Questions_and_Answers_to_Solicitation_Creative_Design_Consultant_Services_6_27_2013.pdf

Q&A’s For Solicitation M00264-13-R-0043

Creative Design Consultant Services

Solicitation M00264-13-R-0043 Creative Design Consultant Services

Questions and Government Responses

Question 1: Is there still time to receive information about this solicitation? My studio is very interested in submitting information.

Government Response: Yes, a copy of the solicitation can be downloaded by logging onto, www.fedbizopps.gov and refering to Solicitation M00264-13-R-0043, Creative Design Consultant

Services.

Question 2: Please provide complete rfp, if deadline is not yet past.

Government Response: A copy of the solicitation can be downloaded by logging onto, www.fedbizopps.gov and refering to Solicitation M00264-13-R-0043, Creative Design Consultant

Services.

Question 3: We will be submitting a full set of questions prior to the deadline, however, we wanted to send this question as soon as possible , as it relates to the questionnaires we will be forwarding to our references. Can you clarify that the Past Performance Questionnaire is sent directly to the client to be filled out, after which they will send it directly to the Contracting Officer via email before the June 27th

RFP deadline?

Government Response: Per the instructions on the Past Performance Questionnaire, the offeror submits the questionnaire to the reference, and the reference Assessor completes and submits it to the Contracting

Officer by the closing date of the solicitation.

Question 4: Is it correct to assume that the Past Performance Questionnaire consists of the fields from section L-6.3.2 (page 63 of the RFP), as there was no form attached to the RFP?

Government Response: The Past Performance Questionnaire is structured to address the four areas listed in Sec. L-6.3.3. It was attached with the solicitation in the Federal Business Opportunity(FBO) on May

24, 2013 and Attachment titled: “Past Performance Questionnaire For Solicitation M00264-13-R-0043-

NMMC Expansion”.

Question 5: The RFP indicates that one contractor responsibility will be to "Interpret the Marine Corps historical time line, as provided by NMMC, into conceptual designs, models and narratives." Who -between the contractor and the NMMC staff - will be responsible for exhibition research, content development and script writing?

Government Response: The contractor will be responsible for exhibition research and content development, this includes conceptual level storyboards and treatments that describe media content (see sample provided in solicitation). Script writing will be done as a part of a media production contract and is not part of this solicitation.

http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

Question 6: Will any of those responsibilities be shared between the contractor and the NMMC staff and, if so, how?

Government Response: The COR, NNMC staff (to include Marine Corps Historians) will work with the contractor in performing exhibition research and shaping of content development.

Question 7: Regarding the evaluation factors, Factor L-6.1.2 states that the Offeror must provide

"examples of no less than five (5) separate projects, that the Offeror has produced that are equal in size and scope of the final phase projects." Does this mean five examples that each must be equal in size and scope to the combined 22,000 square feet represented by the five exhibit spaces (Gallery 13, Gallery 14, Legacy Walk, Children's Activity Area and Sports Hall of Fame)? Or does the RFP mean at least five separate projects that reflect successful projects by the Offeror that match up in size and scope with the individual component galleries of the final phase?

Government Response: The requirement is for five (5) individual and separate projects that are each similar in size and scope of the final phase projects.

Question 8: Will it count if the Offeror can demonstrate examples of separate projects that - worked on consecutively or simultaneously - equal the total exhibition space of the five NMMC final phase projects?

Government Response: No

Question 9: If it is determined that the RFP requires five (5) separate projects that are equal in size and scope to the combined 22,000 square feet of the final phase, then may the Offeror include projects of that size/scope led or managed by a member or members of the Offeror's team who were - at the time of those projects - working with another organization but who now, as a leader of the Offeror's team, would bring that same experience and leadership to the Offeror's proposal?

Government Response: The requirement is for the offeror to show their company as a unified team that can produce a project at the size and level of quality that the Government expects. An individual’s work at previous organizations does not show the ability of the team to achieve our goals.

Question 10: In section L-6.1.2, please specify what requirements you are looking for in the colored rendering. Does this include conceptual ideas for this specific project, or simply examples of past work?

Government Response: The Government is requiring examples of past projects produced by the offeror which are similar in complexity to the requirements of the solicitation.

Is this the same for all of the additional sample pieces outlined in section L-6.1.2?

Government Response: Yes

Question 11: Can you confirm, per page 16 of 71, paragraph E.1.5, that the NMMC’s COR will provide

“digital copies of text, imagery and shop drawings” to the contractor?

Government Response: Confirmed

Question 12: Also in paragraph E.1.6, can you clarify the level of “curatorial expertise” from the

Curatorial Services Branch to be provided?

Government Response: The Curatorial Services Branch will be subject matter experts for all artifact related questions.

Question 13: Do paragraphs E.1.5 and E.1.6 imply that the NMMC will provide all content development and final exhibit scripts to the exhibit design contractor?

