in the 3-page limit for the key personnel CVs?

Please refer to the response to question #61.

30 Would USAID consider reducing the requirements for key personnel including reducing years of experience for the COP to 7 years and the years of experience for the DCOPs to 3 years? We recognize there are qualified candidates who may not meet these exact criteria due to ocean plastics being a relatively new technical space.

USAID will not relax the requirement for years of relevant experience. However, please note that relevant experience may extend beyond ocean plastics programming.

31 Would USAID be willing to confirm receipt of proposals within 1 business day after receipt instead of 5 days? This will increase the feasibility that bidders can re-send their proposals in the events of a technical issue.

USAID will confirm receipt of proposals in due course. if you do not receive a confirmation of receipt email within 5 business days, please email the contacts provided in the solicitation.

32 Please confirm that USAID has no expectation or requirement that CCN key personnel or local teaming partners are exclusive or non-exclusive to the offeror for this proposal, and that such language should not be included in the Letters of Commitment? In this way, well qualified CCN professionals and local organizations can maximize their participation in this activity and USAID can have greater assurance of the opportunity to work with most qualified local personnel and team.

Confirmed.

33 The link for this bullet appears to be broken, could USAID please send the document directly or include a new link? Clean Cities, Blue Ocean Annual Progress Report | Year Two,12/7/2021 (https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z3WR.pdf)

A new link has been provided in the RFP amendment #1

34 The forecast as of February 11th states that the budget for this activity is between $10 million and $24.99 million. Would USAID be willing to further narrow this range to ensure bidders’ proposed

Please refer to the response to question #1 activities respond as much as possible to USAID’s expectations?

35 The RFP states that the estimated LOE is 37,165.

Assuming 260 days of a full-time person for one year, this translates into approximately 28 full-time positions every year of this program for professional and technical work. Given the size of the grants under contract (GUC) component, and looking at similar USAID programs in the region, this estimated LOE seems to be on the very high side. May offerors propose a smaller number for the LOE if they think doing so provides best value to the USG, or does USAID confirm that 37,165 is the LOE that needs to be budgeted for in the proposal?

The LOE is fixed at 37,165.

36 Is the 37,165 LOE estimated in the RFP exclusive of LOE that will be a part of the GUC component of the program? We ask this question because the exact level of effort under the GUC component cannot be determined with any level of certainty during the proposal preparation.

Professional technical LOE required for the GUCs component should be included in the

37,165 LOE.

37 We assume that the 37,165 includes professional and technical STTA. Would USAID please confirm?

Yes, confirmed

38 We are assuming that USAID expects bidders to describe their Contractor Capability and Experience (section L.7.3.3 on page 102 of the RFP) in the 20 pages of the technical proposal.

Please confirm this assumption is correct.

Please refer to the response to question #5.

39 While we understand that the Contractor Past Performance Information should only include projects implemented within the last five years, would USAID consider removing the five-year limit for the Contractor Capability and Experience (noted on page 112 under M.2.3. Institutional Experience and Capability) so that bidders can describe the full breadth of their relevant experience?

No.

40 Regarding Section L.8 Part 4 - Policies and Procedures, which states: “If the Offeror and/or subcontractors do not have prior Federal contracting experience, the Offeror must submit a copy of its personnel policies, especially regarding salary and wage scales, fringe benefits, merit increases, promotions, leave, differentials, travel and per diem regulations, etc.” Could USAID please respond to the question, below?

(a) If the Offeror has prior federal contracting experience, can we assume that the Offeror does not need to submit copies of its personnel policies?

Yes.

41 Regarding Section L.8 Part 6 - Subcontracting Plan and Small Business Concerns, which states: “The Offeror must submit a subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 19.702 if applicable.

Subcontracting plans, if provided, must address the goals and the various types of small businesses.

This plan includes small-disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, HUBZone businesses, and service-disabled veterans-owned businesses or the SB subcontracting goal may be determined to be unacceptable. Approved Plans will be attached to the resultant contracts.” Could USAID please respond to the following questions?

(a) Typically, a Subcontracting Plan is not required for Small Business Offerors. Can USAID Please confirm if this is the case for this proposal?

(b) Is this section applicable to Small Business Offerors?

