75N93023R00014_Amendment4_Final.pdf

AMENDMENT #4, RFP No. 75N93023R00014

Amendment No. 4

RFP No. 75N93023R00014 “Management, Operation, Professional, and Technical Support Services for NIAID

Animal Care Facilities”

Solicitation Number:

Amendment Number:

Amendment Issue Date:

75N93023R00014

Four (4)

November 8, 2023

Response Date:

November 17, 2023 at 3:00 PM, Local Time (Changed)

Issued By: Kim Brookens Contracting Officer

OA/NIAID/NIH/DHHS

5601 Fishers Lane, Room 3D10, MSC 9821 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9821

Points of Contact: PRIMARY:

kim.brookens@nih.gov Kim Brookens, Contracting Officer Phone: 240-669-2980

SECONDARY:

rosemary.gomes@nih.gov Rosemary Gomes, Contracting Officer Phone: 240-669-5374

The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions from potential offeror/s regarding the solicitation and to extend the proposal submission deadline to 3:00pm EST, November 17, 2023.

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment by identifying this amendment number and date of the amendment on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgement may result in the rejection of your proposal. Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

mailto:kim.brookens@nih.gov mailto:rosemary.gomes@nih.gov

Questions from Potential Offeror/s with responses in the Table:

Question

RFP

Reference;

Page

Reference Text Question/Comment Response

1) B. 4. A All materials, data and other information supplied by third-party providers under this Contract or the COR shall be assumed to be confidential unless specifically identified as not confidential in writing by the COR.

Please confirm that all materials, data and other information that the USG wishes to consider proprietary, will carry the appropriate proprietary legend.

Please refer to H.15.1.A.7.

Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information.

2) C.2 Reporting Requiremen ts

In addition, one hardcopy of each report shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer.

Please confirm that the CO is requesting a hard copy for delivery vs. an additional electronic copy delivered directly to the CO.

Reports shall only be submitted in electronic form unless otherwise requested.

3) C.2 Reporting Requiremen ts

Due upon contract award and one day after any Key Personnel changes are approved.

Please confirm that the approval indicated in this delivery schedule is issuance of a contract modification.

Key Personnel changes should be requested per ARTICLE G.2.

KEY PERSONNEL, HHSAR

352.237-75 (December 2015), and will be approved via Contract Modification. A roster is due upon signed Contract Modification.

4) HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and IT Procuremen ts & H.15.2 a.

Paragraphs A-H Paragraph a, i.et seq, and 4 End of Life Compliance. Paragraph 7.

Information and communications Technology Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management requirements.

We request that paragraphs A-H be removed from the contract as this effort is performed at the Government site, therefore, the systems of the contractor are out of scope of the effort.

We cannot agree to remove the language since the resultant Contract will involve Contractor access to Federal information or Federal information systems.

5) K. Contract Initiation and Expiration p.

14 & 36

Paragraph b., h., i. et seq. We request that paragraphs

h. and i. be removed from the contract as this effort is performed at the Government site, therefore, the systems of the contractor are out of scope of the effort.

We cannot agree to remove the language at this time since the resultant Contract will involve Contractor access to Federal information or Federal information systems. We will follow up further regarding paragraph h.

6) K. Contract Initiation

h. Contract

System Documentation- Contractors (and/or any

Since this contract effort does not involve system development, please

We cannot agree to remove the language at this time since the resultant Contract will involve

Initiation and Expiration p.

subcontractors) must follow and adhere to HHS System Development Life Cycle requirements, at a minimum, for system development and provide system documentation at designated intervals (specifically, at the expiration of the contract) within the EPLC that require artifact review and approval.

remove this language from the resultant contract.

Contractor access to Federal information or Federal information systems. We will follow up further regarding this question.

7) K.1. p. 15 Section 508 Annual Report While we agree that all deliverables under the contract are required to be Section 508 compliant, it is not possible to respond to the questions in the 508 Annual Report because we are not delivering an IT product or service.

