DRAFT RFP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.pdf

DRAFT RFP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

FA301620R0015

1. Is NC2 Non-Complex Construction similar to Saber of JOC?

Answer: SABER contracts provide a streamlined means to complete minor construction projects.

A SABER contract generally means a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from which task orders are competed. A SABER IDIQ typically includes a unit price book or coefficients. The Non-Complex Construction program differs from a SABER by allowing contractors to compete RSMeans line items/unit costs and competitively price rates at the task order level. The NC2 Program will not require coefficients or fixed rates over the ten year life cycle.

2. SF 1442 – 13.d. 365 calendar days. Please confirm number of days. We don’t think subcontractors will hold pricing for 1 year for a seed project.

Answer: The Government requires sufficient time to conduct a source selection and receive the proper clearances to potentially make awards. This recommendation is valid and the PCO will reduce the time from 365 calendar days to 180 calendar days.

3. Separate Section L – Pg. 6 / 3.2.2 (d) REDACTED unit costs/total cost. Please clarify what is to be redacted and is that on all binder and electronic submissions?

Answer: Only the Volume II Technical Subfactor 2 – Seed Project requires the offeror to redact unit costs and total cost. Additionally, the Section L verbiage will be revised to state redacted company name for all of Volume II. The technical evaluators should be reviewing the technical volume with no cost and no company name.

4. Separate Section L – Pg. 7 / 3.2.3 (d) Provide Personnel Overview Please clarify if you are wanting resumes? If yes, please clarify if the following list is correct and clarify if not:

1 - Program/Project Manager

1 – Project Superintendent (can also be SSHO, if qualified)

1 – Project Superintendent Alternate

1 – QC Manager (can also be SSHO, if qualified)

1 – SSHO

1 – SSHO Alternate

Answer: No resumes will be required. The duties and qualifications are listed in the Attachment 1

NC2 IDIQ Base Contract Specifications. These duties and qualifications are listed as a minimum to manage the NC2 program and subsequent task orders.

5. Separate Section L – Pg. 7 / 3.2.3 (d)(i) thru (iv) It states the requirement of certifications and licenses, etc. Please specifically list the must have licenses that a person is to have and is a copy of them required to be submitted in the proposal?

Answer: Please see attachment 1 NC2 IDIQ Base Contract Specifications for position duties and qualifications. Additionally, paragraph 3.2.3 (d)(i) through (iv) is referencing the specifications which allows the Contracting Officer to request to view prime or subcontractor certifications and qualifications at the Task Order level. The proposal submission will not require licenses or certificates. These duties and qualifications are specific for the positions and the Government is not reviewing individual employees.

6. Separate Section L – Pg. 8 & 9 Past performance –

Please let people know what is acceptable regarding ID/IQ contracts. Can we list them as relevant contracts or are you preferring just task order/stand-alone projects?

Answer: An IDIQ alone does not demonstrate “concurrent” work. Offerors must demonstrate the ability to manage concurrent awarded projects with the assigned dollar values listed in Section M

“Past Performance Relevance Ratings”. If an offeror chooses to list an IDIQ, the relevancy submission shall list recent and relevant awarded task orders with awarded dollar amounts. If a stand-alone contract is selected as a relevancy submission, then offerors shall describe how the effort meets the relevancy criteria desired and the Government may evaluate in the aggregate to make a determination of relevancy.

7. Separate Section L – Pg. 9 Project work description Just wanted to confirm that you are considering “Renovation, Alteration & Repair and Construction” as the only relevant items?

Please consider also providing relevant $ amounts: The Task Order Min/Max $ amounts are on

RFP page 32, so we are left to assume that a relevant project amount is between $2K - $5M and then we may also consider the Seed Project range of $500K - $1M to use as a guide but what would be really helpful is for the $ range (that would be acceptable) to be listed out.

Answer: Per Section L paragraph 3.3.2 Relevant past performance information must demonstrate construction experience managing concurrent projects with similar scope and complexity of NC2 requirements. In determining relevance, consideration will be given to program similarity, project complexity, technical diversity, contract/subcontract management, schedule, and magnitude.

Project work elements include renovation, alteration and repair, and construction. The relevancy criteria in regards to dollar amounts can be found in Section M paragraph 2.4.2.

8. Separate Section L – Pg. 9 & 10 / 3.3.3 Quality If we have a completed CPARS, can that be submitted in the proposal? If we have a completed CPARS, can that be submitted in lieu of your

PPQ? You know the issue, if a CPARS is on file most contracting offices do not want to fill out

PPQ’s

Answer: The quality assessment will consist of an in-depth evaluation of the Past Performance

Information Sheets, Past Performance Questionnaire responses, CPARS or similar systems, interviews with Government customers and, if applicable, commercial clients. Past Performance

Questionnaires and Past Performance Information sheets shall be provided. In addition, the

Government may also review CPARS and interview Government customers.

