2.11 - Berthing and Messing Program Services Questions and Answers.pdf

Berthing and Messing Program Services

N0018926RL013

Questions and Answers

Q1: Will an offeror be accepted without an approved FCL during submittal while being in process under sponsorship?

Updated A1: Please see Amendment 0007.

Q2: is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past?

A: This is a new requirement.

Q3: In Section L, Page 33 of the RFP, it states that questions are due on 06 May 2026. Given that offeror proposals are due on May 12th (6 days later), respectfully request the government provide a 2-week extension so the government can answer questions and allow the offeror to respond in a timely manner.

A: Amendment 0001 to Solicitation N0018926RL013 extends the solicitation response from 12 May 2026 at 12:00PM ET to 19 May 2026 at 12:00PM ET.

Q4: The proposal page limitations do not specify the page limit for the Cover Page. Please specify if there is a page limit and clarify whether it belongs with a specific volume or is to be its own attachment.

A: The cover page does not count towards the page limit. However, the offeror is permitted to submit no more than one page for each of the following, which will not be included in the page count: a cover sheet, list of tables, list of figures, compliance matrix, table of contents, tabs, and dividers.

Q5: Volume IV – Factor IV: Cost/Price is page limited to 15 pages. Does this page limit only applies towards the additional documentation provided to substantiate the cost?

A: Please see Amendment 0002.

Q6: Could the Government specify which WD applies towards what labor category positions? Or are offerors determining the locations of each labor category position?

A: Updated PWS contains Labor hours for each location. Please see Amendment 0002.

Q7: Section 5.0 states that “Accomplishment of the results contained in this PWS requires work in the Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth) Virginia, Maine (Kittery), Connecticut (New London and Groton) AOR.” The solicitation does not provide a WD for Connecticut as an attachment. Please clarify whether the CT WD is applicable for this contract?

A: Updated in Amendment 0002

Q8: For Submission of Offers, Section L states that “proposals shall be submitted electronically no later than the due date of the solicitation via email to Samantha Ballance at samantha.a.ballance.civ@us.navy.mil and Zackery Bowman at Zackery.l.bowman.civ@us.navy.mil.” Could the Government clarify the subject line to be used for the proposal email submission, and how to handle submission if the email exceeds 25 MBs?

A: There is no required subject line, however it is recommended to use the Solicitation number in the response.

Offerors may send multiple emails to alleviate exceeding 25 MBs.

Q9: The Level of Effort spreadsheet has extra blank rows after the Government provided Labor Categories. Are offerors allowed to propose additional labor categories and hours for this effort?

A: Those rows were removed to alleviate any confusion. See updated Section L in Amendment 0002.

Q10: Section L requests that offerors “identify a comprehensive and feasible mitigation for the retention of personnel in the event of non-consecutive task orders so as to not delay continuation of services.” It was our understanding that this contract is a task order, not a MAC. Please clarify.

A: See Amendment 0002.

Q11: Each year’s tab has 42 FTEs allocated but does not specify where each position is located. Are the 42 FTEs to be allocated to one work location, or are they to be split across the three locations (ME, CT, VA)?

A: See answer to Question #6.

Q12: Previous and current MARMC IDIQ contracts providing similar levels of support and maintenance for the same class of barges have not required contactor facilities or personnel to obtain and maintain SECRET-level security clearances. Please clarify the basis for this requirement in eh current solicitation. Additionally, will the government consider waiving this requirement, given the significant cost and administrative burden associated with obtaining and maintaining Secret-level clearances.

Updated A12: Please see Amendment 0007.

Q13: Would the Government clarify the need for the Materials Tab in the Level of Effort Spreadsheet (Pricing) when NTE ODCs were already provided?

A: Please see amendment 0003.

Q14: Section L, Volume I, Factor I requires offerors to provide verification of an active Secret Facility Clearance via DCSA’s National Industrial Security System (NISS). The NISS Facility Clearance verification contains Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Please confirm the Government’s preferred method for submitting this required verification so that the Facility Clearance information is properly protected without requiring the entire proposal submission to be marked, handled, or transmitted as CUI.

A: The contractor can provide via separate email labeling and marking as CUI.

