FBO_Q&A.pdf

Question Answer

1 PWS

Performance Work Statement (PWS) section 3.2.2.3 states the Contractor shall provide administrative support to program/project managers by gathering information for the development of cost estimates by the program/project manager. From where should we gather information?

Information will be provided by program/project managers, as needed. See Appendix A-2, subsection titled "Financial Management."

2 PWS Where do we maintain CSN and logs? (reference PWS section 3.2.2.2) These services are provided at the Government facility.

3 PWS

What are the other tasks involved in Records Management? Can you please let us know the volume of records managed per week/month/year? (reference PWS section 3.2.1)

See Appendix A-2, Subsection titled "Administration" for duties. No matrix of volume is available.

4 PWS

PWS for the Optics Division (RDS), Page 3 of 5, Item 3.2.6.1 – list “Security Visitor Control Center Operation Services” – are the Guards armed or unarmed?

Personnel staffing the Security Visitor Control Center are unarmed.

5 PWS

Can the Government clarify the period of performance for each CLIN? PWS section 5.6 states the ordering period is 12 Dec 17 - 30 Nov 22. The SF1449 document states an ordering period of 1 Dec 17 to 30 Nov 22.

The ordering period is 1 Dec 2017 - 30 Nov 2022. PWS section 5.6 has been corrected.

6 PWS

In Table 4.1 of the PWS, Performance Objective Item #2: The Performance Threshold for Item #2 is the same as Item #1. Was this the government's intent?

The performance thresholds for Item 1 and 2 are different. Item 2 also includes "no more than one late document per month."

7 PWS

The instructions state “The Offeror shall submit a Quality Control Plan in accordance with PWS 3.1.2.1. The Quality Control Plan shall demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding and approach for the sections and specifics described in the basic PWS (Attachment 1) sections

3.1.2.1.1 through 3.1.2.1.4.” should the sections actually be:

• 3.2.2.1.1 Quality Management Approach

• 3.2.2.1.2 Quality Assurance

• 3.2.2.1.3 Quality Control and Quality Standards

• 3.2.2.1.4 Staffing Vacancy Filling

PWS 3.1.2.1 lists the requirements for the Quality Control Plan. Within the Quality Control Plan, there are four elements that must be addressed. These elements are located in

3.1.2.1.1 through 3.1.2.1.4. The numbering in the PWS is correct.

8 PWS

There is no section numbered 7.6 within the PWS, which is referenced in the Contractor Management Reporting Requirements (CMR) in Table 4.1 Surveillance Matrix (Item 5) and we are unable to locate any discussion of specific requirements relative to CMR within the entire solicitation other than Table 4.1. Please clarify.

Contractor Manpower Reporting Requirements (CMR) are discussed in section 3.1.2.2.1.3 of the umbrella PWS. Table 4.1 has been revised to remove section 7.6 and reference

3.1.2.2.1.3 instead.

9 PWS

PWS paragraph 3.1.3.1.4 states that the offeror must fill vacancies within 30 calendar days of a position vacancy. At the pre proposal conference it was further clarified that this meant 30 days to find, onboard and begin work. Can the government please clarify how obtaining interim clearances and CAC cards will factor into this metric? For example, if the offeror has found a candidate and offered them employment well under the 30 days, but the time it takes to obtain an interim clearance and a CAC card puts us beyond the 30 days, will the government consider this metric as not met?

If there is a delay in acquiring clearances and CAC cards, this is considered a Government caused delay.

Business And Technology Management Administration (BATMAn)

FA9451-15-R-0029

10 PWS

Will government mandated training such as the Information Technology Systems (IT) Security Training noted in the PWS (Attachment 1) – paragraph 6.2.5 be on site and during working hours? Is this time billable to the government?

Training will be onsite and during work hours.

11 Clearance Can you clarify what "eligible" means in terms of TS/SCI and facility clearance? How do I know if my company is eligible?

An offeror needs to have Top Secret clearance with an adjudicated Tier 5 or single scope investigation in order to be eligible for TS facility clearance and SCI.

12 Clearance Can we team/subcontract with a firm that already has the required clearance? The clearance requirements may be subcontracted.

