77344423R0002 AMENDMENT 2.pdf

(x)

77344423R0002 x x

1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

DFC

Washington DC 20527 1100 New York Ave., NW

DFC

06/29/20230002

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

06/09/2023

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

THIS AMENDMENT PROVIDES A RESPONSE TO VENDOR Q&A AND PROVIDES INFORMATION ON SOLICITATION

KICK-OFF MEETING (INDUSTRY DAY).

THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR INDUSTRY DAY IS 7/7/2023 CLOSE OF BUSINESS.

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

Samuel Dustin

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

Number Question Answer

We would like to request instructions for participating in the Industry Day.

The solicitation kick‐off meeting (Industry day) will be held at 7/10/2023 at

10:00EDT. Interested parties should register at:.

https://teams.microsoft.com/registration/p4ocXDKXIkyIxbMMkkXygg,PsaY otwYRk23VcYOjaHCWg,TcKHVu47A0aLLymvvE14AQ,N9JpAQLrOkmhreu66

YNa0Q,rcNtTTlQ90SiJT5I_t5KgA,4tDAK4Z47U6Z0O0ygNmrng?mode=read& tenantId=5c1c8aa7‐9732‐4c22‐88c5‐b30c9245f282&webinarRing=gcc

Only registered attendees will be admitted to the meeting.

On Page 57 of the solicitation, it is stated that the following is required to be provided in Volume I of Phase

2: “Confirmation statement that the Offeror is qualified to issue legal opinions in the state of New York… ” Can

DFC please clarify what would be required for a small business offeror to meet this requirement?

Legal services need to be performed by individuals that are licensed in the

State of New York.

VOLUME II – FACTOR 2: PAST PERFORMANCE:

USG states Section 1: International Staffing Experience – list no fewer than three (3), but no more than five (5), past performance references in each IDIQ pool the offeror proposes to perform. Only one of the past performance references may be for services performed by the proposed teaming partner.

Limit: 2 pages in the following format...

Q: Is the 2 page limit per Past performance citation, or is it 2 pages total for all submitted citations?

Two (2) Pages Total.

VOLUME I – ADMINISTRATIVE: Section #1 ‐ List of Pools proposed

Q: Is submission of the "Attachment+2+‐

+Target+Countries+and+Pools" sufficient for pool selection or is it the intent to list the pools we desire within the proposal volume (limited to 1 page)?

A second page will be allowed to list the pools in the Volume I ‐

Administrative.

Q: What is the anticipated award date for this effort?

Fourth quarter of FY23

Q1: If a company is not registered in SAM.gov with the

NAICS code of 541110 or 546111, is that a disqualifier for proposal submittal?

Q2: If so, what is the deadline that NAICS code must be added/active in SAM.gov to be considered for selection?

Correction to page 66 to change 546111 to 541611.

Interested parties need to be registered in sam.gov at the time they submit their proposal.

Q: If down selected to submit Volumes 3 and 4, what is the anticipated due date for that submission?

Anticipated due date for Volume III & IV is 8/18/2023

Amendment 2 ‐ Question & Answer

Q: Please confirm that only Volume 1 ‐ Administrative and Volume 2: Past Performance are required for initial submission with a due date of 6/23/2023 @ 1200 EST

7/21 is new date, Volume I and II

Q: What is the anticipated time and day of the industry day?

7/10/2023

Q: Does the Government intend to make only one award per geographical "pool"? Or does the Government intend to have multiple Vendors bidding on future Task Orders in the same geographic "pool"? We recommend one awardee per pool with awardees being able to win multiple pools. This allows focus and investment by region for the awarded vendor. It also provides more wage and price stability for the requested labor categories.

The government intents to award enough contracts per pool to ensure services can be performed with adequate competition.

Q: For the OCONUS positions will Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance be priced as an ODC ? How should DBA be considered in the Price matrix

All oversees placements will be covered under chief of mission authority.

