SF30 - Solicitation Amendment A00001.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUISITION NUMBER 5. PROJECT NUMBER (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended. is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER

NUMBER IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

Previous edition unusable

A00001

The purpose of Amendment # A00001 of Solicitation # HHSN-21-Q-006801 is as follows:

1) Amendment # A00001 posts the Questions and Answers in response to the solicitation.

2) The Solicitation close date is extended to Wednesday, June 23, 2021 @ 12:00 p.m. (Noon) (EDT).

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (CC) Office of Purchasing and Contracts (OPC) 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 106 Bethesda, MD 20892

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (CC) Office of Purchasing and Contracts (OPC) 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 106 Bethesda, MD 20892

HHSN-21-Q-006801

06/18/2021

05/24/2021

RFQ - HHSN-21-Q-006801 – PATIENT MESSENGER AND ESCORT SERVICES FOR THE NATIONAL

INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), CLINICAL CENTER (CC), OFFICE OF HOSPITALITY AND

VOLUNTEER SERVICES (OHVS) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

1. Will the Contractor be required to provide transportation vehicles (e.g. vans) for to and from the NIH Clinical Center Complex?

ANSWER: No, the Contractor will not need to provide transportation vehicles to and from NIH Clinical Center.

2. If the Contractor is required to provide transportation vehicles (e.g. vans), then must the vehicles be equipped with lift equipment?

ANSWER: As referenced in Answer #1, no transportation vehicles will need to be provided to and from the NIH Clinical Center.

3. Must the Contractor provide its own fleet of wheelchairs?

ANSWER: No, the NIH Clinical Center has and will provide their own fleet of wheel chairs.

4. Is there an Incumbent Contractor? If so, can you please share the name of the company? What is the current Contract Number? What is the total value of the current Contract held by the incumbent Contractor?

ANSWER: The Incumbent Contractor for this effort is SEBA Professional Services, LLC, located at 6811 Kenilworth Avenue, Suite 500-E3 in Riverdale, MD 20737-1333. The Contract Number and additional information requested is public information and can be found via a litany of public venues.

That information will not be shared as a part of this forum.

5. Is NIH going to furnish all the required vehicle/transportation required for transporting patients, blood, etc. to different facilities within NIH?

ANSWER: Yes, NIH will provide a fleet of wheel chairs, specimen carts, biohazard bags, and stretchers.

6. Please provide a roster of current employees to include their date of initial service under any predecessor Contract for these services at NIH to allow companies to accurately estimate their liability for vacation per the referenced text (Reference: VACATION: 2 weeks paid vacation after 1 year of service with a Contractor or successor 3 weeks after 5 years and 4 weeks after 15 years.

Length of service includes the whole span of continuous service with the present Contractor or successor wherever employed and with the predecessor Contractors in the performance of similar work at the same Federal facility. (Reg. 29 CFR 4.173)

ANSWER: The roster will be provided at the time of Contract Award by the Project Manager, whom of which will also be identified at the time of Contract Award.

7. The requirement to submit letters of commitment for each nursing assistant is unduly restrictive. It precludes all sincere offerors from developing a realistic transition plan and technical approach since the best people to perform this critical service are most likely many of people that are currently employed by the incumbent Contractor, SEBA. Will the government consider removing the requirement to submit a letter of commitment for Nursing Assistants I and II to allow for a true robust competition among all qualified 8(a) firms?

ANSWER: The Solicitation Document (Technical Sub-Factor #9) has been updated removing the requirement of the submission of letters of commitment as requested.

8. Please provide a map of the NIH Clinical Center complex with a legend that identifies the 18 locations specified in para. 3.2.3 Facilities and other locations where the Contractor will be expected to transport patients or other items/deliveries.

ANSWER:

I have attached a map of the 1st floor of the Clinical Center. However, the establishment is 14 stories tall. The facility consists of 234 inpatient beds, 81 day hospital stations, over 20 outpatient clinics, diagnostic and treatment areas, and public waiting areas. Adjacent to the hospital facilities are research laboratories. The complex consists of three buildings: the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center (Magnuson Center), the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center (CRC or Hatfield Center), and the Ambulatory Care Research Facility (ACRF). Together these three buildings represent approximately 3.5 million square feet of space.

