74330226R0016 Vendor Questions.pdf

Reference Question Response

To support development of a realistic and sustainable pricing model for this multi-year, global services requirement, can the Government advise whether an Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) or target value has been established for this procurement? If possible, can the Government indicate whether the anticipated total contract value is expected to fall in the mid six figures, low seven figures, or above over the full period of performance, including option years?

ABMC does not provide estimates. It is our expectation that vendors will quote prices they believe are fair and reasonable for the scope of work requested.

The PWS references ABMC memorial sites in Cuba, including the Santiago Surrender Tree. To ensure accurate pricing and logistics planning, can the Government clarify:

a) Is the Santiago Surrender Tree included within the scope of the Flower Program for ordering, fulfillment, and delivery under this contract?

b) If not, can the Government confirm that no flower delivery services in Cuba are required under this solicitation?

In accordance with CLIN 0001, flowers will be delivered to ABMC cemeteries. For clarification:

a) The Surrender Tree is not a cemetery so flowers are not expected to be delivered to the site.

b) Flowers are not expected to be delivered to Cuba under ABMC's Flower Program.

If any locations in Cuba are confirmed to be within scope for floral fulfillment under this contract, the Contractor will require clarity on sanctions compliance prior to program launch:

a) Does ABMC currently hold, or anticipate holding, any OFAC authorization that covers memorial services and associated floral fulfillment activities in Cuba?

b) If not, does ABMC anticipate coordinating with the selected contractor to pursue a specific OFAC license to enable lawful execution of services?

c) If applicable, will ABMC support a joint license application to OFAC prior to go-live?

Cuba is not a location within the scope of the flower fulfillment requirements of this contract.

74330226R0016 Flower Program Questions

The solicitation includes CLIN 0004 for Government-directed enhancements and expanded functionality. To support long-term planning, can the Government confirm whether it would welcome the submission of future capability enhancement concepts (e.g., advanced analytics, user experience improvements, expanded customer-service tools) for potential consideration under CLIN 0004, as program needs evolve?

Yes, proposed enhancements may be included under CLIN 0004.

The PWS estimates approximately 2,000 orders annually. To support accurate staffing, surge planning, and service-level commitments, can the Government share:

a) Any historical order-volume data from prior years (e.g., last 2–3 years), if available?

b) Whether order volumes have shown a steady increase or seasonal growth trend?

c) Typical peak-period volumes observed during commemorative dates (e.g., Memorial Day, June 6), including approximate surge multipliers versus normal weekly demand?

This is new requirement. ABMC has not had a Flower Program like this before. However, the basis for the estimated annual orders is from public interest, which includes: a) ABMC is aware of citizens ordering approximately 2,000 floral arrangements per year based on what was delivered to its site; b) this data is not detailed enough to indicate trends; and c) ABMC has observed and assumes peak volume for flower deliveries around WWI and WWII commemorative dates (e.g., Memorial Day and D- Day).

To ensure alignment on delivery and risk management, can the Government clarify:

a) The formal acceptance process for initial platform deployment and for ongoing service performance?

b) Whether any liquidated damages, service credits, or penalties are anticipated for missed deliveries, system downtime, or vendor non-performance?

c) How the Government intends to treat excusable delays related to weather events, geopolitical conditions, or third-party florist disruptions?

Terms and conditions will generally follow FAR Part 12 commercial clauses. Vendors are encouraged to propose SLAs as they deem appropriate and advantageous to the Government.

To support accurate staffing and SLA planning, can the Government clarify:

a) Any required response-time targets for phone, email, and escalation support?

b) Whether after-hours or weekend support is expected for international customers?

c) Whether the program anticipates the need for multilingual support or translation services, and if so, in which languages?

ABMC clarifies the following:

a) ABMC only specified a response time of "within 48 hours" for the photo confirmations. General expectations for customer service and quality are addressed throughout.

