Questions_and_Answers_for_Solicitation_DJA-15-AHDQ-R-0044_(Amendment_2).pdf

Questions and Answers in Red with regards DJA-15-AHDQ-R-0044 Data Entry, Imaging, Indexing, IT Support Services and Related Support Services and Information Technology

1. ACQ - Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (From India or Canada)

A1. Contractors to be eligible to compete must have a Duns and Bradstreet Number, be Active in the System Award Management (SAM) Database under the correct NAICS, be certified as an 8(a) company under the Small Business Administration (SBA).

2. ACQ - Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

A2. “Currently” there are no mandatory meeting set up, but that might change as the procurement moves along.

3. ACQ - Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA?

(From India or CANADA)

A3. No. The requirement must be performed in its entirety at the ATF Martinsburg, WV facility

4. ACQ - Can we submit our proposals via email?

A4. See Section L of original Solicitation page 55 of 81

5. ACQ - I was trying to find out if this contract will be sole source or not?

A5. Notice in Federal Business Opportunities dated 07/01/2015 states 8(a) Competitive

6. ACQ - Is the value for the five year under 4.5 million for this contract?

A6. See Section B B.2 of original Solicitation page 9 of 81

7. ACQ - Page 66 Pass/ Fail : The contractor Must provide proof of that they have a no lower than a Ten (10) million dollar line of credit. Q. Can this line of credit include the subcontractor line of credit as well which would represent the overall team line of credit?

A7.Yes

Q. ACQ - Can a letter of intent from the bank be used that states that upon award of contract, Stated Company would be approved for stated Line of Credit?

A7. Yes

8. ACQ - Page 70 If DCAA audit has not been conducted will the government order a DCAA audit be conducted before award?

A8. No, but contractor will need to explain as to why a DCAA Audit has not been done and provide a commercial audit in place of the DCAA audit.

9. ACQ - Page 63 What is the transition period of time i.e. 10 days 30 days?

A9. Contractor must provide their best transition plan for the overall contract. See also Section M of original solicitation page 70 of 81 #(4); the transition plan must be broken down per all four

(4) Tasks

10. ACQ - Page 70 Pricing Will subcontractor be required to provide separated pricing Volume

VI?

A10. No

11. ACQ - Is this a new requirement? If not, can you please provide the name of the incumbent, the current contract value and eligibility criteria to re-compete?

A11. No. Rolling Bay, LLC, Not to Exceed $150,000 when initially awarded, must be a certified 8(a) company under NAICS 518210

12. ACQ - As per PWS Volume III, key Personnel has 3 page limitation and as per the Attachment A, 5 resumes are required. Senior Web Developer (1), Web Developer (2), GIS Engineer (1), Technical Documentation Specialist (1)) So, can we please request to increase the page limit for volume III.

A12. Clarification Volume III the limit is three (3) pages “per” resume

13. ACQ - Do we need to count the Letter of Intent in Volume III page limitation?

A13. No

14. ACQ - As per PWS, “9 each hard copies” are required and as per page no 22 requirement, table mentions that 5 hard copies for each Volume are required. Can you please clarify total how many copies do we need to submit?

A14. Table will be corrected to state nine (9) each copies (Will correct in Amendment #1)

15. ACQ - Will the Government allow a site visit to provide offerors with a perspective of the logistics and how the building is set up and structured with the office space for the staff?

A15 - No

16. Will Contractor employees have Internet access for work-related purposes, such as completing electronic timesheets or accessing their employer’s website for benefits information?

If so, what restrictions if any are placed on this access?

A16 – Yes, ATF Clearances along with ATF mandatory training and security protocol.

17. ACQ - RFP9 - B.3 Contract Type If Performance Measures for any Task Orders are not met in any one (1) month the Government will have the right to enforce a disincentive on a case by case basis up to 1% of that monthly invoice. Staffing shortages will be handled when they are due to Government delays in background security investigation processing and result from no fault of the Contractor. Please clarify – does this mean the offeror will not receive a disincentive deduction if the staffing shortages are due to Government delays in background security investigation processing and result from no fault of the offeror?

A17 – The language case by case will help decide Bi-laterally whether the Government is at fault or the Contractor is.

18. ACQ - RFP 21 68 ATF-31 Key Personnel Evaluation Criteria a) The positions specified below are considered to be essential to the work being performed hereunder. Project Manager, Assistant Project Manager, Information Technology Specialist, Senior Web Designer, Web Designer, GIS Developer (2) Key Personnel: Key Personnel Qualifications: The Government will evaluate degree to which the Offeror’s proposed key personnel’s (Project Manager (overall) PWS 3.2.10, Assistant Project Manager (overall), Senior Web Designer PWS 3.2.11(a), Web Designer PWS 3.2.11 (b), GIS Developer PWS 3.2.11 (c), Technical Documentation Specialist PWS 3.2.11 (d) and Task Manager PWS 3.2.11 (e)) resumes demonstrates the individual’s ability to execute PWS requirements on the bases of strength of relevant education and training, depth and breadth of relevant experience. The referenced sections have different listings of key personnel. (a) Would the Government please clarify which positions are key personnel? (b) Do any of these positions require multiple FTEs (for example, Task Manager) and if so, how many resumes per labor category are required to be submitted with the proposal?

