Tab 8 - Amendment 0001 - 1 - TEXT - 2021-03-04.pdf

Opportunity: Multiple Award IDIQ, Full Engineering Design Services for GSA

Region 3

Location(s): General Services Administration (GSA) Mid-Atlantic Region

(Region 3)

Notice ID: JCH-001-2021-02-10

Amendment: 0001

A. The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to vendor questions regarding the subject Notice. Vendor questions and the Government’s answers are provided immediately below.

No. Question Answer

Since this is a construction project, we anticipate that commissioning services will be required. Do you intend to solicit the commissioning as a separate contract? Or will the commissioning need to be supplied by the prime contractor?

Commissioning services are included with this requirement and will not be provided under a separate contract.

Accordingly, vendors for this requirement will be responsible for providing commissioning services either directly or through a subcontractor.

Subject solicitation (Criteria 1) limits consideration to projects designed within the last 5 years. Since GSA Region 3 IDIQ contracts have been issued on a 5 year cycle, this may limit consideration (of relevant GSA projects to incumbents and their subcontractors . Would you consider expanding this range to 10 years?

Yes. Critieria 1 is revised such that relevant projects projects are those peformed "within the past ten (10) years".

We have the capabilities to provide required environmental engineering support. This includes HAZMAT Control and Management services. How can we go about finding interested small business A/E Firms for which to team with and provide our services? Is there a list of interested vendor Firms that we can reach out to?

The Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE), beta.SAM, inlcudes a feature know as an Interested Vendors List. This feature has been enabled for this requirement.

In regards to the page count, do dividers and table of contents count towards the page count?

Dividers and Tabs do not count against the 50 page limitation, while a Table of Contents does count against the limitation.

Are there any font size or margin limitations in preparing the proposal?

Fonts shall be no smaller than 10 point and margins shall be no smaller than 1" on all sides of each page.

Are we required to use the attached SF330 template or can we use ours as long it is the same version with the same information?

Vendors must use the Standard Form 330 (SF 330) for their submissions. If the attached version of that form (or any of the "Extra" sections) is not readily accessible or rewritable, the forms can also be found at the following URL: https://www.gsa.gov/reference/forms

Are the Section F projects required to be actual task order projects versus IDIQ contracts submitted as projects?

The "example projects" contemplated by Section F are actual design projects, not the ID/IQ contract or contract vehicle under which those projects were ordered. Under an ID/IQ contract or contract vehicle, actual projects would be performed through the award of a task order so, in those instances, the "example projects" would be the task order projects.

Do the Section F projects need to be design projects or can assessments/studies be submitted (assuming the proposed upgrades are between $150K to $5M)?

The "example projects" contemplated by Section F are design projects, not assessments or studies.

https://www.gsa.gov/reference/forms

Is it beneficial to provide any CPARS/PPQ evaluations for the projects included in Section F? If so, are those excluded from the page limit?

Where a CPARS assessment exists for a project detailed in Section F, please indicate as much in the project description, but do not include the actual assessment.

Where a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) or Letter of Appeciation exists for a Section F project, the PPQ or Letter can be included and will not count against the 50 page limitation.

This notes a Total Small Business Set-Aside with a NAICS code of 541330. Would GSA consider small businesses that meet the requirements for other applicable NAICS codes acceptable here, specifically 541512 which covers all “computer systems” design and integration services as well as BIM/CAD work? Based on the NAICS definitions this code would cover a majority of the same services as 541330 as all engineering work is performed in BIM and/or CAD, as well as MEP, Fire Alarm, Energy -Related design, and Security Design is all tied into to smart infrastructure and ran and controlled by computer systems, SCADA, Building Automation, and other related integrations.

No. GSA does not intend to recharacterize this requirement. The applicable NAICS code for this requirement remains 541330.

Are there any large business Region 3 Engineering RFQ’s due out this year?

GSA does not anticipate any such requirement this year.

By Total Small business does that just mean that the prime must be a small business at time of award and that they can engage large business subs or that the entire team must be small business?

This requirement is set-aside for award to small business concerns. All vendors selected for an award (the "awardees") must be small businesses for the applicable NAICS code, 541330, at the time of award. Awardees may subcontract to any manner of business, subject to the applicable Limitations on Subcontracting (see FAR 52.219- 14).

The solicitation indicates that offerors should indicate interest in any one, two, or all 3 of the identified areas (East, South, West). With only 5 example projects and a 50 page overall limit, it will not be possible to present experience and interest in more than one of these three areas. Our firm (GPI-Renaissance JV) has offices and operates in all three of these areas, and (if permitted) we would present different team compositions and example projects that are specific to the unique needs of each area. Will you permit more than 5 projects (in total) -perhaps 5 for each area (with a resultant increase in page limit)? Will you permit us to identify different teams for each area?

No. The limitations of five (5) projects and 50 pages will not be changed. Interested vendors have full discretion, within these and the other limitations detailed in the Synopsis, to determine the best way to present their expertise for this requirement.