9. Where is the office of the on-site Project Manager? What is the size (square feet) of the office?

ANSWER: Building 10 NIH Clinical Center: Hatfield Center Room B1-6572

9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892. The square feet of the room will be 81.68sf.

10. Please provide historical data on the annual number and distribution of transport services covered by the Contract:

clinical specimens, research specimens, blood products, medications and pharmacy items, patient luggage, "e” sized medical oxygen gas cylinders, medical records, and defective and repaired transportable medical devices labor category, and time of day

ANSWER: From October 2019 to September 2020, a total of 56,000 IV poles, wheelchairs, specimen, and medications were transported. A total of 39,000 people were also transported during the aforementioned period.

11. What is the difference between Nursing Assistant I and Nursing Assistant II? What certifications are desired for the positions of Nurse Assistant I and Nurse Assistant II?

ANSWER: The Nursing Assistant I and II two positions are labeled under the Department of Labor (DOL) and will not need any special certifications to perform the work duties.

12. Do any patient transport requests require more than one Contractor employee?

ANSWER: Some transport requests require more than one (1) Contractor, especially during the time when new Contractors are training. The Project Manager can verify the number of Contractors used during a patient transport request.

13. How/where is the optional pharmacy task to be priced?

ANSWER: A Contract Line Item (CLIN) for Transportation of Medications and other Pharmacy Supply Items (OPTIONAL TASK) has been added for each Period of Performance on the Price Schedule.

This Task is required between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. seven (7) days a week, roughly 24 hours of service per week for 52 weeks out of the year. Please provide the hourly rate for these services as requested in the Price Schedule.

14. How many wheelchairs are in the fleet? Are facilities and/or equipment for fleet maintenance available to the Contractor on site? Are any of the wheelchairs to be maintained by the Contractor electric or motorized?

ANSWER: There are approximately 100 wheelchairs in the fleet. The Contractor is responsible for the cleaning of the equipment. We will provide cleaning products and be responsible for making any repairs to ensure maintenance of the wheelchairs. No wheel chairs are electric or motorized.

15. Will the Contractor be expected to use government computer systems other than CRIS? If so, please describe further.

ANSWER: The Contractor will have to use the Learning Management System (LMS) to take yearly trainings for compliance purposes. They will also be required to use a government computer system called NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) for onboarding.

16. “Overtime Service: This is defined as an eight (8) hour shift. Contractor staff will not be authorized to work overtime unless it is authorized by the Contracting Officer. The overtime rate will be paid for hours worked at the hourly rate established in the Contract.” Does this mean the rate in the pricing schedule? We believe this is inconsistent with state and federal labor law. Is this Contract exempt from state and/or federal DOL compensation requirements?

ANSWER: A separate tab will be listed in the Price Schedule labeled “Overtime Hourly Rate.” Please note, the number of hours listed for Overtime are estimated and will vary.

17. Please provide a copy of the QASP.

ANSWER: A QASP has been provided/infused within the Solicitation Document.

18. Where is the closest HHS facility where Contractor employees may be fingerprinted?

ANSWER: The closest HHS facility where Contractors may be fingerprinted is located at the South end of the Clinical Center (Building 10). Location: South Lobby (Room 1C52). Or the Contractors can visit the main location of fingerprinting and enrollment: Building 31, Room 1B03.

19. What is the transition period following award?

ANSWER: There is no specified Transition Period. Per Technical Sub-Factor #4, the Contractor is to address the steps taken to ensure a smooth transition between the current Contractor and the successor. The burden to provide an adequate Transition Period falls on the Contractor.

20. Is there a charge for Contractor parking? The link in the RFP does not work. Please provide a correct link.

ANSWER: Contractors are not charged for parking. An updated link was provided in the solicitation and is also listed here: https://ors.od.nih.gov/pes/dats/parking/Pages/parking_info.aspx

21. “An Offeror’s unit prices must be fully loaded, as in each hourly rate must include applicable overhead costs, fringe costs, G&A costs, profit, taxes, surcharges, overtime, shift differentials, etc. The provided unit prices will be the unit prices in which the Contractor must apply during Contract performance.

Consequently, the awardee will not be able to propose cost adjustments or profit mark-up on top of its unit prices when it later responds to each order.” Instructions to include “overtime and shift differentials, etc.” in the unit price is confusing and inconsistent with the directions in the Price Schedule. It may not be reported similarly by all offerors and may therefore lead to “apples and oranges” comparisons of unit prices. Please clarify.

