Amendment 3 Attachment 1 Paving IDIQ Q_A.docx

Paving IDIQ

FA5000-R-21-0008

Questions & Answers

63. What date will the incumbent contractor be demobilized from the material site and laydown area?

a. The incumbent contractor will be demobilized after completion of their remaining paving contracts.

64. In our effort to avoid putting an additional burden on our Government clients and to ensure the appropriate level of response to this solicitation, are offerors allowed to submit the previously filled out/existing CPARS/PPQs to satisfy this solicitation requirement?

a. No.

65. Are contractors allowed to make changes to Attachment 12 or will the Government reissue Attachment 12 in its entirety via an amendment? Considering the proposal due date of March 1, 2021, we need to allow sufficient response time for our clients.

a. The proposal due date has been extended. No changes will be made to Attachment 12.

66. Attachment 12 references RFP No. FA500020R0005. Please clarify.

a. The current version of Attachment 12 referenced the correct RFP No. (FA500020R0008).

67. It is our understanding that Attachment 12 is to be completed by the reference/evaluator and returned directly to the Contracting Officer via email. Can the Government please remove the following statement from Attachment 12: “Note: The identity of individual(s) providing reference information SHALL NOT be disclosed”?

a. No. All information in completed PPQs, including the identity of the evaluator, is confidential.

68. RFP Section L states that “PPQs shall be sent directly from your reference to this office marked to the attention of Mr. John Jeffrey and SrA Tyler Norris via e-mail to john.jeffrey.1@us.af.mil and tyler.norris.1@us.af.mil”; however, Attachment 12 (pages 1 and 4) requires PPQs to be sent to Michael Lankford michael.lankford.1@us.af.mil. It also provides alternative methods of delivery, while RFP allows emails only. Please clarify.

a. See the revised Attachment 12 that was corrected via amendment 0001. PPQs are the be emailed to john.jeffrey.1@us.af.mil and tyler.norris.1@us.af.mil

69. Section M (B)(2) states: “To be considered relevant, past performance efforts must include Airfield paving.” Section L 4. Part III - Past Performance Proposal, Paragraph (d) states: “Major or critical aspects of the requirement are primarily airfield pavements (runways, taxiways, aprons, airfield roads, hangar floors. See Attachment 2) and road pavements (roads, parking lots, driveways, bike paths, golf cart paths. See Attachment 3).” Attachment 13 Past Performance Supplemental Worksheets also states that road pavement projects are relevant. Can the Government please confirm that both airfield pavement and road pavement projects are considered equally relevant?

a. Airfield and Road pavement are both relevant. However, past performance must include airfield pavement. Prospective contractors may have multiple road pavements but must have at least one airfield pavement.

70. It appears that the word “not” does not naturally fit into the sentence in Section L.4.Part III Paragraph (d) (i). Please clarify the intent of this clause:

“(d) The evaluation of past performance information (i) will not take into account past performance regarding subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to this acquisition. (ii) will take into account past performance information regarding sister companies, and (iii) will pay particular notice on airfield projects. Major or critical aspects of the requirement are primarily airfield pavements (runways, taxiways, aprons, airfield roads, hangar floors. See Attachment 2) and road pavements (roads, parking lots, driveways, bike paths, golf cart paths. See Attachment 3)”.

a. The intent of this clause is to make it clear that for past performance to be considered the offerors must perform the work. The word “not” is intended to be a part of this clause.

71. Section L, 4. Part III - Past Performance Proposal, Paragraph (h) states: “If this is a first-time joint effort, each party to the arrangement must provide a list of past contracts of relevance.” Can the Government please provide additional guidance regarding the list of past contracts to be included with proposal? Is there a number of years limitation for the list of past contracts to be submitted with our proposal? Is this list in addition to the ten (10) contracts/projects referenced in Section L, 4. Part III - Past Performance Proposal, Paragraph (f)?

a. No. This is not in addition to the 10 projects referenced in Section L. These are the 10 projects referenced in section L and each partner should provide projects to be considered not to exceed 10 total.

72. Are 11x17 pages counted as one or two pages? Are these included in the proposal page limit? If so, would the Government please consider increasing the proposal page limit to 22 pages?

a. Please see Section L, C(4)(b), the proposals will be formatted to 8 1/2" x 11" pages, except for fold-outs used for charts, tables, or diagrams, which may not exceed 11" x 17".

73. Are contractors required to include a copy of Attachment 12, Section A as part of their Part III – Past Performance Proposal submission?

a. Yes, it is required to include the information in Attachment 12, Section A as part of the Past Performance Proposal.

74. Attachment 9-Exhibit A, Price schedule Tab 1 - Roadway shows 2 - CY 2024 unit price columns (K&L). Tab 2 – Airfield, shows the first unit price year as CY 2020 (column H). Can the Government please reissue Tab 1 and Tab 2 of the Price Schedule workbook?

a. Attachment 9 has been corrected with amendment 0002. The CYs on both tabs have been corrected.