The example project period is currently limited to 5 years for “design” services. The solicitation goes on to define a relevant project as including post-design , construction period and commissioning services. Can you confirm that you will consider projects where we performed the original design, then provided (or are still providing ) construction period and commissioning services, as fitting within the 5 year window for design services?

Yes. Additionally, as noted in a preceding Answer, the timeframe for relevant projects has been expanded to the past 10 years. A relevant project, for purpose of this timeframe, is any one in which the vendor performed the design services for the project and provided ongoing support for the project within the past 10 years.

On page 5 under Special Attention states that SF330 Part I Section C should list only the team members, including staff professionals, who will perform the major tasks under this contract. Does this mean that for column 9 on section C should list key personnel’s name instead of the firm name?

No. The Special Attention instruction referenced in this question should have indicated Part I, Section E of the SF330, not Section C. Section C should be completed in the manner described in the Specific Instructions provided the SF330.

Does total small business set-aside mean that whole team member, including prime and subconsultant firm, have to be small business or only prime firm has to be small business?

As detailed in a preceding Answer, this requirement is set-aside for award to small business concerns. All vendors selected for an award (the "awardees") must be small businesses for the applicable NAICS code, 541330, at the time of award. Awardees may subcontract to any manner of business, subject to the applicable Limitations on Subcontracting (see FAR 52.219-14).

Just to clarify…as a “Total Small Business Set Aside” project, does that mean all firms as part of a team submitting a proposal must fall under the annual Small Business Size Standard of $16.5 Million? Thank you.

See preceding Answer.

Is there a maximum file size that can be received as an attachment to the GSA? Would the government accept delivery via a download link from a secure site if the file cannot be saved under the maximum attachment size?

The maximum email size for GSA's server is 25MB, inclusive of all attachments and the email itself. Any submission that approaches this maximum is probably better divided into multiple emails.

Are you asking for individual task orders as part of the list of current commitments or can a list of current IDIQ contracts be provided?

As described in a preceding Answer, the "example projects" contemplated by Section F are actual design projects, not the ID/IQ contract or contract vehicle under which those projects were ordered. Under an ID/IQ contract or contract vehicle, actual projects would be performed through the award of a task order so, in those instances, the "example projects" would be the task order projects.

Are there any incumbents to this contract? If so, who are they and do they meet the minimum qualifications for recompete?

There are two (2) incumbent contractors: Summer Consultants, Inc. and Henry Adams LLC. Their eligibility and qualifications will be considered in the ordinary course of evaluating interested firms.

Are we required to use the attached SF330 PDF files, or can we utilize our own templates for additional editability, as long as the information requested and format is the same?

As addressed in a preceding Answer, vendors must use the Standard Form 330 (SF 330) for their submissions. If the attached version of that form (or any of the "Extra" sections) is not readily accessible or rewritable, the forms can also be found at the following URL:

https://www.gsa.gov/reference/forms

Criteria 1 Specialized Experience states, “In addition to Form F of the SF330, each project submission may include up to two additional pages for photos or other information.” Does this mean that each project is limited to 3 pages?

No. All information included with Section F of the SF330 is counted against the overall page limitation of 50 pages; the number of pages attributed to Section F, subject to the limitation of the number of projects (i.e. five), is within the discretion of the vendor. However, up to 2 pages of photographs may be included for each project, without counting against the 50 page limitation.

Criteria 1 Specialized Experience states relevant projects must be “designed within the past 5 years” – does this mean IFC Design Documents/Permitting? Are projects constructed within the past 5 years acceptable?

As noted in a preceding Answer, the timeframe for relevant projects has been expanded to the past 10 years. A relevant project, for purpose of this timeframe, is any one in which the vendor performed the design services for the project and provided ongoing support for the project within the past 10 years.

Criteria 2 – Past Performance: Do past performance questionnaires, awards, and letters of appreciation/commendation count towards the 50 page limit of the SF330? Or can these files be included as an appendix after the SF330?

As noted in a preceding Answer, such documents may be included and do not count towards the 50 page limitation.

Criteria 6 – Geographic Location: “firm’s ability to provide at least 35% of overall design services from an office within the geographic area.” Please clarify how the GSA defines “within the geographic area”.

The Submission Requirement for Criteria 6 is replaced with the following: "The firm shall provide a narrative that demonstrates how at least 35% of the design services will be accomplished within GSA Region 3. This criteria will not be used in determining whether a firm is eligible to be considered for a contract award. However, in order to receive a positive rating for this criteria, the firm must demonstrate its capabilities to successfully perform similar projects within Region 3 based upon its location(s) and experience. The firm shall include its office locations as well as those its subcontractors and partners."

Does GSA wish to see 5 projects from the submitting firm and none from the proposed sub-consultants or 5 projects from each sub consultants in addition to the 5 from the submitting firm?

A total of up to five (5) projects may be submitted. The vendor has discretion to choose which projects it submits, but is reminded that such projects should "illustrate overall team experience relative to this contract scope."

The scope of engineering services lists feasibility studies as a potential task. If we were to include a feasibility study as a project example in Section F, will that be evaluated less favorably than, for example, design projects where the construction is substantially complete?

As detailed in a preceding Answer, the "example projects" contemplated by Section F are design projects, not assessments or studies.

Please identify if this is a re-compete of an existing contract? If yes, please identify the incumbent contractors.

The incumbent contractors are Summer Consultants, Inc.

and Henry Adams LLC.

Do the last base year and four one-year option years (the past five years), please identify the total number of task orders awarded, the average task order amount, and the total number of task orders awarded by geographic region – West, East, and South.

To date, 140 task order have been issued against the ID/IQ contracts held by the incumbent contractors.

The scope of engineering services includes “building commissioning.” Is it GSA’s expectation the awarded contractor or its sub-consultant will provide commissioning services or will simply assist with GSA’s building commissioner?

GSA expects that the contractor or its sub-contractor will perform commissioning services.

The solicitation notes, “Firms with branch offices and consultants must submit Part II of Standard Form 330 that should include project samples. Firms must separately address the evaluation factors and relate where information can be found in the submittal package relevant to each factor.” Please elaborate and clarify as to what is being asked for by “project samples,” and where exactly in the proposal GSA would like for proposers to address the evaluation factors.

Everything should be provided in the SF330 and any extra "Sections" (e.g. Section E, F, G, or H).

Criteria 1 - Submission requirements state a firm shall submit five (5) relevant projects designed within the last five (5) years. Please confirm this does not mean designed and constructed within the last five (5) years.

As noted in a preceding question, the timeframe for relevant projects has been expanded to the past 10 years.

A relevant project, for purpose of this timeframe, is any one in which the vendor performed the design services for the project and provided ongoing support for the project within the past 10 years.

Criteria 1 - Will relevant GSA projects be evaluated more favorably than other federal agency projects?

No.

Criteria 1 - If a study is provided as one of our relevant projects, will this project be evaluated less favorably if the study did not result in a constructed project?

As detailed in a preceding Answer, the "example projects" contemplated by Section F are design projects, not assessments or studies.

Criteria 2 - Submission requirements state for each project submitted under Criteria 1, firms shall provide references with POC and design awards/letters of recommendations can be provided. Please confirm if GSA will allow for completed NAVFAC/USACE past performance questionnaires and/or CPARS to be provided in lieu of design awards/letters of recommendations?

NAVFAC/USACE Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) are acceptable. Also, as discussed ins a preceding Answer, where a CPARS assessment exists for a project detailed in Section F, please indicate as much in the project description, but do not include the actual assessment. Where a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) or Letter of Appeciation exists for a Section F project, the PPQ or Letter can be included and will not count against the 50 page limitation.

Criteria 2 - If PPQs and/or CPARS are allowed, will these count against the overall page limit?

No. However, as noted in several preceding Answers, where a CPARS assessment exists for a project detailed in Section F, please indicate as much in the project description, but do not include the actual assessment.

Where a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) or Letter of Appeciation exists for a Section F project, the PPQ or Letter can be included and will not count against the 50 page limitation.

Criteria 3 - Submission requirements state that firms shall provide brief resumes of proposed key team members.

What roles is the GSA considering to be “key roles”?

Based on scope of services listed in the synopsis, the below list is ou understanding of what “key roles” for this contract will be. Please confirm.

Principal in Charge Project Manager(s) Sr. Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineers Fire Protection/Life Safety Engineer Structural Engineer Industrial Hygienist Architect Historic Preservationist Cost Estimator Commissioning Consultant Civil Engineer Security Engineer Vertical Transportation Consultant

The vendor has broad discretion to designate which of its team members are "key". However, per Criteria 3(b), "[f]irms shall include and clearly identify resumes for individuals who will serve as Project Managers, as well as the lead designers ineach discipline (including whether they are a part of the prime firm or a sub-consultant)."

Criteria 3 - Can a key team member hold multiple key roles? For example, can a Project Manager also be a Sr.

Mechanical Engineer?

Yes.

Criteria 3 - The synopsis mentions the requirement of security engineering and design services. Does the security requirement refer to physical security (Anti- Terrorism and Force Protection) or IT security (Cameras, Card Readers, etc.)?

Vendors are expected to design to the standards and guidance of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) Risk Management Process and associated countermeasures.

Additional details regarding the ISC and its Risk Management Process can be found at the following URL:

https://www.cisa.gov/isc-policies-standards-best-practices

Submission Package Requirements - Please confirm the maximum file size allowed for the electronic submission.

The maximum email size for GSA's server is 25MB, inclusive of all attachments and the email itself. Any submission that approaches this maximum is probably better divided into multiple emails.

https://www.cisa.gov/isc-policies-standards-best-practices

B. The closing date for the solicitation is extended to Friday, March 26, 2021, at 2:00pm EDT.

C. In all other respects, the notice remains unchanged.