Amendment_3_SF30_with_updated_Solicitation,_RFI's,_and_PWS_8-3-17.pdf

Sheet1

Requests for Information (RFI)

Solicitation AG-32SD-S-17-0035

Operations and Maintenance Services for USDA ARS SRRC Located in New Orleans, LA

Version 8/3/2017

RFI # Reference Statement Question/Request for Information ARS Response Column1

1 SF-33 SF-33 Does the signed SF 33 (Sections A – K) go in the Price Volume for submission? Yes. A signed SF-33 must be included with the Price Proposal. The Solicitation has been amended to include Section L.5.2.3 for clarification.

2 Solicitation L.5.1.5 Factor 5 - Past Performance If the Offeror has a completed Interim CPARS for a current contract (not a Final), can that be submitted in lieu of a past performance questionnaire? Or are only FINAL CPARS for completed contracts accepted? Yes.

3 Solicitation L.5.1 and L.5.2.1 L.5.1 states electronic copy of Technical proposal must be submitted on a thumb drive; however, L.5.2.1 Price Proposal states the electronic copy of the Price proposal can be on a thumb drive or a non-rewritable CD. Can the technical proposal be on a thumb drive or a non-rewritable CD as well? Please submit on a USB Thumb Drive, not a CD. The solicitation will be amended to include this revised language.

4 Solicitation Section L Price Proposal Will the Government be providing a format for the Price proposal in Excel so that all Offerors submit in a uniform fashion, or is each Offeror to submit in whatever display they wish? An excel spreadsheet will be included in Amendment 0002. This spreadsheet shall serve as an example for Offerors. Solicitation has been amended to clarify.

5 Solicitation L.9 Site Visit Can you please confirm the time of the site visit/pre-proposal conference? The Pre-Proposal conference will be held on Monday, July 24th, at 9:00AM CT (local New Orleans time). A site visit/walk through will begin immediately following the Pre-Proposal conference.

6 Solicitation H.4 AGAR 452.237-74 Key Personnel only lists the Project Manager as Key Personnel. The PWS Appendix 4 Historical Workload Data lists the Project Manager, Utilities Manager and Facilities Manager as Key Personnel. Please confirm that all three (Project Manager, Utilities Manager, and Facilities Manager) are required Key Personnel on this contract. Offerors should identify the person(s) for all three (3) Key Personnel positions. Key Personnel positions cannot be combined (i.e. an individual may only perform a single position). The Solicitation will be amended to include Project Manager, Utilities Manager, and Facilities Manager in Section H.4.

7 Solicitation L.5.1 and L.5.2.1 “Offerors are advised that in the event of a discrepancy between pricing information contained on the electronic copy and the hard copy, the electronic copy will govern” (pg. 42). L.5.2.1 states “Offerors are advised that in the event of a discrepancy between pricing information contained on the electronic and the hard copy, the hard copy will govern” (pg. 44). Please confirm which copy (hard or electronic) will govern in the event of a discrepancy. The electronic copy provided on the USB Thumb Drive will take precedence. The Solicitation will be amended to reflect this.

8 Solicitation Section B and PWS Section 1 The outline of services include required under this contract includes the sentence, “the Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, management, tools, equipment, spare parts and materials to support services to center.” To assist estimating of material requirements, requesting the government provide the average number of users/personnel accessing the facilities, by building, on a weekly or daily basis. ARS estimates the average number of personnel to be approximately 290; however, this number can fluctuate.

9 PWS 6.1.2 Trash Removal Services, Page 26 of 83 PWS states waste is disposed of at appropriate off installation waste handling facilities. Please provide the distance or location of the closest approved landfill? Does the Government provide vehicles to transport waste materials? Is there a contractor borne cost for using these off installation waste handling facilities? The PWS requires the Contractor to properly dispose of waste in accordance will all Federal, State, Local laws and regulations. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine the means and methods for performing this requirement.

10 PWS 6.2 Housekeeping (p) Interior Window Cleaning & Window Blinds Cleaning, Page 28 of 83 Contractor is required to clean interior window surfaces and blinds annually. Request the government provide the number of windows containing blinds. Request the government provide the number of windows and size. In addition, what are the type of blinds utilized for the windows (vertical, horizontal, fabric, etc.)? 308 Windows, 40 glass block windows, and 30 interior windows that all have horizontal mini blinds. Numbers are approximate at best count of plans and physically counting windows.

11 Page 28 of 83, PWS 6.2 Housekeeping (p) Interior Window Cleaning & Window Blinds Cleaning Contractor is required to clean interior window surfaces and blinds annually. Is contractor responsible for exterior windows? If so, how many windows are on the first floor, how many are above the ground level and how many have screens? No, the Contractor is not required to clean exterior windows.

12 PWS 6.1.2 Trash Removal Services, Page 26 of 83 Non-Hazardous Waste Disposal Emptying Waste Containers Is the Contractor responsible for providing replacement plastic trash bags? Yes.

13 PWS 6.2 Housekeeping (d) Empty all trash, Page 27 of 83 Contractor is required to empty cigarette butt receptacles and trash receptacles located on grounds. How many and where are the cigarette butt receptacles located? How many and where are the trash receptacles located on grounds? There are normally 5 outside round trash cans on the facility grounds. These trash cans are currently located at the Main entrance, the Chemical wing exit (old ADA door), the north side Textile Bldg. smoking area, and the north side Chemical wing stair tower area.