75. Can the Government please provide geotechnical data for the gravel extraction site?

a. The Government does not have geotechnical data for the gravel extraction site.

76. Is Attachment 8 – Economic Price Adjustment Schedule to be submitted with the proposal, or only when task orders are issued?

a. As stated in the solicitation, Section H, paragraph 1.3(b), price adjustment will be made for each individual Task Order and therefore is not required for the proposal of the IDIQ.

77. Will the IDIQ contractor have control over the entire extraction site?

a. No, the 673CES manages the extraction site. Other contractors performing work on base as well as military units on base all use parts of the permitted area. See the Specifications including Section 107.

78. Will/can the contractor furnish mined or processed aggregates and/or Asphalt to other base contractors performing work on base?

a. No, the material is owned by the government. See the Specifications including Section 107.

79. Can the Government please provide a copy of the incumbent contractor’s Gravel extraction plan/reclamation plan?

a. The requirements for the gravel extraction plan are located in Section 107.

80. Can the Government please provide copies of pay estimates from the end of each construction year in the last term contract?

a. The scope of work for this effort and the Multiple Award Construction Contract have changed such that the work previously done under the paving contract is not a good indicator of the work to be performed under this contract. Therefore the government will not provide this information.

81. Can the Government please provide copies of any approved mix designs from the previous term contract?

a. See the Specifications for mix design requirements.

82. Regarding the Drainage layer, bituminous and cement stabilized. Can the Government please provide an asphalt content and cement content?

a. See Section 309 of the Specifications for minimum requirements.

83. Can the Government please confirm the quantity on the CSS-1 Bid items (Tabs 1 & 2). Is the tonnage provided, the actual amount of CSS-1 oil to applied? Or the tonnage of base course it is applied to?

a. The quantity of Pay Items 308(2) and 308(4) is an estimate of the amount of emulsified asphalt that will be mixed with the crushed asphalt.

84. Can the Government please provide more information on payment terms? Will payments be monthly? How long after the pay request will payment be issued?

a. This will be determined at the task order level, however, due to the short duration of the paving projects, payment is typically issued at the end of the performance for that specific task order. The Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) has 30 days after acceptance of an invoice to issue payment.

85. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 202(11) Removal of Concrete Vault. The corresponding specification Section 202-3.05 provides no basis of estimate for the size and type of vault. Please clarify.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

86. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 202(14) Remove Plain Concrete. The corresponding specification Section 202-3.06 provides no basis of estimate for the 42,000 CY other than plain or reinforced concrete slabs, concrete encased conduits, or other unclassified concrete. Please clarify what we are to assume for type, size and thickness.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

87. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 202(15) Remove Reinforced Concrete. The corresponding specification Section 202-3.06 provides no basis of estimate for the 42,000 CY other than plain or reinforced concrete slabs, concrete encased conduits, or other unclassified concrete. Please clarify what we are to assume for type, size, and thickness.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

88. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 501(1) Class A Concrete. The corresponding specification Section 501 provides no basis of estimate for the 24,500 CY other than reinforced and non-reinforced concrete structures. Please clarify what we are to assume for typical type, size, and thickness.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

89. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 501(2) Class A-A Concrete. The corresponding specification Section 501 provides no basis of estimate for the 8,750 CY other than High strength reinforced concrete structures. Please clarify what we are to assume for typical type, size, and thickness.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

90. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 501(3) Class W Concrete. The corresponding specification Section 501 provides no basis of estimate for the 3,500 CY other than Minor concrete construction. Please clarify what we are to assume for typical type, size, and thickness.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

91. Reference Attachment J-9 Exhibit A Price Schedule, Tab 3- Seed Project. – Tab 1 Line item 642(1) Construction Surveying. The corresponding specification Section 642 provides no basis of estimate for the 49 EA. Please confirm that EA relates to Task Orders and clarify what we are to assume for typical type.

a. The Government cannot predict every project that will occur under the IDIQ. This is a generic item to cover any future task. Price accordingly.

92. The Government has established a bonding premium of 0.00559055 on the subtotal of each Price Schedule. Bond premiums are scaled, $0 - $500K $500K - $2.5M $2.5M -$5M $5M – $7.5M

The Governments bond calculation is an approximate premium after $5M. Each task orders resets the Contractors bond premiums. Over the seven year contract term the cost differential, Government’s vs. Contractor’s reset, is substantial. Can you explain why the Government has a fixed bond rate far below what the Contractor will be charged when considering up to 10 task order will be issued annually?

a. The bonding premium will be unique to each Task Order. The rate included in the spreadsheet is a representative number used by the Government for the purposes of evaluation.

93. - Section I – Contract Clauses: CLAUSE 252.204-7019 Notice of NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements, paragraph (b) Requirement states: In order to be considered for award, if the Offeror is required to implement NIST SP 800-171, the Offeror Shall have a current assessment for each covered contractor information system that is relevant to the offer, contract, task order, or delivery order. CLAUSE 252.204-7020, paragraph (g) (2) states that the Contractor shall not award a subcontract or other contractual instrument that is subject to the implementation of NIST SP 800-171 security requirements. Will NIST SP 800-171 be a requirement for the Offeror and all subcontractors and other contractual instruments?

a. The government does not intend to disseminate any controlled unclassified information pertaining to the contract. However, clause 252.204-7019 is still required by regulation to be included in any contract of this magnitude.