Specific response-time targets are at the contractor's discretion.

b) Based on the general expectation, ABMC expects customer service and responsiveness in line with customer demand. The ability to track support issues and respond within a timely manner is expected.

c) Multi-lingual or translation support may be needed to support flower orders and fulfillment. However, that is at the contractor's discretion.

Given the use of online payments and global customers, can the Government clarify:

a) Whether the refund and cancellation policy will be established by ABMC or by the Contractor, subject to ABMC approval?

b) How chargebacks and payment disputes are expected to be handled, including allocation of responsibility between the Contractor and the Government?

c) Whether any standard operating procedures already exist for dispute resolution that the Contractor should align with?

ABMC clarifies the following:

a) CLIN 0002 is FFP for the fulfillment and delivery by the contractor. Fulfillment and delivery processes are not subject to ABMC approval. See Technical Proposal Details.

b) CLIN 0002 is FFP for the fulfillment and delivery by the contractor. Per CLIN 0001, the contractor is responsible for order management capabilities. See Technical Proposal Details.

c) CLIN 0002 is FFP for the fulfillment and delivery by the contractor. See Technical Proposal Details.

Does ABMC have existing relationships with florists and fulfillment partners now? If so, would ABMC be willing to share the contact information of these florists and fulfillment partners with the awardee?

ABMC does not have formal relationships with any floral vendors. We do provide information to the public for ordering flowers from numerous vendors on our website at: https://www.abmc.gov/about-us/our-services/flowers-our-sites/

For phone-based ordering options, does ABMC require the phone order be made only through the awardee directly?

Per CLIN 0001, the contractor is responsible for the design and implementation of order management capabilities.

What are the accepted methods of providing ABMC cemetery staff with recipient information denoting upcoming delivery?

See CLIN 0002 part g). Whether the customer opted for a photo should also be specified.

How many ABMC locations are there worldwide?

What city and country are each of these ABMC locations in?

The Background and Business Goals section specifies the cemeteries and memorials for flower fulfillment. A full list of cities and addresses can be found at our website:

https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/

PWS

Objectives;

CLIN 0001

Does ABMC expect the Contractor to operate a dedicated call center for phone-based orders, or is CSR-assisted order entry using the same platform with secure electronic payment sufficient?

See CLIN 0001. Under CLIN 0001 part j.), the contractor is required to ensure the platform is updated, accessible, and easy to use with both web-based and traditional phone-based ordering options.

14 CLIN 0001(b)

Will ABMC provide a sandbox or test environment for the BMeD / WeRemember API prior to production integration? Yes

15 CLIN 0001(b)

What authentication mechanism is required for the BMeD / WeRemember API (e.g., API key, OAuth, mutual TLS)? Rest API

CLIN 0001(b);

Acceptance Criteria

Are there published availability SLAs or rate limits for the BMeD / WeRemember API that Contractors should design against?

ABMC will provide BMeD technical specifications to the awardee.

CLIN 0002(d);

Product Variety

Should the platform enforce exactly two floral arrangement options per cemetery, or is two the minimum with flexibility to offer additional options?

See CLIN 0002. Under CLIN 0002 d.) at least two floral arrangement options per cemetery should be offered.

CLIN 0002(d);

Pricing and Fees

Are pricing variations across cemeteries expected or permitted based on regional sourcing and logistics? See Technical Proposal Details.

19 CLIN 0002(i)

Will ABMC cemetery staff always be responsible for capturing photo confirmations, or should the Contractor plan for delivery-personnel capture as a standard or fallback option?

Per CLIN 0002 part i), ABMC cemetery staff will be responsible for placing the will be flowers and taking the digital photo. However, the contractor is encouraged to include optional pricing for flower arrangement delivery and taking the digital photo as part of CLIN 0004.

20 CLIN 0002(i)

How should exceptions be handled when photo confirmations cannot be captured within the required 48-hour timeframe?

Under CLIN 0002 Deliverables, the circumstances should be documented and information sent to ABMC and photo sent to customer as soon as possible.

