Attachment 2_Statement of Work.pdf

Attachment 2: STATEMENT OF WORK Page 1 of 29

1. Scope and Ordering Activities: The scope of work under the Metals Tailored Logistics Support Program (TLSP) Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) Contract includes the total logistics support of the Metals requirements of the military installations, federal activities, and other authorized customers in the continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, and worldwide through Container Consolidation Points (CCPs) within the CONUS. The CONUS consists of the following states/territories: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The requirements covered under this solicitation include, but are not limited to aluminum, stainless steel, carbon steel, copper, brass, titanium, nickel and nickel alloys; and other industrial metals in various forms, such as: wire, plate, sheet, strip, bar, angle, extrusions, pipe, tube, and any other shape required by the ordering activities. The initial implementation sites will be those customers already ordering through the Metals TLSP.

Ordering offices may include, but are not limited to military activities, other Federal Agencies and Departments, and other authorized customers, including, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) contractor(s), Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) contractor(s), state Governments, Local Governments, and any other prime vendor/virtual prime vendor performing under a DoD contract. The top ordering activities are Aberdeen Proving Ground, Anniston Army Depot, Letterkenny Army Depot, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Naval Sea Systems Command (NSWC) Carderock, Marine Depot Maintenance Command (MDMC) Albany, Mid- Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) Norfolk, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane, Picatinny Arsenal, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Rock Island Arsenal, and Tobyhanna Army Depot. The list of current Metals TLSP customers can be found in Attachment 2 to this solicitation, titled “List of Current Customers”. During the term of this contract and for any subsequent option periods thereof, DLA Troop Support reserves the right to add ordering activities or delete ordering activities within the designated regions, at no cost to the Government. Any such additions or deletions made by DLA Troop Support may result in a significant increase or decrease in the Government’s contract estimate. Any such change shall not be the basis for a request for equitable adjustment or claim, shall not result in Government liability to the TLS Contractor, and shall not affect the stated minimum guaranteed ordering amounts. The items provided under the current contracts and the proposed contract are of the type that are used by commercial businesses, local and state organizations, military, and federal agencies. Pricing shall be FOB destination pricing, and shall account for all components of pricing to include material price, transportation, overhead, distribution, etc.

2. Contract Type & Term: The Government intends to award multiple, indefinite-delivery indefinite- quantity (IDIQ) supply contracts with post-award competition of delivery orders. The overall North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 331110, Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing, with a size standard of 1,500. 331110 is the controlling NAICS code for the purposes of determining size for the small business reserve, and the need to submit a subcontracting plan. Although the Government intends to make more than one award, the Government reserves the right to make only one award depending upon the number and quality of offers received. The Government has also "reserved" up to one award for an eligible responsible small business concern. This means that the Government intends to make at least one award to a small business concern. The vendor that wins the "Reserved" contract, if any, will only be issued one contract. AFTER AWARD, ALL CONTRACT HOLDERS WILL COMPETE FOR EACH DELIVERY ORDER. The small business concern that wins the "reserved" contract, if any, will compete against all other contract holders for each requirement. Special preference will not be given to small business concerns at the delivery order competition level. The contracts will have a base ordering period of two (2) years, which may include a 60-day ramp-up or implementation period, if needed, after award. The contracts will include a provision for unilateral options to extend the contract term by up to four (4) option periods of two (2) years each.

3. Items Covered:

The NAICS code for this acquisition is 331110, Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing, with a size standard of 1,500. 331110 is the controlling NAICS code for the purposes of determining size for the small business reserve, and the need to submit a subcontracting plan. All other NAICS codes listed below are for illustrative purposes.

a. The TLS Contractor shall be responsible for making available to the ordering activities covered under the resulting contract, the following categories of items:

FEDERAL SUPPLY ITEM(S) NAICS SIZE STANDARD

CLASS (FSC)

* Note, this list may not be all-inclusive, and the TLS Contractor may be required to furnish other metals products and metals, including items in FSCs not listed above, which may include non-standard, non-NSN items.

b. The Offeror/TLS Contractor must have business alliances and contractual relationships with its suppliers that will enable it to provide all categories of Metals products (to customers and ordering activities in the CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, and worldwide through CONUS CCP’s.) The Offeror/TLS Contractor must have at least three suppliers* within Federal Supply Classes (FSCs) 4710, 9505, 9510, 9515, 9520, 9525, 9530, 9535, and 9540, as follows:

1. FSC 4710:

i. Pipe and tube (three or more suppliers) and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing and Extruding Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy

331110

1,500

Manufacturing

9505 All (with exception of 331110) 331222 1,000 9505 Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy 331110 1,500

Manufacturing 9510 Bars and rods 331221 1,000 9515 Plate, Sheet, Strip, Ferrous 331221 1,000 9515 Iron and Steel Mills and 331110 1,500

Ferroalloy Manufacturing 9520 All (with exception of 331110) 331221 1,000 9520 Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy 331110 1,500

