Amendment No.1 RFP 72061223R00001 Books Printing Questions and Answers.pdf

AMENDMENT ONE (1) to RFP No. 72061223R00001 Printing, Binding, and Distribution of Learners Books (LBs) and Teachers Guides (TGs)

Issuance Date: March 9, 2023 RFP Closing Date and Time: March 23, 2023 – 15.00hrs Malawi time

The purpose of this amendment is to:

(1) Extend the Proposal submission date to March 23, 2023 - 15:00 hours Malawi Time.

(2) Provide responses to Offeror’s questions as outlined in Attachment A below.

Unless specifically stated herein, all other terms and conditions of the RFP remain unchanged.

Sincerely, /S/ Dion Glisan Contracting Officer

Attachment A – Questions and Answers

Question # 1 Size: Can we request you to please provide the A5 and A4 size in MM or inches which will help us to understand the exact size of the book.

USAID Response:

A4 is 210 x 297 mm and A5 is 148 x210 mm , both with Paper weight of 80 gsm and cover weight is 250 gsm as outlined in the solicitation page 8 under C.3.1. ‘Body Text and Cover Specifications”

Question # 2 PACKING: We would like to know if any particular packing instructions will be on this project.

Could you please share the packing instructions if any for our further process?

USAID Response:

Page 11 Section D - Packaging and Marking outlines the packaging details of the textbooks.

Question # 3 We see on page 1 that the deadline for receiving questions is 02/28/2023. Page 63 of the RFP lists 02/16/2023 as the deadline. We plan to work with the 02/28/2023 date.

USAID Response:

Thank you. We missed that date in the document. The closing date for receiving questions was February 28, 2023.

Question # 4 We also see on page 1 that the proposal and samples are due by 03/16/2023. Page 62 of the RFP lists 02/10/2023 as the deadline. We plan to work with the 03/16/2023 date.

USAID Response:

The closing date of receiving Proposals and samples is extended to March 23, 2023 at 15:00 hours Malawi time

Question # 5 AWARD DATE: Please advise the anticipated award date for Base Contract and Options Contract?

USAID Response:

The anticipated award date is the month of July 2023

Question # 6 A4 SIZE: South Africa’s standard A4 size is 275 x 205, which the Department of Education books are also printed on. Would this be acceptable?

USAID Response:

No. A4 is 210 x 297 mm and A5 is 148 x210 mm, both with paper weight of 80 gsm and cover weight is 250 gsm as outlined in the solicitation page 8 under C.3.1. ‘Body Text and Cover Specifications”

Question # 7 THREAD SEWN: Thread Sewn has traditionally been viewed as essential to ensure that the books are durable. However, PUR is not used solely as an alternative to Thread Sewn as it compasses the durability that thread sewn has and can accommodate a book with high pagination as well.

Would USAID be willing to consider PUR only for the teacher’s book and the samples sent for submission will also confirm the argument that PUR alone is effective for binding?

Section C.3.2 (p.9) of the solicitation specifies that PUR and thread sown must be the binding for the Teachers Guides (TG). For the Learners Books (LB ), PUR binding or proven equivalent is the required binding .PUR Binding is a form of perfect binding, where the pages and cover are glued together at the spine and the other three sides of the book are trimmed as needed to give them clean "perfect" edges.

Question # 8 INSPECTION: Please advise what milestone inspection will take place and if the COR will visit the factory itself (even if outside of Malawi), so this can be included in the proposed production timeline.

USAID Response:

Page 12 of the RFP under (b) indicates “The COR may conduct random inspections at the Contractor’s location or warehouse as coordinated with the Contractor at any point during the printing and packaging process, warehousing, and/or distribution for the entire period of performance”. In other words, we do not have a set schedule prior to award.

Question # 9 LOGISTICS for Grades 7 and 8: Are you able to give an indication of the distribution list of Grades 7 and 8 or should we base the pricing on the Grades 5 and Grade 6 list?

USAID Response:

The pricing should be based on the distribution list provided in the solicitation under attachment J2.

