Attachment A - QandA_External.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 77 KB Posted Mar 26, 2026

Attached to: Dept of State - INL Worldwide (W-TPC BPA) PR15796090
Solicitation number: PR15796090
Issued by: Department of State Office of Acquisition Management

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Written by GovTribe AI · Mar 26, 2026

This is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) document for the Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Worldwide Third Party Contractor (W-TPC) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) solicitation PR15796090. The document contains vendor questions and government responses regarding proposal requirements, formatting, evaluation criteria, and contract terms across multiple submission rounds (V1-V27).

The BPA seeks to establish multiple awards with Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) contractors under GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) authority to provide professional and administrative support services on both CONUS and OCONUS bases. Key requirements include: (1) prime contractors must hold an active GSA MAS contract with NAICS code 541611 and a Top Secret Facility Security Clearance at proposal submission; (2) proposals are limited to four volumes—Business (5 pages), Technical (15 pages), Scenarios (1 page per scenario), and Pricing—with Attachments E and O documenting relevant experience and past performance; (3) pricing must align with the contractor's GSA schedule rates and be submitted in Attachment B with separate CONUS and OCONUS labor category pricing; (4) the base period is one year plus four one-year option periods plus a potential six-month extension (FAR 52.217-8), with contract duration not to exceed 60 months under FAR 52.217-9; and (5) personnel must meet clearance requirements specified in individual BPA Call Statements of Work, with Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager positions required at no cost to the government. The government anticipates making approximately 100-113 BPA awards historically, with call orders to be competed among all awardees using best-value criteria. Substantial clarifications were issued regarding page limits (excluding cover pages and tables of contents from counts), attachment treatment (Attachments E and O placement, CPARS acceptance as alternatives), labor category mapping to GSA schedules, OCONUS pricing methodologies, security processing timelines, and phase-in requirements. The initial proposal deadline was extended multiple times through April 2026 to allow vendors adequate preparation time.

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File	Type	Posted
191NLE26R0006 - P00001_SF1449.pdf	PDF	Apr 1, 2026
191NLE26R0006 - P00001_SF50.pdf	PDF	Apr 1, 2026
REV3_RFP_DoS_INL_WTPC_BPA_PR15796090.pdf	PDF	Apr 1, 2026
Revision_ Summary_RFP_DoS_INL_WTPC_BPA_PR15796090.docx	DOCX document	Apr 1, 2026
REV2_Attachment A - Questions (External).xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Mar 31, 2026
REV2_RFP_DoS_INL_WTPC_BPA_PR15796090.pdf	PDF	Mar 31, 2026
Revision_ Summary_RFP_DoS_INL_WTPC_BPA_PR15796090.docx	DOCX document	Mar 31, 2026
191NLE26R0006.pdf	PDF	Mar 31, 2026
(original)RFP - DoS INL WTPC BPA (PR15796090).pdf	PDF	Mar 26, 2026
Revision_ Summary_RFP_DoS_INL_WTPC_BPA_PR15796090.docx	DOCX document	Mar 26, 2026
REV1_RFP_DoS_INL_WTPC_BPA_PR15796090.pdf	PDF	Mar 26, 2026
RFP Attachments.zip	ZIP file	Mar 26, 2026
RFP Attachments.zip	ZIP file	Mar 13, 2026
FINAL-RFP - DoS INL WTPC BPA (PR15796090).pdf	PDF	Mar 13, 2026