Manufacturing 9525 Wire, aluminum 331318 750 9525 Wire, Copper, cu-nickel, brass 331420 1,050 9525 Wire, other metals 331491 900 9530 Bar, aluminum 331318 750 9530 Bar, copper or copper bearing 331420 1,050 9530 Bar, other metals 331491 900 9535 Aluminum Sheet, Plate and Foil 331315 1,400

Manufacturing 9535 Sheet, strip, plate, copper 331420 1,050 9535 Sheet, strip, plate, other 331491 900 9540 Shapes, angles, aluminum 331318 750 9540 Shapes, angles, brass 331491 900

Pipe and tube 331210 1,000 Other Aluminum Rolling, 331318 750 Drawing, and Extruding Copper Rolling, Drawing, 331420 1,050 Extruding, and Alloying Nonferrous Metal (except Copper 331491 900

ii. Other Aluminum Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding (three or more suppliers)

iii. Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying (three or more suppliers)

iv. Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing and Extruding (three or more suppliers)

v. Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (three or more suppliers)

2. FSC 9505:

i. All (with exception of 331110) (three or more suppliers)

ii. Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (three or more suppliers)

3. FSC 9510:

i. Bars and rods (three or more suppliers)

4. FSC 9515:

i. Plate, Sheet, Strip, Ferrous (three or more suppliers)

5. FSC 9520:

i. All (with exception of 331110) (three or more suppliers)

6. FSC 9525:

i. Wire, aluminum (three or more suppliers)

ii. Wire, Copper, cu-nickel, brass (three or more suppliers)

iii. Wire, other metals (three or more suppliers)

7. FSC 9530:

i. Bar, aluminum (three or more suppliers)

ii. Bar, copper or copper bearing (three or more suppliers)

iii. Bar, other metals (three or more suppliers)

8. FSC 9535:

i. Aluminum Sheet, Plate and Foil Manufacturing (three or more suppliers)

ii. Sheet, strip, plate, copper (three or more suppliers)

iii. Sheet, strip, plate, other (three or more suppliers)

9. FSC 9540:

i. Shapes, angles, aluminum (three or more suppliers)

ii. Shapes, angles, brass (three or more suppliers)

The Contracting Officer retains full authority to determine whether or not a requirement is within the scope of the resultant contract(s). Scope determinations rendered by the Contracting Officer are requirement-specific and do not constitute future scope approvals for similar products.

c. The TLS Contractor must be able to supply all product categories listed above, as well as all* exact items or Acceptable Alternates identified in Attachment 1 - Price Evaluation List (PEL). Note, the total number of items required under the contract is indefinite. The PEL constitutes a non-exhaustive, illustrative list of the types of supplies that will potentially be ordered under the resultant contracts.

d. All items are commercial products as defined in FAR 2.101, including modified commercial products

(commercial items requiring minor modification to fit military applications), that may be identified by manufacturers’ commercial item descriptions, part numbers, or by a technical specification or drawing.

All items are to conform to the manufacturer’s commercial specifications. Please reference the attached spreadsheet entitled “Attachment 1 - Price Evaluation List (PEL)” for a non-exhaustive, illustrative list of the types of supplies that will potentially be required of the TLS Contractor.

e. Any changes to the terms of a delivery order (to include schedule, price, or material specifications), must be approved in advance by both the DLA Contracting Officer and the ordering activity. Should the TLS Contractor deviate from the specified terms of a delivery order during performance, the Government may exercise any and all remedies available to it under the terms of this contract, including those identified under FAR 52.212-4(a).

f. Requirements may change and expand due to the needs of DLA Troop Support customers. Therefore, the

Government reserves the right to procure new product lines considered to be Metals items that are managed and authorized for procurement by DLA during the period of performance of this contract, as determined necessary by the Contracting Officer. In addition, the TLS Contractor shall maintain the resources, expertise, alliances, and superior customer support sufficient to ensure successful performance of the resultant contract

g. Requirements will be reviewed to ensure compliance with the scope of the contract(s). If a requirement is determined to be outside the scope of the contract(s), it will be rejected by the Contracting Officer.

Alternate/appropriate means of satisfying the customers' requirement will be reviewed and provided as appropriate.

h. All requests for new items will be reviewed for scope compliance by a designated representative of the

DLA Troop Support Construction & Equipment (C&E) Directorate. An item must be approved by DLA Troop Support prior to requesting a TLS Contractor's pricing and delivery terms for an order. The determination by DLA Troop Support as to whether an item is in scope shall be considered final and cannot be appealed by any TLS Contractor.

