M00264-15-T-1064_Questions_(20-22).docx

Questions & Answers (20-22) Request For Quote M00264-15-T-1064 M0008315SUFLT01 Foreign Language Training July 27, 2015

Question 4: Please extend the offer due date at least one week beyond July 6 to allow sufficient time to receive amendments and craft a final quote response.

Answer 4: The due date has been extended until July 31, 2015.

Question 20: The solicitation calls for providing a "minimum" of 50 weeks of training for up to 40 hours a week. So comes out to a MINIMUM of 2000 hours of training for the contract year. But the required Price bid requires a total firm, fixed price to include all instructor costs and related expenses. It would make sense and be very straight forward to bid a total price for 2000 hours of training expenses. However, as stated the solicitation states the proposal is for a MINIMUM of 50 weeks (2000 hours), so how can a company bid a flat rate on an unspecified upward limit of hours? If the upper level of utilization is indeed elastic, perhaps it would make more sense for bidders to able to bid for an overall hourly rate? Or a rate per each 40 hour class? In tis way, the government will also not be billed for hours it may not use under 2000.

Answer 20: A company can bid a flat rate, but still break down the minimum flat rate per 40 hour class.

As mentioned just do overall "minimum" of 50 weeks of training with up to 40 hours a week divided by types of classes and between levels. Ensure deliverables between levels and classes are provided. Being this is Firm Fixed Price, government will be billed/pay for total hours 40 x 50 = 2000.

Question 21: Secondly, as stated with the requirement for language instructors to have current TS/SCI (SBI) clearances, this is an unreasonable expectation in the LRC training world, especially since most language instructors do not have a clearance at that level since they are normally part time (1099) workers and not on full time contracts. As written, this solicitation requires having 6 language instructors (at least one each for French, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Chinese, and Russian), which means on average, each instructor would be on site for only 333 hours (42 mandays) during the contract year. Question 2 on the Q&A expressed a Small Business concern with the TS/SCI (SBI) requirement as being unreasonable, and the government response was that uncleared instructors had been used in the past with escorts on previous short term classes, but for this "long term" contract it can not be done because this position would be permanently in the MCIA facility. This latter statement appears to be incorrect given that this solicitation is not for one (1) single full time instructor, but is for six (6) part time instructors for only around 333 hours each. Furthermore, a one year contract with no option years, for 6 instructors is not really "permanent" work at the facility.

Answer 21: Although this is a new requirement, similar support services, to include MCIA personnel, are being provided by commercial sources. Training classes have been provided to MCIA personnel throughout FY15 were being purchased via Government Training Card instead of contract vehicle. An analysis was performed to determine if the required services could continue to be provided by through commercial resources, and specifically by a small business concern resulting in a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) performance-based task order, with one (1) base. With that, MCIA making a task Order at TS/SCI level to prevent having to take away from current personnel’s daily duties and oversee unsecure instructors daily as they teach. This takes away from our MCIA daily mission which is the main reason for awarding a secure task order and stop purchasing classes under training card. Also, to keep continuity.

Question 22: I have been a sub-contractor in the past for a Prime that provided similar language support to MCIA but this was at the unclassified level (and required only US green card), and was conducted in unclas educational classrooms at Quantico. This arrangement seemed to work well and takes advantage of the large number of highest quality language instructors that may be US citizens or Green Card holders with no clearance, or even US citizens with "only" a SECRET level clearance. If the intent is to avoid green card holders and ensure some confidentiality of personnel, facilities, and operations, perhaps a requirement of a SECRET level clearance would be sufficient and more sustainable by interested bidders.

Answer 22: I can’t answer your past work which you provided for MCIA, but this work is being provided at MCIA which is the Government Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) for all TS//SCI work. All Contractor personnel must be US Citizens and be either in possession of, or eligible for, an active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) Security Clearance (no conditions or waivers) at the time of award.

No further questions will be answered.