FBOAmendment001.pdf

Amendment to Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) Notice

Amendment No.: 0001

Identification No.: NCNL3000-18-00606

Title: NOS/NGS Shoreline Mapping Support Services

Amendment Purpose: This amendment is issued to provide answers to questions received to date for NCNL3000-18-00606 (NOS/NGS Shoreline Mapping Support Services) posted to FBO on June 27, 2019.

The following questions with respective answers are provided herein:

Question 1: Certain attachments identified in the SOW document (CMP_SOW_V15_FINAL_- _08APR19_.pdf) are noted as “removed” though similar requirements appear elsewhere in the SOW and/or Request for SF330 document. (e.g., Attachment A - Airport Aerial Photography, Attachment B - Sample Project Instruction, Attachment C - Coastal Aerial Film Photography, Attachment N - Survey Disk Diagrams, Attachment AA - Hyperspectral Sensor Usage and Data Processing, Attachment AB – IfSAR, Attachment AD - Technical Proposal Contents, Attachment AH - NGS Requirements for Tide Gauge Stations). If these items have been removed from the SOW document, should we assume that they are no longer required and have been removed from the entire scope of the contract?

Answer: Some requirements were duplicative, and while removed in one place remain in the overall document. In other cases similar requirements across multiple attachments were merged into singular attachments. All requirements found in the document should be viewed as such, regardless if they no longer are within their own, distinct attachment.

Question 2: Certain text/phrases within the sections of the SOW document are highlighted (in different color). Is there any specific meaning to these highlighted sections? Are we to interpret these highlighted sections as somehow different or more important/note-worthy than un-highlighted sections?

Answer: The SOW highlighted information is intended as a clear signal to all interested parties as to which items have been changed, modified, updated or removed since the previously competed requirement. No interpretation as to the importance of this information shall be made, other than provided within this response.

Question 3: For our response to SF-330 Section F (project descriptions), are multi-year IDIQ contracts acceptable as project descriptions, or, similar to the PPQ requirement, must they be for individual projects/task orders?

Answer: As stated in the Request for SF330, Section Criteria, Item 2 Specialized Experience and Technical Competence, “All projects provided must contain a contract/task order number. Furthermore, base level ordering vehicles shall not be referenced as a project, as no work is completed at the base level.”

Question 4: Can a key personnel map to more than one labor category?

Answer: Yes, Key Personnel can map to more than one labor category.

Question 5: Is the intent of this requirement to demonstrate past performance with Government agencies OR private industry?

Answer: Past Performance with Government agencies and/or private industry may be provided. There is no preference of one source over the other.

Question 6: If we worked for a Prime that is considered private industry but their ultimate client is a government agency, would this project be acceptable to demonstrate our experience working for private industry?

Answer: Yes, this scenario demonstrates experience working for private industry.

Question 7: A minimum of three (3) references must be provided. If a CPARS is available for an example project listed in SF330, Part I, Section F, is it to be included in our proposal?

Answer: If a CPARS is available for an example project listed in the SF330, Part I, Section F, firms may include such records in their response. CPARS records will not be counted towards the 100-page limit.

Question 8: Section F shall be limited to 8 projects and no more than 20 pages total. Is it permissible to use an IDIQ contract detailing specific task orders all with their own task order number, period of performance, and fee (evaluated independently) as an example Section F project (completed within the past 5 years or substantially completed to 80%), or does a task order under an IDIQ constitute a “project”?

Answer: In the SF330, Section F, Example Projects which best illustrate proposed team’s qualifications for this contract, Task Orders completed under an IDIQ contract shall be listed individually as one “project.” Each stated Task Order will be counted as one “project” towards the maximum number of eight (8) projects.

Question 9: Section F shall be limited to 8 projects and no more than 20 pages. Is the extra page allowance for Section F projects given to allow for an elaboration of work performed if composite descriptions (e.g. IDIQ contract where multiple task orders are shown) are not permitted?

Answer: The page limitations stated within the Request for SF330 are to be adhered to and used at the proposing firm’s discretion towards submitting a quality response.

Question 10: Is there an opportunity for smaller firms (<50) who are specialists with the Chesapeake Bay’s Coastline (North Carolina up to New York) to submit region based proposals?

We are capable and have the credentials to do many of the items, however we do not have pilots for manned aircrafts. We have several FAA Part 107 Pilots staffed who have flown both fixed wing and rotary drones. We have used them to map streams, shorelines, fields, etc. We also do hydrographic surveys on many tidal waterways and lakes within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Answer: NOAA is not accepting region based or partial proposals for this requirement.