Q15: Section B lists the labor category “System Support Specialist” with 11,784 estimated hours per performance period. Please provide the intended labor category description, including primary duties, required qualifications/certifications, and the PWS task areas this position is expected to support.

A: Please see Amendment 0004.

Q16: Would the Government consider extending the Page Limit for Volume III, Factor III - Past Performance from 15 Pages to 20 Pages?

A: The Government does not plan on changing the page count for this factor at this time.

Q17: Would the Government Consider allowing 10Pt Times New Roman for Volume III, Factor III - Past Performance?

A: The Government does not plan on changing the size point font for this factor at this time.

Q18: Could the Government clarify if both of these cells in the 7th row of the table require a response or only one of them does? It appears to be asking for the same information.

Cell 1 states: Total dollar value for this effort broken into annual increments: (For ordering vehicles, show both the annual estimated contract amount and the amount of orders actually performed) Cell 2 states: (Show the period of performance and dollars for that period) (*At least 1 year of performance must have been completed prior to the closing date of the solicitation) A: Cell 2 shall be the periods of performance associated with the reference. Cell 1 is the dollar value associated with the POP in Cell 2.

Q19: Would the Government confirm the SCA Occupation Codes assigned to each labor category position?

A: The Government cannot advise which SCA Occupation Code to use as that is a decision for the contractor.

Q20: The ODC table in the RFP provides the estimated dollars for travel, ODCs and Materials. Would the Government clarify what the ODC dollars are to be used towards?

A: The CLINs within the solicitation are broken down into Labor, Travel, ODCs, and Materials. All but the Labor CLINs have a plug-in number to be used and proposed in accordance with Section L. Please see amendment 0003

Q21: Section L requests that offerors provide “a staffing approach that demonstrates the offeror's ability to recruit, hire, and retain the appropriate mix and quantity of personnel resources with the skillset levels necessary within Section 6 of the PWS.” Section 6 of the PWS is the Travel section. Please clarify if this should be Section 4 of the

PWS.

A: Please see Amendment 0003.

Q22: Section 5.0 states that “Accomplishment of the results contained in this PWS requires work in the Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth) Virginia, Maine (Kittery), Connecticut (New London and Groton) AOR.” Amendment 0002 provides the hours for the locations, but no hours were assigned to Groton, CT. Please clarify why PWS Section 5.0 shows no labor hours for Groton, CT, and also, where should an offeror price labor for emergency and required daily maintenance work requirements related to Groton, CT.

A: It was assumed that the hub for that area of work to include (Kittery) Maine and Connecticut (New London and Groton) would be based out of Kittery. Our largest volume of support is at PNSY (4-5 barges yearly) with few avails going to New London / Groton (1-2 barges yearly). Emergent support and daily maintenance should be priced from Kittery to include travel.

Q23: The ODC table in the RFP provides the estimated dollars for travel, ODCs and Materials. However, the spreadsheet does not provide a location for us to price these items. Would the Government allow offerors to add a tab to the spreadsheet to provide the ODC build up?

A: Please use tab #1.

Q24: The spreadsheet does not provide a place to identify the location of each position. Would the Government allow offerors to add a column to notate the location for each FTE?

A: The contractor may adjust the Pricing Spreadsheet to add a column with location.

Q25: In the PWS Section 5.0 hours and location of work, it states that overtime may be required. Is Overtime to be included in pricing and what percentage of hours should be accounted for as overtime?

A: See Amendment 0003.

Q26: The “Total Hours” columns in the base year and option years tabs show labor hours that equate to more than 1,920 hours for most of the full-time equivalent laborers. Are the extra hours intended for overtime or for something else?

A: See Amendment 0003.

Q27: Please provide additional details and scope of work for the following “Supplies/Services” listed in the materials tab:

Procure a Turnkey Replacement for 2-4 inch diameter Copper-Nickel (CU-NI) Valves 9 (please provide part specifications) Deliver a newly preserved interior deck surface (90% Interior Compartments, 10% Wet Spaces) Deliver clean and sanitize the entire Craft (all Classes) Material (in support of ELIN 111) to Deliver repairs to A/C and refrigeration equipment Deliver OEM-Certified HVAC Units and Compressor Cleaning Package (please identity the OEM) A: Please see Amendment 0003.

