Q A Posted 30 Jan 09.pdf

ISWM QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Question # Comment Response

1 What happens with the Lackland and Tyndall

Recycling centers? Can their under -utilized capacity be used?

This would require a MOA between the contractor and the base recycling center. It is currently not an option.

2 Who is responsible for dealing with DECA and the commissary? Most of the cardboard comes from those two agencies.

Dependent on base by base breakout. Some CE groups already incorporate these facilities, other's do not. The CE numbers reflected in the workload data does not include these organizations as they perform their own recycling based on market prices.

3 How does DRMO tie into the 40% diversion? All material weight diverted to DRMO, which they process, counts towards the diversion numbers for recycling.

4 Can there be additional time included in evaluating the waste stream?

Workload data will provided ASAP. As previously stated, we are on an aggressive schedule and limited time will be allowed to prepare proposals.

5 Does the AF intend to add capital investments or make available/facilities/space if capital investments are needed? These items include but not limited to recycling centers.

A7C- Dependent upon proposal to increase diversion and recycling revenue. Currently, no additional funds are being provided to the bases to invest in capital equipment.

6 Are the permits at Ft Sam Houston for recycling approved?

Ft Sam does not recycle on the base and has no center.

7 Who is responsible for removal of construction debris as it relates to major/minor construction?

The majority of consturction contracts include language requiring the contractor to remove the debris they bring to the installation. Exceptions may apply in the case of small construction projects.

8 Will modifications to the contract be made based on change in mission or fluctuation in personnel?

Modifications will only be made if substantial changes to the mission or personnel are made, both increasing or decreasing the requirement as necessary. Normal fluctuations in mission and personnel do not necessary warrant a modification.

9 What is the process for media relations approval? How is it integrated into the contract?

Will it be integrated into the contract?

Media relations approval will not be incoroprated into the contract.

10 How are special events priced? A7C- Special events are priced by the cost of required 30 or 40 CY containers and individual refuse and recycling containers provided plus disposal cost, usually by lot not tonnage. We plan to have a separate cost reimbursable CLIN for special events.

11 What is the anticipated CLIN structure? This will be posted in the draft and subsequent

RFPs

16 Can we get clarification on the contract format and proposal procedures?

Contract format and proposal procedures will be included in the RFP.

17 Will there be a sample task order in the PWS? The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

18 If we bid on a particular base and are awarded the contract, will we get it for that price?

Yes. If your company proposes a price on a contract, that price is evaluated and if awarded, will be awarded at the price proposed.

19 Are we competing twice? Won’t they already know our prices when it comes to the second re-compete? How does this work? So basically we are not guaranteed an award?

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

20 How are commodity revenues applied to these bids since they are uncontrollable?

No contractor can bid on possible revenue generation. Bid on process and cost to process.

21 Can we take over GFE (Recycling center) and run it?

All GFE provided to the contractor after award must be maintained by the contractor during performance. At contract expiration or termination, the GFE will be returned to the government

22 If you graduate this year from the 8(a) program, can we still receive this award if it is set aside for this?

If you are not registered as an 8(a) contractor at the time your proposal is submitted and this is an

8(a) set-aside, you will not qualify for an award.

23 Will you be moving up the site visit dates? The site visit dates will be re-evaluated and a determination will be announced in the near future

24 Are any bases exceeding diversion guidelines? Yes.

25 Does DECA report its diversion? Yes. However, tonnages have been reported through Environmental office and are not validated by Base Ops.

26 Contamination hinders and challenges diversion. Will leadership engage to enforce sorting?

Yes. Wing Commanders will drive increased reycling requirements for base personnel.

27 Are we bidding individually or by group? Will we have to submit 12 different bids? This seems very tedious and confusing. Suggest we do a QVL.

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

28 Can you re-look your timeline? The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

29 How do you measure diversion rates? What do you start with? You need a solid foundation

(baseline) before a company is successful.

Amount of tonnage not being landfill disposed divided by tonnage generated during the year which is currently going towards dumpsters

30 Can a contractor aid in perfecting the reporting measures?

Absolutely.

31 Who is responsible for the recycling business plans? Will the revision of current business plans be out before the proposal?

QRP business plans are available at all bases and are currently being rewritten for some bases.

They are the responsibility of the QRP manager.

32 How would we propose this acquisition? Proposal information including instructions to offerors will be included in the RFP

33 Will the RFP address how we would treat/bid each special concern (education program, hazardous waste)?

The RFP sill give you instruction on how proposals shall be submitted and evaluated.

34 Have you thought of sorting lines? Yes- labor cost and initial investment does not warrant the use of them at this time unless a proposal provides the methodology and BCA to support it.

35 When consolidating contracts, is it solid waste, or recycling?

The recycling and refuse contracts will be consolidated into a single resource management contract

36 Do we have to find and gather spent munitions or are they centrally located?

No. Spent munitions are gathered by AF personnel and supplied to recycling center as appropriate.

37 Are you awarding only to four vendors? The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

38 What information is available without having to visit each base to be able to know what bases we are capable of bidding on?

We are working to post workload data ASAP.

39 Do you have any container requirements? Cleanliness and upkeep of containers only.

Contractor's decision.

40 Can you release the base percentages? Percentages of ????

41 Is regulated waste hazardous waste? No

42 Are there insurance requirements to be on base?

Yes, these will be defined in the RFP.

43 Can we recommend change? Recommended changes are what will make the program succeed.

44 If we bid all contracts, we will have to buy all equipments upfront. How do we mitigate risk?

This will have to be a business decision.

45 Why isn’t a technical proposal required? How would you know who would be best for the job without a technical proposal?

