Amendment No. 0001-Signed.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

Chemistry Center for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria 75N93024R00022

Amendment Number: 0001

AMENDMENT ONE (0001)

Issued by: R&D and Professional Services, Division A

Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM) National Institutes of Health (NIH) 6701 Rockledge Dr. (RKL II), 412-L

Solicitation Number: 75N93024R00022

Date of Solicitation Issuance: April 15, 2026

Date of Amendment No.0001 Issuance: April 27, 2026

Number of Pages: 14 pages

NIAID Point of Contact: PRIMARY:

Ignacio Reyes, Contracting Officer Email: ignacio.reyes@nih.gov Phone: 301-435-7574

The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is Friday, May 08, 2026, at 03:00 PM EST.

Offerors MUST acknowledge receipt of the final posting of Amendment 0001 on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgement of this Amendment may result in rejection of your proposal.

mailto:ignacio.reyes@nih.gov

THE FOLLOWING PAGES PROVIDE ANSWERS CONCERNING A NUMBER OF INQUIRIES FOR THE

ABOVE NUMBERED SOLICITATION:

INCLUSION OF SECTION I:

The following FAR clauses are provided in full text.

FAR 52.215-21

FAR 52.222-41

FAR 52.222-42

FAR 52.222-43

52.215-21 Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data-Modifications.

As prescribed in 15.408(m), insert the following clause:

REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA AND DATA OTHER THAN CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA-

MODIFICATIONS (NOV 2021)

(a) Exceptions from certified cost or pricing data.

(1) In lieu of submitting certified cost or pricing data for modifications under this contract, for price adjustments expected to exceed the threshold set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.403- 4(a)(1) on the date of the agreement on price or the date of the award, whichever is later, the Contractor may submit a written request for exception by submitting the information described in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (ii) of this clause. If the threshold for submission of certified cost or pricing data specified in FAR 15.403-4(a)(1) is adjusted for inflation as set forth in FAR 1.109(a), then pursuant to FAR 1.109(d) the changed threshold applies throughout the remaining term of the contract, unless there is a subsequent threshold adjustment. The Contracting Officer may require additional supporting information, but only to the extent necessary to determine whether an exception should be granted, and whether the price is fair and reasonable—

(i) Identification of the law or regulation establishing the price offered. If the price is controlled under law by periodic rulings, reviews, or similar actions of a governmental body, attach a copy of the controlling document, unless it was previously submitted to the contracting office.

(ii) Information on modifications of contracts or subcontracts for commercial products or commercial services.

(A) If—

(1) The original contract or subcontract was granted an exception from certified cost or pricing data requirements because the price agreed upon was based on adequate price competition or prices set by law or regulation, or was a contract or subcontract for the acquisition of a commercial product or commercial service; and https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-15#FAR_15_408 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-15#FAR_15_403_4 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-15#FAR_15_403_4 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-15#FAR_15_403_4 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-1#FAR_1_109 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-1#FAR_1_109

(2) The modification (to the contract or subcontract) is not exempted based on one of these exceptions, then the Contractor may provide information to establish that the modification would not change the contract or subcontract from a contract or subcontract for the acquisition of a commercial product or commercial service, to a contract or subcontract for the acquisition of other than a commercial product or commercial service.

(B) For a commercial product and commercial service exception, the Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, information on prices at which the same item or similar items have previously been sold that is adequate for evaluating the reasonableness of the price of the modification.

Such information may include-

(1) For catalog items, a copy of or identification of the catalog and its date, or the appropriate pages for the offered items, or a statement that the catalog is on file in the buying office to which the proposal is being submitted. Provide a copy or describe current discount policies and price lists (published or unpublished), e.g., wholesale, original equipment manufacturer, or reseller. Also explain the basis of each offered price and its relationship to the established catalog price, including how the proposed price relates to the price of recent sales in quantities similar to the proposed quantities.

