Q_A.pdf

Number Question Answer

1 Is there a preference for 8a firms or can any small business pursue the PRESTO Solicitation?

All small businesses are eligible to compete on the vehicle, regardless of their small business classification.

Does ED plan to release RFPs for specific task orders along with the IDIQ RFP? If so, does ED plan to share draft performance work statements for these task orders in advance of the RFP release?

No task orders will be issued with the RFP. Task orders will be issued and awarded after the establishment of the PRESTO ID/IQ.

Does ED expect PRESTO to include work for NCEE? This will help bidders determine whether they are well-suited to the work to be released under the vehicle.

The Department expects NCEE to utilize this vehicle as well. Two (2) examples were provided in scope Category 1 that reference potential work for the National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE) during the industry day. However, examples provided are not intended to be exhaustive or representative of all work that is scoped for NCEE.

4 Does the Government anticipate requesting a separate proposal for each category or a single proposal that covers any and all of the categories?

The Government anticipates requiring separate technical proposals for each scope category. Section L of the RFP will provide further instruction to offerors.

Does the Government envision a large business pool and a separate small business set-aside pool?

The Government anticipates Categories 1-4 will be comprised of a restricted and unrestricted pool with the restricted pool being open to small businesses only. Scope category 5 has been declared a small business set-aside.

6 Does the Government intend to have a cap on the number of awards to organizations? TBD

7 Does the Government anticipate requesting a separate proposal for each category or a single proposal that covers any and all of the categories?

The Government anticipates requiring separate technical proposals for each scope category. Section L of the RFP will provide further instruction to offerors.

8 What is the Government’s target date for release? Estimated Summer 2022.

9 What is the Government’s target date for award? Early Spring 2023.

Does ED/IES plan to release this as a full and open competition IDIQ? Or does ED/IES plan to release this as a BPA against the GSA MAS contract? The Department intends to release PRESTO as a full and open IDIQ.

The SOW states that “Task orders will be awarded within a primary scope category; however, a nominal amount of scope from another scope category may be included within a task order” and the Sources Sought Notice states that “only vendors awarded under that scope category will be able to bid.” For task orders includes work in multiple scope categories, would vendors who are awarded under only the primary category be eligible to bid (presuming of course that they could show they are also capable of completing the “nominal amount” of work related to the other category)?

TBD

In the response to the Sources Sought Notice, respondents were asked whether they could “meet any of the requirements” in each of the five categories and then asked to identify which specific requirements they were “capable of completing.” This seems to indicate that a vendor could still be considered for an award under a certain category even if they do not meet all of the requirements. Is this correct? If so, are there any guidelines or expectations for what percentage of requirements should be met for a vendor to be considered for that category?

The Sources Sought Notice was intended only for the purposes of market research. Interested parties were asked to identify any subset of the draft requirements listed that aligned with their organization's capabilities.

Changes to the acquisition strategy and/or draft statement of work remain pending the conclusion and review of all market research. Section L and M of the RFP will provide further instruction to offerors and the evaluation criteria.

13 Is there an estimate of how many contracts will be awarded? How many task orders are expected to be issued each year? No.

Do you anticipate requiring a company to qualify for each Category, or will the contractor be allowed to pick and choose which category to bid against?

Vendors may choose which scope categories they bid on, and Offerors must submit a separate technical proposal for each scope category.

15 Are some of these categories set aside for small businesses? Or will there be small business awards under each category?

The Government anticipates Categories 1-4 will be comprised of a restricted and unrestricted pool with the restricted pool being open to small businesses only. Scope category 5 has been declared a small business set-aside.

Many of the services in Category 5, including project management and meeting support, may be required within other Categories. How do you foresee contractors with awards in other Categories accessing the services that are in Category 5?

Task orders will be issued to the most appropriate category. Vendors not awarded in the primary category will not be able to bid on the work as a prime, however they can serve as subcontractors to primes already awarded in that category.

May some task orders be classified under multiple categories? If so, would eligible small businesses under any of the named categories be able to submit a proposal for the task?

Task orders will be issued to the most appropriate category. Vendors not awarded in the primary category will not be able to bid on the work as a prime, however they can serve as subcontractors to primes already awarded in that category. In addition, small businesses will always be eligible to bid on task orders issued under their category.

Can IES confirm that any subcontracting arrangements on task orders must be between firms selected at the PRESTO ID/IQ stage, either as prime contractor or subcontractor? Or is it permissible for a firm selected at the ID/IQ stage to propose a subcontractor that was neither proposed as a subcontractor nor selected as a prime at the ID/IQ stage?

It is permissible for Prime contractors selected at the IDIQ stage to propose new subcontractors for new task orders that were not previously proposed at the IDIQ stage.

19 Will all bidders, including small businesses, be required to demonstrate expertise in all five scope areas? No.

20 Will there be specific small business set-asides within the distinct scope categories?

Yes, based on market research. The Department will conduct market research for task orders issued through the PRESTO IDIQ. If two or more small businesses within a category can perform the work, the requirement will be set-aside for small business.

Form Questions