13 Clearance Does the prime contractor need to already have the TS/SCI clearance?

Not if the prime proposes a subcontractor with the TS/SCI to perform the required TS/SCI effort.

14 Clearance Do I need to have the TS/SCI clearance by the proposal due date?

An offeror needs to have Top Secret with an adjudicated Tier 5 or single scope investigation in order to be eligible for TS facility clearance and SCI.

15 Clearance Do I need to have the TS/SCI clearance by the contract start date?

The Government will sponsor the awarded offeror for Top Secret facility clearance and SCI after contract award. However, an offeror needs to have Top Secret clearance with an adjudicated Tier 5 or single scope investigation in order to be eligible for TS facility clearance and SCI.

16 Clearance Will the Government sponsor a firm for facility clearance/SCI? Will my proposal be accepted with the stipulation that we will obtain the necessary security clearance upon contract award?

The Government will sponsor the firm who is awarded the contract for the Top Secret facility clearance and SCI. An offeror needs to have Top Secret clearance with an adjudicated Tier 5 or single scope investigation in order to be eligible for TS facility clearance and SCI.

17 Clearance Will qualified 8(a) companies with secret facility clearance be considered?

This contract requires a Top Secret facility clearance. The Government will sponsor the awarded offeror for Top Secret facility clearance. However, the offeror needs to have Top Secret clearance with an adjudicated Tier 5 or single scope investigation in order to be eligible for TS facility clearance and SCI.

18 Clearance Does each member of a Joint Venture need to hold the TS/SCI clearance?

Only the company performing on the task order with the TS/SCI requirement needs to have the clearance.

19 Clearance The overall requirement for clearance is Top Secret but the requirement is Secret at the task order level. Can you clarify?

One of the 12 task orders has a TS/SCI requirement. The other 11 task orders have the secret requirement. See paragraph 6.1 of each task order PWS for the clearance requirements.

20 Clearance Is the requirement for facility clearance an absolute must or can it be waived? The facility clearance requirement cannot be waived.

21 Clearance Do vendors have to prove they have the clearance at time of submission or at time of award?

The requirement is that offerors are eligible for TS/SCI clearance. TS/SCI is not required at time of proposal submission. The Government will sponsor the awarded offeror for TS facility clearance and SCI. However, the offeror needs to have Top Secret clearance with an adjudicated Tier 5 or single scope investigation in order to be eligible for TS facility clearance and SCI.

22 Clearance Does the prime need to have a secret or top secret facility clearance?

The contractor performing the work on the TS/SCI requirement needs to hold the TS facility clearance. This may be a subcontractor.

23 Clearance Will the offeror be responsible for obtaining and maintaining security clearances for its employees?

Yes.

24 Clearance

At the pre-proposal conference, it was mentioned that it takes two weeks for an employee to get an interim clearance. How will these delays impact our compliance on the contract?

Is AFRL aware of a work-around, or inferring they will process interim clearances for contractors?

If there is a delay in acquiring clearances and CAC cards, this is considered a Government caused delay.

25 Clearance

At the pre-proposal conference, it was mentioned that it is not required that the offeror have a facility clearance at the time of proposal submission but must be eligible to receive a facility clearance if awarded the contract. It was also mentioned that in order to meet the RFP requirements the prime must sub out the task order that requires the TS/SCI. Can the government please confirm that this is indeed the case.

The Government does not require the offeror to subcontract. Subcontracting is a business decision that is left to the offeror's discretion. The Government will accept subcontractors on this requirement. The offeror's proposal needs to identify the subcontractors and differentiate the work performed by the prime and all subcontractors.

26 Clearance Is there any way to request the government provide us a more detailed status on our facilities clearance other than “Pending”?

AFRL is unable to provide status on pending facility clearances. The offeror should contact the agency sponsoring their clearance for more information.

27 Past Performance How many past performance references can be included in the proposal? Is there a limit to how many can be submitted?

There is no limitation on the number of Past Performance Project Sheets (PPPS) that can be submitted. However, the past performance must meet the criteria for being relevant and recent to be considered. See paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment

9) for the definitions of recent and relevant.

