SOL_75A50224R00009_ASPR Surge Staffing_Question _ Answer_Responses _Final.xlsx
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- Attached to
- CANCELLATION NOTICE: ASPR Surge Staffing 2024
- Solicitation number
- 75A50224R00009
About this file
This document is a set of Questions and Answers related to Solicitation Number 75A50224R00009 for ASPR Surge Staffing 2024, an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
The solicitation is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside to provide surge staffing support for ASPR's disaster response, recovery, information management, and logistics operations. The contract will have a 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods for a total of 60 months. The contractor will be required to deploy subject matter experts in public health, environmental health, emergency response, behavioral health, and social services to support ASPR operations throughout the United States and its territories. Pricing will be structured as Firm Fixed Price labor rates, with Time and Material for travel and other direct costs. The incumbent contractor is J&M Global Solutions, LLC under contract HHSO100201900009I. Proposals are due by June 10, 2024.
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Pg 1 - Instructions
Questions Due Date: Inquiries concerning this solicitation must be submitted in writing via email to Shayla Kelley at shayla.kelley@hhs.gov no later than 03:00PM Eastern Time, 13 May 2024. Reference Solicitation Number: 75A50224R00009 in the subject line of the email. Offerors are required to submit questions in the format provided in this attachment (Attachment 4 - Questions and Answers Template). Questions that are submitted outside of this attachment will not be considered. Telephone requests for information or questions will NOT be accepted. Answers to questions of a substantive nature will be provided to all offerors. If the offeror takes exception to a particular task or condition, it must be clearly identified in this section. The Government will not consider questions received after this date.
Pg 2 - Template
| Questions and Answers Template Attachment 3 | ||||||
| Question | Document | Page No. | Section | Paragraph | Government Response | |
| Any reason you can reveal on why the ASPR Surge Staffing opportunity was issued as a SBSA as opposed to a WOSB? | The RFP was issued as a total Small Business set aside to offer the greatest opportunity for participation. | |||||
| Does this statement "2. Recency (recent similar contracts within the last five (5) out of seven (7) years)" mean that PPQ can be from a contract completed within last 7 years? | RFP_75A50224R00009+-+ASPR+Surge+Staffing_Final | 31 | PAST PERFORMANCE – PART III / Past Performance Questionnaire | 3 | The PPQ can be from a contract completed between five (5) and seven (7) years. (Minimum (5) years maxiumum (7) years.) | |
| Would a PPQ from a contract TO that ended in Feb 2019 be considered valid PPQ towards a response for this RFP? | RFP_75A50224R00009+-+ASPR+Surge+Staffing_Final | 31 | PAST PERFORMANCE – PART III / Past Performance Information | 2 | The PPQ can be from a contract completed between five (5) and seven (7) years. (Minimum (5) years maxiumum (7) years.) | |
| We understand that "This requirement is a total 100% set-aside for Small Business concerns". Would a small business Contracting Teaming Agreement (CTA) under FAR 9.601(1) be eligible to bid on this RFP? | RFP_75A50224R00009+-+ASPR+Surge+Staffing_Final | 1 | ARTICLE B.1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES | 3 | Yes, a small business Contracting Teaming Agreement (CTA) under FAR 9.601(1) is eligible to propose on this RFP. | |
| If small business Contracting Teaming Agreement (CTA) under FAR 9.601(1) is eligible to bid on this RFP -- would it require us to establish the CTA as a separate legal entity prior to responding to this RFP? | RFP_75A50224R00009+-+ASPR+Surge+Staffing_Final | 1 | ARTICLE B.1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES | 3 | For a CTA you do not need to create a new legal entity. | |
| Is this a new or existing contract? | Combined Synposis Document | 1 | B | General Question | This is a recompete to an existing contract. | |
| Who is the incumbent? | Combined Synposis Document | 1 | B | General Question | J&M Global Solutions, LLC is the incumbent under contract number HHSO100201900009I. | |
| If an existing contract, how many contractors are currently working? | Combined Synposis Document | 1 | B | General Question | One contractor. Single award | |
| Is it the governments expectation for the awardee to consider hiring the incumbent employees or does the government prefer that the offeror provide their own team? | Combined Synposis Document | 1 | B | General Question | The government has no expectation. | |
| Does the government or the offeror supply computers for the contractor staff doing the work? | Combined Synposis Document | 2 | C | 1 | See Attachment 1 SOW, Section 12 Government Furnished Resources and Information, page 20. | |
| Is the Section 508 Evaluation template to be submitted with the offerors response? | Combined Synposis Document | 9 | H | C | Offerors will provide a completed checklist at the task order level if a deliverable is required at the time. | |
| In the event there is government negligence, how do we protect our team from any forms of harrasment or harm? Would the government change the language to include proven acts of negligence of all parties involved (Contractor, government, etc.) | Combined Synposis Document | 12 | H | Article H.10 | In the event of negligence, please notify the Contracting Officer immediately. | |
| What will be the manner in which the government will issue the task orders? (mail, fax, email?) | Combined Synposis Document | 24 | I | Article I.2 | This is addressed in the RFP, Article G.3, Task Order Procedures, first paragraph top of page 5. | |
| Will the government change the language in the section to add "unless there is proven negligence of all parties involved." If the offeror is required to be accountable, then the government needs to be in partnership with us to protect all parties involved in the successful outcome of the contract. | Combined Synposis Document | 26 | I | FAR 52.237-7 Indemnification | This clause is provided as stated in the Federal Acquisiton Regulations, however, in the event of negligence, please notify the Contracting Officer immediately. | |
| Where is the "pricing schedule" that is referred to under "Note:"? | SOW/Attachment 1 | 4 | 6 | 3rd paragraph | This statement is in reference to the offerors proposed labor rates and cost, which will become the "pricing schedule" that will be incorporated into the contract as the established FFP IDIQ labor rates. The Task Orders will use these FFP rates throughout the Base and Option Years. | |
