FY24SSED QA.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 22 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- FY24SSED
About this file
This document is a Request for Quote (RFQ) for the FY 24 Support Services for Employees with Disabilities (SSED) contract. The Internal Revenue Service is seeking commercial supplies and services to provide assistive technology, maintenance, and training for IRS employees. The solicitation is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 541519 for IT Value Added Resellers. Key requirements include: providing assistive technology hardware and software within 15 calendar days, maintaining products under warranty, and conducting onsite and remote training sessions. Offerors must respond by July 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST. The Government will award a single Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract using a Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation approach. The document also includes questions and answers related to the solicitation requirements and pricing.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| ATTACHMENT 1 PRICING SHEET.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| SSED Justification_Redacted.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT 4 SSED 2 PAST PERFORMANCE FORM.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT 2 STATEMENT OF WORK.pdf | ||
| SSED Q A.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| II_I_SOLICITATION SSED FINAL.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT 3 CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT 1 PRICING SHEET.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
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| Solicitation # SSED Q&A | Reference (Section/Attachment e.g., Attachment 2 - SOW) | Question | IRAP ANSWERS | |
| 1 | Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheets | |||
| There are items on the pricing sheet that do not have the technical write up in the Assistive Technology (AT) Technical Specifications. How do we respond to the technical specifications? | See updated price list. | |||
| 2 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1 Task 1 - Provide Assistive Technology | |||
| From the day the order is placed, all AT shall be delivered within fifteen (15) calendar days. | Are there penalties associated with not meeting the required 15 day delivery schedule. | Contractor’s failure to meet the terms and conditions of the agreement and may result in the issuance of a show cause or cure notice and may be reported as negative past performance information. | ||
| 3 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1 Task 1 - Provide Assistive Technology | |||
| A copy of the approved product checklist must be sent electronically to the COR within (2) business days after receipt. | Is there any penalty for not submitting the checklist within 2 business Days? | Contractor’s failure to meet the terms and conditions of the agreement and may result in the issuance of a show cause or cure notice and may be reported as negative past performance information. | ||
| 4 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.1 Reporting Warranty & Maintenance Issues | |||
| The contractor shall provide a single toll-free warranty/maintenance telephone number with voice and TTY access and email address. | The offeror does not see a line for pricing for the TTY access. | TTY Access requirement is removed from SOW. | ||
| 5 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.2 Perpetual Enterprise Software Licenses | |||
| Software licenses throughout this document may be referred to as “perpetual” or “enterprise” licenses however all licenses shall be perpetual licenses. | Adaptive Technology Software OEM's require SW upgrades to the current version if the perpetual licenses are not continuous. How does the offeror price this upgrade for the Solicitation if the government misses the renewal date? | Contingent upon the governments ability to pay. | ||
| 6 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.2 Perpetual Enterprise Software Licenses | |||
| Include a method for disabling automatic updating capabilities, where applicable, if such a method is provided by the manufacturer. Internet communication is prohibited to receive/install product updates. | Offerors can only supply COT's Products on GSA Schedule. The offeror requests the government to include additional clins for SW modifications. | This requirement is incuded in the IRS build. No additional CLIN is needed. (Include a method for disabling automatic updating capabilities, where applicable, if such a method is provided by the manufacturer. Internet communication is prohibited to receive/install product updates). | ||
| 7 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.4 Delivery Instructions | |||
| Equipment is to be first shipped to the Austin Equipment Depot. | Will the warranty start when the Government takes possession of the equipment? | Yes, warranty will start when the government takes posession of the equipment. | ||
| 8 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.6 Assistive Technology – Substitutes | Is the offeror required to provide evaluation units for testing and acceptance for item substitutes? Will the government reimburse the cost of providing a sample to be tested? If so, the pricing CLIN for the evaluation of products is missing. | If the product testing is successful, the government would reimburse for this product once it is added to the contract. If not successful the government would return the product. | |
