Amendment 1 3-20-26.pdf

Amendment 1

The purpose of Amendment 1 is to:

1. Respond to questions

2. Revise and Replace the PWS

3. Revise and Replace Attachment 5, Evaluation Factors.

1. Responses to Questions:

1. What is the documented technical rationale supporting the specific minimum threshold of 3 million square feet, as opposed to a lower threshold? Additionally, is NIH open to accepting aggregate square footage across multiple relevant contracts to satisfy this minimum requirement?

A: The threshold has been revised and lowered. Please refer to Attachment 5 for the revised language. The square-foot minimum is established to ensure offerors demonstrate experience managing operations of comparable magnitude, complexity, and sustained duration. Projects at this scale provide evidence of the staffing structure, logistics systems, financial capacity, quality control, and overall management integration necessary to mitigate performance risk to the Government. The solicitation establishes the criteria that the Government has determined to be appropriate to meet its operational needs. Aggregation of square footage across multiple contracts will not be accepted.

2. Pursuant to 13 CFR 125.8 and 124.520, will NIH fully credit a mentor’s past performance toward the 3 million square foot threshold for an SBA-approved Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture? Will the joint venture be evaluated as a single combined entity?

A: The threshold has been revised and lowered. Refer to Attachment 5. In accordance with 13 CFR

125.8 and applicable SBA regulations, the Government will evaluate joint ventures consistent with those regulatory requirements. The experience and past performance of the joint venture partners may be considered in accordance with the solicitation’s stated evaluation criteria.

3. Will NIH allow offerors to submit major subcontractor experience where the firm performed a significant portion of the work (e.g., ≥25%)? If not, could NIH please clarify the rationale for limiting experience exclusively to prime contractor roles?

A: The requirement encompasses janitorial services across NIH facilities, including offices, laboratories, cafeterias, and specialized workspaces at multiple locations. Given the scope and complexity, the experience evaluation is limited to the prime contractor to ensure accountability, operational capability, and quality control, consistent with SBA 8(a) program intent. Reliance on subcontractor experience is not permitted, as it could introduce performance risk if subcontractors change or are unavailable. This approach aligns with FAR guidance and ensures the awarded contractor can reliably manage and perform the work.

4. Will NIH consider a more flexible evaluation approach (e.g., a confidence rating) instead of the “not evaluated further” pass/fail gate to avoid eliminating otherwise qualified 8(a) firms?

A: No

5. Storage Locations:

Where will contractor storage rooms be located within each building?

A: Building. 10- B2L201, 5B, 9C430, 11C430, 13D35, B1n259

Building 50- B209A

Building 38A- 8W807

Building 37- B110

Building 49- B2E32

Building 31A- B1W02, B1W03, B1W07

Building 45 P1As.15 (Main Storage with Equipment)

6. Can the government provide a detailed list of all comprehensive Government-Furnished Items or Equipment (GFI/GFE) that will be available for contractor use?

A: Two (2) laptops and One (1) desktop. Refer to section 18 of the Performance Work Statement

(PWS).

7. What are the procedures and requirements for ID badging for contractor personnel, workers, and visitors?

A: Refer to section 11 of the PWS for badging requirements.

8. Will newly hired contractor employees be required to attend a government-led orientation, or may the contractor conduct onboarding and orientation independently?

A: Refer to section 13 of the PWS.

9. Are there specific government standards for uniforms, and will the uniforms require prior government approval before use?

A: Refer to section 13 of the PWS.

10. Is mobilization included in the contract, and if so, will mobilization costs be integrated into the billing cycles?

A: There is no separate mobilization payment.

11. In the event of a government shutdown, are there any additional preparation or operational requirements that the contractor should complete in advance per the scope of work?

A: Not at this time.

12. During a government shutdown, will the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) be considered excepted personnel and therefore available for contract-related communication?

A: Excepted personnel will be available for contract related communication.

13. Are all buildings (Bethesda, Poolesville, and any leased facilities) identical in layout and operational requirements? Specifically, do all facilities contain the elements described under Groups 1 through 5?

A: The layout of each building is different. Room groups vary by building. Not all buildings will have all the identified Room Groups.

14. Can the government specify and identify which portions of the facilities are designated as executive offices and conference areas?

A: Conference areas are spread across several buildings on the NIH campus. A higher percentage of Executive offices are in Buildings 1 and 31 compared to other buildings on campus.

15. Are there areas within the facilities that are moisture-sensitive where activities such as carpet cleaning, mopping, or wet vacuuming should be avoided?

A: No such areas are specifically identified currently.

16. How far in advance will the contractor be notified of special events occurring on campus to allow adequate planning and staffing?