Question # 10 Code 935: Is a South African company excluded in terms of code 935?

USAID Response:

Code 935 means any area or country but excluding prohibited sources. Currently South Africa is not a prohibited source.

Question # 11 We would like to clarify if this contract is open to contractors in the United States but have affiliates in Malawi. As long as they are qualified and responsible, are United States organizations permitted to submit a proposal for this Solicitation? Page 15, F.2 Place of Performance. Is this Solicitation open to responsible, qualified United States contractors?

USAID Response:

As stated on page 1, this procurement is being conducted through a full and open competition for which the procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 15 apply. Any area or country, excluding prohibited sources, may submit a proposal. For F.2 Place of Performance, we are trying to ensure that Offerors know that the books will need to be delivered nationwide in Malawi.

Question # 12 Is there a budget set for this project?

USAID Response:

As part of their proposal, Offerors must submit their pricing for the contract requirement (printing, binding and distribution).

Question # 13 In case of subcontracting, can the payments be received in the Prime and Subcontractor bank accounts separately in the ratio of 50:50 or in any other proportion as per details provided as stipulated as per B.4 of the FAR. In view of such arrangement both partners would like to know payment dynamics to be put in place in order to deal with the challenges of transparency at the same time ease foreign exchange payments to enable both parties to procure materials etc.

USAID Response:

USAID/Malawi intends to award one contract. Payment will be made to the successful / Prime contractor.

Question # 14 Pages 10 and 12. Please clarify the descriptions of print ready copies (PRC), camera-ready copy (CRC), artwork and final proofs. Is "print ready copy, camera-ready copy and artwork" the same as plate-ready PDF files? Are the "final proofs" the same as the 20 printed initial run "prior to production" samples?

USAID Response:

Yes they are the same.

Question # 15 Is the expectation to have the Option Contract schedule run in parallel with the Base Contract, or follow the Base Contract at a later yet to be determined schedule?

The expectation is that if there is a need to make an Option contract, that it would occur after the Base Contract.

Question # 16 What are the planned "delivery by dates" or "delivery window dates" for the Base and Option Contracts? Do the individual schedules vary by grade, school or region?

USAID Response:

We plan to work with the partner who is awarded the contract to negotiate the dates and deliveries.

Question # 17 What are the criteria for awarding the Optional Contract? Can the Optional Contract be awarded separately from the Base Contract? To two contractors?

USAID Response:

The Base and option contract will be awarded to one Contractor however USAID/Malawi reserves the right to exercise the option.

Question # 18 What specific page counts should be used for establishing pricing, schedules and distribution arrangements for the Option Contract?

USAID Response:

The pricing should be based on the page ranges and quantities provided in the solicitation on p.

6.

Question # 19 Page 9. Please provide a sample, detailed description of the approved Delivery Notices (DN's). Are electronic signatures an option?

USAID Response:

The offeror should design the delivery note which will be approved by COR. Electronic signatures are not allowed.

Question # 20 Page 11. Please provide a sample, detailed description of the preferred label for cartons.

USAID Response:

Printed books must be neatly packaged in boxes of 50 up to the amount that is divisible by 50 per school or other delivery site and an additional box if needed to arrive at total quantity per school or other delivery site. The box with additional books must be packed securely to avoid book damage prior to delivery at the individual School site. The carton needs to be branded and should be approved by USAID COR before any production.

Question # 21 Page 11. Please provide a sample and description of placement (or photo) on the cartons of the USAID emblem and last 5 digits of the USAID Financing document number.

USAID Response:

Offeror to design for COR Approval before any production.

Question # 22 Page 11. What is the required, preferred carton size or packaging material for packing those copies that are not in multiples of 50 per carton?

USAID Response:

This solicitation is full and open, so we have not put a particular size on the carton/cardboard boxes. Different regions may use different measurements or numbering systems. Therefore, the requirement is 50 books per carton. The size of the carton will be derived from the number of books. The extra books will also be packed separately in a box/carton that protects them. Please see Section D Packaging and Marking (b).