| What is the expected onsite vs hybrid expectation for offerors team? | SOW/Attachment 1 | 10 | 6 | Task 7 | This will depend on the specific requirements of each Task Order under the contract. | |
| To confirm, only resumes of Key Personnel are to be presented with the RFP. Resumes for other roles are required at the time a task order is released? | SOW/Attachment 1 | 13 | 6 | Task 8 Labor Categories | Correct | |
| Will the government change the language in the section to add "unless there is proven negligence of all parties involved." If the offeror is required to be accountable, then the government needs to be in partnership with us to protect all parties involved in the successful outcome of the contract. | SOW/Attachment 1 | 20 | 13 | 2nd paragraph | In the event of negligence, please notify the Contracting Officer immediately. | |
| Do NDA's need to be submitted with the technical proposal or at the time of award? | SOW/Attachment 1 | 23 | 16 | 1st paragraph | Per Attachment 1 - SOW, NDA's are required prior to the commencement of any work (when a Task Order is issued) or whenever replacement personnel are proposed. | |
| Key personnel is noted as TBD. Will the government confirm that offerors are to propose their own key personnel and qualifications? | RFP | 30 | Management Approach | 2nd bullet | Correct. Offerors are to propose their own key personnel. | |
| Can the government confirm that there is no page limit for Volume III- Past Performance? | RFP | 31 | Past Performance- Part III | Past Performance Information section | Correct. There is no page limit for Part III - Past Performance | |
| Can the government confirm that the table entitled “Technical Capability Rubric” located under the heading of Price/Cost is actuallly applicable to Price/Cost Proposal? | RFP | 34 | Section M – Evaluation Factors for Award | No. 3. Price/Cost (10%) | That is correct. The Rubic titles will be revised in the RFP. | |
| Will the government confirm that pricing for ODCs and travel will only be evaluated for reasonableness at the task order level and not at the master IDIQ level? | RFP | 31 | Business/Price Proposal – PART II | 2nd bullet | Correct. | |
| As there is no way to predict the number, scope, and location of disasters or program needs, will ASPR confirm that pricing at the IDIQ level will be a rate card? | RFP | 30-31; SOW page 4 | Business/Price Proposal | 1 | ASPR is not familiar with the term "Rate Card", however, there is no way to predict the number, scope, and location of disasters. | |
| Will the government provide a rate card template to be used as part of the pricing submission? | RFP | 30-31 | Business/Price Proposal | 1 | ASPR is not familiar with the term "Rate Card". | |
| Does the Government intent to allocate Other Direct Costs (ODCs) to cover expenditures related to securing venues for meeting locations that require usage fees? | RFP_75A50224R00009+-+ASPR+Surge+Staffing_Final | 7 | 6. Technical Requirements | |||
| c. Task 3 | 1 (bullets 1-4) | Task Orders that require ODCs will include funds to cover these costs. | ||||
| Referencing “Facilitating expert or specialized training for targeted recovery issues”, | ||||||
| Can the Government provide more details around the training expectations? For example, are the specialized trainings expected to be web-based modules or only presented / facilitated using general training aids (PowerPoint presentations, etc.)? | RFP_75A50224R00009+-+ASPR+Surge+Staffing_Final | 9 | 6. Technical Requirements | |||
| d. Task 4 | 2 | Task Orders that require specialized trainings will contain specific information on the delivery of the required training. This specific information will include mode of delivery and training aids needed. | ||||
| Could you provide a list of key personnel positions along with their associated annual billable hours and job descriptions as specified in the contract requirements? | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 30 | Technical Proposal – Part I | Offerors shall propose key personnel (principal staff) that are essential in the performance of the contract with their proposal submission. A list of annual billable hours will not be provided. | ||
| What is the maximum value of the contract? | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 1 | Article B.3. Prices | B.3 | The maximum value of the contract will be determined at contract award and will be based on the offerors' proposed ceiling costs. | |
| Is it required to sign and submit a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) along with our proposal response? | Attachment_2_ASPR Surge Staffing_Non-Disclosure Form | 1 | ASPR Non-Disclosure Agreement For Contractor And Contractor Employees -FORM A | Per Attachment 1 - SOW, NDA's are required prior to the commencement of any work (when a Task Order is issued) or whenever replacement personnel are proposed. | ||
| Can the government provide a pricing template excel sheet. | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 30 | Business/Price Proposal – Part II | Per the RFP, Section L, Business/Price Proposal - Part II, Page 31, bullet 5, (Offerors must provide the overall pricing in Excel spreadsheet). | ||
| Are we required to submit resumes for the labor categories specified in Attachment 1_SOW ASPR Surge Staffing? If so, should these be sample resumes or actual resumes of the proposed team members? | Attachment_1_SOW_ASPR Surge Staffing | 13 | List Of Labor Categories And Qualifications | No. Resumes for the labor categories specified in the SOW will be submitted at Task Order level. However, offerors are required to submit resumes for principal staff members (contractor personnel) with their proposal submission. | ||
| In the case of a prime-subcontractor arrangement, how many past performance references are required for the prime and subcontractor? | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 31 | Past Performance – Part III | Per the RFP, Section L, Past Performance - Part III, (iits states, "The Offeror shall provide a list of the last three (3) contracts completed during the past five (5) years that are directly related or similar in scope, size, and complexity to the requirements of this solicitation". Both the prime and subcontractor shall provide three contracts each. | ||
| What costs will be included under Other Direct Costs (ODC)? | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 30 | Business/Price Proposal – Part II | See FAR 16.601(a)(3) "Materials", FAR 31.205-26, FAR 31.205-33, and FAR 31.205-46 for guidance on ODC's and allowable costs. | ||
