Attachment 1 - LTASC III Q and A_9.3.2020.pdf

Attachment 1

# Question(s) Response(s)

On page 6 under ARTICLE B.5. PROPOSED PROCUREMENT MEHOD, It states here: This procurement will be 100% Small Business set‐aside. LTASC III is set to be a small business set aside for companies operating under NAICS Code 56110 and will be open to contractor that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB.

Q1: Please confirm that a small business not categorized as one of the set asides can compete.

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

2 Q1: Are SBA certified 8(A) firms eligible to compete for this contract?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q1: Is LTASC III open to all small businesses under $8M size standard for NAICS 561110?

Q2: Or is it specifically reserved for HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB?

Q1: No. LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q2: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

"The Bizzell Group has been tracking the LTASC III opportunity for a while now and was excited to put in a response. We noticed today that when released the NAICS code used was 561110 Office of Administrative Services with a size standard of $8.0."

Q1: By any chance is it possible to add the NAICS code 541990 or a similar with a higher small business dollar threshold?

Q1: No.

Q1: Can one company submit a proposal as a Prime contractor and also be a major subcontractor to another vendor?

Q2: Can one company be a subcontractor to more than one Prime vendor?

Q3: Will the government consider a Contractor Teaming Agreement such that each company that is part of the CTA has privity if Contract and can act as a Prime?

Q4: This procurement will be 100% small business set‐aside. LTASC III is set to be a small business set‐aside for companies operating under the

NAICS Code 561110 and will be open to contractors that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB. However. L.1.2 says 'Offers are solicited only from capable small business reserves (HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB and SDVOSB) that can completely satisfy the purpose of

LTASC III.' Can the government please verify?

Q5: "Provide information on your firm's past experience with projects of similar size, magnitude, and complexity as outlined in the Statement of

Work. The Offeror shall provide a maximum of (3) related experience statements. Of those three statements. Offerors shall provide a minimum of

(1) related experience demonstrating a) experience on a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Federal

Government and b) experience managing more than (15) administrative personnel concurrently on a single task order or on multiple task orders."

We request that the government remove this rather arbitrary requirement for a contract with 15 personnel on a contract. It unfairly targets socio‐ economically disadvantaged businesses who may not have such large contracts but are exceptionally qualified to manage large staff given an opportunity to service a contract.

Q1: Yes.

Q2: Yes. The Government allows Primes to be subcontractors as this is a business decision on the vendor's part.

Q3: This type of teaming arrangement is a business decision on the vendor's part. The vendor will have to identify one prime in the teaming agreement unless this is a joint venture under a single vendor name.

Q4: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q5: See amendment for revisions.

Q1:"I am interested in bidding on this solicitation, and can not open the attachments list in section J. Can you please post those on Beta.Sam.gov website or send to me?"

Q1: Please copy the complete URL, remove all spaces and hit return, as stated in Section J.

Q1: Offers are solicited from only capable small business reserves (HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB) that can completely satisfy the purpose of LTASC III. This action is based on a determination by the Contracting Officer, alone or in conjunction with a representative of the Small

Business Administration, that it is in the interest of assuring that a fair proportion of Government procurement is placed with small business concerns. Bids or proposals received from others will be considered non‐responsive. Can a small business reserve (HUBZone and a WOSB) who has formed a JV with another EDWOSB SDB qualify as a JV and submit a bid and proposal for the LTASC III solicitation?

Q2: What is the qualifying criteria for the size standard for a JV with two small business entities who wish to submit the offer for solicitation?

Q1: Yes. Only the Prime vendor must fall under our small business reserve set‐asides.

Q2: The NAICS code size standard remains constant regardless of JV, therefore $8M is the size standard for LTASC III for any offeror who meets the small business reserved set‐aside requirement.

Q1: Who is the incumbent?

Q2: What is the current contract number?

Q1: Please visit the LTASC II website for more information on incumbents.

Q2: LTASC II is a multiple‐award contract vehicle. Therefore, there is no single award contract number for the current iteration of LTASC II.

Q1: Please consider: LTASC II was set aside for small businesses, but not to the socio‐economic categories as LTASC III; LTASC II was also the same

NAICS code as LTASC III. Will the Government consider opening this procurement up as a Total Small Business without the limitation of the socio‐ economic categories?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

"On beta.sam and other procurement sites, the competition type is classified as 'small business,' however, within the RFP it states in three different areas (pages 6, 60 and 71), 'offers are solicited only from capable small business reserves (HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB and SDVOSB) the can completely satisfy the purpose of LTASC III. his action is based on a determination by the Contracting Officer, alone or in conjunction with a representative of the Small Business Administration, that it is the interest of assuring that a fair proportion of Government procurement is places with small business concerns. Bids or proposals received from others will be considered non‐responsive.'"

Q1: Can the government please clarify as to whether or not this is a total small business set‐aside, or of it is set‐aside solely for small business with one of the referenced socioeconomic qualifiers (HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB).

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q1: Section L, 4. Description of Submittals references 2 separate volumes Technical and Business Proposals but not Volume III. Please clarify that section L 4.4 Past Performance is a separate Volume III required for submission and has no page limitation for the narrative requirement or copies of the PPQ to be included.

