SF-30 -Amendment of Solicitation Modification -0002.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

PAGE OF PAGES

1 6

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

10/26/2023

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE 720612 7. ADMINISTERED BY (IF OTHER THAN ITEM 6) CODE NA

USAID MALAWI

NICO HOUSE

P.O.BOX 30455

LILONGWE 3, MALAWI

NOT APPLICABLE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Street, County, State, and Zip Code) 9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

72061223R00004

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11) 9/19/2023

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

CODE: FACILITY CODE: 10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered, solicitation is amended as set forth in item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended is not extended.

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 Items 8 and 15, and returning 1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers, FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT 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 telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If Required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO., AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify Authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43,103 (b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is NOT is required to sign this document and return 1 copies to the issuing office.

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

This purpose of this amendment is to :

1. Provide responses to questions submitted under the Performance Evaluation for Local Works funded activities in Malawi solicitation.

2. Extend the closing date for receipt of additional questions.

3. Extend the solicitation closing date as described in Attachment 1.

4. Provide Preproposal conference notes and Offerors' registration that was held on October 23, 2023 in Lilongwe as described in Attachment

2.

See continuation pages for the changes………

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

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

NATALIE THUNBERG

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 15C. DATE

SIGNED

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16C. DATE

SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Previous Edition Unusable Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Attachment 1

Performance Evaluation for Local Works funded activities in Malawi.

Questions to Request for Proposals (RFP) 72061223R00004.

1. For planning purposes and to ensure consistency and fair competition, would USAID kindly provide a budget ceiling for the evaluation?

Response: The budget is estimated between a range of $200,000 and $215,000.

2. Would USAID please confirm whether the prime contractor must be a local firm based in Malawi or whether it is sufficient for a team to be composed of more than one firm (having at least the sub-contractor based in Malawi)?

Response: Yes, the prime contractor must be a local firm based in Malawi. When determining if an entity is a “local actor” for this Contract:

1. Entity is legally organized under the laws of Malawi;

2. Entity has its principal place of business or operations in Malawi;

3. Entity is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Malawi; and

4. Entity is managed by a governing body, the majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Malawi.

For purposes of this definition, “majority-owned’ and “-managed by” include, without limitation, beneficiary interests and the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization's managers or a majority of the organization's governing body by any means.

3. Can USAID confirm that a Table of Contents is allowed and not counted against the 10-page limit?

Response: Yes, a table of Contents is allowed and not counted against the 10-page limit.

4. Can USAID please clarify the following, in one instance the RFP describes past performance as attachments, "Attachments critical for the assessment of past performance or proposed personnel (i.e., Resumes and/or CVs) are allowable." While the proposal outline indicated in the RFP shows that the Past Performance should take 3 of the 10 allowable pages. Can USAID kindly clarify whether past performance is part of the

10-page limit or whether past performance is outside of the 10-page limit (as an attachment)?

Response: Yes, past performance is a part of 10 pages. USAID requests the contractors to provide up to three most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work detailed in the SOW. The description should be brief and include:

● Point of contact, along with their title, email address, and phone number;

● Scope of work or complexity/diversity of tasks;

● Primary location(s) of work;

● Term of performance;

● Skills/expertise required;

● Dollar value; and

● Contract type (i.e., fixed-price, cost reimbursement, etc.)

As stated under factor 2, CVs/Resumes for each of the key personnel must be included in the key personnel and staffing plan Annexes. This is not part of the 10-page limit.

5 We wanted to find out if we are a local firm, can we partner with international companies to form a joint venture.

Response: Yes, you can.

6. Could you please also let us know the anticipated timelines for the project?

Response: The contract period is anticipated for four to six months after award.

Attachment 2

72061223R0004- Request for Proposal (RFP) Local Works Performance Evaluation

Pre-proposal Conference, at Sunbird Capital Hotel, Lilongwe October 23, 2023

Opening remarks – Natalie Thunberg, Office Director, and Contracting Officer

USAID Malawi

Presentations of Solicitation by Sections:

1. Overview of Local Works Program in Malawi and Section C: Statement of Work presented by: Zufan Mulugeta - Program Officer, USAID Malawi and

Colleen Brady, Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist USAID Washington

Question 1:

How long is the performance period of the current activities under the local works program?

USAID Response: They range between three to five years.

Question 2:

Districts and Traditional Authorities (TA) are clearly shown on the map. How can we know where each project is in each TA?

USAID Response: The solicitation document contains attachment Fig 1 with all the location details included under section J on page 36.

Question 3:

Can you provide clarification on the sample size of evaluation for the local works activities? Will USAID determine the sample size or expects Offerors to propose it.