Kindly remove the Annual Report requirement from the resultant contract.

We agree to remove this as it is not applicable.

8) SECTION E -

INSPECTION

AND

ACCEPTANC

E

p. 17

The Government reserves the right to an Inspection period of 30 calendar days, unless a different time period is stated when (the Record of Call/elsewhere in the contract). The receiving report, completed and signed by the appropriate official, constitutes acceptance and shall be acknowledged to the payment office

OFM).

Please clarify the intent of this language.

Respectfully, inspection and acceptance is covered by 52.246-5 Inspection of Services – Cost Reimbursement.

We agree to remove the third paragraph of letter c. under

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND

ACCEPTANCE since it is covered by FAR 52.246-5 Inspection of Services – Cost Reimbursement.

9) F.2.

Deliveries

Due upon contract award and one day after any Key Personnel changes are approved.

Please confirm that approval is upon issuance of a modification to recognize the key person change.

Key Personnel changes should be requested per ARTICLE G.2.

KEY PERSONNEL, HHSAR

352.237-75 (December 2015), and will be approved via Contract Modification. A roster is due upon signed Contract Modification

10) Article F.3.

Level of Effort

Labor Hours table Please confirm the term of the contract is a base period plus 4 option periods

The full term of the contract is 5 years: Base plus four term options. That was an error in the table.

(the table reflects a base plus 6 option periods).

11) Article G.8. Government Property We expect that this paragraph will be removed as acquisition of property is not part of the scope of this effort.

Agreed. Article G.8. is hereby deleted.

12) Article H.6 Privacy Act

This contract requires the Contractor to perform one or more of the following:

(a) Design; (b) develop; or (c) operate a Federal agency system of records to accomplish an agency function in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (Act) (5 U.S.C.

552a(m)(1)) and applicable agency regulations.

The scope of work integral to this effort does not involve design, development or operation of a Federal agency system of records, please remove this requirement as the prerequisites do not apply.

We cannot agree to remove the language since the resultant Contract will involve Contractor access to Federal information, Federal information systems, and an agency system of record.

13) Article H. 14 Subcontracti ng Provisions

We expect that the resultant contract will only contain the reporting requirement for the applicable type of subcontracting plan submitted.

We are unclear what the question is referring to. Typically Individual and Summary Reports are required per Article H.14.

Subcontracting Provisions.

14) H.15.1. 4. ii Information Security and /or Physical.

Access

Based on information provided by the ISSO, system/ data owner, or other security or privacy representative, it has been determined that this solicitation/contract involves:

[ ] No PII [ ] PII

Please check the appropriate box.

The PII box should be checked.

15) H.15.1.A.5

CUI

All sensitive information that has been identified as CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, must be:

Please indicate that all CUI will be marked as such by the USG.

Please refer to H.15.1.A.7.

Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information.

16) j. High Value Asset

If a system is identified as HVA, [23] the Contractor must comply with the HHS Policy for the High Value Asset (HVA) Program and the DHS HVA Control Overlay [24] in addition to the above requirements.

Please delete this paragraph as it is not applicable to this effort.

We cannot remove this paragraph as it remains applicable to biosurety and select agent information.

17) 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting

Please clarify if any portion of this procurement is set aside for small businesses.

This acquisition is full and open competition.

18) 52.249-2 Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed Price)

Please delete and replace with FAR 52.249-6 Termination (Cost Reimbursable)

Agreed. FAR 52.249-6 Termination (Cost Reimbursable) is applicable.

19) I.3 Additional Contract Clauses

27. FAR Clause 52.227-17, Rights in Data--Special Works (Dec 2007).

28. FAR Clause 52.227-18, Rights in Data--Existing Works (Dec 2007).

29. FAR Clause 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software License (Dec 2007).

32. FAR Clause 52.228-5, Insurance - Work on a Government Installation (Jan 1997).

52.247-67, Submission of Transportation Documents for Audit (Feb 2006)

We assume any resulting contract will not include these clauses as they are not applicable to this effort.

