CS2 and CS2-SB Q A-part 6_draft.pdf

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CS2 and CS2- Small Business General Questions and Answers (Part 6)

Question 54: Reference RFP Section B Should the Offeror include pricing for items such as shipping, import taxes, duties, etc in the STO? Does the Government provide security or replacement costs for the equipment if it is stolen or damaged while at a US Government compound in country? What and how much security is required and will the Government be providing any for the contractors and if so what kind and how much? To what extent will the Government provide security for storage and installation and transportation?

Answer: For evaluation purposes of the STOs, the Offeror does not need to price shipping, export duties, taxes, visas, in-country transportation, security, and other items that are not in direct support of the technical solution.

Question 55: Reference RFP Section B.2.1 – B.2.5 Regarding the Pricing Volume format, the RFP Section B reflects a structure where all three STO’s pricing information is being shown in a single sheet. Section B asks for a structure where we start with Year 1 and show all three STOs, then show Year 2 pricing with all three STOs, etc.

As noted above, we understand this to mean a single Excel sheet will represent all three STOs.

Section CS2 RFP Section L.24.4 (CS2-SB Section L.21.4), paragraph 3, states, “The Offeror shall provide completed Section B tables for each STO as two tables.” This statement seems to reflect that we are being asked to generate one Excel sheet for each STO plus an additional .doc summary file. Can the Government please clarify the details of the specific format they wish to see in Volume 4?

Answer: The Offeror may use as many separate MS-Word Tables as it needs to complete Section B. For the detailed pricing to be provided in MS-Excel softcopy, the Offeror may use separate worksheets as needed within one or more workbooks. The Offeror is advised that the provided hard copy of all tables must not exceed the page limits identified for the Pricing Volume.

Question 56: Reference RFP Section B.2.1 through B.2.5

We believe a pricing table will have some items listed as Non Recurring Charges, such as hardware, and will have other line items as Monthly Recurring Charges, such as bandwidth services. Solution services and the associated CLINs are more clearly represented in the following manner:

NRC MRC QUANT Total

CLIN Duration / Term Description Price Price (Months) Price xxxxx 7/17/10 - 7/16/11 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx $1.00 $5.00 12.000000 $61.00

Would the Government consider a pricing format which was based on a service offering rather than a “unit Charge” and “Quantity” style?

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Answer: Proposed pricing for Section B tables must follow the specified table format. The offeror may provide additional columns in its MS-Excel detailed pricing tables in addition to the columns specified in the RFP.

Question 57: Reference RFP Section F.1 FAR 52.242-15 “Stop-Work Order”: This clause is objectionable for use in fixed price type contracts since it give the CO a unilateral right to stop work and does not permit the contractor to recover damages because of the stop work without submitting a claim for equitable adjustment. If the government will not remove this clause, will the government consider a 60 day stand by period, instead of a 90 day standby period?

Answer: The clause is correct. As written, it provides flexibility for a shorter period at the discretion of the OCO.

Question 58: Reference RFP Section F.4 What is the definition of “Basic Contract”? Does it have the same meaning as the “Schedule” (RFP Section I.3)?

Answer: The basic contract and schedule reference the master contract. Yes, they have the same meaning.

Question 59: Reference RFP Section G.4.2 This Clause specifies that this 2 % fee shall be included in all prices. But B.4, GSA Management Fee states that the fee is 2% “to be applied to the total price for Contractor Performance as billed to the Government.” These sentences are not consistent. The fee cannot satisfy both requirements: if it is applied to the total price as billed, then it is NOT included in the price. Further, the Monthly Revenue Report (G.5.2) specifies that the dollar amount remitted as GSA Management Fee is calculated as a percentage of the total amount received in payment from the Agency. Example: Contract Price, as billed, is $510, which includes a 2% management fee of $10 in addition to the $500 item price. The Agency pays Contractor $510. 2% of the amount received in payment is $10.20, not $10.

Answer: The language in RFP Section B.4 is correct. For RFP Section G.5.2.1.4.7, the GSA Management Fee Collected should be 2% applied to the total price for contractor performance as billed to the government.

Question 60: Reference RFP Section G.6 Program Reviews: Please explain the reference to Service Level Agreement performance.

Answer: Please see RFP Section C, C.2.1.3.5. On subsequent task orders, the ordering activity may require performance standards (e.g., SLAs).

Question 61: Reference RFP Section H.7 Do all employees need to be U.S. citizens?

Answer: No, but a specific Task Order may specify citizenship requirements.

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Question 62: Reference RFP Section I.1 Section I.1 incorporates clauses 52.215-10 “Price Reduction for Defective Cost or Pricing Data”, 52.215-11 “Price Reduction for Defective Cost or Pricing Data – Modifications”, 52.215-12 “Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data”, and 52.215-3 “Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data – Modifications”. These clauses are applicable only to contracts covered by the Truth in Negotiations Act that require provision of certified cost or pricing data. Based upon 1) commercial nature of products/services and 2) expected competition, we do not anticipate submitting cost or pricing data. Section L.2 states that submission of cost or pricing data is not required and that cost or pricing data may only be necessary in the event that price reasonableness cannot be determined. In light of this, we respectfully request that the above clauses be deleted from the solicitation.

Answer: We expect that prices will be determined fair and reasonable based on price analysis or other techniques preferable to cost or pricing data. The clauses will remain in the event that all other methods for determining price reasonableness are unsuccessful.

Question 63: Reference RFP Section I.6 Option to Extend Services: Please explain application of FAR 52.217-8 at the contract level.

Isn’t this clause more properly at I.10, as a FAR clause applicable at the order level? If the clause is applicable at the contract level, then does this mean that only the GSA PCO, and not the OCO, is authorized to issue an extension for services to be performed pursuant to an order?