Q2: Section L, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience requires only statements from the Prime with no subs and in Section L, 4.4 Past Performance is requiring a PPQ (Attachment 3) and supporting narrative from a major subcontractor as defined by exceeding $1,000,000 with the same information as required in Factor 1. Please clarify this is correct and how the $1M value is perceived as this is an IDIQ or will it be as estimated in the Sample Task Order pricing?

Q3: Section L 4.2.1, Factor 1 Related Experience allows for 3 related Prime experiences and Section L 4.4 Past Performance allows for the same number for the Prime and 1 additional for a major subcontractor. The Note at the end of the section states offerors may use the same or different experiences in the Past Performance Volume than used in the related experience section. Please clarify if it is correct to assume that up to 6

Prime references and 1 subcontractor reference can be submitted.

Q1: Past Performance is a separate Volume III. Please reference page 70 of RFP, past performance volume for more information. Refer to table provided on pg 65 of L.3.

Q2: See amendment for revisions. Please note, Past Performance and Related Experience are two different sections with different requirements.

Q3: Please note, Past Performance and Related Experience are two different sections with different requirements.

Offerors may submit related experience from one subcontractor (total of 3 related experiences submitted from Prime and subs), however related experience submitted from the Prime will be weighted more heavily than related experiences submitted from subcontractors; 2‐3 past performances are required to be provided from the Prime contractor where 1 additional past performance may be submitted from each proposed major subcontractor (1 per subcontractor) not to exceed 3 total.

Reference: p. 68, paragraph 4.2.1. In this section it states that of the three related experience references "offerors shall provide a minimum of one

(1) related experience demonstrating a) experience on a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Federal

Government and b) experience managing more than fifteen (15) administrative personnel concurrently on a single task order or on multiple task orders.

Q1: Will the Government please confirm that these two requirements may be satisfied by two different related experience references?

Q2: Will the government answer questions on an ongoing basis before the questions are due on July 16th or will the answers be compiled and posted after that date? I wonder because this question can make the difference in whether a company can or cannot bid. Any insight is appreciated.

Q1: Yes, may be satisfied by 2 different related experiences. See amendment for revisions.

Q2: Questions will be compiled and answered after the deadline.

Reference: "Offers are solicited only from capable small business reserves (HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB) that can completely satisfy he purpose of LTASC III.

Q1: We are 8(a) small business (small within the contemplate NAICS) but not HUBZone. WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB and SDVOSB; is this procurement limited to only the businesses with socio‐economic or certifications identified in the RFP, or is there a furhter socio‐economic se‐aside at the task order level?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB. No further set‐aside at the Task Order level has been determined at this time. Set‐ asides at the Task Order level will be at the discretion of the Task Order CO and COR.

Long‐Term Administrative Support Contract III (LTASC III)

Responses to Questions Solicitation ‐ 75N98019R00016 1 of 16

Regarding the Technical Proposal, para 4.2.1: The requirement is for offerors to provide a minimum of one related experience with a) experience on a multiple award IDIQ with the federal government and b) managing more than 15 administrative personnel concurrently on a single or multiple task orders.

If the government wants to ensure that offerors can execute a multiple award IDIQ and concurrently manage a high number of administrative personnel, these requirements should not have to be met on the same contract reference.

Q1: Is the government requiring that a and b above be on the SAME experience / contract or can it be met with two different contracts, meaning the offeror has a multiple award IDIQ but on it does not manage 15 administrative personnel concurrently but the offeror does manage 15 administrative personnel concurrently on another contract either single award or a single award IDIQ?

Q2: Will the government allow a single award IDIQ with 15 administrative personnel to count for the experience requirement?

Q1: Not required to be on the same experience/ contract. May be satisfied by 2 different related experiences. See amendment for revisions.

Q2: Yes. As long as there is evidence of experience managing 15 personnel concurrently on a Federal IDIQ. Please see amendment for revisions.

Reference: Section 4.2.1 Factor 1 – Related Experience says ‐ Offerors shall provide a minimum of one ( 1) related experience demonstrating a) experience on a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity ( IDIQ) contract with the Federal Government

Q1: Can we request change from Federal Government to say Government instead? This will include experience from federal, state or local.

Q1: No. As LTASC III is a federal contract, we are interested in seeing experience on a Federal IDIQ.

Reference: Article B.5 of the RFP states, "This procurement will be 100% Small Business Set‐Aside. LTASC III is set to be a small business set‐aside for companies operating under the NAICS Code 561110 and will be open to contractors that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and

EDWOSB." Also, Section L.1.2 provides a definition of "Small business concern" and excludes 8(a) and SDB offerors fro the capable small businesses allowed to participate in this procurement. We recognize that this procurement is set‐aside for small businesses, but does not currently allow prime offerors that identify as SDB or 8(a) to participate. Our firm is an SBA‐certified 8(a) small disadvantaged business (SDB) with the necessary experience and capabilities and would like the opportunity to submit an offer as a prime contractor.