Pursuant to FAR 19.702 (b) Subcontracting plans are not required for "small business concerns"

42 In Section L.8. Part 2.2, the RFP states that “Completed biographical data sheets, Form AID 1420-17 (see Attachment 7) must be provided for all proposed personnel. Bio-data forms must be properly completed, certified, and signed by both individual and Offeror in the appropriate spaces with all blocks completed, as appropriate. Proposed rates must be indicated as gross salary. Proposed individual whose salary histories include salaries in currency other than the U.S. dollars, must show the contemporaneous U.S.

dollar equivalent.” Related to this, please see the following three questions, below:

(a) We do not see an Attachment 7 provided for the solicitation; however, based on the most recent version of the AID 1420-17 employee biographical data sheets (EBD), salary history is no longer part of the EBD. Can USAID please confirm that the statement above, “Proposed individual whose salary histories include salaries in currency other than the U.S. dollars, must show the contemporaneous U.S. dollar equivalent” is not relevant?

(b) Given the size limitations (10 MB, presented in Section L.6.a) and the anticipated LOE for this proposal (as outlined in Section F.7), providing EBDs for any/all named personnel (or as backup for pricing justification) would consume a large amount of space in the cost proposal.

Please refer to Amendment #1 section J

(a) Confirmed. Please refer to the revised

RFP.

(b) Please refer to the response for question #43

Would USAID consider modifying this section to require EBDs for proposed key personnel only?

43 Could USAID please confirm that AID 1420-17 Employee Biographical Data sheets are required for key personnel only?

With the submission of the proposal, Offerors are only required to provide form AID 1420- 17 for key personnel positions.

44 The State Department’s website does not provide allowances for the Maldives. For Offerors intending to offer allowances in Maldives, can Offerors apply to the Maldives the State Department’s allowances for Sri Lanka?

The proposed allowances should be in accordance with the Offeror’s policies and procedures and compliant with AIDAR 752.7028.

Note, under DSSR 061 ‘Post Classification’ Item (4) “If neither the name of the post nor the name of the country or area is so listed, the classifications shown for "Other Foreign Localities" shall apply.”

45 Will USAID, please provide allowances for the Maldives, as this is not currently included on the State Department’s website?

Please refer to the response to question #44

46 The budget outline prescribed in section L.8 Part 2 does not include a line item for subcontractors. Should Offerors create a budget line for subcontractors, or should we include these groups under another line item (such as Consultants or Other Direct Costs)?

A line item for subcontracts has been added in RFP amendment #1.

47 The budget outline prescribed in section L.8 Part 2 does not include a line item for training, though it is flagged as one of the budget areas. Should Offerors create a budget line for subcontractors, or should we include these groups under another line item (such as Other Direct Costs)?

Training may be included under another line item such as other direct costs. A line for subcontracts has been added in RFP amendment #1.

48 Could USAID please provide the Local Compensation Plans for Sri Lanka and the Maldives?

Local compensations plans for Sri Lanka and Maldives are provided as an attachment to the RFP amendment #1

49 In Section L.8 Part 2.1, the RFP states that “The cost proposal must contain a Summary Budget for Sri Lanka and Maldives”. Regarding this statement, could USAID please answer the following questions:

(a) Does USAID expect a single summary budget that presents the combined costs for all activities in both Sri Lanka and Maldives?

(b) Does USAID expect two summary budgets -– one summary budget for Sri Lanka and a separate summary budget for Maldives?

(c) Does USAID expect a master budget that shows a budget detailed for all combined costs for Sri Lanka and Maldives.

USAID expects;

1) A detailed budget and summary budget for Sri Lanka.

2) A detailed budget and summary budget for Maldives.

3) One summary budget for both Sri Lanka and Maldives.

50 In Section L.8 Part 2.5, USAID states “In addition, the Offeror must provide a consolidated travel chart (including subcontractor travel).” Regarding

USAID expects separate travel tables for Sri Lanka and Maldives and one consolidated this question, could USAID please answer the questions, below:

(a) Does USAID expect one consolidated travel table that combines all travel for Sri Lanka and Maldives?

