3rdQuestions_AnswersMLSA7TF-07-0006.doc

GSA/FAS Region 7 MLSA Solicitation 7TF-07-0006

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS W/RESPONSES:

1. Reference Table B.7.2 - The last 4 CLINs in the table have a footnote 3 notation, but there is no footnote provided. Can GSA clarify?

Response: The following footnote has been added at the bottom of Table B.7.2 in Amendment 2, " 3 There should be only one rate for award areas in the same state."

2. At the bidders’ conference, GSA verbally mentioned that it is allowable for offerors to add CLINs which are either necessary or desirable. However no amendment or written confirmation has been given to that effect. Is this allowable, and should offerors expect an amendment of the RFP?

Response: As stated in the meeting, the Government does not want to publish the tariff of every offeror. Excluding any recent MAA modifications, the solicitation includes services known to be currently in use. This attempt should help level the playing field for offerors that are not an incumbent. The main purpose of this solicitation is to replace the current services under the expiring MAA contracts. These services are listed at Sections B (including pricing schedules), C.1 and C.2 of this solicitation. Again, the Government does not want to include each offeror’s tariff in this contract. Although there will be very few, if any, the Government will work closely with "non-incumbent" awardees to quickly add any services or features that may have been added to the existing MAA contracts after the development of this solicitation.

It should be noted that the Government cannot pay for services and/or features unless there is an awarded CLIN for that service and/or feature. The offeror should make every effort to ensure all services and features known to the offeror are included in their proposal. That being said, if the offeror deems it necessary or desirable to add a CLIN for a particular service that they feel is part of the minimum requirements of the solicitation but not represented, they should submit it in their proposal for the Government’s consideration. The acronym TBD (to be determined) should be used by the offeror until a CLIN has been assigned by the Government. The Government is not obligated to award offeror suggested CLINs.

3. Is Table B.7.2.13 provided as information only, or is there a portion which bidders are expected to complete?

Response: B.7.2.13 is a list of locations in GSA's Telecommunications Ordering and Pricing System (TOPS) at the time the solicitation was first being developed. The inclusion was to provide potential offerors with a snap shot of the very basic services required at each location. This may be useful in developing prices and most certainly in development of an Implementation Plan as required in C.6.

4. I have reviewed the Section B Pricing Schedule for New Orleans and noticed that Table B.2 was omitted by GSA. It appears that Table B.2 is required for all other areas except New Orleans. Table B.2 details the NPANXX Group, CLLI, and Switch Type by city for each jurisdiction. Please verify that this is not required for New Orleans, or if this was an oversight, please update Schedule B, Table B.2 for New Orleans.

Response: The solicitation requires that the offeror price services in no more than three rate groups using NPANXXs. The Texas locations can be clearly identified by county boundary which made it easier to identify the applicable NPANXXs. However, the geographical metro areas, as defined in the current New Orleans and Albuquerque MAA contracts, made it difficult for the Government to identify the respective NPANXXs. For example, the New Orleans metro area includes cities in Orleans parish; Northern Jefferson parish (specifically Lafitte); Belle Chase in Plaquemines parish; and Chalmette, Arabi, Meraux, Violet, and Poydras in St Bernard parish. Due to the difficulty in identifying the NPANXXs as previously stated, the Government chose to solicit services based on the geographical description. Offerors should provide the Government the ability to determine the price for a location in their offers. For the award areas of Albuquerque and New Orleans, if the offeror provides the cities/towns associated with a rate group or the CLLI (common language location identification) code associated with a rate group, GSA can determine the NPANXXs in the rate group using the internet.

There is one thing to keep in mind, Section B.2 states: "All current and future NPA/NXXs in the same exchange area will be in the same rate group. If an offeror proposes more than one rate group in the same exchange area, the lowest price in the exchange area will prevail."