The following FAR clauses were removed in Amendment 1:

FAR Clause 52.227-17, Rights in Data--Special Works (Dec 2007) FAR Clause 52.227-18, Rights in Data--Existing Works (Dec 2007) FAR Clause 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software License (Dec 2007) FAR Clause 52.237-7, Indemnification and Medical Liability Insurance (Jan 1997)

We agree to remove FAR Clause 52.228-5, Insurance - Work on a Government Installation (Jan 1997) since this will not be a fixed price contract.

We agree to remove 52.247-67, Submission of Transportation Documents for Audit (Feb 2006) as it is not applicable.

20) I.3 Additional Contract Clauses

Please insert FAR 52.230-2 Cost Accounting Standards, seems to be missing.

Agreed. FAR 52.230-2 Cost Accounting Standards is applicable.

21) Section L.

Instructions to offerors

Unless other methods (e.g., electronic commerce or facsimile) are permitted in the solicitation, proposals and modifications to proposals shall be submitted in paper media in sealed envelopes

Confirming that electronic submittal is the only submittal required.

Correct. This is hereby deleted.

Proposals should only be submitted electronically via eCPS per Attachment 1.

22) Section L. 1.

d.

It is anticipated that the award(s) from this solicitation will be a multiple-year Cost-Reimbursement type Completion contract with a Term of 5Years (See Section L.2.c. Business Proposal

Please confirm that this is a Cost Reimbursable Term type contract, with a stated level of effort.

Correct. This is a Cost- Reimbursement level of effort Term acquisition.

Instructions).

23) Section

L.1.e.

The Government's requirement for the work set forth in the Statement of Work of this solicitation is 257 direct labor hours.

Please confirm that 257 is the number of FTEs, and not the number of direct labor hours.

Correct. This was a typo, the number of FTEs is 257 for the Base requirement.

24) C. Business Proposal Instructions

3. Certified Cost or Pricing Data

In accordance with FAR 15.403-1, please clarify that the submission of cost or pricing data is not required at this time as we anticipate adequate price competition.

Correct. Certified Cost or Pricing Data will be requested only if needed.

25) M. 3.

Evaluation of Options

In accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options, (July 1990), the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement, except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government's best interests.

Does the Government want the Contractor to propose an option to extend the contract for 6 months beyond March 2029?

Yes, please include an option in your budget for a 6 month option period beyond March 2029.

26) SOW pg 18 Hours Is overtime authorized for this program?

Overtime is acceptable given the requirements of the statement of work.

27) SOW,

Animal Facilities #7, pg 11

Disposable garments will be purchased and disbursed by the Contractor.

Please clarify that disposable garments are to be purchased for Maryland facilities and for RML in Montana.

Disposable garments should be budgeted for Maryland facilities only.

28) ATTACHME

NT 11:

ADDITIONA

L

BUSINESS

PROPOSAL

INSTRUCTI

ONS AND

UNIFORM

COST

ASSUMPTIO

NS

Uniform Cost Assumptions Will the Government provide a not-to-exceed dollar value for the disposable PPE that contractors are to purchase?

Offerors should proposed an amount that the Government can find reasonable and realistic for the work to be performed.

29) Attachment 5 Technical Proposal Additional

The technical proposal shall be no longer than 60 pages, no smaller than

Would the Government please clarify whether or not the Table of Contents

The page count does not include the Table of Contents, Title Page, resumes, nor letters of intent.

Instructions and Attachment Packaging and Delivery Instructions

11 point Time New Roman font or 10 point Arial font (including any Table of Contents, Executive Summaries, and Appendices). This total does not include any attachments required by section J. Any pages exceeding this page limit will not be evaluated.

And

1. The total page count of the Technical proposal shall not exceed __60__ pages.

2. Total page count does not include:

a. Title and Back Page;

Table of Contents; Section Dividers that do not contain information other than title of Section; and

b. The Human Subject and Clinical Trial Information Form, if required by the solicitation.

and Title Page are included in the page count of the technical volume?