28 Past Performance Can I submit past performance on a contract where I was the subcontractor?

Paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) states that relevant contracts include experience as a prime contractor. Past performance where the offeror is/was the subcontractor would not be considered relevant.

29 Past Performance How many past performance project sheets (PPPS) must come from the prime?

All PPPS must come from the prime. Paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) states that relevant contracts include experience as a prime contractor.

30 Past Performance Are there any instructions or issues for commercial Past Performance Project Sheets (PPPS)? Are they given the same weight?

There are no special instructions other than meeting the criteria for relevant and recent.

See paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) for the definitions of recent and relevant. Commercial PPPS sheets are given the same weight.

31 Past Performance How will the Government evaluate the past performance of team members?

The Government will evaluate the past performance of the prime. Paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) states that relevant contracts include experience as a prime contractor.

32 Past Performance Are there any limitations on subcontractor past performance project sheets? (i.e. number of pages)

Please note that the Government will only evaluate the past performance of the prime contractor. Paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) states that relevant contracts include experience as a prime contractor. Please refer to section 6.2.12 of FAR 52.212-1 and addendum for the page limitations for all Past Performance Project Sheets (PPPS).

33 Past Performance Can you better define "relevant" past performance?

Relevance is defined by the degree of similarity between the Offeror’s present/past performance and the current BATMAn requirement in terms of scope, magnitude, and complexity. It is the offeror's responsibility to adequately describe their present/past efforts and to demonstrate how it is relevant to the BATMAn requirement. The Contracting Officer will determine if past performance is relevant. See paragraph 3.4.1 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) for the definition of relevant.

34 Past Performance If the Joint Venture has no past performance, will the Government evaluate the work done individually by each Joint Venture partner?

The Government will consider the work done individually by each partner to the joint venture. As a reminder, the Joint Venture needs to be eligible to compete under an 8(a) set aside.

35 Past Performance How do I document unknown past performance?

If the offeror has no input to submit via Past Performance Project Sheets (PPPS), the Government will rely on the other sources listed in paragraph 3.4 of FAR 52.212-2 and addendum (Attachment 9) to evaluate the offeror's past performance.

36 Past Performance If you have no Past Performance and you are rated "acceptable," why have past performance?

In accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv), in the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the offeror may not be evaluated unfavorably on past performance.

37 Past Performance

There is no instruction regarding where to place the Past Performance Project Sheet(s).

Please confirm that the past performance reference(s) should go in the final tab of Volume I, Technical. We respectfully request that the Past Performance Project Sheet(s) do not count against Volume I page limits.

Paragraph 6.2.12 of the Instructions to Offerors (Attachment 8) includes Past Performance Project Sheets in the Contract Documentation volume. Do not include past performance information in the technical volume.

38 Pricing Regarding taxes, excise and otherwise, are we to include, in our pricing proposal, taxes per labor category or total taxes for the entire contract?

As shown on all attachments and as stated in the pricing instructions, taxes are included in the fully-burdened proposed labor rates. Taxes are not to be proposed separately at the contract level and are included in the total firm-fixed price. Refer to Attachment 8, paragraph 7.4.2.5.2. All proposed fully burdened labor rates in Attachment 24 shall include all applicable taxes, including revenue-based New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax.

39 Pricing What is contracting's position on escalation?

It is the contractor's decision whether or not to propose escalated rates in their pricing. As a reminder, this contract will be firm-fixed price. The total prices for the base year and four option years will be set at time of award.

40 Pricing Can you expand on New Mexico Gross Receipt Tax (NMGRT)?

The New Mexico Gross Receipt Tax (NMGRT) is applied to in-state or out-of-state contractors who have an operating location within the state of New Mexico for which the first intended use of the final product is in New Mexico. For assistance in determining the extent to which NMGRT may apply and for the applicable rates, contact the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (http://www.tax.newmexico.gov/Businesses/gross-receipts.aspx). NMGRT has historically applied to this contract.

41 Pricing How is price reasonableness determined?

The Government intends to determine price reasonableness through adequate price competition (APC).