(2) For market-priced items, the source and date or period of the market quotation or other basis for market price, the base amount, and applicable discounts. In addition, describe the nature of the market.

(3) For items included on an active Federal Supply Service Multiple Award Schedule contract, proof that an exception has been granted for the schedule item.

1. (2) The Contractor grants the Contracting Officer or an authorized representative the right to examine, at any time before award, books, records, documents, or other directly pertinent records to verify any request for an exception under this clause, and the reasonableness of price. For items priced using catalog or market prices, or law or regulation, access does not extend to cost or profit information or other data relevant solely to the Contractor’s determination of the prices to be offered in the catalog or marketplace.

(b) Requirements for certified cost or pricing data. If the Contractor is not granted an exception from the requirement to submit certified cost or pricing data, the following applies:

2. (1) The Contractor shall submit certified cost or pricing data, data other than certified cost or pricing data, and supporting attachments in accordance with the instructions contained in 15.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses. of FAR 15.408, which is incorporated by reference with the same force and effect as though it were inserted here in full text. The instructions in 15.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses. are incorporated as a mandatory format to be used in this contract, unless the Contracting Officer and the Contractor agree to a different format and change this clause to use Alternate I.

3. (2) As soon as practicable after agreement on price, but before award (except for unpriced actions), the Contractor shall submit a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data, as prescribed by

FAR 15.406-2.

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52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards.

As prescribed in 22.1006(a), insert the following clause:

SERVICE CONTRACT LABOR STANDARDS (AUG 2018)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

Contractor, when this clause is used in any subcontract, shall be deemed to refer to the subcontractor, except in the term "Government Prime Contractor."

Service employee means any person engaged in the performance of this contract other than any person employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity, as these terms are defined in Part 541 of Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, as revised. It includes all such persons regardless of any contractual relationship that may be alleged to exist between a Contractor or subcontractor and such persons.

(b) Applicability. This contract is subject to the following provisions and to all other applicable provisions of 41 U.S.C. chapter 67, Service Contract Labor Standards, and regulations of the Secretary of Labor (29 CFR Part 4). This clause does not apply to contracts or subcontracts administratively exempted by the Secretary of Labor or exempted by 41 U.S.C. 6702, as interpreted in Subpart C of 29 CFR Part 4.

(c) Compensation.

(1) Each service employee employed in the performance of this contract by the Contractor or any subcontractor shall be paid not less than the minimum monetary wages and shall be furnished fringe benefits in accordance with the wages and fringe benefits determined by the Secretary of Labor, or authorized representative, as specified in any wage determination attached to this contract.

(2)

(i) If a wage determination is attached to this contract, the Contractor shall classify any class of service employee which is not listed therein and which is to be employed under the contract (i.e., the work to be performed is not performed by any classification listed in the wage determination) so as to provide a reasonable relationship (i.e., appropriate level of skill comparison) between such unlisted classifications and the classifications listed in the wage determination. Such conformed class of employees shall be paid the monetary wages and furnished the fringe benefits as are determined pursuant to the procedures in this paragraph (c).

(ii) This conforming procedure shall be initiated by the Contractor prior to the performance of contract work by the unlisted class of employee. The Contractor shall submit Standard Form (SF) 1444, Request For Authorization of Additional Classification and Rate, to the Contracting Officer no later than 30 days after the unlisted class of employee performs any contract work. The Contracting Officer shall review the proposed classification and rate and promptly submit the completed SF 1444 (which must include information regarding the agreement or disagreement of the employees’ authorized representatives or the employees themselves together with the agency recommendation), and all pertinent information to the Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor. The Wage and Hour Division will approve, modify, or disapprove the action or render a final determination in the event of disagreement within 30 days of receipt or will notify the Contracting Officer within 30 days of receipt that additional time is necessary.

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(iii) The final determination of the conformance action by the Wage and Hour Division shall be transmitted to the Contracting Officer who shall promptly notify the Contractor of the action taken. Each affected employee shall be furnished by the Contractor with a written copy of such determination or it shall be posted as a part of the wage determination.