This offeror assumes the page count of the technical volume does not include the table of contents, resumes for key personnel or letters of intent.

30) Statement of Work;

Page 4 – Additional Animal Support Services Bullet pt. 5

Breeding colony management… embryo implantation

Is contractor staff expected to perform embryo implantation, or just to identify and prepare animal candidates for procedure?

Yes, the staff should be qualified and trained. If RSS they will do if the lab needs them to, if CMB (probably MGGM staff) they will be responsible for it under direction of Section Chief.

31) Statement of Work;

Page 4 – Additional Animal Support Services Bullet pt. 7

ALL TECHNICAL STAFF shall receive and maintain training…

Please define Technical Staff.

Any staff member, either RSS or technician, that is designated as "technical staff"; caretakers will be "in training" to be technicians; staff designated as Laboratory Animal Technicians, Senior Lab Techs

32) Statement of Work;

Page 4 – Additional Animal Support Services Bullet pt. 11

Perform survival rodent surgeries… skin grafts, vasectomies, spenectomies, and embryo implantation…

Is the contractor to perform these independently, or in assistance to the PI?

Yes, independently once skill set is verified; RSS staff at direction of their assigned lab if required;

as directed by technical services request

33) Statement of Work;

Monitor animal space availability as outlined in

Who is responsible for updating the "space bible"?

Government is responsible for maintaining "space bible" and

Page 6 - Managemen t of Animal Holding and Procedure Space Usage 1st Paragraph the allocation chart, "space bible"...

Who grants approval for animal housing space requests?

will relay all space-related decisions to the appropriate facility manager for implementation and monitoring

34) Statement of Work;

Page 7 - Quality Control Program / 2nd Paragraph

ATP testing Is contractor to provide equipment, or will they perfom the appropriate testing with government owned equipment?

Equipment is owned by government, contractor will perform testing as outlined in

SOP

35) Statement of Work;

Page 8 - Research Support Services by Laboratory Support Specialists / Bullet pt. 5

…following Good Laboratory Practices…

Please clarify when GLP procedures are to be followed? Is it only for specificic research support services, or for all of NIAID animals/facilities?

Currently there are no "GLP" studies, but ALL services shall be conducted using proper practices

36) Statement of Work;

Page 8 - Research Support Services by Laboratory Support Specialists / Bullet pt. 7

Maintain optimum care and maintenance of research equipment...

Is the Government or the Contractor responsible for scheduling PMs, calibration of research equipment, certification of hoods, etc.?

Contractor will keep government informed of equipment that needs attention. Contractor shall schedule PMs or services on a timely basis; the equipment shall not be out of compliance due to lack of scheduling

37) Statement of Work;

Page 17 - Employee Requiremen ts / PPE

The Contractor will place orders to provide single-use, disposable equipment such as disposable gloves, labs coats...

Are the PPE orders placed through AMBIS?

PPE orders are currently placed by the contractor and invoiced as such; government will determine proper PPE

38) Statement of Work;

Page 17 - Personal Protective Equipment 1st Paragraph

...the Government will provide associated accessory equipment required for use at ABSL3 and ABSL4 as appropriate.

Please define "associated accessory equipment". Will disposable PPE needed for use in ABSL3/4 areas be a contractor expense or a government covered expense?

All PPE is reimbursed for by the government as described above.

ABSL4 is provided by RML, ABLS3 is ordered by contractor and billed as ODC as directed by the government. Associated accessory equipment is ordered through AMBIS at the direction of the Government.

39) Statement of Work;

...require Contractor personnel to remain in an

Is the Government or the Contractor responsible for

A Contractor may include billing for appropriate associated costs

Page 18 - Employee Requiremen ts / Hours 2nd Paragraph animal facility or local hotel overnight for several days...

covering associated costs for these scenarios?

for disaster scenarios. This is a cost reimbursement contract, the Government reserves the right to review invoicing and approve or deny costs accordingly per allowability, allocability, and reasonability.

