FA9301-16-R-0011_Questions_and_Answers_-_Contractual.pdf

Paving Solicitation FA9301-16-R-0011 Solicitation & Pre-Proposal Conference/Site Visit

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual RFP Posted 17 Mar 2017

Solicitation – General

1. Please confirm Vanessa Russell-Reed’s email address. I am receiving undeliverable message when sending to vanessa.russell-reed@us.af.mil <mailto:vanessa.russell-reed@us.af.mil>.

Government’s Answer: The Contracting Officer’s email address is correct as listed within the solicitation: vanessa.russell-reed@us.af.mil.

2. Can the government distribute information regarding anticipated task order type and average size expected under this IDIQ?

Government’s Answer: The estimated workload provided in the solicitation at Attachment 8 (L-2) includes the Government’s projected workload for each ELIN over the five-year contract period. A list of Edwards AFB paving projects completed in FY16 and FY17 can be found in the Pre-Proposal Conference Briefing Slides which were posted to the FedBizOpps posting under solicitation FA9301-16-R-0011 on 06 Apr 2017. Also, per the order limitations as stipulated in FAR Clause 52.216-19, Order Limitations, on p. 10 of the SF 1442, the minimum order is set at $2K and the maximum order (at which point the Contractor is not obligated to honor, but can) is set at $5M.

3. Can a general contractor be HUBZONE certified in a different state besides California to be eligible to Bid this project?

Government’s Answer: Yes, as long as the certified HUBZone meets the requirements of Code of Federal Regulations, Title 13, Chapter I, Part 126, Subpart F. This HUBZone set-aside is not restricted by geographic location.

4. The SF1442 states that we should submit “Sealed offers in original and 3 copies”, which would result in four total binders for each Part (I, II, III). In Section L, each Part (I, II, III) states that we should submit three paper copies and one electronic copy, which would result in three total binders for each part. Could the government please clarify the number of bound copies required?

Government’s Answer: The Offeror should submit: 1) an original Parts I, II, and III in bound form; 2) two copies of Parts I, II, and III in bound form; and 3) one electronic copy of Parts I, II and III. In total, the Offeror shall submit one bound original proposal in its entirety and three copies of the proposal in its entirety (2 bound copies and 1 electronic copy). The solicitation will be amended to clarify this aspect within the Block 10 Continuation area.

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual

5. Can I provide pricing to more than one potential Prime Contractor as a subcontractor or do I need to formally team with just one? Also, is a teaming agreement required?

Government’s Answer: Yes, vendors can provide pricing as a potential subcontractor to more than one potential Prime Contractor. Information regarding a teaming arrangement IAW Section L-001 para. 3.a.iv. is required by the Prime Offeror if two or more companies form a partnership or joint venture to act as a potential prime contractor IAW the definition of contractor team arrangement found at FAR 9.601(1).

Solicitation – Section L

6. For the Subcontractor/Teaming Partner Consent Form (Attachment 15 (L-9)), the PDF includes the language to (insert Prime Contractor’s Name). Do you have a Word document that can be used and edited for us to enter own company name on this form? If not, how would you prefer that we edit this form prior to submitting this to a subcontractor?

Government’s Answer: Attachment 15 (L-9) can be edited within Adobe Acrobat Pro by using the “Edit Text & Images” feature under “Tools, Content Editing.” Another option is to use the “Export File to…” feature under “Tools, Content Editing” and convert the PDF into a Microsoft Word (or similar) document. If the Offeror has limitations with Adobe, suggest copying/pasting the PDF text into a Microsoft Word (or similar) document.

a. Additionally, does completion of this form by the subcontractor constitute the ‘letter’ that must be provided for each partner consenting to release, or do they need to provide correspondence on their own letterhead?

Government’s Answer: Yes, completion of Attachment 15 (L-9) meets the letter requirement that MUST be provided from each subcontractor/teaming partner consenting to the release of their past performance information to the Prime Offeror as outlined in Section L-001 para. 3.c.iv. Correspondence on company letterhead is not a requirement, but if the letter is provided on letterhead, the content must use the exact language as provided in Attachment 15 (L-9).

7. Per Section L, Paragraph 2.b.iv.2, the requirement indicates that ‘line spacing shall be no less than double-spaced.’ To clarify, Times New Roman, size 12 that is double-spaced will utilize a significant amount of each 8 ½” x 11” sheet. Will single spacing be considered as an alternative for formatting?

Government’s Answer: Single spacing will not be considered.

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual

8. Section L-001, Paragraph C.ii (Past Performance Information Form) notes that ‘Each PPIF must not exceed five pages.’ Offerors are instructed to use the Past Performance Information Form (PPIF) (Attachment L-7), which is provided as a two page document. How should offerors provide additional information for Paragraph G for providing the project description if it extends beyond the allotted paragraph of space? If typed into a Word document, how should the PPIF visually transition from Government-provided form to offeror document?

