Attachment 11 Upfront Questions and Answers from USDA.pdf

Upfront Questions and Answers

Q1. Is there an incumbent contractor for this work? What is the current contract number?

A1. This is a brand new requirement, there is no current contract.

Q2. Please confirm that the bid / offer guarantee (20% of bid price or $3,000,000.00, whichever is less) is to be based on the total line of Attachment 1 (inclusive of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th ordering periods).

A2. The bid guarantee amount is based off the total from cell E22 of Attachment 1 Bid Schedule Excel document.

Q3. Generally, is power and water available for the contractors use at each site / facility? If not, will the contractor be advised in effected task order RFP so that provisions can be made?

A3. Yes. Water and power is generally available. If not, it will be identified in the Request for Task Order Proposal.

Q4. Are project record drawings to be produced in CAD or are contract documents red-lined in the field acceptable?

A4. Project record Red lined drawings are acceptable unless specifically stated in individual task orders to also be produced in CAD. Red lined drawings must be neat, legible, accurate, unstained, etc. Submittal of digital scans of redline drawings are required, can be in addition to the actual hard copy redlined drawing.

Q5. Is the electronic transmittal / submission of shop drawings and product data acceptable? Similarly as-built drawings and operation & maintenance manuals?

A5. Electronic transmittal / submission of shop drawings and product data, as-built drawings and operation & maintenance manuals are acceptable, unless otherwise specifically stated in the individual task orders.

Q6. Can Contractors decline work they don’t want to perform under this IDIQ?

A6. No. Contractors shall execute all work requested under this IDIQ. The awardee shall expect and understand they are the single award IDIQ holder, and as such, shall be required to execute all work requested under the terms of this IDIQ. Contractors that wish to pick and choose what type of work they execute should not propose under this effort.

Q7. Will emergency task orders be required under the contract? If so, will the contractor be expected to perform emergency work at the same fully burdened labor rates proposed in the Bid Schedule? Or will USDA allow the contractor to apply a multiplier to the standard rates for emergency work?

A7. There will be no emergency requirement under this contract vehicle. The Government may ask if the contractor can expedite proposal requests or accommodate an immediate need faster than the response times identified in C.2.8, but will not be mandatory. If “emergency” work cannot be accommodated under the terms of C.2.8, and cannot be mutually agreed upon by the USDA and the Contractor then the work will be executed under different contracting vehicle that has emergency or accelerated approvals and will not be related to this contracting effort.

Q8. For construction trades or services not otherwise listed in the Bid Schedule, will the contractor be allowed to engage subcontractors and charge them at a direct cost plus OH & profit?

A8. If there are trades or services that are not listed in the bid schedule that may be perceived to fall within the scope of this Contract, the Contracting Officer may allow those additional disciplines. The Contracting Officer has the sole authority to make that determination, if a discipline would be required outside of the bid schedule the Contracting Officer must make a written determination that the discipline is within the scope of the contract. The USDA has attempted to capture all relevant labor categories related to this work, and would not be normal and raise flags if labor categories other than those listed are being pursed. As a matter of practice, all work should adhere to the labor categories in the bid schedule as intended by this SOW.

Contractors shall not attempt to classify work under a labor category that is not listed on the bid schedule in an effort to bypass the competitive firm fixed price labor rates. If work can be performed utilizing the bid schedule, the rates shall be utilized, regardless of the Contractors desire to utilize what they deem would be “more appropriate”. The Contracting Officer will make the final determination of any allowable work not identified on the bid schedule.

Q9 Should my fully burdened labor rates be higher than Davis Bacon rates from the wage determination?

A9. Construction Wage Rates Requirements (Davis Bacon Act) requirements are only the minimum wage requirements, required to be paid to respective employees. Fully Burdened rates are the rate utilized for contract pricing. Contractors shall price their projected Fully Burdened Labor rates to a rate they feel comfortable to be able to execute all potential work. Contractors are purposefully being tasked to find a rate they can operate profitability, yet still be competitive in this RFP. This rate should be well thought out and not expected to be modified based on profitability after award. Reference C.1.2.1

Q10. For Professional Services (Architect, Engineer, etc) are we required to provide one source for these, or would we be allowed to bring in the right professional by Task Order?