A18 – Only Key personnel (PM, Deputy PM and Task Manager) are required at this time, all other Key personnel listed are for future endeavors subject availability of governmental funding.

Resumes will be required for PM, Deputy PM and Task Manager. (Note there are several Tasks to this overall requirement).

The structure of the key personnel is determined by the company submitting the proposal.

“All” positions must be addressed within the contractor’s Technical /Managerial Approach

(Will correct in Amendment #1 on Page 21, 62 and 68 under Key Personnel)

19. ACQ - RFP 23 AFT-04 Background Investigation (BI) Requirements Personnel Security Requirements the Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all Contractor employees assigned hereunder shall undergo a background investigation or other applicable personnel security procedures to determine their suitability for access to ATF information, information technology systems, and/or facilities. Will the Government please clarify whether the hiring of incumbent contractor staff currently working on this project will require a reinvestigation or will their previous clearances transfer to the successful offeror?

A19 – Yes the incumbent contractor’s clearances can be transferred to the successful offeror.

20. RFP 55 58 L L.1.c The method for proposals to be submitted in response to this solicitation is BOTH via e-mail to James.Huff@atf.gov and by mail nine (9) each hard copies. Requirements table The text at the beginning of Section L requires nine hard copies, while the Requirements table in Section L.1.c appears to require only five hard copies. Would the Government please clarify the number of hard copies offerors are required to submit?

A20 – See Question #14 Answer.

21. ACQ - RFP 58 L.1 Proposal Submission (c) The electronic version of the text shall be in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Portable Data Format (PDF).Would the Government confirm that pricing may be provided in the Microsoft Excel format provided in Solicitation Attachment H?

A21 – Microsoft Excel format would be acceptable as long as format is clear and broken out where needed.

22. ACQ - RFP 59-60 L.1(c) Requirements Table Usually the Government requires the price proposal to be a separate document from the technical proposal. Would the Government please confirm that the price proposal (Section VI) is to be provided as a tab in the same binder as Sections I through V?

A22 – One Book or Two Books – As long as Pricing can be easily separated from all the other sections

23. ACQ - RFP 60 L.1.c Requirements table, Section III The Requirements table in Section L.1.c states the page limit for key personnel resumes is 3 pages. Would the Government confirm that the limit is 3 pages per resume?

A23 – See Question #12 Answer.

24. ACQ - RFP 62 L Key Personnel resumes… MUST include either a Letter of Intent or a signed resume by the key personnel and the contractor Is the letter of intent exempt from the page limitation?

A24 – Letters of intent should be excluded from the page limitation.

25. ACQ - RFP 63 Evaluation Protocol and Instructions 5. Price Firm Fixed Pricing MUST be broken out separately, see Attachment F Estimated Personnel per Tasks within PWS. Totals per Tasks and years MUST be written in Section B in the solicitation. Would the Government please confirm that this should be referencing Attachment H to the solicitation, and not Attachment F?

A25 – Yes government should have referenced Attachment H instead of Attachment F on Firm Fixed Pricing Government also noted page 70 had the same issue (Will correct BOTH areas in Amendment #1)

26. ACQ - RFP 63 Evaluation Protocol and Instructions – Number 4 Transition Plan: A detailed plan must be provided with a time frame that the entire transition will be completed prior to the incumbent contractor’s contract ending. (a) Should the price proposal contain a separate price for the transition period? (b) When does the current incumbent contract end? (c) What timeframe does the Government anticipate for the transition period?

A26 – a - Offeror’s price proposal should include what costs associated with their transition plan.

B- Current contract ends 12/31/15. C- Government expects offeror’s to determine their appropriate transition period.

27. ACQ - RFP 63 Pricing Format Pricing format submitted must show costs easily broken out per employee. Can pricing be shown by labor category and hours per category or must it be broken out for each individual employee?

A27- Do pricing based on Wage determination – Currently ATF has approximately 97 contractors working on the night shift. (See Attachment H)

28. ACQ - RFP 63 Pricing If contractor can submit proposals outside the estimated amount of personnel based on performance measures, the contractor must justify the reason. (a) Are the personnel estimates shown in the PWS based on the same performance measures as the incumbent contract? (b) If no, can the Government identify where and how performance measures have been changed from the current (incumbent) contract? (c) Is the incumbent contractor currently meeting these performance measures?

A28 – A – Yes; B – N/A; C – Yes.

29. ACQ - RFP 63 Pricing Service Contract Act Since this contract is covered by the Service Contract Act and the successor contractor is required to recognize years of service for vacation, will the Government please identify the total number of SCA covered employees who have: (a) More than 8 years but less than 15 years of service? (b) More than 15 years of service?

A29 – Government would not have that information, since they are employees of the current incumbent contractor

30. ACQ - RFP 63 Pricing Service Contract Act In as much as this contract is covered by the Service Contract Act, please confirm that FAR 52.222-17 will apply.

A30 – 52.222-17 Non displacement of Qualified Workers does apply (Will correct in Amendment #1)

31. ACQ - RFP 66 58 M RFP L.1.(d) The following seven (7) evaluation factors will we assigned a Pass/Fail rating in order to determine responsiveness to the solicitation. (d) Information shall be confined to the appropriate section to facilitate independent evaluation. (a) Where in the proposal should the offeror include the information asked for in these seven evaluation factors? (b) Is this information exempt from the page limitation?