Q1: Will the Government consider adding language that allows for acceptance of offers from SDB and/or 8(a)‐certified companies?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q1: We are a 100% Minority Owned Small Business under the NAICS Code 561110, but do not identify as a HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and

EDWOSB, would we be considered and eligible bidder as a Minority Owned Small Business?

Q2: If prime contractors need to take a neutral rating on past performance, do bidders still need to submit past performance for subcontractors?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q2: Subcontractors have the option to submit a past performance if available, however, subcontractors may also take a neutral rating on the past performance if they choose.

Q1: File Naming Conventions ‐ As long as file names contain the name of the offeror, solicitation number and the type of proposal ( i.e., Technical, Business, or Excel Workbook) do offerors have discretion to name the files beyond that and in any order?

Q2: C.2.3 Personnel Requirements, a. Key Personnel ‐ Can the Government clarify what it means by not requiring the PM and DPM full‐time on this contract

(when off‐site)?

Q3: C.2.3 Personnel Requirements a. Key Personnel ‐ Since the PM and DPM are not full‐time on this contract, can the Government confirm that the PM and

DPM can be located at contractor facility?

Q4: Article I.6. Service Contract Labor Standards ‐ Does EO 13706 paid sick leave apply?

Q5: Volume I: Technical Proposal, Factor 4 ‐ Do the PM and DPM resumes and LOI count toward to 20 page maximum for the volume, because that could be up to 6 pages of the 20 max if resumes are 2 pages each and LOIs are one page each? Can these be excluded from page count?

Q6: Volume II: Business Proposal ‐ Do offerors need to provide a narrative on their pricing or just provide the fully burdened rates on Attachments 9 and 10?

Q7: Volume II – Business Proposal, Price Attachments 9 and 10 ‐ In addition to providing Attachments 9 and 10 as separate excel files does the Government also want the pricing tables in the Volume II as a pdf?

Q8: Volume II – Business Proposal, Attachment 9, IDIQ Rates ‐ Are the fully burdened rates provided in Attachment 9 considered ceiling rates from which offerors can offer discounts on task order pricing?

Q9: Volume II – Business Proposal, Attachment 10, Task Order Rates ‐ It states in Section L at para 4.3.3 that rates in Attachment 10 need to match Section B

IDIQ rates? Does that mean offerors cannot provide any discounts on the IDIQ rates in Attachment 10?

Q10: Volume III – Past Performance ‐ Can offerors provide an introduction / summary to their past performance before providing the references?

Q1: Follow naming conventions outlined in the submittal directions of the RFP.

Q2: PM and DPM have to be available on a need basis; however, they are not required to be designated as full‐time at the master contract and Task Order levels, unless required to be full‐time at the Task Order level.

Q3: The PM and DPM can be located at a contractor facility, unless required to be present on‐site. However, key personnel should be available to meet in‐person with the Government within a 24 hours notice.

Q4: Yes, EO 13706 applies to the LTASC III contract.

Q5: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q6: The business proposal does not have a page limit. Providing a narrative on pricing is a business decision made by the vendor.

Q7: A PDF version of the pricing tables is not required as part of the business proposal.

Q8: Yes.

Q9: Discounts shall not be used for the pricing of the sample Task Order. Please use the IDIQ ceiling rates proposed in

Section B of the RFP to price the sample Task Order.

Q10: Providing an introduction/summary on their past performance is a business decision made by the vendor.

Q1: Section L, 2. Proposal Submission Information. B. Creating and Naming Files ‐ A naming convention is not given for Attachment A: Mandatory

Requirements Checklist. What should this file be named for submittal?

Q2: Section L, 2. Proposal Submission Information. B. Creating and Naming Files ‐ There are two Excel workbooks to submit but only one naming convention is given. What are the different names for Attachment 9 and Attachment 10 for submittal?

Q3: Section L, 3. Mandatory Submittal Requirements Volume I – Technical Proposal ‐ Are the Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Acronym List included in the page limitation of the Technical Proposal?

Q4: Section L, 3. Mandatory Submittal Requirements Volume I – Technical Proposal ‐ Are resumes included in the page limitation of the Technical

Proposal?

Q5: Section L, 4. Description of Submittals 4.4 Past Performance ‐ Can projects be in progress or must they be 100% complete?

Q6: Section L, 4. Description of Submittals 4.2 Volume I Technical Proposal, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience ‐ Can related experience contracts be in progress or must they be 100% complete?

Q1: Attachment 5 shall be included as part of Volume II ‐ Business Proposal.

Q2: Offeror shall use Business_Attachment 9 and Business_Attachment 10 as naming conventions for Attachments 9 and

10.

Q3: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q4: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume. .

Q5: They do not have to be complete, but there must be sufficient time elapsed for an evaluation to be provided.

Q6: They do not have to be complete, but there must be sufficient time elapsed for an evaluation to be provided.

Q1: Mandatory Small Business Reserve ‐ Is there a determination of number of target awards the following socio‐economic categories ‐ HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB. Would you please share the target awards for these categories?