42 Pricing

In section 7.1.4.2 of the instructions to offerors, what is considered ‘Price and Supporting Information’ for Tab 2 of the Price Volume III in section 7.1.4.2 of the RFP? Does ‘Price and Supporting Information’ include all cost elements such as direct labor rates, overhead, fringe, etc. used in the rate development to build up the fully burdened labor rate for exempt and non-exempt positions? Please confirm if any additional information is required beyond attachment 24, 25 and 26.

Refer to sections 7.1.4.2.1.3, 7.4.2.1, 7.4.2.5.3, and 7.4.2.7. It is the offeror's responsibility to provide all of the requested documentation.

43 Pricing

In section 7.4.2 of the instructions to offerors it states to use one of the following methods to substantiate ‘Pricing for Services’. If there is no GSA FSS, is it permissible to utilize the pricing for services methodology in section 7.4.2.2 of the instructions to offerors for non-exempt and exempt employees? In addition, while we recognize exempt personnel is not subject to Department of Labor (DOL) Wage Determinations for Service Contract Labor Standards, please advise to the format and label in ‘Attachment 26 – Commercial Services Task Order Non-Exempt Labor Rate Disclosure Template’ should we be able to use this attachment for exempt personnel also.

Do not include exempt personnel on Attachment 26. This attachment should only include non-exempt personnel subject to potential price adjustments pursuant to the Price Adjustment Clause. Furthermore, the non-exempt rates disclosed on Attachment 26 should include all proposed on and off-site non-exempt rates shown on corresponding Attachments 24 and 25.

44 Pricing

Attachment 25 Commercial Services Task Order Pricing Template asks for ‘Task Execution Labor Categories (CLIN 000X)’ in column A. Is the government asking for a labor category by CLIN for each task order? Can the government confirm the labor for each task order should be in CLIN 0001 or CLIN 0002?

No CLIN label is required for the labor price.

45 Pricing

Section 7.3.2, Price Volume III states: “The Offeror shall complete all [three] spreadsheets listed in section 7.3.1 for every task order identified in section 7.1.4.2.1.1.” Attachments 24 and 26 appear to apply to offeror GSA rates across all task orders. This interpretation is supported by the fact that only Attachment 25 contains hourly data. Accordingly, we request that the government require one copy of Attachment 24 and 26 to be submitted for the entire proposal, and only a separate Attachment 25 required for each task order.

The Government intends Attachment 26 (Commercial Services Task Order Non-Exempt Labor Rate Disclosure Template) to disclose both on-site and off-site non-exempt fully-burdened rates. The Attachment 26 rates must match the same rates in Attachment 24 (Commercial Services Task Order Rate Schedule), which also includes fully-burdened exempt labor rates not requiring the supporting information in Attachment 26. The rates on Attachment 24 must in turn match the yellow-highlighted rates on Attachment 25 (Commercial Services Task Order Pricing Template).

46 Pricing

Attachment 26 states that the “Fully-burdened labor rate in yellow-highlighted column must match yellow-highlighted rate proposed on corresponding "Commercial Services Task Order Rate Schedule" [Att. 24].” However, the Att. 24 schedule contains yellow-highlighted rate columns for both the contractor site and government site. Did the government intend for the Att. 26 statement to read, “Fully-burdened labor rate in yellow-highlighted column must match yellow-highlighted rate proposed on corresponding "Commercial Services Task Order Pricing Template" [Att. 25]”?

Please note all attachments should reflect the offeror's proposed commercial labor rates, whether those rates reflect a GSA schedule or other commercial rate source. The reason the Government requested separate supporting Attachments 24 and 26 for task orders is because all task orders will not be performed at the same location; consequently, there is likely to be task order differences between rates proposed for identical labor categories due to prevailing local wage rate determinations, as well as location-driven variances between on/off-site exempt and non-exempt fully-burdened rates. That said, if an offeror chooses to propose identical fully-burdened on/off site labor rates for all tasks/all locations, only one supporting copy of Attachments 24 and 26 is required for the entire proposal. If an offeror chooses to take this uniform-rates approach, it should be clearly stated in its price proposal narrative.