(iv)

(A) The process of establishing wage and fringe benefit rates that bear a reasonable relationship to those listed in a wage determination cannot be reduced to any single formula. The approach used may vary from wage determination to wage determination depending on the circumstances. Standard wage and salary administration practices which rank various job classifications by pay grade pursuant to point schemes or other job factors may, for example, be relied upon. Guidance may also be obtained from the way different jobs are rated under Federal pay systems (Federal Wage Board Pay System and the General Schedule) or from other wage determinations issued in the same locality. Basic to the establishment of any conformable wage rate(s) is the concept that a pay relationship should be maintained between job classifications based on the skill required and the duties performed.

4. (B) In the case of a contract modification, an exercise of an option, or extension of an existing contract, or in any other case where a Contractor succeeds a contract under which the classification in question was previously conformed pursuant to paragraph (c) of this clause, a new conformed wage rate and fringe benefits may be assigned to the conformed classification by indexing (i.e., adjusting) the previous conformed rate and fringe benefits by an amount equal to the average (mean) percentage increase (or decrease, where appropriate) between the wages and fringe benefits specified for all classifications to be used on the contract which are listed in the current wage determination, and those specified for the corresponding classifications in the previously applicable wage determination. Where conforming actions are accomplished in accordance with this paragraph prior to the performance of contract work by the unlisted class of employees, the Contractor shall advise the Contracting Officer of the action taken but the other procedures in subdivision (c)(2)(ii) of this clause need not be followed.

5. (C) No employee engaged in performing work on this contract shall in any event be paid less than the currently applicable minimum wage specified under section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of1938, as amended.

(v) The wage rate and fringe benefits finally determined under this paragraph (c)(2) of this clause shall be paid to all employees performing in the classification from the first day on which contract work is performed by them in the classification. Failure to pay the unlisted employees the compensation agreed upon by the interested parties and/or finally determined by the Wage and Hour Division retroactive to the date such class of employees commenced contract work shall be a violation of the Service Contract Labor Standards statute and this contract.

(vi) Upon discovery of failure to comply with paragraph (c)(2) of this clause, the Wage and Hour Division shall make a final determination of conformed classification, wage rate, and/or fringe benefits which shall be retroactive to the date such class or classes of employees commenced contract work.

(3) Adjustment of compensation. If the term of this contract is more than 1 year, the minimum monetary wages and fringe benefits required to be paid or furnished thereunder to service employees under this contract shall be subject to adjustment after 1 year and not less often than once every 2 years, under wage determinations issued by the Wage and Hour Division.

(d) Obligation to furnish fringe benefits. The Contractor or subcontractor may discharge the obligation to furnish fringe benefits specified in the attachment or determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this clause by furnishing equivalent combinations of bona fide fringe benefits, or by making equivalent or differential cash payments, only in accordance with Subpart D of 29 CFR Part 4.

(e) Minimum wage. In the absence of a minimum wage attachment for this contract, neither the Contractor nor any subcontractor under this contract shall pay any person performing work under this contract (regardless of whether the person is a service employee) less than the minimum wage specified by section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of1938. Nothing in this clause shall relieve the Contractor or any subcontractor of any other obligation under law or contract for payment of a higher wage to any employee.