Q2: Technical Proposal evaluation section 3.1 ‐ The RFP states that “Only related experience from the Prime will be considered and evaluated. Related experience from proposed subcontractor(s) will not be evaluated.” However, in section 5 – Past Performance Evaluation, Prime Contractor past performance questionnaires will be weighted more heavily than subcontractor past performance questionnaires. Can you please clarify? We would request that experience from both Prime and Proposed sub‐contractor(s) be considered.

Q3: Technical Proposal evaluation section 3.2 ‐ "The requirement states that the Prime contractor should have “experience managing more than fifteen ( 15) administrative personnel concurrently on a single task order or on multiple task orders.” Given that this IDIQ is for small businesses with a revenue limit of

$8MUSD, we request that the requirement be modified to include managing more than fifteen (15) personnel including administrative personnel concurrently on single or multiple task orders.

Also, we request you to allow commercial experience and remove the requirement for at least one Federal experience. We are a WOSB with extensive commercial experience and are very interested in responding."

Q4: Past Performance & Attachment 3 ‐ Is the offeror required to submit the completed pages 2 and 3 of Attachment 3 and submit to NIH or should our reference contact mentioned in our Past performance description submit the completed form directly to NIH?

Q5: PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ‐ “Past Performance evaluation” reads as follows “For the purposes of this solicitation, a " major subcontract" is defined as any subcontractor exceeding $ 1, 000, 000.”, can you please clarify? Are we saying that proposed subcontractors should have at least $1,000,000 in annual revenues?

Q6: PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ‐ An Offeror with no past performance information will receive a neutral rating ( i.e., the rating will not add to or detract from its past performance rating.) Can you please explain this further? Does this mean that past performance is not mandatory to qualify an offeror for consideration?

Q7: General ‐ Is the government open to remote work until the COVID‐19 situation is resolved?

Q8: General ‐ Can the Government confirm that subcontractor can be a large business?

Q1: There is no set number of target awards for the categories identified in the LTASC III RFP.

Q2: Please note, Past Performance and Related Experience are two different sections with different requirements.

Offerors may submit related experience from one subcontractor (total of 3 related experiences submitted from Prime and subs), however related experience submitted from the Prime will be weighted more heavily than related experiences submitted from subcontractors; 2‐3 past performances are required to be provided from the Prime contractor where 1 additional past performance may be submitted from each proposed major subcontractor (1 per subcontractor) not to exceed 3 total. See amendment for revisions.

Q3: Federal requirement will remain the same. Management of 15 administrative personnel on a federal contract(s) is required as this is an Administrative Contract.

Q4: Please follow the instructions provided in the RFP, page 69, and email to LTASC III.

Q5: See amendment for revisions.

Q6: It is not the overall qualifying factor, however, it is a factor that will be considered in the evaluation of proposals. If a company is choosing to take a neutral rating, then they will still need to provide a Volume III documenting that a contractor has chosen to take a neutral rating.

Q7: To be determined on a Task Order level, on a case by case basis.

Q8: Confirmed.

Q1: L.1.1.3, p. 60 of 74 ‐ Can the Government confirm if its evaluation of the $8M size standard requirement for NAICS Code 561110 is (a) based on an offeror’s total company revenue being below $8M or is it (b) based only on revenue for work awarded under 561110 being under the $8M threshold? Or, are both scenarios (a) and (b) eligible for offerors to consider for providing a proposal response to the LTASC III requirement?

Q1: Please contact the Small Business Office for clarification on what qualifies. We will be utilizing the information provided in SAM.gov. to verify that a company meets the size standard for NAICS code 561110.

Responses to Questions Solicitation ‐ 75N98019R00016 2 of 16

Page/Section: Page 6; ARTICLE B.5. PROPOSED PROCUREMENT METHOD ‐ RFP Reference: "LTASC III is set to be a small business set‐aside for companies operating under the NAICS Code 561110 and will beopen to contractors that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB"

Q1: Is this set‐aside only for the small business concerns identified specifically as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q1: How many awardees is the government seeking?

Q2:How does the government intend to objectively evaluative the best qualified awardee?

Q1: At this time, the Government cannot provide an estimate on the number of awardees that will be selected for LTASC

III.

Q2: Please see Section M of the LTASC III Sonication for more information on Evaluation Criteria.

Reference: My company is interested in submitting a proposal for 75N98019R00016, LTASC III IDIQ. We are certified as a Small Business by the SBA but the president is concerned with the wording of Article B.5. that references HUBZone, SDVOSB etc.

Q1: Can you clarify that Small Business without special affiliations are/are not eligible for this opportunity?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

1. Article B.5. Proposed Procurement Method states: This procurement will be 100% Small Business Set‐aside. LTASC III is set to be a small business set‐aside for companies operating under the NAICS Code 561110 and will be open to contractors that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB.

Q1: Does this mean that any proposal submitted by a small business that is not one of the stated reserves will not be considered?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q1: Solicitation, ARTICLE B.2. PRICES 3/74 ‐ The referenced section states: "All rates will be the maximum hourly rate charged on individual Task

Orders." Are the awarded rates "ceiling" rates from which NIH will expect discounts on task order pricing?