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	Unique ID	Identifier	Technical, Cost, or Admin	RFP Section and Page Reference	Question or Clarification Request	Offeror Recommendation (if any)	Government Response
	V1	1	Admin	Section L-16; Page 60	The RFP states on Page 60 that "Page Limits (which include the Cover Page and Table of Contents)*" apply to Volumes I, II, and III. This significantly restricts the space available for substantive technical and business narratives, especially for the 5-page Volume I and 15-page Volume II.
Can the Government please exclude the Cover Page, Title Page, and Table of Contents from the page count for all Volumes?	The Offeror recommends that the Cover Page and Table of Contents be excluded from the page limits to allow for more detailed and comprehensive responses that fully address the RFP's technical and management requirements.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	2	Technial	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Page 61 of 67	Volume II is currently limited to 15 pages and includes the Technical Approach, Management Plan, and Attachment E (Relevant Experience). Given the complexity of these requirements, can the Government please increase the page limit for Volume II from 15 to 25 pages?	The Offeror recommends increasing the limit to 25 pages to ensure a thorough response to all subfactors.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	3	Technial	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Page 61 of 67	Can the Government please confirm whether Offerors are permitted to format the Attachment E Relevant Experience Questionnaire, provided that no required content, questions, prompts, or data fields are removed, altered, or omitted from the Government-provided template?	The Offeror recommends allowing re-formatting to ensure the template fits y within the Volume II.	If reformatting is required do not increase page count to fit reformatting nor exclude any information. Preference isn't to reformat.
	V1	4	Admin	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Page 60 of 67	The solicitation instructions specify the use of Arial 10-point font for tables. Given that the Government-provided Attachment E template is entirely in a table format, can the Government please confirm that Offerors may use Arial 10-point font throughout Attachment E?	The Offeror recommends confirming Arial 10-point is acceptable for all data within Attachment E.	Please adhere to Times New Roman 11 as stated in the RFP.
	V1	5	Admin	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Page 60 of 67	The RFP requires 1-inch margins on all sides, while the Government-provided Attachment E template appears to be formatted with 0.5-inch margins on all sides. Can the Government please confirm whether Offerors should maintain the original 0.5-inch margins as provided in Attachment E, or
Adjust the margins to 1 inch on all sides in accordance with the solicitation’s general formatting instructions?		If reformatting is required do not increase page count to fit reformatting nor exclude any information. Preference isn't to reformat.
	V1	6	Technical	Factor THREE: Corporate Experience & Past Performance; Page 62 of 67	Factor Three (ii) requires the submission of Attachment O Past Performance Questionnaires. Can the Government please confirm if Offerors are allowed to submit CPARS reports in lieu of or in addition to PPQs?	The Offeror recommends allowing CPARS reports as they represent official Government past performance records.	Please follow the templates provided
	V1	7	Technical		Volume III currently limits responses to one (1) page per scenario. Can the Government allow at least 2 pages per scenario to ensure all required protocols and H-clause references are addressed?	The Offeror recommends increasing the limit to 2 pages per scenario.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	8	Technical	Page 61, Section L-16, Volume II, Subfactor 1(a); and Page 1, Attachment Overview	Under Volume II, Subfactor 1(a) on page 61, the RFP instructs offerors to "Embed Attachment G - Summary of Professional Employee Benefits." However, the Attachment Overview on page 1 identifies Attachment G as the "Quarterly QACR template" and Attachment H as the "Summary of Professional Employee Benefits."
Please clarify correct which attachment for the Benefits requirement. Additionally, please clarify if the document should be embedded as an object within the Volume II PDF, included as a text section in an Appendix within the narrative not counting towards the page limit, or submitted as a separate file.	The Offeror recommends the Government update Section L-16 to correctly reference Attachment H (Summary of Professional Employee Benefits) to align with the Attachment Overview table.	Revision made on page 62
	V1	9	Admin	Section L-16; Page 60 & 61	Volume I is limited to five (05) pages total. However, Page 61 requires evidence of Top Secret FSC, SAM.gov registration, WOSB certification, and a $1M Line of Credit. Will the Government please confirm that these supporting documents/proofs are excluded from the 5-page limit?	The Offeror recommends that Volume I supporting "evidence" (FSC proof, SAM record, LOC, etc.) be submitted as an uncounted Appendix to the 5-page narrative.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	10	Admin	Section L-16, Factor One, Item 4; Page 61	Regarding the requirement for "Representations & Certifications documenting an active and current registration at the System for Award Management (SAM)," a full SAM.gov record can be dozens of pages. Should this be submitted as a separate attachment, and if so, is it excluded from the Volume I page count?	The Offeror recommends that the SAM.gov registration record be submitted as a separate, uncounted attachment.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	11	Admin	Section L-15, Business Systems; Pages 58-59	For the Accounting, Estimating, Billing, and Purchasing systems, the RFP requires "evidence to support the adequacy determination" (e.g., DCAA audit reports or full system descriptions). These reports are typically large. Are these audit reports and system descriptions excluded from the 5-page limit for Volume I?	The Offeror recommends that DCAA/CFAO audit letters and Business System descriptions be submitted as separate, uncounted attachments.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	12	Admin	Section L-15, Joint Venture; Page 59	If proposing as a Joint Venture, the RFP requires "Written evidence of such agreement" and a "full discussion of the relationship." Does the Joint Venture Agreement count toward the 5-page limit for Volume I?	The Offeror recommends that the Joint Venture Agreement and associated Corporate Charters/By-Laws be excluded from the Volume I page limit.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	13	Admin / Technical	Section C-02; Page 17 & Section L-16; Page 59	Section C-02 requires the submission of resumes (Attachment J), signed permission statements, and salary quotations for individuals not currently employed. However, Section L-16 does not specify which Volume these documents should be included in. Please clarify if these personnel documents should be submitted in Volume I (Business) or Volume II (Technical) and not counted towards the page limit of respected volumes.	The Offeror recommends that Key Personnel resumes and supporting documents be submitted in a separate, uncounted Personnel Appendix to ensure they do not impact the technical narrative page limits.	Resumes for key personnel are not part of the proposal.
	V1	14	Admin / Cost	Section C-02; Page 17 & Section L-16; Page 59-61	Section C-02 requires a "signed statement from the individual granting permission for submission" and an "agreement with specific salary quotations" for individuals not currently employed.

