Wardrobes Q and A.pdf

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

RFQ FA564120A0003 - Questions & Answers

FOLDABLE WARDROBES

VENDOR QUESTION US GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

1 Can you please advise if there is a possibility to submit a partial offer? For example only for Portugal or Germany and the United Kingdom.

Thank you for your interest in this RFQ. IAW paragraph 3.2 of the Addendum to AFAR52.212-1 – Instructions to Offerors, offerors are required to provide prices for each delivery location. Partial offers for only certain countries are not acceptable.

2 Can you please confirm do you accept the Foldable Wooden Wardrobes manufactured in China or Turkey?

In the RFQ we do not ask where the foldable wardrobes are made, nor is this an evaluation criteria. Please take into consideration the FAR clause 252.225-7002 of the RFQ.

3 May I kindly ask and confirm with you that for each kind of wardrobe the need is 6.726 pcs?

In this case the total need makes 13.452 pcs? And this amount will be purchased in 2020 only?

I cannot confirm any definite quantity that the Government will order during the duration of the BPAs as this depends on the need and funds availability at the different delivery locations.

For Evaluation Purposes and IAW paragraph 3.2 of the Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 please provide your prices for each line item for each delivery location and for each quantity by filling in the cells in purple for the wardrobes you are providing a quote on in Attachment 1 – Wardrobes Price Schedule. IAW paragraph 1 of the Addendum to FAR 52.212-2 evaluation is based on the framed quantity fields in Attachment 1, entitled Wardrobes Price Schedule, that are expected to be the most typical order quantities for each specified country. These typical order quantities are not definite quantities that the Government will order.

4 We have delivered folding wardrobes to IMCOM Europe with 11 wardrobes per pallet. This is more space efficient and safer for ctn. loads.

Is this an option?

The Air Force has decided to limit the number of wardrobes to 5 per pallet, since we ask for the most economic one way pallet type. Stacking more wardrobes per pallet is technically possible, but increases the weight per pallet and the height of the pallet load, which makes the off-load process down from the pallets to the single wardrobes use at the warehouse by hand more work intensive. This is why the Air Force established the limit of maximum 5 each wardrobes per pallet.

5 The specifications state: “Structure is made of solid wood and/or solid wood mix with durable veneer finish.” Does solid wood mix include particle board and fiberboard? Does durable veneer finish include melamine?

Use of full particle board and fiberboard as material are not permitted.

Surface with hard laminate is optional, provided the described surface criteria is meet.

6 Can we count on any construction drawings? / Can we receive the drawings/photos of the wardrobes from you if it has been ordered in the past./Regarding RFQ for Foldable Wooden Wardrobes, we have a question about specification: is there any possibility to receive a technical drawing of foldable wooden wardrobes (70kg and 50kg)?

We don’t have any construction drawings for the folding wardrobes. All the data needed to build a foldable wardrobe are in the specifications Attach 2a and 2b. To get better idea what such a wardrobe should look like, please use one of the search engines.

7 How will the orders be invoiced Please see Paragraph 8. Invoices of the Solicitation. The BPA holders shall submit an invoice for each call placed through Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) in accordance with DFARS 252.232-7003 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports, December

8 SF 1449 Page 3, "Supplies or Services and Price/Cost" Table. Do we have to fill in this table, or provide prices only on the Attachment 1?

The offeror shall provide their prices for each line item for each delivery location and for each quantity by filling in the cells in purple for the wardrobes they are providing a quote on in Attachment 1 – Wardrobes Price Schedule. There is no need to fill out the table on page 3.

9 SF 1449 Page 44, paragraph 5e, enter contract value only in US $? or is € acceptable?

Prices can be in Euro, British Pounds or US Dollars, depending on the currency specified in the offeror's quote. The US Governmental budget rate at time of call award will apply and will be used for price comparison.

10 SF 1449 page 48, "EVALUATION FOR AWARD" addendum to Provision 52.212-2, paragraph 3.1.3. "PAST PERFORMANCE”. If an Offeror does not have Past Performance record (UNKNOWN), will the Offeror be considered for the Award, if meeting all other terms and conditions of subject solicitation?

In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance (see FAR 13.303-2(b) (2)). Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, "unknown" shall be considered "acceptable." It is the Government's intend to award multiple BPAs.

BPAs will be awarded to a maximum of five vendors per line item, who offer the lowest priced, technically acceptable quote with acceptable (“unkown” shall be considered “acceptable”) past performance to the Government based on the theoretical grand total.

11 Do the 50Kg and 70Kg wardrobes have the same characteristics except for the weight?

Please see Attachment 2a for the specifications of the 50 kg wardrobe and Attachment 2b for the specifications of the 70 kg wardrobe.