Vendor Requirements

– Customer Service

Which categories of customer inquiries should be handled exclusively by the Contractor versus escalated to ABMC (e.g., policy or cemetery operations questions)?

All customer inquiries should be handled by the contractor.

Questions from the contractor may be sent to the COR for clarification before the contractor responds to the customer.

CLIN 0001(i);

Customer Service

Does ABMC have established refund and cancellation policies, or should the Contractor propose policies for ABMC approval? See Technical Proposal Details.

CLIN 0001(c);

Payment Options

Are credit and debit cards sufficient, or does ABMC expect support for additional payment methods such as digital wallets or international card processing?

Under CLIN 0001 parts j.) and k.), the contractor is required to ensure the platform is updated, accessible, and easy to use with both web-based and traditional phone-based ordering options. While securing any PII. Contractor can offer any methods which accomplish this.

Price Sheet;

CLIN 0002

Should the platform display prices in local currencies, or is USD pricing with gateway-managed FX conversion acceptable? US Dollars

CLIN

0002(a),(b),(k

Is there an existing florist network or incumbent provider that will transition to this contract, and are there minimum coverage expectations per cemetery or region?

No, this is a new requirement with no minimum coverage expectations by cemetery or region. The contractor should address expectations on a case by case with the florist(s).

26 CLIN 0002(f)

Are enhanced delivery SLAs or surge-staffing expectations required for commemorative dates such as Memorial Day or 6 June? No

27 CLIN 0003

Are there any hosting location, cloud provider, or data residency restrictions Contractors should consider? All data and infrastructure must be located in the US.

Vendor Requirements

– Insurance & Liability

Are there minimum insurance coverage limits (e.g., general liability, professional liability) required under this contract? Insurance is at the discretion of the contractor.

29 CLIN 0001(d)

Does ABMC require a VPAT or other formal accessibility compliance documentation as a CLIN 0001 deliverable? Yes

Page 3, CLIN 0001(b)

Will ABMC provide full technical documentation and sandbox access for the BMeD / WeRemember REST API? Yes

Page 2; Page

3, CLIN 0001

Is the Contractor required to host the platform independently or within ABMC’s Azure environment?

Contractor shall host the platform within their cloud infrastructure.

Page 3, CLIN 0001(c)(k)

What FISMA or FedRAMP compliance level is required, and is an ATO required prior to production? FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent.

Page 3, CLIN 0001(c)

Is PCI-DSS SAQ-A compliance sufficient when using a tokenized third-party payment gateway?

Contractor shall identify all applicable financial compliance frameworks. ABMC will evaluate the proposals as part of our assessment of each vendor's solution.

Acceptance Criteria; Page

5 CLIN 0003

Are there defined SLAs and financial remedies for uptime, incident response, and support? See CLIN 0001 Acceptance Criteria.

Page 3, CLIN 0001(d)

Does ABMC require third-party Section 508 / WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility certification? Yes

Page 3, CLIN 0001(j)

What are the expected hours, call volume, and language requirements for phone-based ordering?

ABMC does not specify this information in the PWS. This is customer dependent.

Page 3, CLIN 0001(i)

Are there defined cancellation, refund, and modification cutoff policies? See Technical Proposal Details.

Page 4, CLIN 0002(i)

Who is responsible for photographic confirmation capture, upload, and storage, and are there standards?

Per CLIN 0002 part i), ABMC cemetery staff will be responsible for placing the will be flowers and taking the digital photo. However, the contractor is encouraged to include optional pricing for the delivery and digital photo as part of CLIN 0004. The contractor should propose and coordinate on the preferred process (e.g., upload, storage).

Page 4, CLIN 0002(f)

Are peak demand periods expected that require additional scalability planning?

Those listed in the PWS - Memorial Day, June 6, Christmas may exhibit peak demand.

40 Are Chatbot Additions feature a requirement? Contractor may present chatbox additions as an option.

Regarding Pay.gov Session and Login Details- SSO/User registration + User and Access Management, please provide detailed requirements.