14 PWS 6.2 Housekeeping (i) Entrance Mats, Page 28 of 83 Contractor is to vacuum entrance mats daily. Is the contractor responsible for purchasing replacement mats? No, ARS will purchase new mats if needed.

15 PWS 6.2 Housekeeping, Page 27-29 of 83 Floor sweeping, mopping, refinishing, vacuuming and shampooing is required to be performed. Request the government provide the type of floors (i.e. Carpet, Tile, Vinyl, Concrete) and associated square footage for pricing purposes. The SRRC complex contains approximately 400,000 square feet of floor space with approximately 70% containing vinyl or tile flooring; the other 30% with either carpet and concrete. ARS cannot provide the exact square footages of each room. Offerors were urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance during the site visit held on July 24, 2017.

17 PWS Appendix 4 Page 45 and H.4 RFP Appendix 4 Key Personnel shows Utilities Manager, Facilities Manager, and Project Manager. RFP H4 shows Key Personnel: Project Manager. Please clarify Key Personnel. Refer to RFI # 6.

18 Solicitation L.5 (b) Offeror’s complete proposal package consists of SF33, Technical Proposal and Price Proposal. Please clarify if the Government wants the signed SF 33 and Section A through K as a stand-alone volume or included in the Price Proposal. The signed SF-33 should be provided with the Price Proposal. The Solicitation will be amended to clarify this requirement.

19 Solicitation L.5.2.1 Page 45 Offerors shall provide one electronic copy of the price proposal in Microsoft Excel format. Does the Government want to see formulas in the Excel spreadsheet? Refer to RFI # 4.

20 Solicitation L.5.2.1 Page 45 Offerors shall provide one electronic copy of the price proposal in Microsoft Excel format. Does the Government want to see formulas in the Excel spreadsheet? Please confirm that the Price Narrative does not need to be included in the Excel format. The Price Narrative does not need to be included in Excel format. Only the breakdown of the Offerors costs should be included in Excel format.

21 Solicitation L.4 and L.5.2.1 Offerors shall also submit electronic copies of both proposals on a USB Thumb Drive (page 41). Offerors shall provide (the Price Proposal) on either a thumb drive or a non-writable CD (page 44). Please clarify if the electronic copies of both volumes are to be on CD or Thumb Drive or both. Refer to RFI # 3.

22 PWS 5.2.1 Section I – Price Proposal The Price Proposal shall specifically identify prices associated with Routine Work. Please provide an annual level of effort to perform the various routine work tasks found in the PWS. ARS cannot provide this information. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine the means and methods for performing this requirement.

23 PWS 2 Work Management Access to the Contractor’s work management system will be available to the Government at any time. How many Government licenses (seats) are required for the Contractor Work Management System? ARS estimates that Ten (10) Government employees will need regular access to the Contractor's work management system. Of these, Four (4) will require administrative rights and Six (6) will need data entry only.

24 PWS 2.2 Additional Work …the Contractor will submit proposals within six (6) business days of the request submission. Based on our experience, additional work proposals and required quotes require at least ten (10) days. We respectfully suggest extending the proposal preparation time from six (6) to ten (10) days. Request denied.

25 PWS 3.1.1 (c) dry ice The PWS states that the Contractor shall order, receive and store dry ice. Will the Government reimburse the Contractor for the cost of ordering and storing dry ice? No. This requirement falls under Routine Work.

26 PWS 3.3 Public Relations Prepare rooms and assist conduct a count of participants at all events by type… How many events (outside of daily operations) does the contractor support a year? Please clarify your question.

27 PWS 3.4 Mail and Messenger Support Tasks Stamp or meter all outgoing mail prior to dispatch. Please clarify if the Government purchases the postage. Please also provide the annual volume of incoming and outgoing mail. In addition, how many United States Postal Service deliver points are at the Center? ARS will provide postage. The annual volume of incoming/outgoing mail is commensurate with a research facility of this size. There is one deliver point.

28 PWS 5.1 Electrical Tasks Install and maintain lighting… Is the contractor required to install and maintain exterior lighting? Yes.

29 PWS 5.2.1 Water Systems The Contractor shall provide and maintain the DI-R/O system…and maintain the Water Softener System. How many water system tanks, including water softener and R/O systems, are included in scope? The facility currently has one (1) DI/RO system with water softener system located in 0013. There are two (2) other water softener systems, one (1) in the Industrial Wing and one (1) in the Service Bldg. All softener systems have various different tanks that go with that particular system.

30 PWS 5.5.1 BAS Tasks The Contractor shall provide programming, hardware, software and/or operational system changes upon authorized request. Is contractor responsible for costs to update the BAS? Yes.

31 PWS 6.0 Facilities Services The Contractor shall perform moving of furniture. How many personnel moves occur on average in a year? This work falls under Routine Work; however, the exact number varies and cannot be accurately estimated.

32 PWS 6.1 Maintenance and Repair Services The Contractor shall repair, maintain and modify wood and non-wood items (replace bricks, repair roofs, replace floor). Would the Government please confirm if this section is Additional Work or included in the FFP? Routine work is defined in Section 2.1 of the PWS. Additional Work is defined as work that is not part of the routine operations and maintenance support for the Center, but is within the scope of the contract.

