Questions_ _Answers_to_RFQ.docx

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS TO HSBP1015Q0042

1. In the clause 11.16 52.219-14 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING (NOV 2011), it is clearly stated that Services (except construction). at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of concern. The question is do consultants and part-time employees count as part of the Prime's 51% requirement?

Based on the definition of an “employee” I am not sure I am the right person to define that for you – we will have to defer to the Department of Labor’s definition of an employee. The prime contractor should have 51% of the employees for the contract. Are your consultants considered your employees? Part-time employees have the title “employee” so they will be counted in the mix.

2. In evaluating Past Performance will the government take into consideration the totality of experience of the Prime and its teaming partners?

The Past Performance will take into consideration the totality of the TEAM.

3. If the answer to the question 2 is "yes", when submitting the "Past Performance Questionnaire", can the Prime submit one and have its two partners submit one each to show the breadth and depth of the team's capabilities?

How the TEAM decides to submit the Past performance questionnaire is up to the PRIME – so long as it makes sense and can be connected to the TEAM. For instance if your TEAM is ABC Partners, then the submitted questionnaire should have information that would have reference to TEAM ABC Partners, so the evaluators will know which offeror the Past Performance is for.

4. Within the Scope of Work (SOW) Section 3.1.13 and 3.1.14, please provide clarification to the timeline required for Advertising Requests (AR) and Media Plans. Are we correct to assume that the Program office will provide the contractor an AR (presented 40 calendar days before implementation) in which the contractor will be developing a Media Plan (to submit 10 business days after receipt of AR) to satisfy this request and then send to the CO and COR for acceptance (acceptance or rejection will be provided 5 business days after receipt of Media Plan and if rejected the contractor will have 10 business days to resubmit)?

There is a difference between the AR and the Media Plan. The timeline for the AR has been stated in the SOW which you have repeated here so there is no assumption being made here. This is how the timeline is stated in the SOW. The Media Plan will include the AR.

5. We understand that DHS-Customs and Border Protection expects all media to be billed at net and that all commissions that are received should be discounted back to the government on this effort, but is it acceptable to use a fixed adder for media buying if it is a part of one of our subcontractor’s standard fees?

How you bill CBP is up to the Prime, however, when submitting the cost/price response, it would be best to submit an explanation of how the costs were derived.

6. SF-1449, pg 1, The size standard is stated as $8 million. However, the size standard is $15 million for NAICS code 541810. Please confirm the size standard is $15 million.

$15 million

7. SF-1449, pg 2, Paragraph three states the RFQ can be delivered via email, however the instructions state printed copies must be submitted. Please clarify.

You are being given the option of submitting the offer either via email, regular mail courier or any other delivery choice you may want. Obviously if you are sending this via email, then you would submit the two Volumes – Volume I Business Management Information and Volume 2 Technical Quotation. If you are submitting this via courier etc, then we are asking that you deliver 1 original and 5 copies. If via regular mail, then submit 1 original and 5 copies and follow the instructions on p. 44 under “Additional Instructions to Offerors”.

8. Section III, Solicitation Provisions, pg 41, please clarify what is meant by “however, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.” Please confirm the size standard for this solicitation is $15 million, and not 500 employees.

$15 million

9. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 45, please confirm Volume 1 - Cost and Pricing is the same as Volume 1 - Business Management Information.

Volume 1 – Business Management Information contains the Cost and Pricing Information as well – so same Volume.

10. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 45, Volume 1 - Cost and Pricing states that the number of copies requested is 3, however Volume 1 - Business Management Information states the number of copies is 4 (1 original and 3 copies). Please clarify.

Original and 3 copies

11. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 45, Volume 2 - Technical Quotation states that Sections 1-4 are to have 6 copies, however Section 5 has only 3 copies. Does this mean CBP intends for 3 of the copies of Volume 2 will not have a Section 5?

Past Performance Information can be sent separately with 3 copies or it can be combined with Volume 2 and submitted with 1 original and 5 copies.

12. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 45, Volume 2 - Technical Quotation, are resumes to be submitted only for key personnel?

Resumes can be submitted for all positions, however, the Key personnel are the important positions with job titles that CANNOT BE CHANGED.

13. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 45, Volume 2 - Technical Quotation, does CBP request the contractor provide a media plan as part of the proposal submission?

Please review page 6 of the Statement of Work as to when the Media Plan is to be delivered – however, the offeror should speak to what their media plan would consist of.

14. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 47, Past Performance, can contracts be ongoing, or must they have been completed?

Past Performance is what it stands for. If the contract just started, then there will not be a past performance.

15. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 47, it states “Section 3 & 4 shall follow the basis of evaluation as provided in Section III.8,” however, Section III.8 is Provision 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS. Please advise where instructions can be found for Section 3 & 4.

Section III: 9 pages 63-64

16. Please provide evaluation factors for the proposal. How will each section be weighted?

Section III: 9 pages 63-64

17. SOW, pg 2, Mandatory Requirement - the solicitation states “The Contractor shall have experience working with agencies at the city, state, and federal level for large scale recruitment of law enforcement personnel.” Does the required experience with the Federal government have to be the prime contractors, or can this be the combined experience of the prime contractor and teaming partner and/or subcontractor?