A31 – Pass Fail information shall be displayed on a separate section and it is exempt from any page limitation.

32. ACQ - RFP 66 Pass/Fail Criteria The contractor MUST provide proof that they have no lower than a Ten (10) Million Dollar Line of Credit to ensure payment to their employees will always be provided promptly. If a company has cash reserves sufficient to cover the Ten Million dollar requirement, or a combination of cash reserves and Line of Credit, is this acceptable since cash reserves provide even greater liquidity than a line of credit?

A32 – Proof of line of credit of 10M is required with contractor’s submission. ATF will accept a letter of commitment from the offeror’s lender (bank) stating that the line of credit would be issued upon contract award

33. ACQ - RFP 66 Attachment H Pass/Fail Criteria Estimated Personnel Per Tasks within the PWS (5) last sentence. “Upon award the estimated amount should be 311 personnel.” The total number of estimated personnel shown on Attachment H far exceeds the 311 personnel referenced in the RFP on page 66. What is the correct number of personnel?

A33. Correct number of personnel are reflected in Attachment H – 324 that should be included in the Firm Fix Pricing; The pass fail criteria depicted the minimal staffing level requirement at the time of the posting of the solicitation.

34. ACQ - RFP 67 Pass/Fail Criteria (7) Proof that company is certified as an 8(a) company under the Small Business Administration (SBA) guidelines under NAICS 518210 the date the proposals are due. 13 CFR 124.513 provides that the approval of an 8(a) joint venture between a mentor and protégé must occur prior to contract award, not at the due date of the proposal.

However, the 8(a) participant in the joint venture must be certified into the 8(a) program prior to submission of the proposal. Please confirm that the Government will accept proof that the 8(a) protégé company is a certified 8(a) firm.

A34 - “If approved by SBA, an 8(a) Participant may enter into a joint venture agreement with one or more other small business concerns, whether or not 8(a) Participants, for the purpose of performing one or more specific 8(a) contracts. A joint venture agreement is permissible only where an 8(a) concern lacks the necessary capacity to perform the contract on its own, and the agreement is fair and equitable and will be of substantial benefit to the 8(a) concern. However, where SBA concludes that an 8(a) concern brings very little to the joint venture relationship in terms of resources and expertise other than its 8(a) status, SBA will not approve the joint venture arrangement.

A joint venture of at least one 8(a) Participant and one or more other business concerns may submit an offer as a small business for a competitive 8(a) procurement so long as each concern is small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the contract, provided: (1) The size of at least one 8(a) Participant to the joint venture is less than one half the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the contract; and (a) for a procurement having a revenue-based size standard, the procurement exceeds half the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the contract, or (b) for a procurement having an employee-based size standard, the procurement exceeds $10 million. (This presumes that at least one 8(a) Participant has been certified 8(a) by SBA prior to submission of the offer).

35. ACQ - RFP 69 3 Past Performance Second paragraph states contractor can provide references for a maximum of five contracts …The third paragraph implies that five reference must be provided. Can the Government affirm that it does not require five references be provided?

A35 – Five (5) Past and Present Surveys must be submitted for the five (5) contracts/orders that your company had that are similar in size, scope and complexity. (Contracts /References in this case are the same thing)

36. NTC - PWS 6 15 3.0 TASKS 3.2.3.1: Access 2000 (A2K) The contractor is responsible for providing all labor necessary in support of this PWS. ATF provides the systems, technical solutions, equipment, software, and support. Maintenance and Support services shall be performed for both ATF and the IM(s) sites. The contractor is responsible for the purchase, implementation and maintenance of the hardware and software needed to successfully run the A2K program. These sections appear to conflict with each other as to ownership of the systems in use by the offeror on the contract. Would the Government please clarify what hardware and software the offeror is responsible to purchase/own and maintain?

A36 - The IT area is a future endeavor for the NTC and FESD. This task is subject to government funding to be available. At this time we are not asking for any pricing to be included in the proposal.

37. ACQ - PWS 7 3.0 Tasks Contract Service Requirements The numbering in the section jumps from 3.0 to 3.2. Should the section titled “Contract Service Requirements” be numbered as Section 3.1?

A37 – Correct there is no 3.1 displayed, numbering was off.

38. NTC - PWS 11 3.2.4.(d) Other EPS Office Support Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A38 – The breakout for all EPS office support is included in Attachment H.

39. FESD PWS 12 3.2.4. (g) Program Management Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A39 – FESD Current Contractor Staffing Levels

Sub Task 3.3.1 FESD - Data Entry and Administrative Support and 3.3.2 FESD - Image support

- Current Positions on board 36.

Sub Task 3.3.3 FESD - Customer Service Help Desk and administrative Support, Customer Service Phone Support – Current Positions on board 12.

Sub Task 3.3.4 FESD Research Assistant Support Services – Current Positions on board 13.

Based on workload analysis and trends, the government has projected that additional resources will increase.

40. FESD PWS 12 3.2.5 NTC: Customer Service Help Desk Support Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A40 - See Question #39 Answer

41. NTC PWS 12 3.2.6 NTC: IT Support Services Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A41 – See Question #36 Answer

42. NTC PWS 15 3.2.6.1: Access 2000 (A2K) Maintenance and Support services shall be performed for both the ATF and IM(s) sites. The contractor is responsible for the purchase and implementation of the hardware and software needed to successfully run the A2K program.

