3508_RFP_Q_AND_A_revised.docx

MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND

N32205-18-R-3508

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following are answers to questions received from potential offerors. The answers provide clarification only and DO NOT constitute an amendment to the solicitation.

1. Does this RFP includes any sort of Small Business Restrictions?

ANSWER: Per TankTime Box number 97, Part X, Instructions to Offerors, para b of the RFP (Page II-8-9), This acquisition is partially (50%) set aside for small business concerns. The Far East Tanker (Vessel 1) is set-aside for small businesses and only small businesses can submit offers for this vessel. The Arabian Gulf Tanker (Vessel 2) is full and open competition. Offerors may submit an offer for Vessel 1 (Far East) or Vessel 2 (Arabian Gulf) or both vessels. Offerors must submit a separate offer for Vessel 1 and Vessel 2.

2. Is the Wage Determination incorporated in this solicitation correct?

ANSWER: The Wage Determination (WD) attached to this RFP is the version issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) for this requirement.

3. Since there are tankers in both regions under MSC time charters, should there be separate wage determinations for each tanker using the union contracts associated with each tanker in lieu of the area wide wage determination?

ANSWER: DOL has provided the applicable WDs as found in the RFP.

4. Will MSC consider an extension of the proposal receipt date?

ANSWER: Due dates for proposals have been extended to 16 May 2018 at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) for the Far East Tanker (Lot 1), and 18 June 2018 at 2:00 pm EST for the Arabian Gulf Tanker (Lot 2); see Amendment 0001 of the RFP.

5. Could you please confirm that any modifications made to the nominated vessel including the Refueling at Sea ( RAS) and Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defense (CBRD) capabilities must be completed at a facility within the United States?

ANSWER: All modifications, reflagging or repair work must be completed in accordance with DFARS 252.247-7025--Reflagging or Repair work.

6. Could you please confirm that the Water Washdown System must be installed at the time of delivery and the work to install this system must be completed at a facility within the United States?

ANSWER: All modifications, reflagging or repair work must be completed in accordance with DFARS 252.247-7025--Reflagging or Repair work.

7. Please confirm that full compliance with cyber-security requirements detailed in NIST 800-171 is mandatory for this contract.

ANSWER: Cyber-security requirements shall comply in accordance with DFARS 252.204-7008 Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls (2016), 252.204-7012 Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting (2016)

8. REF PART X, 52.212-1:

L. (pg II-11) states TankTime charter boxes 13-17 to be submitted in business proposal M. (pg. II-11) states TankTime charter boxes 13-18 not be submitted in technical proposal N. (pg II-12) states TankTime charter boxes 13-17 to be submitted in price proposal

Please clarify boxes 13-17 or 13-18 for these above-listed RFP requirements.

ANSWER: Boxes 13-17 are to be submitted with Business Proposals and the Price Proposals, however, boxes 13-18 are not to be submitted with Technical Proposals. No pricing data shall be included in the technical proposal.

9. The total evaluated price worksheet in Attachment B does not include the six(6) months option to extend services period.

ANSWER : The total evaluated price worksheet in Attachment B has been revised under Amendment 0001 to include the 52.217-8 option to extend services.

10. In reference to reimbursables mentioned in the RFP, is there a separate list of these reimbursables or are all reimbursable inherently included throughout the clauses in the RFP?

ANSWER: See Part IV TIME CHARTER COMMON TERMS AND CONDITIONS, section (n) “Port Charges and Expenses” as well as section (p) “Fuel” of the RFP.

11. Referencing the Evidence of Contractor Responsibility requirement listed under the Business Proposal section of this solicitation, what format does MSC want the response in? Does submission of Past Performance on 3 previous contracts meet the requirements of X-52.212-1.1 for Evidence of Contractor Responsibility?

ANSWER: Evidence of Contractor Responsibility shall compy with FAR 9.104-1. Please provide adequate information for Charterer to find contractors and subcontractors responsible in accordance with FAR 9.104-1.

12. Referencing the Evidence of Contractor Responsibility requirement listed under the Business Proposal section of this solicitation (section X-52.212-1.1): Do all aspects of 48 CFR 9.104-3 apply to a TANKER TIME CHARTER? Which aspects require a response?

Presumably it is necessary for the contractor to have an infrastructure for these functions. If outsourcing of Contractor’s work scope is permitted, to what degree?

ANSWER: Evidence of Contractor Responsibility shall compy with FAR 9.104-1. Please provide adequate information for Charterer to find contractors and subcontractors responsible in accordance with FAR 9.104-1.

13. Please advise if the four (4) contractor security persons required by Amended Part V (l) for Arabian Gulf/Tanker Two are to be considered part of the government’s twelve (12) force protection personnel required under Part IV (ad) and (af).

ANSWER: Yes, the four (4) contractor security persons required by Amended Part V (l) for Arabian Gulf/Tanker Two are to be considered part of the government’s twelve (12) force protection personnel required under Part IV (ad) and (af).

14. Please provide ALMSC 009/03.

ANSWER: Contract Specialist will email ALMSC 009/03 to offerors upon request.

15. Part IV (q) (Reduced Operational Status) (1) references hire rates in applicable boxes in Part I. The only box in Part I which references hire rates is Box 13 and only requests hire rates for FOS and not ROS. Please advise if Charterer is requesting rate of hire for ROS periods.

ANSWER: Charterer is not requesting rate of hire for ROS periods.

16. Request for Technical Evaluation Worksheets [Arabian Gulf item gg), Far East item cc)] be amended to reflect the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

ANSWER: Technical Evaluation Worksheets have been revised to reflect PWS.

17. The RFP references cancellation costs but does not include the normal USC language or the format to submit them.

ANSWER: Box number 96 of the RFP has been amended to include cancellation language submission format.