4. Price Evaluation List (PEL): The PEL is considered a representative sample of the types of items that may be required by DLA Troop Support customers throughout the duration of the contract. The list illustrates the types of supplies that have been provided under the previous Metals TLS Contracts, which the TLS Contractor(s) may be required to furnish under the resultant contracts for the current initiative. The prices for the PEL and Acceptable Alternates will be Ceiling Prices after contract award. It is the maximum unit price that the Government will pay during the basic contract term and each applicable option term for items on the PEL*. During the post-award competition of delivery orders, the TLS Contractor may not submit a quote for a PEL item or Acceptable Alternate with a price that exceeds the applicable contractual Ceiling Price. It should be noted, if it is determined that one of the exceptions in FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i) applies to an order, DLA Troop Support may direct the award to one contractor. In the event that the TLS Contractor receives pricing from its suppliers for a PEL item that is lower than the ceiling price proposed in its Price Proposal, the TLS Contractor shall submit the lower, quoted price as the unit price. TLS Contractors are encouraged, when competing for delivery orders, to provide a quote less than their ceiling price.

*Note: Prices offered for the items on the Price Evaluation List and prices offered for alternate items accepted by the Government will be awarded as firm-fixed ceiling prices for the first three (3) months of the base period and first three (3) months of each two-year option period.

a. Superseded Part Number Items: If an item on the PEL is superseded during the contract term, the

TLS Contractor shall advise the Contracting Officer. If there is no change to the part’s form, fit, function, configuration, application, and physical nature and is therefore an exact item of replacement, PEL pricing will remain applicable. If there is a change such that it is not an exact item replacement, the TLS Contractor shall include complete information from the manufacturer concerning the replacement item as it relates to the form, fit, and function, configuration, application, and physical nature of the superseded item. The Contracting Officer will make the determination whether the superseded item represents a “new” item. If the determination by the Contracting Officer is that the superseded item is NOT an exact item of replacement, PEL pricing will not be applicable.

b. End of Life (EOL): If an item on the PEL has been classified as EOL by the manufacturer, the TLS

Contractor shall provide supporting documentation to the Contracting Officer. PEL pricing will not be applicable after the last production date.

5. Pricing:

a. Acquisition Price: The acquisition price is defined as the actual invoice price of the product that the TLS Contractor pays its subcontractor or supplier for the material ordered under a contract line item, less the value of any rebates, discounts, payments, fees, and/or remittances of any kind received by the TLS Contractor from its subcontractor(s) or supplier(s) in connection with its fulfillment of that contract line item.

i. The contract price shall not include the value of any markups, fees, charges, or other costs imposed upon the TLS Contractor by any affiliate(s) (see FAR 2.101) of the TLS Contractor above and beyond what the affiliate pays its supply source. In the case of an awardee that is a joint venture, the acquisition price shall be fixed at the lowest price available to the joint venture or any of its constituent entities and shall not include a) the value of any markups, fees, charges, or other costs imposed upon the joint venture by its constituent entities or any affiliate(s) (see FAR 2.101) of its constituent entities, or b) the value of any markups, fees, charges, or other costs imposed upon the joint venture’s constituent entities by any affiliate(s) (see FAR 2.101) of its constituent entities. Acquisition prices offered to the Government shall not exceed the commercial selling prices at which the TLS Contractor’s commercial supplier(s) and/or subcontractor(s) routinely offer the same quantity of their products or services for sale to the general public in the ordinary course and conduct of their businesses. All acquisition prices are subject to verification.

ii. The values of any distribution, handling, or other fees, remittances, or payments of any kind received by the TLS Contractor (or, in the case of a TLS Contractor that is a joint venture, any of its constituent entities) during its performance of this contract, which are payable to the TLS Contractor (or any of its constituent entities) by reason of or incident to the TLS Contractor's (or its constituent entities') purchase of supplies to fulfill orders issued under0 this contract shall immediately be credited against the contract price of the line item(s) to which they relate and thereby passed through to the benefit of the Government. The benefit of all such fees, remittances, and/or payments shall be provided to the Government through corresponding reductions to the contract prices of the pertinent line items, whether the distribution, handling, or other fees and payments are received by the TLS Contractor or its constituent entities before or after issuance of the Government delivery order line item(s) to which they relate. Neither the TLS Contractor, nor in the case of a joint venture, its constituent entities, shall collect any sort of discount, rebate, fee, payment, remittance, or other thing of value from its suppliers and/or subcontractors related to products purchased to fulfill delivery order line items under this contract without immediately tendering the full value of those fees, payments, or other things of value to the Government, in the form of a reduction to the contract price of the line item.

b. Other Costs: Offered unit prices shall be submitted as one fixed price to include the acquisition cost and other costs. Shipping rates offered to the Government shall not exceed the commercial shipping rates at which the TLS Contractor’s commercial supplier(s) and/or subcontractor(s) routinely offer to the general public in the ordinary course and conduct of their businesses. The prices offered shall not include the DLA Troop Support cost recovery rate.

c. If the Government issues multiple awards, all orders shall be competed amongst all awardees. A fair and reasonable price determination will be made on all line items. Items where pricing cannot be determined to be fair and reasonable will not be approved by the Contracting Officer, and thus will not be ordered.