47 Pricing

Instructions to Offerors 7.1.4.2.1.2 states "Offerors shall provide these Price Proposal Instructions to all subcontractors. Proprietary subcontractor data may be submitted directly to the Government in accordance with Proposal Preparation Instructions in this announcement." Is this required of all subcontractors, or only those Major Subcontractors with workshare greater than 20%? Are they required to fill out all three attachments for each task order they are allotted workshare?

All subcontractors. In addition, the prime's submittal must include corresponding subcontractor pricing information on all attachments; i.e., both prime and subcontractor labor categories must be identified separately. This is why there are columns titled "Company" adjacent to the labor category columns on these spreadsheets.

48 Pricing

Will the government allow the offeror to use a sister companies GSA FSS schedule which has the same parent company and uses the same accounting structure and system? Yes.

49 Pricing

When listing the proposed labor categories in the task order rate schedule, does the government expect the offeror to use the same labor category name that is in the GSA or commercial schedule? Would the government consider adding a column to the rate schedule template in order to allow the offeror to map the proposed BATMAn labor category to the GSA FSS schedule labor categories?

An additional column will not be added. The offeror is free to use whatever labeling or titles they see fit. However, any deviations from the published price lists should be documented in the supporting documentation (Tab 2 of Volume 3). Paragraph 7.4.2 of the Instructions to Offerors (Attachment 8) states that all price lists shall be legible with the pertinent prices easily identifiable and labeled with the labor categories. If the Government cannot validate that the rates from the offeror's spreadsheets match what is on the published price list, the proposal may be considered non-responsive.

50 Pricing Will the government allow “open market items” if proper documentation to support the labor category and rate is provided? If so, can the extra documentation be submitted in Volume 3 as a part of Tab 3?

The Government will accept any published price list. This requirement is not limited to GSA schedules. Please submit supporting price information in Tab 2 of Volume 3.

51 Pricing Can the government tell us what suffices as a business memorandum or quote sheet and what is expected to be in these documents?

A business memorandum or quote sheet is a document on the company's letterhead showing the prices/rates they offer to other customers.

52 Pricing

Attachment 8 - Section 7.2.2 – Price reasonableness – The government requests that the offeror should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate reasonableness and balance and the burden of proof for credibility of proposed prices rest with the offeror. The government is requesting rates from a GSA FSS or a commercial price list and these rates have been proven in market and determined to be reasonable. Can the government please clarify what other proof would be required to determine price reasonableness?

The Government is anticipating basing price reasonableness on adequate price competition. However, the Government may require other than certified cost/pricing data to support price reasonableness.

53 Other

This opportunity has significant technical and management support requirements (as noted by the name and throughout the PWS) it would seem that any of the following NAICS would be more appropriate: 541611, 541618, 541690, 541990 or 561499. Will the Government consider changing the NAICS code to one of these?

The requirement is for general administrative, business, and financial support services. The suggested NAICS are for various types of consulting services or professional, scientific, or technical services. The suggested NAICS are not appropriate for this requirement. The current NAICS 561110 will not be changed.

54 Other Is this a new acquisition or a re-compete? Who is the incumbent? Is the incumbent eligible for award? What is the contract number? What was the dollar value?

This is not a new acquisition. The incumbent is Chenega Integrated Security Solutions, LLC.

The incumbent is eligible for award. The contract number is FA9451-12-D-0158. The total contract ceiling is $49.9M

55 Other How many firms is the Government looking to award to? How many awards do you plan to award?

The Government is intending to award one contract to one firm.

56 Other Is subcontracting allowed? Would the Government consider a Contracting Teaming Agreement (CTA) arrangement? Can an 8(a) team with another company that is not an 8(a)? Will a joint venture be accepted?

Yes. Please keep in mind this is a competitive 8(a) requirement in accordance with FAR

19.805. The prime has to be a certified 8(a) to be eligible for award.

57 Other What is the government's evaluation criteria when determining financial capability? The Government will evaluate financial capability in accordance with FAR 9.104-3.

58 Other

DFARS clause 252.226-7001 (Utilization of Indian Organizations, Indian-Owned Economic Enterprises, and Native Hawaiian Small Business Concerns) is included. Does that mean Does this mean that this contract is set aside for only Indian and Native Hawaiian 8(a) companies?