ANSWER: This information will be amended in the Solicitation and a separate tab will be listed in the Price Schedule labeled “Overtime Rate.” Please note, the number of hours listed for Overtime are estimated and will vary.

22. Please clarify how many hours per week is considered part time.

ANSWER: The Contractor will designate what is considered Part-Time. The number of hours (maximum) needed weekly have been listed in the Price Schedule for each position/task.

https://ors.od.nih.gov/pes/dats/parking/Pages/parking_info.aspx

23. We ask that NIH amend the solicitation to allow prospective evaluation of overtime and shift differentials by labor category separately in a manner that does not distort the overall evaluation of price.

ANSWER: I can agree to this request. A separate tab will be listed in the Price Schedule labeled “Overtime Rate.” Please note, the number of hours listed for Overtime are estimated and will vary.

24. Does the current Contract provide pharmacy services as described in paragraph 2.7?

ANSWER: Yes. The current Contract does provide Pharmacy Services as stated in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

25. Can all liquid oxygen tanks be transported on carriers/cart with wheels?

ANSWER: Yes. All liquid oxygen tanks can be transported on carriers/carts with wheels.

26. “Each Technical Factor will be equally important among the other Technical Factors.” There is only one technical factor. Should this read that each technical sub factor will be equally important?

ANSWER: No. The document reads as it should. There is no discrepancy in what is written.

27. “The overall Technical Factor will be considered equally important to the overall Past Performance factor…. The following factors, listed in descending order of importance will be used to evaluate offers: (1) Technical Qualifications, (2) Past Performance, and (3) Price.” Please clarify this discrepancy.

ANSWER: There is no discrepancy. The overall Technical Factor is “Technical Qualifications” which is inclusive of all Technical Sub-Factors. Factor #1: Technical Qualifications is equally as important as Factor #2: Past Performance. Factor #3: Price is not the determining factor of selection in the Source Selection Evaluation Process. Hence, the descending order of importance outlined in the question (e.g. Technical Qualifications, Past Performance, and Price). The method of selection for an awardee is not Lowest Priced or Lowest Price Technically Acceptable. The method of selection for an awardee is “Best Value” to the Government, meaning the Contractor who provides the strongest quote from a Technical and Past Performance perspective with a Fair and Reasonable Price will be selected for award. Not the Offeror who provides the Lowest Price.

28. What is the meaning of “Descriptive Literature”? Please clarify.

ANSWER: Descriptive Literature means all information furnished (e.g. Narratives, Illustrations, Drawings, Brochures, etc.) that clearly shows and identifies the ability to meet the need. For example in Technical Sub-Factor #1 (Technical Approach), you are required to furnish a Plan of Operation that includes the scope of work and your methods to accomplish it. The Descriptive Literature would entail your narratives (e.g. Plan of Operation and methods to accomplish the work). The same goes for every other Technical Sub-Factor listed.

29. On site manager, supervisors, dispatchers, and patient escort/messengers must be “in place” prior to award of this Contract. What does “in place” mean?

ANSWER: In place means that they must be working to keep the services that messenger and escort offer operational and functioning due to the high volume of services daily.

30. Technical Sub-Factor #4 – Transition Plan: The plan should address the steps the Offeror will take to ensure a smooth transition between the current Contractor and the successor. What is the start-up period? How long is the transition period?

ANSWER: The start-up period begins the day the Contract is awarded.

31. What is the mode of transport for the specimens?

ANSWER: Specimens are transported via specimen cart and Biohazard bags.

32. Who is in charge of maintenance for these devices associated with the mode of transport for the specimens?

ANSWER: The Contractor is responsible for the cleaning of the mode of transport for the specimens.

Government will be in charge of the repairs that may need to be made on the mode of transport for the specimens.

33. Additional tasks not outlined herein related to Patient Transport and Messenger Services may be added if needed due to the variability associated with these services. - Please explain the additional task and if there is any compensation for the increase in services - Please clarify.

ANSWER: The answer is in the question. Service types needed outside of what is entailed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) are variable and often cannot be predicted with pinpoint precision. Therefore, additional services identified may be added to this requirement if needed. These additions shall occur via Contract Modification. The Performance Work Statement (PWS) and the Contract shall be modified to add the needed services. The selected awardee shall be able to provide pricing for the services at the time of identification.