6. Limitations on Pass-Through Charges: The TLS Contractor shall not be entitled to payment for excessive pass-through charges and shall exclude excessive pass-through charges in the contract price and in any invoices submitted. Excessive pass-through charges are charges resulting from or attributable to the TLS Contractor's or its subcontractors' effort when that effort did not add substantive value to the work performed under the contract. The Contracting Officer shall determine if excessive pass-through charges exist. The TLS Contractor has the burden of establishing, to the Contracting Officer's satisfaction, the value it or its subcontractors at any tier added to the work performed under the contract. In the event the Government discovers potential excessive pass-through charges, the Government may require the TLS Contractor to submit invoices and other documentation from all tiers to substantiate the value added at each tier; the TLS Contractor's failure to provide acceptable documentation substantiating value added is sufficient, without more, to establish that excessive pass-through charges exist. If the Contracting Officer determines that excessive pass-through charges exist, the Government shall be entitled to a prospective price reduction and a retroactive refund for the amount of the excessive passthrough charges included in the contract price. The Contracting Officer, or authorized representative, shall have the right to examine and audit all of the TLS Contractor's records (as defined at FAR 52.215-2(a)) relevant to the existence of excessive pass-through charges; failure to exercise this right shall not constitute a defense to a determination of excessive pass-through charges or the Government's assertion of remedies.

7. Implementation Plan:

a. The implementation period (or ramp-up period) for the contract resulting from this solicitation is a maximum of 60 calendar days beginning at the effective date of the contract. The TLS Contractor is expected to begin filling customer orders before the end of the implementation period.

b. The TLS Contractor is required to provide its implementation plan to DLA Troop Support no more than seven calendar days after award. Implementation of the contract shall include the following:

i. Ensuring all Performance Metrics can be accomplished and having a Purchasing System in place in accordance with the Statement of Work.

ii. Having successfully tested ANSI X12 transactions sets as identified in the paragraph below titled

Information Technology (IT)/Order Receipt Processing. At minimum, the 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment and 810 Invoice transactions must be tested with successful results obtained in order to perform.

c. Ramp Down. In the event that a follow-on contract is awarded to a firm other than the incumbent

TLS Contractor(s), the Government intends to: (i) make award at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of the incumbent contract and (ii) establish a time phased transition schedule during the incumbent TLS contractor’s final 30 days of operation. During the implementation period, the incumbent TLS Contractor(s) will remain the principal source of supplies. Performance failure during this period may result in the termination of the contract for cause. The order of precedence for customer support is (1) the incumbent TLS Contractor(s) (2) the new TLS Contractor(s). The incumbent TLS Contractor(s) must facilitate the transition to the maximum extent practicable.

8. Purchasing System: The TLS Contractor is required to have a purchasing system to support this requirement. “Purchasing system” means the TLS Contractor's system or systems for purchasing and subcontracting, including the selection of vendors, analysis of quoted prices, negotiation of prices with vendors, and placing and administering of orders. The regulatory requirements for competition and price in Procurement Note C08 - Tailored Logistics Support Purchasing Reviews is applicable. The TLS Contractor’s purchasing system shall include the following:

a. Provide for an organizational and administrative structure that ensures effective and efficient procurement of required quality materials/parts at the most economical cost from responsible/reliable sources.

b. Perform internal audits and management reviews, training, and maintain policies and procedures for the purchasing department to ensure the integrity of the purchasing system. Establish and maintain a corrective action plan for employees that violate the policies and procedures of the purchasing system.

c. Establish and maintain selection processes to ensure the most responsive and responsible sources for furnishing required quality parts and materials.

d. Promote competitive sourcing among dependable suppliers so that purchases are reasonably priced and from sources that meet contractor quality requirements in accordance with the regulatory requirements for competition and price in Procurement Note C08 - Tailored Logistics Support Purchasing Reviews.

e. Establish and maintain procedures to ensure documentation of vendor selected and performance of adequate price analysis on purchasing actions in accordance with the regulatory requirements for competition and price in Procurement Note C08 - Tailored Logistics Support Purchasing Reviews.

Internal systemic checks that identify price increases, domestic sourcing issues, or other potential violations BEFORE the order is transmitted to DLA Troop Support.

f. Have policies and procedures to assure purchase orders and subcontracts contain all flow down clauses, including terms and conditions required by the prime contract, as well as any clauses needed to carry out the requirements of the prime contract and ensures that proper types of subcontracts are selected.

Procedures that ensure the post-award oversight and surveillance of subcontracted effort to assure that all requirements are followed.

