N4019221R2800_Phase One RFI Notice 1.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING SYSTEMS COMMAND MARIANAS

PSC 455, BOX 195

FPO AP 96540-2937

N40192-21-R-2800 Phase One Notice 1

20 May 2021

PHASE ONE NOTICE 1

PRE-PROPOSAL REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AND RESPONSES

SOLICITATION N40192-21-R-2800

SMALL BUSINESS DESIGN-BUILD MULTIPLE AWARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT

VARIOUS LOCATIONS, GUAM

QUESTION 1: Our firm is an energy specialist. We do energy audits, solar energy, thermal, and energy demand management. Is this a contract where projects that come out to bid would fall under this section?

Answer 1: The work to be acquired under this contract is new construction, renovation/modernization, and routine repair/maintenance, by method of design-build, at various federal or military facilities and installations on Guam and occasionally in the Northern Mariana Islands and the outlying Pacific islands.

The work (tasks) will generally provide all design, labor, transportation, equipment, materials, tools, supplies, engineering, supervision, and administration services needed to complete the scope of work.

Project scopes may or may not involve energy, solar energy, thermal, or energy demand management.

QUESTION 2: Reference Construction Experience Note (1) in Factor 2 Experience of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 22 16. Will only vertical construction projects be considered relevant or can standalone site civil utility projects such as water, sewer, storm water, electrical distribution, etc., be considered relevant projects for evaluation purposes?

Answer 2: Projects submitted must meet the relevancy requirements stated in Factor 2. The scope of a project submitted for evaluation of experience must be new construction, renovation, or repair work. If the primary intent of a project was utility work, for example, and not new construction, renovation, or repair work, it may not be considered relevant.

QUESTION 3: Reference Construction Experience Note (4) in Factor 2 Experience of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 22 16. This note states Offerors who fail to submit experience for all JV or LLC members may be rated lower. Does this apply to Mentor-Protégé Offerors? If so, it is in direct conflict with CFR 13 CFR 125.8 (e) which clearly states “A procuring activity may not require the protégé firm to individually meet the same evaluation or responsibility criteria as that required of other offerors generally.”

13 CFR § 125.8 - What requirements must a joint venture satisfy to submit an offer for a procurement or sale set aside or reserved for small business?

(e) Capabilities, past performance and experience. When evaluating the capabilities, past performance, experience, business systems and certifications of an entity submitting an offer for a contract set aside or reserved for small business as a joint venture established pursuant to this section, a procuring activity must consider work done and qualifications held individually by each partner to the joint venture as well as any work done by the joint venture itself previously. A procuring activity may not require the protégé firm to individually meet the same evaluation or responsibility criteria as that required of other offerors generally. The partners to the joint venture in the aggregate must demonstrate the past performance, experience, business systems and certifications necessary to perform the contract.

We respectfully ask for this provision for Mentor-Protégés to be incorporated into the evaluation criteria as to not disadvantage Mentor-Protégé offers.

Answer 3: Construction Experience Note (8) is added to address Mentor-Protégé offerors. Refer to Amendment 0001.

QUESTION 4: Reference Construction Experience Note (3) in Factor 2 Experience of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 22 16. For project relevance, please change the requirement from “completed or substantially completed within the last five (5) years of the date of issuance of this RFP (11 May 2016 through 11 May 2021)” to “completed or substantially completed within the last ten (10) years of the date of issuance of this RFP (11 May 2011 through 11 May 2021).” This change will allow small businesses more latitude to select the most relevant projects for this acquisition, providing a higher level of competition in terms of experience and past performance for this contract.

Answer 4: No. The proposal submission requirements for Factor 2 Experience remain unchanged.

Projects submitted shall be completed within the last 5 years of the date of issuance of this RFP.

QUESTION 5: Proposal Delivery: With the onset of COVID-19, USPS and commercial carrier delivery to Guam is wholly unreliable, at best. We request the Government allow electronic proposals to be submitted via the DoD SAFE site or via email. This has been the common practice for proposal submittal to the DoD since March of 2020.

Answer 5: Submission of proposals are authorized via email with hard copies to follow. Refer to Amendment 0001.

QUESTION 6: Reference Construction Experience Note (3) in Factor 2 Experience of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 22 16. Please change the requirement from “completed or substantially completed within the last five (5) years of the date of issuance of this RFP (11 May 2016 through 11 May 2021)” to “completed or substantially completed within the last ten (10) years of the date of issuance of this RFP (11 May 2011 through 11 May 2021).” This will increase competition beyond the current SB MACC contract holders to a larger pool of small businesses that have performed relevant work on Guam.

Answer 6: No. Refer to Question 4.

QUESTION 7: We urge the Government to allow electronic proposals to be uploaded to the DoD SAFE site in lieu of hard copy delivery. Both the USPS and commercial carriers have been adversely impacted by COVID and we continue to see many instances of delivery delays. Please allow proposals to be uploaded to the Government's DoD SAFE site to ensure proposals are received by the due date and time.

Answer 7: Submission of proposals are authorized via email with hard copies to follow. Refer to Question 5 and Amendment 0001.

QUESTION 8: Reference Factor 2 Experience of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 22 16. Since the Government is allowing us to use projects that are “substantially complete” (90%) to demonstrate experience and past performance, is it acceptable to provide an interim CPARS for those projects not yet 100% complete in Factor 2?

Answer 8: Yes.

QUESTION 9: Reference Paragraph 3.3 Proposal Submission of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 21 16.

Due to current pandemic situation, will the government consider accepting proposal submission method of an electronic email or drop-off at the DoD website?

Answer 9: Submission of proposals are authorized via email with hard copies to follow. Refer to Question 5 and Amendment 0001.

QUESTION 10: Reference Construction Experience in Factor 2 Experience of RFP Part 1, SF1442 Section 00 22 16. Please advise if design-build projects are considered more favorably over design-bid-build projects as a relevant construction project for this solicitation.

Answer 10: Yes. Relevant projects that demonstrate design-build experience may be considered more favorably than those that do not have design-build experience.

QUESTION 11: May we request that the proposal submission date be extended for an additional period of 14 calendar days? Our company and Lead Design firm have to request for PPQ's from our clients for the projects that we will submit for Factor 4 - Past Performance.

Answer 11: The Phase One proposal due date is extended from June 10, 2021 to June 24, 2021. Refer to Amendment 0001.