Q A R-00101.pdf

DTFR53‐12‐R‐00101

Questions and Answers

1.) Can you tell me what level of funding is available on a yearly basis?

A: We expect up to $2,000,000 per year.

2.) Please indicate when the final task order decisions will be made.

A: Task order decisions will be made after a task order proposal request is released and task order proposals have been received and reviewed. There is no time frame for the release of the first task order proposal. However, it is possible that a sample task order could be awarded simultaneously with the contract award.

3.) In the RFP body file, the starting point is Section B, is there also a Section A?

A: Section A is the Standard Form 33.

4.) Please clarify the order of importance regarding the Evaluation Factors for Award (Section M).

There appears to be a contradiction in Sections M.3 and M.5.

Section M.3 Evaluation Criteria states:

“The Government will evaluate the competing offers on the basis of the following three factors listed in order of descending importance:

• Technical;

• Cost/Price; and

• Past Performance”

Section M.5 Basis for Award states:

“The Government will evaluate the competing offers on the basis of the following three factors listed in order of descending importance:

(A) Technical;

(B) Past Performance;

(C) Cost/Price

Of the three factors, Technical is considered the most important. When combined, (A) Technical and (B) Past Performance significantly more important than (C) Cost/Price.”

A: Section M.5 is the correct order. This is corrected in Amendment 1 to the RFP.

5.) Section L.10 Proposal Format, Item 4 under “All Offerors shall submit the following:” states that the Past Performance Questionnaires are to be included with the 1 original of Volume II proposal. Volume II lists Part IV as “3 sealed Past Performance Questionnaires (mailed by referrer, see Section L.13.)” Section L.13 instructions for Part IV state that the questionnaires should be emailed to Keith Boyea from the reference. Should Volume II, Part IV contain only

Parts I and II of the Questionnaires as completed by the Offeror? Please clarify the procedure for submission of sealed Past Performance Questionnaires.

A: Have your referrer email the past performance questionnaires to keith.boyea.ctr@dot.gov. The language on page 35 is updated in this amendment.

6.) 3. Section B, first paragraph states “Any travel required under the task orders will be reimbursed at cost.” Section H.5 also states that the contractor shall be reimbursed for actual costs incurred and refers to FAR 31.205‐46. Please clarify if travel costs are to be burdened with allowable indirect burdens and are only to be exclusive of fee/profit.

A: Travel costs should be broken out separately, but they may be subject to allowable burden/fee in the overall cost proposal.

7.) The rate table in Section B allows for a single rate for each labor category for each period (BASE and OPTION). Is it the Government’s intent for the bidders to provide a single, blended rate for each labor category, or will the Government accept labor rates for each of the five years of the proposed period of performance. Please clarify.

A: The Government expects the rates proposed in section B to be the maximum possible unburdened direct rates. The contractor may propose rates for each year of the contract or a blended rate for each option period. It is the government’s intent to attempt to acquire discounts off these direct rates through competitive task orders where possible.

8.) The chart on the first page of Section B states that the Period of Performance is 15 March 2012‐

14 March 2015 for the Base and 15 March 2015‐14 March 2017 for Option 1; however, L.9 states that “the Offeror should assume an estimated award effective date of 1 April 2012.”

Please clarify the start date of the contract.

A: The start date is expected to be approximately 1 April 2012. Depending on the number of proposals, length of time it takes to review the proposals and conduct the oral presentations, this date could slip a couple of weeks in either direction.

9.) If an academic institution serves as the lead on a proposal can the same institution serve as a subcontractor to another team lead by a consulting firm or another institution?

A: Since multiple contract awards are anticipated, such potentially conflicting arrangements by an institution are discouraged.

10.) If an academic institution serves as the lead what are the requirements for Small Disadvantaged

Business participation?

A: The institution must submit a small business subcontracting plan, even if the plan is that you do not see any potential Small Disadvantaged Business subcontracting opportunities.

11.) How many awards are expected?

A: Multiple awards are anticipated. Five contracts were awarded in FY2007 and are expiring. There could be less or more resulting from this solicitation.

12.) Will there be another opportunity or avenue to ask questions related to the proposal?

A: No.

13.) Can graphics and tables be less than 12 point font?

A: Yes, but the government suggests you utilize graphics and tables judiciously.

14.) The first paragraph of Hypothetical Task 2 mentions “transit” in a couple of places. As the task is directed to standardization of the “future passenger rail fleet”, is it intended that transit vehicles (beyond just transit commuter rail) should be considered as part of this future passenger rail fleet?

A: No.

15.) Section B states the POP is 3/15/2012 – 3/14/2017. L.9 “…assume an estimated award effective date of 1 April 2012.” Please clarify the POP.

A: See answer to question 8.

16.) “The labor rates required for any cost reimbursement task order shall not exceed the proposed rates in the IDIQ.” Typically a CPFF task order is reimbursed at the actual costs incurred. For the

IDIQ, are the base and option year rates included in the proposal considered ceiling rates for

CPFF task orders; or will CPFF task orders be reimbursed at the actual costs incurred?

A: Tasks orders will be reimbursed at cost. The IDIQ rates are considered ceiling rates. See question 7.

17.) For each RFP, CLINs 0002 and 0004 are for travel. Please provide guidance for how the contractor should estimate travel.

A: The contractor should estimate the amount of travel required to complete the effort under the IDIQ.

18.) There are no CLINs for Other Direct Costs (ODCs). Should the contractor provide an estimate for ODCs?

A: Yes.

19.) There are no CLINs for Material. Should the contractor provide an estimate for Material?

A: Yes.

20.) For CLIN 0002 for Reimbursed Travel is it the Government's approach that these costs be non‐ fee bearing?

A: See question 6.

21.) The quantities are missing; will they be updated in an amendment?

A: Amendment 1 corrects this error.

22.) Is there a limit to the number of labor categories?

A: No, but the government does not expect the list to be completely comprehensive. If a labor category comes up in a subsequent task order that was not listed in the IDIQ, the rate can be negotiated at that time.

23.) Should labor category information for each subcontractor be submitted in a similar chart?

A: Yes, but see answer 22 as well.

24.) Should the labor category chart be submitted as part of Volume II? If not, how should it be submitted?

A: Submit the labor category chart with Volume II. Volume II should also include indirect, G&A, fee, etc.

25.) Please clarify if the labor rates provided in the Labor Category chart are unburdened labor rates.

A: See question 7.

26.) Is there a procedure for a company representative or employee known to AGO to deliver the proposal?

A: Yes. Coordinate with the contract specialist, Keith Boyea, at keith.boyea.ctr@dot.gov or at

202.493.1341 to schedule a time for a Department of Transportation lobby pickup. The government suggests not waiting until the last minute.

27.) Please clarify if we can use individual Task Orders for past performance, for example can Past

Performance be from the same IDIQ but on different Task Orders?

A: Yes.