A10. The prime contractor is required to provide a rate for each labor rate in the solicitation at the time of proposal. Contractor will determine actual source of those labor categories however they see fit IAW with the scope of work and RFP task order requirements.

Q11. In Section C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT, C.1.2.1 Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Fully Burdened Labor Rates of the Solicitation is states, “Home Office, General and Administrative, Office Space, Office Equipment, Office and Management Personnel, Office Supplies, Employee Transportation, Insurance, Project Management, Profit, Financing Costs, Business Risks, Permits and Filings, Personal Protective Equipment, Taxes, any Bonding Costs and all other associated cost not allowed by the Task Order cost proposal.” We do not have the capability to know what future requirements will need to be included in our current and projected burdened rates. Please define what “…and all other associated costs not allowed by the Task Order cost proposal.”

A11. The pricing structure for the rates (as written) is correct and clearly defined. Offerors fully burdened labor rates shall contain all associated costs to perform this work. There will be no adjustment to the labor rates for any labor category. Contractors shall price their projected Fully Burdened Labor rates to a rate they feel comfortable to be able to execute all potential work.

Contractors are purposefully being tasked to find a rate they can operate profitability, yet still be competitive in this RFP. This rate should be well thought out and not expected to be modified based on profitability after award.

Fully burdened labor rates will be utilized in connection with labor mix and quantity of productive hours.

There will be no adjustment to the fully burdened labor rates at any time, contractors shall capture all associated costs in the labor rate.

The statement referenced in the question “…and all other associated costs not allowed by the Task Order cost proposal.” speaks for itself, if the cost is not specifically referenced in the in the SOW as being called out as separate or allowable, then it shall be covered under the fully burdened labor rates.

Offerors that do not have the capability to project or price these fully burdened labor rates should not provide a proposal in response to this RFP.

Q12: There are non-material and non-labor costs that go into a bid such as hotels, vehicles, general requirements, dumpsters, portalets, insurance, taxes (taxes may vary in each state), etc. Where are we to list those items on the bid spreadsheet?

A12: Overhead Costs shall be included in the Firm Fixed Price Fully Burdened Labor Rates and the Equipment and Materials Overhead and Profit Rate. There will not be a separate pricing model to capture those costs. Again, we are purposefully tasking Contractors to find a rate they can operate profitability, yet still be competitive in this RFP. Contractors shall read this strictly as the plain language of the RFP that Equipment (lift rentals, crane, dumpsters, etc) and Materials (wood, wire, etc) only shall be priced out in the cost of Task Order proposal, everything else is considered overhead and captured by the proposed Overhead rate. If it is not direct equipment or materials, it shall not be priced separately on the Task Order proposal, it shall be covered by the two pricing categories listed above.

The Contracting Officer shall make the final determination on all Equipment and Material costs, this determination is not an item that must be mutually agreed upon during Task Order negotiations.

(In this specific example provided the dumpsters/portlets, would be considered direct equipment/materials for the project and would be included in the Equipment/Materials cost and the proposed overhead rate applied to those items. The other overhead costs (ie company vehicle lease, hotels, general requirements, insurance, taxes) shall be captured in the Overhead rate, no exceptions).

Q13: How many jobs does the government plan to release per month?

A13: That information is unknown, work will be executed as requirements are generated.

Q14: How many jobs does the government plan to release per location?

A14: That information is unknown, work will be executed as requirements are generated.

Q15: Is it required that a representative of Prime Contractor physically attend the initial pre-proposal site visit, in order to bid on this project?

A15: Yes, reference M.2 Factor 3.

Q16: Once awarded, is it required that a representative of Prime Contractor physically attend all task order site visit request within 48 hours?

A16: Yes, reference C.2.4, C.2.8, L.10(7), M.2(f)