AHFTS Industry Day Questions and Answers_120224.docx

Mission and Installation Contracting Command – Fort Eustis Industry Day Questions Advanced Helicopter Flight Training Services at Fort Novosel, Alabama

1. Question: What are the social economic goals for the contract?

Answer: This contract will be solicited full and open competition with a small businesses participation goal of 15%.

2. Question: How do you expect surge to be priced; full requirement or standard/scalable rates?

Answer: The Firm Fixed Price (FFP) surge will be an option priced for 12 months, and if exercised, will be fully funded the same as a FFP option year is.

3. Question: Are there similar penalties as outlined in the performance work statement (PWS) paragraph 5.4.5 being executed under the current contract?

Answer: Yes, the daily billing rate will be utilized in this requirement and is the same as that being used in the current award.

4. Question: Are the penalties also resulting in any negative evaluations?

Answer: The Government will not comment on the current contractors performance.

5. Question: Is there any areas the current contractor is not meeting the requirements?

Answer: The Government will not comment on the current contractor’s performance.

6. Question: Are the current contract’s manning levels the same as this requirement?

Answer: This requirement has the same manning levels as those found in the current contract.

7. Question: How recent will past performance need to be for inclusion in the proposal?

Answer: The Government anticipates using 3 years of past performance from the date of issuance of the solicitation.

8. Question: Outside of the new instructor-student ratio requirements, is there anything else driving the early recompete?

Answer: The government will not comment on the current contractor’s performance.

9. Question: Can you further clarify an example of the penalty application (e.g., if one instructor misses an entire week without backfill)?

Answer: PWS Paragraph 5.4.4 & 5.4.5. Example UH-60M IP training week:

Scenario 1. Contractor provides 22 IPs each day Monday – Thursday to train 44 students each day. Contractor provides only 21 IPs on Friday only training 42 students that day. This is within the allowable TSCV (1 IP : 2 Student set) so no deduction would apply.

Scenario 2. Contractor provides 22 IPs each day Monday – Tuesday to train 44 students each day. Contractor provides only 21 IPs on Wednesday - Friday only training 42 students each day. This exceeds the allowable TSCV (1 IP : 2 Student set) so a deduction would apply. If the Daily Billing Rate in the contractor’s proposal has each UH-60M IP billed at $1,000 per day, then the deduction would be 3 (total not performed was short 1 IP Wednesday-Friday) x $1,000 for a total of $3,000 deduct for the week.

10. Question: Do you expect the draft request for proposal (RFP) on 01 November 2023 to contain all sections and attachments?

Answer: Yes, but they will only be the draft documents.

11. Question: Will you lay out the penalty scenario in a response with the other due out answers:

Answer: See answer above in Question 9.

12. Question: Is the current student throughput at the levels included in the PWS?

Answer: The requirements are the same with the exception being that this requirement includes surge if needed.

13. Question: Are the requirement and actuals at 110 now?

Answer: Yes.

14. Question: Is the current contractor receiving negative evaluations for not meeting mission requirements currently?

Answer: The government is not commenting on the current contractor’s performance.

15. Question: Fort Novosel itself, not just contractors are in direct competition with Saudi Arabia, UAE, AMCOM (NET Teams) and USASATMO (FMS programs) for pilots and crew members. All of these programs pay very well and are a constant draw on the pilot and crew member pool. AHFTS primes have always had problems competing with industry to retain employees. Would the government consider setting a salary floor for pilots and crew members to avoid low bidders (those diving too low on salary) from being awarded and then failing to keep their numbers up due to competition offering much higher salaries?

Answer: Price evaluations will look at pricing in the context of “fair and reasonable”. The solicitation is also “best value / tradeoff” and not LPTA.

16. Question: Explain how the government will determine the daily billable rate and how will it be used as a penalty (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 5.4.5)?

Answer: The government does not determine the daily billable rate. It is a requirement in contractor proposal submissions. The daily billable rate for each requirement in PWS paragraph 5.4.2, when totaled together, will equal the total proposal pricing for each year of the contract.

17. Question: Could you please further explain/confirm the application of the performance penalty? Is there a ceiling (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 5.4.5)?

Answer: See answer to Question 9. There is no ceiling. Exceeding the TSCV is applied based on the services not performed in accordance with the PWS requirements.

18. Question: How will the government fairly evaluate price realism to avoid post award increases?

Answer: The Government will not be evaluating price realism.

19. Question: Are there similar penalties under the current contract (PWS Paragraph 5.4.5)?

Answer: The same deduction process is applied to current requirements.

20. Question: How often is Periodic Progress Meetings? Per year, per quarter, bi-quarter, monthly? On site at Novosel or somewhere else or virtual? This will need to itemize out in the Price Volume (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.7).