| Can the Government provide the not to exceed travel amount for each year of the contract? | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 30 | Business/Price Proposal – Part II | The not to exceed (NTE) travel amount for each year of the contract will be based on the offerors' proposed travel cost. | ||
| We understand that at the IDIQ level Program Manager will be the Key Personnel and at the task order stage will the Government provide the Key Personnel details. Please confirm | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 30 | Technical Proposal – Part I | Correct. | ||
| Does the contractor (Company) or the Subject Matter Expert (Peronnel/ Key Personnel) require a state driver's license? | Attachment_1_SOW_ASPR Surge Staffing | 10 | g. TASK 7: Deployable Supply Chain Management Subject Matter Expertise | g | If required, it will be listed in a given Task Order. | |
| What is the anticipated award date for this solicitation? | General | NA | NA | NA | The anticipated award date is to expected to occur within 90 days after receipt of proposals. | |
| Could you please confirm if there is an incumbent contractor for this contract? If yes, please provide the contractor name, contract number and contract value. | General | NA | NA | NA | J&M Global Solutions, LLC is the incumbent under contract number HHSO100201900009I. | |
| Does the Government require Financial Statements? If so for how many years. | General | NA | NA | NA | No. | |
| Does the Government require CTA if we are teaming on this IDIQ. | General | NA | NA | NA | Yes. | |
| Can the Government extend the Contract due date. | General | NA | NA | NA | The proposal due date will be extended to June 10, 2024 | |
| Could you please clarify which pricing schedule or document the government is referencing in the below statement: | ||||||
| "See the pricing schedule for the required labor categories for each task" | Attachment_1_SOW_ASPR Surge Staffing | 4 | Technical Requirements/Tasks | 6 | This statement is in reference to the offerors proposed labor rates and cost, which will become the "pricing schedule" that will be incorporated into the contract as the established FFP IDIQ labor rates. The Task Orders will use these FFP rates throughout the Base and Option Years. | |
| Does the Contractor Personnel (to include subcontractors, teaming partners, and consultants) need to submit “Certificate of Non-Disclosure Agreement for Contractor Employees” form after the award. Please confirm | Attachment_1_SOW_ASPR Surge Staffing | 23 | Non-Disclosure Requirements | 16 | Per Attachment 1 - SOW, NDA's are required prior to the commencement of any work (when a Task Order is issued) or whenever replacement personnel are proposed. | |
| Does the government require an Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement to be included with the proposal submission? | Attachment_1_SOW_ASPR Surge Staffing | 22 | Note about sensitive information in the SOW | 15 | Yes. Per the SOW, pages 22-23, the contractor is required to complete and sign an Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement to be included with proposal submission. | |
| Is the Government requesting that the contractor include only certain sections of the Representations and Certifications, or is the submission of the complete Sam.gov report required within the business proposal? If only specific sections are needed, could you please specify which ones? | RFP_75A50224R00009 - ASPR Surge Staffing_Final | 28 | Section K – Representations, Certifications and Other Statements Of Offerors | Offerors shall provide the complete SAM.gov Representations and Certifications FAR report with their business proposal. | ||
| Could you provide more detailed examples or case studies of expected deliverables for Post-Disaster Impact Assessments? | Attachment 1 SOW | 1 | 1 | Task 1 | Task Orders that include these deliverables will be in support of Health & Social Services Recovery Support Function recovery missions. These missions require the federal governemnt to work collaboratively with the impacted jurisdiction to identify post-disaster recovery needs. | |
| Can you clarify how task orders will be issued and evaluated under this IDIQ contract? | Attachment 1 SOW | 4 | 4 | Contract Type | This is addressed in the RFP, pages 4 - 5, Article G.3 Task Order Procedures | |
| Are there minimum or maximum volume or frequency limits for task orders? | Attachment 1 SOW | 4 | 4 | Contract Type | There are no minimum, maximum or frequency limits for Task Orders. A task order can be issued at anytime during the base and option years. | |
| Are specific certifications or additional credentials required beyond the qualifications listed for key personnel? | Attachment 1 SOW | 13 | Labor Categories | Personnel Qualifications | No. If additional qualifications or experiences are required, they will be listed at the Task Order level. | |
| What specific metrics or criteria are used to evaluate contractor performance under this contract? | Attachment 1 SOW | N/A | 12 | Performance Evaluation | Each Task Order will list specific requirements to be met. Technical Monitors will work with the COR to ensure compliance. | |
| Are there additional security clearance requirements or data handling protocols that need to be adhered to under this contract? | Attachment 1 SOW | 18 | 15 | Security Requirements | No, unless required by a given Task Order. | |
| Are alternative qualifications or equivalent experiences considered acceptable for labor categories? | Attachment 1 SOW | 13 | 6 | Personnel Qualifications | No | |
| Can you provide clarification on when the Fixed Firm Price (FFP) and Time & Materials (T&M) pricing structures apply, especially regarding task orders? | Attachment 1 SOW | 4 | 4 | Contract Type | The labor rates will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). The Task Order will use these FFP rates, however, travel and Other Direct Cost will be Time and Material (T&M). | |
| Can you provide more details on the weightage or scoring system for each evaluation criterion listed in the RFP? | RFP | N/A | Evaluation Criteria | N/A | No | |
| What specific incident response and emergency protocols must the contractor be prepared to follow, particularly in disaster response scenarios? | Attachment 1 SOW | N/A | Emergency Procedures | N/A | In a disaster response scenario, the Government will follow the National Response Framework. The Contractor must be well versed and capable of executing assigned National Incident Management System (NIMS) Roles. | |
| Due to the comprehensive nature of the requirements outlined in the solicitation and scope definitions, we respectfully request a three-week extension for the proposal submission deadline. | RFP | N/A | General | N/A | The proposal due date will be extended to June 10, 2024 | |