| 9 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.7 Information Technology (IT) Advancements | Is the offeror required to provide evaluation units for testing and acceptance for technology advancements? Will the government reimburse the cost of providing a sample to be tested? If so, the pricing CLIN for the evaluation of products is missing. | If the product testing is successful, the government would reimburse for this product once it is added to the contract. If not successful the government would return the product. | |
| 10 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.1.7 Information Technology (IT) Advancements - Bottom of Page 7 | |||
| The IRAP shall have the option to request a face-to-face meeting with the vendor and manufacturer to discuss issues on a quarterly basis. | The parameters of the meeting, i.e., how often within a quarterly basis, the duration of the meeting, is the meeting with all of the manufacturers at once or one at a time, or just some, Specifications have not been established to allow for accurate pricing of this CLIN. | Option for remote meetings is available. | ||
| 11 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.2.1 Maintenance of Assistive Technology Hardware | |||
| Assistive Technology Items Currently Owned by the IRS, includes hardware items purchased under previous contracts that are owned by the IRS. This list is not all inclusive; it only includes items that were purchased on or before the release of the solicitation but will be made available upon award. | It appears that based on this requirement, the offeror could inherit hundreds of pieces of AT equipment. How will the offeror invoice in month 2 of the new contract for legacy equipment? Will the government provide serial numbers of the products that are still under warranty or placed on maintenence? Will the Government provide a history of the products that have been purchased under previous contracts as well as a " Ready for Use" certification? | Maintenance products would include only items purchased under SSED. | ||
| 12 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.2.1 Maintenance of Assistive Technology Hardware | |||
| The contractor may provide maintenance directly through the respective manufacturers/suppliers, but the contractor shall always retain responsibility for meeting the hardware maintenance requirements of this contract. | Should a contractor solely propose direct manufacturer/suppliers warranty/maintenance , are there any liquidated damages or penalties assessed to the contractor should the manufacturer/supplier fail to meet to the stringient maintenance requirements of the Solicitation, i.e., 36 hours (3 days) for Return To Service. | Contractor’s failure to meet the terms and conditions of the agreement and may result in the issuance of a show cause or cure notice and may be reported as negative past performance information. | ||
| 13 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.2.1 Maintenance of Assistive Technology Hardware | |||
| The contractor shall make available any standard commercial maintenance practices of manufacturers/suppliers that provide service that exceeds or otherwise adds to the level of service described in this Section. | Please clarify as to what additional services the government is seeking beyond the requirements as stated in 3.2.1.2 Principal Period of Maintenance. How will these additional services be priced? | Products have a one year warranty. The PPM is defined by the government. | ||
| 14 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.2.1.4 Remedial Maintenance Reports | |||
| The contractor shall provide an accessible electronic monthly reports; Remedial Maintenance Report, Maintenance Payment Report , Removals, Summary, of the previous calendar month to the COR no later than the third (3rd) of the month. (MS Excel Spreadsheet – compatible with the current version of the IRS COE approved of Microsoft Office) | We see that there are numerous tasks such as training checklists, weekly and month reports, all requirements that are laden with Program Management, however we do not see a line item where it can be properly priced. How is the offeror to price this type of reporting in this Solicitation as there is no line item to price these tasks. | Reporting is a NSP deliverable within the contract. | ||
| 15 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.2.1.6 Maintenance - Warranty Service | |||
| If the AT hardware item’s manufacturer/supplier provides a standard commercial warranty that exceeds 365 calendar days, then the warranty service provided during the first 365 calendar days shall be in accordance with the requirements set forth in this contract. On calendar day 366, the contractor shall then begin to provide the additional period of warranty service in accordance with the terms of the manufacturer/supplier standard commercial warranty. | Should a contractor propose a standard commercial warranty directly from the manufacturer/supplier and fail to meet the requirement set forth in the contract, are there any liquidated damages or penalties assessed to the contractor should the manufacturer/supplier fail to meet the stringient service requirements as stated in the Solicitation, i.e., 36 hours (3 days) to Return to Service? | Contractor’s failure to meet the terms and conditions of the agreement and may result in the issuance of a show cause or cure notice and may be reported as negative past performance information. | ||