USAID Response: USAID will rely on Offeror’s proposed personnel or any consultants submitting proposals as experts to determine the right sample size for the performance evaluation of all the local works activities. This is a large endeavor, so we expect a team and possible consortiums of companies and/or consultants.

Question 4:

Team Compositions – since the projects are from different development sectors, should offerors plan for subject matter experts with different fields.

USAID Response: The Request for Proposal (RFP) specified three (3) required key personnel.

Organizations will determine the need for subject matter experts based on their proposed technical approach.

2. Section L – Instructions to Offerors presented by:

Manale Jimu- Acquisition and Assistance Specialist

Questions 5:

Are offerors required to submit proposals for each activity in the TAs or one proposal for all the seven activities?

USAID Response: Offerors must submit one technical and one cost proposal for the evaluation of all the seven activities as listed in attachment Fig 1 listed on page 36. This is an evaluation of the entire Local Works Program in Malawi, including the seven agreements.

Questions 6:

Can you clarify information described about cost proposal submission, what constitutes indirect costs?

USAID Response: These are the shared costs that do not directly relate to a specific activity for example, portion of rent or utilities bills or accounting personnel working on more than one project. Under a firm fixed price contract, the direct costs and indirect costs do not need to be separated.

3. Section M – Evaluation factors for award presented by:

Josephine Kitongo, Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist

Questions

None

4. Section B – Services and Prices presented by:

Natalie Thunberg

Additional payment information relating to reporting and deliverables are found under section F for reporting requirements on page 19.

Question 7

On the contract and financial side, the transactions will be in US Dollars; however, some level of effort may merit consortium formation. If a local organization chooses to partner with an international organization, what payment currency will be used?

USAID Response: The successful Offerors will be required to provide banking details that outline the type of account through which funds will be disbursed. Further discussions will take place after the award of the contract. Note: Offerors must propose all costs in United States Dollars (USD).

5. Section G – Contract Administration presented by:

Andrew Mbengo & Ekari Mkhupela- Financial Analysts

No Questions

6. Section K - Representation and Certifications

7. System for Award Management (SAM) Registration presented by:

Samson Mwanza- Acquisition Agent

Question 8

Based on sam.gov, it shows that it's renewable every year, can one continue to provide the service or stop immediately after its expiry?

USAID Response: This depends on the type of contract – implementation can proceed however no payment can be processed until the SAM registration is renewed. Please monitor the www.sam.gov website to ensure your registration remains active.

Question 9

For this solicitation, can you please clarify whether offerors are required to register in SAM before submission or at the time of the award?

USAID Response: Offerors are not required to register in SAM before submitting their proposals. However, the successful Offeror will be required to have full SAM registration before the contract is awarded. So, it is wise to start as early as possible, since it can take weeks sometimes.

Question 10

There is a challenge for Offerors or individuals registering in SAM uploading government documents such as utility bills are plain without addresses. Therefore, it is common to have different names on the various documents to upload in SAM for the water bill, how do we go about this?

http://www.sam.gov/

USAID Response: There are many options of acceptable documents to submit. Please look at the list of acceptable documents listed on the SAM registration presentation to identify the most appropriate for your organization to use.

Keep documentation simple and avoid uploading multiple different documents to facilitate entity file verification before registration is completed.

Representations and Certifications presented by:

Josephine Kitongo

Question 11

Regarding techno tablets, we are not sure which company they are originating from. W, will this require certification as well?

USAID Response: Please read section K sub section (i) on page 40 regarding covered telecommunication equipment or services -representation Section 889 (a). Carefully identify source and origin of the equipment your organizations buy through the company procurement processes.

Take note of section K and have section (3) (i) certification of covered telecommunications equipment or services completed and submit together with your cost proposal.

8. Final Q& A Session

Question 12

It’s evident that SAM registration is tedious and unpredictable, what’s the provisional time from which it can be guaranteed that the SAM registration process can be completed.

USAID Response: No guarantee period but it can sometimes take 2 – 3 weeks or even a year.

But the start is very important so please reach out to USAID to start the process together.

Why register in SAM.gov

Subpart 4.11 - System for Award Management

(a) Increase visibility of vendor sources (including their geographical locations) for specific supplies and services; and

(b) Establish a common source of vendor data for the Government.

Policy: Offerors and bidders are required to be registered in SAM at the time an offer or quotation is submitted in order to comply with the annual representations and certifications requirements

Keys terms to note in the SAM registration

• SAM = System for Award Management www.sam.gov

• Entity = Business or Organisation

• UEI = Unique Entity Identification code

• NATO = National Association of Trade Organization

• CAGE = Commercial And Government Entity

* NCAGE derives from a combination of NATO CAGE:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Error/FileNotFound.aspx

FSD = Federal Service Desk - which serves users of SAM. www.fsd.gov http://www.sam.gov/ https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Error/FileNotFound.aspx http://www.fsd.gov/

Registration Validity

• The ACTIVE status in SAM.gov is valid for 12 months and must be renewed on annual basis.