Q: What is the work schedule for the CONUS and

OCONUS positions? For example how many hours Per

Day and Days Per work week

Generally positions under this IDIQ will be full time during regular business hours of the time zone for which the services are performed.

Task Orders may provide other specific instructions unique to requirement.

Q: For the CONUS are there any Wage Determinations for associated with these positions

The IDIQ does not associate Wage Determinations (WD) for positions. If the Service Contract Act applies to an individual task orders it will include clauses, position list and WD.

Are we correct in our understanding that there are to be two small business awards (pg.7) ‐ and therefore a small business subcontracting plan is not needed (pg. 34)?

Reserves will be set if there are qualified small business offers received. It is our intent to make two small business awards. A small business plan is only required from large businesses.

The current NAICS code listed in the RFP is 541110, "Offices of Lawyers." NAICS codes such as 541690 (Other

Scientific and Technical Consulting Services), 541990 (All

Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), or

541611 (Administrative Management and General

Management Consulting Services) seem more appropriate for a Staffing and Recruiting contract. Can

DFC kindly explain the rationale for using this code, and for requesting that offerors are qualified to issue legal opinions (pg. 59)?

541110 applied to the legal services listed in the SOW.

Correction to page 66 to change 546111 to 541611.

Can DFC kindly clarify what is due by the June 23rd deadline? (i.e., Phase 1 submission, Phase 2 submission, Attachment 2‐Target Countries and Pools, etc.)

The Phase I deadline is extended to 7/21/23. Instructions are outlined in section L and M.

Attachment 2, Target Countries and Pools, rows 13 – 4 states “please note this list is not final and may be updated when the final solicitation is posted.” Will the

DFC confirm that this is the correct version of the

Attachment that should be used at this point?

Confirmed

Form 1449 states that the proposal due date is

6/23/2023. Will the DFC please extend the Phase 2 proposal deadline by at least two weeks considering that the RFP was only posted on June 9 and the date of the mandatory Industry Day (Phase 1) has not yet been disclosed?

Extended to 7/21/23

C.9 ASSUMPTIONS AND DEPENDENCIES, page 15: Point

#2 states “Assumptions can be made about the language skills required for specific roles, but it is important to ensure that language skills are accurately assessed during the recruitment and selection process.” What languages do the candidates need to be proficient in and what are the required proficiency levels?

English and predominate language of region. Proficiency levels may be further defined at task order level as required.

H.5, KEY PERSONNEL, page 32: This section states “The

Contractor shall assign key personnel responsible for comprehensive support for the contract and task orders.

The key personnel shall act as the point of contact with the Government for all communication, including contract or task order issues, deliverables, and evaluations, and represents the Contractor at all post‐ award meetings at the levels listed below:” It appears that the sentence is incomplete. Would the DFC please provide the rest of this sentence?

This statement is edited to read as follow:

“The Contractor shall assign key personnel responsible for comprehensive support for the contract and task orders. The key personnel shall act as the point of contact with the Government for all communication, including contract or task order issues, deliverables, and evaluations, and represents the Contractor at all post‐award meetings.”

H.5, KEY PERSONNEL, page 32: No specific Key Personnel positions are listed. Please confirm that the Contractor can select which positions will be designated as Key

Personnel?

Key personnel positions are selected by the government. The Program

Manager role is considered Key Personnel at the IDIQ level. Other positions may be designated as key personnel at the Task Order level.

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND

NOTIFICATIONS TO OFFERORS, page 56: This section states “Summary instructions for Phase 2 Proposals, Volume III‐ Technical, and Volume IV ‐ Price, are included for information and planning purposes only. These are draft instructions and subject to change.” Since Phase 2 proposals are currently due June 23, will the DFC please confirm that these instructions are final?

Phase 2 proposals are estimated to be due on or about 8/18/23. These instructions are final unless otherwise amended.

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND

NOTIFICATIONS TO OFFERORS, page 56, states the “To be eligible to submit a response to phase 2 the offeror must attend the industry day.” Could DFC please advise when the Industry Day will be held?