| Can you confirm that this award is 100% total small business set-aside and no large business partners will be accepted? | RFP | 1 | Part I, Article B.1 | 3 | Correct. This requirement is a total 100% set-aside for Small Business concerns. | |
| Does all past performance information submitted need to come from the prime contractor? | RFP | 31 | Section L | Past Performance Part III | Refer to question #35 | |
| Does the offeror need to provide the same past performance examples for Past Performance Information as for the Past Performance Questionnaires? | RFP | 31 | Section L | Past Performance Part III | No. | |
| Does the Past Performance volume have a page limit? | RFP | 31 | Section L | Past Performance Part III | There is no page limit for Part III - Past Performance | |
| Must the offeror provide only projects performed as a prime contractor as past performance examples and PPQ submissions? | RFP | 31 | Section L | Past Performance Part III | No | |
| Since the number of deployed staff can vary greatly depending on the disaster in question, will the government provide a baseline number of labor hours for the tasks in the SOW to support pricing? | RFP | 30-31 | Section L | Business/Price Proposal Part II | The Government will provide the number of hours per LCAT in each Task Order. | |
| Will the government provide a pricing template for offerors to submit the price proposal? | RFP | 30-31 | Section L | Business/Price Proposal Part II | Refer to question #33 | |
| In the pricing schedule, please provide the overtime rate calculation? Is it 150% of the base labor rate for all work over 40 hours? | RFP | 30-31 | Section L | Business/Price Proposal Part II | Yes. Overtime shall follow the federal standard at 150% of the base labor rate for work over 40 hours. | |
| Please provide budget estimates for ODC and Travel to all bidders so there is a common number for evaluation purposes. | RFP | 30-31 | Section L | Business/Price Proposal Part II | Please refer to Article H.11 Travel Costs - Commercial on page 12 of the RFP. All per diem and lodging will be in accordance with the federal travel regulations. | |
| How will the government assess the risk associated with proposed approaches, especially concerning innovative solutions or technologies not previously tested in the field setting described? | RFP | 33 | Section M | Technical | The government will assess all proposasls in accordance with the guidance provided in Section M. Offerors presenting new innovations and technologies must do so in a manner that demonstrates their expertise fully articulating any added value the government gains if their proposal is selected for award. | |
| Once submitted, will there be an opportunity to revise proposals based on feedback or requests for clarification from the review panel? If so, how will these modifications be handled without affecting the evaluation timeline? | RFP | 33-34 | Section M | Technical | If determined necessary, the Government will conduct discussions with each technically acceptable offeror. | |
| It appears that the Technical Capability Rubric was copied and pasted for the Management Approach and Price/Cost. Please provide separate evaluation criteria rubrics for the Management Approach and Price/Cost | RFP | 33-34 | Section M | Management Approach, Price/Cost | The rubric titles were incorrect and will be revised in the RFP. | |
| Is there an SF 1449 associated with this opportunity? If yes, please provide it. | No SF1449 will be provide. However, an SF30 will be issued with the RFP amendment, and offerors are required to acknowledge the amendment and provide the SF30 with their proposal submission. | |||||
| For the requirement of deploying Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the SOW, can you clarify the expected qualifications versus those listed in the labor categories? Are there specific certifications or experience levels beyond those mentioned? | Attachment 1 SOW | 4-17 | 6. Technical Requirements/Tasks | g. Task 7-h. Task 8 and List of labor categories and qualifications | All qualifications and experience requirements will be listed in the Task Orders. | |
| Are there more specific expectations or standards for the "Publication Ready" deliverables mentioned in the SOW? What constitutes acceptance of these deliverables under the terms of the RFP? | Attachment 1 SOW | 6 | 6. Technical Requirements/Tasks | a. Task 1, Deliverables | All deliverables must meet all HHS requirements for deliverables, to include 508 compliance. | |
| Can you provide examples of what is considered 'passing judgment' in deliverables to avoid subjective interpretations? | Attachment 1 SOW | 6 | 6. Technical Requirements/Tasks | a. Task 1, Deliverables | All deliverables will be reviewed by the Technical Monitor to confirm that they do not contain accusatory statements. | |
| Which of the labor categories in Attachment 1 are considered Key for purposes of the response? | Attachment 1 SOW | 13-17 | Technical Requirements | List of labor categories and qualifications | Offerors shall propose key personnel (principal staff) that are essential in the performance of the contract with their proposal submission. However, the labor categories specified in the SOW will be determined at Task Order level. | |
| In addition to the Prime’s past performance, can subcontractors provide past performance to count towards the required three? | RFP | 31 | Past Performance - Part III | All | Offerors may submit past performance references for both the prime and their subcontractors. However, the prime and subcontractor shall provide three contracts each. | |
| Does the government want Offerors to submit Past Performance Information and Past Performance Questionnaires for the same contracts? Or can offerors submit PPQs for contracts that are different from the ones included in the Past Performance Information section? | RFP | 31 | Past Performance - Part III | All | Offerors can use the same references if the period of performance meet the time period guidelines as stated in the RFP, Section L, Past Peformance - Part III instructions. | |
| Are resumes required to be submitted with this proposal for all 19 positions detailed on pages 13 – 17 of the SOW? Can the government clarify which positions are considered “Key Personnel” that resumes are required to be submitted for? | RFP | 30 | Technical Proposal - Part I; Management Approach | All | Resumes for the labor categories specified in the SOW will be submitted at Task Order level. However, offerors are required to submit resumes for principal staff members (contractor personnel) with their proposal submission. | |
| Would the Program Manager be considered "key personnel"? | RFP | 30 | Technical Proposal - Part I; Management Approach | All | Offerors are expected to determine their proposed key personnel (principal staff) that are essential in the performance of the contract. | |