(f) Successor contracts. If this contract succeeds a contract subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute under which substantially the same services were furnished in the same locality and service employees were paid wages and fringe benefits provided for in a collective bargaining agreement, in the absence of the minimum wage attachment for this contract setting forth such collectively bargained wage rates and fringe benefits, neither the Contractor nor any subcontractor under this contract shall pay any service employee performing any of the contract work (regardless of whether or not such employee was employed under the predecessor contract), less than the wages and fringe benefits provided for in such collective bargaining agreement, to which such employee would have been entitled if employed under the predecessor contract, including accrued wages and fringe benefits and any prospective increases in wages and fringe benefits provided for under such agreement. No Contractor or subcontractor under this contract may be relieved of the foregoing obligation unless the limitations of 29 CFR 4.1 b(b) apply or unless the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary’s authorized representative finds, after a hearing as provided in 29 CFR 4.10 that the wages and/or fringe benefits provided for in such agreement are substantially at variance with those which prevail for services of a character similar in the locality, or determines, as provided in 29 CFR 4.11, that the collective bargaining agreement applicable to service employees employed under the predecessor contract was not entered into as a result of arm’s length negotiations.

Where it is found in accordance with the review procedures provided in 29 CFR 4.10 and/or 4.11 and Parts6 and 8 that some or all of the wages and/or fringe benefits contained in a predecessor Contractor’s collective bargaining agreement are substantially at variance with those which prevail for services of a character similar in the locality, and/or that the collective bargaining agreement applicable to service employees employed under the predecessor contract was not entered into as a result of arm’s length negotiations, the Department will issue a new or revised wage determination setting forth the applicable wage rates and fringe benefits. Such determination shall be made part of the contract or subcontract, in accordance with the decision of the Administrator, the Administrative Law Judge, or the Administrative Review Board, as the case may be, irrespective of whether such issuance occurs prior to or after the award of a contract or subcontract (53 Comp. Gen. 401 (1973)). In the case of a wage determination issued solely as a result of a finding of substantial variance, such determination shall be effective as of the date of the final administrative decision.

(g) Notification to employees. The Contractor and any subcontractor under this contract shall notify each service employee commencing work on this contract of the minimum monetary wage and any fringe benefits required to be paid pursuant to this contract, or shall post the wage determination attached to this contract. The poster provided by the Department of Labor (Publication WH 1313) shall be posted in a prominent and accessible place at the work site. Failure to comply with this requirement is a violation of 41 U.S.C. 6703 and of this contract.

(h) Safe and sanitary working conditions. The Contractor or subcontractor shall not permit any part of the services called for by this contract to be performed in buildings or surroundings or under working conditions provided by or under the control or supervision of the Contractor or subcontractor which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to the health or safety of the service employees. The Contractor or subcontractor shall comply with the safety and health standards applied under 29 CFR Part 1925.

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(i) Records.

(1) The Contractor and each subcontractor performing work subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute shall make and maintain for 3 years from the completion of the work, and make them available for inspection and transcription by authorized representatives of the Wage and Hour Division, a record of the following:

(i) For each employee subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute-

6. (A) Name and address and social security number;

7. (B) Correct work classification or classifications, rate or rates of monetary wages paid and fringe benefits provided, rate or rates of payments in lieu of fringe benefits, and total daily and weekly compensation;

8. (C) Daily and weekly hours worked by each employee; and

9. (D) Any deductions, rebates, or refunds from the total daily or weekly compensation of each employee.

(ii) For those classes of service employees not included in any wage determination attached to this contract, wage rates or fringe benefits determined by the interested parties or by the Administrator or authorized representative under the terms of paragraph (c) of this clause. A copy of the report required by subdivision (c)(2)(ii) of this clause will fulfill this requirement.

(iii) Any list of the predecessor Contractor’s employees which had been furnished to the Contractor as prescribed by paragraph (n) of this clause.

(2) The Contractor shall also make available a copy of this contract for inspection or transcription by authorized representatives of the Wage and Hour Division.

(3) Failure to make and maintain or to make available these records for inspection and transcription shall be a violation of the regulations and this contract, and in the case of failure to produce these records, the Contracting Officer, upon direction of the Department of Labor and notification to the Contractor, shall take action to cause suspension of any further payment or advance of funds until the violation ceases.

(4) The Contractor shall permit authorized representatives of the Wage and Hour Division to conduct interviews with employees at the work site during normal working hours.