Should these project descriptions be limited to the two pages, or may they be up to five?

Government’s Answer: The page limitation for Attachment 13 (L-7), Past Performance Information Form (PPIF), is five pages as stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.ii. The PPIF can be edited within Adobe Acrobat Pro by using the “Edit Text & Images” feature under “Tools, Content Editing.” Another option is to use the “Export File to…” feature under “Tools, Content Editing” and convert the PDF into a Microsoft Word (or similar) document. If the Contractor has limitations with Adobe, suggest copying/pasting the PDF verbiage into a Microsoft Word (or similar) document. In its edited state, the PPIF cannot exceed five pages and must use the font, margins, etc. provided in the template.

9. Section L-0001, Paragraph C.iii (Past Performance Questionnaire) notes that Past

Performance Questionnaires should be sent to each point of contact listed on the PPIF, which includes three, separate people. Is it the Government’s intent to receive three separate PPQs for each project reference / PPIF, or just one completed PPQ per project from the Program Manager or primary contact? For the vast majority of our Department of Air Force projects, we have two primary contacts that would include the Base Civil Engineering Program Manager, and the dedicated Contracting Officer. These projects typically do not have a separate Contract Administrator.

Government’s Answer: The intent behind Offerors sending the PPQ to each point of contact listed on the PPIF is to ensure at least one response per identified effort is received. As stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.iii., PPQs will only be accepted from Project Owners or their authorized representatives (i.e. the three individuals listed on the PPIF). There is no required number of PPQs that must be received with each proposal. Further, PPQs submitted with an Offeror’s proposal will not be accepted since the PPQs are supposed to be provided directly to the Government from the Project Owner as stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.iii.

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual

10. Will the government accept completed CPARS/CCASS evaluations and/or previously completed PPQ's in lieu of new PPQ's?

Government’s Answer: Completed CPARS/CCASS evaluations: As stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.v., the Government may use data obtained from other sources such as PPIRS, CPARS, FPDS, etc. during past performance evaluations. Because the Government has direct access to this information, we do not require or encourage the submission of this type of information with Part III of Offerors’ proposals.

Previously completed PPQs: As stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.iii., “Altered or substituted PPQs will not be evaluated, and PPQs will only be accepted from Project Owners or their authorized representatives” and “PPQs will not be accepted from Prime Contractors, Subcontractors, or Manufacturers”; therefore, PPQs completed for other than this solicitation and submitted by anyone but a Project Owner will not be considered. Attachment 13 (L-7), Past Performance Information Form (PPIF), Item F. requests information on Primary Customer Points of Contact which include the Program Manager, Contracting Officer, and Contract Administrator. Any of these individuals meet the “Project Owner or their authorized representatives” requirement.

11. Page 37 (SECTION L; 3. SPECIFIC INSTURCTIONS; a. PART I iv): Please clarify what is meant by teaming arrangement. Is this strictly for joint ventures? Or does teaming arrangement also include subcontractors and suppliers?

Government’s Answer: For purposes of this solicitation, “contractor team arrangement” is defined IAW FAR 9.601(1) as an arrangement in which “Two or more companies form a partnership or joint venture to act as a potential prime contractor.” Code of Federal Regulations, Title 13, Chapter I, Part 126, Subpart F provides additional requirements that a qualified HUBZone small business concern must meet to bid on a contract. As stated in Section M-001 para. 2.d.vii, past performance regarding subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement will not be rated as highly as past performance information for the Principal/Prime Offeror.

12. Page 38 (SECTION L; 3. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS; b. PART II iii 3): Are we required to use ATTACHMENT L-6 for the construction progress schedule? Or can we use our own scheduling program?

Government’s Answer: The solicitation will be amended to reflect that the Offeror’s construction progress schedule can be completed using the Government-provided template or the Offeror’s preferred scheduling program as long as the progress schedule addresses all elements as stated in Section L-001 para. 3.b.iii.3. and is in accordance with FAR Clause 52.236-15, Schedules for Construction Contracts (which was included in Section I of the solicitation).

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual

13. Page 39 (SECTION L; 3. SPECIFIC INTRUCTION; c. PART III iii): Are we required to submit PPQs for projects that already have evaluations in CPARS?

Government’s Answer: As stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.iii., Offerors must fill out Part B of the PPQ and send the PPQ to the POCs listed in each PPIF, and Offerors should track the completion of and submission of PPQs by the POCs to the Government. As stated in Section L-001 para. 3.c.v., the Government may use data obtained from other sources such as PPIRS, CPARS, FPDS, etc. during past performance evaluations. Because the Government has direct access to this information, we do not require or encourage the submission of this type of information with Part III of Offerors’ proposals.

14. Attachment L-1 Pricing template has unit price column, but not total price column. I am wondering where we can write the total price for each line item and total price for each year.

