BTS - Questions and Answers 12 Feb 25.docx

Base Telecommunications Services Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Questions & Answers 12 February 2025

Q1. Does the Government intend on offering a site walk to allow interested contractors a chance to walk the main areas of support listed in the PWS?

Answer: At this moment, the Government does not intend in offering a site visit/site walk for this requirement.

Q2. Is it the intent of the Government to have at least 1 meeting per week to go over and discuss the status of current and future work orders, trouble tickets, outages, PMIs, or any other work/event that may impact contractual performance. Also, Can the Government confirm if only the on-sight manager is needed to attend these meetings, or will all Contract Maintenance personal be required along with Senior remote Management be required to remotely call in?

Answer: Absolutely, to ensure the requirements for the contract are being met, communication is key between both parties. The on-site manager or maintenance personnel can attend the meeting as long as the contractor party can provide sufficient answers or feedback.

Q3. (PWS 1.2.12 – Work Center Records) Will the government consider reusing the existing record keeping formats currently in use? Or will the Contractor be expected to create record keeping formats after the award.

Answer: Reusing the same record keeping format is acceptable, improvements on record keeping is also acceptable.

Q4. (PWS 1.2.6 – Cable Locating) Can the government confirm that all existing underground cables have metallic shielding or tracer wire to assist with locating cabling to complete dig permit process.

Answer: We cannot confirm the existence of untraceable cable as the base design guide is slated for bi-annual updates, meaning it is now a requirement for new installations to be traceable but previous installations may be untraceable.

Q5. Will the Government allow contractor to purchase used parts under section 1.2.13.2, if those parts no longer become available off the shelf during the contract time frame?

Answer: No, this would mean 3rd party services/vendors and that may introduce risk or vulnerabilities to Davis Monthan’s Network, only exception is a waiver from 355 CS or TAA compliant.

Q6. Will the Government confirm the Font/Style/Size or Margin limits if any for the technical response.

Answer: Formatting considerations, such as font, style, size, and margins, are of secondary importance, provided that the presented information remains clear and easily readable within the specified page limitations. The primary focus is on conveying the content in a legible and concise manner, while adhering to the outlined page constraints. As a general rule a font size of 10 or 12 is acceptable.

Q7. (Price Schedule) The current NTE amount listed in cells E4 & E6 is $1. Please confirm if this is correct. If not, could the Government provide the updated NTE amount?

Answer: The Not-to-Exceed (NTE) amounts have not been established by the Government at this time. The pricing is for a single item and the quantities will be dictated by the actual required work to be performed.

Q8. (Wage Determination) Executive Order 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors, applies to all contracts subject to the Service Contract Act for which the contract is awarded (and any solicitation was issued) on or after January 1, 2017. Please confirm that EO 13706 is applicable for this solicitation, and inclusion for Health & Welfare hourly benefits to SCA employees.

Answer: Pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Clause 52.222-62, "Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706", is incorporated into this solicitation, ensuring compliance with the requirements outlined in the Executive Order regarding paid sick leave for federal contractors.

Q9. (COMBO/SOL) The COMBO SOL document states that “Pricing volume must not exceed 5 pages and must delineate each CLIN price and the Total Evaluated Price”. Is the 5 page document simply the pricing sheet? Is providing the completed spreadsheet in it’s excel format sufficient for responding to this 5-page pricing volume? Is there other information than the spreadsheet that the government desires?

Answer: Submission of the completed attached Pricing Sheet (to include Monthly Maintenance costs identified in the CLIN structure) will be considered sufficient to meet the pricing volume requirements.

Q10. (COMBO/SOL) If having no past performance is Acceptable, what other confidence rating will be given to offerors that submit a past performance that is acceptable with substantial experience?

Answer: Past performance will be assessed to aid in determining contractor responsibility but will not be included as a subfactor or a rated component. With that, offerors who provide substantial past performance history will be viewed as demonstrating “Acceptable” performance.