9. Customer Support: TLS Contractors must have dedicated personnel assigned to the day-to-day management of the Metals Tailored Logistics Support Program.

a. Customer Support: Customer support must be made available to DLA Troop Support and authorized customers under the Metals TLSP. Adequate customer support includes procedures to address order tracking, emergency order tracking, problem resolution for any service or quality issues, quantity discrepancies, and warranty disputes. The TLS Contractor shall provide a clear organizational hierarchy, including contact information, to customers for the escalation of unresolved issues. The TLS Contractor shall respond to all customer support inquiries within 24 hours after receipt. The TLS Contractor must maintain dedicated, 24/7 customer support for emergency requirements to provide support via telephone and/or email correspondence. TLS Contractors must provide DLA Troop Support and authorized customers with a toll-free phone number and an email address in order to contact the customer support representatives.

b. Technical Support: TLS Contractors must have technical experts available to promptly provide technical support and assistance for each item offered to DLA Troop Support and authorized customers under the Metals TLSP. TLS Contractors must have technical support representatives available Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM local Philadelphia time to provide technical support by telephone or email correspondence. A toll-free phone number must be provided to DLA Troop Support and authorized customers in order to access technical experts for support. In addition, TLS Contractors must provide DLA Troop Support and authorized customers with an email address in order to contact the technical experts. Technical support may be required on a pre-order and/or post-order basis. Technical support may include but is not limited to providing advice and information regarding the proper use and ordering of Metals products. TLS Contractors shall respond to all technical support inquiries within 24 hours of receipt of inquiry.

c. Customer Visits: TLS Contractors must have representative(s) available for customer visits when required. All customer visits must be coordinated through DLA Troop Support in advance and shall be authorized only when the customer specifically requests a visit. Visits are at no cost to the Government.

d. Marketing/Expansion: The TLS Contractors shall partner with DLA Troop Support to market the Metals TLS Program to all eligible customers. The TLS Contractor may develop, publish, and, subject to the approval of the Contracting Officer, distribute appropriate publications and/or marketing materials to inform eligible installations about the operations of the Metals TLS Program. The materials may cover the types of products supplied under the program and the customer service offered by the TLS Contractor, and a toll-free telephone number and dedicated email that may be used by eligible customers for any questions regarding the program. The TLS Contractor may be required to attend DLA Troop Support sponsored industry/customer conferences. The TLS Contractor may provide email notification, to all customers, of any new Metals products and/or discounted products that are currently available for purchase. All marketing related emails shall be forwarded to the designated DLA Troop Support Tailored Vendor Logistics Specialist(s) as well. All marketing, marketing visits, and industry/customer conferences are at no cost to the Government. The expansion of the contract beyond that of the currently participating activities will depend greatly upon the successful management and marketing of the contract by the awardee(s). Any marketing efforts shall not, at any time, include the marketing of items that the Contracting Officer has previously determined to be out of scope. Any item that the Contracting Officer has not previously determined to be within scope shall not be guaranteed, or implied as guaranteed, to be supportable through the Metals contract.

10. Information Technology (IT)/Order Receipt Processing: For purposes of this program, TLS

Contractors must, at a minimum, be able to provide the following after award:

a. Email capabilities for the receipt of “requests for quotes” for Metals items forwarded by DLA Troop Support to each TLS Contractor.

b. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capabilities to transmit customer order information to DLA Troop

Support and for invoicing Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).

i. To facilitate EDI transaction exchange, the TLS Contractor is responsible for obtaining and maintaining a Value-Added Network (VAN) for the term of the contract. The cost of the VAN will be borne entirely by the TLS Contractor.

ii. At a minimum, the TLS Contractor must be able to support the following American National

Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 transaction sets:

• 810 Invoice

• 824 Application Advice

• 850 Purchase/Delivery Order*

• 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment*

• 856 Advanced Shipping Notice

• 864 Order Acknowledgement

• 865 Purchase Order Change*

*Note, the use of the term “Purchase Order” in relation to transactions under any resultant contract(s) is synonymous with “Delivery Order.”

The TLS Contractor is not authorized to perform until receipt of the 824, Application Advice, transaction. The Government is not liable for any costs that the TLS Contractor incurs before receipt of the 824.

iii. The TLS Contractor must be able to send an ANSI X12 Invoice (810) transaction set as of the date of award and must establish an EDI Trading Partnership with the payment office prior to submitting electronic invoices.

Additional transactions may be required during contract performance and the TLS Contractor shall accommodate such transactions at no additional cost to the Government.

c. Usage Data: A delimited American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text file with line-item usage data.

Within seven (7) calendar days of any resultant contract award, the TLS Contractor shall furnish the name of an Information Technology (IT) specialist point of contact (POC), who is capable and authorized to resolve systems, software, and transmission issues with DLA Troop Support IT POCs.

d. Ordering/Request for Quote Process Overview:

i. Competition process for all delivery orders: All orders will be competed among all awardees pursuant to the fair opportunity requirements of FAR 16.505(b), except the Government reserves the right to direct orders to a particular source in accordance with one of the exceptions in FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i).