33 PWS 6.2.1 e The Contractor is required to ensure the Center is free of pests and that pesticides are used in accordance with all regulations and ARS policies and procedures. What type of pest control and pesticides are required and what is the frequency of application? ARS feels this requirement is clear. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine the means and methods for performing this requirement.

34 Appendix 3 Facilities Listing Real Property Assets Listing as of 08/05/2013 Please identify what real property assets have been added or removed to the facilities listing since 8/5/2013. The provided list is accurate and up-to-date.

35 PWS 6.3 j Grounds Maintenance Apply any pesticides as necessary. Is the contractor required to hold a pesticide license for the state of Louisiana? Pesticides must be applied by a professional whom is licensed or certified in accordance with all Federal/State/Local laws and regulations.

36 PWS 7.1 Plot. The Contract shall maintain research garden plots. Can the Government provide historical workload associated with Routine Work, such as mowing, weeding plowing, planting, sowing and harvesting the three gardens approximately 8,000 sq. ft. each? No.

37 PWS 6 Facilities Services. The Contractor shall remove all debris from the Center. How far from the Center is the Contractor required to remove debris? The Contractor is responsible for properly disposing of debris in accordance will all Federal, State, Local laws and regulations.

38 PWS 6.2.1 (l) and (r) Housekeeping. Clean all restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms… Maintain and service building toilets. How many total bathrooms and locker rooms are onsite? Twenty Five (25) bathrooms and Four (4) locker rooms.

39 PWS 6.2.1 (l) Housekeeping. Replenish paper supplies. Please confirm the Contractor is responsible for procuring all paper products and provide the historical consumable costs or quantities for housekeeping paper products. Yes, the Contactor is responsible for procuring paper supplies. Historical data is unavailable.

40 PWS Appendix 5 Historically Subcontracted Work. Elevator inspection services - annually Is elevator maintenance within scope or additional work? If so, would the Government please provide the number and types of elevators located at the Center and the typical elevator maintenance frequency? The center holds Five (5) elevators and two (2) dumbwaiters. Elevator maintenance is not considered Routine Work. The PWS will be updated to remove language.

41 RFP, Paragraph L.5.1.5, Factor 5, Past Performance, Page 44. “If a completed CPARS evaluation is available, it shall be submitted with the proposal.” Since we have no control over the number of pages in the CPARS provided, do the CPARS pages count against the 75-page limit? Yes.

42 PWS, Paragraph 1.1.2, Repair and Replacement of Parts, Page 6. "The Contractor will be responsible for the first $1,250 of repair and replacement parts for all types of routine work per work order, up to $15,000 limit per year." We understand that the Contractor is responsible for the first $1,250 of repair and replacement parts for all types routine work per work order [WO]. Is the $15,000 limit “per WO”, or an annual limit for all work orders? If an annual limit, how are parts and material handled after reaching the $15,000 limit? The limits are $1,250 per month and $15,000 per year. Once limits have been reached, ARS will fund the purchase of additional parts and materials through the change order process.

43 PWS, Work Management, Page 8, 2. “The current file format utilized is generated by MP2…” Is the MP2 CMMS owned by the Government or must the Contractor have to provide their own CMMS? The Contractor will need to provide.

44 PWS, Paragraph 3.2 Security Operations, Page 14. “The Contractor will screen visitor identities at the front door…” Please clarify. Is the Contractor required to provide security personnel at the “front door”? Are these Security Guards? No, this is usually performed by the receptionist. No, this does task does not require a security guard.

45 PWS 3.2.1.(j), Security Related Tasks, Page 15. “Maintain the Center’s Entry System and in the event of a system failure, provide staff for security and manual operations.” How often and what duration has this occurrence happened? ARS cannot provide an accurate estimate; however, these occurrences are not frequent.

46 PWS 5.0 Utilities Services, Page 15. “The Contractor will provide personnel for initial response to trouble, faults, and emergencies.” Please clarify. Is the Contractor required to provide personnel on-site 24/7/365 to respond to trouble, faults, and emergencies “immediately”? Section 5 of the PWS states "Response time for emergencies during normal working hours shall be immediate; during other times qualified personnel will be onsite within two (2) hours after discovery to commence repairs unless the situation is deemed critical in which case response shall be immediate.

47 PWS 5.2 Pipefitting, Page 20 Install, maintain, modify, test, adjust, and repair all plumbing, piping, distribution systems… Is the Contractor responsible for underground steam lines? How many feet of underground steam lines exist? What size? Yes, the Contractor is responsible to maintain and repair as required, all steam lines.

48 PWS, Paragraph 5.2.1, Water Systems, Page 20. The Contractor shall provide and maintain the DI-R/O system What is the annual usage of DI Water in gallons? Annual DI water usage varies greatly month to month and year to year. The Center's estimated usage in 2016 was 25,000 gallons.

49 PWS 5.3.1 (d), HVAC and Refrigeration Tasks, Page 21. “Operate & maintain one [1] dual feed boiler and one [1] gas fired boiler." What are the manufacturer, size, PSI, age, etc. of the boilers? The first boiler is a 2003 Superior, 200 hp. The second is a 2008 Hurst, 200 hp.