Q2: Solicitation, ARTICLE B.5. PROPOSED PROCUREMENT METHOD 6/74 ‐ Does NIH anticipate socio‐economic set asides at the task order level for any/all of the socio‐economic groups listed in the referenced solicitation section?

Q3: Solicitation, ARTICLE B.5. PROPOSED PROCUREMENT METHOD 6/74 ‐ If NIH anticipates socio‐economic set asides at the task order level, will awardees which qualify under more than one socio‐economic category be allowed to bid for set aside task orders under any socio‐economic category set aside for which they qualify?

Q4: Solicita on, C.2.3 Personnel Requirements, a. Key Personnel, 12/74 ‐ The subject sec on states: "All proposed subs tu ons shall be determined by NIH to have qualifications and job status equivalent to the person being replaced." Please confirm that any replacement PM/DPM will be required to meet the PWS requirements as stated in C.2.3 paragraph a. without regard to the qualifications of the individual being replaced in accordance with ARTICLE G.2. KEY PERSONNEL, HHSAR 352.237‐75 (December 2015) (pg 21/74) which says: "The request must identify the proposed replacement and provide an explanation of how the replacement's skills, experience, and credentials meet or exceed the requirements of the contract."

Q5: Solicitation, ARTICLE G.3. TASK ORDER PROCEDURE, b. Requesting Task Order Proposals 2/74 ‐ Please clarify the reference to "within a technical area covered by a task order requirement" in this statement in the referenced section: "The Contracting Officer or a designated individual may solicit responses to requirements from Contractors within a technical area covered by a task order requirement in writing."

Q6: Solicita on, ARTICLE G.3. TASK ORDER PROCEDURE, c. Compe ve Ordering Process.23/74 ‐ Please clarify the resume requirement described in this sentence in the referenced section: "Staffing plan with skill levels and level of effort for each individual proposed. Generally, resumes will be required for proposed personnel (if not previously submitted)." Will resumes for every proposed contract staff member be required at the task order level? If yes, please reconsider this requirement as many (most?) of the task orders will have incumbent contract staff who (if qualified based on the requirements in the new task order) will be hired by the successful contractor.

Q1: Yes.

Q2: Not at this time.

Q3: N/A

Q4: We confirm that any replacement will be required to meet the requirements outlined in G2. See amendment for revisions.

Q5: See amendment for revisions.

Q6: Submission of resumes for all proposed personnel will be required at the task order level, as determined by the Task

Order CO and COR.

Q7: Solicitation, ARTICLE I.6. SERVICE CONTRACT LABOR STANDARDS 55/74 ‐ Please clarify if FAR Clause 52.222‐62 Paid Sick Leave Under

Executive Order 13706 will apply to this contract.

Q8: Solicitation, ARTICLE I.6. SERVICE CONTRACT LABOR STANDARDS 55/74 ‐ Please identify the specific Wage Determinations (Number, Rev

Number and effective date) which will be incorporated into the contract for the locations for which pricing must be provided. For example, is the applicable Wage Determination for Baltimore, Maryland 2015‐4265, Rev 13, dated 4/22/20?

Q9: Solicita on, Sec on L, 1.2 No ce of Small Business Set‐Aside59/74 ‐ Please confirm that SBA All Small Mentor‐Protégé Program Joint Venture entities which are small businesses under NAICS 561110 will be considered for prime awards on LTASC III.

Q10: Solicitation, Section L, 3. MANDATORY SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS and 4.2 Volume I Technical Proposal 65‐66/74 ‐ Please confirm the cover page and table of contents referenced as required in the Technical Proposal in paragraph 4.2 are excluded from the 20 page limit stated in paragraph 3.

Q11: Solicitation, Section L, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience 66/74 ‐ Please confirm in accordance with SBA regulations that experience and past performance for member companies in an SBA All Small Mentor‐Protégé Program Joint Venture will qualify as "prime" experience and past performance in accordance with the statement in the referenced paragraph: "All related experience statements shall be from the Prime. No experience statement from the proposed subcontractor( s) will be accepted."

Q12: Solicitation, Section L, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience 66/74 ‐ Please confirm a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) would qualify as

"experience on a multiple award IDIQ contract with the Federal Government" in accordance with this statement in the referenced section:

"Offerors shall provide a minimum of one (1) related experience demonstrating a) experience on a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite

Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Federal Government."

Q13: Solicitation, Section L, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience 66/74 ‐ Do the US Navy Seaport‐e or Seaport‐NxG contracts qualify to prove

"experience on a multiple award IDIQ contract with the Federal Government" as required in the subject section?

Q7: Yes.

Q8: Yes. Wage determination numbers will be provided in an amendment to the RFP. Offerors shall use the latest wage determinations in effect.

Q9: As long as the reserve set‐aside requirement is met.

Q10: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q11: As a Joint Venture, all entities will be considered as Prime.

Q12: Offerors may provide related experience on a multiple award GSA schedule in lieu of a multiple award federal IDIQ.

Q13: Offerors shall demonstrate related experience on a multiple award federal IDIQ contract or a multiple award GSA schedule.