Firms interesting in teaming or subcontracting are encouraged to contact large firms that intend to provide an end-to-end response to this requirement.

Question 11: Would it make more sense to contact one of the larger firms submitting to see if we can handle region based jobs?

Answer: Please refer to the response provided to Question 10 of this Amendment.

Question 12: Per the solicitation, each side of a single sheet of paper is considered a page, such that a single sheet of 8 ½ x 11, is two pages of the 100-page total, exclusive of Part (I and II) dividers and any single sheet front or back cover. Are spread sheets and foldouts 11” x 17” in size permitted? If yes, does an 11” x 17” sheet constitute a single page?

Answer: Fold-outs and spreadsheets of any page size larger than 8 ½” x 11” will not be permissible.

Question 13: Per the solicitation, no smaller than 9-point font for SF 330 forms and no smaller than 12-point font for non-SF 330 pages (Section H) is to be used. Would it be acceptable to use a smaller, 9-point font for tables included in the Section H?

Answer: NOAA will allow the use of no smaller than 10-point font for tables included in the SF330 Section H, Additional Information. As such, the Request for SF330 language is updated as follows:

The following limitations apply: Section E shall be limited to 25 resumes (including all key personnel resumes). Section F shall be limited to 8 projects and no more than 20 pages total. Section H shall be no more than 30 pages. Front and back side use of a single page will count as 2 pages. The overall submission package (Part I and Part II of SF 330) shall not exceed 100 pages. Each side of a single sheet of paper is considered a page, such that a single sheet of 8 ½ x 11, is two pages of the 100 page total, exclusive of Part (I and II) dividers and any single sheet front or back cover. The cover letter, table of contents, list of exhibits and list of acronyms are included in the 100 page total. Use no smaller than 9-point font for SF 330 forms and no smaller than 12-point font for non SF 330 pages (Section H). No smaller than 10-point font is allowable for tables included in Section H. It is understood that the SF330 form may not be conducive to formatting;

therefore, single line spacing and no less than 1-inch margins applies to Section H only.

Pages in excess of the maximums listed for each section shall be discarded and not used in evaluation of the selection criteria. Furthermore, pages in excess of the overall maximum page limit shall be discarded and not used in the evaluation. The entire SF330 submittal (and each copy thereof) shall be contained in a 3-ring binder.

Question 14: Is the actual document (with column 'Names of Proposed Personnel' populated) to be included as an attachment with our response? If so, does it count towards the 100-page page limit?

Answer: As stated in the Request for SF330, Selection Criteria, Item 1 Professional Qualification, “In order to be qualified, firms will need to have personnel on payroll for all of the labor categories identified in Attachment B, Labor Category Descriptions. The proposed team as a whole (prime and subcontractors) must have all of the labor categories identified in Attachment B, Labor Category Descriptions, (including Key Personnel) on payroll.” In order to fulfill this requirement, a completed Attachment B - Labor Categories document shall be included as an attachment to the firm’s response.

This attachment does not count towards the 100-page limit.

Question 15: Please confirm if names of personnel should be identified in our response for all labor categories, or for just key personnel.

Answer: Yes, a completed Attachment B - Labor Categories document shall be included as an attachment to the firm’s response identifying the names of all proposed individuals for each labor category, and correlating required quantities. This attachment does not count towards the 100-page limit.

Question 16: For the references requirement described in 4. Past Performance, the Solicitation states a minimum of three (3) references must be provided. However all 8 of the project examples submitted on SF330 Section F will have Project Owner information included.

Wouldn’t all 8 of these be used by the government as reference checks? Or are we to indicate, on a minimum of 3, which project we would like to use? I typically assume all of the SF330 Section F Project Examples submitted are going to be used as references so this requirement needs a little clarification.

Answer: Firms are to provide a minimum of three (3) and no more than eight (8) references. As stated in the Request for SF330, Selection Criteria Item 4, Past Performance, “Evaluating past performance will include information provided in Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) and Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) for projects provided in the SF 330, Part I, Section F and may include customer inquiries, Government databases, and other information available to the Government including contact with points of contact provided in the SF 330.”

Question 17: In reference to the statement under Submission Requirements, “All subcontracting or teaming arrangements must be included in the SF 330 and the business size of each,” will including all sub-consultants’ firm name, address, and business size in Section A-C meet this requirement? Or are we required to include all of our fully executed Teaming Agreements in our submittal?

Answer: All subcontracting or teaming arrangements must be included in the SF330, Part I, Section C. Proposed Team, along with the business size of each. Fully executed Teaming Agreements are not required.