Am_5_Exhibit_IDIQ.pdf

(x)

F14SOL10050

x x

1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT

THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

OCON

Washington DC 20013-7012

MRC 1200

P.O. BOX 37012

OCON

OCON

Washington DC 20013-7012

MRC 1200

P.O. BOX 37012

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

10/15/2014000005

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

07/30/2014

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

Smithsonian Solicitation F14SOL10050 (the "RFP"), is hereby amended to extend the deadline for receipt of proposals to November 6, 2014 as well as to provide the additional revisions and responses to questions in pages 2-5 of this Amendment No. 5.

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

Dorothy A. Leffler

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

Smithsonian Institution Open Quantity Exhibit Design, Fabrication, and Design/Fabrication

Request for Proposals Smithsonian Solicitation Number F14SOL10050

AMENDMENT NO. 5

A. The date and time for receipt of proposals is hereby extended to Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 3pm local Washington DC time.

B. Section C.3.13 (b.)(ii.) and (iii.) of the RFP is hereby revised by deleting any reference to NMNH and replacing NMNH with “Smithsonian.”

C. Section C.3.14(2)(k.) of the RFP is hereby revised by deleting said section in its entirety and replacing it with the following language, “All drawings and specifications delivered by Contractor under each Task Order shall reference the appropriate OFEO project number and the appropriate OFEO project title as provided by the Smithsonian in future RFP’s awarded under the resultant IDIQ contracts.”

D. Section C.3.15 of the RFP is hereby revised by deleting the reference to NMNH and replacing NMNH with “Smithsonian.”

E. Section J of the RFP is revised by incorporating the following additional attachments:

“J.7 U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division, General Decision Number DC140002 09/26/2014 DC2 (Superseded General Decision Number:

DC20130002 (This Attachment J.7 will be revised with each awarded Task Order to reflect the then current, applicable Davis-Bacon Wage Decision). Wage determinations can be found online at http://www.wdol.gov/

J.8 Smithsonian Institution Office of Contracting Exhibition Size and Type Form (1 single-sided page) Attachment provided on Fed Biz Opps ”

J.9 National Park Service Standard Exhibit Planning and Design Specifications dated January 31, 2008 (90 single-sided pages)

J.10 National Park Service Standard Exhibit Fabrication Specifications dated December 2006.”

F. The Smithsonian is in the process of revising its standard exhibit planning and design specifications as well as its standard exhibit fabrication specifications. Given that both documents are largely based off of the National Park Service specifications, we are incorporating such specifications as Attachments J.9 and J.10 as set forth above. Note though that these specifications will change to Smithsonian-specific specifications, hopefully prior to award.

G. The RFP is hereby revised by incorporating the following Smithsonian responses to questions received by prospective Offerers:

1. We are a privately held company and do not publish financial information including P&L, Statement of Cash Flow or Balance Sheet. Based on H.3.1 do we have to comply with L.8.2.9? We are a profitable well financed company with a 25 Million dollar operating line of credit. We are also already a supplier to the Smithsonian Institution on another project. Is it imperative that we submit the financial information described in paragraph L.8.2.9?

Response: As stated in previous amendments to the RFP, all firms must provide sufficient information to allow the Smithsonian to make a reasoned determination regarding the firm’s financial stability. Stating that a firm has a certain operating line of credit, without sufficient documentation evidencing the same, or stating that a firm is already a supplier to the Smithsonian on another project alone are insufficient. Again, firms must provide sufficient evidence supporting any statement by the firm that they are financially stability.

2. On Page 58 of the IDIQ, under the “Key Personnel and Subcontractors” subsection, the IDIQ states that if “major subcontracting is contemplated," the offeror shall “clearly identify the parties to accomplish the various services and define their responsibilities. Provide letters of commitment for the parties (planned employees, subcontractors and/or consultants) involved.” But as you know this is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with NO specified scope of work, so we have no way of knowing which capabilities to anticipate. Shall we list all of the subcontractors we regularly work with? What kind of letter of commitment is the Smithsonian looking for? Does each POTENTIAL subcontractor need to furnish said letter?

Response: We would ask that firms secure letters of commitment from any subcontractors they anticipate using for the following key personnel positions: Project Manager, Senior Designer, Designer, Senior Graphics Designer, Editor, Writer, Researcher, Exhibit Evaluator, Lighting Designer, Foreman Carpenter/Cabinet Maker, Graphic Foreman, Senior Model Maker, Senior Audio-Visual Specialist, A/E, and any subcontractor providing conservation services. For other subcontractors, we would ask that you list those subcontractors as well as evidence of their past work, but letters of commitment are not necessary.

3. How we can anticipate and obtain letters of commitment for subcontracting, when by its very nature, the IDIQ is for an indeterminate scope of work that may or may not include subcontracting?