(b) Does USAID expect separate travel tables for Sri Lanka and Maldives?

travel table that combines all travel for both countries

51 Would USAID please share the most recent Local Compensation Plan Pay Ranges for Sri Lanka and for the Maldives?

Please refer to the response to question #48

52 What is the anticipated start date of this project? The anticipated start date is o/a October 2022.

53 Would USAID please provide an estimated dollar value range and/or ceiling for this procurement?

Please refer to the response to question #1

54 On page 15, Section C.8 includes: “Geographic targeting will be determined in consultation with relevant stakeholders within the Governments of Sri Lanka and Maldives.” Further, Section L.7.3.1 on page 101 includes “The Offeror should describe its methodology to prioritize geographic focus, engage stakeholders (government, private sector, and community based) as part of the annual work planning process, and opportunities to meaningfully develop, test and scale specific strategies to reduce ocean plastics.” Can USAID confirm that Offerors should broadly describe their methodology to prioritize geographic focus and any specific geographies will be determined post-award and in consultation with relevant stakeholders within the Governments of Sri Lanka and Maldives?

Confirmed.

55 On page 31, Section F.7 includes: “The Contractor must devote approximately 37,165 days of LOE of professional technical direct employee, consultant or subcontractor labor for the period of the contract specified in Section F.2 Period of Performance.

The level of effort includes person-days associated with professional technical personnel working on ocean plastics reduction related issues, monitoring and evaluation, research, communications and outreach, and analyses or assessments. Other professional and nonprofessional efforts including administrative, financial support, logistics, IT, office support, procurement efforts; are not included in the technical professional level of effort.” Given that grants are an integral technical part of the Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity, can USAID confirm that the LOE for any potential Grants Manager would be considered professional technical direct labor?

If the LOE of the grants manager is technical in nature, it should be included in the overall LOE of 37,165.

56 On page 99, Section L.6.a references the title of Volume II as “Cost and Pricing Information.” However, Section L.8 on page 104 contains instructions for the “Cost/Business Volume.” Please confirm that Volume II of offerors’ proposals should betitled “Cost/Business Volume.”

Please refer to RFP Amendment #1 Section L.6 Delivery Instructions (a) General Instructions

57 On page 100, Section L.7.1 includes a cover page in the required list of the sections for the technical proposal. However, Section L.7.2 only includes the cover letter as not being “included in the 20-page limitation.”

a. Can USAID confirm if both a cover page and cover letter are required to be submitted, or if one or the other is acceptable?

b. Can USAID confirm that the cover page does not count toward the page limits for the Technical Proposal?

Please refer to the response to question #4.

58 On page 100, Section L.7.1 provides an outline of the required sections of technical proposals. Would USAID please allow offerors to submit a 1-page Executive Summary as part of the technical proposal that is not subject to the 20-page limitation?

Please refer to the response to question # 12.

59 On page 100, Section L.7.2 includes: “The text in any text boxes included within the technical proposal must be Times New Roman font not less than 12 points in size.”

However it also includes, “Text in tables, graphics, charts, graphs, etc. may be smaller than 12 points in size, but must be legible.”

a. Would USAID allow the font for text in text boxes to be 10 points in size?

b. Would USAID allow fonts other than Times New Roman for text in text boxes, tables, graphics, charts, graphs, etc.?

a. Please refer to the response to question #22.

b. Offerors shall use font "Times New Roman" throughout the document.

60 On page 100, Section L.7.2 includes: “The Technical Proposal is limited to 20 pages.”

However, Section L.7.3.1 includes a 15-page limit for the Technical Approach and Section L.7.3.2 includes a 5-page limit for the Key Personnel and Staffing/Management Plan. Since there is no page limit provided in Section L.7.3.3 Contractor Capability and Experience, would USAID:

a. please provide a page limit (i.e. 5 pages) for the Contractor Capability and Experience section of the technical approach?

b. confirm that any page limits for the Contractor Capability and Experience section should be in

Please refer to USAID response for question #5.

addition to the current 20 pages for technical approach?

61 On page 101, Section L.7.3.2 includes:

“Resumes/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length,” as well as “Each resume/CV must be accompanied by a signed letter of commitment from each candidate.” Can USAID please confirm that the three-page limit is for each candidate CV and that a one-page letter of commitment should be submitted as additional page for each candidate?

Confirmed.