Per the SOW, page 18, please coordinate with the COR regarding “sufficient services [to] be provided commencing at a time approved by the COR…”

40) Statement of Work;

Page 23 - Medical Care 5th Paragraph

Contractor staff may be required to obtain vaccinations to work in NIAID facilities and on NIH campuses other than vaccinations required due to hazards.

Can a list be provided of current requirements?

Occupational Health requirements are determined as needed based on studies.

41) Statement of Work;

Page 35 - Deliverables

/ USDA

Annual Report Bullet pt. 6

Reporting period is Oct 1 to Sept 30.

Who is expected to meet with the USDA Inspector?

The Government, Contractor, or both?

Government will meet with USDA, facility manager may be asked to be present; contractor will compile the "USDA Report" from inventory program.

42) Statement of Work;

Page 35 - Key Personnel List

...proposed Key Personnel...

Please clarify that Deputy PM's are not considered key personnel.

Deputy Program Managers are Key Personnel.

43) Statement of Work;

Page 42 - Labor Category Descriptions / Research Support Specialists / #11

The number of required RSS will be driven by the research staff and their needs...

Please clarify if the RSS is the same as the Laboratory Support Specialists mentioned on page 8 of the SOW. Also, please clarify the current numbers based on research needs.

RSS are specifically Research Support Specialists and "assigned" to a specific lab as a liaison between CMB and the lab and will support the technical needs of the lab as directed; there are currently 26

RSS

44) Statement of Work;

Page 42 - Technical Exhibit 2

ABSL 4 Staffing How many personnel work in a ABSL 4 environment on the contract now?

5 current and 5 people in training. The successful Offeror will be expected to meet the needs of the Statement of Work.

45) Solicitation;

Page79- 80 - Section L Requiremen ts for Cost

Certified Cost or Pricing Data

Is certified cost or certified pricing data required for this solicitation?

Please see the answer to question #24.

or Pricing Data

46) Attachment Additional Technical Proposal Instructions;

Page 4 - Section 3 Options 5-

Increase Level of Effort How much time will be given to find a candidate?

Is there a guarantee for how long the position will be needed within the option year?

Please see FAR Clause 52.217-7, Option for Increased Quantity - Separately Priced Line Item (Mar 1989).

47) Attachment Additional Business Proposal Instructions;

Page 2 - Section 3 Uniform Cost Assumptions /3. A, B & C

Options for Increased Level of Effort

How much time will be given to find a candidate?

Is there a guarantee for how long the postition will be needed within the option year?

Please see FAR Clause 52.217-7, Option for Increased Quantity - Separately Priced Line Item (Mar 1989).

48) Attachment

NIH COVID

Return to Work

All Is this document still relevant? Discusses wearing masks, distancing, etc. Are those practices still in place? If not, are there updated policies and expectations to refer to?

Please refer to the Department of Occupational Health and Safety website for additional information. The successful Offeror must follow current NIH requirements, which are subject to change over time.

49) Contractor furnished consumables

Please provide a breakdown of estimated contractor provided consumables.

Please provide a best estimate in your proposal based on the requirements of the Statement of Work.

50) Extension of Proposal Submission

Given the time required for a response to questions, will the government extend the proposal submission date?

Please see Amendment #3 to the solicitation.

51) What is the possibility of keeping the current contractors on and hiring for the remaining spots that are not filled by the start of new contract in March? If it is possible, should there be an additional section added inside the Technical Proposal to outline the difference between the staff that will be hired on versus the staff that will

Offerors must be able to complete the requirements of the Statement of Work at the onset of award. You must demonstrate how you will successfully be staffed.

switch over to the new contract?

52) FAR Clause 52.223-2, Affirmative Procurement of Biobased Products Under Service and Construction Contracts (Sep 2013) is added to the Solicitation.