Attachment 4 - 12FPC325R0001 through 12FPC325R0045 Questions and Answers.pdf

Solicitation Notice – 12FPC325R0001 through 12FPC325R0038, and 12FPC325R0040 through

12FPC325R0045

Professional Land Surveying - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – LOUISIANA, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, ARKANSAS, DELAWARE, TEXAS, MISSOURI, IOWA, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, NEBRASKA, KANSAS, MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO WISCONSIN, NEW YORK, VERMONT, UTAH, MONTANA, OKLAHOMA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, SOUTH DAKOTA, NEW JERSEY, CALIFORNIA, NORTH CAROLINA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, MARYLAND, RHODE ISLAND, GEORGIA, MICHIGAN, ALABAMA, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, VIRGINA, WEST VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WYOMING, IDAHO, AND

COLORADO

Questions and Answers

January 14, 2025

***PLEASE NOTE: THIS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS COVERS MULTIPLE STATES AND

MULTIPLE SOLICITATIONS. THERE ARE SOME STATE/SOLICITATION SPECIFIC

QUESTIONS***

Q1. Does this solicitation allow for teams to bid jointly?

A1. There is no bidding – this is a request for qualifications under FAR Part 36.6 acquisition procedures. Please review the SF330 form that you are to submit, one firm may submit as prime with the other as a sub, but it the firm designated as Prime that would be responsible and awarded a contract – and the only firm that the government would hold discussions with. Unless you establish a formal JV partnership agreement (which you would have to document).

Q2. Is the project throughout Illinois? Can we obtain parts of the entire project in select locations?

A2. Yes, the IDIQ will cover the whole state of Illinois. At this time, IDIQ’s will not be awarded for specific areas of Illinois, instead will encompass the whole state.

Q3. If we submit a revised version updating the owner of the firm, will we need to separate the SF330 now that Louisiana and Arkansas have been advertised separately? OR can we submit an updated SF330 for the original Solicitation No. 12FPC324R0004?

A3. We have saved SF330 previously submitted in our database individually for both states, and will be considered as is, unless you update. If you update, please reply individually for each state you wish to be considered for as they now each have individual solicitation numbers.

Q4. I would like to know if there will be a need for a Licensed State Land Surveyor (LSLS) in addition to an RPLS? An LSLS deals with lands owned by the State of Texas. Will any of the easements adjoin State owned Land?

A4. There is no way to know how many will adjoin state property. But yes, it is possible and the probability they predict in the 5% - 10% range. Having said that, due to this nuance of surveying in

Texas, firms need to be able to survey all lands regardless of who the adjoiner is. Firms will not be required to have a LSLS.

Q5. I have started the application process for a sam.gov registration etc. Besides this is the SF 330 and proof of registration all that is needed for this solicitation?

A5. Basically, yes, but it is your responsibility to review the Instructions to Offerors and be sure that your submission meets and addresses all the minimum and mandatory requirements.

Q6. In regard to the above referenced RFQs posted, I just wanted to confirm whether the agency will consider qualifications from companies that are not SBA certified.

A6. I do not know what you mean by SBA certified. There is no specific SBA certification required.

However, the surveying requirements are Total Small Business set-asides, so if your business does not meet the threshold established to meet the size standard of a small business under NAICS 541370 which is $19.5 million (which is established by the SBA), then you are not eligible for award. Proposals received from firms that do not meet the small business size standard will not receive consideration and will be rejected.

Q7. Section F of the SF330 as mentioned in Criterion 3 is Example Projects.

Criterion 1 also mentions providing example projects and Criterion 5 states The CPARS or PPQ are limited to an evaluation for each project under Criterion 1. IF A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION

IS NOT AVAILABLE, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (Attachment 2) included in this notice is provided for the firm or its team members to submit to the client for each project included under

Criterion 3, Specialized Experience and Technical Competence.

• Is this correct or are the CPARS and PPQ’s only needed for Criterion 3 (the 6 example projects in

SF330 Section F)?