The small business concern that wins the "reserved" contract, if any, will compete against all other contract holders for each requirement. Special preference will not be given to small business concerns at the delivery order competition level. Each Request for Quote (RFQ) will clearly state the basis for award. Price and delivery are common factors that will be used; however other factors may be included as well, such as past performance. The BidWiser Program (a DLA Troop Support Bid Processing Program) will be utilized to issue the Request for Quotes (RFQs) for the individual delivery orders and to evaluate the offers received.*

*It should be noted that the DLA Construction & Equipment directorate is currently undergoing ongoing Information technology (IT) modernization. The platform (i.e. BidWiser) that supports the Metals TLSP is subject to change at any time during the period of performance. The TLS Contractor will be expected to accommodate any IT change made by DLA to the bid processing platform at no additional cost to the Government. The Government reserves the right to direct the TLS Contractor to utilize other methods of quote submission at no additional cost to the Government.

ii. Approved customer order requests are loaded into a standardized RFQ spreadsheet and forwarded

(via email) to all TLS Contractors. A sample RFQ file layout has been provided in Attachment 3 “Sample of a RFQ Layout”. Should any missing data be identified, the DLA Tailored Vendor Logistics Specialist (TVLS) will follow-up with the customer for clarification and the requirement would be re-competed with the adequate data, if necessary. TLS Contractors will not have contact or discussions with the customer during the RFQ process.

iii. TLS Contractors are expected to submit priced quotes on a minimum of 90% of RFQs. The TLS

Contractor must submit priced quotes on all RFQs for items on the PEL on which it has offered a Ceiling Price, and the Ceiling Price was determined fair and reasonable and accepted by the

Government. TLS Contractors must honor their awarded PEL ceiling prices for the first three months of the base period (2-year term) and the first three months of each option term (four (4) two-year terms) on any resultant contract.

iv. When a RFQ describes the Government's requirements for an item peculiar to one manufacturer (e.g., a particular brand-name, product, or a feature of a product that is peculiar to one manufacturer), offers of alternate items will be considered by the Government unless the RFQ expressly states that only the item peculiar to one manufacturer will be considered. A TLS Contractor proposing an alternate item shall furnish, with its offer, legible copies of all drawings, specifications, or other data necessary to clearly describe the characteristics and features of the alternate product being offered. Data submitted shall cover design, materials, performance, function, interchangeability, inspection and/or testing criteria, and other characteristics of the offered alternate product. In addition, the Offeror shall furnish a cross-reference list comparing the features and capabilities of the alternate item offered to the exact item listed on the RFQ, which is sufficient to enable the Government to determine whether the Offeror's alternate product is equal to the product cited in the RFQ. Failure to provide a complete technical data package sufficient to establish that the alternate item is an acceptable substitute to the exact item requested shall be grounds to exclude the alternate item from consideration.

v. In the event an offer for an alternate item is received in accordance with the terms of the contract, the Government will review the alternate item for acceptability. If the Government determines that the alternate item offered will meet its requirements, the Government may award based on the alternate item in lieu of the item originally requested, without further negotiations or amendments to the RFQ, if the alternate item offers the best value to the government based on the criteria stated in the relevant RFQ. If the Government determines that the alternate item will not meet its requirements, the Government will document why the alternate item fails to meet the Government's needs and award the original item requested, or an otherwise acceptable alternate item, in accordance with the terms of the source selection process stated in the individual RFQ.

vi. In the event a RFQ describes the Government's requirements for an item peculiar to one manufacturer, and expressly states that only that item will be considered, the Government will follow the procedures contained in FAR 16.505 concerning the justification, documentation and approval for an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

vii. All TLS Contractors fill out the following information in identified spreadsheet fields:

• TLSP Vendor Part Number

• Vendor Unit Price (i.e. “Acquisition” Cost & any applicable “Other” Cost) (include the cost of the item, supplier/TLS vendor shipping, consolidation, handling and/or delivery fee to the customer destination)

• Lead Time

• Comments

• Restricted Sourcing Compliant (i.e. Compliance with Buy American, Trade Agreements

Act, Berry Amendment, etc., as applicable)

• Country of Origin

Note: The below fill-ins are applicable only when alternate/substitute item is offered:

• Alternate PEL Number

• Alternate LSN

• Alternate Item Description

• Alternate TLSP Vendor Part Number

• Alternate Vendor Unit Price

• Alternate Lead Time

• Alternate Comments

• Alternate Restricted Sourcing Compliant

• Alternate Country of Origin

The TLS Contractors send (via email) the completed RFQ files to the designated DLA Troop Support contact.

The TLS Contractors shall have adequate personnel to respond to Delivery Order RFQs with the ability to expand in response to increased sales volume.

viii. All TLS Contractor RFQs that are received by the required date/time are loaded into

BidWiser. The date and time for receipt of quotes will be specified on each RFQ and generally will be within 7 business days.

ix. The Contracting Officer reviews the returned quotes and selects the awardee based upon a

Best Value determination. The Best Value determination will be based on Trade-Off procedures, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable procedures, or other procedures, as specified in the RFQ. The Best Value award decision factors normally will include price and delivery; however, other factors such as past performance may be included, as specified in the RFQ. Awards may be made on a line-by-line basis or a total order basis. As stated above, each Request for Quote (RFQ) will clearly state the basis for award and how the offers will be evaluated. The Government reserves the right to direct orders to a particular source in accordance with one of the exceptions in FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i). In addition, the small business concern that wins the "reserved" contract, if any, will compete against all other contract holders for each requirement. Special preference will not be given to small business concerns at the delivery order competition level.

