25QE011_ATTACH11_Q_A_Update_122324.pdf

Question # Solicitation Reference Question Answer

I was wondering if there is a current incumbent contract for the Science Instructional Resources Labs for Grades 6-12 and Advanced Placement® (AP®) HE125425QE011 requirement and if so could you provide the contract number.

The incumbent for this requirement is Effective Communication Strategies LLC, the contract number HE125419D0006.

Apologies for my confusion, but it appears there are two different solicitations that posted within SAM.gov.

I am aware of Solicitation HE125425QE010 for AP Science courses. But I also found a different Solicitation that indicated 6-12 + AP Science and the SOL Number is slightly different. It is HE125425QE011.Can you please clarify?

These two solicitations are different. Please reference the titles and note that HE125425QE011 is specific to the Lab kits for the subjects listed.

1.HE125425QE010 - Advanced Placement ® (AP®) Science Instruc onal Resources 2.HE125425QE011 – Science Instruc onal Resources Labs for Grades 6-12 and Advanced Placement® (AP®)

Further details are reflected in each solicitation.

3 PWS paragraph 2.1

Lab Kits and Safety Equipment:

1. Could you provide more detail on the criteria for ensuring compliance with the NGSS performance expectations?

2. Are there any specific guidelines or examples for proposing alternatives to non-exportable components in the lab kits for overseas schools

1. We are expecting kits aligned to an integrated curriculum in MS and HS. Specifically in high school, kits should integrate with Biology, chemistry, and Physics where Earth science is integrated into each course. Please review currently integrated vendors to see the spectrum of combinations; especially OpenSciEd.

2. The intent of the laboratory Performance Expecta on(s) should be maintained with the subs tu on.

Delivery and Logistics:

a. Could you elaborate on the process for scheduling and delivering live materials and the criteria for assessing timeliness?

b. Are there any known challenges associated with delivery timelines for overseas schools that we should consider in our proposal?

a.The vendor must have a system for scheduling and delivering live material as needed based on alignment to the DoDEA sequence post award. Reasonable time for OCONUS delivery should be ensured to account for general issues like customs as well as ensuring all paperwork is completed by the vendor to ensure door to door delivery. The vendor is not responsible for unforeseen delays at customs but should account for a reasonable amount of time at customs and ensure they (the vendor) has completed the paperwork to ensure smooth processing to the actual school.

b. Understanding the shipping rules for countries where DoDEA is located would be important to know before submission. Specifically regarding: GMO, chemicals, soils, or other items that may be problematic to ship. This is fluid information that the vendor needs to be aware of.

5 The due date on the solicitation is January 6, 2024, which has passed and thus the opportunity shows as inactive on sam.gov. I do see a January 6, 2025 due date on the documents themselves.

An amendment (0002) posted on SAM.gov on 12/11/2024 extending the submission deadline to 1/10/2025 at 5:00PM EST.

Would you be willing to provide an extension of up to one week (01/13/25)? With limited staffing during the holidays and the requirement of video recording for the kits, it would be helpful to have some additional time after the new year to make sure we can meet this requirement.

An amendment (0002) posted on SAM.gov on 12/11/2024 extending the submission deadline to 1/10/2025 at 5:00PM EST.

7 Does the government desire to have curriculum kits that match a more traditional curriculum and curriculum kits that match a more contemporary, digital curriculum available simultaneously?

We are interested in curriculum kits that match a digital curriculum, as the PWS calls for digital text.

8 Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet Does the government want pricing provided PER kit or PER academic discipline/level? The current spreadsheet requires one price for all of the kits per discipline/level.

Pricing per kit. Kits should be separated by Course (MS: Integrated Science I (6th), Integrated science II (7th), and Integrated Science III (8th). High school courses: Biology in the Living Environment, Chemistry in the Earth System, and Physics in the Universe. The standards do not need to match the current sequence of standards in courses, but all NGSS standards in grade bands 6-8 and 9-12 should be in covered in the 6 courses. Kits should be named by grade with performance expectations. Multiple kits per grade level is expected. Price how you commercially sell the product. You can add SLINS for each kit under the grade level.

9 Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet Does the government want annual pricing provided for the kits or just base year pricing as listed on the spreadsheet? If only base year pricing is requested, will this pricing be used for the additional option years of the contract?

Please note that row 3 of the pricing sheet identifies a 5-year base period from 01 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. The anticipated contract will be for this 5-year base period; therefore, vendors should provide a 5-year quote.

Does the government need to see every kit's contents within a course or can we provide a video that gives an overview of how the kits will arrive, the packaging, and select examples of the types of kit components?

The Government requires a sample kit for each MS, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and each AP courses. We also require a list of contents for each kit in each course. Reference 52.212-1 ADDENDUM - INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-para 2.1.1 r.

11 For shipping to Cuba, will the Blount Island, FL (Jacksonville address) be used?

Yes. The Jacksonville address is correct.

12 Will the government accept photos of the kit and/or photos of the kit components? Yes.

13 Will the government provide a DoD Safe link(s) to upload the video (photo?) submission? No.

14 Attachment 7 - DD2930a Attachment 7 continues to appear blank. Is there another document you can post or send? Please download and save the document. Then, open the saved file to view it.

Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet

Is the quantity correct for 0005 AE, 0006 AE, and 0007 AE? It states 9 but I believe it should be 18? These quantities are correct.

Attachment 11-Questions and Answers

16 The Onboarding PL is 3 hours for 6th - 8th, 3 hours for Biology, 3 hours for Chemistry and 3 hours for Physics - for a total of 12 hours. Is this correct?

This is correct.

For the Introductory PL the solicitation states: " "This requirement is for the middle school courses and high school courses—a total of 54 hours in Base Year 1 only". The spreadsheet seems to indicate more than that:

54 hours (18 x 3) for middle school \ 81 hours (27 x 3) for high school 27 hours (9 x 3) for AP) Can you clarify how many hours for each level is required for Introductory PL?

Introductory is only for year 1. PWS 2.4.2 updates are highlighted to state, "This requirement is for Base Year 1 only." Hours on the Price sheet are correct as indicated.

18 Can you explain how you'd like shipping to be addressed as a "Firm Fixed Price" per lot? Is a "lot" one complete shipment to one school?

Items will be shipped to the different school locations. The "lot" represents the price for all shipments, expressed as a percentage of the quoted total.

PWS paragraph 2.4

Professional Learning Requirements:

a. The PWS mentions a requirement for synchronous and asynchronous webinars. Could you clarify whether these should cover specific science practices or general usage of the lab kits?

b. Are there templates or preferred formats for the required recorded webinars and digital modules?

Training content will be determined post award and catered to the needs of the teachers based on the curriculum. Formats and templates will be agreed upon between the vendor and DoDEA post award.

20 What is the anticipated award date for this solicitation? The Government anticipates award by March 2025.

Once awarded, what is the anticipated date for a purchase order to be issued from DoDEA?

It is anticipated that a delivery order will immediately follow contract award.

The solicitation specifies delivery is required in 30 days from purchase order for US sites and 45 days for international sites. Is there a desired date for all kits to be delivered by?

All kits should be in schools two weeks before opening. Schools for DoDEA begin opening the last week of July (CONUS) and mid- August (OCONUS).

Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet Regarding the pricing sheet, are the quantities listed the correct quantities to be delivered in Year 1?

All quantities are estimated. The initial delivery order will identify exact quantities required.

Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet

Regarding the pricing sheet, are the “Lab Kits” intended to be non-consumables only or non-consumables and consumables for Year 1?

The requirement is that kits are classroom-ready and contain all necessary equipment and materials, consumable and non-consumable.

Is it correct that a refill kit should include consumables for 30 students? If other pack sizes are available, will those be considered?

Refill kits should accommodate class size of 24 - 30 students. Please indicate the number of students each kit serves in your quote.

The solicitation indicates that kits should include all the necessary materials to complete the course, and vendor should assume only standard glassware is available in classrooms. Should the kits include standard student school supplies such as colored pencils, scissors, pencils, etc.?

The requirement is that kits are classroom-ready and contain all necessary equipment and materials. It should not be assumed that any materials will be available at the school beyond basic glassware.

PWS paragraph 2.2.1.1 &

52.212-1 ADDENDUM -

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-

para 2.1.1 r.

In the Performance Work Statement, section 2.2.1.1 indicates that glassware should be included in the kits. In Amendment 1, the new video paragraph, section 2.1.1.r indicates that basic glassware can be assumed in the classroom. Should basic glassware be included in the kits?

Basic glassware does not need to be included in the kits. The list in PWS section 2.2.1.1 is not exhaustive and serves as examples only. However, the requirement is that kits are classroom-ready and contain all necessary equipment and materials.

28 For the digital instructional resources, could you provide further information on the integration process with DoDEA’s LMS (Schoology) and the expected timeframe for testing compatibility? This will be provided at a later date.

Clause 252.204-7012

Regarding FedRAMP Level 2 compliance, are there specific documentation or certifications that need to be submitted alongside the proposal? Please refer to clause 252.204-7012(b)(2)(ii)(D) and DoDEA's Cyber Security Department will review the information submitted.

For AP kits, the requirements indicate that kits should include one lab kit per unit at minimum, is it acceptable to package the entire course together as one kit?

No for 6-12, lab kits should be listed by course and unit AP science labs should be two labs per big idea, but more can be included. All labs should be priced by the individual kit. Please indicate performance expectations (6-12) or big idea when pricing within each course.

For AP Biology, there are 4 Big Ideas and students should conduct at least 2 labs per Big Idea. With more than 8 lab investigations available for AP Biology, has DoDEA determined the labs that will be covered by teachers so that appropriate materials can be included in the kit? Should materials be included for all of the possible labs? Please provide any similar information available for the other AP courses.

No for 6-12, lab kits should be listed by course and unit AP science labs should be two labs per big idea, but more can be included. All labs should be priced by the individual kit. Please indicate performance expectations (6-12) or big idea when pricing within each course. You may submit additional labs within a course.

In the Performance Work Statement, it states “If the proposed lab kit has component(s) that cannot be exported to a country in which DoDEA operates, then alternatives must be proposed.” Can you confirm these kits will not be allowed as an exception due to shipping to US bases?

DoDEA expects to comply with our host nations. If known shipping problems exist in a country, proposed alternates are requested at proposal. We do not expect to receive an exception.