RFP_questions_2_August.pdf

Question # Reference Question Answer

SMALL BUSINESS

PARTICIPATION

COMMITMENT

DOCUMENT

TEMPLATE

In a situation where we are not entering into a specific contract with a small business to provide service for GHS, can we list potential outsource categories from our commercial small business subcontracting plan?

No.Section C must be completed for the purposes of Source Selection evaluation.

You are to identify the potential subcontractors who in some manner have a role in supporting GHS.

SMALL BUSINESS

PARTICIPATION

COMMITMENT

DOCUMENT

TEMPLATE We do not have authorization from our sub-contractors to provide their names outside a subpoena, will the categories of services be acceptable?

No. In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 215.304(c)(i)(C) when small business participation is evaluated those companies identified shall be listed in the Subcontracting Plan

SMALL BUSINESS

PARTICIPATION

COMMITMENT

DOCUMENT

TEMPLATE

Since we are not entering into a specific agreement with any small business in performance of this acquisition, how do we complete section C of the Small Business Participation Requirements?

Section C must be completed for the purposes of Source Selection evaluation. You are to identify the potential subcontractors who in some manner have a role in supporting GHS.

Page 21 of PWS FAR Clause 52.219- 9 Electronic and eSRS report submission

: If we are not entering into a specific contract with a small business to provide service for GHS, how do we compete the Individual Plan requirements?

An Individual Subcontracting Plan is a subcontracting plan that covers the entire contract period for a specific contract. The contractor identifies the percentage goals and dollars it estimates subcontracting with small business concerns. The Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) is submitted twice a year in eSRS. The purpose of the report is to state actual dollars accomplished over the contract period. If you are using a Commercial Subcontracting Plan, you would report in both commercial and Government subcontract accomplishments once a year in eSRS.

Is the domestic pricing for format set to be released by the 4/1/19 start date? No, domestic requirements will not be included at the GHS contract start (1 April

2019). The government anticipates adding domestic requirements at a later date.

I understand there will be an extension of the IHAT tenders currently submitted until 4/1/18. Just to be clear…the new IHAT rates that will be uploaded in GFM for OCONUS movement, will not go into effect until 4/1/19?

The current IHAT tenders will be extended until 31 Mar 2019. The GHS contract and awarded rates will be effective 1 April 2019.

Attachment 5, Part I

– Business Proposal,

(a) Subfactor 1 – Proposal Compliance, (10) Complete all require fill in provisions. What are the required fill in provisions that must be completed?

The required fill-in provisions are those listed by full text in the solicitation with gray boxes or brackets that the offeror must fill in. There are instructions within the provision providing further guidance. It is recommended the offeror read the solicitation in its entirety.

Attachment 7, I.

Identification Data, Total Contract Value & I. Identification Data, (b) Total Proposed Price How is the Total Contract Value/Proposed Price determined?

The maximum contract amount is $350,000,000.00. See page 5 of the solicitation

CONTRACT MINIMUM/MAXIMUM QUANTITY AND CONTRACT VALUE

HTC711-18-R-C002

52.212-1, (12)(ii)(A)(2). Offerors shall complete the Standard Form (SF) 1449, block 12. What should be entered into Block 12 Block 12 is your discount terms. If no discount if offered, just enter payment terms.

Attachment 2, Accessorial and Protective Tabs

In the prior IHAT solicitation the offeror either offered the services for Escorts and Couriers (ECR) and Constant Surveillance (CIS) or not. If these services were offered no cost information was provided since a shipment’s characteristics and shipper requirements would determine the per shipment cost on a case-by-case basis. Now per Attachment 2, the offeror must notate if they offers these services or not, and if offered either provide them at no charge or provide a unit cost and minimum charge. How is this possible when shipment characteristics and shipper requirements are still going to determine these cost on a case-by-case basis?

If you offer ECR and CIS accessorials, you must enter either no charge or unit cost and minimum charge. This is a Not to exceed (NTE) rate and carriers can offer lower rates at the task order level.

To satisfy "Statement acknowledging registration in SAM is current and Representations and Ceritifications have been completed", would our status as it's shown in the SAM.gov website suffice

Yes, either a screen shot from SAM.gov or a statement saying that SAM registration is current.

Section Domestic Heavyweight Service (RESERVED), Page 4, Paragraph 1.2 Since the minimum weight for IHAT is 301 lbs., will the minimum weight for domestic freight be 151 lbs.? Yes, it is anticipated the minimum weight for domestic shipments will be 151 lbs.

Section Customs, Page 7, Paragraph 2.2.1

Can the following verbiage be added? The shipper is responsible and shall provide to the contractor all necessary and needed data/documentation for duty free entry by carrier. The contractor shall not be liable or responsible for delays or added duty or tax charges due to shipper’s act of omission. If duties and taxes are accessed due to shipper’s omission, shipper is responsible for adhering to the carrier’s duty and tax dispute process, similar verbiage to 2.4 Special Handling for DG.

The Government is reviewing this paragraph and anticipates revising the language in a solicitation amendment.

Section Undeliverable Shipments/Refusal by Consignee, Page 10, Paragraph 2.9

Would USTC consider the following NGDS language for undeliverable shipments?2.7. Undeliverable Shipments. If a shipment is undeliverable and the Contractor is unable to obtain delivery instructions from the shipper, and no established return instructions have been identified, the Contractor shall either contact the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for return or disposition instructions, or the Contractor shall provide online visibility and notification tools that allow for the monitoring, redirection, and return of packages. The cost of any disposition or additional deliveries requested by the shipper will be the responsibility of the shipper. The Contractor may only charge the service type and rate applicable to the original shipment or less if a lower return service is more cost effective and meets Contractor service capability and consignee return needs. No. The PWS will remain as written.

Section Contractor Furnished Resources, Page 11, Paragraph

2.13.1 Would USTC consider the following? When capability exists, the contractor shall allow and may require the generation and printing of AWB. This would match what is in 2.15.2.

The PWS will remain as written. The Government is working on a compromise to give carriers the capability to download shipment details from ATR.

Section GHS Delivery commitment, Page 10, Paragraph 2.10

Can domestic verbiage reflect the verbiage in NGDS PWS 2.10.1 and 2.10.2?When domestic shipments are entered into ATR, is the carrier only responsible for meeting the ‘service type’ that the shipper selects? ATR is in use today and it’s not uncommon to see the ‘service type’ and ‘requested delivery date/time’ selected by the shipper that are not congruent with MFTURP definitions. 2.10.1. The Contractor shall meet the delivery guarantee, as identified in their Service Guide for domestic shipments and as identified in Attachment 2a for international shipments, on each shipment or the shipper wi be entitled to a 100% shipper-initiated credit. 2.10.2. If shipper-initiated credit is requested by the shipper within 15 calendar days after the contractually required delivery date, the Contractor shall credit the agency or organization finance offices for those shipments that do not meet the delivery guarantee.

The Contractor shall resolve a credit request within 30 days or the next billing cycle whichever is greater. If shipper-initiated credit is not requested within 15 calendar days after the contractually required delivery date, the Contractor is not required to process the request or credit the agency or organization.

There are at least three methods to initiate a shipper-initiated credit.

The Government will take this question into consideration when developing both domestic GHS PWS and domestic GFM requirements.

Performance Work Statement, Ordering,

2.15 Ordering, Page

Since GHS shipments will be entered into ATR, can the ATR system be updated to insure the ‘service type’ selected matches the ‘requested delivery date’? Today shippers can enter a D2 service type, but request a 1 day delivery date, or vice versa.

The Government will take this question into consideration when developing both domestic GHS PWS and domestic GFM requirements.

On domestic shipments, carriers may only have 15 minutes to respond to a shipment offer. The carriers are incurring the extra costs associated with staffing and monitoring the ATR system. Today, a shipper can request a 15 minute response time in ATR. If carriers can’t respond in time, then the DoD loses flexibility in carrier selection, Can the minimum response time for a domestic air shipment be moved to 60 minutes?

The 15 minute response time was dervied as a request from shippers. The Government will consider a longer response time in developing the domestic requirements under GHS.

59 Can the ATR system be programmed with an ‘auto-approve’ feature if key shipment attributes are met? Carriers can then choose to enroll or not.

Motor carriers have also asked for this functionality. The Government is in the process of writing up a requirements package. The Government will just need to know how to implement an auto-approve capability with Not-To-Exceed pricing.

Since GHS will be a contract, will the carrier GHS service types also be available in DoD Freight Management systems (CMOS, DSS, FACTS, GFM) as an option for the shipper to use? Currently, the DoD Freight Management Systems only recognize carrier services that fall under the NGDS contract

It is anticipated the domestic portion of the GHS contract will follow the MFTURP- 1, with only SG, D1, D2, and D3 being programmed. GFM will have no automated interface with GHS carriers. The Government is building a shipment download capability so the awarded carrier may export shipment details to import into their system. Adding carrier-specific functionality will cause years of development with continuous software maintenance.

Section VII Reporting and Cooperation, Attachment 4, Page 13 and Section Attachment 7 Small Business Participation Commitment Document Template Does FAR 52.319-9 (Subcontracting Report) apply to Attachment 7 (Small Business Participation Commitment Document Template?

The FAR Clause doesn’t apply to Attachment 7, Small Business Participation Commitment Document Template with the exception of the list of potential subcontractors. Subcontractors listed in paragraph C of Attachment 7 must also be incorporated in the offeror’s Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

62 Will the submitted rates be evaluated and pushed back for final submission (if there are any lanes deemed unfair for rate submission)?

IAW solicitation HTC711-18-R-C002, FAR 52.212-1 ADDENDUM para (g), p. 26, “The Government intends to evaluate offers and award contracts without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offerors initial offer should contain the offerors most favorable pricing. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary.”

Pg 9 of 22 PWS 2.3.1.3

Being a global company with numerous subsidiaries around the world, we utilize disparate vendor systems to manage worldwide transportation services The different data elements required under 2.3.1.3 are not always readily available in our vendor systems. Please confirm it is acceptable for contractors to provide these details only to the extent they are readily available in our centralized corporate procurement system and consolidated during the ordinary course of business--consistent with our request dated April 10, 2018. If so, would you consider moving this requirement under section 2.3.2 for additional clarity? The Government's requirement remains unchanged.

Pg 9 of 22 PWS 2.3.2

Being a global company with numerous subsidiaries around the world, we utilize disparate vendor systems to manage worldwide transportation services Paragraph 2.3.2 indicates the requirement is to provide details if "commercially available". Would you consider revising the language to "commercially and readily available in contractor's existing centralized corporate procurement system and consolidated during the ordinary course of business"? While disparate, much of the data is accessible centrally and would like to satisfy the reporting obligation only utilizing our central repository and substantially reduce the complexity of the reporting obligation. The Government's requirement remains unchanged.

65 P 9 of 22 PWS2.3.6

To the extent a foreign transportation service provider is determined unsuitable for providing services under the contract and the carrier is unable to identify alternative carriers, what will be the process for communicating to USTRANSCOM and agencies that we will no longer be able to service a lane? Can guidance be provided in the contract so all parties have a clear understanding? Since carriers are not required to bid on all requirements for which they have a rate on file, you would simply not bid on those requirements.

The business proposal checklist asks for a statement of acknowledgment CRAF status requirement. Do you simply want us to write a simple statement acknowledging that the prime contractor acknowledges that we will be required to participate in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program and maintain CRAF status throughout the duration of the contract? Yes

For other USTC contracts we submit a screenshot of SAM for our SAM registration, representations and certifications. Is that sufficient enough to meet the needs of this contract?

Yes

We are not a large business so therefore it is my understanding that the Small Business plan would not be applicable. Is that accurate and do I need to annotate that in my offer?

Yes. IAW the solictation FAR 52.212-1 Addendum para (b)(12)(ii)(A)(9), the Small Business Subcontracting plan applies to Large Businesses Only.Please annotate that on the proposal.

Are you accepting electronic submissions in response to the solicitation or do the proposals need to be submitted in the mail?

IAW FAR 52.212-1 Addendum para (b)(12)(i)(E)(4), Business Proposal shall be submitted via email to the below individuals:

(i) Tricia Weis (tricia.a.weis.civ@mail.mil)

(ii) MSgt Nathan Filson (nathan.r.filson.mil@mail.mil)

(F) Pricing Proposal shall be submitted through the Global Freight Management (GFM) system located at https://eta.sddc.army.mil/ETASSOPortal/default.aspx.