Q11. (COMBO/SOL) Please confirm that Representation and Certifications are not required as part of the submission if the Offeror has updated SAM.gov records.

Answer: Offerors with current and accurate records in SAM.gov are exempt from submitting Representations and Certifications as part of their submission, provided that their SAM.gov registration is up-to-date and reflects their current status.

Q12. (Price Schedule) Items 0001 through 0316 appear to be material only. Beginning at item 0317 through 0350 appear to be both labor and materials. And items 0390 through 0401 appear to be labor only. Please clarify pricing items as either material only or labor/material.

Answer: Items that necessitate a combination of materials and labor will be fully priced and executed under the applicable Work Order CLINs and should be priced accordingly.

Q13. (Price Schedule) Item 9001 Monthly Maintenance shows a quantity of zero. Please confirm that the Government is not requesting a price unit for this item since it is included in CLIN 0001 for the Base Year and CLIN 1001 for the Option Year.

Answer: Contractors are not required to provide a separate price for CLIN 9001, as the monthly maintenance costs associated with this line item are already encompassed within the pricing for CLIN 0002 and CLIN 1002, thereby eliminating the need for duplicate pricing.

Q14. (PWS 1.2.1.2) Please clarify whether there is another Voicemail System, or if ONLY the Cisco Unified Messaging System, and whether the Contractor has any responsibility for O&M of the Cisco Unified Messaging system or its components.

Answer: Currently, the only voice mail messaging system we utilize is through the Cisco Unified Messaging System, the contractor is expected to operate and maintain the virtual system (software). BTS will not perform any maintenance on hardware for CISCO UNIFIED MESSAGING SYSTEM.

Q15. (PWS 1.2.14.2) Please clarify whether the contractor will be allowed to charge the Government for the labor required to complete these repairs, or if that labor must be included in the contractor’s Monthly O&M pricing.

Answer: Labor costs will be factored into the overall monthly Operations and Maintenance (O&M) pricing structure, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive pricing approach. The government may opt to purchase materials for O&M actions if parts are not available.

Q16. (PWS 1.4.1) Please confirm that the Government expects contractors to research, procure, receive, stage/store, handle and deliver any non-priced items for free, then add that unloaded price to the pre-priced table for the remaining term of the contract.

Answer: Unpriced items that are subsequently determined to be necessary for contract performance may be reimbursed to the contractor and incorporated into the contract price schedule through a bilateral modification adding non-priced items to the price list after determination of fair and reasonable. Usually this is accomplished as an individual Work Order executed via a Task Order under the contract.

Q17. (PWS 1.4.3) Please clarify whether the labor install rate can include the Health and Welfare stipend published by the Department of Labor, and whether it can also include other required components such as Federal and State unemployment taxes, FICA, etc. Please also confirm whether contractors are allowed to apply G&A, Overhead, Burden or Fee on this labor, or if the Government is asking us to perform this labor at our actual COST.

Answer: Contractors are authorized to apply relevant overhead and burden rates to the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) that are associated with labor costs, in accordance with their established accounting practices and applicable regulations, to ensure a comprehensive and accurate pricing structure.

Q18. (COMBO/SOL) Would the Government please clarify the expectation from Offerors for the Pricing Volume aside from the “A. Price Schedule – FA487725QA001” Excel document. Is the Government requesting a Cost Narrative? And if so, how much detail is required? FFP type contracts normally do not require a Cost Narrative.

Answer: A cost narrative will not be required. The completed submission of the Price Schedule will be sufficient to meet the pricing volume requirements.

Q19. (COMBO/SOL) This seems to allude to only attachment “A. Price Schedule – FA487725QA001” being required for submission for Pricing. However, the Government gave a “not to exceed” limit of 5 pages for the Pricing Volume. Will the Government please clarify what the 5 pages are to consist of?