1. Can the Government confirm that a Letter of Intent (LOI) containing the salary quotation and permission to submit is acceptable for this requirement?

2. Since this contains sensitive salary data, should these be submitted in Volume I (Business) or Volume IV (Pricing) to avoid commingling cost data with the Technical Volume?

3. Are these agreements excluded from the page limits?	The Offeror recommends that these agreements be submitted as an uncounted Appendix to Volume I (Business) to protect sensitive salary information and preserve the page count for the Technical Volume.	Page 17 - Signed statement is provided on the BPA call level as this pertains to the candidates being submitted. This does not pertain to the parent BPA.
	V1	15	Admin	Section K-02; Page 53-54 & Section L-16; Page 60	Section K-02 (b) requires a "disclosure statement as part of its proposal" if an offeror is aware of any potential OCI. If a detailed OCI Disclosure or OCI Mitigation Plan is required, will the Government confirm that this document is excluded from the 5-page limit for Volume I?
Additionally, if an Offeror determines that no OCI exists, can the Government please confirm that an OCI Certification Letter is sufficient for this requirement and clarify if it shall be submitted by both the Prime and all Subcontractors?	The Offeror recommends that any required OCI Disclosure, Mitigation Plan, or negative certification be submitted as an uncounted Appendix to Volume I, preserving the page count for the required business narrative.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	16	Admin	Section H-03 (d); Page 28	Section H-03 (d) requires the Contractor to "insert the substance of this clause... in all subcontracts." Does the Government require signed OCI Certifications from all proposed subcontractors to be included in the initial proposal submission?
If no OCI exists at the Prime or Subcontractor level, is a single Prime-level certification covering the entire team acceptable and sufficient at the proposal stage?	The Offeror recommends that subcontractor OCI certifications be required only at the time of award or upon the issuance of specific BPA Calls.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V1	17	Admin	Section A-04; Page 7 (and Section L-08; Page 57)	Can the Government please confirms the total number of Awards?	We anticipate making multiple awards as a result of this soliciation. We cannot confirm the final total number at this time.
	V2	1	Cost	NA	Does the customer want a Pricing narrative which may included costing system explanation (Section L-15), assumptions, rate calculation methodology (Attachments L.a & L.b)? If so what naming convention should be used?	Use Attachment B - Pricing for all GSA LCAT mapping. Also please see Attcahment L.a and L.b
	V2	2	Cost	Attachment B	Should a cover sheet be added to Attachment B?	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V2	3	Cost	Attachment B	Should an Assumption page be added to Attachment B?	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V2	4	Admin	Section L-15, pp, 58-59	"Offerors shall indicate … system."
Where should this be indicated? Should there be a full narrative about the system (what system it is, how it functions and captures information, etc.) or is just a simple "Yes. We have a system."?		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V2	5	Admin	Section L-15, pp, 58-59	"Offerors shall indicate … system."
In which volume should this be included?		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V2	6	Technical	Volume II, Factor 1, Subfactor 1(a), bullet 4, page 61	"Embed Attachment G…"
Should this be Attachment H?		Updated in RFP, Page 62
	V2	7	Technical	Volume II, Factor 1, Subfactor 1(a), bullet 4, page 61	"Embed Attachment G…"

Does the customer want this as an

- embedded file (i.e., inserted file icon that selected links out to a file - not sure how this works in a pdf) or

- a cut and paste of the matrix directly into the document in line with the narrative around it or