x. Should the TLS Contractor have questions regarding a particular item, it may contact the

DLA Troop Support POC for clarification.

xi. DLA Troop Support will verify that PEL prices do not exceed the ceiling prices.

e. Equipment and EDI Requirements: Information regarding EDI, ANSI X12 transactions, and DLA transaction services approved VANs can be obtained from the DAAS website by going to https://www.transactionservices.dla.mil/daashome/edi- vanlist-dla.asp. Questions concerning electronic ordering should be directed to: dlaedigroup@dla.mil. The TLS Contractor shall acquire and maintain the following minimum requirements for receiving and transmitting EDI transactions:

i. A computer compatible with the chosen network.

ii. A mailbox with a commercial VAN which is connected to the Distribution Point.

https://www.transactionservices.dla.mil/daashome/edi-mailto:dlaedigroup@dla.mil

iii. Translation and communication software which is commercially available and capable of receiving and transmitting X12 data in accordance with paragraph (b)(ii) above. The Government reserves the right to "upgrade" the X12 Guideline to allow for technological enhancements which render the then current minimum requirements inadequate to permit the required EDI transmissions.

iv. The TLS Contractor shall be responsible for all errors or malfunctions regarding any EDI transmission: caused by the TLS Contractor's personnel or the TLS Contractor's equipment; caused by the TLS Contractor's agent or representative, or the agent's or representative's personnel or equipment; caused by an error or malfunction in a VAN chosen by the TLS Contractor or its agent or representative, and such errors or malfunctions shall not be a basis for excusable delay within the meaning of the clause FAR 52.212-4(f), unless such error or malfunction be beyond the control, and without the fault or negligence of, the TLS Contractor, the TLS Contractor's agent or representative or the TLS Contractor's selected VAN. When such events occur, the TLS Contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer within twenty-four (24) hours or the next business day of first notice of the error or malfunction to arrange for retransmission. Repeated errors or malfunctions may necessitate the termination of EDI transmissions with the TLS Contractor and may necessitate the termination of the contract.

v. In the event of an error or malfunction in EDI transmission caused by a Government representative or equipment, the Contracting Officer shall immediately notify the TLS Contractor and arrange for retransmission of the data.

vi. Both the Government and the TLS Contractor agree that use of an "interchange address" in each

EDI transmission shall be the equivalent of a written signature and shall have the same force and effect as if it were a written signature.

vii. In the event of an interruption in EDI transmission, hard copy documents shall be used for conducting those transactions which were accomplished through EDI until such time as the interruption ceases.

viii. The TLS Contractor shall provide for adequate security of all EDI transmissions and protect all records and data from unauthorized or improper access and distribution. Information regarding EDI is available at:

https://www.transactionservices.dla.mil/daashome/edi.asp

ix. During the ramp-up period of any resultant contract, the TLS Contractor shall provide the VAN that shall be used for the EDI transactions. Any change in the VAN during contract performance must be approved by the Contracting Officer, in writing, prior to change-over.

x. Disputes: Any disagreement which arises in connection with the minimum requirements for EDI transmission or fault as to error or malfunction of EDI transmissions shall constitute a dispute under the "Disputes" clause of the contract.

xi. The following ANSI X12 EDI transactions will be required to be forwarded to DLA Troop Support via Defense Automatic Addressing System Center (DASSC):

1) Upon email notification of the “Successful Offer”, the TLS Contractor must create an 855 - Purchase Order Acknowledgement and forward to DLA Troop Support within two (2) https://www.transactionservices.dla.mil/daashome/edi.asp business days. This transaction will include a separate line and line-item number for each item ordered under the delivery order. In accordance with FAR Part 4, DLA is responsible for assigning unique Procurement Instrument Identifiers (PIIDs) for each resultant delivery order. Note, there is no award unless a vendor explicitly receives an Award Notification Spreadsheet via email.

2) Following approval of an order in KO Portal, the TLS Contractor will receive an order acknowledgement via an EDI 864 transaction while at the same time a final EDI 855 transaction will be sent from KO Portal through DAASC to Enterprise Business System (EBS) to record the obligation. The final EDI 855 transaction will constitute the delivery order date. Once the final EDI 855 transaction is completed and the obligation is recorded in EBS, the purchase order will be established. Once the purchase order has been established, the TLS Contractor will receive approval notice to begin performance via an EDI 824 transaction. The shipment notice (EDI 856 transaction) will constitute the date of shipment.

3) Upon shipment to the customer, TLS Contractors must create and forward an 856 -

Advanced Shipping Notice. The line-item number that is being shipped must be included.

Multiple 856s per order are acceptable. Note, customer contact information will be provided for every delivery order.

