Q&A_4_20_2017.pdf

Q&A (4‐17‐2017) Solicitation AG‐31ME‐S‐17‐0003 Foreclosure Legal Services for State of Maryland

1) It says on page 21 that costs for associated services are payable upon final completion of the action.

In a typical foreclosure case in Maryland for example, it could take 4‐7 months to complete a foreclosure proceeding. Typical foreclosure costs total about $4000 per case. So under the proposal, would we need to wait the full 4‐7 months before we can invoice the government to seek reimbursement for these costs? It seems a bit unfair if we have to wait for example 4 to 7 months before we can seek reimbursement for the costs, especially when we are a small business and this is a small business set aside. Am I interpreting the solicitation correctly? Is there any other way to invoice the government on a more timely basis in light of the fact this is for a small business? Could we invoice the government as soon as the foreclosure cost is incurred?

ANSWER: Please refer to what actions are considered an associated service. The paragraph refers to the completion of an action considered to be an associated service. Refer to Sections G.6 and G.6.1 for invoicing information.

We reviewed your answer to what is now listed as question #1 in the Q&A posted on www.fbo.gov.

The FAR Clause that we referenced, 52.219‐14, appears in the answer, but not the SBA ruling information we provided from March 2016 that modifies this same FAR Clause. We don't understand why that information was not included in the Q&A posted on www.fbo.gov Can you please clarify as to whether or not the USDA intends to recognize and enforce the SBA Ruling regarding similarly situated firms for this procurement?

ANSWER: The SBA ruling is recognized.