7/10/2023

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND

NOTIFICATIONS TO OFFERORS, page 57: The RFP states

“Notifications will be sent via e‐mail to the point of contact identified in the Offeror’s proposal. The notifications will include Phase 3 instructions for proposal submission. Offerors who choose to proceed, shall submit

Phase 2 proposals according to the instructions.” We believe the highlighted text is a typo and should say

“Phase 3”. Is that correct?

Text is edited to read as follows:

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTIFICATIONS TO

OFFERORS, page 57: The RFP states “Notifications will be sent via e‐mail to the point of contact identified in the Offeror’s proposal. The notifications will include Phase 3 instructions for proposal submission. Offerors who choose to proceed, shall submit Phase 3 proposals according to the instructions.”

Section L, Proposal Instructions, page 58, states “All proposals shall be … in font no smaller that Times New

Roman 12.” Can tables and graphics be in size less than

12‐point font?

12‐point font is the minimum for all text including tables and graphics.

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND

NOTIFICATIONS TO OFFERORS, VOLUME I –

ADMINISTRATIVE, page 59: This section states “The

Offeror shall submit Sections 1 – 5 as listed below. Note:

Offerors are not required to propose all four categories but shall quote a minimum of two unless they propose to perform Category 4. Offerors proposing only Category 4;

Political Risk Insurance may submit a proposal.” Would the DFC please define what the “four categories” are that are referenced here? Do these refer to the Labor categories of “Junior, Mid‐Level, Senior and Subject

Matter Expert” in Attachment 1?

Text is removed.

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND

NOTIFICATIONS TO OFFERORS, VOLUME I –

ADMINISTRATIVE, page 59: The table on page 59, row #4, states “Confirmation statement that the Offeror is qualified to issue legal opinions in the state of New York and that the Offeror's management will agree to be a prime contractor representing the United States.” We are not clear how this relates to the proposed statement of work. Is this only required for offerors proposing

“Category 4; Political Risk Insurance”? If not, please explain the relevancy of this requirement, as the instructions state that Offerors should complete all sections of the table, including row #4.

Legal services need to be performed by individuals that are licensed in the

State of New York.

VOLUME II – FACTOR 2: PAST PERFORMANCE, page 59:

The instructions state that “The past performance submissions shall specifically address international transactions in emerging markets.” Will the DFC please define what it considers as “emerging markets”, or should

Offerors use the prevailing definition?

The prevailing definition is acceptable. Also see www.dfc.gov for background on where DFC does and does not do business.

Section L, Section 1, International Staffing Experience, page 59: This section requires a lot of information that would be very difficult to fit in the stated page limit.

Would DFC please increase the page limit to more than two pages?

Page limit remains the same.

SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND

NOTIFICATIONS TO OFFERORS, page 60: The instructions provided here conflict with the instructions provided on page 57. For example, page 57 describes Phase II of the proposal process as including the following factors:

Factor 1 – Administrative

Factor 2 – Past Performance

Factor 3 – Technical

Factor 4 – Price

However, on page 60 of the same section, the RFP states that “Volumes III [Technical Volume] and IV [Price

Volume] shall not be included in the initial RFP response” and that “Only Offerors who choose to participate in the third phase after receipt of an Advisory Notification shall submit the Volumes III and IV.”

In sum, the proposal instructions for Phases 2 and 3 are unclear and contradictory in Section L. We request that the DFC please issue a corrected RFP with clear instructions for these proposal Phases 2 & 3, and that the deadline to submit Phase 2 proposals be extended by at least two weeks after the correct RFP is posted.

Volume III and IV should not be included in Phase 2 submissions.

Phase 2 submissions are due 7/21/23

VOLUME IV – PRICING, Section 2 – Cost and Price

Narrative, page 61: The proposal instructions state that

“The Offeror shall … Explain trends and budgetary data to provide a basis for evaluating the reasonableness of proposed rates. Indicate the rates used and provide an appropriate explanation.”

This text is removed.