| How many hours are offerors required to provide pricing information for each LCAT? | RFP | 30-31 | Business/Price Proposal - Part II | All | Price per hour, and price per overtime time (OT) hour | |
| Can the government provide an estimated level of effort for the number of emergencies ASPR responds to that teams will be activated for on this contract? | RFP | 30-31 | Business/Price Proposal - Part II | All | Unfortunately, there is no way to predict the number of national disasters. | |
| For past performance, can we submit a CPARs in lieu of Past Performance Questionnaire Survey? | RFP | 31 | Past Performance - Part III; Past Performance Questionnaire | All | Offerors are required to submit the PPQ in accordance with the RFP instructions. | |
| What type of statistical program(s) and/or language(s) are preferred? | Attachment 1 SOW | 4-6 | 6(a) | All | Each Task Order will specify this requirement. | |
| Are there any potential early deployment sites? | Attachment 1 SOW | 6-13 | 6 | C, D, G, H | Not at this moment. | |
| Could you please specify where we can find the detailed requirements for the Business Proposal mentioned in the RFP, or confirm if the description provided in the BUSINESS/PRICE PROPOSAL PART II SECTION ENCOMPASSES ALL NECESSARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 29 | L | 5 | Please refer to Section L of the RFP. | |
| The Offeror shall provide a list of the last three (3) contracts completed during the past five (5) years that are directly related or similar in scope, size, and complexity to the requirements of this solicitation. Can the contractor provide less than three past performances? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 31 | Past Performance | 1 | Offerors are required to submit three (3) contracts in accordance with the RFP instructions. | |
| What specific local, governmental, or state entities will the contractor need to collaborate with during this project, and could you specify any known challenges or limitations that might affect this integration? | SOW | 1 | Background | 1 | The Contractor will be working for the Government in its support of impacted jurisdictions, which will include State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Governments. | |
| Can you provide specific benchmarks for each tasking? | SOW | 4 | 6. Technical Requirements/Tasks | No | ||
| Are there existing specific response time benchmarks or readiness levels that the contractor must meet? | SOW | 4 | 6. Technical Requirements/Tasks | Specific benchmarks and readiness levels, if pre-identified, would be included in a given Task Order. | ||
| What is the continuous readiness level the contractor must maintain? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Management Approach | 1 | The Contractor must have the ability to support staffing needs as required by the Task Order issued. | |
| What are the minimum technological capabilities required for meeting facilities used in this project? | SOW | 6. Technical Requirements/Tasks | Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) with specific technological requirements and capabilities will be issued to the contractor. | |||
| Can the government provide a list of Government Furnished Equipment? | SOW | 20 | 12 | 1 | GFE will be noted in a given Task Order to match the mission requirements, but typically it will be a laptop and a work cell phone. | |
| Does the government expect the contractor to maintain a base staffing level? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Management Approach | 1 | No | |
| The Government refers to CLINS several times in the RFP. Will the Government provide CLINs for this effort? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 1 | Article B.2 | 1 | CLINS will be determined at contract award. | |
| Can the Government provide better instructions on pricing? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price/Cost Part II | 1 | Please refer to Section L of the RFP. | |
| What are the ODC's and Travel per year? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price/Cost Part II | See FAR 16.601(a)(3) "Materials", FAR 31.205-26, FAR 31.205-33, and FAR 31.205-46 for guidance on ODC's and allowable costs. Each Task Order will list specific ODCs and Travel | ||
| What ODCs are needed for each task? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price/Cost Part II | ODCs will be listed specifically in each given Task Order | ||
| Will the Government provide a travel amount? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 31 | Price/Cost Part II | Please refer to Article H.11 Travel Costs - Commercial on page 12 of the RFP. All per diem and lodging will be in accordance with the federal travel regulations. | ||
| What equipment is provided by the Government? | SOW | Not provided | See questions #92 and #93 | |||
| Who will be responsible for providing housing, food, equipment, and transportation for personnel involved in the disaster recovery efforts? | SOW/RFP 75A50224R00009 | 24 / 30 | 19. Emergencies/ Price/Cost Part II | This will be mission dependent, and specified in the Task Order. | ||
| Can the Government specify the hours assigned to each labor category? | SOW | 13 | List of Labor Categories and Qualifications | It is impossible to determine the hours assigned to each labor category. Each Task Order will have a different set of deliverables and a different PoP. Each Task Order will detail the hours assigned for the required labor categories. | ||
| Will the Government provide a SF33 or SF1449 for signatures? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 29 | L | 1 | No SF33 or SF1449 will be provide. However, an SF30 will be issued with the RFP amendment, and offerors are required to acknowledge the amendment and provide the SF30 with their proposal submission. | |
| The Government is requested to clarify Section K Certs and Reps - please confirm you are requesting a printed copy of the Sam.Gov Certs and Reps | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 28 | K | 1 | Refer to question #48 | |
| Are the FTEs full time from the start or only on an as needed basis? | It would be based on when a Task Order is issued. Each Task Order will specify the number of hours within each labor category. | |||||
| The capability rubic table shows as being technical under the Price/Cost capability - please provide the Price/Cost evaluation criteria. | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 34 | M | 1 | Refer to question # 71 | |
| Where are the "requested items above in the business proposal" as stated in this section? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price Proposal | 1 | This statement is in reference to the information the offerors will provide in their technical proposal. | |
