MARKET RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE_AUSP THOMSON.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons Administration Division

Field Acquisition Office 346 Marine Forces Drive Grand Prairie, Texas 75051

MARKET RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

WELDING PROGRAM SERVICES

ADMINISTRATIVE UNITED STATES PENITENTIARY (AUSP)

THOMSON, ILLINOIS

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is conducting market research in compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 10. The service is for the provision of Welding Program services. The services will be provided at the Administrative United States Penitentiary (hereinafter referred to as AUSP) located in Thomson, Illinois. The physical address is 1100 One Mile Road, Thomson, IL 61285. The contract year shall consist of one 12-month base year with four 12-month option years, for renewal. The NAICS Code is 611210 (Junior Colleges) with the size standard of $28.5 million.

A draft copy of the Statement of Work is attached to this questionnaire. Additional details are forthcoming in the solicitation. A Government solicitation document to provide these services is being developed, and a contract may or may not result. Market research is being conducted to determine interest and capability of potential sources for this requirement. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government.

Please answer the following questions:

1. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for Religious Organizations is 611210, which sets the small business size standard at $28.5 million (below $28.5 million in gross revenues is considered small, above $28.5 million in gross revenues is considered large).

Based on this standard, what is your business size, small or large?

Small Other than Small

2. Can your firm provide the service as either a prime contractor or as a subcontractor?

Prime Subcontractor

3. Is your business/employee certified to practice in Illinois?

Yes No

4. If you are a small business, what level of subcontracting, if any, would your firm utilize?

Services (except construction) require at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern. Small businesses shall comply with FAR 52.219-14.

5. Which type of form does your business use to report earned income on the individual performing the services?

W2 1099

6. Is your firm eligible for participation in one of the following small business programs? If so, please indicate the program.

8(a) Program HUBZone Certified Business Women-Owned Small Business Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

7. Please indicate any General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract number(s) your firm has been awarded in association with the aforementioned services and their respective expiration date(s).

FSS number(s): ____________________ Expiration date(s): ______________________

8. Can your firm provide firm fixed unit prices for future contract years (for example: a contract with a base year and four option years, equaling a total of five years)? Please indicate the maximum number of years you can provide firm-fixed unit prices.

5 years 4 years 3 years 2 years 1 year only

9. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires the following insurances policies:

Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability: no less than $100,000;

General Liability: no less than $500,000 per occurrence;

Automobile Liability: at least $200,000 per person, Bodily Injury: $500,000 per occurrence;

Property Damage: $20,000 per occurrence.

Are these rates and requirements consistent with regulatory requirements in Illinois?

Yes No If no, what are the standard rates per insurance?

10. **Are privacy provisions/clauses “customarily” included in solicitations of this type of requirement?

Yes No

11. **Are Welding Program services “customarily available” in commercial practice/marketplace?

Yes No

12. Does your firm have access to the internet to download solicitation materials?

Yes No

13. How many calendar days does your firm need to prepare a proposal resulting from this solicitation?

7 days 10 days 15 days 30 days

14. Is your company registered in System for Award Management (SAM)?

Yes No _______________________DUNS

All potential offerors are advised if a solicitation is issued it will include the clause at FAR 52.212-4 Commercial Items, paragraph (t) SAM. This clause requires all contractors doing business with the Federal Government after September 30, 2003, to be registered in the SAM database. If your company is not registered in SAM, registration can be completed at https://www.sam.gov.

15. If awarded a contract, how many calendar days following an award would it take your firm to begin providing services to the institution?

Please note that all individuals providing services at the institutions must undergo a security clearance investigation. This investigation may take 30 calendar days or longer to complete.

Calendar days

16. Has your organization previous provided Welding Program services for prisons?

Yes No

17. Which of the following best describes your organization?

Non-Profit Faith-Based Corporation LLC

18. Please furnish the following information in reference to your firm:

Name:

Address:

Point of Contact:

Telephone Number:

E-mail Address:

https://www.sam.gov/

I am extremely appreciative of the time you have taken to complete this questionnaire. Please email your completed market research questionnaire via email at llwheeler@bop.gov on or before Monday, November 21, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time (CT). Please feel free to contact me at (972) 352-4536 if you have any questions.

Sincerely, LaQueta Wheeler

LaQueta Wheeler, Contracting Officer Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Armed Forces Reserve Institution Field Acquisition Office 346 Marine Forces Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75051

NOTE: The resulting solicitation will be distributed at www.sam.gov. Hard copies of the solicitation will not be available. The website provides downloading instructions to obtain all documents relating to the solicitation. All future information concerning this acquisition, including the pre-solicitation notices, solicitation, and any subsequent amendments, will be distributed solely through the website. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring the website to ensure they have the most up-to-date information about the acquisition.

mailto:llwheeler@bop.gov

Statement of Work Welding Program Services - AUSP Thomson

Subject:

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, Field Acquisition Office, intends to make a single award to an accredited post-secondary institution, vocational training, or industry-based school that will be responsible for providing instruction in a Basic Welding Certification Program for the inmate population located at USP Thomson, Illinois. Successful completion of the training program must qualify inmates for at least entry-level employment in the welding trade upon release.