Criterion 1 Professional Qualifications (SF330, Part I, Sections D, E, & G and Part II)

Includes the statement “Examples of previous legal boundary and easement survey work shall be provided for review as well as a description of the type of surveys performed and references with phone numbers.” The referenced SF330 sections D, E, & G and Part II do not address this requirement.

• Would you like us to add additional project examples as a separate section following the SF330 along with the CPARS and PPQ’s or possibly include in Section H of the SF330?

Finally, in reference to Criterion 1 qualified personnel

• Does the USDA NRCS consider a Survey Technician to be a field employee (Instrument Man) or an office employee (CAD Technician).

A7. Here is what Criterion 1 says, since this seems to be where the confusion is:

(1) Criterion 1 - Professional Qualifications (SF330, Part I, Sections D, E & G and Part II): The firm must identify the qualifications of personnel in the following key disciplines: Professional Land Surveyor

(PLS); Survey Party Chief, and Surveying Technician. The PLS must be a licensed registered land surveyor in the State of Louisiana. Firms shall possess professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services similar in nature to those required as part of this requirement. Submittals should demonstrate that the firm’s staff is capable of certifying that all work is in compliance with the state laws and regulations. Examples of previous legal boundary and easement survey work shall be provided for review, as well as a description of the type of surveys performed and references with phone numbers.

The Government will evaluate and consider the education, training, certification, overall and relevant experience and longevity with the proposed team. Evaluation will include the level of formal education, continuing education, the number of years licensed, the number of years of experience, and involvement in professional activities/organizations. Evaluation will be based upon the professional land surveying registration and qualified personnel work experience associated with legal boundary surveys, and their availability to work on this contract. Previous legal boundary work examples will be evaluated based on the complexity of work.

• Firms with three or more licensed PLS in the state of Louisiana, will be rating higher than those with less;

• Firms with Survey Party Chiefs and Surveying Technicians with 5 or more years of experience will receive higher rating than those with less; and,

• The higher degree of complexity of legal boundary survey work, the higher the rating.

Q8. Do the PPQ’s and CPARS count against the 75 page limit?

A8. The 75 page limit is on the SF330 Part I – “The SF330 Part I shall not exceed 75 pages (8.5-in x 11-

in) in total, including no more than 20 pages for Section H.” See page 1, Section A, second paragraph of the Instructions to Offerors. Part II is a one page form, per firm (prime and subcontractor(s).

The CPARS or PPQ are limited to an evaluation for each project under Criteron 1. There is no specific page limit. See page 7, Item (5) Criterion 5 – page 7 of the Instructions to Offerors.

Q9. You mentioned these are follow-on to original Solicitation 12FPC324R004 and upon checking, I show that Solicitation 12FPC324R004 was recently awarded in August 2024. Will the contracts awarded under Solicitation # 12FPC324R004 be close out because they will be replaced by the Solicitations per

State (state specific requirements)?

A9. 12FPC324R0004 if you read is an open solicitation – a call for qualifications.

There actually have been a few awards under the short selection process under R0004. To clarify, 12FPC324R0004 stated that states were developing requirements, and that we intended to maintain

SF330 qualification packages to be able to use the short selection process for requirements that states would have under the simplified acquisition threshold, and “when formal selection procedures were anticipated, an additional notice with specific details and evaluation criteria will be posted to this site.” “SF330 qualifications received as a result of this general notice, as well as any received as a result of the additional and specific public notice will be evaluated in accordance with 36.602-1 and detailed in the notice.”

So we are now following on with a related notice for each State now that they have their longer term requirements solidified. To be considered for a state, you must respond to each request. If you previously submitted and were prequalified for one or more states (which you were), we have that SF330 package on file and will evaluate as submitted for each state, unless updated.

We will continue to request updates to qualifications each Spring to keep the database of firms updated and for use of the short selection process, when necessary, but do have several states that have a magnitude of requirements that necessitate longer term contracts, so that is what we are announcing and requesting now.

Q10. We noticed Solicitation Notice 12FPC325R0003 was issued recently for Illinois. Is this separate from 12FPC324R0004?