Question # 23 Page 17. Please provide a brief description of what the Contractor is required to do re the Value Added Tax.

USAID Response:

As indicated on Section H - Special Contract Requirements under H.5 Value added tax custom duties

(p. 17), USAID/Malawi has a bilateral agreement with the Government of Malawi on tax exemptions and this will be explained in detail post award. For purposes of overhead or administration charges, VAT claims should be submitted quarterly.

Question # 24 Page 19. Please advise where the regulations for Alternate 70 Involving Performance Overseas be found?

USAID Response:

Please search for FAR 52.202-1 Alternate 70 online. We Googled it, and it came up in the search.

It could also be in the latest paper version of the FAR.

Question # 25 If the content supplied by USAID infringes on a third party's intellectual property, is there an indemnification provision whereby USAID indemnifies the Contractor for any infringement claims?

In this case, the materials were created, developed , and approved by USAID and the Ministry of Education. The GOM signed off for the printing, binding, and distribution of the materials. No third-party is allowed to reprint, modify, or adapt as they are not open licensed. The Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) is the sole authority outside USAID.

Question # 26 Is USAID/Malawi considered the Importer of record and the contact for the clearing agent? Will there be one contact for any in-country questions?

USAID Response:

This is post award information and will be shared accordingly.

Question # 27 If there are any Taxes that need to be paid in-country, who is responsible for paying them? If a tax exemption or import permit is needed for importation, who will secure those documents?

USAID Response:

A company must obey the laws of Malawi regarding taxation. USAID has certain VAT exceptions.

This is post award information and will be shared accordingly. For purposes of overhead or administration charges, VAT claims should be submitted quarterly.

Question # 28 Page 12 (c) All vehicles will be inspected by the COR for fit-for-purpose, provisions for sealing until initial delivery point, licensing and certification of fitness. What vehicles are being referenced?

USAID Response:

Vehicles for delivering the textbooks to schools as outlined.

Question # 29 Per the book distribution list provided in Attachment J.2 – List of Delivery Destinations, will full addresses, names, e-mails and phone numbers of all individuals required to sign the DN be provided?

USAID Response:

No. The offeror will find details at the school.

Question # 30 Page 12 (e) IF one of the 3 people (School Head, a teacher, a member of School Management Committee) is not available to sign the DN, are there any exceptions to having another person sign or will 2 signatures be acceptable?

No. Three people should sign representing the three entities. Also on page 12 under (e) it states:

“During school breaks or holidays the Contractor must contact the schools in advance for purposes of receiving and verifying the books delivery.” For USAID, that means that a contractor must call ahead or make specific arrangements so that the people needing to sign the Delivery Notes are present.

Question # 31 Page 9. C.3.2 Binding. Can the PUR requirement for the Teacher's Guides be waived? A Smyth sewn product alone is most certainly strong enough for these books with the stated pages counts of 276-pages to 424-pages.

USAID Response:

No Waiver. PUR and thread sown should be the binding for the Teachers Guides (TG). Section C.3.2 page # 9. For the Learners Books (LB ) PUR is the only binding.

Question # 32 To allow us to prepare a more detailed and efficient distribution plan, could USAID kindly provide offerors the geo locations (latitude and longitude) for the 5,604 schools in Malawi?

USAID Response:

USAID does not have this information available, so the successful contractor will need to research and get information needed for their proposal.

Question # 33 In the event the learning materials are printed outside of Malawi, will USAID/Malawi provide paperwork or facilitate any waivers required for importation duties?

USAID Response:

As indicated on Section H - Special Contract Requirements under H.5 Value added tax custom duties

(p. 17), USAID/Malawi has a bilateral agreement with the Government of Malawi on tax exemptions and this will be explained in detail post award. USAID will work with the successful contractor to facilitate importation without duties applied.

Question # 34 In order to improve our offering, could USAID kindly extend the deadline for submission of proposals by a week, ‘til March 23, 2023?