Q14: Solicitation, Section L, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience 66/74 ‐ In light of NIH's emphasis on the need for awardees to demonstrate the ability to staff the LTASC III contract for five (5) years as stated in Section L, paragraph 4.2.2 ("Due to the fact that the contracted administrative personnel may be supporting the NIH for up to five ( 5) years, long‐term retention plans are crucial to providing customers with stable, highly‐ talented, support personnel.") request NIH consider extending the recency definition for experience/past performance to 5 years to allow vendors to demonstrate actual experience staffing similar contracts over that period of time.

Q15: Solicitation, Section L, 4.2.4 Factor 4: Key Personnel and 3. MANDATORY SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS 68/74 and 65/74 ‐ Please exclude the letter(s) of commitment required in paragraph 4.2.4 from the 20 page limitation stated in paragraph 3.

Q16: Solicitation, Section M, 2.1 . Mandatory Submittal Requirements 71/74 ‐ Please confirm Attachment 5 is the "index" referenced in this statement in the subject paragraph: "The Offeror shall provide an index in the proposal that will direct reviewers to the specific area of the proposal that address Mandatory Submittal Requirements." If Attachment 5 is not the referenced "index," please identify in which volume the index is to be provided and confirm the index is excluded from any page limitation for that volume.

Q17: Attachment 8 ‐ N/A ‐ Please clarify submittal instructions for Attachment 8 and confirm, if included in the Technical Volume, that the form is excluded from the 20 page limit for that volume as stated in paragraph 3 pg 65/74.

Q18: Please extend the due date for vendor proposals to no less than 30 calendar days after all timely submitted vendor questions are answered or the final solicitation documents are published, whichever is later.

Q14: The requirement will remain as written.

Q15: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q16: A table of contents will suffice for the index and may be submitted as part of Volume II ‐ Business Proposal.

Q17: Attachment 8 shall be included as part of Volume II ‐ Business Proposal.

Q18: Please see beta.SAM.gov for any changes to the proposal deadline.

Q1: 64 and 66 L.3 Mandatory Submittal Requirements, 4.2 Volume I Technical Proposal: Total Page count for Technical Proposal Shall Not Exceed

20 “Single‐Sided” Pages. The technical proposal shall consist of a cover page…, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Technica

Proposal Instructions below. Would the Government please confirm that the cover page and Table of Contents are excluded from the 20‐page limit?

Q2: 64, 68 L.3 Mandatory Submittal Requirements 4.2.4 Factor 4: Key Personnel Total Page count for Technical Proposal Shall Not Exceed 20

“Single‐Sided” Pages. Resumes shall be provided for the Program Manager and one (1) Deputy Program Manager. If the proposed key personnel are not employed by the Prime at the time of proposal submission, a signed letter of commitment shall be included in the technical proposal.

Would the Government please confirm that the resumes (and letters of commitment, if necessary) are excluded from the 20‐page limit and can be included as an appendix?

Q3: 64 L.3 Mandatory Submittal Requirements Volume II – Business Proposal 1 Forms e. Commitment Letter(s) from Subcontractors. Does the

Government have a template for the Commitment Letter from Subcontractors that is to be used?

Q1: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q2: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume..

Q3: There is no specific template required.

Responses to Questions Solicitation ‐ 75N98019R00016 3 of 16

Q1: "Of those three statements, Offerors shall provide a minimum of one (1) related experience demonstrating a) experience on a multiple award

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Federal Government and b) experience managing more than fifteen (15) administrative personnel concurrently on a single task order or on multiple task orders." Must a) and b) requirement be met by a single (1) related experience citation?

Q2: "All related experience statements shall be from the Prime. No experience statement from the proposed subcontractor(s) will be accepted."

In accordance with historical GAO determinations, will the Government accept related experience from subsidiaries within an Alaskan Native

Corporation as Prime Related Experience?

Q3: “Offers are solicited only from capable small business reserves (HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB) that can completely satisfy the purpose of LTASC III.” Will the government confirm LTASC III is open to any small business qualified under the assigned NAICS?

Q4: “Total Page count for Technical Proposal Shall Not Exceed 20 ""Single‐ Sided"" Pages. (No other documents are excluded from the 20 Page

Limit). "Resumes shall beprovided for the Program Manager and one (1) Deputy Program Manager." Does this mean that the resumes are included in the 20 pages for the Technical?

Q5: "The Offeror shall provide an index in the proposal that will direct reviewers to the specific area of the proposal that address Mandatory

Submittal Requirements." Where shall the index be included (e.g., Vol. I vs. Vol. 2 or all Volumes.)

Q6: Does the employee have a home base or home office space apart from the one typically provided at the government client site for instances when the Government facility is closed? Section J, Attachment 12 states "To be determined during negotiations." Will the Government provide laptops with VPN access for employees or will the company have to provide a laptop and the Government will provide VPN access?

Q1: No. See amendment for revisions.

Q2: Offerors may submit related experience from one subcontractor (total of 3 related experiences submitted from Prime and subs), however related experience submitted from the Prime will be weighted more heavily than related experiences submitted from subcontractors.

