Amendment 001 Questions.pdf

FA800322Q0001 Amendment 001 Questions and Answers

Should each volume be transmitted as a separate email with each individual volume file or one email with all volumes attached as separate files?

Individual emails are not required; the intent is to not have all volumes combined into one document.

Multiple volumes attached to one email is the requirement.

What factors are considered sufficient for a vendor’s infrastructure or access to available infrastructure to “prove” or demonstrate to the government that a vendor is prepared to provide quality WD’s to the government that will pass evaluation at the task order level?

There is not a specific list of requirements for a vendor’s facility. This section allows the vendor to communicate to the government that they are prepared to begin training dogs should they receive a BPA. The government is using this as a subjective validation that the vendor has adequate capabilities at the time they submit a quote and is not trying to sort that out after award. The vendor should have this capability now or have already established a business relationship with an entity who they will partner with.

Please clarify the requirement is for 12-36 month old dogs, as stated in the SOW, not 13-36 month old dogs as stated here.

Yes, this was a typo in the RFQ. The required age for dogs is the range in the SOW, 12-36 months old.

What factors are considered acceptable for a vendor’s sourcing plan to indicate that the vendor has an established system demonstrating an acceptable plan to procure the dogs?

As with the vendor’s infrastructure, this is a subjective measure after evaluating the vendor’s sourcing plan. It validates that the vendor has adequately prepared to deliver dogs as witnessed by existing breeding programs or established purchasing processes with outside vendors.

Will all vendors CPARS and SPRS records be requested?

Vendors are not required to submit any items for CPARS or SPRS. This is an automatic system that tracks holistic contractor performance on other contracts. A lack of information in these systems will not impact the vendor negatively. SPRS and CPARS will be evaluated for all vendors.

Is there a set percentage of accepted dogs to deem the contractor’s track record as acceptable to proceed with award?

No, but should a vendor have officially documented poor performance on other contracts when compared to their peers, then they may receive an “Unacceptable” Past Performance Rating.

If all other factors are acceptable to award and a contractor is deemed unacceptable through CPARS and SPRS records; will the vendor have an opportunity to refute the records.

No, since CPARS and SPRS system ratings are available to the contractor already and have their own dispute process, the ratings in those systems will not be contested during the MWD evaluation process.

However, should other negative past performance be discovered and considered, the vendor will have the opportunity to adjudicate it prior to a Past Performance Rating being assigned.

What is the minimum number of dogs that must be presented for each individual BPA Call?

The minimum number of dogs presented shall be set by the requirements in each individual BPA call. However, the government, at this time, has determined that this number will not be less than 10 dogs due to the manpower requirements to conduct consignment evaluations.

What is the minimum number of dogs that must be presented for a MWD TDY-Team Assessment?

This CONUS program is not currently active, but the decision enact it is at the discretion of the 341st.

What is the maximum distance that a MWD TDY-Team will travel to assess dogs under the Temporary Duty (TDY) Assessment Procedures?

This program is not currently active, but the decision on travel distances is at the discretion of the 341st should the mission dictate this is a viable procurement option.

What is the percentage of failed dogs which will cause a vendor to be temporarily benched for future orders?

This is not a hard number threshold requirement. We have avoided explicit language here as not to unduly force vendors into off ramping. Performance will be compared to other vendors providing dogs;

should a vendor meet the benching or off ramping requirements and be under-performing when compared to their peer contractors, then they may be eligible for adverse action at the discretion of the government.

If a vendor is benched, what are the parameters of the action plan or process to constitute allowing the vendor to compete for future orders?

If a vendor is benched, then they will be ineligible to quote on only the next two RFQs. After this, they are returned to good standing and may quote again as before.

Is it correct that only Line Items bought in countries NOT listed as Trade Agreement Act Complaint Countries must be listed under (b) on the Trade Agreement Certificate?

Yes, if you are planning to submit USA bred dogs or dogs purchased from a qualified country, no information is required under the Trade Agreement Certificate.