| The Government states "The offeror shall provide a complete and detailed Firm Fixed Priced proposal." Without density or the number of expected disasters, we have no gauge to determine the number of FTEs and respective hours for each task. Does the government want a FFP proposal or FFP rates for each utilized labor category? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price Proposal | 1 | Offerors are to provide one (1) detailed Firm Fixed Price (FFP) proposal. The labor rates will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). The Task Order will use these FFP rates; however, travel and Other Direct Costs will be Time and Material (T&M). | |
| Is the level of effort to be determined by each task order issued under the contract or should we propose each FTE utilized for the task as full time employees? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price Proposal | 1 | The level of effort will be determined by task order. | |
| Not knowing the length of time or caliber of the disaster, should the contractor assign LCATS and level of effort to each of the taskings as outlined in the SOW? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 30 | Price Proposal | 1 | That is correct. | |
| Since there is no definitive travel outlined in the RFP and no length of time or location for each tasking, will the government provide a plug for travel that each contractor can use for travel so that the evaluation of travel is consistent? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 31 | Price Proposal | Bullet #2 | Offerors are expected to assess and determine their proposed travel costs which meets the Government’s objective and executes all SOW requirements in support of emergency response and recovery operations. The offerors proposed travel cost will be used as the ceiling. | |
| The government has not provided the length of time, location, the responsibility to provide lodging and food, and other ODCs, therefore, will the government provide a plug amount for ODCs that will allow evaluation of this element to be fair and consistent? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 31 | Price Proposal | Bullet #2 | Offerors are expected to assess and determine their proposed ODCs which meets the Government’s objective and executes all SOW requirements in support of emergency response and recovery operations. The offerors proposed ODCs will be used as the ceiling. | |
| The government request "Total Price for each year of the contract" and Total Ceiling Price for the entire five-year period of performance." However, the government has not provided the length of time, the location, magnitude and scope of the disaster. Should all LCATS and FTEs assigned to each SOW task be at Full time hours? | RFP 75A50224R00009 | 31 | Price Proposal | Bullet #3 & 4 | Refer to questions #109 and #110 | |
| Can the government provide more specific details regarding the IT infrastructure requirements? Are there particular systems, security standards, or platforms that the contractor is expected to support? | Specific IT requirements will be specified by a given Task Order | |||||
| Based on how the government leverages this contract to surge, would the Government provide the maximum contract value for the IDIQ to ensure the government has the needed flexibility? | Background | 1 | ARTICLE B.3. PRICES | 1, Bullet "a" | The maximum contract value will be determined at contract award and will be based on the offerors proposed ceiling cost. | |
| Attachment 1- Statement of Work, 19) Emergencies states "Contractors will observe the federal holidays according to the mission requirement on a case-by- case basis." Will the Government please clarify as to whether there are any compensation considerations if a contract employee is required to work on a federal holiday? | Attachment 1- Statement of Work | 24 | 19) Emergencies | Last line | If the contractor's personnel work on a holiday, no form of holiday or other premium compensation will be reimbursed; however, this does not preclude reimbursement or overtime work authorized under the contract. | |
| Attachment 1- Statement of Work, 8) Other Requirements states "The Contractor will conduct a basic background check (e.g., criminal history, credit check, etc.) on all prospective candidates for the government’s consideration for acceptance in conducting task orders" while 15) Requirements for Handling Sensitive/Proprietary Information states "All staff who support task orders under this contract shall pass a background check and be able to receive an HSPD-12 compliant identification badge." Will the Government please clarify as to whether Sections 8 and 15 refer to the same process (basic background check) or separate processes? | Attachment 1- Statement of Work | 18; 22 | 8) Other Requirements; 15) Requirements for Handling Sensitive/Proprietary Information | 6th paragraph (Background Checks); 1st paragraph | The processes are separate. Section 8 requires the Contractor to conduct a basic background check on all prospective candidates for the government’s consideration for acceptance in conducting task orders. Once the prospective candidates have have been vetted, those individuals are passed onto HHS for further processing. Depending on the level of clearance sought, the HSPD-12 complaint identification badge will require at the least, a National Agency Check and Inquires (NACI) background investigation completed by HHS security officials. The expectation is that contractors be vetted so that they are ready to clear this background investigation quickly. | |
| Attachment 1- Statement of Work, 13) Contractor Responsibilities for Government Property states "The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for, and shall indemnify the Government from, all loss or damage to all Government property, including any equipment, supplies, accessories, or parts furnished to the Contractor that occurs during the Contractor’s performance under this contract." Will the Government please provide the list of GFP that the Contractor is responsible for? | Attachment 1- Statement of Work | 20 | 13) Contractor Responsibilities for Government Property | 1st paragraph | The list of GFP will be provided to Contractor at the time of issuance. | |
| Article F.1 paragraph (a) indicates "The period of performance shall be sixty (60) months from the effective date of contract award" but paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) include language to indicate separate base and option periods. In addition, the SOW states "This requirement is a single Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) award to provide disaster recovery technical assistance for a base period of twelve (12) months with four (4) twelve |
(12) month option periods."
