E00B6600011 - QA-Part 1.pdf

80 Calvert Street, Annapolis Maryland 21401 410.260.7445 1-800-552-3941 (MD) www.marylandcomptroller.gov

Fax: 410-974-2737 Maryland Relay 711 wgreen@marylandtaxes.gov

Brooke E. Lierman Comptroller

Wayne P. Green Director, Administration & Finance

TORFP No. E00B6600011 – Amendment 1

Q&A Part 1

1. Is the State considering granting an extension to the proposal due date currently scheduled for February

2, 2026?

The deadline for receipt of proposals is hereby extended through February 5, 2026, 10:00 AM EST.

2. For this Small Business Reserve (SBR) TORFP, can the Offeror meet the mandatory and preferred qualification requirements through a subcontractor? If so, will subcontractor qualifications be evaluated and treated as equivalent to the Prime SBR Offeror meeting those requirements?

As described in Section 1.1 of the TORFP, only the Offeror’s qualifications can be used to meet the mandatory requirements for the Offeror Minimum Qualifications. However, if proposed personnel are employed by a subcontractor, their qualifications may be used to meet the required minimum or preferred qualifications for that position.

3. On the System Engineer (SR) MS 365 preferred qualifications - It asks for 15 years of experience with

MS365 administration, but MS365 has been around since 2020, and OS365 since 2013. Should it be 10 years?

Section 1.4.5 of the TORFP is amended for clarification to state, “Fifteen (15) years of experience administering Microsoft applications to include Microsoft M365 administration from launch.”

4. Will you give us the option to present either one, two, or three resumes per position?

As described in Section 3.12.5 of the TORFP, Offerors are required to propose eight Key Personnel who shall be available per Section 3.1, and resumes and references need only be provided for those eight personnel.

5. Will you allow H1B visa candidates?

H1B Visa candidates may not be submitted as Key Personnel under this TORFP.

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6. Can we submit one candidate for more than one position? ASSUMING the requirement for 3 resumes does not change, we have several candidates that could be considered for more than one position.

As described in Section 3.12.5 of the TORFP, Offerors are required to propose eight Key Personnel who shall be available per Section 3.1, and resumes and references need only be provided for those eight personnel. Offerors may indicate in a proposal if any proposed personnel are suitable for multiple Key Personnel positions, but must propose sufficient personnel to ensure all eight positions are proposed with personnel who meet the qualifications for the position they are proposed for.

7. Can the master contractor use references for work that has been performed as a sub-contractor to fulfil the minimum requirement of submitting 3 references for projects of similar size and scope?

References are required for projects of similar size and scope. If the portion of the work an Offeror performed as a subcontractor was of similar size and scope, then it would meet that requirement.

8. Is there an incumbent provider currently supporting this environment, and if so, can the State disclose the incumbent contractor’s name and contract award value?

The services being solicited under this TORFP represent a continuing initiative under the COM’s ongoing IT Modernization efforts, and are not currently being performed in the scope and quantity described in this TORFP.

9. Could the State please confirm the annual allocated amount for this Contract?

Offerors should submit their proposed pricing based on their CATS+ labor rates for the labor categories and quantities described in their proposal. This TORFP does not include a specified budget.

10. Are the services requested on an as needed (ad hoc) basis, or is there a fixed number of positions allocated each year?

It is anticipated that the positions specified to be required to be available within 15 days of award will be considered full time for the first contract year. Other positions described in the TORFP are anticipated to be required, but the exact timeline and quantity of labor hours required is not yet finalized. As this is intended to be a Labor Hours type contract, it is expected that invoicing will be based on the specific labor categories and hours required, which shall be at the direction of the COM and which may vary throughout the contract’s period of performance.

11. What is the expected average duration of engagement for each resource under this Contract?

It is anticipated that the positions specified to be required to be available within 15 days of award will be considered full time for the first contract year. Other positions described in the TORFP are anticipated to be required, but the exact timeline and quantity of labor hours required is not yet finalized. As this is intended to be a Labor Hours type contract, it is expected that invoicing will be based on the specific

12. Can the State confirm that only one resume is required per Key Personnel?

As described in Section 3.12.5 of the TORFP, Offerors are required to propose eight Key Personnel who shall be available per Section 3.1, and resumes and references need only be provided for those eight personnel.

13. Please confirm the required list of Key Personnel, as the RFP states 8 Key Personnel, while the pricing spreadsheet includes 9 labor categories.

There are 8 positions listed as Key Personnel in the TORFP. The Pricing Spreadsheet includes all anticipated labor categories for performance, including positions not designated as Key Personnel.

