AG-SPEC-S-16-0028_0003.pdf

(x)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028

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 telegram 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 telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

NRCS-TX-127482-NCSU

Fort Worth TX 76115-3404 Building 23 501 W. Felix ST.

USDA-NRCS-NCSU

WASHINGTON DC 20250

NRCS-HQ-12SPEC

ROOM 6801-S

1400 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE, SW

USDA-NRCS SPECIALIZED CONTRACTING T

NRCS-HQ-12SPEC

09/30/2016000003

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

09/07/2016

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 date, 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 hereby answers additional offeror Q&A.

Q1. Are there prescribed billable hours such as 1920, 1880, etc., per year? Or, will monthly invoicing equate to 1/12th of the Firm Fixed Price award value for each task orders

12-month period of performance, meaning that invoicing will not be based on billable hours?

This information is essential to supporting the calculation of fringe benefit amounts/rates.

A1. Invoicing will be based on billable hours at the Task Order level.

Q2. Will Fully Burdened Rates provided in the Pricing Worksheet, and based on the

Continued ...

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)

VICKI SUPLER

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

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 .

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

2 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

Washington DC WD, be prescribed upon awarded contracts/IDIQs and, thereby, be maximum rates that can be charged by prime contractors, or are the Fully Burdened Rates SOLELY for evaluation purposed and not binding upon contract/IDIQ award?

A2. The Washington DC Wage Determination is provided solely for evaluation purposes.

Appropriate WDs will be provided at the TO level and may include rates that are less than, equal to, or greater than those of the Washington DC

Wage Determination.

Q3. Will the Government consider escalating the ceiling price progressively for each option period to provide for wage increases, particularly when supporting

Government-prescribed increases to minimum wages as reflected in updated WDs?

A3. No.

Q4. In reference to your answer to Q8 in

Amendment 0002: We understand that for evaluation purposes the WD for Washing DC is used. Please clarify that on future task orders the awardee will be able to use pay rates higher than the WD if the pay rate in that market demands a higher rate?

A4. See A2 this amendment.

Q5. In reference to Part III- Past Performance, paragraph (b): However, subcontractor, and predecessor company information will not be considered as highly as past performance information for the principal offeror. We request that the government consider changing this to rated equally as the principle offeror.

If the Government does not accept our recommendation, will the Government provide a weighting scale? Otherwise, this is an ambiguous measurement that is difficult to interpret from a Contractor perspective.

A5. The offerors past performance information will be significantly more important than the proposed subcontractors past performance.

Offerors with a higher percentage of self-performed work will be rated higher than those with a lower percentage. Offerors without a record of relevant, present and past performance or for whom information on present and past Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

3 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

performance is not available, will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on present and past performance but will receive a neutral rating for the past performance factor. The government is not bound by the offerors opinion of relevancy.

Q6. In reference to (4) Part IV Price Proposal and Amendments, paragraph (e) sub paragraph 1) -

Provide narrative to explain your basis of estimate and to support proposed rates. Include significant pricing considerations and all assumptions made. Is the Government asking the Contractor to explain our methodology for pricing at the Task-Order level? If so, can the Government confirm that the pay rates at the Task Order level are permitted to be greater than the WD rate, so long as the G&A, OH, and Profit stays the same, if the market requires such?

A6. Yes, the G&A, OH, and Profit are considered fixed rates for the purposes of this contract.

Pay rates are variable and permitted to be greater than the applicable WD rate if the TO Contracting Officer determines the increased rates to be fair and reasonable based on market conditions in the local area.

Q7. In reference to the pricing worksheet. The percentage for Overhead, G&A, and profit are to remain the same. However, will be able to change the Fringe % and cost on future task orders? The fringe (SUTA, Workers Comp, Gross Revenue Tax, etc.) is different depending on the state and the statutory laws for those states, and at times, the local surcharges.

A7. See amendment 2, A1.

Q8. Solicitation Part I Executive Summary and

Contract Documentation (e) 5) requires verification of submittal date of VETS 100 report. VETS 100 is now called VETS 4212 report, our question is what type of verification does the government require? We have a number of programs and we have submitted 10 reports (as required) for the various programs we support.

Do you want us to provide copies of our submitted reports? Each one is a 1 page report (so, in our case, 10 pages just for

4212 reports). Please advise if we should print

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

4 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

off the reports and provide as an attachment to our Part 1 submitted or do we just need to confirm the date we submitted these to the DOL portal.