The experience will be that of the TEAM

18. Additional Instructions to Offerors, pg 45, Section 3, what information is to be included in the Management Approach?

Question already answered in Question # 10. See pages 63-64 for instructions as to what will be evaluated under the Management Approach.

19. SOW, how many applicants is CBP looking to recruit through this contract?

There is a difference between the reach of the marketing and advertising versus the actual applicants. The number of applicants do not reflect the reach of the vendor.

20. Is the incumbent eligible to participate in this solicitation response as a prime contractor?

If the incumbent is an 8a company, then they are eligible to apply.

21. Does the past performance need to come from the prime solely, or may a subcontractor submit a past performance?

The Past Performance will take into consideration the totality of the TEAM. How the TEAM decides to submit the Past performance questionnaire is up to the PRIME – so long as it makes sense and can be connected to the TEAM. For instance if your TEAM is ABC Partners, then the submitted questionnaire should have information that would have reference to TEAM ABC Partners.

22. SOW, Objectives 1.2 states “Assisting CBP in developing and executing a branding strategy that identifies and distinguishes CBP as a premier law enforcement organization and an employer of choice.” However, in the background at the bottom of the page, it states “CBP has been moving toward an integrated brand with DHS by projecting a consistent look, tone and quality in all areas pertaining to advertising and marketing.” Please clarify.

This is giving you background information – what clarification are you looking for?

23. SOW, pg1, how many of the following is CBP looking to recruit? Also, what is the highest priority?

a. CBP Officers

b. Import Specialists

c. Border Patrol Agents

d. Agricultural Specialists

e. Intelligence Research Specialists

f. Pilots and Administrative/Operational Support

This question is not relevant to the solicitation. It will be relevant in the Task Order phase after the contract has been awarded.

24. SOW, pg 3, Key Personnel are stated as Project Director, Deputy Project Director, and Creative Director. What are the required qualifications for each?

The Key Personnel should have either a Master’s Degree with 10 years’ experience or a bachelors with at least 15 years’ experience.

25. What does “P.R.I.” stand for in the Labor Category “P.R.I. Copywriter?”

Public Relations Copywriter

26. Will you allow for a longer question and answer period?

No – the solicitation was released on the 20th and questions were due through cob on the 22nd.

27. Will you consider different labor categories and level of efforts to complete the outlined tasks?

Please read the statement on page 46 under Section 3 – Exceptions in Volume 1 – Business Management Information, which clearly states which labor categories can be changed and which ones cannot be changed. It is important to read through the solicitation.

28. Is this a single award IDIQ? – Yes

29. What are the current recruitment challenges that CBP faces currently?

Shrinking applicant pools, negative perception in the public’s eye and lack of recruiting personnel.

30. How have these impacted your current plan for marketing and advertising?

It places an increased emphasis on advertising results and with a limited budget to dedicate to each campaign.

31. What methods are currently being used to track, monitor, and measure the effectiveness of these marketing materials and advertisements?

We use various metric-based tools such as click-through rates, increase in web traffic and spike in applications during advertising periods.

32. Is it working?

We believe CBP is getting an ROI on current advertising expenditures.

33. What methods are being used to analyze media trends currently?

Cost and efficiency.

34. Are there targeted media outlets and publications that CBP would like its creatives placed? “Creatives”??? if there are targeted audiences, this will be indicated by the type of advertising requests that will be submitted by the Program Office after contract award.

35. If submitting electronically, are multiple copies of the files still required?

No just the separate volumes.

36. What if all contracts and subcontracts in the past 3 years exceeds the page count in the past performance volume section? Will you consider extending the page count on that volume?

No – your submission should be concise enough.

37. How many past performance questionnaires are required?

Please read instructions on page 47 of the solicitation under Section 5 Past Performance – where it clearly states how many references are needed.

38. SF 1449 and Page 44 under Required Submission, indicate that offers shall be submitted via email to eva.shaw-taylor@dhs.gov or via regular mail. However, page 47 indicates a 1 original and 5 copies for a total of 6. Please clarify if submission is entirely electronic via email, or hard copies.

You are being given the option of submitting the offer either via email, regular mail courier or any other delivery choice you may want. Obviously if you are sending this via email, then you would submit the two Volumes – Volume I Business Management Information and Volume 2 Technical Quotation. If you are submitting this via courier etc, then we are asking that you deliver 1 original and 5 copies. If you are sending this via regular mail, please follow the instructions on page 44 under “Additional Instructions to Offerors”.

39. We respectfully request you consider moving the Subcontracting plan from the Technical Approach section to the Management – We respectfully decline.

40. SOW 3.1.7 When was the last research study conducted; what was the basis of the research, and can you provide report findings?

The market research was performed to find out which companies were out there that could manage the Marketing and Advertising services and what socio-economic sector they were in. The results led us to decide to make this solicitation a competitive 8a requirement.

41. SOW 3.1.7 Do you currently utilize any metric-based measuring tools to determine campaign success? If so, what are they?

Yes, we use various metric-based tools such as click-through rates, increase in web traffic and spike in applications during advertising periods.