- as an appendix to the Technical volume or

- something else entirely?		Attachment G is provided for reference and not part of the RFP proposal.
	V2	8	Technical	Volume II, Factor 1, Subfactor 1(a), bullet 4, page 61	"Embed Attachment G…"
If Attachment G is to be included in the body of the Technical narrative (that is the full matrix displayed within the narrative), will the customer increase the page limit as these will consume 2 of the 15 pages allotted for this volume?	Put Attachment H/G in an appendix to Technical volume and do not include in page count.	Attachment G is provided for reference and not part of the RFP proposal.
	V2	9	Technical	Volume II, Factor 2, Subfactor (b), page 62	"The Quality Control Plan (QCP) shall outline performance…The offeror shall submit a clear and comprehensive plan of action..."
Should the offeror be including a prototype QCP using Attachment G? If so can this be included as an appendix to the volume?	If QCP prototype (using Attachment G) is necessary, add as an appendix to Technical volume and do not include in page count.	Attachment G is provided for reference and not part of the RFP proposal.
	V2	10	Technical	Volume II, Factor 2, Subfactor (b), page 62	"The Quality Control Plan (QCP) shall outline performance…The offeror shall submit a clear and comprehensive plan of action..."
Is this intended to be a narrative around how a QCP will be developed, tracked, reported, and acted upon and/or an actual QCP?		Attachment G is provided for reference and not part of the RFP proposal.
	V2	11	Technical	Volume II, Factor 3, ii, Relevant Experience, Attachment E, page 62-63	"Attachment E is counted towards Volume II page count."
Three relevant experiences are required and may take up to 5 pages (the current template length). This is a third of the space allocated for this volume. Would the customer consider increasing the page count or allowing Attachment E to be in an appendix in the Technical volume?	Put Attachment E in an appendix to Technical volume and do not include in page count.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V2	12	Cost	FINAL-RFP - Ebuy - DoS INL WTPC BPA.1773754654581 H-19	H-19 Contractor Personnel Performing Under World wide Department of State ContractsPlease confirm that all the tenants under H-19 Contractor Personnel Performing Under World wide Department of State Contracts"- should be incorporated into Fringe and G&A on pricing at the BPA level and NOT on OCONUS Task pricing		Funding is on the BPA call level.
	V2	13	Technical	Attachment E - Relevant Experience Questionnaire.1773754667524	Attachement E has Program manager and Deputy Program manager checked off as Prime employees. Is this a mandatory assignment requirement or can a subcontractor provide the Deputy program manager?	Recommend allowing the option of using subcontracotr staff for the deputy PM position.	Prime should be providing both Deputy Program Manager and Program Manager
	V2	14	Cost	FINAL-RFP - Ebuy - DoS INL WTPC BPA.1773754654581 H-10 (h) page 30-31 MEDIVAC Insurance// Attachment L.b. Proposal OCONUS Pricing Method.1773754786318	"The contractor shall obtain adequate MEDIVAC Insurance". Medivac insurance will needed for OCONUS assignments not CONUS requirements. This cost should not be captured at the BPA level as this would inflate the cost to the customer. Medivac insurance is not caputured in the Attachment L.b. Proposal OCONUS Pricing Method.1773754786318.	As it is explicitly required- Recommend adding Medivac insurance as a separate line item to Attachment L.b. Proposal OCONUS Pricing Method.1773754786318 as a cost item	Medivac insurance is included in DBA Insurance which is a CLIN on all OCONUS pricing per Attachment L.b.
	V2	15	Technical	FINAL-RFP - Ebuy - DoS INL WTPC BPA.1773754654581 L-16 page 61	"6.Provide documentation of an approved line of credit up to $1M" Banks approval and underwriting of lines credits for Small business are usually assoicated with Contract Win. Would the customer consider: Provide documentation of an approved line of credit up to $1M prior to execution of task?	6.Provide documentation of an approved line of credit up to $1M prior to execution of task order.	See updated Volume on page 62
	V3	1		Section A-05 Type of Contract, page 7	Will the government please confirm all awards for this BPA are Woman-Owned Small Business set-aside only?	A WOSB set-aside would omit most, if not all, current incumbent contractors. Recommendation is to allow partial WOSB and partial SB awards. This would give incumbents the potential opportunity to continue services and broaden the capability pool while also allowing minority contractors the opportunity for growth.	No changes will be made to the RFP based on this recommendation