Q3: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q4: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q5: A table of contents will suffice for the index and may be submitted as part of Volume II ‐ Business Proposal.

Q6: To be determined at a Task Order level and a case by case basis. Typically, the Government provides a laptop and VPN access.

Q1: Does the government intend to award the sample Task Order upon award of the ID/IQ?

Q2: Per Section L, 4.2.3, page 67, an organization chart is required at the ID/IQ level. Is an organization chart also required for the sample Task

Order?

Q3: The Mandatory Submittal Requirements (RFP page 65) and Section L 4.3.1 Required Forms (RFP page 69) require a signed SF1449 or SF30 in

Volume II ‐ Business Proposal. An SF1449 or SF30 was not issued with the solicitation. Could the Government please issue the necessary form and instructions for offerors to complete?

Q4: Do the program manager and deputy program manager resumes count toward the technical proposal page count?

Q1: No.

Q2: No.

Q3: An SF‐1449 will be provided through an amendment and shall be signed by the contractor and included as part of

Volume II ‐ Business Proposal.

Q4: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q1: Key Personnel: Do we require signed LOI for key personnel that are not employees of the Offeror?

Q2: Annual Escalation: The RFP calls for annual escalation of 2%, however, most DOL SCA based awards, the annual price updates are based on published DOL tables. Therefore, how does the escalation rate impact updated SCA table rates on future years, especially if the new SCA rate is lower that the yearly escalated price of 2%?

Q3: Labor Rates: When does the government incorporate new labor rates based on revised SCA tables? Is the changes reflected immediately or at the beginning of a new option year?

Q4: Executive Order 13706: Does Executive Order 13706 apply?

Q5: IDIQ Task Orders: Within the IDIQ award, will there be individual TO set‐aside for socio‐economic small business, i.e. HubZone, 8(a), WOSB?

Q6: Holidays: Will the government pay for scheduled holidays?

Q7: Propoerty Management Support: Does " Property Management Support service" refer to real estate of Government Furnished Property?

Q8: Depty Program Manager: Does the Deputy Program Manager need to be located on‐site? Or can this function be fulfilled remotely in concert with an Offeror’s Management Approach/Plan?

Q9: Major Subcontractor: What quantifies a Major Subcontractor? Is it an anticipated percentage of workshare? If so, can you validate the approximate percentage that would deem a Subcontractor to be a Major participant?

Q10: Past Performance Citation: If a Team has more than one Major subcontractor, can we include an additional two past performance citations

(one from each Major Subcontractor)?

Q1: Yes. Offerors shall ensure that employees are available when contract is awarded.

Q2: If the rate is lower, it is a benefit for the contractor. If the rate is greater than 2% then you can request an economic price adjustment.

Q3: No option years. Annually on the award anniversary date.

Q4: Yes, EO 13706 applies to the LTASC III contract.

Q5: Not at this time. However that is subject to change at the discretion of the Task Order CO.

Q6: No. According to the SCA, contractors are responsible to pay their employees for holidays.

Q7: Property Management Support refers to Government furnished property.

Q8: The PM and DPM can be located at a contractor facility, unless required to be present on‐site. However, key personnel should be available to meet with the Government within a 24 hours’ notice.

Q9: See amendment for revisions.

Q10: 2‐3 past performances are required to be provided from the Prime contractor where 1 additional past performance may be submitted from each proposed major subcontractor (1 per subcontractor) not to exceed 3 total.

Reference: Article B.5 Proposed Procurement Method "This procurement will be 100% Small Business Set‐aside. LTASC III is set to be a small business set‐aside for companies operating under the NAICS Code 561110 and will be open to contractors that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB"

Q1: Are Small Businesses (under NAICS 561110) without any of the socioeconomic categories listed in the above excerpt eligible to bid on RFP

75N9801900016?

Reference: Article B.5 Proposed Procurement Method "This procurement will be 100% Small Business Set‐aside. LTASC III is set to be a small business set‐aside for companies operating under the NAICS Code 561110 and will be open to contractors that identify as HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, and EDWOSB"

Q2: Are 8(a) Small Businesses (under NAICS 561110) eligible to bid on RFP 75N9801900016?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q2: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Stillwater Human Capital, LLC is a Virginia based small business that is interested in bidding on NIH’s LTASC III contract. After reading the RFP for this opportunity, I have tried to read into what was meant by Page 6 Article B.5 Proposed Procurement Method and if my company would be eligible to bid on this opportunity? Stillwater is a small business, but we do not have any of the following designations: HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, or

EDWOSB. However, we do have the designation in SAM.gov as a small business.

Q1: Could you please let me know if Stillwater would be eligible to bid on the LTASC III Contract?

Q1: LTASC III is a reserved small business set‐aside and eligible for HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and SDB.

See amendment for the inclusion of SDB.

Q1: Attachment 1: Proposal Intent Response Sheet ‐ Link brings you to a 404‐File Not Found. Please assist.

Q2: Attachment 7: Information Technology Systems Security ‐ Propsective Offeror Non‐Disclosure Agreement ‐ Link brings you to a 404‐File Not

Found. Please assist.