USAID Response:

The deadline of submitting proposals is extended to March 23, 2023 at 15:00 hours Malawi Time

Question # 35 Paragraph 11 (e) on page 57 – Multiple offers Can USAID clarify if this paragraph means that offerors can submit different proposals with different pricing?

Yes, Offerors can submit different proposals with different pricing. For example: two offerors could submit separate individual proposals with no subcontracts. Or, they could partner, naming 1 partner as the prime, and another as the sub. to do the printing, or delivery. Regardless, USAID intends to make one contract, but we are not dictating how the work is completed, meaning alone or in partnership/combination. Please remember that the proposals submitted must meet the requirements of the solicitation.

Question # 36 On the Covering letter proposals to this solicitation are valid for 90 days while on Page 57 – 11 (c) is mentioning 30 calendar days? Please clarify.

USAID Response:

This was an error, Proposals received in response to this solicitation must be valid for 90 days.

Question # 37 PRINTING SPECS – Printing Specs of Text and Covers is mentioning four colors for Teachers Guide while the previous TG Books were printed in Black and White for Teachers Guide.

USAID Response:

Teacher’s Guides illustrations should be in Black and White. Text Color Black. Cover should be in Color, page # 8 Section C 3.1

Question # 38 Is the USAID going to provide material (soft copy) to be printed for the samples required to level the ground for fair competition with those who have are traditionally contracted each time this solicitation comes out for bidding

USAID Response:

Under L.2 - General Instructions to Offerors 1(B). Printing Sample (P. 60 of the RFP) The Offeror must submit 5 (Five) Different textbooks printing samples - which Offerors has itself printed - to demonstrate the quality and capacity of printing and binding similar printing work.

Samples must be sent by courier or hand delivered and must reach USAID/Malawi Offices by the closing time and date of the solicitation. The emphasis on printing sample quality is for the Offeror to provide samples of the similar printing work which was previously done by the Offeror with similar printing quality and binding specifications as outlined in the RFP.

Question # 39 Is it not possible to split the order into 8 lots for example lot 1: English textbooks for std 5-6, lot 2:

Chichewa for std 5-6, lot 3: Teacher's Guides, English and another lot for Chichewa TGs and the same thing for optional 7-8 textbooks. This way it will empower other printers and help them grow and improve competition in this industry unlike the way it is now where everyone knows who is going to grab this contract. It’s like the USAID funds are tailor for a selected companies but they grew because they enjoyed support as well.

Please see response to Question 11: As stated on page 1, this procurement is being conducted through a full and open competition for which the procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 15 apply. Any area or country, excluding prohibited sources, may submit a proposal. For F.2 Place of Performance, we are trying to ensure that Offerors know that the books will need to be delivered nationwide in Malawi.

Question # 40 Solicitation document has 60 pages and on page 60 there is J.2. List of Delivery Destination and quantities,Should we say that pricing of our offerors will not include transport to those various destinations and that transport will be charged separately after the award of contract?

USAID Response:

The solicitation has 68 pages and Section F subsection 3 requires delivery of completed books to a list of destination points as indicated in Attachment J.2 which has been uploaded as an excel document under this solicitation on sam.gov . Therefore transportation costs should be included in the price.

Question # 41 Page 1 of this Solicitation (RFP No. 7206122R00005 on eligibility to participate point 3 says the offerors must be majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful residents of Malawi.

USAID Response:

Please see response to Question 11: As stated on page 1, this procurement is being conducted through a full and open competition for which the procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 15 apply. Any area or country, excluding prohibited sources, may submit a proposal. For F.2 Place of Performance, we are trying to ensure that Offerors know that the books will need to be delivered nationwide in Malawi.

Question # 42 Should we say that margin of preference will be given to indigenous / black Malawians in line with the Procurement law so that the contract benefits local Malawians.

USAID Response:

Please see response to Question 11: As stated on page 1, this procurement is being conducted through a full and open competition for which the procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 15 apply. Any area or country, excluding prohibited sources, may submit a proposal. For F.2 Place of Performance, we are trying to ensure that Offerors know that the books will need to be delivered nationwide in Malawi.