Q28: Would the Government clarify if the number of ST and OT Hours for 1st FORE PERSON/SUPERVISOR in Kittery, ME in both PWS and Pricing Sheet?

• A0002 PWS shows 1920 ST Hours for 1st FORE PERSON/SUPERVISOR in Kittery, ME…

• A0003 Pricing Sheet shows 1920 ST Hours and 520 OT Hours for 1st FORE PERSON/SUPERVISOR in Kittery, ME…

• Thus, A002 PWS shows total of 97,176 Total Hours per year, while A003 Pricing sheet shows 97,696 Total Hours per year…difference is the 520 OT Hours delta between PWS and Pricing Sheet… A: Both the PWS and Level Of effort pricing sheet reflect zero (0) hours in Kittery, ME for ST and OT hours.

Q29: Paragraph 4.20.1 0f the PWS provides direction for the contractor to properly moor and secure barges to pier side, release barges from pierside, and to connect and disconnect utility shore services hook-ups. Is this requirement for utilization at the contractor's facility or at a Government facility/base? If for a Government facility/base contractors are not typically allowed to connect and disconnect government provided facility utility services hook-ups. Please clarify.

A29: The requirement is for navy installations and contract facilities. The requirement is also to connect the living barge not the pier side facility.

Q30: Section L, Volume I, Factor I, and the PWS paragraphs 7.2.1 and 7.2.2 appear to have conflicting information concerning the timing of obtaining the necessary security clearances for this contract. Please clarify.

Updated A30: Please see Amendment 0007.

Q31: The Level of Effort Spreadsheet provided by the government for completion by the Offeror does not contain any area(s) for Offeror's company information and identification. Does the Offeror need to create Headers and/or Footers to provide company information, or will the government provide an updated spreadsheet with those areas defined? Please advise.

A31: The offeror may add a tab to provide information required within Section L.

Q32: What is the purpose of requiring the level of breakdown for hourly rates that the government is asking for?

A32: In accordance with Section L, the offeror shall propose all cost elements for the requisite level of effort. This will be utilized, in part, to complete a cost realism analysis.

Q33: The second paragraph of Volume III, Factor III - Past Performance states that the contractor shall not submit IDIQ contracts as a reference. We are an incumbent contractor on the present Berthing Barge IDIQ contract administered by Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Norfolk, VA. They do not evaluate performance of individual Task Orders, the evaluate each year of the IDIQ parent contract in CPARS. Will NAVSUP reconsider the requirement for NOT using IDIQ contracts for Past Performance submittals?

A33: The annual CPARS evaluation for the entire IDIQ can be used; however the offeror must provide order(s) from the IDIQs for the Past Performance reference in accordance with Sections L and M.

Q34: Some labor categories in the Level of Effort spreadsheet have hours assigned against two locations which are subject to different SCA WD rates; however, there is only one cell to provide one direct labor rate. Please clarify.

A34: The offeror may add additional rows to the Level of Effort spreadsheet.

Q35: Section L, Volume III, Factor III Past Performance, states the past performance must be performed within 5 years of the solicitation issuance date. Section M, Volume III, Factor III states the past performance must be performed within 5 years as of the closing date of the solicitation. Can the Government confirm which date is correct?

A35: See Amendment 0004.

Q36: The table lists the page volume for Volume III, Past Performance as 15 pages. Can the Government verify if the Past Performance Information Forms for each reference are included in that page limit?

A36: Yes, the Past Performance Information Forms are included in the page limit. The Past Performance Report Forms do not count toward the page limit.

Q37: In Section L, II. Requirements for Proposal Content paragraph, it states the cover page should also include DUNS number of Offeror. Wil the Government prefer Offeror's UEI instead of DUNS number?

A37: The UEI is sufficient. See Amendment 0004.

Q38: Can the Government provide clarification into the instructions of the "Materials" tab in the Level of Effort pricing file? This tab does not align with the format or the Government provided values listed in Section L under Volume IV, Section 4.

A38: Please see amendment 0003.

Q39: On page 6 of Section L in Amendment 0002, Factor II Subfactor II, Staffing and Management Approach, the solicitation mentions ability to recruit, etc., with the skillset levels necessary within Section 6 of the PWS. However, PWS Section 6 is listed as Travel. Will the Government verify the correct PWS reference(s)?

A39: Please see amendment 0003.

Q40: Volume III, Factor III – Past Performance, can the Government clarify what constitutes "major or critical aspects of the solicitation" for purposes of past performance evaluation?

A40: That phrase comes from this sentence in the solicitation:

“The past performance of subcontractors who will be performing major or critical aspects of the solicitation will be considered as highly as a prime contractor’s past performance.”

The purpose of that sentence is to indicate that if you submit a reference of your subcontractor, the reference will be considered as highly as your own past performance, provided that it is performing major or critical aspects of the solicitation. In other words, if you submit a subcontractor reference and that subcontractor is only performing, for example, administrative tasks that are indirectly or tangentially related to this effort (and not performing major tasks in the PWS), then that reference cannot be considered as highly as your own past performance because the subcontractor in that case wouldn’t be performing the actual primary work that this PWS contemplates. As to which sections of the PWS are considered “major or critical,” we cannot provide advice on how to write your proposal.

Q41: Section B specifies the pricing arrangement as Cost Plus Fixed Fee (rather than Cost Reimbursable), but Volume IV, Factor IV also stated “Only G&A and/or OH are allowed to be applied to ODC/Travel/Material; no profit of fee is allowed.” Can the Government confirm the fee is not allowable on the non-labor items?

A41: Fee is not allowed on Cost-Reimbursable items which include ODCs, Travel, and Material.

Q42: FAR 52.222-42 - Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires is populated with a percentage instead of specific wage and fringe benefit amounts. Can the Government please clarify how to utilize the percentage values?

A43: The information on the clause is what the Government would pay the FTE if a Government personnel. The percentage is based upon the percentage applied for Government personnel in fringe benefits.

Q43: Will the Government be releasing an updated SF 1449 reflecting changes made in Amendments 1 and 2?

A43: The government has posted a SF 30 reflecting the summary of changes in red ink for Amendments 0001 and 0002.

Q44: In reference to Amendment 002, Section L, VOl III, Factor III Past Performance, is the Government requiring a minimum 12-month period of performance for all PP submissions?

A44: In accordance with Section L, a past performance reference shall have at least 1-year of performance completed. This includes all references, even task orders.

Q45: Based on Amendment 002, there were not any labor hours or labor categories assigned to the Groton, CT, work location. Does the Government intend to allocate hours to this location?

A45: See answer to Q22.

Q46: On page 5 of Amendment 002, Section L, it states, "All submission and attachments shall be in Microsoft Office Word or Excel. " Will the Government confirm if PDF format is acceptable for completed solicitation documents and FCL verifications?

A46: PDF is acceptable for FCL verifications and the signed first pages of the original solicitation and solicitation amendments.

Q47: Will the Government be providing the WD for New London (2015-4111/Rev 34)?

A47: See Amendment 0003.

Q48: The second paragraph of II. REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPOSAL CONTENT on page 4 mentions cover page requirements. Will the Government clarify if cover page in this reference means the letter of transmittal or the cover page of each volume?

A48: Cover page for each volume.

Q49: In section M of the solicitation, the government explicitly states, “Labor will be evaluated on the basis of 100% straight time. Uncompensated overtime and uncompensated overtime rates will not be used in the evaluation.”

In the new spreadsheet accompanying amendment 3, the government has separated out OT hours from regular hours, presumably providing a space for separate OT rates. Can the government confirm they are expecting a separate rate for any OT labor performed?

A49: See Amendment 0003.

Q50: In Amendment 4, the PWS table of Hours shows 1,920 for the 1st Lead Person in Kittery, ME. However, the pricing spreadsheet released in Amendment 3 for the 1st Lead Person in Kittery, ME has a total of 2440 hours, 1920 regular and 520 overtime. Which hours should be priced in the pricing model?

A50: See Amendment 0005.