Answer: The GSA PCO will execute actions at the contract level. The OCO will execute actions at the task order level.

Question 64: Reference RFP Section I.10.10 FAR 52.222-42: Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires: Is there a deliverable required for this clause, as part of this proposal?

Answer: No deliverable is required as part of the proposal.

Question 65: Reference CS2 RFP Section L.15 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.13) Will the government consider a 180 day minimum acceptance period, instead of 365 days?

Answer: No.

Question 66: Reference CS2 RFP Section L.23.3 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.20.4) Is it correct to assume that detailed processes, such as NOC escalation procedures and program management control procedures, which are common across all task orders, can be described in an appendix and crossed referenced, as appropriate, in each STO response?

Answer: Referenced material submitted within the Technical/Management Volume 1 response will be considered.

Question 67: Reference CS2 RFP Sections L.22.1.2, L.22.1.4 (CS2-SB RFP Sections L.20.1.2, L.20.1.4)

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CS2 RFP Section L.22.1.2 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.20.1.2) states that eight (8) point font may be used for tables, charts, graphs, and figures on fold out pages. CS2 RFP Section L.22.1.4 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.20.1.4) states that the font used in the Offeror’s proposal shall be 12 point Arial with no reduction; however, figures and charts may be reduced as long as text on the figures or charts is at least 66 percent of full size (i.e., 8 point). Please confirm that Price Tables printed on standard letter size 8.5 X 11 sheets of paper may be reduced as long as text is at least 66 percent of full size (i.e., 8 point); whether Offerors have the option to submit the hard copy of the Price Volume in either portrait or landscape format; and whether Price Tables 1 and 2 will both count toward the 50 page maximum for Volume IV.

Answer: Pricing tables can be in 8pt font in either portrait or landscape format. Tables 1 and 2 will both count towards the 50 page maximum.

Question 68: Reference CS2 RFP Section L.24.2.1 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.21.2.1) “For each of the Solution Types, Offerors shall submit corporate experience delivering solutions with similar size, scope, and complexity to that described in Section C.” In determining “similar size, scope, and complexity”, please clarify if Offerors should refer both to the parameters provided in Section C.2.3.4 and to the descriptions of Solution Types provided in Section C.2.3.5.

Answer: Yes, it refers to both the parameters provided in Section C.2.3.4 and to the descriptions of Solution Types provided in Section C.2.3.5.

Question 69: Reference CS2 RFP Section L.23.3 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.20.4) Is it correct to assume that detailed processes, such as NOC escalation procedures and program management control procedures, which are common across all task orders, can be described in an appendix and crossed referenced, as appropriate, in each STO response?

Answer: Referenced material submitted within the Technical/Management Volume 1 response will be considered.

Question 70: Reference CS2 RFP Section L.22 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.20) In addition to excluding Link Budget analyses from the page count, would the USG allow Availability analyses and SATCOM coverage/footprint maps also to be excluded?

Answer: No. Only link budgets do not count against the page count.

Question 71: Reference CS2 RFP Section L.24.4 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.21.4); RFP Sections B.2.1 – B.2.5 The last two columns of the Section B price tables are Unit Charge and Price. However, there is no place to define the Unit of Measure; i.e., per minute, month, Mbps, bandwidth, terminal.

Can the Offeror modify the price tables to include Unit of Measure? This is an important element in the pricing and will be necessary for the first table referenced in section CS2 RFP Section L.24.4 (CS2-SB RFP Section L.21.4).

Answer: The description of each item should include the specification of the basic unit of measure each identified item.

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Is the Price column supposed to reflect the total price of the STOs as defined in the SOW? For example, in STO#1, 30 ORDU’s are required. If each ORDU is priced at $100, should this be shown as: QTY – 30, Unit Price - $100, and Price - $3000?

Answer: Yes, the example in the question is correct.

The second table is to be an overall system price for each STO for each year. Is this one line item per year? If yes, then would the top level CLIN be used for each year, such as 10000-1 for the price of STO#1 for year 1? Since quantity and unit price are not relevant for a total price per year, are Offerors permitted to leave these fields blank in Price Table 2?

Answer: The defined pricing tables require individual CLINs for sub-component prices to be specified separately for each of the years of the STO period of performance. A total price for each year is to be provided. Yearly totals do not require the provision of quantities and unit prices.

Question 72: Reference RFP Section M.2 Factor 1 – Technical/Management Approach, Table for Sample Task Order #3, Bullet a) Information Assurance is described as “Offeror conducts background checks for staff”.

Question: The described reference seems to relate more for Security than it does for Information Assurance. Please confirm or clarify that the described reference should be for Security (instead of Information Assurance) as it relates to background checks of staff for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining security clearances and related processes.

Answer: In the context of this STO, it is stated as an IA requirement. The personnel and facility clearance level for all STOs is Unclassified. The Contractor should consider this requirement as having access to Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) information. All background checks should be to this standard.

Question 73: Reference RFP Section M.3 Can an Offeror use a past IDIQ contract and a Task Order from that same contract as two separate past performance projects? Or multiple task orders from the same contract as three separate past performance projects?

Answer: More than one task order may be cited against the same IDIQ keeping in mind the same requirements for recency and relevancy apply to each independently.

Question 74: Reference RFP Section M.3 In the table that starts on page M-8, one or two corporate experience references are called out for each solution type and attribute. May Offerors provide more corporate experience references for each solution type and attribute than is called for in M.3?

Answer: Yes, within the page limit requirements stated in RFP Section L.

Question 75: Reference RFP Section M.4 If an IDIQ contract is used as a past performance, can one of its tasks can be used as a second past performance.

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Answer: An Offeror can either use the ID/IQ contract as a whole or one or more task orders under that ID/IQ contract for past performance. An Offeror cannot receive credit twice for the same work.