Answer: PWS (1.5.9.1) The Program Manager and Alternate Program Manager support is at contractor’s facilities within the local commuting area. The meetings will be “in person” when they occur.

It is not anticipated more than twice a year (semi-annual). It will only become more frequently if all requirements of the contract are not being met.

21. Question: Will the Govt release CLINs structure, Price and Cost template or Contractor format acceptable? Evaluation criteria Section L and M?

Answer: Yes, the Government intends to Post a Draft Solicitation with attachments mid-February.

22. Question: No CDRL mentioned in the PWS. Beside expected Monthly Progress Report as a potential CDRL, how many CDRLs total and will the Govt provide all CDRLs in the official RFP package (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraphs 1.5.20; 5.4)?

Answer: The Government intends to Post a Draft Solicitation with attachments and CDRLS by mid-February.

23. Question: Responding to comment: "Cannot exceed the student-to-instructor or aircraft-to-instructor ratio". Does that mean we cannot hire above the total requirement of 109 personnel in order to mitigate any weekly instructor shortfalls (See Industry Day Slide: Requirement Information)?

Answer: The comment was based on the requirements of PWS paragraph 5.4.2. The student-to-instructor and aircraft-to-crewmember ratios are set per the PWS. The UH-60M IP requirement is 44 students per training day. At the student-to-instructor ratio of 2:1, 22 UH-60M IPs will be needed to train 44 students every training day. It is up to the contractor to determine personnel staffing to meet the PWS requirements. The government does not define the maximum workforce hired.

24. Question: Clearance not required but is there a requirement for US Citizen/US Person to be qualified for AT level I awareness training and/or to be on base (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.6)?

Answer: The contractor and all associated sub-contractors requiring access to Army installations, facilities or controlled access areas shall complete AT Level I awareness training. This training shall be completed within 30 calendar days of contract award and within 30 calendar days of new employees commencing performance, with the results reported to the COR within 10 calendar days of training completion.

Question: Is there a timeline for non-qualified workforce instructor pilots to complete the refresher training to become considered qualified (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.10.2.2)?

Answer: No. Non-qualified personnel are trained at a lower priority than qualified workforce personnel based on government instructor pilot availability, course schedule (if applicable), and aircraft availability.

25. Question: Is there a timeline for non-qualified workforce maintenance examiner to complete the refresher training to become considered qualified (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.10.2.2)?

Answer: No. Non-qualified personnel are trained at a lower priority than qualified workforce personnel based on government instructor pilot and aircraft availability.

26. Question: Can the government provide some further quantification of liquidated damages per hour per platform that could be expected in this scenario (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.17)?

Answer: The hourly cost/rate varies per aircraft, simulation, and FY. For example: assume the hourly aircraft rate for the AH-64E was $6,000.00 per hour when the contract employee was trained, and the contract employee required 15 hours to become part of the qualified workforce ($6,000 x 15 = $90,000). The employee then left the contract after only performing services for 1-year of the 2-year employee training agreement. The contract company would then incur an obligation to reimburse the government for $45,000 of liquidated damages.

27. Question: Quality Control Plan is considered a CDRL Deliverable, will Govt provide CDRL Form 1423 and DID instruction and format or contract format acceptable? Define "delivery of quality Supplies to the Government" What are the list of Supplies? Or Contractor must provide Supplies such as Uniform, essential items for Pilots and Maintenance personnel (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.1)?

Answer: The QCP can be in a contractor format addressing all items in paragraph PWS 1.5.1. The supplies and products refer to the government flight uniform and safety equipment issued to contract employees.

28. Question: Will the Govt provide the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan in the official RFP package (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.2)?

Answer: No, this is an internal Government document.

29. Question: What is the timeframe for appropriate notice when staffing surge requirements (DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 5.4.6)?

Answer: The timeframe will vary depending on the number of additional personnel/training requested and in what airframe. The timeframe to hire 5 additional AH-64E IPs is not equivalent to the time it would take to hire 5 additional UH-60M IPs. The timeframe to hire 3 additional UH-60M IPs is not equivalent to the time it would take to hire 8 additional UH-60M IPs.

30. Question: What creative staffing options have been successful throughout the history of the program or is it simply a matter of meeting the numbers of instructor pilots?

Answer: The government does not provide the composition of staffing options. Staffing is determined by the contractor to comply with and meet PWS requirements.

31. Question: What attributes are you considering to evaluate the trustworthiness of pricing submissions?

Answer: The Government will evaluate the offeror’s Price Proposal to determine if it is fair, reasonable, balanced, and complete using price analysis techniques at FAR 15.404-1.

32. Question: Request for Waiver is considered a CDRL with associated DID. Will Govt accept Contractor format DRAFT PWS 181023 Paragraph 1.5.10.1.3)?

Answer: Any deliverable will have a CDRL associated with associated DID.