(j) Pay periods. The Contractor shall unconditionally pay to each employee subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute all wages due free and clear and without subsequent deduction (except as otherwise provided by law or regulations, 29 CFR Part 4), rebate, or kickback on any account. These payments shall be made no later than one pay period following the end of the regular pay period in which the wages were earned or accrued. A pay period under this statute may not be of any duration longer than semi-monthly.

(k) Withholding of payments and termination of contract. The Contracting Officer shall withhold or cause to be withheld from the Government Prime Contractor under this or any other Government contract with the Prime Contractor such sums as an appropriate official of the Department of Labor requests or such sums as the Contracting Officer decides may be necessary to pay underpaid employees employed by the Contractor or subcontractor. In the event of failure to pay any employees subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute all or part of the wages or fringe benefits due under the Service Contract Labor Standards statute, the Contracting Officer may, after authorization or by direction of the Department of

Labor and written notification to the Contractor, take action to cause suspension of any further payment or advance of funds until such violations have ceased. Additionally, any failure to comply with the requirements of this clause may be grounds for termination of the right to proceed with the contract work.

In such event, the Government may enter into other contracts or arrangements for completion of the work, charging the Contractor in default with any additional cost.

(l) Subcontracts. The Contractor agrees to insert this clause in all subcontracts subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute.

(m) Collective bargaining agreements applicable to service employees. If wages to be paid or fringe benefits to be furnished any service employees employed by the Government Prime Contractor or any subcontractor under the contract are provided for in a collective bargaining agreement which is or will be effective during any period in which the contract is being performed, the Government Prime Contractor shall report such fact to the Contracting Officer, together with full information as to the application and accrual of such wages and fringe benefits, including any prospective increases, to service employees engaged in work on the contract, and a copy of the collective bargaining agreement. Such report shall be made upon commencing performance of the contract, in the case of collective bargaining agreements effective at such time, and in the case of such agreements or provisions or amendments thereof effective at a later time during the period of contract performance such agreements shall be reported promptly after negotiation thereof.

(n) Seniority list. Not less than 10 days prior to completion of any contract being performed at a Federal facility where service employees may be retained in the performance of the succeeding contract and subject to a wage determination which contains vacation or other benefit provisions based upon length of service with a Contractor (predecessor) or successor (29 CFR 4.173), the incumbent Prime Contractor shall furnish the Contracting Officer a certified list of the names of all service employees on the Contractor’s or subcontractor’s payroll during the last month of contract performance. Such list shall also contain anniversary dates of employment on the contract either with the current or predecessor Contractors of each such service employee. The Contracting Officer shall turn over such list to the successor Contractor at the commencement of the succeeding contract.

(o) Rulings and interpretations. Rulings and interpretations of the Service Contract Labor Standards statute are contained in Regulations, 29 CFR Part 4.

(p) Contractor’s certification.

(1) By entering into this contract, the Contractor (and officials thereof) certifies that neither it nor any person or firm who has a substantial interest in the Contractor’s firm is a person or firm ineligible to be awarded Government contracts by virtue of the sanctions imposed under 41 U.S.C. 6706.

(2) No part of this contract shall be subcontracted to any person or firm ineligible for award of a Government contract under 41 U.S.C. 6706.

(3) The penalty for making false statements is prescribed in the U.S. Criminal Code, 18 U.S.C. 1001.

(q) Variations, tolerances, and exemptions involving employment. Notwithstanding any of the provisions in paragraphs (b) through (o) of this clause, the following employees may be employed in accordance with the following variations, tolerances, and exemptions, which the Secretary of Labor, pursuant to 41 U.S.C.