62 On page 102, Section L.7.3.2 includes: “the Offeror must also illustrate how they propose to initially allocate LOE across the four objectives identified in the SOW.”, while Section L.7.3.5 (6) (page 103) also includes an LOE table as an Annex. Can USAID please confirm that the illustration of LOE across the four objectives could be included in Annex 6. LOE Table instead of the Key Personnel and Staffing/Management Plan?

Sufficient information on LOE allocations should be provided within the staffing and management plan for USAID to understand how proposed LOE ties to the four objectives identified in the SOW. However, there is no need to duplicate information presented in Annex 6.

63 On page 102, Section L.7.3.2 includes: “An up to two pages organizational chart or organogram must be included in an annex to graphically illustrate the described plan.”

Would USAID allow offerors to submit the two pages organizational chart or organogram on 11x17 pages to allow offerors to comprehensively present the required elements in the organizational chart or organogram for the two countries?

Yes. 11x17 paper may be used for the organizational chart.

64 On page 102, Section L.7.3.2 includes: “An up to two pages organizational chart or organogram must be included in an annex to graphically illustrate the described plan.”

However, Section L.7.3.5 on page 103 states: that an Organizational Chart must be included in Annex 2: Illustrative charts and graphs, which is not to exceed 5 pages.

Please confirm that the Organizational Chart can be up to two pages and that it is not included in the page counts for Annex 2:

Illustrative charts and graph.

As stipulated in L.7.3.5 Annex 2 the organizational chart is included in the 5-page limit for Annex 2.

65 On page 102, Section L.7.3.3 is titled “Contractor Capability and Experience” and corresponds to Section M.2.3. However, Section M.2.3 has this section titled as “Institutional Experience and Capability.” Please confirm that this section of the technical proposal should be titled “Institutional Experience and Capability.”

The RFP has been amended. The title of Section L.7.3.3 “Contractor Capability and Experience” is revised to “Institutional Experience and Capability.”

66 On page 102, Section L.7.3.3 includes the requirement that “The Offeror must demonstrate capability to achieve objectives similar to those described in Section C. The Offeror must demonstrate experience...”. However, on page 112, Section M.2.3 states that the Institutional Experience and Capability section will be evaluated on: “The extent to which the Offeror, including any major subcontractor(s), convincingly demonstrates recent experience (performed within the past 5 years), in implementing activities similar in scope, and complexity to those included in Section C of the solicitation meeting the additional requirements listed in section L.7.3.3.” Please confirm that offerors should include a response to both the referenced capabilities and experience requirements in the Institutional Experience and Capability section and that both capabilities and experience information included in the proposal response will be evaluated.”

Confirmed. Both experience and capability will be evaluated

67 On page 105, Section L.8, Part 2, LOE Table, includes: “offerors are responsible for ensuring that the proposed LOE table is consistent with other elements of their proposed budget. The budget narrative must briefly lay out the methodology Offerors used to arrive at the LOE inclusive of paid absences in case their policies follow a different method.” Please confirm that offerors are to follow their internal policies and procedures regarding presentation of leave days and not to include paid absences in the LOE table regardless of organizational policies and procedures.

Offerors shall include paid absences when calculating the LOE table

68 On page 109, Section L.8, Part 6 includes: “The Offeror must submit a subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 19.702 if applicable.”

Is a small business subcontracting plan applicable to this solicitation and therefore required to be submitted as part of the Cost/Business Proposal?

Please refer to USAID response for question #41

69 Would USAID please provide a budget ceiling or range for this activity?

Please refer to the response to question #1

70 Would USAID please provide an exchange rate for Sri Lanka and Maldives to use in the cost proposal?

Please refer to USAID response for question #17

71 Would USAID please clarify whether Home Office labor, which is comprised of both technical and administrative support, should be included in the 37,165 days of professional technical LOE?

Only the home office professional technical LOE should be included in 37,165 days of

LOE.

72 Section L.2, Part 2, item 2, (page 106) states, “Proposed individuals whose salary histories include salaries in currency other than the U.S.

Please refer to Amendment #1 Section L.2 dollars, must show the contemporaneous U.S.

dollar equivalent.” Considering the latest version of the Contractor Biographical Data Sheet (USAID Form 1420-17) does not include salary or rate history as a required element, would USAID please confirm that offerors should use market data rather than salary/rate history in determining proposed salaries and rates for this activity and remove all language related to using salary/rate history to establish salaries and rates?