If so, do you anticipate awarding 12FPC324R0004 prior to 12FPC324R0003?

A10. See answer for Q9.

Q11. Will you consider an extension to the submission due date to allow Offerors more time to submit a high-quality proposal? If possible, we would appreciate an additional 7-10 business days.

A11. An extension to the submission due will not be granted. As stated in the solicitation, this is a request for qualifications and proposals are not being accepted at this time. Please refer to the

Instructions to Offerors that is attached to the solicitation.

Q12. Could you provide clarification if the file size limitation is 20MB or 20GB? The synopsis states

“…the file size limitation is 20B due to email server restrictions.”

A12. File size limitation is 20MB.

Q13. Do cover pages, dividers, and any appendices (firm registrations, past performance evaluations, etc.)

count towards the page limit?

A13. The 75 page limit is on the SF330 Part I – “The SF330 Part I shall not exceed 75 pages (8.5-in x 11-

in) in total, including no more than 20 pages for Section H.” See page 1, Section A, second paragraph of the Instructions to Offerors. Part II is a one page form, per firm (prime and subcontractor(s).

The CPARS or PPQ are limited to an evaluation for each project under Criteron 1. There is no specific page limit. See page 7, Item (5) Criterion 5 – page 7 of the Instructions to Offerors.

Q14. Does this RFQ require engineers on staff?

A14. Please read through the Information to Offerors. The government will evaluate all SF330s using the selection criteria found within.

Under Criterion 1 – Professional Qualifications: The firm must identify qualifications of personnel in the following key disciplines: Professional Land Surveyor (PLS); Survey Party Chief and Surveying

Technician.

Q15. Section F of the SF330 as mentioned in Criterion 3 is Example Projects.

Criterion 1 also mentions providing example projects and Criterion 5 states The CPARS or PPQ are limited to an evaluation for each project under Criterion 1. IF A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION

IS NOT AVAILABLE, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (Attachment 2) included in this notice is provided for the firm or its team members to submit to the client for each project included under

Criterion 3, Specialized Experience and Technical Competence.

• Is this correct or are the CPARS and PPQ’s only needed for Criterion 3 (the 6 example projects in

SF330 Section F)?

A15. Yes - Example project for Criterion 1 are specific to individuals and should include examples of specific survey work of a relevant project to demonstrate staff’s capabilities of relevant work shows in

Section E item 19. We may or may not inquire on performance for these, but it is not necessary to submit

CPARS or PPQ for them. The examples are meant more to show and demonstrate experience, capability, and complexity of survey work.

Criterion 5 is related to past performance of the firm/team. Yes, we are seeking CPARS and PPQs for only those projects listed in Section F which are relevant projects of the proposed team.

Q16. Criterion 1 Professional Qualifications (SF330, Part I, Sections D, E, & G and Part II)

Includes the statement “Examples of previous legal boundary and easement survey work shall be provided for review as well as a description of the type of surveys performed and references with phone numbers.” The referenced SF330 sections D, E, & G and Part II do not address this requirement.

• Would you like us to add additional project examples as a separate section following the SF330 along with the CPARS and PPQ’s or possibly include in Section H of the SF330?

A16. No that is not necessary. The samples should come from relevant work as shown in Section E, Item 19 for your PLS at a minimum that best demonstrate individual staff capabilities.

Q17. Finally, in reference to Criterion 1 qualified personnel

• Does the USDA NRCS consider a Survey Technician to be a field employee (Instrument Man) or an office employee (CAD Technician).

A17. Field employee

Q18. Going through Criterion 2, "Firms with field and office staff located within the general geographic area will be rated higher than firms outside of the general geographic area" AND "Evaluation will be based on the firm's proximity to the contract area and ability to provide service in a cost-effective manner"

a. What is the "general geographic area" and the "contract area" you referring to?

A18. The general geographic area and the contract area refers to the state for which you are submitting qualifications, in this case of 12FPC325R0006 – Texas.