| Please confirm if the IDIQ base period of performance is for a full sixty (60) months or if it is for one base year (12 months) plus four one year options? | Reference 1: RFP | |||||
| Reference 2: SOW | Reference 1: 3 | |||||
| Reference 2: 4 | Reference 1: F-1 | |||||
| Reference 2: 4 | Reference 1: 1-4 | |||||
| Reference 2: 1 | The period of performance includes a 12-month base year with four 12-month option years for a total of 60 months. | |||||
| The instructions require a total cost for Labor, ODC and Travel for each year of the contract. We recommend the requirement for ODC and Travel values be removed since this RFP is to establish an IDIQ and these items are typically included in a task order proposal. If it remains a requirement, will the Government provide a plug number for ODCs and Travel for consistency across all offerors? | RFP | 31 | Section L | 1 | Offerors are expected to assess and determine their proposed travel costs and ODCs which meets the Government’s objective and executes all SOW requirements in support of emergency response and recovery operations. The offerors proposed travel cost and ODCs will be used as the ceiling. | |
| In order to comply with the requirement listed in Section K, is the submission of an offeror's "FAR & DFARS Report" that can be downloaded from SAM sufficient? Do you want this as a separate attachment with our proposal or included as an attachment within the Business/Price Proposal - Part II? | RFP | 28 | Section K | 1 | Refer to question #48 | |
| To ensure consistency across all offerors, will the government provide an Excel pricing template for the requirement to submit the overall pricing in Excel? | RFP | 31 | Section L | 1 | Refer to question #33 | |
| What level of detail is required to comply with "a budget narrative that fully describes its pricing methodology and include all applicable costs" in the Business/Price Proposal - Part II section? For example, is an offeror required to provide a cost build-up of the proposed labor rates or only the proposed fully burdened labor rates? | RFP | 30 | Section L | Part II, paragraph 1 | All applicable costs must be listed in the Proposal, to include any requirements beyond LCAT hours. | |
| The Business/Price Proposal - Part II section includes this requirement: "Pricing shall be broken down in accordance with the phases of the project detailed in the SOW." The SOW does not detail phases of the project and only references phases within some of the tasks. Since this proposal is to establish labor rates for each year of the IDIQ and would not change based on a "phase", we request this requirement be removed. | RFP | 30 | Section L | Part II, paragraph 1 | The sentence will not be removed, however, the term "phase" will be replaced with the term "task" to align with the SOW. | |
| The SOW includes a requirement for the Contractor's Program Manager to meet with the COR to discuss performance. The Senior IT Coordinator description in the SOW includes the statement "Can act as the Program Manager as required in managing contract performance." The labor category list in the SOW includes a Project Manager. |
1) Will the Government confirm if the Project Manager in the LCAT list in the SOW is the overall Program Manager for the contract?
| 2) Does the Government intend to issue an annual task order to cover ongoing program management operations for the contract? | SOW | 13, 14, 17, 21 | Sections 6, 14 | Section 6: List of Labor Categories | ||
| Section 14: All | For question (1), yes. For question (2), no. Each Task Order will fund the Project Manager based on the Task Order requirements. | |||||
| The instructions state that labor mix will be assessed during the price review. Will the government provide any specific criteria for how the labor mix will be evaluated for the overall IDIQ? | The labor-mix will be evaluated as part of evaluation factor 3. Price/Cost, subfactor b in Section M of the RFP. | |||||
| Article B.2 states that this contract is an IDIQ contract with FFP, T&M and LH CLINs at the task order level. Section L, Business/Price Proposal asks the offeror to provide a complete and detailed Firm Fixed Price proposal. Would the government consider revising instructions and evaluation to include Offerors submitting two sets of rates, one for FFP and one for T&M/LH? | RFP | 1, 30 | Section B.2 and Section L | 1 | Offerors are to provide one (1) detailed Firm Fixed Price (FFP) proposal. The labor rates will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). The Task Order will use these FFP rates; however, travel and Other Direct Costs will be Time and Material (T&M). | |
| The Evaluation criteria for Price/Cost includes two items at 5% each: Total Price and Labor Categories. Also provided is a Technical Capability Rubric. |
1) A technical capability rubric is unusual for a price evaluation for an IDIQ contract. We request the Government remove the technical capability rubric or provide specific criteria for what will be considered an additional benefit as it relates to Price.
2) Will the government provide hours for each labor category for offerors to bid for price evaluation purposes only?