12 We have some concerns about the ARO delivery dates. It is not a “fabrication” time concern at the factory, but the lead times from our suppliers of the panel materials that we use in our line of wardrobes, (especially the light weight wardrobe) that are sold to meet the weight requirements that are increasingly desired by both our military and our commercial customers. We use panels that are custom made for us to make the most efficient use of combinations of the lightest solid woods, in the most advantageous thicknesses, to ensure the strength of the panel, yet make it as light as possible to meet the desired weight limits. To say it another way, this is not a commercial “readily available” panel thickness or weight. It is a unique panel, with a longer lead time, designed specifically for us, that we have custom spec’d to ensure that “light weight” does not affect quality or durability. Please reconsider the current ARO and possibly consider a longer delivery ARO to help keep our prices lower and to honor our delivery promise to the customer

The time frames 60 to 100 days as outlined in the RFQ are expected routine timelines based on previous market research. The actual production and delivery time frames are set affirmative at the individual BPA call level. Consequently the Government could at that time grant exemptions, provided the applicable vendor has valid justification reasons. If it would turn out that the Government expected timelines for the production are too tight for all vendors, the contracting officer could grant applicable extensions at call order level via modification, or if so needed can modify the Basic BPA to allow for additional production time frames.

13 The attached document says 'The government prefers lighter weight wardrobes because they are very frequently tolerance for each given dimension to accommodate production variations.' , and 'The maximum allowable weight for these wardrobes is 154lbs/70Kg'. If the government prefers lighter weight wardrobes, would it be possible to make all wardrobe with a weight of 50kg (including the wardrobes allowable maximum weight of 70kg) ? Is there special reason to order heavier 70kg foldable wardrobe?

The Government has multi-year positive experience with 70kg foldable wardrobes in use and the market scale for pricing are set and known to be competitive. The light wood material for the 50 kg version is new; the Government at this point has no experience on long-term use and durability for these items as well as market pricing for these items are not established. For an interim period, the Government will order both types until the new and more desired lighter type has proven its day-to-day functionality and of course when pricing supports the desired change over to the lighter version.

14 You requested 2 kinds of foldable wardrobe according to the weight, 110lbs/50Kg & 154lbs/70Kg. We couldn't find main difference in the specification between the two kinds of foldable wardrobes except the wood type. Does it mean that the 2 kinds of wardrobes (50kg , and 70kg) have difference only in 'wood type' they made of?

YES, the weight difference derives from different wood type.

15 The 'Other' part in specification document says 'All exposed wood surfaces, and board ends, e.g., doors, shelf-edges, ends (bottom/top side edges), front, back and vertical folding edges, shall be veneered with 2- 3mm PVC edge banding'. Do the PVC edge banding have to be used when the furniture is made of all solid wood? (Normally pvc edge banding is used when the furniture made of plywood, PB, or MDF)

All solid wood will not require PVC band edge banding. Any veneered wood will require PVC band edges

16 Does veneer finish include wood pattern HPM(High pressured melamine) laminate?

High pressure laminate can be used.

17 Would it be possible to get 'AE FORM 302 (Import/Export Custom Declaration form)' when we deliver?

This form AE 302 will be only issued, when by the delivery the Temporary Custom Form – T1 is available. To get more information please read the European Customs Law.

18 Is the dark purple highlighted in the RFQ attachment 1 the actual order quantity you scheduled or only for evaluation? (what is difference between light purple highlighted quantity, and dark purple highlighted one?)

Ordering quantities are in quantity groups because all pricing is for FOB destination and include shipment cost. Any location can order any quantity. (Light purple fields). The actual ordering quantities depend on the population size of the base driving their requirements, within a country there may be a mix of locations small/medium/large installations. The dark purple quantity fields represent the most likely foreseen order size quantities for that country. The dark purple fields will therefore be used to evaluate the overall competitive price.

19 Please check the evaluation quantity number (average) for quantity group 1 to 20 is correct. (If it's an average of 1 and 20, I think 10 is correct number.)

The government does normally not plan to order small quantities (1-20).

In order to verify specification compliance with a physical examination on a product example the Government will order one foldable wardrobe of each type, as the first order. This is why the evaluation in this smallest quantity group is set to one each and not to the average quantity in the group like in the other groups.

20 The shipping condition is F.O.B Destination, so unloading is not included in the condition. Please if the condition is correct.

At the FMS delivery destinations normally loading ramps are available and unloading is done by US Government personnel via fork lift. Please acknowledge the palletizing requirement and delivery appointment coordination terms as spelled out in the RFQ.

21 Please check if the details of delivery address listed below is correct? The exact delivery addresses and POCs will be provided at each call order.

22 Is the contractor responsibility to unload the pallets? Or the contractor responsibility is to delivery wardrobes to the specified location, and the US Government will unload the pallets? Please clarify.

It is the contractor’s responsibility to deliver the wardrobes to the US Government delivery locations. The US Government will unload the pallets. The specific delivery locations will be specified in each call.

23 in reference to attachment 4, page 2 paragraph 3 (f) of subject Solicitation, that requires to enter the checkmark on FAR Clause 52.223-3, we can’t locate the clause in the solicitation.

You are correct, this clause is not included in the solicitation. Reference to this clause in Attachment 4 has been deleted. The revised Atch 4 has been attached to this Amendment.