BEIRRP_75N93021R00022_Amend.1_Questions and Responses_25FEB2022.pdf

BEI-RRP Solicitation 75N93021R00022 Questions and Responses

Issued by NIAID February 25, 2022

No.

Section

Reference

Page Question

Response

1. F.1.a and b 18 Please clarify if the base period and option 4 period of performance will include February 29, as 2024 and 2028 are leap years.

The POP is extended to add leap days for February 29, 2024 under the Base period and February 29, 2028 under Option 4.

2. Article H.19.b

36 Must the Business Proposal comply with HHS EIT accessibility standards with appropriate tagging?

The business proposal does not need to comply with HHS EIT accessibility standards.

3. Section J 55 The attachment 13 link in section J is not current, and not supposed to be used for contracts executed after January 2018. What is the correct link?

Please navigate to the “Voluntary Product Assessment Template (VPAT) at:

https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html

4. L.2.a.4 65 Is Attachment 10 (Technical Proposal Cost Summary) part of the technical proposal page count?

Attachment 10 is not part of the page count.

5. L.2.b.10 86 No Section 508 accessibility standards are listed under L.2.b.10. Is this intentional or is content missing?

For the applicable 508 accessibility standards, please visit:

https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html

6. L.15 69 Please clarify the duplicate L.15 sections:

L.15 Prohibition on Contractor Involvement with Terrorist Activities L.15 HHS Security And Privacy Language For Information And IT Procurements

“HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and IT Procurements” is renumbered to L.16.

7. ATCH 1:

II.A.4

104 Is a font smaller than 10 point allowed in tables, graphics, and artwork to facilitate readability and space utilization?

8-pt and 9-pt point fonts are permissible in graphics and tables, respectively.

8. ATCH 1:

II.B.3

104 Are CVs part of page count?

Each Curriculum Vitae (CV) shall not exceed 3 pages.

CVs are part of the page count. Please refer to the

RFP, ATCH 6-4.

9. ATCH 3;

I.a.1

108 What is the requirement for housing arthropod vectors?

Requirements for housing arthropod vectors should follow the Arthropod Containment Guidelines, Version 3.2 (Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2019 Mar;19(3):152-173. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2018.243) https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/governance/digital-strategy/it-policy-archive/hhs-policy-section-508-compliance-accessibility-information-communications-technology.html with Addendum 1 to better inform the safe handling of gene drive arthropods in contained settings (Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2022 Jan;22(1):3-17.

doi: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0035).

In addition, the sites must assure adherence to institutions’ Biocontainment Committees which may have additional conditions to ensure that any lab working with arthropod vectors has the facilities and SOPs to prevent escapees.

10. ATCH3:

4.E

124 Please clarify which detailed instructions should be followed for option 9b: initial transition of HIV-RP. The text says to follow option 8a, but there is no option 8a.

The text is corrected to change from 8a to 9a.

11. ATCH 3 -

3.B.VI.c.5 and ATCH 7 Section 3.1.D/3.3.B

114;

Please clarify the total number of domestic shipments to be included in the cost proposal.

In section ATCH 3 - 3.B.VI.c.5, the SOW states “ The RFP lists the following statements on costing of domestic shipments:

Packaging and shipping for:

5000 domestic shipments for packaging per year In Section ATCH 7 3.3.B, the RFP states to “Offerors should include a uniform assumption of [3000] domestic shipments per year.”

5,000 is the assumption for regular shipping to domestic recipients.

ATCH 7 - 3.3.B., is deleted from the RFP.

12. ATCH 3 -

3.B.VI.c.5, 114 In section ATCH 3 - 3.B.VI.c.5, the SOW states “Ship materials and charge the domestic recipient for shipping and handling costs.”

What is the total number of domestic shipments which should be included in the cost proposal, which are not “recovered” by charging the domestic recipients?

All outgoing shipping costs will be assumed by domestic recipients.

This does not include the “special” shipments defined in ATCH 7 – 3.3.A. for which the offeror will cover all the shipment costs.

13. ATCH 7

3.3.C; 3.1.D

148 Please clarify the total number of “non-special” International Shipments to be included in the cost proposal. The RFP states both 1,100 and 700 in Sections ATCH 7 3.3C and 3.1.D. Is it a total of 1,800/year?

1,100 is the assumption for regular shipping to non-domestic (international) recipients.

ATCH 7 - 3.3.C., and ATCH 7 - 3.3.D., are deleted from the RFP.

Offerors should include a uniform assumption of [700] international shipments per year.

Packaging and shipping for:

1100 non-domestic shipments per year

14. ATCH 7 –

3.1.B

148 In the uniform cost assumptions, should the offeror include the cost of shipping for incoming materials as described in “Receipt, labeling, inventorying, and distribution for 2,400 new reagents per year.”

Yes, offeror will pay shipping for all incoming materials and include those costs for the incoming materials for deposit.

15. ATCH 7 –

3.3.D

148 Can the government clarify the below shipments?

Offerors should include a uniform assumption of [200] of packaging and marking of specimens per year.

What is the breakout between domestic and non-domestic?

Is the offeror to assume these are UN3373 rated shipments of biospecimens?

200 is the assumption for Special Shipping. The breakdown of assumptions for that section can be found under ATCH 7-3.3.A.

Special shipments are those for BSL-3 pathogens and Select Agents. The offeror should not assume these are UN3373-rated shipments of biospecimens.