Should the hardware and software purchase price be included in the Contractor’s price for CLIN 0001 or CLIN 0005 or will this cost be directly reimbursed by the Government?

A42 – See Question #36 Answer

43. NTC - PWS 16 Task 3.2.6 IT support services The contractor is responsible for the purchase, implementation and maintenance of the hardware and software needed to successfully run the A2K program. Is the offeror required to estimate these costs in our price proposal? Are these reimbursable expenses and if so, how does the offeror bill the Government?

A43 – See Question #36 Answer

44. NTC - PWS 17 3.2.6.2 OPTIONAL TASKS Acquisition of all Hardware/Software. Acquire all of the necessary hardware and software (as outlined in earlier sections for each site) including the standard product vendor warranties and maintenance agreements. … The Contractor shall be responsible for paying for all shipping costs to the IM site. … (a) Under what CLIN should these costs be included? (b) Without additional information, such as ATF’s specifications for the system, security specification for connectivity, and the number of IM sites to be installed, etc. it will be difficult to estimate a price, especially under a fixed price scenario. Will the ATF consider making the hardware/software and shipping costs a cost reimbursable line item and establish a specific dollar value that all bidders must use? (c) Given that this work is optional, what should we use as a basis for estimating the number and level of FTEs to perform this work?

Are the FTEs to perform this work included in Section 3.2.11?

A44 – See Question #36 Answer

45. NTC - PWS 17 3.2.6.2 OPTIONAL Tasks Replacement at Existing IMs. Replace the hardware and software of existing Industry Partners whose server requires replacement. The Government shall provide the list of sites for replacement. (a) In order to price the Replacement of Existing IMs, can the Government please provide the list of sites for replacement and a description of the hardware and software to be replaced? (b) Given that this work is optional, what should we use as a basis for estimating the number and level of FTEs to perform this work?

Are the FTEs to perform this work included in Section 3.2.11?

A45 – See Question #36 Answer

46. NTC - PWS 17 Task 3.2.6.2 Optional Tasks New Site Implementation Are these optional tasks to be priced in the price proposal? Are these optional tasks part of the evaluation criteria?

Does the Government want these optional tasks to be addressed in the technical proposal?

A46 – See Question #36 Answer

47. NTC - PWS 18- 23 3.2.7 NTC-Steady State Operational Support 3.2.8 NTC – Steady State Corrective Maintenance 3.2.9 NTC – Development, Modernization and Enhancement (DME)

3.2.10 Project Management 3.2.11 Qualifications (a)Does the project management described in Section 3.2.10 also oversee 3.2.6, 3.2.7, and 3.2.8? (b) Are the personnel described in Section

3.2.11 the staff who will perform the work described in Sections 3.2.6 through 3.2.9? (c) In Section 3.2.11, do the numbers shown in parentheses following the labor category refer to the number of FTEs in that category?

A47 – See Question #36 Answer

48. FESD - PWS 23- 24 Task 2 FESD Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting each subtask as it has done for other task areas?

A48 – See Question #39 Answer

49. FESD - PWS 24 3.3.1 FESD Data Entry and Administrative Support Technical Documentation Specialist (1) Does the (1) following the labor category description refer to the number of FTEs expected to perform the work described in PWS Section 3.3.1? If not, can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A49 – See Question #39 Answer, Yes the 1 refers to the number one for a Technical Document Specialist to be filled that is not currently on staff.

50. FESD - PWS 24 3.3.2 FESD Image Support Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A50 – See Question #39 Answer

51. FESD - PWS 24 3.3.3 FESD Customer Service Help Desk Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A51 - See Question #39 Answer

52. FESD - PWS 25 3.3.4 FESD Research Assistant Support Services Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A52 - See Question #39 Answer

53. FATD - PWS 25 3.4 Task 3 Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A53 - (0) ZERO. This is a new government requirement, staffing will be dependent upon available funding. Performance Measures will be established in year 1.

54. FTB - PWS 25 Task 3 FATD Can the Government provide the number of staff currently supporting this task as it has done for other task areas?

A54 - (0) ZERO. This is a new government requirement, staffing will be dependent upon available funding. Performance Measures will be established in year 1.

55. ACQ - PWS 36 No. 10 Period of Performance The period of performance for the Base and four option periods cover a period of period of two years each (e.g., Base Period January 1, 2016

– December 31, 2017). Can the Government confirm this is a typographical error and that the base and four option periods are a duration of 12 months each?

A55- PWS had a Typographical error (Will correct in Amendment #1)

56. NTC - PWS 38 12.0 Travel Some travel will be required of contractor staff. Under what circumstances will the contractor staff be required to travel? For pricing purposes, where and how frequently will the contractor staff be required to travel?

A56 – See Question #36 Answer

57. NTC - Attachment H Excel Worksheet, Task One (1) NTC Tab IT Support Services/Access 2000 (A2K) for the next 5 years. 30,000,000.00 CONSTANT Amount to be broken out within

Task One. (a) To which PWS sections does the $30,000,000 apply? (b) Is the $30,000,000 in addition to the IT staff identified in Section 3.2.11? (c) Does the Government want the $30,000,000 to be broken out equally between the Base Year and the four Option Years, i.e.