50 PWS 6.2 (f), Housekeeping, Page 27. Sweep and damp mop once a week or as occasionally requested, all non-carpeted areas. What are the locations and square footages of the areas to be damp mopped once a week and what type of floors are they? Refer to RFI # 15.

51 PWS 6.2 (g), Housekeeping, Page 28. Vacuum once a week, or occasionally upon request, the administrative wing corridors, the Director’s office, and foyer. Vacuum all other carpeted areas every other week and occasionally upon request. What are the locations and square footages of the areas to be vacuumed once a week? We assume these are carpeted areas. Is that correct? Refer to RFI # 15.

52 PWS 6.2 (h), Housekeeping, Page 28. Shampoo all common carpeted areas, such as conference rooms, corridors, library, offices areas, etc., once a year. Other non-frequently used areas will be as requested by the government as needed, and will be treated as Additional Work. What are the locations and square footages of the areas to be shampooed once a year? We assume these are carpeted areas. Is that correct? Refer to RFI # 15.

53 PWS 6.2 (i), Housekeeping, Page 28. Vacuum daily all entrance mats; remove soil and moisture underneath all mats and return to their normal location. Who purchases the mats? How many mats? What size? How often are they changed? Refer to RFI # 14.

54 PWS 6.2 (j), Housekeeping, Page 28 Refinish non-carpeted floors as follows: refinish all exposed floor covering in the Main Building and Textile Building. What is the square footage of the floors in the Main Building and Textile Building that require annual refinishing and what is the floor composition? Refer to RFI# 15.

55 PWS 6.2 (s), Housekeeping, Page 29 Clean two times a week or as needed, emergency and exercise rooms, which includes picking up trash, cleaning fixtures, mirrors, bright metal fixtures, and windows; mop or vacuum floors where applicable. What is the square footage of the emergency and exercise rooms and what is the floor composition? There are two (2) Exercise rooms - (1) Main bldg. 12' x 26' rubberized flooring; (2) Textile Bldg. 14' x 30' carpet tiles. The Emergency room measures 28' x 15' and 16' x 14', composition vinyl tile.

56 PWS Appendix 3, Facilities Listing, Pages 37 and 38 Center Map Legend & List of Buildings On the Center Map Legend & List of Buildings, building 14 is listed as the Cotton Storage Building. There is a printed name of a building adjacent that is printed Cotton Storage Building. Please clarify. Building 14 is the Cotton Storage Building. The adjacent building labeled on the map as "cotton storage unit" is a shipping container which is also used for cotton storage.

57 PWS Appendix 4, Historical Data, Page 45 Appendix 4. Historical Data Appendix 4 Does not seem to provide any historical data. Is the government intending to provide full time equivalents [FTEs] in this chart? Please provide historical workload data and required FTEs. Appendix 4 lists the types of positions historically employed as subcontractors on past Operation and Maintenance Service Contracts for SRRC. These positions do not require FTE's; however, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

58 PWS Appendix 4, Page 45 *Key Personnel Appendix 4 lists three [3] Key Personnel: (1) Utilities Manager; (2) Facilities Manager and (3) Project Manager. Can any of these positions be combined? Page 19 of the RFP, Paragraph H.4 Key Personnel states there is only one [1] Key personnel: the Project Manager. Please clarify. Refer to RFI # 6.

59 PWS Appendix 5, Page 46 Historically Subcontracted Work-Subcontractors We see no specifications for the following typically subcontracted services: Elevator, fire suppression systems, central monitoring and maintenance of all fire and security systems; access controls and systems; deionized water service and monthly maintenance agreement; walk-on walk-off mats rental/sanitary supply procurement; BAS continuous and yearly contract; monthly pest control; weekly dry ice delivery; fume hood inspections and annual inspection report; chiller maintenance agreements including all labor, materials and annual inspection; and boiler inspection including annual inspection with a written report. Please provide detailed specifications on equipment; specifications of work to be accomplished; and an explanation of any other specifications needed by subcontractors to provide efficient and cost-effective pricing. The following items have been deleted from the list of Historical Subcontracted Services: Elevator Inspection, Fire Suppression Systems, Central Monitoring and Maintenance of all Fire, Security, and Access Controls Systems. A copy of the revised PWS will be included in Amendment 0002.

60 General Workload Data We find no workload data regarding number of service calls by craft; PMs by craft; etc. Please provide. ARS cannot provide this information.

61 General Janitorial Please provide janitorial specifications. Is cleaning accomplished at night or during the day? General cleaning tasks that occur on a daily basis have historically been accomplished during normal working hours. Other less frequent tasks, such as floor refinishing, have historically been accomplished outside normal working hours, but this varies by area, ongoing experiments, etc. Moping and floor refinishing normally have to be scheduled with the employee(s) that reside in that area.

62 General Subcontractors Please provide current subcontractor companies and services performed. ARS cannot provide this information.

63 General Dry Ice What is the volume of Dry Ice delivered two [2] times per week? The center is currently having 330 LBS per week delivered.

64 General Dumpsters You are requesting one [1] 6-yard dumpster and then you state that "we need to make sure we have an adequate number of dumpsters". Is one [1] sufficient? Do we need more? How many? No.