73 Would USAID kindly consider allowing the use of a font size smaller than 12 points in textboxes, similar to the guidance allowing use of smaller font within graphics, charts, tables, and graphs?

Please refer to the response to question #22.

74 Section L.7.1 (page 100) presents that the technical proposal must contain a cover page. In the following section (Section L.7.2), USAID includes a cover letter (not to exceed 1 page) as a component of the technical proposal that does not count toward the 20-page limit. In the final paragraph of that section, details of what information should be included in the cover page is listed. Would USAID confirm the Offeror may include both a cover page and a cover letter, both of which will not count toward the 20-page limit?

Please refer to the response to question #4.

75 Section L.7.1 (page 100) presents that the technical proposal must include an Institutional Experience and Capability section. In the following section (Section L.7.2), USAID specifies that the technical proposal is limited to 20 pages. However, under Section 7.3.1 and Section 7.3.2 respectively, USAID limits the Technical Approach section to 15 pages and the Key Personnel and Staffing /Management Plan section to 5 pages, for a total of 20 pages that are currently allowed in the technical proposal.

Would USAID please confirm the Institutional Experience and Capability section (Section L.7.3.3) does not count toward the 20-page limit?

Please refer to the response to question #5.

ANNEX 2: RFP AMENDMENT 1 HIGHLIGHTED CHANGES

Request for Proposal (RFP) Number 72038322R00001

Project Title Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity

Issuance Date February 03, 2022

Questions Deadline February 14, 2022. 0900 am Sri Lanka time

Closing Date for Submission of Proposals March 10, 2022. 0900 am Sri Lanka time

Subject: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 72038322R00001 Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Sri Lanka and Maldives, is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to implement the Ocean Plastics Reduction activity in accordance with the terms and conditions stated in this RFP.

USAID anticipates awarding one cost-plus-fixed-fee term form contract with a period of performance of 5 years. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541690. The authorized geographic code is 937.

This procurement will be conducted under full and open competition procedures, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR Chapter 1).

Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by e-mail to Mr. Hirantha Heenatigala, Acquisition and Assistance Specialist at hheenatigala@usaid.gov AND srilankaprocurement@usaid.gov. No other form of submission will be accepted, and any oral instructions or explanations shall not be binding. If substantive questions are received which affect the response to the solicitation, or if changes are otherwise made, USAID may amend this solicitation.

Amendments will be issued and posted on www.sam.gov. Offerors are strongly encouraged to check the www.sam.gov website periodically as acknowledgement of amendments is required as part of the Offeror’s submission.

Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the instructions listed in Section L of this RFP. Proposals received after the closing date and time will be processed as late and handled in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the RFP has been downloaded and received in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from download, transmission or conversion processes.

Issuance of this RFP does not in any way obligate the U.S. Government to award a contract, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an offer. Furthermore, the Government reserves the right to reject any and all offers, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of the Government.

Sincerely, Julie Ota Contracting Officer USAID/Sri Lanka/Maldives mailto:hheenatigala@usaid.gov mailto:srilankaprocurement@usaid.gov http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

72038322R00001

CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

SEALED BID (IFB)

5. DATE ISSUED

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED RATING PAGE OF PAGES

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

REQ-383-22-000004

C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS)A. NAME

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

(Date)(Hour) local timeuntildepository located in copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

I

J

K

L

M SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

PACKAGING AND MARKING

DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSESPART I - THE SCHEDULE

H

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) DESCRIPTION SEC. (X)

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

18. OFFER DATE17. SIGNATURE

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER

(Type or print)AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

CODE FACILITY

16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER15A. NAME

DATEAMENDMENT NO.DATEAMENDMENT NO.

and related documents numbered and dated):

amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

CALENDAR DAYS (%)30 CALENDAR DAYS (%)20 CALENDAR DAYS (%)10 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

28. AWARD DATE

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

CODE 24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7)

ITEM

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

41 U.S.C. 253 (c) ( 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION20. AMOUNT19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

AWARD (To be completed by government)

CODE

7203837. ISSUED BY

Hirantha Heenatigala hheenatigala@usaid.gov

PAGE(S)

AUTHORIZED…