$6,000,000 per year? (d) Does the $30,000,000 apply to CLIN 0001 or CLIN 0005? (e) If CLIN 0005, is this the only cost the Government expects to be included in this CLIN? (f) Does the $30,000,000 include the cost of hardware, software, shipping, and travel costs associated with PWS 3.2.6.1 and 3.2.6.2?

A57 – See Question #36 Answer

58. NTC - Attachment H Estimated Quantity The number of FTEs identified on Attachment H and included within the various PWS sections do not agree. For example, the total number of FTEs for Task 1, NTC in the PWS is 328 while the total on Attachment H is 324. This is true of all PWS sections. Please clarify what are the correct number of FTEs for each PWS section.

A58 - See Question #33 Answer

59. FESD - Attachment H Excel Worksheet Tab Task Two (2) FESD Anticipated increase to 72 personnel throughout the life of the contract or whatever the contractor sees fit to meet performance measures. In as much as there are no changes in workload levels shown in the PWS nor on the performance measure attachments, and no change in the performance measures, what is the Government’s basis for increasing the number of staff from 63 to 72 over the life of the contract? What guidance can the Government provide for the offeror to use as the basis of estimate for the staff increase to 72 FTEs over the life of the contract and the timing for the increase?

A59 – See Question #39 Answer, Based on workload analysis and trends, the government has projected that additional resources for the FESD Sub Task areas would be required. Attachment H shows a breakout of all personnel for FESD tasks.

60. FTB - Attachment H Excel worksheet Tab Task Three FATD This is a NEW services anticipated increase to 11 personnel throughout the life of the contract or whatever the contractor sees fit to meet performance measures. (a) Are there any staff assigned to perform this work under the current contract? (b) In as much as there are no changes in workload levels shown in the PWS and there are no performance measures shown for FATD, what guidance can the Government provide for the offeror use as the basis of estimate for the staff increase to 11 FTEs over the life of the contract and the timing for the increase?

A60 - (a.) No. (b.) These are new proposed services, staffing will be dependent upon availability of funding, Performance Measures will be established in year 1.

61. OSII - Attachment H Excel worksheet Tab Task Four OSII Anticipated increase to 12 personnel throughout the life of the contract or whatever contractor sees fit to meet performance measures. (a) Please confirm that there are 8 staff assigned to perform this work under the current contract? (b) In as much as there are no changes in workload levels shown in the PWS and there are no performance measures shown for OSII, what guidance can the Government provide for the offeror to use as the basis of estimate for the staff increase to 12 FTEs over the life of the contract and the timing for increase?

A61. (a) DENI & VCAB currently have 8 contract staff (b) Staffing level increases may be requested by ATF based on the number of pending/backlogged records. An increase in DENI staffing levels could be requested by ATF if funding is available and there is a justified need.

62. NTC - Attachment H and PWS 23 Attachment H and PWS Section 3.2.11 PWS 3.2.11 identifies a Task Manager; however, there is no Task Manager listed on Attachment H, Tab Task One, NTC. What labor category on Attachment H, Tab Task One is associated with the Task Manager?

A62 – See Question #36 Answer

63. ACQ - ATF-25 Observance of Legal Holidays Non-work due to the Government closing its facility(ies) is not an expense directly reimbursable to the Contractor. Since this is a Firm Fixed Price contract, should the facility(ies) be unexpectedly closed (i.e., inclement weather, bomb threat, etc.), will the contractor be expected to reduce its monthly fixed price invoice as a result of the closure?

A63 – Observance of Legal Holidays should be calculated in the offerors proposal as these are fixed holidays. On the occasion, however if the contractors are restricted from the facility to work, these days would be evaluated on a case by case basis.

64. ACQ - Reference page 66 of 81. The RFP states the contractor must provide “evidence the submitting Contractor will be able to set up a Local Office within the Local County that the National Tracing Center is located which is Berkeley County.”

a. Question: We request the Government provide clear direction as to what will be considered adequate “evidence” of an offeror’s being “able to set up a Local Office.”

A64 – A binding Letter of Commitment from the contractor that they will indeed set up an office within the local county within a short period of time after award.

65. ACQ - Reference page 62 of 81. The RFP provides Technical Proposals will be limited to 25 pages.

a. Question: Are the PASS/FAIL requirements listed on page 66 of 81 included within the 25-page limitation?

A65– See Question #31 Answer

b. Question: if the PASS/FAIL requirements listed on page 66 of 81 are not meant to fall within the 25-page limitation for Technical Proposals, please indicate where in our response the Government wishes these criteria to be included based on the table shown in the RFP at L.2(c), pages 59-60 of 81.

A65 - See Question #31 Answer

66. ACQ - Reference pages 63 and 69 of 81. On page 63, the RFP states, “Past Performance will require at least Five (5) references” while page 69 states, “The Offeror shall provide references for a maximum of five (5) contracts/Orders.”

a. Question: Please clarify whether the requirement for Past Performance citations are capped at five examples or may include examples beyond the first five.