65 Government Furnished Equipment List Government Furnished Equipment List We see Government provided IT equipment and facilities [List of IT Shop Equipment and IT Manager’s Office] on the GPE list, but other than cooperating with Government IT Department and personnel and assisting with A/V equipment setup, we see no requirements for tasks or services in the PWS. Please clarify IT services are not part of this requirement.

66 Solicitation L.5.1.1( c ) Quality Management. Provide a two page summary of your “Quality Control Plan” i.e. the Quality Processes. This will be difficult to accomplish in 2 pages. Solicitation section L.5.1.1 has been amended to remove the page limitation on Quality Control Plans.

67 Solicitation L.5.1.3(2) Technical Approach for Safety (Safety Narrative) Safety, only ask for safety plans relative to subcontractors. Does Government need safety plan relative to the contractor’s work? Yes, Offerors should include a safety plan that covers both employees and subcontractors. Solicitation Section L.5.1.3 has been amended to include employees and to remove the two (2) page limitation.

68 PWS Appendix 4 Historical Workload Data Appendix 4 to the PWS is entitled, “Historical Workload Data”. However, it only gives Job Titles, not FTEs. Will the Government provide historical hours? Refer to RFI # 57.

69 Solicitation L.5.1.1(b)(4) Describe how you plan to manage the different workforce and competing priorities at various sites. Does “various sites” mean the various (24) buildings on the 33-acre site? Yes.

70 Solicitation L.5.1 Technical proposals shall be submitted in 8-1/2 x 11 format; font size no smaller than 12 Times New Roman, inclusive of all charts, resumes, forms and other documentation responsive to the solicitation requirements. Will the Government allow smaller font size in charts, tables, and figures? Also, will Government allow the use of 11 x 17 paper size for charts, tables, and figures , and count as as one (1) page? Offerors should use a font size no smaller than 12 Times New Roman for all text and narratives. Smaller font sizes may be used for the labeling of charts, tables, and figures; however, Offerors are cautioned that the Government may, at its discretion, choose not to evaluate any information submitted using smaller fonts. If needed, Offerors may use 11" x 17" paper for charts, tables and figures only; all narratives and texts should be submitted on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. 11" x 17"size paper will be counted as one (1) page. The Solicitation has been amended to clarify.

71 PWS 2.3.1, Priority 1 Work, Page 9 Page 9, PWS, Paragraph 2.3.1 Priority 1 Work The PWS lists only Priority 1 Work and response time. Are there other “priorities”? If so, please provide. The PWS outlines three (3) priorities. Please review PWS 2.3.2 Priority 2 Work and PWS 2.3.3 Priority 3 Work.

72 PWS 3.1 Receiving Operations and 3.1.1 Receiving Tasks, Page 13 Paragraph 3.1 states that “The Contractor shall operate and maintain the Center’s receiving operations daily from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and otherwise within 30 minutes upon request of the Government” Are all the “Receiving Tasks” on page 14, paragraph 3.1.1 accomplished during M-F between the hours of 0930 and 1230? We are concerned about 3.1.1(a) through 3.1.1(g) all having to occur between the hours of 0900 to 1230 hours. Especially (f) having to receive/ship and unload/load items at courtyard gate three [3] times per day. Please clarify all receiving tasks: 3.1.1 (a) –(g)? Is this a full-time position? Normal Pick up hours at Receiving for SRRC staff are 9:00am to 12:30pm. Receiving and shipping are periodic during each day depending on delivery and pickup times for the different shipping carriers. Shipping and Receiving is required during all normal working hours between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm, except weekends and holidays.

73 PWS 6.2, Housekeeping, Page 27 Page 27, PWS, Paragraph 6.2 Housekeeping The RFP is silent on who provides the tissue, hand towels, can liners, and hand soap. Please clarify. If Contractor provided, do we supply our own specifications? Yes, the Contractor is responsible for supplying.

74 General Incumbent Contractor Who is the incumbent Contractor? Pontchartrain Partners, LLC.

75 General Contract Value What is the current annual value of the contract? Federal contract awards are public knowledge and can be found at www.fpds.gov.

76 PWS 5.3.1., HVAC and Refrigeration Tasks (g), Page 22. 5.3.1. HVAC and Refrigeration Tasks (g) “monitor water conditions and provide treatments as necessary, perform quality tests of boiler water, chilled water circuit, cooling tower water, feed water, condensate return water, and water softeners at minimum of three times a week”. Please provide supporting documentation for the water treatment testing as described? Is the testing currently being performed? If so, by whom and please provide the test results? Three [3] times per week seems excessive. We cannot provide historical water treatment testing information, proprietary information to current O&M contractor.(2) Yes. (3) We cannot provide information from current O&M contractor or provide test results. (4) Water testing intervals will be discussed and worked out with the contractor after award.

77 Solicitation L.5 (b) Instructions for Submission of Proposals - General Information this section states the SF33 (and amendments) and Sections A through K must be submitted. To confirm, the Government is requiring the Offeror to include all pages of sections A through K in their proposal? Or is signing the SF 33 and amendments sufficient? Refer to RFI # 1. Signing the SF-33 is sufficient.