A: Refer to paragraph F on page 13 of the PWS

17. Please provide the name of the current contractors.

A: Sunik, LLC

18. Please provide the current monthly contract price of each contractor.

A: No

19. Since the evaluation factors do not include a technical or management approach, please confirm that proposals will be evaluated solely based on Past Experience, Past Performance, and Price, and that no additional technical narratives (e.g., staffing plan, quality control plan, training plan) are required in the proposal submission.

A: The Government will evaluate based on the evaluation criteria described in Attachment 5 of the solicitation.

20. If any technical narratives (e.g., staffing plan, quality control plan, training plan) are required, please provide the required format, content guidance, and any applicable page limits.

A: Please refer to Attachment 5, Evaluation Criteria, for information regarding offeror submissions.

21. Does the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) form (4 pages) count toward the 25-page limit under the Past Performance section?

A: Yes

22. Is there currently a separate contractor responsible for Exterior Trash and Recycling Consolidation and Collection?

A: Yes

23. Are we responsible for hauling the outside Trash container to the Collection site?

A: Refer to section 6 of the PWS.

24. Does the scope include medical waste, biohazard waste, or laboratory waste removal?

A: No

25. Please clarify whether the contractor will be responsible for sorting recycling materials.

A: No

26. Will the Government provide waste disposal containers or compactors inside and outside of the buildings?

A: Yes

27. Are carpet extraction, floor stripping/waxing, and high dusting included in the routine scope of work, or will they be issued as separate task orders? In other words, should these services be included in the base monthly price or billed separately as additional project work?

A: These tasks are not included in the monthly price. Please refer to table 2 of Attachment 6 pricing template for pricing structure of additional projects.

28. If project cleaning tasks such as carpet shampooing or strip and wax are included in the base monthly price, please provide the expected frequency for these services (e.g., carpet shampoo twice per year).

A: These tasks are not part of the monthly price. Such services will be rendered on an as-needed basis upon CO/COR request.

29. As a newly formed 8(a) company, may we team with another experienced company and their past performance references can be submitted for qualification purposes?

A: Past experience and Past Performance must be the Prime contractor's experience unless there is a Joint Venture (JV). If the offeror is proposing utilizing an SBA Mentor-Protege or Joint Venture, then the offeror may utilize past performance from each company within the partnership. The JV should submit relevant and recent projects performed by the JV or its individual members, where they performed as the prime. Subcontractors’ experience or past performance will not be accepted.

30. Are weekend or after-hours services required for any buildings? If so, please provide the building names.

A: Refer to Table in PWS Section 5.3.

31. Can NIH provide the current contractor’s staffing levels by position (e.g., project manager, supervisors, custodians, day porters)?

A: The NIH does not have this information

32. Please confirm whether day porter services are required and provide the expected hours per building per day.

A: Daily tasks and frequencies are outlined in the PWS. The contractor will be responsible for scheduling staff to meet the requirements.

33. Can the Government provide the square footage of hard floor surfaces and carpeted areas, as well as the annual frequency for stripping, waxing, and carpet extraction?

A: Please refer to Table 2 on Attachment 6, Pricing Template for estimated annual square footage requirements. These services will be provided on an on-call basis.

34. Please confirm whether the Government intends to award a single contract for the entire requirement or multiple awards.

A: The Government intends to award a single contract

35. What is the anticipated start date for the new contract?

A: 6/1/2026

36. Is this a new requirement or contract re-compete?

A: Re-compete.

37. If re-compete, what is the current contract number and who is the incumbent?

A: 75N98023D00048 and incumbent is Sunik,LLC.

38. Regarding the evaluation criteria for relevant contracts, is the 3 million square foot requirement a cumulative total across all projects or a requirement for each individual project? Furthermore, would the government consider reducing the square footage requirement or adding a requirement for past performance in hospital or clinical settings? Please note that a requirement of 3 million square feet per individual project may be considered unrealistic for a campus setting.

A: Please refer to Response to Question 1.

39. Will past experience or past performance be weighted more heavily in the evaluation?

A: Please refer to Attachment 5, Evaluation Criteria regarding how the Government will evaluate the offers.

40. FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iii) states that agencies should consider the past performance information of key personnel and subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement.

Would the Government consider evaluating the past performance and experience of major subcontractors that will perform a significant portion of the work under this contract?

A: The Government will evaluate Technical Experience in accordance with Attachment 5, Section M.2 of the solicitation. As stated, offerors are required to demonstrate experience based on contracts for which they served as the prime contractor. Accordingly, the Government will not consider the experience or past performance of subcontractors in the evaluation of this factor.