9. Attachment 18 PPQ Regarding your PPQ – Please clarify. Page 1 states in red “THIS

DOCUMENT IS FOR GOVERNMENT USE ONLY. OFFERORS SHALL NOT COMPLETE

PPQ DOCUMENT” yet typically it is the offeror that fills in all the information in Section A #1 -

#5 and Section B #1 - #7). Please change to have this red information placed in front of Section C to remove any confusion.

Answer: The Government will edit the PPQ sheet allowing offerors to fill in Section A.

Contractor Information. All other sections will be reserved for Government use.

10. Separate Section M – Pg. 8 PP Relevance Rating Just a suggestion: This is the only place the description of being relevant is specifically spelled out. Placing this info in Section L would be helpful and if this is also what the personnel is supposed to have as relevant experience, please reference this information there as well.

Answer: The Past Performance Relevance Ratings belong in the evaluation criteria section only.

The past performance ratings is an in-depth evaluation of all performance information obtained to determine how closely the work performed under those contracts relate to this solicitation.

Personnel qualifications can be found in the Attachment 1 NC2 IDIQ Base Contract

Specifications.

11. Att 11 3.2.2 (d) references using RS Means line items with REDACTED unit costs/total costs. Does this mean when using Att 4 Cost Estimate Breakdown, that we are to use

RS Means for descriptions and units of measure only, and we use our own Material and Labor unit price?

Answer: Under the NC2 program each cost proposal shall be based upon individual Line items derived from the RS MEANS catalog and shall constitute the Unit Price Book (UPB). The

National Total Bare Cost (which excludes RS Means overhead and profit) is derived by adding

RS MEANS bare cost of material, labor and equipment. Once all applicable UPB line items are determined they will be listed with any Non-priced items (NPI) and multiplied by quantities to be installed. Contractor cost proposals shall be broken down by bare cost for the divisions of work with City Cost Index Adjustment and mark ups listed as separate line items at the end of the cost proposal.

Redacted unit costs are only required for Volume II Technical. This will be the proposal volume the technical evaluators review for technical acceptability. The redacted version should show the

RS Means line items and quantities required to complete the seed project.

12. Att 11 Please confirm the onsite staff required for the SEED project. We believe it to be 2ea full time personnel as long as the QC Manager reports to an officer of the company and doesn’t serve as the superintendent.

Answer: The seed project requires a project superintendent in addition to personnel assigned at the basic contract level. Please see attachment 1 NC2 IDIQ Base Contract Specification for position requirements and qualifications. The means and methods of providing competitive seed project proposals is a business decision for the offerors.

13. Att. 11 3.3.1 Recency - Would you consider allowing projects compelted in the last 5 years in lieu of 3?

Answer: No, 3 years is the desired time for recency.

14. What is the typical magnitude range for task orders inside of this IDIQ?

Answer: The typical magnitude for NC2 Program task orders is between $2K and $5M.

15. What is the typical amount of task orders that are issued per year in this IDIQ?

Answer: An exact number of NC2 Program requirements cannot be determined, but it is estimated the program may see approximately $14M in requirements for competition each fiscal year.

16. Will any spots within this IDIQ be reserved for 8a or HUBZone companies?

Answer: No, this is a total small business set aside with two socioeconomic reserves for a WOSB and SDVOSB.

17. Are the additional active awards anticipated to a certified WOSB and a SDVOSB included in the five active awards anticipated or are these additional awards?

Answer: The socioeconomic set aside for WOSB and SDVOSB is required for the desired active contractor pool of potentially up to five awards.

18. On page 14 of the solicitation, section G, paragraph 3, it states that the typical response time for a routine delivery order is 10 working days and that the response time for an other than routine task order is 5 working days. It is our experience that in order to put together a comprehensive responsive proposal package that additional time may be needed, especially for orders that are not considered routine. Would the government allow more time for proposals to be submitted or clarify the timeframes listed here?

Answer: The response timeframes may be altered per task order but routinely contractors may be required to meet the Section G requirements of 10 working days for routine task orders and 5 working days for other than routine task orders (i.e. emergency requirements).

19. The solicitation did not provide information on how the rates are to be utilized across multiple task orders. Will separate rates be submitted for each task order? Please clarify.

Answer: Active contractors have the ability to propose competitive rates at the task order level.

20. How is the subcontractor markup rate to be determined when every firm and every trade may have differing markup requirements?

Answer: The means and methods of estimating proposals between the prime contractor and subcontractor is at the discretion of the prime.