4) After customer receipt, an 810 - Invoice is required to be forwarded. Invoicing for the

Metals Tailored Logistics Support Program will be at the line-item level. There should be a corresponding invoice line for each line on the 855 once the line has been shipped.

Therefore, it is critical to maintain the same line-item number used from the 855 on the 810.

For example, if the item was listed as line-item number 1 on the 855 Purchase Order Transaction it must be listed as line-item number 1 on the 810 Invoice transaction. The Government's processing system, known as DLA Enterprise Business System (EBS), will be matching price and quantity per line-item, along with the customer's Material Receipt Acknowledgement (MRA), to make payment.

5) The following transaction is provided for reference only as it may be implemented at a later date and after a minimum 30-day notice: 865 - Purchase Order Change - a purchase order change can be initiated by the contractor; however, it will go through an approval process in EBS. The TLS Contractor is not permitted to submit any 865 transactions without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer. Once an order is invoiced, no changes are permissible.

Note: Until implementation of above 865 Transaction, any change to a purchase order should be forwarded via email to the DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer.

Include in the remarks the complete order number being changed.

f. Monthly Usage Data: Usage data reflects the TLS Contractor’s line-item detail for the financial (sales) data and is used to establish TLSP metrics. At a minimum, monthly usage data shall be made available to DLA Troop Support within 5 days from the end of each calendar month covering each ordering activity under the contract. Data shall be arrayed to provide Government access on a line-by-line or delivery order basis.

The required format for submission of this information is contained on Attachment 4 to the Solicitation, titled “Data Specification Document.”

i. During the term of this contract, DLA Troop Support will use state-of the-art Information Technology Systems (ITS). As part of the administration of the Construction & Equipment (C&E) Directorate’s Tailored Logistics Support (TLS) Programs, DLA Troop Support has defined a monthly requirement of Usage Data Reporting. All data provided by the TLS Contractors will be used and viewed by DLA Troop Support personnel only. Data will not be shared and cannot be viewed by other TLS Contractors.

ii. Within seven (7) calendar days of any resultant contract award, Offerors shall furnish the name of an IT specialist POC, who is capable and authorized to resolve systems, software and transmission issues with DLA Troop Support IT POCs. To increase the utility of this collected information, streamline the data collection process, and minimize data manipulation efforts, DLA Troop Support has established specific data reporting requirements. These specifications include submission timeframes, vehicle or medium of submission and the data elements structure that will make up the submitted data set. As the state of the art of IT evolves, modifications may be required at any time during contract performance to accommodate the needs of DLA Troop Support and/or its customers, which Offerors shall provide at no additional cost to the Government.

Note: THE DATA SUBMITTED SHALL CONTAIN THE ACTUAL MANUFACTURER’S NAME

AND THE MANUFACTURER’S PART NUMBER. ANY OTHER METHOD OF IDENTIFYING

THE MANUFACTURER AND MANUFACTURER’S PART NUMBER, SUCH AS A SYSTEM

UNIQUE TO THE VENDOR, IS UNACCEPTABLE.

11. Delivery Requirements:

a. The total logistics support required by any resultant contract(s) includes the TLS Contractor’s ability to transport and deliver Metals items to any ordering activity within the CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii and worldwide via CONUS CCPs within the timeframe requested by the customer to meet their mission requirements on each individual delivery order. This includes the ability to support routine delivery requirements, as well as emergency delivery requirements, and surge and sustainment delivery requirements (should any arise within the period of performance). Delivery using commercial airfreight may be required to meet the emergency delivery requirements of the customer. Weekend deliveries are acceptable if required or approved by the ordering activity. Delivery hours may vary for each installation and will be provided to the TLS Contractor upon implementation of the contract at that site. The ordering activity may indicate one or more locations on base for delivery of supplies. Additionally, ordering activities may require TLS Contractor notifications before delivery. TLS Contractors shall comply with ordering activities desired delivery notification timeframes. For emergency orders, the shipping containers shall be marked accordingly to indicate that it is an emergency delivery. The TLS Contractor shall provide each customer with the telephone number and email address of the TLS Contractor's representative responsible for providing the marking on the shipping container. The TLS Contractor may be required to provide numerous emergency orders per month. The item unit price for emergency orders will be the same as routine/non-emergency orders. Deliveries for items that are “manufactured to order” must meet the delivery time specified in the order.

b. DLA CONUS Containerization and Consolidation Point (CCP) Requirements: The TLS Contractor shall be responsible for coordinating the transportation booking in conjunction with DLA Distribution. The TLS Contractor must submit a shipping request form containing shipment information to obtain shipping instructions and carrier documentation from DLA Distribution. Shipping request forms are to be submitted to DLA Distribution, Attention: Transportation Division, Email: delivery@dla.mil, Phone: 1-800-456- 5507, Facsimile: 1-717- 770-2709.

c. The TLS Contractor is contractually obligated to provide delivery via commercial transportation resources in the CONUS, Alaska, and Hawaii to the point of need. Delivery may be to a CONUS based debarkation point and then transported via federal government assets to OCONUS locations.