Answer: Submission of the completed attached Pricing Sheet will be considered sufficient to meet the pricing volume requirements.

Q20. (Price Schedule) Is the Government requesting Offerors to insert a unit price in cells "E11 through E455" for all items listed within the Price Schedule? Or are Offerors supposed to leave that section alone? In addition, if offerors are to insert a unit price, are Offerors also supposed to insert the total cost in cells E4 & E6?

Answer: Offerors must provide unit prices for all line items except for CLIN 0002, CLIN 1002 and item 9001. See answer to Question 13.

Q21. (COMBO/SOL) Will the Government please clarify the difference between the required corporate experience and past performance sections? It appears these are two separate sections of the Technical Volume yet the instructions for "Corporate Experience" state to provide 3 past performance references. If this is the case what is the Government expectation for the "Past Performance" section?

Answer: Past performance refers to the contractor's historical record of delivering similar base telecommunication services, whereas corporate experience demonstrates the contractor's overall capabilities and expertise in performing similar work. Therefore, 3 relevant past performances exhibiting a contractor’s ability and expertise in providing similar services will suffice for the technical volume.

Q22. (PWS 3.0) Does the Government provide commercial internet to the contractors? What is their current internet service provider? Are there other Internet Service Provider options?

Answer: The government does not supply commercial internet. Any commercial service the contractor has or wants will be self-procured.

Q23. (PWS 3.0) Will the Post Office on the installation require the contractor to have a dedicated PO Box to receive mail? This is rare but has been the case on a recent contract.

Answer: No requirement for PO Box.

Q24. (PWS 1.2.2) The PWS mentions maintaining ISP and OSP cable but doesn't explicitly state that the contractor would be required to install ISP/OSP. However, the Price schedule implies otherwise. Is it the case that there will be installation of ISP/OSP cable.

Answer: The contractor will install, operate, and maintain ISP/OSP.

Q25. (PWS 1.2.2) To effectively maintain ISP and OSP cable and equipment as required by PWS Paragraph 1.2.14, will the Government provide a fiber splice trailer, or should the contractor plan to procure and supply one? If Government-provided, would the Government please specify availability and any associated usage guidelines?

Answer: The government has no intentions of providing a fiber splice trailer, it is expected the contractor will have/provide all necessary resources to install and perform O&M actions for ISP and OSP.

Q26. (PWS 1.2.12.12.2) To ensure accurate GPS data collection and seamless integration into the CVC database, will the Government be providing a GPS tracking device, such as a Trimble, or should the contractor procure one independently? If Government-provided, can the Government please specify the model or any compatibility requirements?

Answer: The contractor will utilize self-procured GPS equipment to integrate accurate coordinates and data for CVC Database.

Q27. (PWS 1.1.4) To ensure alignment with current operational requirements and continuity of BTS operations and maintenance services, can the Government please provide the current staffing levels, including the number of personnel by labor category, currently supporting this effort? Additionally, can the Government confirm whether any incumbent personnel are available for transition, and if so, would the Government be willing to provide their contact information to facilitate a smooth transition process?

Answer: 1-site manager, 2-Sec+, 1-Telemech 2/CVC SME, 4-Telemech 1 Note:

-CCNA is preferred for 1 Sec+ position but not required.

(1.1.4 Contractor Employee Qualifications).

-Once contract is awarded, incumbent personnel information will be provided.

Q28. (PWS 1.1.4) To ensure compliance with the Government's expectations for BTS operations and maintenance services, can the Government please confirm its preferred or required staffing level? Additionally, are there any minimum staffing thresholds or key labor categories that should be prioritized?

Answer: 1-site manager, 2-Sec+, 1-Telemech 2/CVC SME, 4-Telemech 1 We recommend this staffing to meet contract obligations.

Q29. (PWS 1.1) To accurately assess operational requirements, can the Government please confirm whether the incumbent contractor currently provides vehicles for Base Telecommunications System Operations and Maintenance Services? Additionally, can the Government please provide details on the number and type of vehicles required or available for contractor use?