No. The clause states that "the Contractor shall use its best efforts to give Indian organizations, Indian-owned economic enterprises, and Native Hawaiian small business concerns the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in the subcontracts it awards, to the fullest extent consistent with efficient performance of the contract."

59 Other What classification should be used to determine the right wage?

It is the offeror's responsibility to identify the appropriate labor categories required to meet the requirements of this contract. Additionally, it is also the offeror's responsibility to ensure wages meet or exceed the minimum wages identified by the applicable Department of Labor wage determinations. See Attachments 5 and 6 to the RFP for the applicable wage determinations. Also, refer to FAR clause 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires. This clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency. This clause is for information only.

60 Other

What are the labor categories under the current contract? How many total contractor staff are at each location per labor code? Can you provide a breakout of the current FTEs by labor category? Will the Government provide job descriptions? Will the current labor categories associated with the respective task orders specified in the RFP?

This information will not be provided because it is proprietary to the incumbent. See paragraph 7.1.1 of each task order PWS (Attachments 12-23) for historical FTE information.

Also, refer to FAR clause 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires. This clauses identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency. This is information only. It is the offeror's responsibility to identify the appropriate labor categories and skill mix as they determine appropriate to meet the contract requirements.

61 Other Why is the EEOC form required?

In accordance with FAR 22.805, the Contracting Officer is required to request preaward clearances from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) for contracts and subcontracts of $10M or more. The Contracting Officer will use the information on the EEOC form to request the preaward clearance if the offeror is not already listed on the OFCCP National Pre-Award Registry website or in the case of technical difficulties with the website.

62 Other Why only the listed advanced degrees for the Program Manager? Many experienced PMs have engineering and technical degrees. Please clarify.

This is the Government's requirement.

63 Other 10 years experience does not seem reasonable. Please clarify. This is the Government's requirement.

64 Other Is the PM required to be located at the government site?

The Government has on-site space in its facilities, however, there is no requirement for the PM to be on site. The PM must meet PWS Paragraphs 3.1; 3.1.1; and 3.1.1.1 requirements to manage the IDIQ contract.

65 Other Can additional years of experience (beyond the required 10) be substituted for a Master’s Degree for the Program Manager?

No.

66 Other Is a Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) approved accounting system required?

A DCAA approved accounting system is not required because this contract is firm-fixed Price.

67 Other What is a "core work day"? Explain the correlation between a 40 hour work week and a 9 to 3 core work day.

Contractor employees are required to work between the hours of 0900 and 1500 and must work a 40 hour week. The time the contractor arrives and leaves may vary. For example, a contractor employee's schedule may have them report to work at 0800 and leave at 1600.

68 Other After the award decision, what will be the timeframe for project transition and for the notice to proceed?

It is anticipated the contract will be awarded in July 2017 with an effective date of 1 Dec 17.

The transition period ends on 31 Dec 17.

69 Other Are all labor categories subject to the Service Contract Act? (Service Contract Labor Standards)

It is the offeror's responsibility to identify the appropriate labor categories required to meet the requirements of this contract. It is also the offeror's responsibility to determine which labor categories fall under the Service Contract Act (Service Contract Labor Standards).

70 Other Will Alaskan native companies receive the 5% rebate? No.

71 Other Will Alaskan native 8(a) or Tribally owned 8(a) be given first priority? No. This requirement is a competitive 8(a) set aside. Any certified 8(a) is eligible for award.

72 Other What is considered a Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)? An FTE is defined as a 40-hour workweek. See paragraph 7.1.1 of each task order PWS.

73 Other Are there subcontractors on the current contract? If yes, who are the subcontractors? Yes, LMATA Government Services LLC and Schafer Corporation.

74 Other Why is this Solicitation set-aside for an 8(a) business?

This requirement was accepted by the SBA under the 8(a) program. In accordance with FAR 19.203(c), the requirement must remain in the 8(a) Program unless the SBA agrees to release it. Market research indicates there are numerous 8(a) companies capable of fulfilling the requirement.

75 Other The DOL wage determination list you provided does have many of the jobs listed in the TO and I am finding it difficult to determine the appropriate wage for each. Does the government have another list that matches the TO functional jobs?