94. Reference Section L Part II Price Proposal, Letter F. It states to include the Economic Price Adjustment Schedule (EPA), in relation to the seed project. Please clarify if we are to use the Alaska Asphalt Material Price Index (AAMPI) rate that is current at the time of proposal submission?

a. Yes the AAMPI rate at the time of proposal submission will be used.

95. There are two issues with the Asphalt Price Adjustment. In Section H – Special Contract Requirements 1.3 (page 11) the Price Adjustment is laid out. According to Section H the adjustment would kick in with a change in asphalt price of 7.5% up or down. The problem is that in the Airfield pricing tab there is no Asphalt Material Price Adjustment item. And in the Roadway pricing tab there is an Asphalt Material Price Adjustment item (Item 411(1)) but according to Section 411 the price adjustment is only 3%? Is it the intention to have two different asphalt price adjustments based on where the material is placed?

a. See revised J-3 Road Specifications and J-9 Price Schedule attached to amendment 0003. Section 411 and the associated bid item (411(1)) on J-9 have been removed.

96. Piping materials are extremely volatile currently. Quotes are being received with a note for the pricing to only be good on the day received. Is the piping/fittings materials fall under Economic Price Adjustment-Labor and Material, Section I (C)3?

a. The Government does not believe the piping/fittings materials will be a large enough part of the work to be performed for this change to be necessary.

97. The SOW for the seed project states (a) anticipated work items and estimated quantities are listed on the Bid Form, and (b) the contractor shall submit their proposal according to Section 102 of the specifications and the Contracting Officer Requirements. Amendment 2 Specification 102-1.02 states that, at a minimum the design documents will include the following: A written scope of work, plan view of the work, typical sections if needed, pavement structural section, details as needed, and a Bid Form which contains estimated pay item quantities to be used on the project. However, the Amendments require the contractor to estimate the quantities required for the seed project. Furthermore, the answer to Question 26. States that the seed project will not be considered as part of the IDIQ bid. This scenario exposes the following potential gaps: (a) lack of comparability between the Government’s Independent Estimate and the proposer’s estimated quantity and price, (b) inaccurate awards based on insufficient (quantities) to estimate (c) lack of precise drawing data to understand quantity risk (see Sheet C-2 Note 2.).

· Question – would the Government reconsider the request for contractors to estimate quantities based on limited information?

a. The Government expects offerors to determine their own estimates of what will be required to perform the task and bid accordingly. This is true for all projects under this IDIQ.

· Question – will the award of the seed project be based on contractor-estimated quantities or negotiated based on existing Government knowledge?

b. The seed project will be awarded as a firm fixed price task order based on the awardee’s bid.

98. It appears that the Government changed the roadway specification in Addendum #2 for Item 410 Hot Mix Asphalt Pavement, SBS Modified? Previously PG58-28 binder was mentioned in 410-2.03 and 410-2.05. Addendum #2 changed 410-2.03 to PG58-40 and left 410-2.05 as PG58-28? This is confusing PG58-40 is a more expensive binder. Might be too late to get an answer. If we qualified as PG58-28 is there a section of the proposal that includes bid pricing qualifications?

a. The intent is for the asphalt binder to have a performance grade of 58-40 after modification. The Specification has been updated.

99. In regards to item 408(1) HMA, Type VH. - We just wanted to confirm that this item was intentionally included in the bid schedule. The 408(1) Type, VH “Hard Rock” is an atypical item for roadway paving in Alaska. Alaska DOT only uses 408(1) HMA, VH on high traffic volume roads. Is there a minimum AADT value that controls whether or not HMA, Type VH will be used? If so, are there any roads on base that qualify for HMA, Type VH? The main concern is pricing for the imported hard rock. Since the course aggregate cannot be manufactured from the base provided gravel pit, it will need to be imported from Cantwell, AK or out of Alaska, via a barge. There are significant costs associated with this item. There is also a significant lead time with getting the hard rock. Another concern is the annual quantity of anticipated hard rock, which greatly affects the unit price. Is 56,000 tons a good annual estimate for HMA, Type VH?

a. This item was added after consulting with the DOT&PF State Pavement Engineer regarding rutting at gates. Our intent is to use it at gate areas and other high volume roads where rutting is a problem.

100. It appears that there are no demo items of work in the “Airfield Items” price schedule. For example how is remove of pavement, pavement planning, unclassified excavation, removal of reinforced concrete, and other demo items paid for on Airfield work orders? Is the intent to use the pricing from the Roadway price schedule items even though it is on the Airfield? Do the unit prices for the Roadway schedule apply to work on Airfields?

a. Correct. See paragraph #3 in the “Note to Users” at the beginning of the Airfield Specifications.