| 3) Since a list of labor categories is included in the SOW, will an offeror receive the full 5% if a price is bid for each labor category? | RFP | 34 | Section M | 3 | #1. The Rubic titles will be revised in the RFP. #2. The Government will not be providing hours for each labor category. Offerors are expected to assess and determine their proposed labor hours. #3. An offeror will not receive the full 5% soley for providing a price for each labor category. | |
| Will the government provide historical averages for the number of hours most personnel work while deployed in a typical week on both a short term task order (less than 45 days) or a long term task order (more than 120 days)? | SOW | 18 | Section 8 | Overtime | Unfortunately, there is no way to predict the number of national disasters. Each Task Order will detail the LCAT and hours required. | |
| Will the government provide the basis for when a FFP task order would be issued versus a T&M type task order? | RFP | 1 | Section B.2 | 1 | The labor rates will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). The Task Order will use these FFP rates; however, travel and Other Direct Costs will be Time and Material (T&M). | |
| Will protective clothing or gear for personnel be issued by the Government? If not, will it be charged to a task order as an ODC or is the contractor expected to supply this if it becomes necessary? | SOW | 11, 12 | Section 6.g and 6.h | 5 | If protected gear is required, it will be issued by the Government. | |
| If the intent of the Business/Price Proposal is to establish IDIQ Labor Rates for use in future Task Orders, will the government revise the instructions to only require NTE Labor Rates for all LCATs in the SOW by year? | RFP | 30,31 | Section L | 1, 2 | The labor rates will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). The Task Order will use these FFP rates. | |
| Reference "Recency (recent similar contracts within the last five (5) out of seven (7) years)". Please clarify what this means. | RFP | 31 | Past Performance Questionnaire | 1 | The PPQ can be from a contract completed between five (5) and seven (7) years. (Minimum (5) years maxiumum (7) years.) | |
| Will the Government accept a CPARs in lieu of a PPQ? | RFP | 31 | Past Performance Questionnaire | 1 | Offerors are required to submit the PPQ in accordance with the RFP instructions. | |
| Reference "Provide resumes of proposed key personnel." Since key personnel are not specified, is it the Government's intent for offerors to propose key personnel based on their solutions? | RFP | 30 | Management Approach | 1 | Offerors shall propose key personnel (principal staff) that are essential in the performance of the contract with their proposal submission. However, the labor categories specified in the SOW will be determined at Task Order level. | |
| Is it the governments intent to issue a RTOP soon after the IDIQ award to Establish full time support for this and or any other Task Area support within 60 days of IDIQ award? | RFP | 31 | Management Approach | 1 | Task Orders will be issued based on government needs. | |
| Does ASPR plan to have a Government staff person based at the location where the contractors will be deployed? | SOW | 3 | Background | 1 | Yes. | |
| Do we need to deploy a task lead to direct and mange the staff onsite? | SOW | 3 | Background | 1 | Each Task Order will specify the LCAT requirements. | |
| Is there a hierarchy established by ASPR among the documents? Additionally, are there any specific protocols, SOPs, or frameworks that contractors must follow during deployment, beyond the existing Federal guidance? | SOW | 3 | Applicable Documents | Bullets | No | |
| Will templates or examples of previous Post-Disaster Impact Assessments and recovery implementation plans be provided to allow contractors to provide a document that the government is familiar with or build upon it? | SOW | 3 | Background | 1 | No | |
| Considering the ASPR OOR mission and the mention of, "domestic and international public health and medical threats and emergencies"(pg1 SOW), will the contractor be obligated to travel outside the United States and territories within the scope of this contract? | SOW | 1 | Background | 1 | Based on current mission profiles, OCONUS travel is unlikely at this time. | |
| The SOW describes the qualifications needed in resumes proposed. Our question is whether ASPR would like to see resumes for all 19 labor categories at the IDIQ level, or whether ASPR would like to only see qualified resumes for task orders. Second paragraph of Page 17 seems to indicate task order level, but this remains unclear. Please specify. | SOW | 13 | Labor Categories and Qualifications | 2 | Refer to question #79 | |
| According to Section Part II of the Business/Price Proposal, it appears that the government requires contractors to bid on labor categories at predetermined hourly rates. Can the government furnish a workbook that computes all price elements, encompassing Other Direct Costs (ODCs) and travel, to ensure that all bidders accurately align with the government's requirements? | RFP | 30-31 | BUSINESS/PRICE PROPOSAL – PART II | pg 30 last paragraph; pg 31 first set of bullets | Refer to question #33 | |
| Reference "reloading of personnel and travel costs are authorized on a case-by-case basis with COR/CO approval in advance." What does “reloading” of personnel and travel costs mean (under Travel section) | Attachment 1 SOW | 17 | 7) TRAVEL | 3 paragraph on the page | Should a Contractor FTE need to demobilize, the Contractor will be required to supply additional personnel to meet the needs of the Task Order. | |
| Are there specific trainings (beyond the named ICS ones) that will be required of personnel? | Attachment 1 SOW | 4 through 6 | a. TASK 1: Conduct a Post-Disaster Impact Assessment | The Task Order will describe training requirements. | ||
| Which LCATs are expected to be deployable and which will be at HQ or Regional Offices? | Attachment 1 SOW | 13 | List of labor categories and qualifications: | 1 | The Task Order will describe deployable requirements. | |
| It specifies "Pricing shall be broken down in accordance with the phases of the project detailed in the SOW" what Phases is this section speaking about? | RFP | 30-31 | BUSINESS/PRICE PROPOSAL – PART II | Paragraph under Business / Price Proposal | Refer to question #124 | |
| Given the absence of an RTOP or hypothetical RTOP in this initial IDIQ request, our presumption is that we are not obligated to furnish precise dollar amounts for "Other Direct Cost (ODC) and Travel" for each year of the contract. Is it the government's intention for the contractor to include ODCs and Travel expenses in the pricing? | RFP | 30-32 | BUSINESS/PRICE PROPOSAL – PART II | Paragraph under Business / Price Proposal | Offerors are to include Other Direct Cost (ODC) and travel in their pricing. | |
| In order to gauge current activity for accurate pricing - Is there support within the Task Areas that are currently active? How many FTE is this and what is the nature of the work? | RFP | 30-33 | BUSINESS/PRICE PROPOSAL – PART II | Paragraph under Business / Price Proposal | This information is not releasable under an active contract. | |
| Given that this is an IDIQ contract, please clarify how the option price table will be completed. | Request for Proposal | 2 | Article B.4 | b | The option price table will be determined at contract award and will be based on the offerors proposed total price for each year of the contract. (Base Year and Option Years). | |
| Please clarify whether Task Orders issued under the IDIQ are to be priced based strictly on the IDIQ contract labor category rates or whether discounts are anticipated at the TO level? | Request for Proposal | 5 | Article G.3 | b | The offerors proposed labor rates and cost, which will become the "pricing schedule" that will be incorporated into the contract as the established FFP IDIQ labor rates. The Task Orders will use these FFP rates throughout the Base and Option Years. Discounts are not anticipated at the task order level. |
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