Please refer to the current PWS. Pay.gov integration is not required.

Are 508 Compliance + Culture Language via toggle buttons requirements? Yes

Regarding Taxes/ Surcharges/Service Fee/ Currency conversion/Other Delivery charges if any, please provide guidelines to these requirements if they are necessary. These expenses will be the responsibility of the contractor.

Please provide additional guidance regarding mobile friendly pages. This is not specified in the PWS.

Are software licenses expected as part of responses to the RFP? Yes, all licenses shall be included.

Since 100% BMeD validation is an acceptance criterion for CLIN 0001, will ABMC provide a staging or sandbox environment for the Burial and Memorialization Database (BMeD) / WeRemember REST API to facilitate development and testing? Yes

You noted a lack of standard Pay.gov extensions for WooCommerce. Does ABMC have a preferred technical integration guide for the Pay.gov API, and have they successfully used a specific WordPress-compatible solution previously?

Please refer to the current PWS. Pay.gov integration is not required.

The PWS describes the platform as the "Contractor's proprietary website" but mentions the main ABMC site runs on Azure. Is there a requirement for the platform to be hosted within a specific ABMC-controlled Azure tenant, or is the Contractor solely responsible for selecting the cloud provide?

Contractor shall host the platform within their cloud infrastructure.

The PWS requires the Contractor to operate a "global network of florists". Will ABMC provide an initial roster of preferred vendors for the 26 overseas sites, or is the Contractor responsible for sourcing and vetting all 100% of the fulfillment partner

ABMC does not have formal relationships with any floral vendors. We do provide information to the public for ordering flowers from numerous vendors on our website at: https://www.abmc.gov/about-us/our-services/flowers-our-sites/

The PWS states that ABMC staff will take digital photos of placements, but the Contractor must coordinate the upload procedures. What is the preferred technical method for ABMC staff to upload these images to the Contractor's platform to ensure the 48-hour delivery window to the customer is met?

Per CLIN 0002 part i), ABMC cemetery staff will be responsible for placing the will be flowers and taking the digital photo. However, the contractor is encouraged to include optional pricing for the delivery and digital photo as part of CLIN 0004. The contractor should propose and coordinate on the preferred process (e.g., upload, storage).

Given the strict "no plastics or packaging" and "organic material only" requirements, what level of documentation does ABMC require from the Contractor to prove that regional florists in all 17 countries are adhering to these standards?

This criteria should be conveyed to the florist when placing the order. The contractor is responsible for ensuring the floral arrangement deliveries adhere to this criteria.

The PWS states that customers pay for the arrangements and these costs are not included in the CLIN pricing. Is the Contractor permitted to charge a per-transaction service fee to the customer to cover the costs of managing the fulfillment network, or must all operational overhead be built into the Firm-Fixed-Price of

CLIN 0002?

CLINs 0001-0003 are FFP. Refer to CLIN 004 and Technical Proposal Details.

The notes mention ABMC taking a percentage of each sale. Does ABMC intend for the platform to split payments at the point of sale (e.g., a portion to the florist and a portion to the government), or will the Contractor remit a lump sum of revenue periodically.

ABMC will not be involved in any monetary transactions related to sales or revenue. CLINs 0001-0003 are FFP.

The PWS asks for "optional pricing for photography by ABMC staff versus delivery personnel". Should this be submitted as a separate hourly rate under CLIN 0004 or as a per-photo fee within the Price Sheet? This is at the contractor's discretion.

Section 508 Certification: Will ABMC require a formal Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or an independent accessibility audit as part of the Launch Readiness Report for CLIN 0001? Yes

International Data Privacy: Because the program operates in 17 countries, are there specific data residency requirements (such as GDPR for European sites) that the Contractor must meet beyond standard U.S. federal privacy guidance?

Yes, the contractor is responsible for meeting any and all privacy requirements for the countries where the cemeteries are located.