Q19. "The Government anticipates establishing up to two (2) Firm Fixed-Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), Multiple Award Task Order Contracts (MATOC) for Easement Boundary

Surveying and Re-Establishment Services as a result of this request for qualifications."

a. Does this mean that I should provide you with two FFPs? Or does this mean there will be two Prime Contractors on this one solicitation?

b. If it is two prime Contractors can I submit two separate proposals with two different

Subcontractors in two different regions in Texas?

A19.

a. It is anticipated that two contracts will be awarded from the solicitation to two different firms.

b. We are not requesting proposals, we are requesting qualifications at this time per the Instructions to

Offerors. There is nothing to prevent you from submitting two different SF330 qualification packages with two different teams.

Q20. Lastly, under contract awards, MATOC holders is referencing it have an initial total ordering limitation of $3 million....is this a number my subcontractor must know when giving me pricing.

A20. The total ordering limitation of $3 million is the maximum that each MATOC holder could be awarded during the life of the contract.

Q21. Are payments tied to specific phases, such as the submission of preliminary deliverables (e.g., draft plats and reports) and final deliverables (e.g., signed plats, legal descriptions, and final reports)?

A21. Yes, progress payment will be authorized, and that will be established on the task order basis.

Q22. If so, what percentage of the total payment is typically allocated to each phase?

A22. There is no set percentage, progress payments will be based on the percentage of the work complete and accepted.

Q23. What is the timeline for government review and approval of submitted deliverables?

A23. Government review and approval can vary state by state and will be established at the task order level.

Q24. Are partial payments available for partial acceptances, or is full payment contingent upon final approval of all deliverables?

A24. Progress payments can be authorized and will be based on the percentage of the work complete and accepted.

Q25. Once deliverables are approved, how long does it typically take for the payment to be processed?

A25. Payment terms are 30 days of receipt of invoice in Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). However, NRCS does attempt to may payments to small business under an accelerated payment schedule

Q26. If subcontractors are engaged, is it required for the prime contractor to wait for government payment before compensating the subcontractors, or is this at the discretion of the prime contractor?

A26. A Prime and Subcontractor must establish their own payment scheduled. Payment from the government to the prime does not dictate or alleviate a Prime’s responsibility to pay a subcontractor.

Q27. What is the minimum amount of work or funding the government guarantees to each MATOC holder over the five-year period?

A27. Per the Instructions to Offerors, the minimum amount of funding guaranteed to each MATOC holder is $2,500.

Q28. Is there a minimum dollar value for individual task orders issued under this contract?

A28. Per the Instructions to Offerors, the minimum dollar value for individual task orders issued under this contract is $2,500.

Q29. Do you need the survey company to be able to conduct surveys state wide or a particular area?

A29. The survey company will be responsible for conducting surveys state-wide. At this time, IDIQ’s will not be awarded for specific areas of Missouri, instead will encompass the whole state.

Q30. For the past performance questionnaire, is the Assessor in these cases the NRCS and USDA representatives that we worked with on the prior Wetlands Reserve Easement surveys or the landowner?

A30. The assessor would be NRCS or USDA Representatives.

Q31. I have a question under the "File Names" requirement. The directions ask for sol #, then "response" then firm's name then brief description; but the examples have the brief description before the firms name. Which format would you prefer?

A31. Like the example please.

Q32. Regarding Notice ID 12FPC325R0007, Professional Land Surveying – USDA NRCS – Missouri, can you tell me when the Past Performance Questionnaires are due and to whom they should be sent?

A32. I would refer you to page 7 of the Instructions to Offerors where it states:

5) Criterion 5 - Past Performance: SUBMIT A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION FOR EACH

PROJECT UNDER CRITERION 1. IF A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION IS NOT

AVAILABLE, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (Attachment 2) included in this notice is provided for the firm or its team members to submit to the client for each project included under Criterion

3, Specialized Experience and Technical Competence. DO NOT SUBMIT A PPQ WHEN A

COMPLETED CPARS IS AVAILABLE.