A8. A confirmation of submittal (i.e.

confirmation email) for the most recent filing will suffice.

Q9. Can you please re-confirm that you require the VETS-100 report? Here is what Im getting from the DOL website: The U.S Department of Labor

(DOL) published a final rule that reduces reporting requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors who hire and employ veterans under provisions of the Vietnam Era Veterans

Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) of 1974. The final rule revised the VETS-100A report, creating the simplified VETS-4212 report, while overturning the VETS-100 reporting requirements.

The Veterans Employment and Training Service

(VETS) will no longer accept VETS 100/100A reports.

A9. The VETS-4212 report has replaced the

VETS-100 and VETS-100a report. The VETS-4212 report shall be submitted for any reporting requirements after Jan 2015, if the firm was required to submit such report. If the firms most recent report was filed prior to Jan 2015, the offeror shall submit the VETS-100 report. All previous responses provided relative to the

VETS-100 are hereby replaced with this answer.

Q10. Part I - Executive Summary and Contract

Documentation: 3) The date of the Offerors

Affirmative Action Plan, expiration date, and the name and address of the cognizant U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Compliance Programs

Office. Is this a mandatory requirement?

A10. See amendment 2, A23

Q11. Part I - Executive Summary And Contract

Documentation: 4) In accordance with FAR Subpart

22.805, preaward clearances for contracts and subcontracts of $10 million or more are required unless the contractor is listed in Office of

Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)

National Preaward Registry

(http://www.dolesa.gov/preaward/). The CO is required to obtain clearance from the appropriate

OFCCP regional office prior to contract award. If

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

5 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

the Offeror is already listed in OFCCPs National

Preaward Registry (http://www.dol-esa.gov/preaward/) a verification of the registry entry should be submitted. Is this a mandatory requirement?

A11. No.

Q12. Part I - Executive Summary and Contract Documentation: 5) Verification of submittal date of the Offerors most recent Federal Contractor Veterans Employment Report VETS-100 Report

(Reference FAR 22.1303). Is this a mandatory requirement?

A12. See this amendment, A9.

Q13. Part III - Past Performance: (a) Part III shall not exceed 6 pages for past performance information. Questionnaires are not included in page count; pages as defined in Part I (a). What information should be included in 6 page past performance information section? Can you please confirm that the Questionnaires mentioned here are the 3 references with details?

A13. The content of the past performance section is at the discretion of the offeror but should conform to the solicitation requirements. Past performance questionnaires should be submitted for three (3) of the offerors most relevant contracts performed for federal agencies or commercial customers.

Q14. There appears to be some inconsistencies regarding packaging of the proposal. The Instructions to Offerors describes 4 distinct parts however (c) on page 18 mentions volume. Is the government requesting the proposal be presented in 4 separate volumes or 1 volume with 4 parts?

A14. See amendment 2, A12

Q15. After completing Section II of Attachment 4, do we include the survey form in the proposal for the Government to send to the referenced customer, or do we send the form to our customer who will in turn send it to the Government after completion of survey form?

A15. See amendment 2, A2 and A6

Q16. Is Attachment 4 included in the 6-Page Limit for Part III - Past Performance?

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

6 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

A16. No, past performance questionnaires are not included in page count.

Q17. Within the solicitation it lists that the Contract Documentation shall be submitted separately from the Executive Summary. I see that you have established 4 separate volumes.

Shall we list Volume V as Contract Documentation and submit as a separate volume?

Please clarify.

A17. No, the offeror is required to include the Contract Documentation in a clearly marked, separate section of Part I.

Q18. Our Quality Assurance plan is 25 pages long.

Can we submit our QAP as an Appendix to our Volume II Technical Capability?

A18. The technical capability section shall not exceed 10 pages.

Q19. We are interested in responding to the above referenced solicitation. We have compiled a strong team, including a major subcontractor with significant experience in this area. In order to show our teams total capabilities would the Government consider allowing major subcontractors to also submit past performance questionnaires?

A19. Yes, however the total number of past performance questionnaires to be submitted shall not exceed three (3).

Q20. Would you please let us know if we can list each Task Order (TO) as a single past performance. For example if I have three TOs with

USDA, can I list these three TOs as three different past performances?

A20. Yes.

Q21. Can you please clarify what is excluded from the solicitation page counts for each Part

(Volume)? Is the Cover exempt? Is the Table of

Contents exempt? Is the Subcontractor Letter of

Consent exempt? Are Certs & Reps exempt?