6707 prior to its amendment by Pub.L.92-473, found to be necessary and proper in the public interest or to avoid serious impairment of the conduct of Government business:

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(1) Apprentices, student-learners, and workers whose earning capacity is impaired by age, physical or mental deficiency, or injury may be employed at wages lower than the minimum wages otherwise required by 41 U.S.C. 6703(1) without diminishing any fringe benefits or cash payments in lieu thereof required under 41 U.S.C. 6703(2), in accordance with the conditions and procedures prescribed for the employment of apprentices, student-learners, persons with disabilities, and disabled clients of work centers under section 14 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, in the regulations issued by the Administrator (29 CFR parts 520, 521, 524, and 525).

(2) The Administrator will issue certificates under the statute for the employment of apprentices, student-learners, persons with disabilities, or disabled clients of work centers not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, or subject to different minimum rates of pay under the two statutes, authorizing appropriate rates of minimum wages (but without changing requirements concerning fringe benefits or supplementary cash payments in lieu thereof), applying procedures prescribed by the applicable regulations issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 CFR parts 520, 521, 524, and 525).

(3) The Administrator will also withdraw, annul, or cancel such certificates in accordance with the regulations in 29 CFR parts 525 and 528.

(r) Apprentices. Apprentices will be permitted to work at less than the predetermined rate for the work they perform when they are employed and individually registered in a bona fide apprenticeship program registered with a State Apprenticeship Agency which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, or if no such recognized agency exists in a State, under a program registered with the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer, and Labor Services (OATELS), U.S. Department of Labor. Any employee who is not registered as an apprentice in an approved program shall be paid the wage rate and fringe benefits contained in the applicable wage determination for the journeyman classification of work actually performed. The wage rates paid apprentices shall not be less than the wage rate for their level of progress set forth in the registered program, expressed as the appropriate percentage of the journeyman’s rate contained in the applicable wage determination. The allowable ratio of apprentices to journeymen employed on the contract work in any craft classification shall not be greater than the ratio permitted to the Contractor as to his entire work force under the registered program.

(s) Tips. An employee engaged in an occupation in which the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips may have the amount of these tips credited by the employer against the minimum wage required by 41 U.S.C. 6703(1), in accordance with section 3(m) of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Regulations, 29 CFR Part 531. However, the amount of credit shall not exceed $1.34 per hour beginning January 1,1981. To use this provision-

(1) The employer must inform tipped employees about this tip credit allowance before the credit is utilized;

(2) The employees must be allowed to retain all tips (individually or through a pooling arrangement and regardless of whether the employer elects to take a credit for tips received);

(3) The employer must be able to show by records that the employee receives at least the applicable Service Contract Labor Standards minimum wage through the combination of direct wages and tip credit; and

(4) The use of such tip credit must have been permitted under any predecessor collective bargaining agreement applicable by virtue of 41 U.S.C. 6707(c).

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(t) Disputes concerning labor standards. The U.S. Department of Labor has set forth in 29 CFR parts 4, 6, and 8 procedures for resolving disputes concerning labor standards requirements. Such disputes shall be resolved in accordance with those procedures and not the Disputes clause of this contract. Disputes within the meaning of this clause include disputes between the Contractor (or any of its subcontractors) and the contracting agency, the U.S. Department of Labor, or the employees or their representatives.

52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires.

As prescribed in 22.1006(b), insert the following clause:

STATEMENT OF EQUIVALENT RATES FOR FEDERAL HIRES (MAY 2014)

In compliance with the Service Contract Labor Standards statute and the regulations of the Secretary of Labor ( 29 CFR Part 4), this clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency subject to the provisions of 5 U.S.C.5341 or 5 332.

52.222-43 Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards-Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts).

As prescribed in 22.1006(c)(1), insert the following clause:

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND SERVICE CONTRACT LABOR STANDARDS-PRICE ADJUSTMENT (MULTIPLE YEAR

AND OPTION CONTRACTS) (AUG 2018)

(a) This clause applies to both contracts subject to area prevailing wage determinations and contracts subject to collective bargaining agreements.

(b) The Contractor warrants that the prices in this contract do not include any allowance for any contingency to cover increased costs for which adjustment is provided under this clause.