78 Solicitation L.5 (b) Instructions for Submission of Proposals - General Information Which volume is the SF33 supposed to be included in, the price volume? Or, does the Government want the SF33, amendments, and all pages of Sections A through K in a separate volume? If the latter is the case, how many copies? (this question is to clarify a previously submitted question) The SF-33 should be included in the Price Proposal. The Solicitation has been amended to clarify.

79 Solicitation L.5.1 L.5.1, paragraph 2, Technical proposals shall be submitted in 8-1/2 x 11 format; font size no smaller than 12 Times New Roman, limited to 75 single-sided pages, inclusive of all charts, resumes, forms and other documentation responsive to the solicitation requirements. Please confirm that the cover page and table of contents do not count towards the 75 page limitation. Confirmed. The cover page and table of contents shall not count toward the 75 page limitation; all other pages shall be counted. The Solicitation has been amended to clarify.

80 Past Performance Customer Questionnaire, page 3 Q.1. Is the information provided by the contractor on the Project Information accurate and correct to the best of your knowledge? Please clarify where the contractor is to provide the Project Information as the Questionnaire does not contain an earlier section titled “Project Information”. PPQ's are to be completed by Customers, not Contractors.

81 Solicitation L.5.1, Page 43 Technical proposals limited to 75 single-pages, inclusive of all charts, resumes, forms and other documentation responsive to the solicitation requirements. Please confirm that all pages, including cover letters, tables of contents, list of acronyms, are included within the 75-page limit. Refer to RFI # 79.

82 Solicitation Section B Section B tables contain columns for Quantity, Unit and Unit Price but do not contain a column for Extended or Total Price. How does the Government want the Total Evaluated Contract Price to be calculated? By summing the Unit Prices of Routine Work and all Proposed Wage Rates, or by extending/totaling Routine Work by multiplying the Quantity by the Unit Price (proposed wage rates are unaffected as the quantity for each labor category is one)? Unit for Routine work has been updated from month to year. The Total Evaluated Contract Price (TECP) is the sum of the Total Contract Firm-Fixed Price for One Year (12 months) of Routine Work and the Total of all proposed fully burdened hourly rates for each Additional Work labor category.

83 Solicitation Section B CLIN's The CLINs for the Base Period and all Option Periods are the same. This will make it difficult to differentiate CLINs by periods. Suggest you consider unique numbering of CLINs for the Option Periods (e.g. CLIN 101 for Routine Work for Option Period I, CLIN 201 for Routine Work for Option Period II, etc.). The Solicitation has been amended to differentiate CLIN's.

84 Solicitation L.5.1.5 Past Performance For submitting past performance CPARS, is the Government requesting that all contract years CPARS's be submitted for each reference contract? Or the most recent contract year? The Offeror shall submit past performance information for relevant projects completed within the last five years including all projects identified in Factor 2 – Corporate Experience. If a CPARS evaluation is available, the Offeror shall submit the "final" evaluation; interim evaluations are not required.

85 General Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) How many Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) currently support this requirement? Means and Methods are the resposibility of the Contractor.

86 General Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) What specific services require 24/7 support? Monitoring and responding to all critical functions to maintain the facility viable and operational 24 hours/7 days a week - 365/6 days a year.

87 General Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) Do the boilers produce steam 24/7? If so, do they require a 24/7 boiler watch? (1) Yes, (2) Boiler monitoring is required 24/7.

88 General Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) How many hours constitute a FTE position? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time employment or part-time employment. This is a matter generally to be determined by the employer.

89 General Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) What is the average number of labor hours expended per year? Means and Methods are the resposibility of the Contractor.

90 General Transformers Please verify whether transformers are (PCB) free. All current transformers are PCB free, to the best of my knowledge. Most, if not all were replaced after Katrina.

91 General Laboratory Equipment Is the Offeror responsible for repair of laboratory equipment? No, assist and preliminary review, if requested by Lab resident or group.

92 Solicitation Section B CLIN's 1) The CLINS for the Base Period and all Options are identical. Please clarify. Refer to RFI # 83

93 Solicitation Attachment 4 Davis Bacon Act - Wage Determination Number 2015-5189 - Revision Number 3 Please verify accuracy of fringe rates. The rates appear to be exceptionally high. Larbor rates and fringe rates are set by the prevailing wage determination; either Davis Bacon Wages or Service Contract Act wages. The Contractor is responsbile for selecting the correct rates.

94 Solicitation Section B Labor Categories 1. Please clarify tasks required and associated with each of these labor categories?

CLIN 002 (H) Machinery Maintenance Mechanic CLIN 002 (P) Lead Electrician CLIN 002 (Q) Electronics Technician III CLIN 002 (Q) HVACR Mechanic See Davis Bacon Wage Act

95 Solicitation Section B Labor Categories Please clarify that you are requesting both a labor rate for non-Davis Bacon rate and Davis Bacon rate? Do you also require published GSA rate? Labor related to construction should utilize the corresponding Davis-Bacon Act wages, Labor related to services should utilize Service Contract Act wages

96 Paragraph L.5.1 Paragraph L.5.1 indicates the font size for this proposal is 12 point Times New Roman; does the 12 point Times New Roman apply to tables, figures or graphs of may tables, figures and graphs also? Offerors should use a font size no smaller than 12 Times New Roman for all text and narratives. Smaller font sizes may be used for the labeling of charts, tables, and figures; however, Offerors are cautioned that the Government may, at its discretion, choose not to evaluate any information submitted using smaller fonts. If needed, Offerors may use 11" x 17" paper for charts, tables and figures only; all narratives and texts should be submitted on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. 11" x 17"size paper will be counted as one (1) page. The Solicitation has been amended to clarify.