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

46 Will award be based on price and past performance? How does tech weigh?

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

47 Do you currently do your own composting? At some locations - to be posted

48 How is waste minimization accomplished? Any way possible

49 Would you be interested on having your own account with Green Star (single stream)?

Unfamiliar with Green Star, single stream can be proposed

50 Do you own compactors? Would you be willing to lease–to-own compactors?

Yes, yes.

51 Will RFP state GFE? The RFP will outline all GFE the government will provide at each location

52 Are we able to bid independently as a large business?

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

53 Will the set aside be known by the time the

RFP is posted?

Yes

54 Most installations do not have a recycling facility to maximize productivity. A grander scale need would be there to modernize a facility at each base. This requires capital in a large number that usually requires 5 years

(amortization). How does this affect small businesses? They won’t be able to cover these expenses.

Not necessarily. We are asking to integrate the programs and maximize efficiency with existing resource and contractor recommendations by utilizing municipal recycling facilities if necessary.

55 If we don’t use a dirty MURF, how do we make sure we have all the recyclables that are going in the dumpsters now?

The goal is not to get all recyclables, concentration on large items already processed.

Sorting lines

56 Will this be added to the current refuse contracts?

This contract will replace the current refuse and recycling contracts

57 How many bases operate their own landfill? None

58 When it comes to privatized housing, would it be possible to pull the residential collection to combine with the proposed contract?

No

59 Should we get awarded Altus, would we be able to use their GFE?

GFE is government furnished equipment. You would be allowed to use the equipment specified until the end of the contract

60 Does Sheppard have civil service operating the recycle center?

Partial.

61 When will more data be released? Data will be updated on Fed Biz Opps throughout the acquisition process

62 Do you have workload data? Yes. Workload data will be provided ASAP.

63 What is the website you will post information to?

Information will be posted to the Federal Business

Oppurtunities website. https://www.fbo.gov/

64 Will the milestones change? Are you still looking at proposals due in May still?

Yes

65 In transition, if you receive advantageous proposals, how will you exit the current contracts? Over time? Years?

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

66 How long do you have planned for evaluations?

When will you know if you don’t plan to award after all?

The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information will be posted as it comes available.

67 When will waste stream information be posted? The workload data will be posted ASAP.

68 Which bases have a recycling center? See GFE list when available

69 Which bases have on-site sorting of materials? None

70 Which bases are requiring all recyclable materials to be carried off-site?

All bases.

71 Which bases have balors on-site? See GFE list when available

72 Please list all recycling (non-hazardous materials)

See GFE list when available

73 Is all paper shredded on-site? Yes

74 Will metal be included? Shell Casing? brass? Yes

75 Will there be metal materials which would require a crane, certified destruction, special handling

Very limited, if at all

76 Slide #8 indicates that the “Recycling contractor will be prime over programs”, what exactly does this mean. I got two interpretations on this from the team. I read this as saying only a recycling contractor can be the

Prime on this contract. I don’t think this is what was meant, but I could be wrong.

Disregard the statement in the slide. The acquisition strategy is still being approved and more information on teaming, etc. will be posted as it comes available.

77 Since Lackland and Tyndall are in-sourced, are we in competition with them? What happens when Joint Basing takes effect? Will they use the Lackland in-source program?

No competition. Only the refuse portions of

Lackland and Tyndall will be contracted out with a memorandum of understanding between 37 CES and 325 CES. Lackland is to be utilized for processing items at their discretion.

78 Will the new milestones be reposted? Information will be posted to www.fbo.gov when available

79 Are there 12 bases or 18? What bases were excluded?

The current requirement is for up to 13 AETC bases and FT. Sam Houston

80 How are you looking to compete this? Will there be multiple contractors? How will this be accomplished? What if you only want to bid one base? How do you level evaluations?

All contractors must have the capability to perform at all bases.

81 If you have a short list of contractors, will task orders be spread out?

Individual Task Orders will be competed among those contractors who receive a contract.

82 Will you go all options or let go after the base year?

When a contract is written the intent is to exercise all options. However, it is the government's unilateral right to exercise additional options.

83 How do we handle the bases that currently have contractors that are in the 8(a) program?

New contracts will be awarded.

84 If you have a base with a recently awarded contract, how are you going to transition over?

The new contract will eventually take the place of the existing contract. The exact time depends on our acquisition needs.

85 Can you take a step further if the contractor is doing well for the first four years?

All task orders are written as a base plus 4 options years. The contract will then be recompeted.

86 With current practice of 1 base year plus 4 options you are automatically asking for higher up front costs because there are no guarantees of going past the first year. Do you realize how much risk this places on the contractor?

The Federal Acquisition Regulation mandates the terms of the contract. Although there are no guarantees, it has been standard practice to issue the option years unless the mission warrants the change or the contractor is not performing as required.

87 If a current contract ends and a transition is made to this new acquisition, can the incumbent bid in new requirement?

Yes, assuming they meet meet any small business set-aside requirements

88 Do you want the contractor to assume the cost of refuse/recycling offsite?

The anticipated contract will be Firm Fixed Price

(FFP).

89 Could the site visit dates be moved to allow more time for RFP preparation?

The site visit dates will be re-evaluated and a determination will be announced in the near future

90 What makes a small business too big? All questions regarding the size standards of a certain business are answered at the SBA website.

http://www.sba.gov

91 What is the ultimate goal, 0 cost or 0 waste? Both- zero cost for recycling and if possible, zero waste for disposal.

92 Will the Air Force collect carbon credits in the future?

Unknown.

Questions 1-92 Posted 1/30/2009