Response: Letters of commitment for purposes of responding to a solicitation for an IDIQ contract will likely be different from a detailed letter of commitment committing a subcontractor to be available for a given project with a specified scope and duration. Letters of commitment appropriate for responding to this RFP would merely need to state your subcontractors’ willingness and ability to team with your firm on your proposal. Project-specific letters of commitment would then be required for actual projects/Task Orders awarded under the IDIQ.

4. Our A/E sub sent only section 2 of the 330 form, and told me that when they are a sub, the prime firm fills out the part 1 of the form. The RFP states that only the A/E firm needs to fill the 330 out and all of the Part 1 questions are addressed elsewhere in the RFP. Does the design firm need to fill out Part 1 of the 330 form, does the A/E firm? Or is Part 2 sufficient.

Response: A/E firms should fill out the entirety of the 330 form. For purposes of responding to this RFP, the A/E firm shall be treated as the prime on the 330 form. Again, the purpose of the 330 form in responding to this RFP is to determine the qualifications of the A/E as well as their acceptability to the Smithsonian given their qualifications.

5. If the architect is the prime on form 330 and they usually sub out the engineering portion, does the sub engineering firm also need to fill out the form as a prime, or can they be listed as subs to the Architect within the architects form?

Response: The engineering firm subcontracted by the A/E can be listed as subs to the A/E on the 330 form.

6. Will you require form resumes for all individuals called out for the A/E portion?

Response: The 330 form will take the place of resumes for A/E firms. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if appropriate, Offerors are not prohibited from providing additional information regarding the A/E firms within their technical proposals.

7. With regards to Volume I, Part B, section L.8.1. Architect-Engineer Information: Do the Standard Forms 330 count in the maximum page count or would you accept the Forms to be a part of the Appendix with the rest of the resumes of key personnel?

Response: You may include the completed SF 330 as a separate appendix outside of the 100 page max.

8. Should the A/E submit detailed project sheets?

Response: A/E firms should provide sufficient information regarding past projects on the form 330 to allow the Smithsonian to make an informed decision regarding the A/E firm’s qualifications. However, they are not required to provide detailed project sheets.

9. Should the entire team be listed on form 330 or only the Architects and Engineers?

Response: Only the A/E.

10. Since our firm will be submitting for the Design IDIQ contract only (as opposed to fabrication or design/fabrication), will our subcontractors be precluded from fulfilling fabrication/installation services that may come as a result of this IDIQ or any other Smithsonian contracts?

Response: Generally no, but it depends. In such an instance, the Smithsonian would take measures to ensure that the firms competing for the fabrication/installation services contract had access to the same information provided to your subcontractor to provide for a “level playing field.” That being said, where the risk of an unfair competitive advantage exists without the ability to place everyone on a level playing field, they may be excluded from future competition. Again, not the best answer, but it does depend and a decision will be made on a case by case basis.

11. We are an exhibit fabricator and we are preparing a proposal for Fabrication and Installation services for this solicitation. A design firm we often work with is also preparing a Design only proposal for this solicitation. The design firm plans to include us in their proposal as a subcontractor for mock-ups and prototypes fabrication. Does the Smithsonian see any conflict in this scenario that would disqualify us or the design firm?

Response: Generally no, but please refer to the question 9 and our corresponding response above.

12. With regard to Section B.1, should proposals specifically address the issue of “large, small, and other categories of exhibition projects” as identified in Section B.1?

Response: Yes, Offerors should state in their proposals if they wish to be considered for small, medium, large, and/or traveling projects. However, if an Offeror wants to be considered for large or traveling, given that they require greater specialty, your examples of three (3) past projects should highlight large and/or traveling exhibits. Large projects are those that have a fabrication budget of $6M or encompass more than 5,000 sq. ft. Acceptable examples of traveling exhibits are those that traveled to two (2) or more venues requiring set-up, take-down and packing. Offerors are required to submit a completed “Exhibit Size and Type Form” (See Attachment J.8) as part of their business proposal.

13. Are we able to include multiple subcontracting firms for the same discipline to provide the most suitable services for specific project scopes?

Response: Yes, but please be certain to explain your approach and reason for using multiple subcontractors for a given discipline as part of your technical proposal.

14. Do all of the labor categories listed in the design-only portion of the solicitation on pages 16 through 20 need to be filled by particular individuals, or can some be left open-ended or "to be determined"?

Response: We ask that you provide specific individuals and corresponding resumes for the key personnel positions referenced in question number 2 above. For all others, we believe you would have a stronger proposal if you list specific individuals and provide corresponding resumes for each. Offerors should keep in mind that they must convince the Smithsonian that their proposed staff and proposed subcontractors are adequate for the size and type of service they propose to provide if selected for award.

Offerors should further note that they may be at a competitive disadvantage if they fail to convince the Smithsonian that their proposed staff and subcontractors are adequate. Offerors should make their own business decisions as to what staff to include in their proposal. However, if you do not list a specific individual for each category, you need to provide evidence of your firm’s ability to provide appropriate staff in the event of an award.