Place of Performance:

Occupational training instruction will be performed in classrooms at the accredited college awarded the contract. The accredited school shall be no further than 50 miles from USP Thomson (1100 One Mile Road, Thomson, IL 61285) in order to be considered for contract award.

Schedule:

The contractor will provide five hours of instruction per day, five days per week, excluding Federal Holidays. Work hours will normally be between 9:00 A.M. through 2:00 P.M. These hours may be adjusted to meet the needs of the institution.

Due to the nature of the correctional setting, delays in performance of work may be experienced.

Such delays may include but are not limited to inclement weather, electrical or mechanical problems, or other security matters. If the contractor fails to provide coverage, the Government may seek contractual remedy.

Education and Qualifications:

The contractor shall not be a self-employed individual or individual employed by a post-secondary institution. The contract must be between USP Thomson and awarded post-secondary institution, vocational training school, or industry-based school.

The occupational education program must fall under the provider’s umbrella of accreditation and lead to transferrable credits resulting in a college certificate, Associate in Arts degree (A.A.), an Associate in Science degree (A.S.), or an Associate in Applied Science degree (A.A.S.).

Industry-accepted certification is also acceptable. Providers must be accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. If required for employment, certification tests from outside organizations may be administered to individual inmates upon completion of a specific occupational education program. However, the individual skill competency certification will not replace the training program’s overall accreditation.

The occupational education program must lead to a college certificate, A.A., A. S., A.A.S., or industry-recognized certificate qualifying inmates for at least an entry-level position of employment. Credits earned from the college certificate, A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. must be transferrable to a four-year college.

Four-year degree programs and programs in liberal arts/general studies are not authorized, although limited and specific courses of a liberal arts/general studies nature may be permitted if directly related to preparation for a specific occupation or vocation.

Supplies and Equipment:

The contractor will provide the following supplies, equipment, and curriculum materials:

One set of textbooks, workbooks and other materials customarily provided to college level students for each course. Materials will be provided for 12 students from the USP for each contract performance period. Textbooks shall be utilized from one class to the next and one contract performance period to the next until there is an edition change. The contractor shall be responsible for bearing the expense of providing updated textbooks resulting from edition changes, in the quantities set forth herein. Textbooks provided by the contractor (including edition changes) may be “used” as long as they are in a condition customarily deemed acceptable for use by college-level students.

Textbooks, workbooks and other materials in excess quantities set forth herein which are lost, misplaced, confiscated or destroyed, will be replaced at the USP’s expense.

The contractor may make recommendations to the Supervisor of Education pertaining to the selection and purchase of additional supplies and equipment.

Description of Duties:

The contractor will provide instruction for a Basic Welding Certification Program in accordance with Bureau of Prisons Program Statement 5353.01, Occupational Education Programs, and Bureau of Prisons Program Statement 5300.21, Education, Training and Leisure Time Program Standards.

Twenty to forty percent (20-40%) of the curriculum’s competencies must be hands-on replication of the actual work environment. Application of hands-on work must be occupational in nature.

An institution live work project may be utilized to demonstrate or apply hands-on competencies.

Electronic or computer-based simulation does not satisfy the hands-on or live work requirement.

The Supervisor of Education must approve live work projects.

Marketable programs shall afford inmates the opportunity to gain in demand skills in a specific occupation, industry, or trade. The marketable program must qualify inmate graduates for at least an entry-level position in the welding trade. As a precondition of the proposal for the contract, the contractor shall specify in writing to the Supervisor of Education the position(s) of employment for which inmate graduates will be eligible to apply.

The Supervisor of Education shall determine the minimum and maximum number of enrollments. However, the Government anticipates that a maximum of 12 students will be enrolled in the program each performance period. Instructors are responsible for the maintenance of transcripts, student attendance records, statistics, and certification records.

The contractor will provide a written curriculum which establishes measurable behavioral objectives and procedures. The curriculum must include clear criteria which establish minimum expectations for program completion, provisions for the assessment of student progress, must identify the hands-on competencies and must require the students to demonstrate them. In addition to core classes needed to attain a college certificate, an industry-accepted certificate, an Associate in Arts degree (A.A.), an Associate in Science degree (A.S.), or an Associate in Applied Science degree (A.A.S.), the curriculum must also include a course on resume development.

The contractor shall assist in the recruitment of employers affiliated with the identified occupation to participate in the institution’s mock job fair.

Inmate Management:

Provision of services will require frequent and unsupervised contact with inmates. The inmates eligible for this program are minimum security. The contract employee shall not be responsible for the management of any inmates, other than to ensure inmates involved within the contract’s scope of work abide by all rules to ensure their safety and well-being. The selected contractor shall attend the Institution Familiarization Orientation program prior to assuming institution involvement. Reimbursement to the contractor for the time spent in the institution orientation or other specific security related training is included in the cost. The contractor is to constantly be aware of security and maintain a professional relationship with inmates at all times. Any violation of the institution rules and regulations are to be brought immediately to the attention of any Government employee employed at the institution. The contractor will be required to provide documentation to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or designee, of any infractions of institutional rules and regulations by inmates for proper action.