A66 – No more than five (5) will be accepted

67. ACQ - Reference pages 55, 59, and 60 of 81. Page 55 states the Government requires nine hard copies to be submitted, along with e-mailed copies. The table at L.2(c) indicates five hard copies are required for all proposal sections.

a. Question: Please clarify the submission requirements. Specifically:

i. How many hard copies of each section are required?

A67 - See Question Answer 14

ii. How many CD copies of each section are required?

A67 – No CD’s were requested

iii. Are e-mailed copies required?

A67 – Yes One (1) E-mail Proposal

iv. Are there file-type limitations to e-mailed copies (Word, PDF, etc.)?

A67 – E-mail proposal shall match hard copies

v. Are there size limitations to e-mailed copies?

A67– E-mail proposal shall match hard copies

68. ACQ - The five-page limit for Section I of the proposal is not sufficient space to provide all of the materials the Government has requested to be included in this section.

a. Question: We request the Government place no limitations on Section I, except three pages for the Executive Summary and Cover Letter.

A68 – Five (5) page limit will apply only to Executive Summary and Cover Letter

69. ACQ - Reference page 68 of 81. The RFP states, “All Resumes MUST include either a Letter of Intent or a signed resume by the Key Personnel.”

a. Question: Will the separate Letter of Intent for each resume count against the three-page limit for individual resumes?

A69 - See Question #14 Answer.

70. ACQ - Reference page 70 of 81. The RFP states, “The Government may consider the past performance of other companies when they are team members, affiliates, or significant subcontractors, who will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the acquisition; however, the offeror must clearly explain how these other companies will be significantly involved in the proposed contract.”

a. Question: Please verify the Government will accept past performance citations from team member companies, provided the offeror supplies the required explanations.

A70 - Yes

b. Question: Please provide any weighting of the evaluation factor for this RFP statement. Specifically, will past performance citations from the prime offeror be weighted more heavily than those from a proposed subcontractor? If so, in what manner?

A70 – No weight difference between prime and subcontractors past performance

c. Question: Please clarify where the required “detailed explanation” should appear in the offeror’s proposal and whether it will count against the page limits for that section.

A70 – Past and Present Performance Surveys are to be submitted by the company whose is completing the form and this will “not” count against the page limit.

Detail explanation will count.

71. ACQ - Is the current place of performance (244 Needy Road, Martinsburg, WV) a Government site or a contractor facility?

A71 - Yes

72. ACQ - If a new contractor is selected to perform this work, will the awardee be required to operate from the existing facility or stand up a new facility?

A72 - See Question #3 Answer.

73. ACQ - Is all equipment and/or software needed to perform the PWS requirements Government-furnished and transferrable property?

A73 - Yes

74. ACQ - Is there a Collective Bargaining Agreement in place?

A74 – No

75. ACQ - DJA-15-AHDQ-R-0044 RFQ Document Page 66 of 81, Evaluation Factors, Item (1)

The contractor MUST provide proof that they have no lower than a Ten (10) Million Dollar Line of Credit to ensure payment to their employees will always be provided promptly. Can the government please provide clarity and the reasoning to the 10M LOC requirement? It is our understanding the government prompt payment act indicates that small business will be paid timely in net 30 or less based upon approved invoice. In some cases, 8(a) companies are paid in a more timely fashion (less than 30 days). Based upon estimated value, a 5 Million dollar line of credit should suffice or enough corporate cash reserves on hand would also be sufficient. Would the government consider removing this requirement or decreasing the LOC level?

A75 - See Question #32 Answer

76. ACQ - DJA-15-AHDQ-R-0044 RFQ Document Page 70 of 81, Evaluation Factors, PRICE Paragraph Price, based on reasonability as determined….Also the following data is required: (1) Most recent Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) report.. Many government 8(a) contractors have not been through a DCAA audit due to their work being firm fixed price and with the government moving many of its procurements to FFP to put the risk on the contractor. As stated in the instructions, this is Firm Fixed Price (FFP) under section B.3.

Can the government please provide the reasoning for why a contractor would need a DCAA audit for a FFP contract? Per our understanding, this is performed for cost-plus and other types of contracts but not FFP. Would the government consider removing this requirement?

A76 - See Question #8 Answer.

77. ACQ - Attachment H – Estimated_Personnel_per_tasks…..xls Task Two Tab: Anticipated increase to 72 personnel… Can the government please provide what they would like us to base the price upon for the number of personnel being requested as it indicates 63 but says it may increase to 72 and the other tabs in the spreadsheet have a fixed personnel count and labor categories and counts identified inclusive of potential growth. Would they like 63 or 72 to be priced and where will the increase in personnel be reflected in the estimation spreadsheet? Will it be in the amount of research assistants, data entry operators or would the government just like the price to be generated based upon 63 overall employee counts and not assume the growth to 72 so price can be evaluated correctly?

A77 - See Question #59 Answer

78. ACQ - RFP page 62 EVALUATION PROTOCOL AND INSTRUCTIONS paragraph 2 This paragraph describes a different list of key personnel than described on page 21 (key personnel, and page 68, Evaluation Criteria, paragraph (2). It is unclear exactly what the key personnel requirements are. Please provide a final list of key personnel required on the contract that link to the PWS and include the labor category qualifications.