15. Is the following requirement in Section L.8.1(a.)(ii.) of the RFP for design/fabrication and fabrication firms only?: “Demonstrate knowledge of requirements for object staging during installation and de-installation. Such requirements include packing and shipping issues, security, climate control, and schedule impact.”

Response: Yes, this requirement only applies to firms submitting proposals for design/fabrication or fabrication only services.

16. Regarding section L. 8.1.A.c.i., Organization Chart, as per the RFP, it asks that we provide a chart listing all key personnel’s names, roles and lines of authority between each. Since we will be including multiple subcontractors per discipline and labor category, it would require a very large organization chart, with many individuals from several different firms. Such information would require many pages to showcase and might be confusing. Can you please confirm that you require this information?

Alternatively, would you accept a higher-level chart indicating the various disciplines and labor categories required, as well as their lines of authority? This format would exclude individual’s names, but would indicate how the team would work together. Please advise.

Response: Ideally, we would like an organization chart that adequately shows the names, roles, and lines of authority. You are certainly allowed to provide an alternate format provided that we are given a clear picture of the overall proposed approach and organization.

17. Is Exhibit Design considered a Title I Service?

Response: Title I Services are architectural and engineering services for exhibit design including site investigations, studies, interior design, plans, specifications, and technical calculations.

18. Being a small design firm, we are concerned about being able to fulfill everything that is being asked of us. We do not have a regular stable of subcontractors at the ready, and many of the personnel you are asking be on our team in Section C.3.16 are often outside of the scope of work of the designer (labor categories xiii through xviii). Often these are the responsibility of the fabrication contractor or are hired as separate vendors. As a small firm, we individually take on the roles of multiple labor categories (i though xii) ourselves. That said, we are still considering submitting a proposal for this RFP based on the statement you make in Section B.1 on page 2: "Depending on the proposals received, and depending on the needs of the Smithsonian at the time of award, the Smithsonian may award separate groups of IDIQ Contracts for large, small, and other categories of exhibition projects in an effort to better meet the needs of the Institution."

We have the experience required to complete exhibitions of varying size, and when needed, we bring people onto our team to help with various aspects of any given task, temporarily, and are concerned about the depth of what you are asking for, especially in regards to Section G.3 (Key Personnel). We would like to know if a firm such as ours would even be considered to become one of the Smithsonian's vendors.

We think we would be better suited to smaller projects, though this is only an assumption on our part.

Would you be able to let us know if this is a legitimate possibility?

Response: Yes, per the RFP, we do anticipate awarding a handful of contracts in each category for smaller projects so what you propose is certainly a legitimate possibility. Offerors should keep in mind that they must convince the Smithsonian that their proposed staff and proposed subcontractors are adequate for the size and type of service they propose to provide if selected for award. We would suggest that you secure letters of commitment from any subcontractors that you may anticipate bringing in “temporarily” on future projects.

19. If we are using subcontractors who are submitting on the Fabrication IDIQ contract, are we able to submit a letter from them stating their commitment in lieu of resubmitting their materials?

Response: Each proposal should stand on its own and include all information required. Referencing other proposals and/or merely submitting a letter of commitment from subcontractors is not acceptable.

20. Do we need to submit separate proposals for each design subcontractor team for the design/fabrication IDIQ? In other words, if we have designer A and designer B, do we submit a 75 page max + 15 additional page proposal for fabrication and for des/fab showing both designer A and designer B, or do we submit two 75 + 15 pagers with one for designer A and one for designer B?

Response: We are increasing the page limitation for ALL proposals, regardless of how many elements you are responding to, to 100 pages max, exclusive of resumes and letters of commitment. With respect to how many proposals to submit in the scenario outlined in your question, you would submit only one proposal addressing Designer A and Designer B as an alternate.

21. If we want to be considered for design and design/fabrication services for all size/type categories, would we need to submit 45+ different samples of past projects?

Response: No. Firms wishing to compete for several sizes and types of services must submit a total of at least three (3) representative project samples in total. Firms are welcome to submit additional samples if they desire to better illustrate the breadth and depth of their experience, but any such additional samples must be subsumed in the 100 page limit.

22. Is it acceptable to bind the Technical Proposal Volume 1 Part and Volume 1 Part B into one binder?

Response: No, the two proposals must remain separate as the technical proposals will be reviewed by the technical evaluation team who will review and evaluate the technical proposals only without any consideration to cost. The Office of Contracting will be reviewing the business proposals separately and those don’t necessarily need to be in a binder. A staple, binder clip, or similar method of binding the business proposal is sufficient.

23. How should we indicate material markups for fabrication? Should we just add a line stating a percentage to the Hourly Labor Rate page?

Response: This approach is acceptable.

H. All other terms and conditions of the RFP shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect.