Q A.doc

SOLICITATION NUMBER HSCG40-12-R-50008

CUTTER BOAT POOLING PROGRAM

PRESOLICITATION CONFERENCE

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

The following questions were submitted in response to the presolicitation notice posted on FBO on October 21, 2011.

1. Is the Contractor required to have a storage and maintenance facility as specified in Section 1 of the Statement of Work prior to or upon award of the contract?

ANSWER: Yes, the Offeror will be required to have facilities capable of performing the requirements of the specification. The Government will perform preaward surveys for those Offerors who submit proposals that are found technically acceptable and determined to be within the competitive range.

2. The List of Government-Furnished Material provided on page viii through page xi of the Statement of Work includes the statement “The following is a list of property, which the Government may furnish.” Paragraph 1.6 Logistics and Material Support states that “Logistics and material support services shall include but not be limited to: …procurement of all material and equipment that is not Government Furnished Material (GFM) or Equipment (GFE).” Will the government distinguish between GFM/GFE and CFM/CFE to facilitate accurate pricing of CFM/CFE requirements?

ANSWER: The solicitation package will specify all details regarding GFM/GFE and CFM/CFE.

3. Does the list of special tools on pg. viii include all the special tools required to do all major repairs and maintenance on the 23-foot OTH MKIII Cutter Boat?

ANSWER: The special tools identified are those required to complete Coast Guard documented maintenance procedures.

4. Will MK II drawings and MPCs be provided?

ANSWER: The OTH MKII drawings will be provided with the solicitation. The MKIII MPC deck will be followed for the MKII as much as applicable. In cases that do not apply, the MKII PMS Manual will be provided to supplement. This determination shall be made by the Coast Guard.

5. 1.1 - General states “…storage of all spare hulls not required for operations;” Please define what “not required for operations” means; are these boats that will be surveyed/ disposed of, etc., or long term storage?

ANSWER: This will be clarified in the final specification to state that any hull not immediately required for operation in the field. They shall be stored in a ready for issue status so they can be shipped out at a moment’s notice if necessary. The specification will include an option to store boats at the Coast Guard’s request.

6. Will each boat have a trailer or will trailers be a shared resource?

ANSWER: Each boat will have its own trailer once it departs for its operational unit. Each trailer will be individually tracked and does not necessarily need to be married to a corresponding boat.

7. What does the Coast Guard consider “central” for storage of the boats?

ANSWER: “Central” simply means all boats will be transported to a single location for maintenance, repair, storage, etc. As long as the Contractor is able to meet the requirements of the specification, there is no location requirement except that it be within the Continental United States.

8. 1.2.3.1 - Do spares kit include any materials/parts outside the scope of O level PMS? Repair Parts? If so, who determines?

ANSWER: There will be two parts kits – one will be the maintenance kit which includes a copy of maintenance cards due for the duration of the patrol, parts for the maintenance, and any special tools, The Spares kit will be an additional kit that includes incidentals for common casualties. The contents of this kit will be determined by the Coast Guard and may be adjusted to meet individual patrols.

9. 1.6.1.1.4.2 - will the operational schedule be shared in order to plan the number of kits required?

ANSWER: Exact operational schedules shall not be provided in advance beyond required boat pick-up and delivery requirements. However, the Contractor can assume that approximately 50% of the cutters will be underway at any given time and an additional 5% will require a boat for other reasons. For the pilot, at any given time about 4 cutters will be underway and an additional one will require a boat. This is an approximation only and will fluctuate with cutter schedules.

10. 1.5.2 – Will require inventory control for parts/tool kits. Does a Boat Acceptance Inspection and Operational Test form exist? Will the CG provide access to ALMIS/CMPLUS or other inventory management software? If not, are there specific requirements for reporting inventory to the CG?

ANSWERS:

A. The Boat Acceptance Inspection and Operational Test Forms are provided as Appendix A and Appendix B.

B. Access to Coast Guard programs will not be necessary, data input will be completed by other personnel. Inventory reporting can be completed via Excel spreadsheet or other easily managed tool.

C. The solicitation will require monthly submission of all inventory on hand at the contractor’s facility.

11. 1.6.1.4.3 b- Will the special tool kit only require those tools used for O level PMS?

ANSWER: The special tool kit provided to cutters will only include tools for the maintenance the cutters may be required to perform underway. This is all O-level maintenance. If additional tools are required for special circumstances, it will be addressed with the Contractor separately at that time.

12. 4.0 – Will any maintenance be expected to be performed by the contractor out of CONUS?

ANSWER: All Contractor completed maintenance will be performed at the Contractor’s facilities. The Contractor may be required to provide casualty repairs to a boat outside the Continental United States in East Coast ports of Canada, or various Caribbean ports and possibly and Central, South, North American ports.

13. 8.1.1 - Does travel require KO/COTR authorization or will it be directed/approved by Product Line? Assuming all travel is reimbursed IAW FTR.

ANSWER: Any and all travel shall be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer and only the Contracting Officer.

14. Do boats in long term storage have to be in a climate controlled storage area?

Several references in the draft specification call for the contractor to provide “indoor, climate controlled facilities.” Does the government desire heating and air conditioned warehouse or just an indoor facility protected from the elements?

ANSWER: Yes, the storage facility climate must be maintained at a temperature and humidity to prevent damage to the boats.

15. 3.3.2 – Requires a full load test of each boat prior to shipment. Our interpretation of a full load test would be an operational test of the boat in the water. Would the contractor have to obtain permission with each full load test to satisfy the requirement in Section 3, paragraph 2.2? Will the full load test be witnessed by a Coast Guard representative?

ANSWER: Yes, the contractor will be required to get COTR authorization and provide 24 hours notice to on-site Coast Guard representative who will witness each full load test.

16. 3.3.6 – Comment: the 24 – 48 hour delivery requirement may not be able to be met considering the requirements of 3.3.2, and/or if a boat is being activated from long term storage.

Does the East Coast delivery requirement include the Gulf and Texas?

ANSWER: The specification will be revised to remove 3.3.2, however, the Contractor will be required to meet the 24 – 48 hour delivery requirement, including the Gulf and Texas.

17. What are the requirements for liquid load upon delivery? Normally, any overseas deliveries will require the boat to ship “dry.”

ANSWER: Oversees shipments and liquid load requirements will be negotiated when necessary.

18. 4.1 – Is it anticipated to primarily use Coast Guard/DoD flights for deliveries out of CONUS? Time delays due to Customs via commercial flights/shipping will be out of the contractors’ control.

ANSWER: Yes, it is anticipated to primarily use Coast Guard/DOD flights for delivery of boats and trailers OCONUS but not for parts.

19. Will cutters arrange for crane services as required to lift the boat to and from the cradle?

ANSWER: The Government shall arrange for all required crane services when needed.

20. Will the Coast Guard provide historical failure/maintenance data to bidding contractors?

ANSWER: The Coast Guard will provide only that information that is available.

21. What type contract is envisioned? (CPAF, CPFF, FFP, T&M etc.)

ANSWER: This determination will be made after completion of market research. The determination will be specified in the solicitation.

22. Where are the six (6) spare boats in addition to two (2) spare boats mentioned (total of 16) to be staged and who is responsible?

ANSWER: All spares shall be staged at the Contractor’s facility. All spares shall be maintained and stored in accordance with the specification. The spares will not be part of the rotating pool for the 8 cutters specified. They will be utilized as urgent casualty replacements for and LANT cutter that requires one.

23. Listed are five (5) key positions (Program Manager, Senior Engineering Tech, QA Specialist, Planner/Estimator and Site Foreman). Is it the Government’s intent that these will be required at Cape May and Portsmouth? If 2 different contractors then duplication of effort thus duplication of costs?

ANSWER: There should only be one Contractor’s site. The intent is to bring all the boats to one central location and so the Contractor should have one each of the positions above for this contract.

24. Section 3.2.1 Pg 20. Must provide an OEM tech rep as required for specific equipment repairs e.g., Yanmar, MerCruiser, Shockwave, Furuno and Zodiac. To have certified technicians, is the offeror required to also be a dealer for these products?

Pg. 6, para. 3.2.3 requires contractor to have OEM certifications for Yanmar diesel engine model 6LPA-STZP and 6LPA-STZP (2) as well as MerCruiser Outdrive model MerCruiser Bravo 1X. Pg. 20, para. 3.2.1 states that “contractor shall provide an OEM Technical Representative as required…” Does the government desire contractor to actually have OEM certifications or just be able to provide OEM technical representatives? If the government desires the contractor to hold the certifications, what level of certification is required?

ANSWER: No, the offeror is not required to be a certified dealer however the offeror may be required to partner with stated OEM’s in order to meet specification and program requirements.

25. The solicitation is being issued as a Presolicitation. The Associated North American Industrial Classification System code for this procurement is 811310. Request clarification. Will this be an unrestricted “full and open” competition or Small Business Set aside?

Is the government willing to set the solicitation aside for small businesses? Would the government be willing to issue a Sources Sought Notice for Service Disabled, Veteran Owned, Small Businesses that may be interested in the solicitation?

ANSWER: This determination will be made after completion of market research and industry will be notified of the decision which will be announced on FBO.

26. Are there specific education and experience qualifications for the Key Personal such as Project Manager etc that will be evaluated as part of the offeror’s submission?

ANSWER: This information is addressed in the specification. When released, the solicitation will include details regarding proposal submission requirements.

27. If the Service Contract Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act are incorporated, will the Government provide a copy of DOL Wage Determination rates for the respective area?

ANSWER: Yes, if applicable wage determination rates will be provided by the Government.

28. Contractor employees visiting Government facilities. Are clearances required and if so, for whom and what level?

ANSWER: There are no security clearances required however the Contractor will not be allowed access to Coast Guard secure areas.

29. The Contractor shall complete the Underway Trials per the CB-OTH MKIII Operator’s Handbook, COMDTINST M16114.39 and complete the underway trials portion of the OTH MKIII Operational Test found in Appendix B. Will the Contractor’s vessel operators be required to hold a USCG License?

ANSWER: The operator of the boat will be required, at a minimum to have a current certification from a Coast Guard approved Boating Safety Course. This certification shall be required to be submitted with the offeror’s proposal. Offeror’s must ensure they follow their States requirements for boat operations. The CG does not require them to have 'special' permits/licenses however, Offeror should be certain they are not in violation of local laws.

30. What actions, (beyond reporting to the COTR) are required if a maintenance action is required that is beyond the scope of the MRC or Depot Level MRC?

ANSWER: If a maintenance action is required that is beyond what is designated in the Maintenance Requirements List the contractor shall be required to submit a Condition Found Report (CFR) to the COTR/KO for approval.

31. Pg. 2, para. 1.2.5 states that maintenance may be performed at remote sites as required. Can the government provide a list of remote sites?

ANSWER: A remote site is any site where a cutter may need technical assistance.

32. Pg. 3, para. 1.6.1.3 states that “the contractor shall stock adequate levels of all maintenance and casualty repair parts required at the contractor’s facility to ensure no maintenance items are delayed due to a lack of parts including GFM.” Can the government provide a listing of what it considers to be “adequate levels?”

Explain how Government Furnished Material & Contractor Furnished Material will be handled. How will the part numbers and quantities stocked by the contractor be determined? Will the USCG be responsible for this inventory at the end of the contracted program?

ANSWER: The Coast Guard will determine how much or how little GFM will be stocked and where. At the end of the contract program all GFM will be returned to the Coast Guard. The parts and quantities stocked by the contractor will be determined by the contractor’s determination of what is needed to complete the required maintenance.

33. Pg. 4, para. 1.8.1 states that “the contractor shall develop and maintain a quality assurance program to support the maintenance efforts tasked under this contract.” Will the government accept a previously approved NAVSEA quality assurance plan?

ANSWER: As stated in the specification, the Contractor is responsible for submitting a written quality assurance plan for approval. The solicitation shall include this requirement as part of the technical proposal submission requirements.

34. Pg. 7, para. 7.1 states that “no other work may be performed or other boats be stored in the same area as the government boats.” Can the government be more specific in this requirement – i.e., can another area of the warehouse be fenced off for material or other GFM not under this program?

Paragraph 7.1 states “No other work may be performed or other boats stored in the same area as the government boats.” Is it the government’s intent that the contractor provides separate shop facilities for the maintenance and repair of the boats under this contract if the storage facility is segregated and secured from the shop facility or may the contractor maintain and repair the boats in his general shop facility as long as the storage area is separate and secured for the boats under this contract?

ANSWER: The specification shall be revised to clarify that other work may be performed at the same facility but Coast Guard boats must be segregated and secured during storage. Boats need to be segregated in facility as indicated in the specification. They may be co-mingled while actively being worked on by authorized personnel, but upon completion of work should be returned to secure segregated location.

35. Since the OTH platform was built by Zodiac will the solicitation require the bidder to be an authorized Zodiac Repair Center? An authorized Zodiac Repair Center will be able to provide the Coast Guard a more readily available supply of parts at a substantial savings and a better working knowledge of the platform.

ANSWER: No, the solicitation will not require an Offeror to be an authorized Zodiac repair facility.

36. Since we specialize in Yanmar marine engines & Mercury drives can we, the contractor, sub out sponson repair and hull welding work on the cutter boats, as long as they meet the specified criteria?

ANSWER: Yes, we expect teaming arrangements will be required to successfully perform all requirements of the specification however all boats must be stored at the prime contractors facility.

37. When will the pilot program start?

ANSWER: The program will start upon contract award.

38. What period of time with the contract be awarded for?

ANSWER: It anticipated the contract will be awarded for one base year and four option years.

39. How will the contractor quote this bid? Labor rate, transport rate, etc. What information do you want in the contract bid?

ANSWER: The solicitation will include all the details required to provide your proposal.

40. Will there be an approval process prior to work to be done on each of the cutter boats, as there is now?

ANSWER: Yes. A Coast Guard designated inspector will be located at the facility. This person will review Contractor provided inspection reports when a boat comes into the facility. This report will include a CFR for all work not included on due maintenance. This person will have a process in place to get the additional work approved prior to the Contractor starting work.

41. How will billing be handled? Will the contractor bill the USCG as each cutter boat work is completed or transported?

ANSWER: The solicitation will include all the details required to provide your proposal.

42. How does the contractor get copies of government specifications and necessary forms that are referenced in the solicitation/contract?

ANSWER: The solicitation will include information on how to obtain copies of the government specifications, forms, etc.

43. Can transport be subbed out to an owner operated transport company?

ANSWER: Yes, transportation can be subcontracted.

44. Will the briefs by publicly issued after the conference?

ANSWER: Yes, and handouts provided during the conference will be posted on FedBizOpps.

45. How many awards are anticipated for the 6-month pilot program?

ANSWER: Only one award is anticipated.

46. What is the anticipated solicitation release and award dates/time frames?

ANSWER: The solicitation is anticipated to be released on or about December 5, 2011.