A78 - See Question #18 Answer

79. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (1) The contractor MUST provide proof that they have no lower than a Ten (10) Million Dollar Line of Credit to ensure payment to their employees will always be provided promptly. As this artifact will consume at least one page, please state where in the proposal we are to include it and whether or not it is included in the page count for that section.

A79 – See Question #31 Answer

80. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (2) (2) Must submit a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) based on the Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided As this artifact will consume several pages, please state where in the proposal we are to include it and whether or not it is included in the page count for that section.

A80 - See Question #31 Answer

81. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (3) (3) Must submit a Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) based on the Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided As this artifact will consume several pages, please state where in the proposal we are to include it and whether or not it is included in the page count for that section.

A81 - See Question #31 Answer

82. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (4) (4) Evidence the submitting Contractor will be able to set up a Local Office within the Local County that the National Tracing Center is located which is Berkeley County. As this artifact will consume at least one page, please state where in the proposal we are to include it and whether or not it is included in the page count for that section. Further, please state what the government will accept as evidence considering that very little is required to do this.

A82 - See Question #31 Answer and See Question #64 Answer

83. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (5) (5) Contractor shall identify its turnover rate for fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014. As this artifact will consume at least one page, please state where in the proposal we are to include it and whether or not it is included in the page count for that section.

A83 - See Question #31 Answer

84. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (7) (7) Proof that company is certified as an 8(a) company under the Small Business Administration (SBA) guidelines under NAICS 518210, the date the proposals are due. As this artifact will consume at least one page, please state where in the proposal we are to include it and whether or not it is included in the page count for that section.

A84 - See Question #31 Answer

85. ACQ - RFP page 66, Pass/Fail items (1) The contractor MUST provide proof that they have no lower than a Ten (10) Million Dollar Line of Credit to ensure payment to their employees will always be provided promptly. The government is correct that the offeror will require a significant line of credit to make payroll in the early stages of the contract. However, the following facts should be considered:

1. There are significant expenses associated in establishing and maintaining a line of credit and a contractor establishes ones only for actual or anticipated needs.

2. Lenders refer to this as a Working Capital Line of Credit and the actual borrowing base for such is 90% of the firm’s federal government accounts receivable balances.

3. A $10M LOC is probably excessive for the needs of this contract. In our view, a $5M LOC will be adequate to cover payrolls until invoices are paid, even if there are some delays. Going to item 2 above, should a greater LOC be required, it can be adjusted by the contractor and its lender based on actual needs.

4. A firm that can actually demonstrate a $10M LOC is probably beyond the size standard for this opportunity by virtue of the revenues that would support the LOC.

5. It may be more practical for each team member (where a team is offering) to provide evidence of its ability to acquire a line of credit proportionate to its workshare. For example, if the prime contractor is performing 51% of labor, then it should substantiate 51% of the required credit.

Given that this is an 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business set-aside, with a size standard of $32.5M, we recommend that this requirement be amended to accept a letter of commitment from the offeror’s lender (bank) stating that the line of credit would be issued upon contract award and would be commensurate with the capital needs as described in item 2 above.

A85 - See Question #32 Answer

86. ACQ - RFP page 63, first paragraph States “Past Performance will require at least Five (5) references that are directly related to the contents of the Performance Work Statement of this solicitation.” This conflicts with RFP page 69, paragraph (3) which states “The Offeror shall provide references for a maximum of five (5) contracts…” Please clarify the minimum and maximum number of past performance references to be included.

A86 - See Question #35 Answer

87. ACQ - RFP paragraph B.3 Does the government consider this to be a performance-based contract?

A87 – Yes; see attachment A

88. ACQ - RFP Section B.3, 2nd paragraph 2 “Staffing shortages will be handled when they are due to Government delays in background security investigation processing and result from no fault of the Contractor.” We cannot discern the meaning of this sentence. Further, if this is a fixed priced performance-based contract, why will the government be concerned about staffing shortages unless it results in missed performance measures? Please clarify this sentence and comment on the relevance of staffing shortages.

A88 – See Question #17 Answer; The Government thru past history has an estimate of the number of personnel that “might” be needed to achieve the performance measures. See Page 63 and Page 70 of the original solicitation; If contractor can submit proposals outside the estimated amount of personnel based on performance measures, the contractor must justify the reason.

89. ACQ - RFP page 61, paragraph 3.1.3 ORCA Certification This tab shall contain a completed copy of your company’s ORCA Certification or proper DUNS Number that will allow the government to download your ORCA information. Please clarify that the offeror does not need to provide the entire reps and certs contained in ORCA and can provide its DUNS number in the ORCA reference section. Secondly, if we are to provide the full text, we request that it be moved to Section VI Price which is not page limited.

A89 – Company must state that their ORCA Certification is completed and updated in Systems Award Management (SAM) database and their Duns number is provided, then a full print out will not be required.

90. ACQ - RFP page 59 paragraph (c) Requirements The table states that Section 1 is to include Certifications and Representations. This section is limited to 5 pages Given the size of the Certifications and Representations, it is not possible to include them in 5 pages. We request that the Certifications and Representations be moved to Section VI Price which is not page limited, or allow the offeror to stipulate that its online certifications (ORCA) are current.

A90 - See Question #89 Answer

91. ACQ - RFP page 59, FORMAT paragraph (c) Section I Page limits This section is prescriptive and requires basic compliance material. We recommend the government eliminate the page limitation.

