201700103__Amendment_1.pdf

AMENDMENT #1, RFP No. NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI201700103

Amendment No. 1 RFP No. NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI201700103

“NIAID Virology Quality Assurance”

Solicitation Number:

Amendment Number:

Amendment Issue Date:

NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI201700103

One (1)

July 24, 2018

Issued By: Michelle L. Scala Contracting Officer

OA/DEA/NIAID/NIH/DHHS

5601 Fishers Lane, Room 3D10, MSC 9821 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9821

Points of Contact: PRIMARY:

Rosemary Gomes, Contract Specialist Phone: 240-669-5374 Email Address: Rosemary.Gomes@nih.gov

SECONDARY:

Michelle L. Scala, Contracting Officer Phone: 240-669-5156 Email Address: mscala@niaid.nih.gov

The purpose of this amendment is to: provide responses to questions from potential offerors regarding the solicitation.

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment by identifying this amendment number and date of the amendment on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgement may result in the rejection of your proposal. Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

Responses to Questions from Potential Offerors:

Question 1:

The RFP requires offerors to include the Technical Proposal – Attachment 9: Planned Enrollment Report, PHS-398/2590 (rev. 8/12), however it also requires offerors to include Attachment 14:

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information Forms. The problem is Attachment 14 is an interactive from packet, which includes a planned enrollment report as part of Section 2 – Study Population Characteristics, which would duplication what is already being included in Attachment 9. Do offerors need to include Attachment 9 if the Enrollment Report is included as part of Attachment 14?

Response to Question 1:

Yes, Enrollment Report information should be included in both Attachment 9 and Attachment 14.

mailto:Rosemary.Gomes@nih.gov mailto:anhughes@niaid.nih.gov

AMENDMENT #1, RFP No. NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI201700103

Question 2:

In addition, Attachment 14 requires offerors to upload attachments on Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children, Recruitment and Retention Plan, Study Timeline, and Protection of Human Subjects – all topics that are also asked to be described in detail as part of the Technical proposal itself, see Section 4. Human Subjects beginning on page 55 of the RFP. Given the page limit of the Technical proposal, there is not room for duplication. Which section should these topics be addressed to avoid duplication?

Response to Question 2:

The offerors should summarize the topics in the technical proposal and refer to Attachment 14 for more information.

Question 3:

Attachment 13: 508 Compliance – The RFP includes an old and much shorter version of the HHS 508 evaluation template, however when we click the link in the RFP it directs us to a more lengthy template. The form is required from our site as well as two of our subsites – based on what applies to the site and the contract the form can expand to be quite long. We are estimating around 40-pages in total. Again, this attachment counts towards the Technical page limit. Can the old form still be used for this submission? If so, where can we locate the old form?

Response to Question 3:

Attachment 13 refers to HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template. When you click the link, it will also give you an option to download the template as a Word document. We verified the document available on the website with the form that was attached to the solicitation and they are identical. Yes, this information shall be submitted as part of the technical proposal.

Question 4:

Can the font size for the references be smaller than the rest of the proposal text?

Response to Question 4:

Please follow the instruction listed under “Formatting for proposals”. It stated the acceptable font size, on Attachment 1 – Packaging and Delivery of Proposals, which is 10 to 12 points font, for all documents submitted.

Question 5:

In the final submission offerors are required to upload an excel spreadsheet for the Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Cost (plus Fee), and the instructions state that multiple excel files may be included. Should the offerors include a separate excel files for the main, subcontracts, and each option (main and subs), for a total of 15 separate excel files?

Response to Question 5:

Yes, please include all excel files for the prime and Subcontractors, separately. Additionally, please include a summary page for all proposed costs.

END OF AMENDMENT No. 1 RFP No. NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI201700103