18. Could you please confirm that the Water Wash-down System must be installed at the time of delivery...?

ANSWER: Requirement for installation of the CBR-D countermeasure water wash-down system has been revised under Amendment 0001 to be completed within six (6) months after vessel delivery.

19. For offerors who intended to reflag a foreign vessel subject to contract award, crewmembers will not be identified/assigned to vessel until purchase of vessel is complete. This will take several days/weeks after contract award. Request you please delete the requirement to submit this MSC/EPIC Submission Template to the AMERDEC SAFE site NLT 24 hours of Vessel award.

ANSWER: Crew will be vetted after award.

20. Please confirm that the cost of Force Protection team under Contractor Security Clause is for the account of the Owner/Offeror, as part of its hire rate, and not a cost reimbursable from MSC (the Charterer).

ANSWER: The security team for the Arabian Gulf tanker is on the owner's account and should be included in the daily rate rather than being a reimbursable for the charterer's account. The team will be on board at all times on the Arabian Gulf tanker. On the Far East tanker, the security team will be on as needed and will be cost reimbursable. See Amendment 0001 of the RFP.

21. Performance Work Statement and Technical Evaluation Worksheets state that vessel has six (6) months to comply with installation/capability of RAS/CONSOL station. However, compliance with ability to berth 12 additional government personnel is required at delivery. Please explain rationale why there is a difference in compliance timeline with these two items?

ANSWER: These are two different requirements.

22. Amended Part X, Section m TECHNICAL PROPOSAL requires evidence of most recent USCG and ABS and IACS inspections within 12 months. For offerors intending to offer a foreign flagged vessel to be reflagged subject to charter award, and if the vessel is currently classed by other than ABS, then offeror cannot submit evidence of most recent USCG and ABS inspections since these agencies/class society do not perform inspections on the subject vessel. Request Part X, Section m be further amended to remove the aforementioned requirement if vessel is foreign flagged and non-ABS classed at time of offer.

ANSWER: The Offerer can submit the equivalent certification from the Governments/Classification Societies that the vessel is currently regulated or certificated by with the understanding that prior to delivery the vessel will meet the requirement outlined.

23. As amended in Part X, section m TECHNICAL PROPOSAL allows offerors the ability to provide a narrative explaining how it will have a Quality Management System in place by the contract performance date if offeror currently does not have the required systems in place. Consistent with previous MSC solicitations for tanker time charters as well as operation and maintenance of government-owned vessels, please confirm that "Quality Management System" as used in this section means both i) a documented quality management system certified to ISO 9000 series or equivalent, and ii) a safety management system certified to the ISM Code.

ANSWER: This is a correct statement.

24. Technical Evaluation Worksheet Arabian Gulf item gg) requires vessel to have ability and be equipped to perform cargo operations via refueling at sea/CONSOL at time of delivery. However, Performance Work Statement (PWS) item cc) states the vessel will have six (6) months after delivery to comply with the aforementioned requirement. Request that Technical Evaluation Worksheet Arabian Gulf item gg) be amended to reflect the Performance Work Statement.

ANSWER: Amendment 0001 of the RFP revised Attachment F, Technical Evaluation Worksheet to reflect the PWS.

25. Please advise API and/or cargo density of F76, JA1 and JP8.

ANSWER: MSDS sheets for these cargoes are attached.

26. Please confirm that full compliance with cyber-security requirements detailed in INST 800-171 is mandatory for this contract.

ANSWER: Yes.

27. Do Charterers have any historical data available, from previous experience on the above referenced trading pattern, concerning vessel operating tempo with regards to frequency of port calls, bunkering, etc. so that Owners may best account for estimated crew overtime expenses to be incurred under the contract?

ANSWER: OPTEMPO is unpredictable and varies from month to month. Below are OPTEMPO 30 day examples taken from recent RFPs for each geographic area. These are examples only, without guarantee, as OPTEMPO will increase or decrease with fluctuating theater fuel demands.

28. REF ADD PART VIII(B), 252.204-7008 (PG II-8) Would MSC be willing to amend the NIST SP 800-171 requirement to match the amendments USTRANSCOM did for the carriers in USC 08? See attached changes made with USC 08 Mod.

ANSWER: No.

29. The TankTime Boxes, Block 6 states that the Master, Ch Mate, and one other officer need to have at a minimum a National Agency Check for access to info up to SECRET. However, this conflicts with Part V (a) (page V-1), which states that the Master, C/M, and one other officer are cleared to receive info up to SECRET. Does this mean a SECRET security clearance is required?

ANSWER: SECRET clearance is required. Box 6 has been revised in Amendment 0001.

30. Part IV (l) (Time Lost) (2) states that Charterer may cancel the charterer if, within any 365 day period, the vessel is unavailable for more than 30 days except if time is lost due to IV(h)(1)(War). Please confirm that this exception also applies to time lost due to IV (f) (Drydock).

ANSWER: Regulatory scheduled required drydocks are excepted.

31. Are there any in-port security expectations for the Contracted Security Team while making port calls or repairs?

ANSWER: Security requirements will be dictated by the ports and threat level at that time.

32. Within the PWS, item 1. Vessel requirements (v) Certificates of Quality of last three cargos: please confirm that vegetable oil is considered a clean petroleum product, as is understood commercially, therefore complying with MSC/DLA requirements of 3 clean petroleum products.

ANSWER: Vegetable oil as a cargo is only acceptable if at least three cargoes of clean petroleum products have been carried after carrying vegetable oil.

33. Can you supply the crew wages currently being paid by the vessel(s) currently performing under this contract?

ANSWER: There is no current long-term tanker contract for these services. Please see answer to question #3 for more information.