97 Who is the current O &M contractor? Federal contract awards are public knowledge and can be found at www.fpds.gov.

98 How long has the current contractor held the contract? Federal contract awards are public knowledge and can be found at www.fpds.gov.

99 What is the current monthly billing for this contract? Proprietary to current contractor.

100 What is the current incumbent staffing for this contract? Proprietary to current contractor.

101 The PWS The PWS indicates reports are currently generated by a “MP2” work management system. Does the government provide the “MP2” software as Government Furnished Property or Services? Yes

102 If the Government does not provide a work management software system, can offerors propose an “MP2” work management software system? No

103 If the Government does not provide a work management software system, can offerors propose any work management software system? No

104 What software programs will the government furnish under this contract? None

Factor 5, Past Performance Factor 5, Past Performance, contains the following sentence. “The Offeror shall submit past performance information for relevant projects completed within the last five years, including all projects identified in Factor 2 – Corporate Experience. Can an offeror submit a contract under Past Performance without including it under Factor 2, Corporate Experience? The Offeror shall submit past performance information for relevant projects completed within the last five years including all projects identified in Factor 2 – Corporate Experience. If a CPARS evaluation is available, the Offeror shall submit the "final" evaluation; interim evaluations are not required.

L.5.1.4, FACTOR 3, SAFETY Under L.5.1.4, FACTOR 3, SAFETY, it states the safety narrative should be limited to two pages. Is the EMR information to be included within those two pages? No

PWS Paragraph 3.4, The PWS Paragraph 3.4, Mail and Metering Support Tasks, subparagraph (b) states the contractor will “Stamp or meter all outgoing mail prior to dispatch.“ Is the contractor responsible for postage costs or is this a Government reimbursable item.” Gov’t provides postage costs.

If the contractor does not provides postage of reimburses contractors for postage, what is the average volume of mail through the Mail Room? Proprietary to current contractor

If the contractor does not provides postage of reimburses contractors for postage, what was the total cost of postage during the last full contract year? Proprietary to current contractor

Government owned vehicles: Does the current contractor have employees who perform maintenance and drive the vehicles? Proprietary to current contractor

If the current contractor currently has employees who perform maintenance on the vehicles, what is their DOL Occupational Code? Proprietary to current contractor

Does a subcontractor currently perform vehicle maintenance? No

If there are extensive and expensive repairs to any government owned vehicle, is the contractor responsible for any of the cost (example; the $1250 repair threshold)? No

PWS, Paragraph 1.1.2 Reference PWS, Paragraph 1.1.2; does the $1,250 repair threshold apply to vehicle maintenance? No

Is there is no threshold for vehicle maintenance, does the contractor assume full liability for vehicle maintenance and repairs? No

Does the Government provide fuel, oil and/or gasoline for the vehicles? Yes

Are any Government furnished vehicles diesel powered? No

Are any Government furnished vehicles hybrid vehicles? NO

Who is responsible for small engine maintenance and repair? The Contractor

PWS, Appendix 5 # 5 Reference PWS, Appendix 5 # 5, which subcontractor currently provides deionized water service and monthly maintenance? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

PWS, Appendix 5 # 11 Reference PWS, Appendix 5 # 11; who is the current subcontractor currently performing the annual fume hood inspections? Proprietary to current contractor

PWS, Appendix 5, # 10; Reference PWS, Appendix 5, # 10; from which vendor does the incumbent currently purchase dry ice? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

PWS, Appendix 5, #8; Reference PWS, Appendix 5, #8; which subcontractor is currently performing the BAS yearly contract? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

PWS, Appendix 4, Historical Workload Data Reference PWS, Appendix 4, Historical Workload Data; does this represent the titles of current staff at SRRC? Appendix 4 lists the types of positions historically employed as subcontractors on past Operation and Maintenance Service Contracts for SRRC. These positions do not require FTE's; however, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

PWS, Appendix 4, Historical Workload Data Reference PWS, Appendix 4, Historical Workload Data; can the Government provide the annual man-hours expended by each DOL Organizational Code? Appendix 4 lists the types of positions historically employed as subcontractors on past Operation and Maintenance Service Contracts for SRRC. These positions do not require FTE's; however, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

PWS, Appendix 4, Historical Workload Data Reference PWS, Appendix 4, Historical Workload Data; can the Government provide the number of personnel staffed by each DOL Organizational Code? Appendix 4 lists the types of positions historically employed as subcontractors on past Operation and Maintenance Service Contracts for SRRC. These positions do not require FTE's; however, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

PWS 5.3.1, h, j and k; Reference PWS 5.3.1, h, j and k; do the Stationary engineers require any type of Steam Boiler operator’s license for the High-pressure boilers? Yes, 1st Class Steam Boiler Operartors LA

PWS Equipment Inventory Equipment Inventory in the PWS: There doesn’t appear to be any motor control centers or switchgear listed in the inventory. Is this part of the contract for maintenance? If so please provide a list of gear and the recommended Preventive Maintenance schedule. This part of the maintenance contract

How long has the current O &M contractor been there ? Federal contract awards are public knowledge and can be found at www.fpds.gov.