41. The solicitation requires offerors to demonstrate relevant janitorial experience as the prime contractor on contracts exceeding 3 million square feet. Would the Government consider allowing offerors to utilize the relevant experience of major subcontractors or teaming partners that will perform a substantial portion of the services under the PWS?

A: The square foot requirement has been revised and lowered. Refer to Attachment 5. Please also refer to Response to question 32.

42. Given the magnitude requirement of 3 million square feet and the requirement that experience be performed as the prime contractor, can the Government confirm whether its market research identified a sufficient number of small businesses capable of meeting this threshold? Would the Government consider allowing relevant subcontractor or teaming partner experience to promote broader competition?

A: The square foot requirement has been revised and lowered. Refer to Attachment 5. Please also refer to Response to question 32.

43. If an offeror forms a contractor team arrangement or joint venture with a firm that has relevant janitorial experience meeting the 3 million square foot threshold, will the Government evaluate the experience of the team collectively when determining technical acceptability?

A: The square foot requirement has been revised and lowered. Refer to Attachment 5. Please also refer to Response to question 32.

2. The following sections of the PWS are revised as follows:

a. Section 3.2 Square Footage Range, Paragraph 2 is revised as follows:

The Contractor shall be capable of performing all custodial services required under this Performance Work Statement for facilities totaling no less than three million two hundred and fifty thousand (3,250,000) square feet and no more than six million two hundred fifty thousand (6,250,000) square feet of cleanable space. Refer to Attachment 9 for specific square footage.

b. Bullet 1 under Section 3.3 Performance Level Determination is revised as follows:

The performance level and acceptable quality of cleanliness are stated below:

• Solid Waste containers are serviced 5 times per week (Monday – Friday) to prevent overflow, odors, pest attraction, or unsanitary conditions and do not exceed normal accumulation levels.

c. Section 5, Definitions, A. Routine Cleaning, Paragraph 1 is revised as follows:

• 1. Solid Waste- Solid waste (trash) collection from interior waste receptacles shall be performed 5 days per week (Monday – Friday). Buildings that contain food service facilities and all breakrooms in all buildings shall receive trash collection services daily. The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to adjust collection frequency as necessary to prevent overflow, odors, or unsanitary conditions, or in response to pest management issues as identified by the Government and directed by the COR, and to maintain the required level of cleanliness.

• 3. Routine Cleaning Frequency is revised as follows:

B.

Task Frequency

Restrooms: Cleaning and Trash

Collection

5X per week

Cafeterias/Breakrooms: Trash

Collection

5X per week

Office Trash Collection 5X per week (See Section 5.1, A,

a. Solid Waste)

Vacuuming/Damp;

Wiping;

Dusting;

Doors (Glass);

Wiping;

Tables/Desks;

Mopping (laminate floor/tile);

Cubicle Walls

1X per week

Fitness Center- Building 31 2X per day

Computer Area- Building 12 7X per week (excluding federal holidays)

Police Station- Building 31 7X per week (excluding New

Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day)

d. Section 6 Optional Services, Option 1 Interior Recycling Collection, Exterior Solid Waste, Exterior Recycling Collection, Paragraph 3 is revised as follows:

The Contractor shall collect recyclable materials from designated interior and exterior recycling containers, including loose recyclables next to waste containers, and solid waste from designated exterior waste containers and shall transport all collected materials to Government-designated on-campus consolidation points, central collection areas, or other locations as directed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Collection frequency shall be when recycling receptacles reach a 75% fill rate to prevent overflow, odors, pest attraction, or unsanitary conditions.

3. Attachment 5, Evaluation Factors, Section M.2. Technical Experience, Page 2, Paragraph 2, is revised as follows:

Offerors must provide recent (within the last five (5) years) and relevant contracts demonstrating performance of work within the scope of this solicitation and involving a minimum of one (1) million or more square feet of work for each project. Contracts may be ongoing or completed; ongoing contracts must have at least two (2) years of performance.

Attachment 5, Evaluation Factors, Section M.3. Past Performance, Page 2, Paragraph 2, is revised as follows:

Offerors must provide three (3) but no more than five (5) contracts that are recent (within the last five (5) years) and relevant contracts demonstrating performance of work within the scope of this solicitation and involving a minimum of 1 million or more square feet of work.

A revised Attachment 5 is included as part of this Amendment.

4. Attachment 9, Building List is revised as follows:

Addition of Column C “Janitorial Services” and Column D “Recycling Services (Optional)”. Zeroed out square footages for Buildings that are not part of the Janitorial cleaning services. Addition of 9808 Medical Center Drive location under “Montgomery County Leased Facility” section.