M1. BEST VALUE EVALUATION, page 61: This section states that the “Evaluators will consider … the Offeror’s specific experience and capabilities to perform the service categories proposed in a specific region or project sector contained in the PWS supporting international transactions on behalf of a Development Finance

Institution.” Is an Offeror’s experience / past performance only considered relevant if it was performed in support of a Development Finance Institution?

This section reads as follows:

"Evaluators will consider the breadth and depth of the Offeror's capability to perform the service categories proposed. For purposes of this solicitation, breadth is defined as the extent to which the Offeror's experience and capabilities qualify them to perform all of service categories proposed. Depth is defined as the Offer's specific experience and capabilities to perform the service categories proposed in a specific region or project sector contained in the PWS supporting international transactions on behalf of a Development Finance Institution."

M.3. BASIS FOR CONTRACT AWARD, page 64: This section states “Corporate and Attorney Capabilities described in

Volume III, Technical, will be included the IDIQ Awardees'

Contractor Specific Qualifications (CSQs) reviewed by the

CO and DFC team members during the Ordering Process in Section H.1.1” Does “Attorney Capabilities” refer to the table on page 59, row #4?

Correct

Can a contractor bid on only a few pools? To be eligible for award the vendor must show related past performance in 2 (two) or more pools.

In Attachment 3 ‐ Subcontracting Plan, do we need to calculate subcontracting dollar value based on the Ceiling

Value of $250,000,000 or based on the Task order value of $7,500,000?

The ceiling value is changed to 50M. The subcontracting plan at the IDIQ level should be based on this value.

Section 1: International Staffing Experience – list no fewer than three (3), but no more than five (5), past performance references in each IDIQ pool the offeror proposes to perform. Only one of the past performance references may be for services performed by the proposed teaming partner. Can the agency clarify this statement, does this mean we can have only one teaming partner?

Correct

Will the agency allow a Contractor Teaming

Arrangement?

Yes

In the case of NO Federal Awardee Performance and

Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), and Contractor

Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS), what other tools will be used for Past Performance evaluation?

Will the Government provide any PPQ?

A PPQ is not being used.

Is this a New Contract? Yes

Is there any incumbent in place? If so, can the Govt. share the Contractor Name, Number & Value?

No incumbent

Referring to “Proposal Instructions, Volume II – Factor 2:

Past Performance on Page No. 59/68, To be eligible for award the vendor must show related past performance in

2 (two) or more pools.” We have strong capabilities in

Zone 2 – India and Zone 5 – USA. Are we eligible to bid for this opportunity.

Yes

Additional Amended Items:

1. Page 4 – B.3.4 - Other Direct Costs

Other Direct Costs (ODCs) are established depending on contract type. They include travel costs, filing and registration fees, printing and binding expenses, and other allowable costs as described in FAR Part 31. ODCs shall be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at the task order level and be allowable on the task order only if approved prior to the Contractor incurring these costs.

2. Page 5 –

During the term of the IDIQ, the Government will place minimum order of $1,000.00 with all IDIQ holders.

The value of individual task orders will not exceed $7,500,000. The maximum amount of all orders will not exceed $50,000,000 during the 5-year ordering period across all IDIQ holders and all service categories.

3. Page 16 – KPI = Key Performance Indicator

4. Page 18 – GTM = Government Technical Monitor

5. Page 30 –

(g) IDIQ holders that meet the requirement CSQs are expected to participate in the competition of each RTOQ under the contract. If contractor chooses not to participate, a no quote acknowledgment is required.

Contractors will have between three (3) to five (5) business days to respond to the RTOQ depending on the urgency and complexity of the Statement of Work.

6. Page 36 –

52.216-18 Ordering (AUG 2020)

(a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from 01-OCT-2023 through 30- SEPT-2028.

7. Page 60 – change solicitation@dfc.gov to allen.johnson@dfc.gov

8. Updates to Attachment 2 – Target Countries and Pools.xlsx

(END OF AMENDMENT 2)