A21. All items denoted above are exempt.

Q22. Are you requesting only percentages on the proposed rates section of the pricing spreadsheet?

A22. Yes

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

7 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

Q23. The PWS in section 2 notes that this IDIQ contract is in accordance with USDAs strategic sourcing initiative to centralize admin. Are these regional contracts replacing existing contracts for NRCS at the State level?

A23. No, these contracts are for anticipated new requirements at the State level.

Q24. If the solicitation is being pursued under

FAR 13, isnt the award ceiling for all contracts limited to an aggregate of $7 million?

A24. The synopsis should have read FAR Part 12 and has been corrected with this amendment.

Q25. Does USDA anticipate that work within the four regions will illustrate an equitable distribution, or that one (or more) regions would have the preponderance of the work (based on historical precedence under the PSC R699)?

A25. The NRCS anticipates that it will be an equitable distribution, however, the requirements will be determined as needed and at the Task

Order Level.

Q26. Can we include reps and certs as an appendix at the end of proposal?

A26. The reps and certs shall be included in Part I Executive Summary and Contract Documentation, however, this is excluded from the page count.

Q27. We are submitting proposals for multiple regions, should we submit a proposal of each region through separate emails?

A27. Yes.

Q28. REFERENCE Amendment 0002 Q&A 56. Answer states to provide the VETS-100 Report but the

VETS-100 Report has been replaced by the

VETS-4212 Report. How do offers comply with submission of a report that no longer exists? Do offers provide their latest VETS-4212 Report or do we provide our last VETS-100 Report from 2014, which was the last reporting year for the

VETS-100 Report?

A28. See this amendment, A9

Q29. Price Proposal Worksheet. Is each price element amount (i.e. Fringe, OH, G&A and Profit) put into the worksheet as an hourly amount?

A29. Fringe, OH, G&A and Profit are required to

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

8 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

be entered into the worksheet as both an hourly amount and percentage as shown on the worksheet.

Q30. Is each price element percentage put into the worksheet as a percent of the hourly wage amount?

A30. Yes

Q31. Is the burdened rate the addition of the

Hourly Wage, Fringe, OH, G&A and Profit amounts?

A31. Yes

Q32. REFERENCE CLINs 001 thru 005. Can the

Government confirm that the CLINs are not completed and that the only pricing submitted for

Part IV is the Price Proposal Worksheet?

A32. Yes.

Q33. Part III A indicates that questionnaires are not included in page count; as pages defined in

Part I (a). Would you clarify, affirm or deny?

A33. Questionnaires are not included in the page count.

Q34. Are you saying Part I should not exceed 10 pages and Part II should not exceed 6 pages.

Which would be interpreted to mean that total pages for Part 1 & Part II combined should not exceed 16 pages.

A34. That is incorrect, part I shall not exceed

10 pages, part II shall not exceed 10 pages, part

III shall not exceed 6 pages, and part IV shall not exceed 5 pages. The combined total number of pages may vary in each response as these page limits do not include items specifically excluded from page count in the solicitation or amendments.

Q35. On page 6 of 10 in attachment 1, Section 10

#8 indicates that SF87 (Rev. March 2013) electronic fingerprint forms will not be accepted, then in section 10.1 on page 6 of 10 of

Attachment 1 says in the 2nd bullet: Ensure the applicant obtain two (2) complete sets of their fingerprints on the prescribed form SF87 (Rev.

March 2013) from an organization qualified to take fingerprints. Should we still use SS87

(Rev. March 2013) or is there another form to use.

A35. The correct form as denoted in attachment 1 is the FD-258, the SF-87 will not be accepted.

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

9 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

Q36. Should we submit the Reps & Certs in our

Part I if our SAM is up to date? If we need to fill in the Reps & Certs this will exceed our required page limit on Part I?

A36. Yes, reps and certs shall be submitted, however, these pages do not count towards the page limit.

Q37. How will Task Orders be issued or organized?

For example, by state within each region, or by labor category, or another method?

A37. Task orders will be issued by State within each region.

Q38. Format and Specific Content states: The

Technical Capability volume shall be organized according to the following general outline.

Table of Contents/Glossary /Definitions. Is Part

II Technical Volume the only part that is to have a Table of Contents or shall a Table of Contents be provided for Parts I, III, and IV as well?

A38. The addition of a table of contents for parts I, III, and IV is at the discretion of the offeror.

Q39. Are subcontractors required to submit past performance references? If subcontractor past performance references are submitted, can they count towards the required three past performances?