• Ninety days prior to registration expiration date e-mail will be sent and weekly thereafter.

• If no action is taken, the entity registration is changed from ACTIVE to

INACTIVE.

Recommendations

• That the email address and mobile number used be those which are permanently with the organization NOT personalized.

• That the login credential be kept in a file in the office so that those staff which the NEED-TO-KNOW status can have access in case of need.

DISCLAIMER

• Active registration in System for Award Management does not guarantee an award and/or assistance from the US Federal Government. Active registration is but a prerequisite for the award to be made to an entity.

• All Acquisition and Assistance award procedures, processes, and federal regulations must be adhered to.

What do I need to validate my entity in SAM.gov?

Legal Business Name

• Your entity’s legal business name is the name registered with your state filing office or the name used on legal documents, tax returns, or banking documents.

• If you are operating a sole proprietorship, your legal business name is your own name, while your Doing Business As (DBA) name is any other name you use for your business. Your DBA name could be a trade name, or one used for marketing purposes and is different from your legal business name.

Physical Address •Your entity’s physical address is the location where the principals of your organization conduct their business. The physical address includes street number;

street name; city; country; U.S. state, U.S. territory, or province; and ZIP Code or postal code.

•A post office box is not a physical address. P.O. boxes will not be accepted on your entity validation, registration, or for a Unique Entity ID.

•If you work at more than one location or use a virtual office, your entity’s physical address in SAM.gov should be the address where you keep the books and records for your organization.

National Identifier

•National Identifier is the unique ID assigned to you by the country where your business originates. Only non-US entities need to provide a national identifier during entity validation and registration.

•The national identifier could take a variety of forms, depending on how your home country assigns them. Common national identifiers include Company Number, Trade Register Number, VAT/TAX Number, and Company ID number.

Examples of acceptable documents that must be less than 5 years old

• Bank statements

• PDF or screenshot of your business profile in your state's online business registry or Secretary of State website

• Utility Bills (water, gas, or electric only)

• Department of Treasury IRS Tax Exemption Status Letter

• IRS Forms 1099

• License to Operate (issued by city, state)

• State Sales and Use Tax Permit

• Tax invoices (federal, state, local, international)

• Certificates of Good Standing issued by your state

Examples of Documents That Are Not Accepted:

• Notarized letters are not accepted for validation. A notary verifies your identity but does not certify your entity's legal business name or physical address.

• Deeds

• Loan documents

• Federal award paperwork

• Invoices for goods or services (including cable bills, delivery service, and IT service invoices)

• Envelopes or postcards

• Organization letterhead

• USPS.com search results

• Applications or forms that have not been certified by a government agency

Contact details

• Samson Mwanza – USAID Procurement

• Mobile – 265 884 860 361

• smwanza@usaid.gov

• Clement Manda – USAID Procurement

• Mobile – 265 884 364 353

• cmanda@usaid.gov mailto:smwanza@usaid.gov mailto:cmanda@usaid.gov

# NAME POSITION ORGANIZATION CONTACT EMAIL

1 Londe Mwansa Research and Admin Assistant M31 Research 260973338418 londe@m31r.com

2 Issa Alli Business Development Officer KCM Consulting Limited 265996201333 ialli@kcmconsultingltd.com/allienyalaya@mail.com

3 Chisangu Matom Chief Executive Officer M31 Research 260978937745 chisangu@m31r.com

4 Mwendalubi Bbuku Business Develoment and HR Officer M31 Research 260978829330 mwenda@m31r.com

5 Eliam Phiri Multi-Teck Solutions 265888871424 eliam@mts.mw

6 Gideon Gavera Head- Business Development Jimat Development Consulants 263772862015 gideon@jimatconsult.co.zw

7 Taufiq Kazembe BDO KCM Consulting Limited 265998541631 kazembetaufiq69@gmail.com

8 Edward Chigwere Senior Consultant Center for Development Management(CDM) 265995791335 edwardchigwere90@gmail.com

9 Jolly Kenan Associate Consultant Jimat Development Consulants 265888871044 jolly@jimatconsult.co.zw

10 Donald Makoko Director Makoko & Associates 265888930830 donmakoko@yahoo.co.uk

11 Abdallah Chilungo Director Tsogolo Lathany 265888896195 achilungo@tlt.health

12 James Chima Managing Director IDM Consulting & Associates 265888846102 consultingidm@yahoo.com

LOCAL WORKS EVALUATION PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE AT SUNBIRD CAPITAL ON OCTOBER 23, 2023