Government’s Answer: As stated in Section L-001 para. 3.a.vi., Offerors are to complete the proposed unit prices in Column D for each Exhibit Line Item Number (ELIN) in Attachment 7 (L-1) (one tab per contract year for a total of five contract years). As stated in Section M- 001 para. 2.b., each Offeror’s ELIN prices will be multiplied by the Government-provided estimated workload for each ELIN (all five years) found at Attachment 8 (L-2) to determine the total evaluated price. The Government will perform the task of multiplying each Offeror’s ELIN prices by the Government-provided estimated workload for each ELIN (all five years), which is why a column for “total price” for Offerors to fill out was not included in the template at Attachment 7 (L-1).

15. Attachment 13 (L-7) PPIF Item E. Completion Date 3. Estimate at Completion. Does this mean estimated completion date or estimated contract price at completion?

Government’s Answer: In regards to PPIF Item E. questions 1-3:

Question 1 refers to the original completion date per the Notice to Proceed (or equivalent) Question 2 refers to the current percentage of completion (if effort is on-going) Question 3 refers to the actual completion date

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual

Solicitation – Section M

16. Page 42: (SECTION M; 2. EVALUATION PROCESS; d. STEP 4 ii): This section states:

…minimum performance of six months completed within five years of the issue date of the solicitation…A combination of short-term contracts, short-term task orders, and or short-term job performed consecutively and/or concurrently to meet the minimum performance length of six months will not be considered…” Please clarify what this means…

Government’s Answer: As stated in Section M-001, para. 2.d.i., recency is based on efforts with a minimum performance of six months completed within five years of the issue date of the solicitation. This means that the efforts submitted by the Offeror must have been performed on by the Offeror for a period of at least six months, within the past five years (17 Mar 2017 or five years before this date). The statement “A combination of short-term contracts, short-term task orders, and/or short-term job orders performed consecutively and/or concurrently to meet the minimum performance length of six months will not be considered” means that the Government will not consider the combined performance of each of the (up to four) efforts in order for the Offeror to meet the six month minimum performance period, i.e. each effort submitted by the Offeror needs to have completed performance of at least six months within the past five years in order to pass the recency assessment.

17. When submitting past performance information are we not allowed to submit entire IDIQ/MACC/JOC contracts or does this section mean that we have to submit past performance information for individual task orders/ job orders?

Government’s Answer: Section L-001 para. 3.c.ii. states that Offerors can submit PPIFs for recent and relevant past efforts, and Offerors are limited to no more than four recent and relevant efforts performed on by the Prime Offeror. It is at the Offeror’s discretion which four efforts they choose to submit PPIFs for. Section M-001 para. 2.d.i. states that efforts include “contracts, or task orders, or job orders.” Each contract, or task order, or job order submitted via PPIF is considered a separate effort. A PPIF for a task/job order contract (e.g.

ID/IQ, MACC, or JOC) may be submitted and the contract will be evaluated as one effort.

18. Will the government allow substantially (at least 60%) complete projects to be used for past performance or do all projects have to be 100% complete?

Government’s Answer: Yes, as long as the work complete is covered by a period of at least six months. As stated in Section M-001 para. 2.d.i. regarding recency of past efforts, each effort submitted by the Offeror must have been performed on by the Offeror for a period of at least six months within the past five years (17 Mar 2017 or five years before this date). An effort that has been performed on by the Offeror for at least six months by 17 Mar 2017, regardless of whether the project is at 100% completion, would be considered recent and would be evaluated for past performance by the Government.

Questions & Answers (Q&As) - Contractual

19. Regarding Section M-001 para 2.d.vii., specifications list Prime Past Performance rated higher than subcontractor. Can you provide details on how much higher, and if teaming agreements change any of these ratings?

Government’s Answer: As depicted in Section M-001 para. 2.d.ii. Table 3 (Relevancy Definitions), recent efforts on paving projects involving runway/airfield performed as a Prime Contractor or in a JV arrangement could be rated as “Very Relevant” for the assessment area of “Complexity.” Per the other relevancy definitions for the assessment area of “Complexity,” the ratings for efforts on paving projects performed as other than a Prime Contractor or other than in a JV arrangement could be “Relevant”, “Somewhat Relevant”, or “Not Relevant.” See answer to question #11 regarding teaming arrangements/agreements.

Statement of Work (Basic Contract)

20. Regarding para. 15.0, Warranty, there is no mention of length of warranty. Will this be negotiated per T.O.?

Government’s Answer: SOW para. 15.0 references FAR Clause 52.246-21, Warranty of Construction, which is included in the solicitation’s list of clauses in Section I. This clause states that “work performed under this contract conforms to the contract requirements and is free of any defect in equipment, material, or design furnished, or workmanship performed by the Contractor or any subcontractor or supplier at any tier” and that “This warranty shall continue for a period of 1 year from the date of final acceptance of the work.” The one-year warranty period will apply to every awarded task order on this ID/IQ contract.