Answer: The incumbent contractor currently provides vehicles for Base Telecommunications System Operations and Maintenance Services. There is no government furnished transportation.

Q30. (PWS 1.2.14.3) Would the Government please provide an estimate of the total footage of underground copper cable currently deployed on the base to support infrastructure planning and execution?

Answer: The current estimated total footage pull from our CVC database is approximately 40k miles.

Q31. (PWS 1.2.14.3) To ensure accurate assessment and planning, would the Government please confirm the estimated total footage of underground fiber optic cable deployed on the base?

Answer: Approximate length of fiber according to CVC Database is 263k miles.

Q32. (PWS 1.2.15) The table does not specify the total number of deployed models. Would the Government please clarify the total quantity of each model currently in use on the base to assist in accurate resourcing and support planning?

Answer:

Cisco IP-Conference Station. 8831 Cisco IP-Conference Station. 8832 Cisco IP-phone, 5-btn Black and White Disp. 8811 Cisco IP-phone, 5-btn Color Disp. 8845 Cisco IP-phone, 5-btn Color Disp. 8861 Cisco IP-phone, 5-btn Color Disp. 8841 5,549 Cisco IP-phone, 5-btn Color Disp. 8851 1,069 Cisco 8800 Wall Mount Kit 8800-WMK Cisco IP-Conference Station Mic Kit CP-8831-MIC-Wired= Cisco IP-phone, Key Exp Module, Color 8800 6,840 These are numbers that are pulled from CUCM, we just completed a Base wide VoIP upgrade, the number is in a continual growth of expansion.

Q33. (PWS 3.12) The table lists seven computers available to the contractor. Would the Government please confirm whether this corresponds to the expected number of personnel the contractor should staff, or if additional equipment provisions will be made?

Answer: The government will furnish workstations equivalent to the number of personnel.

Q34. Would the Government consider hosting an industry day to allow vendors an opportunity to tour the location, gain a better understanding of the site requirements, and provide more accurate proposals responses?

Answer: At this moment, the Government does not intend in offering an industry day or site visit/site walk for this requirement.

Q35. (Wage Determination) The PWS references a Wage Determination. We confirm that WD No. 2015-5473 (Rev. 24, Dec, 2024) is included in the solicitation. However, can the Government confirm whether Davis-Bacon Act wage rates will be applicable to this contract?

Answer: The Davis-Bacon Act wages are not applicable to this requirement.

Q36. For the WD, are there specific Occupational codes/titles that are being placed on the contract?

Answer: There will not be specific Occupational Codes/titles placed on this contract.

Q37. Do the current employees performing under the existing contract hold all required certifications per the PWS?

Answer: Yes, currently the employees hold all certifications per the PWS, aside from CCNA cert (Not required) Para. 1.1.4 , PWS.

Q38. Can offerors provide an Executive Summary as part of their response, considering the technical volume limit of 10 pages and the pricing volume limit of 5 pages?

Answer: Offerors are permitted to include an executive summary as a component of their technical volume, provided that it adheres to the specified page limitations and does not exceed the allocated page count.

Q39. When was the last OSP audit conducted? If so, what were the results of the audit (e.g., A, B, C, F)?

Answer: We just finished a base wide copper-reclamation project, we are currently updating CVC database as we reduce/increase communication footprint. The audit is continual and operate off approximations, refer to questions 30 and 31.

Q40. Can you confirm if the scope of work under the new contract, beginning in April 2025, has increased compared to the current contract ending in March 2025?

Answer: The scope of work is anticipated to be relatively similar to the BTS contract ending in March 2025.

Q41. How many CAIRS user licenses will be available to the BTS contractor under this contract?

Answer: Currently there are only two technicians with CAIRS access, the CAIRS admin can assign more personnel if need be.