The purpose of the wage determinations is to show the minimum wage required by the Department of Labor. It is the offeror's responsibility to determine the appropriate labor category and wage. Refer to FAR clause 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires. The clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency.

76 Other Is there a requirement to hire the incumbents first?

FAR clause 52.222-17 is included in this solicitation. The clause states "the contractor and its subcontractors shall in good faith offer those service employees employed under the predecessor contract whose employment will be terminated as a result of award of this contract or the expiration of the contract under which the service employees were hired, a right of first refusal of employment under this contract in positions for which the service employees are qualified."

77 Other RDS Task Order PWS has 8 FTEs as an estimate based on historical or projected data. How many of these 8 FTEs will be in Hawaii?

Two FTEs are expected for Hawaii. The positions required in Hawaii are one administrative assistant for the Director's Action Group (DAG) and one program analyst. Refer to FAR clause 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires. The clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency.

78 Other Will we be allowed to change labor categories and FTEs after award?

Yes, the contractor is allowed to manage their personnel as they see fit in order to meet the Government's requirement. However, there will be no changes to price as results of these changes.

79 Other What is the relevancy of the manpower board historical data?

Historical and projected FTEs information is provided in each task order PWS for informational purposes only. This information is merely an estimate and is not considered mandatory. This data may not necessarily reflect manpower needed to perform this task order. The offeror shall propose the manpower and skill mix as they determine appropriate for each task order. Refer to 7.1.1 in each task order PWS for the historical FTE information.

80 Other How can the Government ensure Health & Welfare is being bid by the vendors?

The Department of Labor verifies contractor employees are receiving health and welfare benefits. The wage determinations list the required health and welfare benefits.

Commercial Services Task Order Non-Exempt Labor Rate Disclosure template (Attachment

26) has a column for health and welfare input.

81 Other Why is this solicitation Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) when it’s also Service Contract Act (SCA) applicable and the rates have already established in the Wage Determination?

The wage determination provides the minimum wages required by the Department of Labor. It is the offeror's responsibility to determine the appropriate wages to pay their employees.

82 Other Does the Government have a manpower expectation?

The Government expects the offeror to propose the appropriate labor mix to meet all requirements listed in each task order Performance Work Statement (PWS). See the historical FTE information in 7.1.1 of each task order PWS (Attachments 12-23).

83 Other What proposal requirements are excluded from the page count? i.e., table of contents, etc. Refer to paragraph 2.1.2 of FAR 52.212-1 and addendum (Attachment 8).

84 Other Per the instructions to the offerors, travel is not to be proposed. Should the travel CLIN 0003 on the SF1449 document be left blank for the submission of this proposal?

Yes.

85 Other

In section 2.1.1 of the instructions to offerors, formatting specifications include Text type shall be Times New Roman. Except for the reproduced sections of the solicitation document, the text size shall be no less than 12-point with 1.5 line spacing. Can the government confirm the font size of our header and footer can be exempt from font requirement listed in 2.1.1 Text.

Header and footers are not exempt from the font requirement.

86 Other The contract is FFP, but also requires all hours be logged/submitted; does the Government anticipate any/future task orders be deliverable based, rather than FTE based?

All task orders will be firm-fixed price.

87 Other Will the contractor require direct connectivity to SIPR or other classified networks? The requirement is only on one task order (RDMZ) which requires the TS clearances.

88 Other Will you be posting the results/outcome of the pre-proposal conference? Yes, the slides and attendee list are included within this amendment.

89 Other When does the Government consider the proposal delivered? When it is received by the mailroom staff or by the contracting officer? What is your mailroom processing time from receipt to delivery?

Proposals are due to the mailing address in 3.2 of the Instructions to Offerors (Attachment

8) on 10 April 2017 at 1:00pm Mountain Time.

90 Other Would the government provide greater detail regarding the nuances between #2 and #6 in the Phase-In Transition Plan requirements?

#2 discusses how operations, management, and certification training (if applicable) are to be accomplished. #6 addresses the offeror's approach to establish controls to ensure schedules are met.

