RFQ_Questions_ID04150093_EPA_Filters_FINAL.docx

RFQ Questions ID04150093 EPA PM 2.5 Filter- November 20, 2015

Question 1:

Page 39 of the Word document contains two statements:

Section 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial items (Jan 1999) reads: “The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. For this solicitation non-price factors are more important than price.”

The Addendum And/Or Supplement to FAR 52.212-2 reads: “This acquisition will be evaluated by utilizing a Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA) process. Accordingly, award will be made to the Offeror that submits the lowest total evaluated price proposal that is fair and reasonable and meets or exceeds the acceptability standards for non-price factors in accordance with below tables.”

a. Does the government plan to throw out all unqualified bids and then award the contract to the lowest technically acceptable bid, meaning that the lowest price is awarded the contract? This seems to be the suggestion in the second quote.

b. Or does the government reserve the right to select a bidder with a higher price, assuming it has a justifiable reason for that bid being the “most advantageous to the Government”? This seems to be the clear intent of the first quote.

Response:

FAR Clause 52.212-2 Evaluation –Commercial Items (Jan 1999) will be updated in the ITO to reflect the current clause date of (Oct 2014).

The wording “For this solicitation, non-price factors are more important than price”, will be removed from the ITO as quotes in response to the solicitation will be evaluated using a Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA) process. No tradeoffs will be permitted.

The Government plans to award to the offeror that meets or exceeds the stated acceptability standards for non-price factors and yields the Lowest Evaluated Price.

To be considered technically acceptable, no evaluation factor in the proposal may be determined to be unacceptable. The failure of a proposal to meet all of the requirements under any factor will result in a technically unacceptable rating and preclude award.