(c) The wage determination, issued under the Service Contract Labor Standards statute, ( 41 U.S.C.

chapter 67), by the Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, current on the anniversary date of a multiple year contract or the beginning of each renewal option period, shall apply to this contract. If no such determination has been made applicable to this contract, then the Federal minimum wage as established by section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of1938, as amended, ( 29 U.S.C. 206) current on the anniversary date of a multiple year contract or the beginning of each renewal option period, shall apply to this contract.

(d) The contract price, contract unit price labor rates, or fixed hourly labor rates will be adjusted to reflect the Contractor’s actual increase or decrease in applicable wages and fringe benefits to the extent that the increase is made to comply with or the decrease is voluntarily made by the Contractor as a result of:

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(1) The Department of Labor wage determination applicable on the anniversary date of the multiple year contract, or at the beginning of the renewal option period. For example, the prior year wage determination required a minimum wage rate of $4.00 per hour. The Contractor chose to pay $4.10. The new wage determination increases the minimum rate to $4.50 per hour. Even if the Contractor voluntarily increases the rate to $4.75 per hour, the allowable price adjustment is $.40 per hour;

(2) An increased or decreased wage determination otherwise applied to the contract by operation of law; or

(3) An amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act of1938 that is enacted after award of this contract, affects the minimum wage, and becomes applicable to this contract under law.

(e) Any adjustment will be limited to increases or decreases in wages and fringe benefits as described in paragraph (d) of this clause, and the accompanying increases or decreases in social security and unemployment taxes and workers’ compensation insurance, but shall not otherwise include any amount for general and administrative costs, overhead, or profit.

(f) The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer of any increase claimed under this clause within 30 days after receiving a new wage determination unless this notification period is extended in writing by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer of any decrease under this clause, but nothing in the clause shall preclude the Government from asserting a claim within the period permitted by law. The notice shall contain a statement of the amount claimed and the change in fixed hourly rates (if this is a time-and-materials or labor-hour contract), and any relevant supporting data, including payroll records, that the Contracting Officer may reasonably require. Upon agreement of the parties, the contract price, contract unit price labor rates, or fixed hourly rates shall be modified in writing.

The Contractor shall continue performance pending agreement on or determination of any such adjustment and its effective date.

(g) The Contracting Officer or an authorized representative shall have access to and the right to examine any directly pertinent books, documents, papers and records of the Contractor until the expiration of 3 years after final payment under the contract.

QUESTIONS / ANSWER

Question 1: What is the page limitation for the technical proposal?

Answer 1: 75 pages.

Question 2: Past Performance is identified as an evaluation factor however; there does not appear to be a listed requirement for past performance. If required, where should past performance be included in the proposal and can NIAID confirm there would not be a page limit for this section?

Answer 2: See Section M (page 51) under Past Performance Factor. This document can be included in your business proposal, which does not have a page limit.

Question 3: The proposal includes instructions to submit a subcontracting plan in the SBCX system, but the solicitation doesn’t yet appear in the system. Can NIAID please provide the link to submit the subcontracting plan in SBCX?

Answer 3: Invite was sent through SBCX.

Question 4: The SOW states that we should test 1640 compounds. Is that total across the 5 years, or is that annually?

Answer 4: MIC testing is per performance period (each performance period is one year). The amount includes “extra” slots to support testing backlog compounds and any retests required.

Question 5: For the Quantity Options – Fixed Price Labor Hours: The pricing sheet calls that non-technical. Is this for compound management? Is it priced as one fixed price unit per year?

Answer 5: The pricing sheet indicates (with letters) which parts of the SOW correspond to each pricing component. For example, fully loaded labor is applicable to SOW requirements A, D, E only.

Question 6: “Options should be presented as a separate part of the Technical Proposal”. Is this in addition to the rest of the proposal outlining the Offeror’s overall plans and capabilities, or is this part of the Business Proposal? If part of the Technical, does this mean describing the Offeror’s plans in each Option Period? Would Offerors also need to describe their plans in the Base Period (not listed)?

