RFIs - 21-R-1401 - Nov 30 2020.pdf

N62473-21-R-1401

Architectural Design Services at Various Installations

A-E IDIQ Contract, 100% Small Business Set-Aside

NAVFAC SW

RFIs (Requests For Information) Questions and Answers

Dated: November 30, 2020

RFI #19 Please consider replacing the following narrative taken from Criterion 4 PAST

PERFORMANCE.

Current Narrative:

Submission Requirements: Submit a narrative to demonstrate Offeror’s past performance in effective project cost control: 1) Describe the firm’s cost estimating procedures and project cost control methods; 2) Provide budget amounts, final construction cost estimates, and actual construction contract award amounts for at least five (5) projects submitted in response to Criterion 2. Explain any differences in the amounts.

Proposed Replacement Narrative

Submission Requirements: Submit a narrative to demonstrate Offeror’s past performance in effective project cost control: 1) Describe the firm’s cost estimating procedures and project cost control methods 2) Provide budget amounts (if available), final construction cost estimates, and actual construction contract award amounts for at least one (1) project submitted in response to Criterion 2. Explain any differences in the amounts.

If the proposed replacement narrative is not adopted, the criterion will greatly limit competition among small business prime contractors that do not have the agency IDIQ experience needed to demonstrate cost estimating (secondary AE service) on as many as five (5) Criterion 2 projects. The current narrative introduces an unintentional unfair advantage for firms that have held agency IDIQ contract vehicles. We recognize the importance of cost estimating in controlling project costs and will successfully team with highly capable cost estimating firms. We request that cost control experience can be demonstrated in Criterion 4 without having to be tied to Criterion 2 projects or limited to one (1) rather than a minimum of five (5).

Answer: Criterion 4 PAST PERFORMANCE remains unchanged.

RFI #20 Please define Commercial Project and Institutional Project providing further insight into the types of qualifying projects in these respective areas

Answer: Commercial projects and Institutional projects may include: Airport buildings, office buildings, arenas/stadiums, parking garages, barracks, prisons, farm buildings, radio and television broadcast studios, fire stations, religious buildings

(e.g., churches, synagogues, mosques, temples), grain elevators, restaurants, hospitals, school buildings, hotels, shopping malls, indoor swimming facilities and warehouse buildings. Other types of acceptable projects as mentioned in the

Synopsis may include industrial, operational and training, research and development, medical, and quality of life facilities.

RFI #21 Please indicate the last day the Navy intends to entertain new RFI’s

Answer: NAVFAC SW does not intend to respond to RFIs submitted after 17:00 (5:00 PM) local time on December 7, 2020.

RFI #22 Please confirm that the forthcoming change to the definition of “recent” increasing from five to seven years will be extended to both projects in Section F and those in Section E resumes

Answer: Confirmed.

RFI #23 Please confirm that all prime entities including Joint Ventures must provide a DUNS, CAGE and Tax Payer ID Number as part of the SF330 submission

Answer: Per Section SF330, Part 1, Sections B and C of the Synopsis document, “In Block 5, in addition to the name of the firm, provide the firm’s Data Universal Numbering

System (DUNS) number issued by Dun and Bradstreet Information Services. In

Block 9, in addition to the name of the firm, provide the DUNS number of each proposed team member.”

CAGE Codes are required for registration in SAM, but are not required to be submitted as part of the SF330 package.

Tax Payer ID Number is not required.

RFI #24 In Part 1, Section E, Resumes of Key Personnel, Criterion 1, Professional Qualifications;

Please confirm the Sustainable Design Manger is not required to be an employee of the prime AE.

Answer: Confirmed.

RFI #25 In Part 1, Section E, Resumes of Key Personnel, Criterion 1, Professional

Qualifications; Please confirm that the prime AE must submit four (4) registered

Architects; the Program Manger and three additional registered Architects.

Answer: Key personnel resumes shall include, but not be limited to, individuals who will perform the functions of Program Manager, Design Quality Control Manager

(DQCM), and Sustainable Design Manager (see definitions). The prime A-E firm shall submit a minimum of three (3) professional registered architects on staff.

Resumes of these individuals shall demonstrate their depth of experience in their respective roles. The designated Program Manager (see definition) shall be a professional registered architect and be an employee of the prime A-E firm.

RFI #26 Do “Primary A-E services” “prepare fully-designed plans and specifications” include designs done under the Design-Build project delivery method?

Answer: No. Fully-designed plans and specifications are designs completed under the Design-

Bid-Build project delivery method and must be a separate contract from the construction contract.

RFI #27 Can the proposed team fulfill the Additional Requirement of “A minimum of one (1)

Design-Bid-Build (Plans & Specs) project to demonstrate recent, relevant design experience with new buildings/facilities” using a design done under the Design-Build project delivery method?

Answer: No. The design must be completed under the Design-Bid-Build project delivery method and must be a separate contract from the construction contract.

RFI #28 RFI Answer #3 states that ‘procurement will result in a single award A-E IDIQ’. Please confirm; does this mean that only one A-E team will be selected and awarded an IDIQ contract as a result of this solicitation?

Answer: This procurement will result in a single award A-E IDIQ; one IDIQ award will be issued.

RFI #29 The $99M/8yr = $12.375M per year appears to exceed 100% Small Business limit. The

NAICS Code for 541310 (Architectural Services) for Small Business is $8M.

The project locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and

Utah. This would require a medium to large A&E Team with branch offices in these

States.

Is it possible that the medium to large sized A&E Team that can perform Task Orders simultaneously in multiple States be considered?

Answer: This is a 100% Small-Business set-aside. Only firms who are registered as small businesses will be considered. A contractor will be considered a small business for the duration of the IDIQ contract if they are a small business at the time of SF330 submission, unless the contracting officer requests the awardee to recertify its size.

RFI #30 Our firm is part of a JV which is planning to propose on the above solicitation. We have also been invited to join another team as a sub. I did not see any prohibition for this situation (being on a JV and being a sub to another team) in the solicitation but I wanted to ask for confirmation that this was acceptable as far as NAVFAC SW is concerned.

Would you please confirm that this is acceptable or not?

Answer: The Government provides no guidance as to how a prime contractor formulates their team submitting for a contract opportunity.

RFI #31 Will we be seeing additional responses to RFIs today? If not can you share when? Questions centered around Past Performance Cost Control requirements are significantly influencing Section F project selections and therefore progress on our SF330 submission.

Answer: RFI responses are distributed as of the date of this document posting.