Q and A Responses 2.docx

MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND

N3220524R4094

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS #2

QUESTION #10

SOLICITATION SECTION: 52.212-2

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: Tradeoff Best Value Process

TITLE: Weighted

QUESTION: What is meant by ‘weighted’.

ANSWER: The term weighted in the context of this solicitation simply means significantly more important than the Price Factor, nothing more.

QUESTION #11

SOLICITATION SECTION: Main Contract, N3220524R4094

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: 2.17.1

TITLE: Gloss

QUESTION:

Section states: semi-gloss or higher finishes are accepted for all exterior topcoats. Deck finishes shall be semigloss or lower.

Please confirm, an exterior topcoat may be either gloss or semi-gloss. And a deck finish may be semi-gloss or flat. Gloss level is left to the coating supplier to choose within these limitations?

ANSWER: An exterior topcoat may be either gloss or semi-gloss. Deck finish may be semi-gloss or flat. Coating supplier can choose within those limits.

QUESTION #12

SOLICITATION SECTION: Main Contract, N3220524R4094

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: 12.6.1

TITLE: EPA

QUESTION:

Section states: The EPA applies to both decreases and increases in the PPI index and the LME Pricing Schedule. In the event the PPI Series pcu3255103255107 is discontinued, the PPI Series pcu325510325510 shall apply.

Per Exhibit (A), the Contractor may elect to submit paint product prices that fluctuate every twelve (12) months during the life of the contract; however, the price for the paint product, shall change only in correlation with the EPA and therefore shall remain fixed if no EPA is warranted.

If the PPI and or LME decreases, does MSC expect coating costs to decrease?

ANSWER: Yes

QUESTION #13

SOLICITATION SECTION: Main Contract, N3220524R4094

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: 6.1.1

TITLE: Phase-In period

QUESTION:

Section states: Following Contract award, there shall be approximately ninety (90) day OCONUS phase-in period, and approximately ninety (90) day CONUS phase-in period, during which the Contractor shall, with Government input, develop a plan of action (Exhibit B, CDRL-010) to ensure a smooth transition of products and services from the predecessor Contract to the current Contract

What is MSC’s best estimate as to when the contract will be awarded and when the phase-in period will commence? Understand MSC’s response is not binding as there are many variables. Looking for the rough timing MSC is anticipating for planning purposes.

ANSWER: The tentative start date for phase-in is 14 March 2025; however, factors outside the Government’s control may cause that date to slip over time, and this date should not be considered binding on the Government.

QUESTION #14

SOLICITATION SECTION: Main Contract, N3220524R4094

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: 6.3.2

TITLE: Reimbursement

QUESTION:

Section states: The Contractor’s Field Service Technical Representative’s Daily Paint Progress Report (Exhibit B, CDRL-015.01) shall be used to determine the number of reimbursable work days.

Please verify that a tech rep will be reimbursed for the entire number of days in the field, not solely days worked. For example, a tech rep travels from the States to Singapore to be onsite for MSC dry-docking for 30 days. Of the entire 30 day dry-docking, 25 days are actually worked. Please advise is this scenario would we bill for 30 days or 25 days. Our contention is for 30 days as the tech rep is onsite in support of this ongoing effort and we are incurring daily expenses.

ANSWER: If the technical representative is required and remains onsite for the full 30 days, you may submit an invoice for that period.

QUESTION #15

SOLICITATION SECTION: Exhibit A

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: Page 52, second paragraph

TITLE: Write Protection

QUESTION: Per the RFP, we are required to fill in the green highlighted sections only for submission;

however, columns E, G, H, & J can be manually adjusted – should these columns be write protected (locked)?

ANSWER: No, Exhibit A was unlocked to allow corrections. Offerors are responsible for any calculations within the Pricing Table.

QUESTION #16

SOLICITATION SECTION: I – General Information; page 48

PARAGRAPH / SECTION NO: I – Volumes I-IV

TITLE:

QUESTION: The instructions state that each volume will consist of one separately labeled file sent via PIEE; That may not be 100% possible in a Volume that will contain multiple file types – such as Volume 3 that will contain an Excel (Exhibit A), that can’t be merged into one single PDF with the rest of the contents. Should what is uploaded to PIEE in that case be a zip file, or will multiple file in a single volume be acceptable in that case?

ANSWER: Multiple files in a single volume is acceptable.