91 Other Can you clarify how travel will be included in the contract if we are not supposed to propose travel costs?

Travel will be determined by the Government at the task order level. Travel amounts are not included in the price evaluation to determine the total proposal price. The Government's lowest price determination will consider the sum of the price for all task orders, including the base plus four option years. See paragraph 3.1.1 of Attachment 9 for LPTA process. Also, refer to Paragraph 5.2 of the umbrella PWS for more information on travel.

92 Other Can you clarify how Executive Order 13495 (Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts) affects this requirement?

FAR clause 52.222-17 is included in this solicitation. It is the offeror's responsibility to read the clause and comply with the requirements.

93 Other Can you clarify the recent changes the SBA made in terms of similarly situated entities and how that affects subcontracting requirements?

Recent changes to the Small Business Government Contracting and National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (effective 30 Jun 16) clarifies that any work done by a similarly situated entity does not constitute "subcontracting" for purposes of determining compliance with the applicable limitation on subcontracting. A similarly situated entity is a small business subcontractor that is a participant of the same small business program that the prime contractor is a certified participant and which qualifies the prime contractor to receive award. In accordance with FAR 52.219-14, least 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the prime for this requirement.

94 Other The proposal instructions state that all volumes shall be placed in a 3-ring binder. Would the government accept the Original copy of the SF1449 placed in a page sleeve/protector (unpunched) to fulfill this requirement?

Yes.

95 Other There are items the government has requested that are not spelled out within the Tab structure for Volume III (7.1.4). Can the government provide clarification as to the contents of Tab 2 and Tab 3?

See Instructions to Offerors (Attachment 8) section 7.1.4.2 and 7.1.4.3.

96 Other As a contractor responding to this RFP are able to select the areas of which we have the expertise and past performance to respond to?

The offeror is expected to be able meet all of the requirements in the RFP.

97 Other Are we required to fill all positions listed on the RFP?

Yes. Refer to FAR clause 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires. The clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency. It is the offeror's responsibility to determine the appropriate labor categories and wage.

98 Other

Will the Government specify which task orders belong in RDT&E Funding (CLIN 0001) and which belong in O&M Funding (CLIN 0002) so that the offeror may complete the Supplies or Services portion of the SF 1449? OR Does the Government want the Offeror to leave CLIN 0001 and CLIN 0002 blank? Can you please provide guidance as to how to identify which portion of a Task Order’s Scope of Work is RDT&E and O&M so we can assign resources accordingly and tag resources by CLIN appropriately as required by the pricing template?

The RDT&E and O&M funding CLINs are for Government use only and are based on the type of funds that are being used to fund the labor costs. This CLIN setup has no impact on the offeror's pricing on labor or how the offeror completes the required spreadsheets (Attachments 24, 25, and 26). It is not required to separate the labor total by funding type.

99 Other Can a copy of the existing contract be provided?

Submit requests for the contract through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request process.

100 Other Is the transition plan of the incumbent available?

Submit requests for the transition plan through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request process.

101 Other Is the turnover rate of existing staff in place available? This information is not available.

102 Other

Attachment 3 – DD254 Block11c being marked yes creates an assumption that employees will have to take derivative classified training. Can the government please verify if this assumption is correct and if so, would it be a requirement for all the employees and is it expected annually?

The DD254 has been revised under this amendment. The revised DD254 has block 11c marked as "no".

103 Other

Attachment 3 – Block 11i was marked “No” for Tempest Requirements, but yet a Tempest Security Requirements Continuation Page was added to the DD254. Since all work is being performed on base, can the government please clarify if a Tempest Countermeasures Assessment of our facility would or would not be required.

The DD254 has been revised under this amendment. The revised DD254 has block 11i marked as "no". There are no Tempest requirements.

104 Other

Attachment 8 (Instructions to Offerors) paragraph 2.1.1: “Text” on page 9 states that “Text lines to include all tables, charts, graphs, and figures, shall have 1.5-line spacing.” We request that the requirement for 1.5-line spacing in tables, charts, graphs and figures be amended to only apply to tables and not charts, graphs and figures as this can impact the overall quality of the graphic.

The text requirements will not be changed.

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