IF A CPARS EVALUATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact. Completed PPQs should be submitted with the SF330. If the firm is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before the response date set forth in this notice, firms should complete and submit with their responses the first page of the PPQ

(Attachment 3), which will provide contract and client information for the respective project(s). Firms should follow-up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If requested by the client, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government's point of contacts via email at amber.maestri@usda.gov and laureen.eipp@usda.gov, prior to the response date. Firms shall not mailto:amber.maestri@usda.gov mailto:laureen.eipp@usda.gov incorporate by reference into their response PPQs or CPARS previously submitted in response to other A-

E services procurements.

Q33. We noticed this provision in the survey IDIQ:

Does this apply to the entire team or just the prime?

A33. The various notices as posted on SAM.gov for the Survey ID/IQs are explicitly reserved as a 100%

Small Business Set-Aside; to whereas the proposed Prime Contractor must be a small business under the

NAICS Code 541370. However, this reservation of a 100% Small Business Set Aside DOES NOT extend to the proposed Prime Contractor’s key subcontractor(s), but please be mindful of the requirements of FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting; re:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-14#FAR_52_219_14.

Q34. We would like to confirm please if the PPQ’s and CPARS count against the 75 page limit.

A34. The 75 page limit is on the SF330 Part I – “The SF330 Part I shall not exceed 75 pages (8.5-in x 11-

in) in total, including no more than 20 pages for Section H.” See page 1, Section A, second paragraph of the Instructions to Offerors. Part II is a one page form, per firm (prime and subcontractor(s).

The CPARS or PPQ are limited to an evaluation for each project under Criteron 1. There is no specific page limit. See page 7, Item (5) Criterion 5 – page 7 of the Instructions to Offerors.

Q35. I’m writing regarding the referenced solicitation that is currently due on 12/30/24. Is there any chance you would consider a 1- or 2-week extension on the due date considering the holidays?

A35. This request for qualifications has been posted since 11/27/2024 allowing more than 30 days response and was a follow on to the intitial one posted in February 2024. Due to the number of requests we have out for surveying services across the country, and have received, we are not entertaining an extension.

Q36. Would you provide clarification to the PPQ or CPARS requirement in Criterion 5 – Past

Performance as follows:

- Firms shall not incorporate by reference into their response PPQs or CPARS previously submitted in response to other A-E services procurements.

o Does this mean if a PPQ or CPARS has been submitted on any previous A-E services response, it can not be submitted as part of the response to this solicitation?

A36. Please only submit PPQ and CPARS directly related to the specified NAICS Code with this notice

(541370).

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7Camber.maestri%40usda.gov%7Cb5d2a23b01fc401631c008dd1e17666e%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638699808079798542%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pCin35qTe844WSyo%2B4Z81HIdCc38fTGtv%2FuZ0FCDFzY%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acquisition.gov%2Ffar%2F52.219-14%23FAR_52_219_14&data=05%7C02%7Camber.maestri%40usda.gov%7Cb5d2a23b01fc401631c008dd1e17666e%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638699808079812724%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=g5rspKVTYGF1yKZ65tynrm%2F0jS4xKQ%2F9EX%2BQRhhegjU%3D&reserved=0

Q37. Criterion 1 – Professional Qualifications (SF330, Part I, Sections D, E & G and Part II)

a. This section states that, “Examples of previous legal boundary and easement survey work shall be provided for review, "as well as a description of the type of surveys performed and references with phone numbers.”

i. Project references and phone numbers are typically not provided in these sections of the SF330 but rather in Sections F and H. Can this information be provided only in Sections F and H?

A37. All sections need to be completed thoroughly.

Q38. Criterion 3 – Specialized Experience and Technical Comptenece (SF330, Part I, Section F and Part II)

a. This section mentions that firms with PLSs with 10 yrs or experience or a master’s degree will be rated higher.

i. The years of experience of personnel are typically not indicated in Sections F and Part II of the SF330 but rather in Sections E and H. Can this information be provided only Sections E and H?

A38. All sections need to be completed thoroughly.

Q39. Criterion 5 – Past Performance

a. This section states that a CPARS evaluation for each project in Criterion 1 should be submitted.

i. Is this meant to state “…for each project in Criterion 3.”?

A39. Please refer to A7. Above.