Patient Taxi and Rideshare Transport Services Question and Answer Sheet.docx

PSSD Taxi Solicitation questions response

1. Can the Government provide the name of the current and/or most recent incumbent contractor(s) performing these services?

Barwood Management LLC

2. Can the Government provide the current contract number and contract award value for the incumbent contract, including base year and exercised option years, if applicable?

75N90024D00003 Ceiling amount $750,000.00

3. Can the Government provide the incumbent’s approved pricing structure or average price per completed trip under the current contract and/or previous contract periods?

The SOW requires invoices to include metered receipts, trip amount, additional taxi fees, total cost of trip, and written justification for additional fees. The Government advises the use of the pricing sheet to determine the information asked.

4. Can the Government provide historical annual trip volumes for the previous five (5) years, including completed trips, canceled trips, no-shows, and after-hours transports?

The Government provided a pricing sheet that includes an estimated number of trips annually.

5. Is the estimated quantity of 14,000 trips per year based on actual historical utilization, projected growth, or a ceiling estimate?

The 14,000-trip figure should be treated as an estimated annual quantity for planning/evaluation purposes, not a guaranteed volume.

6. Can the Government clarify whether pricing should be proposed as a fixed per-trip rate, zone-based pricing, mileage-based pricing, hourly pricing, or another format?

The solicitation should clarify the required pricing format. Based on the SOW, pricing and invoicing must support metered, trip-level documentation and must comply with applicable taxi commission rate requirements.

7. Will the Government evaluate pricing based solely on total proposed contract value, or will there also be evaluation of pricing realism compared to historical incumbent rates and market pricing?

The Government will evaluate price in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the solicitation. The acquisition is anticipated to use a best-value tradeoff approach in which Technical Capability/Approach, Qualifications/Availability/Training, and Past Performance are more important than price. The Government will not use any unstated price realism methodology. Any price realism analysis, comparison to historical incumbent rates, or comparison to market pricing will be conducted only if expressly provided for in the solicitation.

8. Can the Government provide the historical average monthly spend under the current contract?

Please see number 2

9. Does the current incumbent utilize employees, independent contractors, rideshare partnerships, or a hybrid staffing model to perform services?

The Government will not disclose specific operational or staffing practices of the incumbent contractor. Offerors may propose staffing and operational approaches that meet the requirements of the solicitation, provided the prime contractor remains fully responsible for contract performance and compliance with all solicitation requirements.

10. Are there service level requirements (response times, wait times, on-time percentages, etc.) currently being met by the incumbent that offerors should account for in pricing?

Offerors should account for the SOW’s response-time, late-pickup, performance deduction, corrective-action, and quarterly review requirements.

11. Can the Government clarify whether trips include ambulatory only, wheelchair-accessible transports, stretcher transports, or ADA-accessible vehicle requirements?

The requirement includes ambulatory passenger transportation and ADA/wheelchair-accessible vehicle capability. Stretcher transportation is not specified in the SOW.

12. Approximately what percentage of trips are scheduled in advance, same-day/on-demand, after-hours, weekends/holidays?

This information will be provided after the award.

13. Will parking fees, tolls, waiting time, or driver standby time be reimbursable separately or must they be included in proposed pricing?

The SOW requires itemized weekly invoices with metered receipts, written justification for additional fees, “Additional Taxi Fees,” and total trip cost.

14. Can the Government provide the geographic service area radius and approximate percentage of local versus long-distance trips historically performed?

The SOW states that services include the Washington, D.C. commercial zone, including local airports that provide international service, and specifies Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Northern Virginia, Baltimore County, and Washington, D.C. The Acquisition Plan also identifies the service area as NIH campus, local airports, local hotels, hospitals, The Children’s Inn, and residences within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

15. Does the Government anticipate any transition period or incumbent phase-out/phase-in requirements prior to the June 1, 2026 start date?

The Government does not anticipate a separate transition period or incumbent phase-out/phase-in period prior to the June 1, 2026, start date. The successful contractor must be prepared to begin full performance on June 1, 2026, including having qualified personnel, insured drivers, compliant vehicles, dispatch capability, and all required operational controls in place as required by the solicitation.

16. Are subcontracting or rideshare platform partnerships permissible under this solicitation, provided all personnel and insurance requirements are met?

Yes. Subcontracting arrangements and rideshare platform partnerships may be permissible under this solicitation, provided the prime contractor remains fully responsible for contract performance and ensures all personnel, licensing, insurance, safety, security, and performance requirements identified in the solicitation are met. The Government reserves the right to evaluate the suitability of any proposed subcontracting or partnership arrangements as part of the technical evaluation process.

17. Can the Government provide a copy of the redacted incumbent statement of work and any applicable performance metrics currently used to evaluate contractor performance?

Can the Government provide a copy of the redacted incumbent statement of work and any applicable performance metrics currently used to evaluate contractor performance?

18. Has the Government identified any performance deficiencies or service gaps under the current contract that offerors should specifically address in their technical proposals?

The Government will evaluate all quotations based on the requirements and evaluation criteria identified in the solicitation. Offerors are encouraged to clearly demonstrate their ability to provide timely, reliable, safe, and professional transportation services in accordance with the Statement of Work. The Government will not disclose internal contract administration or performance assessment information related to the incumbent contractor.

19. Will the Government consider pricing adjustments during option years based on CPI or other economic price adjustment methodologies?

No. The Government does not currently anticipate incorporating Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) provisions, CPI-based adjustments, or other escalation methodologies into this solicitation. Offerors shall propose fixed pricing for the base year and all option periods, inclusive of all anticipated costs, labor, overhead, transportation, fuel, and inflation-related considerations.

20. Can the Government confirm whether all trips originate from or terminate at the NIH Clinical Center, or if interfacility and regional medical provider trips are also routinely required?

Answer: This solicitation does not limit trips to those originating from or terminating at the NIH Clinical Center. Trips may include NIH Clinical Center trips as well as interfacility and regional medical-provider-related transportation within the defined service area, when authorized by the Government.

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