Attachment 1_Questions and Response.pdf

Attachment 1

Amendment 0001- Request for Proposals #72038820R00004

USAID’s Communications Campaign and Support (CCS) Activity

Sl. Section/Page number

Questions received with USAID Response

From RFP

1. Scope of work – Thematic Campaigns/page 16-17

Question: Should the contractor bear all the costs required for following activities:

Organizing event;

Involving celebrities/media personalities;

Producing and airing of TV campaign;

Promoting in the print media (e.g. newspaper advertising cost);

Producing and renting billboard;

Producing and distributing promotional material (e.g. pens, magnets, calendar);

Other production, distribution, and logistic cost.

USAID’s Response: The contractor will be reimbursed for all allowable, reasonable and allocable costs incurred in the implementation of activities undertaken. In those instances where there is an opportunity to partner with private-sector organizations, those costs may be shared. Not all of these activities will be required, but should be considered in responding to the Statement of Work of the RFP and best value considerations for USAID in the award of the contract.

2. Scope of work - Community-level Activities/page 17

Question: The contractor needs to organize eight community-led activities not exceeding $10,000 each which means approximate cost for this item will be 8 * $10,000 = $80,000. Is this cost included in the total budget ceiling, i.e., 1 – 1.2 million USD?

USAID’s Response: Yes, the cost is included the total budget ceiling.

3. Page limit/page

Question: If there is a separator in the main technical proposal, will that be counted within the 15-page limit?

USAID’s Response: Yes. There is no need to include a blank page.

4. DUNS number/113 Question: The RFP is asking for DUNS for the contractor and the sub-contractors? Is it possible to provide the DUNS number during the negotiation stage? (Considering it may take up to 30 days to complete the DUNS registration).

USAID’s Response: Pursuant to USG regulation, a DUNS number is required along with System for Award Management (SAM) registration at the time of submission of the proposal. An award cannot be made without these two requirements. As noted, Offerors not meeting this requirement should initiate these processes as soon as possible.

5. Detailed Budget Narrative/page 121

Question: The RFP is asking for a detailed budget narrative from the contractor, however, the excel file received with the RFP does not have any header for writing the narrative. Is there any other form to provide the budget narrative? Or the Contractor should add one column in the excel file to provide the budget narrative?

USAID’s Response: The budget narrative should be in Microsoft Word format structured to align with the budget cost categories.

6. Fixed Fee/page 123 Question: Is there any maximum limit of the fee, as a factor or as a percentage of the total cost, that the firm can charge?

USAID’s Response: The percentage of fee to total estimated cost should be proposed with sufficient justification of how fee was determined with full explanation in the budget narrative.

The amount of fee proposed is ultimately a discretion of the offeror, bearing in mind the competitive nature of the procurement.

Other

7. Tax/VAT implication Question: What is the tax/VAT implication for this project? Will this project be tax exempted from the Government of Bangladesh? How much tax/VAT will be deducted at source by USAID (if there is any)?

USAID’s Response: All USAID funded activities are exempt from the payment of VAT, per agreement with the Government of Bangladesh. VAT exemption coupons will be provided to the contractor awarded this activity to purchase supplies and services from registered vendors accepting VAT exemption coupons.

8. Office arrangement Question: Where the project office will be based? Should the team work from the firm’s office or USAID’s office?

USAID’s Response: No services are to be performed at USAID premises.

. Section/Page number

Questions received with USAID Response

Other

9. Debriefing meeting/call conference/one on one meeting

Question: Will there be a Debriefing meeting/call conference/one on one meeting before proposals submission deadline?

USAID’s Response: A debriefing meeting, call conference or one on one meetings are not feasible.

USAID/Bangladesh will conduct a pre-proposal conference to provide information and take questions, on July 9, 6-7 pm Dhaka time, via a virtual meeting conference.

Participants are requested to submit their email address to abakbar@usaid.gov and fresalat@usaid.gov no later than Tuesday July 7, 2020, 4:30 pm to receive an invite to the pre-proposal conference. Prospective offerors are requested to formulate questions for the pre-proposal conference.

Conference Agenda:

Pre-Proposal Conference/Virtual Meeting Conference

Date and Time: July 9, 2020 from 6 PM to 7 PM BD Time

RFP # 72038820R00004

USAID’s Communications Campaign and Support (CCS) Activity

Time Description POC 6:00– 6:05 pm Introductions 6:05– 6:10 pm Opening Remarks and specific award requirements

Office of Acquisition and Assistance Abdullah Akbar, CO/AO

6:10– 6:20 pm Remarks by Program Office Director

Poonam Smith Sreen, Program Office Director

6:20– 6:30 pm Overview of Scope of Work

Ahsan Z. Khan, Communications Specialist

6:30 -6:55 pm Questions and Answers

6:55- 7:00 pm Closing mailto:abakbar@usaid.gov mailto:fresalat@usaid.gov