A91 - See Question #68 Answer

92. ACQ - RFP page 59, FORMAT paragraph (c) Section III Page limits It will not be possible to provide all key personnel resumes in 3 pages. Was it the government’s intention that each resume be limited to three pages?

A92 - See Question #12 Answer and See Question #24 Answer

93. ACQ - RFP page 63 third paragraph from bottom Pricing format submitted must shows cost easily broken out per employee. Should this be restated to “…per labor category”?

A93 – Yes, (Will correct in Amendment #1)

94. ACQ - Attachment H Night Shift Will the government provide a list of labor categories and number of each that work on the night shift for each of the four primary tasks?

A94 – See Question #27 Answer

95. ACQ - RFP page 56 delivery instructions The RFP describes procedures for submitting the proposal via U.S. Mail and email. Please clarify provide delivery procedures for hand delivery and overnight delivery via commercial carrier.

A95 – There will be No Hand Delivery and Overnight Delivery via Commercial Carrier will be the same address as given on Page 55 of the solicitation

96. ACQ - RFP page 55 Section L The RFP references a different number of copies to be submitted. Page 55 states 9 copies and page 59 states 5 copies. Please clarify the number of copies of each volume to be delivered.

A96 - See Question #14 Answer

97. ACQ - Attachment H Estimated Personnel per Task – Tab “Task ONE (1) NTC” Row 40 of the MS Excel file states that the IT Support Services/Access 2000 (A2K) for the next 5 years is $30M. Is it the government’s intent that this is a Material purchase under the contract?

Is it to be included in the FFP price for Task One for each of the performance periods?

$30M seems excessive. Did the government intend to state $30K ?

A97 – See Question #36 Answer

98. ACQ - PWS Section 3.2.6.2 Optional Tasks describes optional services to be performed by the contractor. Is it the government’s intent that the Optional Tasks be separately priced?

If they are to be separately priced, where in the pricing are they to be placed in the Schedule of Supplies/Services.

If they are not to separately priced, how should the contractor account for the tasking in the price proposal.

A98 – See Question #36 Answer

99. ACQ - ATTACHMENT_G_- PERFORMANCE_MEASURES_

OR_FESD_(Data_Entry_Support) The first performance measure states “PF 1.0 Lockbox Production: The contractor shall process NFA Lockboxes in accordance with documented performance measures (refers to forms 1,4)” This metric appears to refer to the dollar value of receipts received through the lockbox. What actions is the contractor responsible for that would affect the value of the receipts received? It appears to be not in the contractor’s control.

A99 - There are no actions that the contractor would be responsible for that would affect the value of the receipts received within the NFA lockboxes. Regardless of the value of the lockbox, the contractor would be responsible for documenting receipt of the lockbox, organizing the lockbox, reconciling the lockbox, and prepping the lockbox for entry into the NFRTR Database system. It has been our experience that the lockboxes may vary in amount ranging from $20,000.00 to $300,000.00 or more per lockbox.

100. ACQ - PWS Section 3.2.6 Attachment H The PWS describes very generic IT tasks that hint at software development and O&M activities but Attachment 8 identifies no labor categories for the performance of these tasks. There is no way for an offeror to estimate this work unless the government provides an estimated level of effort or provides information about the systems supported and the tasks required.

A100 – See Question #36 Answer

101. ACQ - RFP Page 58 para 2. Format Packaging Are all sections to be delivered in the file electronically and binder physically, or is section VI to be separated?

A101 - See Question #22 Answer

102. ACQ - 34 PWS e) The Project Manager and Deputy Project Manager positions are considered Key Personnel. The below are suggested types of Key Personnel required to perform the services identified in this requirement; There are no suggested types below this statement. Q:

Will the Government confirm that there are no “suggested” types of Key Personnel, and that the following Key Personnel must be proposed:

Project Manager, Assistant Project Manager, Information Technology Specialist, Senior Web Designer, Web Designer, GIS Developer?

A102 - See Question #18 Answer

103. ACQ - Solicitation Q: Does the cover page or the Table of Contents count towards the page count of Volume 1?

A103 - See Question #68 Answer and See Question #89 Answer

104. ACQ - 55 & 59-60 Solicitation The method for proposals to be submitted in response to this solicitation is BOTH via e-mail to James.Huff@atf.gov and by mail nine (9) each hard copies.

Number of Hard Copies required listed in (c) Requirements table is five (5). Q: How many hardcopies of each volume are required?

A104 - See Question #14 Answer

105. ACQ - 63 & 70 Solicitation p. 63: 4. Transition Plan: A detailed plan must be provided with a time frame that the entire transition will be completed prior to the incumbent contractor’s contract ending p. 70: (4) Transition Plan: A detail plan for each task just be provided with a time frame that the entire transition will be completed prior to the incumbent contractor’s contract ending Q: Will the Government provide Offerors the incumbent’s Transition-Out Plan prior to the proposal due date to facilitate producing a coordinated Transition-In Plan?

A105 – CORRECTED ANSWER

Government misunderstood question. "If" incumbent has a transition out plan it would not be available until after award of new requirement. Current contract does not require a transition out plan.

106. ACQ - 66 Solicitation The following seven (7) evaluation factors…