23V_ _751_Industry_Day_06_21_2106_Q As.docx

Schedule 23V and Schedule 751 Industry Day 06_21_2016 Questions and Answers

1. Question – What is GSA Schedule 751 Program doing to increase supplier diversity opportunities for GSA Schedule 751 contract holders that are SBA certified minority and VA verified veteran owned commercial fleet leasing contractors?

GSA Response - GSA holds Industry Days to promote awareness of the 751 Schedule. The ordering (customer) agency will determine when their requirements are set aside for a socio-economic category at the task order level.

2. Question - What specifically is the “Methodology” being used by the GSA Schedule 751 contracting office to determine line itemed pricing per monthly lease term?

GSA Response – GSA considers, but it is not limited to, historical data, competition, and market suggested pricing when conducting a price analysis to establish awarded lease rates under the 751 Schedule.

3. Question - As a result, the posting of GSA Schedule 751 pricing that is INCOMPLETE is very confusing for Federal Agency fleets to understand and creates a loss of opportunity for Schedule 751 contract holders. For example, Attached is a copy of our 2016 pricing and there are many line items with INCOMPLETE pricing for monthly lease terms, such as, line item 8c Ford Focus does not include any GSA approved pricing for either the 12 and 36 month lease terms (but does have GSA approved pricing for 18,24 and 30 terms)?

GSA Response – GSA does not considered the 751 Schedule pricing (i.e. the contractors’ price lists posted at GSA Advantage and the GSA combined price list posted at the website) to be incomplete because all of the price lists cite all GSA awarded pricing.

GSA is working to revise the current format of the 751 Schedule awarded pricing spreadsheet to help our agency customers with identifying the 751 Schedule awarded pricing for all contractors. We will ask the current 751 Schedule contractors to assist us too, and will be notifying each contractor under separate cover with instructions on how they can help.

4. Question – Why is the letter of supply no longer sufficient for TAA?

GSA Response – A letter of supply is sufficient for TAA compliance. The letter sent on May 20, 2016 requested that current vendors confirm that the products on their contract are TAA compliant and that the correct country of origin is listed for their products on GSA Advantage.

5. Question – As a dealer is, an updated letter of supply from the manufacturers sufficient for the TAA compliant?

GSA Response – An updated letter of supply from the manufacturers is sufficient to confirm TAA compliance.

6. Question – What can be done to improve the expedited return of modifications to our contracts?

GSA Response – GSA does everything that we can to award modification requests in a timely manner. There are several circumstances that can increase the time it takes to award a modification including, but not limited to, the Contract Specialist workload, the complexity of the modification, and the completeness of the modification submission on the part of the vendor. The modification may also require review from other government personnel besides the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer which increases the processing time. We are working on providing templates to assist vendors in identifying what they need to provide for a complete modification submission. The process of determining offered prices fair and reasonable is part of the modification process that takes the longest time. Vendors can assist in shortening this time by providing information on comparable items and sale invoices to help us determine offered pricing fair and reasonable.

7. Question – We often do not make modifications because of the long time it takes and quite often we get price changes from our manufacturers before the modification is approve. So we wait until we have a lot of changes before we submit. This is a disadvantage to both the contractor and GSA. Is there a way you can get more help to expedite this?

GSA Response – Currently we are fully staffed. Please see the answer to question 6 on the actions GSA is taking to reduce modification award time and how vendors can assist in reducing the time it takes to process modifications.

8. Question - Don't we certify on SAM that we are TAA compliant?

GSA Response – Yes. However, GSA is requiring a separate certification from you at this time. From the May 20, 2016 letter to you from the Contracting Officer:

Recently, we have identified a number of contractors who provided inaccurate information regarding the country of origin in their GSA Advantage!® loads. To help ensure you are compliant, I am asking that over the next 30 days, you review your schedule contract to confirm that the products listed, and the self-certifications provided, accurately state the applicable Trade Agreements Act (TAA) designated country for each product, per FAR Clauses 52.225-5 --Trade Agreements and 52-225-6--Trade Agreements Certificate. At this time, you are not specifically required to provide additional documentation to GSA.

If you have not already provided this certification to your GSA Contracting Officer, please do so as soon as possible, as your response is already past the 30 day deadline established in the letter.

9. Question – Where can I find Letter of Supply template?

GSA Response – Schedules 23V & 751 currently do not have one. We will be looking into the possibility posting a template with the next solicitation refresh for each schedule.

10. Question – Why aren’t the mod document templates posted on VSC with the other mod guidance documents for other schedules?

GSA Response – We are looking into the possibility of posting modification templates for Schedule 23V and 751 on VSC after they are finalized.

11. Question – Is it possible to get a layman’s version of the TAA? It is very confusing and complex.

GSA Response – There is no layman’s version of the TAA that we are aware of. If you have specific questions regarding TAA please send them to either Bridget Duffy or Sharon Hamer and if we do not know the answer we can provide a point of contact that may be able to assist.