Appendix #5 # 11- Appendix #5 # 11- Who is the current sub-contractor that takes care of the fumes hood? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

Appendix 5- # 10 Appendix 5- # 10- where is dry ice purchased from? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

Appendix 5--#8 Appendix 5--#8 who is currently doing the BAS yearly contract? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

Appendix 4 Appendix 4- does this represent the titles of current staff at SRRC? Appendix 4 lists the types of positions historically employed as subcontractors on past Operation and Maintenance Service Contracts for SRRC. These positions do not require FTE's; however, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

Do the Stationary engineers need to have any type of Steam Boiler operator’s license for the High pressure boilers? Yes, 1st Class Steam Boiler Operartors LA. State

PWS, Appendix 5.. #4 and #5, and PWS Paragraph 4.1 Reference PWS, Appendix 5.. #4 and #5, REMOVED; this appears to remove an offeror’s responsibilities for fire service responsibilities; however PWS Paragraph 4.1. Smoke/Fire Service Maintenance and Detection, indicates offeror’s still have certain responsibilities. Please clarify which responsibilities offerors will have for fire safety equipment (fire extinguishers, fire suppression equipment, etc.) under this contract. None, these were taken out of the contract.

PWS, Appendix 5, #14; Reference PWS, Appendix 5, #14; which subcontract tor is providing the Closed Loop Water Treatment Program services? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

The inventory for the fume hoods, had room numbers listed as model numbers.What are the model, type, manufacturers of the fume hoods? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

Solicitation, Amendment 2 Please see discrepancy regarding the due date for the proposal on page 40 of the Amendment 2 Solicitation. It indicates August 9 instead of August 10. August the 10 is the Due date, Date will be corrected on the amended soliciation

After reviewing the Amendment posted earlier today with the many changes to the PWS plus the 95 questions posted so far, I am struggling to see how our company can complete a meaningful proposal by the current due date of August 20. Since the deadline is only a week away, I wanted to request that you reconsider and grant some additional time for the proposal deadline. Since this is a hard copy versus digital submittal, we have less than one week to process all the new information, finalize our proposals, print/package documents and ship our proposals. In order to furnish a meaningful proposal to the USDA for this opportunity, would you consider some additional time for the deadline? Currently the deadline remains the same.

How many Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) are there per labor category? It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine their own means and methods for meeting the requirements set forth in the Solicitation/PWS.

Section L.5.2 Sections A-K Does the Government want a copy of these sections in the proposal? The signed SF-33 should be provided with the Price Proposal. The Solicitation has been amended to clarify this requirement.

Section H.4 (a) Key Personnel Does the Government want a copy of page 19 in the proposal listing the names of our proposed key personnel? Offerors should identify the person(s) for all three (3) Key Personnel positions. Key Personnel positions cannot be combined (i.e. an individual may only perform a single position). The Solicitation will be amended to include Project Manager, Utilities Manager, and Facilities Manager in Section H.4.

Section K Representations and Certifications Does the Government require a copy of the Reps and Certs in the proposal? Offer should be currently registered in the system for award management (SAM) and has completed the representations and certifications sections of SAM electronically.

Switch Gear and Transformer Annual Inspections Can you clarify exactly what are the requirements for the Annual Inspection? This part of the maintenance contract

Appendix 1 - Glossary Repair In addition to Plant upgrades and the examples given, would modernization of utilities fall under the repair clause for lighting upgrades within the plant? Does this repair clause only apply to the plant equipment or does it apply to other area within the complex? Yes lighting upgrades, repair clause applies to other area's within the complex

General question Prenventive Maintenance Does USDA recognize GSA Federal Standards (5850) and the PBS100 as sufficient regulations for Preventative Maintenance procedures? No

Proposal Due Date Proposal Due Date Will the Government consider an extension of the proposal due date due to the magnitude of the recent changes in the PWS? August the 10 is the Due date

Section L.4 The original solicitation stated “Proposals are due 5:00pm ET Wednesday, August 10th, 2017”, however, August 10th is a Thursday. Section L.4 of Amendment 0002 states “Proposals are due 5:00pm ET Wednesday, August 9, 2017”. However, the due date is listed as August 10th throughout other solicitation documents. August the 10 is the Due date

Also, due to the FBO system issues, are we to acknowledge Amendments 0001 and 0009 or 0001 and 0002? Only acknowledge amendements 1, 9, 10, and any subsequent amendment

Amendment 0002 deleted the requirement for an annual inspection of all current fire suppression systems from the Historical Subcontracted Services. However, the paragraph 4.1 of the PWS still requires the Contractor to “Conduct an annual inspection of the dry chemical fire suppression system.” Can you clarify if this annual inspection is required? No

AG-32SD-S-17-0035 Performance Work Statement Version 8/3/2017

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL

RESEARCH SERVICE

AG-32SD-S-17-0035

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

ATTACHMENT I PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SERVICES

SOUTH…