A39. Subcontractor past performance questionnaires (PPQs) are not required. Yes, past performance questionnaires submitted for the prime or subcontractor are counted towards the required three submittals.

Q40. If a list of exhibits/figures is submitted, would that be excluded from the page count?

A40. Exhibits/figures are included in page count.

Q41. Should a narrative description of the work performed in each contract submitted as a past performance reference also be submitted? If so, can the Government detail exactly what elements described in the narrative will be evaluated?

A41. The detailed content of Part III - Past

Performance is at the discretion of the offeror but should clearly demonstrate the requirements of Part III (a) (b) (c) and (d).

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

10 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

Q42. The instructions for the Executive Summary and Technical Capability seem to be asking for redundant information describing the management and organization of the contract. For example, the executive summary asks for a description of the proposed performance structure defining relationships, areas of responsibility, and lines of authority/control among the organizational elements. Similarly, the technical capability volume, Subfactor 3 is Organization &

Implementation. Is there a difference between

Subfactor 3 of technical capability and the information requested for the executive summary?

A42. The purpose of the Executive Summary is to provide Government evaluators with a clear and concise introduction to the content and structure of the entire proposal. Each additional Part should provide the details required to support the information provided in the executive summary.

Q43. Should redundant information regarding proposed organizational structure be included in both executive summary and technical capability?

A43. See this amendment, A42.

Q44. Can the Government provide more specific information on what is being evaluated in

Subfactors 1 through 4 of technical capability?

A44. The subfactors should clearly demonstrate the points in PART II (e) - the Offerors ability to (1) effectively and efficiently transition resources and personnel at the time of task order (TO) award, (2) establish required viable management processes and structures, and (3) ensure full continuity of mission support and contract performance on the required TO start date. The plan shall describe your process/procedure for the formal transition period beginning at task order award.

Q45. Solicitation p. 17 states that subcontractor past performance information will not be considered as highly as past performance information from the principle offeror. Can the Government quantify the disadvantage that offerors who submit a subcontractor past performance are placing themselves at in terms of score/ranking? The evaluation factors do not currently mention this.

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

11 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

A45. See this amendment, A5

Q46. Is the organizational information provided in the executive summary evaluated as part of the offerors technical score?

A46. Yes

Q47. If redundant information is included in the executive summary that is also explained in the technical capability part, may cross references be used in the executive summary (and vice versa)?

A47. Yes, at the offerors discretion.

Q48. How will the executive summary be evaluated?

A48. See solicitation ADDENDA TO 52.212-2

EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Q49. In region 4, three states charge a large fee over and above all normal taxes, New Mexico levies a 5% compensation tax on gross revenues for services performed in-state. Washington State charges a 1.8% business and occupations tax on gross revenues. Hawaii levies a 4.5% excise tax.

For task orders issued in these three states, could the government reimburse these mandatory costs since they are not part of FICA, FUTA, SUTA or WC?

A49. No, the government will not separately reimburse costs to a business for normal operating taxes on revenues.

Q50. Confirm that an Office of Federal Contract

Compliance Programs (OFCCP) National Preaward

Registry is not required for this effort as it has a $2Mil ceiling?

A50. The contract and options total $10Mil, however, see this amendment, A11.

Q51. Does FAR Clause 52.209-11 apply to this effort and included in the Reps & Certs section?

A51. FAR 52.209-11 is a provision which requires a certification, and that certification is provided in 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, section Q.

Q52. Per amendment 2, A56 - The Offeror shall provide the VETS-100. However, the question does accurately indicate the VETS-100 form is no longer in use. Please confirm the date of submission for the VETS-4212 data will suffice?

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

12 12

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028/000003

A52. See this amendment, A9

Q53. Per Amendment 2, QA7, QA43, QA55: What format do you want the one file containing all 4 parts/volumes? Pdf? Do you want part IV Price

Proposal to be incorporated into the single file submitted? Do you also want the file completed and submitted in excel format? A43. The file should be submitted as a *.pdf, a separate excel file should not be submitted. Please confirm that the answer provided to QA43 above does accurately indicate that ALL files should be converted to

PDF, Including the Price Proposal Worksheets as provided in Excel.

A53. Correct

Q54. Please modify column E of the Base Worksheet of the Pricing Document to allow increasing the column width.

A54. The existing column width should be sufficient as-is.

Q55. If we are planning on bidding multiple regions will one set of past performance questionnaires suffice?

A55. Yes

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)