21. There are indications that task orders will be firm fixed price. On firm fixed price contracts with competitive task orders we typically do not see the level of breakdown that will be required for this contract. Please clarify if task orders will be firm fixed price.

Answer: Task orders will be competed and awarded as firm fixed price (please see Section G of

Draft RFP). The level of detail requested for Task Order proposal submission is required per

Section G of the resulting contracts.

22. Will the contract allow commercially available RS Means estimating software be used to prepare estimates, or will all estimates be required to use the provided excel spreadsheet?

Answer: Please see Section G paragraph 3 for proposal contents and preparation costs. Active contractors will be required to provide task order proposals using the required cost estimate breakdown spreadsheet that will be included as an attachment to the RFP.

23. There are references to the city cost index being utilized for this contract. How will the City Cost

Index be applied as there did not seem to be a place for it in the estimate sheet.

Answer: The City Cost Index (CCI) shall be applied per task order proposal submission. The

CCI rate will be added to the Cost Estimate Breakdown.

24. How will the costs for equipment be submitted? The estimate sheet only includes space for material and labor of RS Means line items.

Answer: The Government will regroup to determine if a more accurate cost estimate breakdown template is available which allows for the input of the equipment.

25. Please clarify whether offerors may select only their most relevant projects to be submitted to indicate recent and relevant experience and that it is not a requirement to list all projects as that might not be possible within the page limitations.

Answer: Offerors shall provide no more than six (6) recent and relevant past performance references. The offeror shall provide at least two (2) recent and relevant past performance references from the prime contractor. The Government reserves the right to obtain data from other sources such as the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) and the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), but it’s the responsibility of the offeror to provide no more than six (6) recent and relevant past performance references. It is the discretion of the offeror to choose the most competitive past performance references.

26. RE: SF 1442, 13.a and Section L, Proposal Preparation Instructions: Page 1 of the SF 1442 instructs the offeror to submit one original and 6 copies of the proposal. Section L instructs the offeror to submit “Both an electronic and 6 original hard copies” of the proposal. Relating to the hard copies of the proposal, would that be one original with the required signatures on all pages that require signatures, (such as forms and cover letters) and 6 copies of the original proposal in hard copy form? If the offeror is required to submit 6 originals would that require each of the 6 to be signed individually? Which of the 6 would become the document of record? On past proposal submissions that required additional hard copies, we would just sign the documents in the original and identify it on the outside cover sheet as the original; print the additional hard copies from the original, and identify each one consecutively as copies (Copy 1, Copy 2, etc.).

Answer: The Government will reduce the number of hard copies from 6 to 1 original.

27. RE: Section L, 3.2.3: Relating to the offeror’s local office, will it be a requirement to have a local office (San Antonio) at the time of proposal submission?

Answer: The Management Plan and Qualifications shall also describe the offeror’s local site office organization with regard to levels of management, supervisory experience, personnel authority, and specific positions required to manage requirements through project completion. If offerors do not currently have a local office, the intended solution shall be addressed and evaluated. Offerors will be required to execute proposed technical solutions (local office) if awarded basic IDIQ contract.

28. RE: Section L, 3.3: The Past Performance section requires two separate project summary pages per project – one for Recency and one for Relevancy. Since the requested information is pretty much the same, can one summary be submitted for both requirements, eliminating the redundancy?

Answer: No, the Government is requiring a submission to determine recency and relevancy.

29. Proposal Submission says that both an electronic and 6 original hard copies are due prior to the proposal submission date.

Answer: The Government will reduce the number of hard copies from 6 to 1 original in addition to the electronic submission.

30. Will the government consider allowing Offerors to submit the electronic copy (via DOD SAFE) one hour after hard-submission (to ensure the hard data has been scanned, so that electronic copy matches the hard submission)?

Answer: All proposals shall be submitted prior to the time and date stated in the SF1442 bloc 13a.

31. Since six (6) original hard copies are due required – does the Offeror need to provide six original bid bonds/guarantees (in Volume I)?

Answer: The Government will reduce the number of hard copies from 6 to 1 original in addition to the electronic submission. The hard copy bonds shall be provided with the hard copy proposal.

32. It reads that at least one WOSB and one SDVOSB will be selected, but how many awardees over all?

Answer: The Government intends to award up to five (5) active contracts and two (2) inactive contracts to SBA Certified small businesses. The Government intends to reserve one active contract award for a WOSB and one active contract award for a SDVOSB.

33. Will selected Offerors compete on every task order or will the gov’t distribute per capabilities?

Answer: Per Section G paragraph 4 Task Order Competition, all active contractors on this IDIQ shall be provided a fair opportunity to be considered for each task order unless the Contracting

Officer determines an exception exists in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i). The Government will not distribute requirements (task orders) based on contractor capabilities.