Under FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iii) and GAO B‐407917.2 "Under FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iii) and GAO B‐407917.2, agencies should take into account affiliate past performance unless restricting the use of such affiliate past performance reasonably relates to the agency’s needs in choosing a contractor that will best serve the government’s interest.

Q3: May an offeror rely on affiliate past performance to demonstrate prior experience?

Q4: If an offeror may use affiliate past performance to demonstrate prior experience, (i) what must an offeror submit with its proposal in order for that offeror to use affiliate past performance to demonstrate prior experience, and (ii) are there any limitations on the type of affiliate past performance that an offer may use to demonstrate prior experience?

Q5: If affiliate past performance is not permitted, what is the basis for the restriction?"

Q1: Please copy the complete URL, remove all spaces and hit return, as stated in Section J. Please note, Offerors are eligible to submit a proposal regardless of whether a Proposal Intent Form was submitted.

Q2: Please copy the complete URL, remove all spaces and hit return, as stated in Section J.

Q3: One additional past performance may be submitted for each major subcontractor proposed, not to exceed a total of 3 past performances submitted.

Q4:One additional past performance may be submitted for each major subcontractor proposed, not to exceed a total of 3 past performances submitted.

Q5: One additional past performance may be submitted for each major subcontractor proposed, not to exceed a total of 3 past performances submitted.

Factor 1: Related Experience (RFP section 4.2.1) states “The Offeror shall provide a maximum of three (3) related experience statements. Of those three statements, Offerors shall provide a minimum of one (1) related experience demonstrating: a) experience on a MA IDIQ contract with the

Federal Government; and b) experience managing more than fifteen ( 15) administrative personnel concurrently on a single task order or on multiple task orders. All related experience statements shall be from the prime. No experience statement from the proposed subcontractor(s) will be accepted.”

Q1: Is intent to only accept offerors with at least one prime MA IDIQ task order experience, or will offerors with prime federal government contractual experience managing more than 15 administrative personnel concurrently but not under an MA IDIQ be considered?

Q2: Is intent to not allow offeror experience that was conducted in a subcontracted role?

Q1: See amendment for revisions.

Q2: Offerors may submit related experience from one subcontractor (total of 3 related experiences submitted from Prime and subs), however related experience submitted from the Prime will be weighted more heavily than related experiences submitted from subcontractors.

Under 4.2.1 Factor 1‐ Related Experience:

Q1: Can the Prime’s related experience include past performance as a major sub‐contractor?

Q1: Offerors may submit related experience from one subcontractor (total of 3 related experiences submitted from Prime and subs), however related experience submitted from the Prime will be weighted more heavily than related experiences submitted from subcontractors.

Responses to Questions Solicitation ‐ 75N98019R00016 4 of 16

Q1: Section L, 2. Proposal Submission Information, B. Creating and Naming Files ‐ A naming convention is not given for Attachment A: Mandatory

Requirements Checklist. What should this file be named for submittal?

Q2: Section L, 2. Proposal Submission Information, B. Creating and Naming Files ‐ There are two Excel workbooks to submit but only one naming convention is given. What are the different names for Attachment 9 and Attachment 10 for submittal?

Q3: Section L, 3. Mandatory Submittal Requirements Volume I – Technical Proposal Are the Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Acronym List included in the page limitation of the Technical Proposal?

Q4: Section L, 3. Mandatory Submittal Requirements Volume I – Technical Proposal Are resumes included in the page limitation of the Technical

Proposal?

Q5: Section L, 4. Description of Submittals 4.4 Past Performance ‐ Can projects be in progress or must they be 100% complete?

Q6: Section L, 4. Description of Submittals, 4.2 Volume I Technical Proposal, 4.2.1 Factor 1: Related Experience ‐ Can related experience contracts be in progress or must they be 100% complete?

Q7: Section L, 2. Proposal Submission Information ‐ Do graphics included in the response need to use Times New Roman font?

Q1: See amendment for revisions.

Q2: Offeror shall use Business_Attachment 9 and Business_Attachment 10 as naming conventions for Attachments 9 and

10.

Q3: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q4: Nothing is excluded from the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Q5: They do not have to be complete, but there must be sufficient time elapsed for an evaluation to be provided.

Q6: They do not have to be complete, but there must be sufficient time elapsed for an evaluation to be provided.

Q7: Yes.

Q1. When will Government responses to questions submitted be available for review?

Q2. In regards to the information in B.3 # 4, is the level of effort for this solicitation significantly different than the 1920 hour level of effort defined for the LTASC II solicitation?

Q3. In C.1, C.2.2, and C.2.5, the Government identifies that this award will cover multiple locations: will all ICs and offices require administrative support in this award, or only some?

Q4. In regards to C.2.1.a #1, are bilingual services required as part of the administrative support requested in this solicitation?

Q5. Regarding C.2.1.d, what types of trainings are provided by the government? For example, are safety trainings pertaining to the risk of COVID‐

19 included in government‐provided training costs, or are these at the expense of the Contractor?

Q6. In…