14. Please confirm whether the Oral Presentation will be attended by four (4) Key Personnel and one (1) senior corporate leader.

The Oral Presentations shall be conducted virtually, so there is no limit on personnel who may attend, however, Offerors should ensure that all personnel required under Section 5.5 of the TORFP are present.

15. What is the maximum number of personnel allowed to attend the Oral Presentation?

The Oral Presentations shall be conducted virtually, so there is no limit on personnel who may attend, however, Offerors should ensure that all personnel required under Section 5.5 of the TORFP are present.

16. Could the State confirm whether all Key Personnel are expected to be onboarded upon Task Order award, or on ad-hoc basis at various point of times in the year based on the need?

Section 1.3 of the TORFP describes all anticipated Key Personnel. Only the three positions described as required to be available within 15 days of contract award are currently anticipated to be onboarded with the initial notice to proceed.

17. Are these roles currently or previously supported by an incumbent contractor? If so, can the State provide the incumbent company name(s) so an SBR Offeror may consider partnering options to help retain domain knowledge?

The services being solicited under this TORFP represent a continuing initiative under the COM’s ongoing IT Modernization efforts, and are not currently being performed in the scope and quantity described in this TORFP. However, some roles and expertise described in the TORPF are currently provided to the State under contract with Cas Severn, Inc.

18. Please confirm whether the Key Personnel role is Project Manager (as stated in the RFP) or Program Manager (as shown in the pricing spreadsheet).

This role is for a Project Manager. An updated copy of the Pricing Spreadsheet is included with this amendment to the TORFP.

19. Could the State confirm the anticipated minimum number of positions for each role in a year?

At this time, it is the State’s expectation that no more than one personnel will be required for each role described in the TORFP, however, this is based on estimated labor requirements which may change over the course of the contract’s period of performance.

20. Does the State currently have personnel (State staff or contractor staff) performing the Key Personnel functions identified in the RFP? If so, will there be a transition period for knowledge transfer and or the possibility to re badge incumbent resources?

Yes, some of the identified functions currently have personnel performing those roles, and a transition period and/or re-badging are possible.

21. Since Offerors may need to provide contingent offers to key resources to secure their participation in the Oral Presentation, could the State confirm at what point it will be offering the gaurenteed position for the awardee's key personnel as significant effort goes in attendening orals and providing their commitment to this project?

It is anticipated that the three positions identified in Section 1.3 of the TORFP as being required to be available within 15 days of contract award shall be filled at the time of the receipt of the initial notice to proceed. Should any proposed Key Personnel become unavailable over the course of performance of the contract, it is anticipated that the procedures described in Section 3.13 of the TORFP “Substitution of Personnel” shall prevail.

22. Could the State confirm whether the Documentation Specialist is a Key Personnel position?

This position is not included in the list of Key Personnel.

23. Can the State confirm whether responses are required only for Sections 1.1 and 1.2 under 5.4.2.C Minimum Qualifications Documentation as the Sections 1.3 and 1.4 will be addressed via Appendix A and Appendix B under 5.4.2.D Proposed Personnel and TORFP Staffing?

Yes, this is correct.

24. Would the State consider limiting the number of Key Personnel required at proposal submission and to participate in the Oral Presentation, as compensating multiple contingent resources to attend Orals can impose additional cost burden on small businesses?

Only those Key Personnel specified in Section 5.5 of the TORFP are required to be present for Oral Presentations.

25. Could the State confirm the anticipated minimum number of positions in a year?

It is anticipated that the positions specified to be required to be available within 15 days of award will be considered full time for the first contract year. Other positions described in the TORFP are anticipated to be required, but the exact timeline and quantity of labor hours required is not yet finalized. As this is intended to be a Labor Hours type contract, it is expected that invoicing will be based on the specific

26. Under Section 5.4.2.F (Overall Team Organizational Chart), is the State anticipating that the Offeror should include only the nine (9) personnel/labor categories listed in the pricing spreadsheet, or should the chart also include any additional resources?

The Offeror’s pricing proposal should include all proposed personnel and resources, and represent a complete picture of the Offeror’s total proposed price.

27. Who is incumbent on this project?

The services being solicited under this TORFP represent a continuing initiative under the COM’s ongoing IT Modernization efforts, and are not currently being performed in the scope and quantity described in this TORFP.

28. What was the project value including all options?

Offerors should submit their proposed pricing based on their CATS+ labor rates for the labor categories and quantities described in their proposal. This TORFP does not include a specified budget.