Answer 6: The Technical proposal should describe the base period in detail and acknowledge that Options A1-A4 will be identical to the base period. The proposal should include discussion of Term Option A5 and acknowledge that A6 and A7 will be identical to A5.

Question 7: Can NIAID please confirm that foreign contractors are allowed for the fixed price

Answer 7:

chemistry portion?

Yes—foreign subcontractors may be allowed for the fixed-price chemistry portion, but they are not automatically permitted. State Department clearance may be required for foreign subcontractors dependent upon the scope of work performed.

Offeror should first determine whether the work can be performed domestically. If not, a justification should be provided explaining why the foreign subcontractor is necessary, the specific chemistry work they will perform, and whether they will be used for the full contract period or only for certain tasks, subject to any required contracting officer review or approval.

Question 8: Can NIAID please confirm that Offerors can include travel in their budgets as part of their Price Proposal, provided they can justify the cost as necessary to support the proposed SOW?

Answer 8: No travel may be included in the pricing proposal. Only the pricing elements in the pricing sheet provided by NIAID can be budgeted. Because this is FFP, the offeror should propose a fair price for each pricing element in consideration of all costs associated with delivering that element.

Question 9: Please confirm that Attachment 8 – Price Sheet (Base and Option) can be modified to accommodate an Offeror’s specific circumstances or pricing structure?

Answer 9: The pricing sheet may only be modified by the choice of labor type. A suggested labor mix was provided in the pricing sheet as an illustrative example. The offeror may propose a different labor mix with more or fewer categories and with different categories as appropriate. The total labor hours for each section must remain the same as indicated in the pricing sheet (5000 for base and term options A1-A4, 2500 for term options A5-A7, 1000 for “non-technical” quantity options). Note that labor hours for performing SOW requirements B and C are not allowed. All costs, including labor, for delivering SOW requirements B and C are to be accounted for in the pricing elements associated with those requirements in the pricing sheet.

Question 10: This section states that the “contract is subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards. The following clauses are hereby incorporated and made a part of this contract.” However, there doesn’t appear to be any clauses related to Service Contract Labor Standards included in the solicitation. Can NIAID please confirm that Service Contract Labor Standards do not apply or if applicable, please confirm Offeror’s should propose their own wage determinations?

Answer 10: The Government will incorporate the applicable FAR clauses, including FAR 52.222- 41 - Service Contract Labor Standards, 52.222-42 - Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires, and 52.222-43 - Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards, along with the applicable Department of Labor wage determination, by amendment. Offerors should not propose their own wage determinations.

Question 11: Can NIAID please confirm that Certified Cost and Pricing Data does not apply to this solicitation? Clause 52.215-21 was included with a “deviation,” but the specific alternate was not identified.

Answer 11: The solicitation includes clause 52.215-21 as modified by deviation and does apply.

Question 12: Attachment 7 states that “pricing for labor hours in the base and all options is fixed price fully loaded (includes fringe, materials, and other indirect) per labor category.” Can NIAID please confirm that loaded rates should also include fee?

Answer 12: A fee, as normally included in a cost reimbursement contract, is not applicable to this contract. All pricing is Firm-Fixed-Price and the offeror should propose pricing that it considers fair and complete compensation for delivering each pricing element.

Question 13: Can NIAID please clarify the contract type anticipated? Is it NIAID’s intention to have the Offeror propose a Labor Hour budget for Tasks A, D, & E and a Fixed Price budget for Task B & C with a set number of units?

Answer 13: The contract is Firm-Fixed-Price for all pricing elements.

Question 14: Can NIAID confirm that HHSAR 352.222-70 would not be applicable to this contract?

Answer 14: HHSAR 352.222-70 does apply to this contract.

End of Amendment 0001