| 16 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, 3.2.1.7 Maintenance of Assistive Technology Software |
Commercial Software Currently Owned by the IRS DESCRIPTION (as of 4/25/2023) Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional - 666 Dragon Naturally Speaking Legal - 80 JAWS for Windows - 238 JAWS with Remote Terminal Services - 11 Duxbury - 136 JSay - 2 Kurzweil 1000 - 284 Kurzweil 3000 - 75
| Zoomtext - 897 | The quantities of "current" licenses on the pricing sheet for do not match the quantities in the chart. Which are we to price? | See updated price list. | ||
| 17 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, Additional Supporting Information - Assistive Technology (AT) Technical Specifications | |||
| There are items on the Assistive Technology (AT) Technical Specifications and they do not appear on the pricing sheet. Where do we enter the price for these products? | See updated price list. | |||
| 18 | SOW – 3.2.1 | Can you provide the total number of maintenance calls received in 2023 and 2024 up to present? | 31 | |
| 19 | SOW | a. Can you provide the total number of help desk interactions, including calls, emails, and service tickets, for the full year of 2023? b. Additionally, could you provide a breakdown of the service tickets from the total mentioned above, specifying how many were resolved remotely versus requiring onsite support? | a. appox. 400 hours; b. all were resolved remotely | |
| 20 | SOW | What is the total number of orders placed for each product over the past five years? | 2023 – present: 2316 of the frequently ordered products (ergonomic keyboards; ergonomic mice; monitors, headsets, braille displays, CCTVs and scanners). | |
| 21 | SOW – Assistive Technology Assessments 3.1.8 | How many assessments were conducted per month in 2023? | No assessments were conducted by the vendor | |
| 22 | SOW – Task 3 – Training 3.3 | What was the total number of onsite training sessions conducted throughout the entirety of 2023? | 2 on site | |
| 23 | SOW – Task 3 – Training 3.3 | How many remote training sessions were conducted throughout the entirety of 2023? | 153 remotely | |
| 24 | SOW | Could you please provide the due date for submission of proposals? | July 26, 5:00 pm EST. | |
| 25 | NA | Is Memphis,Tennessee the location in which this work will be completed? If not, are you able to share the location with me? | Based on the information supplemented within the Statement of Work, this will performed through the Untied States as employees both of which report to the office and perform in a full work from home capacity, will require the various units and services laid out in the deliverables. |
TSC
| SOLICIATION 5000164333 | Reference (Section/Attachment e.g., Attachment 2 - SOW) | Question |
| SOW – 3.2.1 | Can you provide the total number of maintenance calls received in 2023 and 2024 up to present? | |
| 1 | ||
| IRAP ANSWER: 31 | ||
| 2 | SOW | a. Can you provide the total number of help desk interactions, including calls, emails, and service tickets, for the full year of 2023? |
| IRAP ANSWER: appox. 400 hours | ||
| b. Additionally, could you provide a breakdown of the service tickets from the total mentioned above, specifying how many were resolved remotely versus requiring onsite support? | ||
| IRAP ANSWER: all were resolved remotely | ||
| 3 | SOW | What is the total number of orders placed for each product over the past five years? |
| IRAP ANSWER: 2023 – present: 2316 of the frequently ordered products (ergonomic keyboards; ergonomic mice; monitors, headsets, braille displays, CCTVs and scanners). | ||
| 4 | SOW – Assistive Technology Assessments 3.1.8 | How many assessments were conducted per month in 2023? |
| IRAP ANSWER: no assessments were conducted by the vendor | ||
| 5 | SOW – Task 3 – Training 3.3 | What was the total number of onsite training sessions conducted throughout the entirety of 2023? |
| IRAP ANSWER: 2 on site | ||
| 6 | SOW – Task 3 – Training 3.3 | How many remote training sessions were conducted throughout the entirety of 2023? |
| IRAP ANSWER: 153 remotely | ||
| 7 | SOW |
**PROCUREMENT TO ANSWER
RFQ QA 7232024
| Solicitation # FY24 SSED | Reference (Section/Attachment e.g., Attachment 2 - SOW) | QUESTION | COMMENTS |
| 1 | Section 5.1 Attachment 2 – SOW - Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) | The three requirements listed in the solicitation seem vague and are not clearly defined. Other than the trainers receiving a favorable disposition for their background investigation, and logging in every 30 days, are there other requirements that our trainers must adhere to and complete to stay compliant with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the GFE? If so, can you please define what these are requirements. | These requirements include completion of all agency mandatory trainings assigned to the trainers. |
| 2 | Section 5.1 Attachment 2 – SOW - Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) | If there are additional requirements, will there be a line item to price these efforts, or should we include this cost into our training pricing calculations? | No additional requirements. |
| 3 | Pricing Sheet, Attachment 1 | There are pricing line items for the maintenance and the training of the Enabling Technologies Juliet 120 interpoint braille printer. Should there be a line item to price the product as well? | Updated pricing sheet provided that includes the Enabling Technologies Juliet 120 interpoint braille printer. |
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