Government Response: That is not implied. The offeror will be providing the content development of the new galleries. Media scripts are not in scope, only media treatments, see example provided in solicitation.

Question 14: Can you clarify and define “shop drawings”? These are typically production drawings done by the exhibit fabricator and submitted to the exhibit designer and COR for approval during the fabrication process. We would typically provide construction drawings to the fabricator for preparation of their shop drawings.

Government Response: Paragraph E.1.5 refers to shop drawings of existing exhibit elements that have been built and installed in the Museum. For consistency, some of these elements may be included in the new galleries. Any “shop drawings” of these type elements will be provided to the contractor as requested during the design process.

Question 15: There are no references to exhibit lighting design and audiovisual systems design in the solicitation document. Will the exhibit design contractor be expected to provide these services as part of the Scope of Work?

Government Response: The exhibit design contractor will not be expected to provide these services.

Question 16: Can you clarify whether the exhibit design contractor will be required to produce the media and how this might be priced at this time? Further, if the media is to be bid in the future, would the exhibit design contractor or his subcontracted media designer be precluded from bidding on the production of the media? Page 11 of 71, paragraph C-6.3.1, describes the requirement for the writing of video media treatments and storyboard sketches for certain audiovisual elements. Page 18 of 71, paragraph F.1.6 describes the deliverables. However, on page 19 of 71, paragraph F.4 there is a description of Final Deliverables to include “videos, images, animations, audio and any other media formats.” The next paragraph describes the nature of the release statements for film, photography and audio recordings. All of this implies actual production of the media for the exhibits, not just written and storyboarded descriptions to be used as the basis for bidding the media production.

Government Response: The contractor will not be required to produce the actual media.

Production of the media will be awarded on a separate contract. The exhibit design contractor and any media subcontractor they may employ would be precluded from bidding.

Question 17: Can you describe further the design intent of the Children’s Activity area and Sports Hall of Fame?

Government Response: The Children’s Activity will be a colorful, cartoonish area containing interactive learning exhibits for children ages 5 to 10. The Sports Hall of Fame will feature inductee’s as chosen by an existing Marine Corps sports organization and exhibits of notable Marines from the world of professional and amateur sports.

Question 18: Page 12 of 71, paragraph C-6.4.6 describes the requirement for 2’ square full color texture samples for all ground forms, vertical surfaces and artificial foliage.” These samples are typically provided during the fabrication phase by the selected exhibit fabricator or their scenic fabrication subcontractor for approval by the exhibit designer and COR. Will the exhibit design contractor be required to have a scenic designer/fabricator on their team to produce the samples and if the scenic fabrication is to be bid in the future, would that scenic fabricator be precluded from bidding?

Government Response: The contractor will be required to produce the samples. The scenic fabricator would be precluded from bidding on the fabrication contract as the prime.

Question 19: Given the schedule of one base year contract followed by two one-year options, can you verify if final bid and production documents are part of the design scope for this solicitation?

Government Response: Bid and production documents are not part of the design scope.

Question 20: In paragraph C-10.1.6 it states the Contractor shall have no less than 10 years’ experience in conceptualizing, designing and producing media and themed exhibits at major museums or themed entertainment venues whose project budgets were in excess of $25 million. Would it be correct that the

NMMC is seeking a “design/build’ approach to the new exhibits and that the exhibit design contractor should have media producers and exhibit fabricators on their team?

Government Response: The Government is not seeking a “design/build” approach to the new exhibits but rather a conceptual level of design. Enough information should be provided to enable the Government to produce a biddable design package.

Question 21: On page 14, item C-10.1.5 The Contractor shall have a career of no less than 25 years in the themed entertainment industry. Is the firm contracted required to have 25 years of themed entertainment experience, or can a representative of the contractor's team have the required experience?

Government Response: The 25 years of themed entertainment experience can be an individual, but that person must be the active lead of the design effort who will be working day-to-day on the project throughout the life of the contract. Any substitution of lesser qualified personal post-award will not be accepted ,e.g., use of a qualified individual to substantially act as a reviewer of a less qualified contractor employee’s work is unacceptable.

Question 22: On page 14, item C-10.1.16 The Contractor shall have no less than 10 years’ experience in conceptualizing, designing and producing media and themed exhibits at major museums or themed entertainment venues whose project budget was in excess of $25 million. Does the $25 million project budget include building construction costs, or is that solely the exhibit fabrication budget?

Government Response: The $25 million is for the exhibit fabrication portion of the budget.

Question 23: Is the contracted firm required to have 10 years experience with budgets over $25 million or can a representative of the contractor's team have the required experience?

Government Response: The requirement is for the offeror to show their company as a unified team can produce a project at the size and level of quality that the Government expects. An individual’s work at previous organizations does not show the ability of the team to achieve the Government’s mission. The successful contractor, as a unified team, is required to have 10 years experience in conceptualizing, designing and producing media and themed exhibits.