	V3	2		Section L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Formatting; page 60	The RFP states that each volume will contain a cover page and Table of Contents (TOC) which are included in the page count. Under Formatting 1. Cover page: f., a signed Cover Letter must be included; will the government allow for one (1) extra page to the page count to accommodate the Cover Letter and the Cover Page or allow the Cover Letter to be omitted from page count?	Recommendation: Omit the Cover Letter from page count or allow one extra page for Volume I and II to allow space for the signed Cover Letter.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V3	3		Section L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Formatting; page 60	The RFP states that each volume will contain a cover page and TOC. Under Formatting 1. Cover Page: f., a signed Cover Letter must be included for each volume. Can the Government please confirm if they would like a signed Cover Letter for Volume I, Volume II, and Volume III or just Volume I?	Recommendation: Allow one instance of the signed Cover Letter in Volume I to reduce reiteration in the additional Volumes.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V3	4	Technical	Section L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Volume II – Technical & Past Performance; Subfactor 1(a) Recruitment, Screening, and Retention, page 61	RFP Section Subfactor 1(a) - Recruitment, Screening, and Retention, requires that Attachment G - Summary of Professional Employee Benefits be embedded in this section, however, Subfactor 2(a) - Compensation Plan requires Offerors to include employee benefits information. Will the Government please confirm where Attachment G belongs in the RFP?	Recommendation: Remove Attachment G from Subfactor 1(a) - Recruitment, Screening, and Retention section and include it in Subfactor 2(a) – Compensation Plan section of the technical proposal.	Updated to attachment H
	V3	5	Technical	Section L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Volume II – Technical & Past Performance; Subfactor 2(a) – Compensation Plan, page 61	RFP Section Subfactor 2(a) – Compensation Plan section for Volume II mentions including proposed salaries in the No-Cost Technical proposal. Can the Government please confirm if they want proposed salaries included in the compensation plan section of the Technical proposal in addition to the pricing sheet (Volume IV)?		Page 63 language was updated
	V3	6	Technical	Section L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits; Volume II – Technical & Past Performance; 5. Factor THREE: Corporate Experience & Past Performance, section ii, page 63	RFP states that Attachment E (Relevant Experience Questionnaire)is counted towards Volume II page count. The template provided by INL in Attachment E is 4 pages with space for 3 projects; if an Offeror utilizes all 5 projects, allowed per the RFP, the provided template would be 6-7 pages which is almost half of the maximum page allotment for Volume II (15 pages). The remaining 8-9 page is not adequate to cover all required Factor and Subfactors in the RFP instructions. Will the Government allow Attachment E (Relevant Experience Questionnaire) to be omitted from page count?	Recommendations: (1) Allow Attachment E (Relevant Experience Questionnaire) to be omitted from page count or (2) increase maximum page count for Volume II to 20 pages to allow adequate room to address all requirements in the RFP instructions.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V3	7	Attachment E – Past Performance Questionnaire and Technical	Attachment E – Past Performance Questionnaire; Attachment E Instructions; Block 14 – Description of Project and Relevance to Third Party Contractor BPA, Page 7	Instruction in Attachment E states, "Circle whether a CPAR print-out or Past Performance Questionnaire is provided to the Government to evaluate the quality of this project." Will the Government allow CPARS to be submitted in lieu of Attachment O – Past Performance Questionnaire?	Majority of the Contracting Offices will not complete a Past Performance Questionnaire if a CPARS is available. Recommendation: Allow CPARS or Attachment O – Past Performance Questionnaire to evaluate the quality of a project.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V4	1	Technical	Section L, Volume II, Factor THREE, Subfactor 3(b)
pg. 62	The solicitation requires past performance references from within the last 36 months. Given that the W-TPC BPA encompasses a broad range of professional and administrative support services delivered in both CONUS and OCONUS environments — including at overseas diplomatic and law enforcement posts — the pool of directly relevant contractor experience is relatively narrow. Many firms with the most operationally relevant OCONUS experience (e.g., foreign post personnel management, DBA insurance administration, danger pay and post differential processing) completed that work under contracts that concluded 3–5 years ago, as program cycles and recompetes naturally create gaps. Would the Government consider extending the past performance recency window to 60 months (5 years) to ensure that the most directly relevant and comparable contractor experience is available for evaluation, rather than inadvertently favoring recency over relevance?	Extend the past performance recency window from 36 months to 60 months, with the evaluation criteria continuing to weight more recent performance more favorably where applicable. This would preserve the Government's ability to prioritize recency while ensuring that directly relevant OCONUS operational experience is not categorically excluded from consideration.	Page 64 language updated. In the current environment we are seeking evidence of past performance within the last 3 years (36 months)
	V4	2	Technical	Section C-03.11
pg. 21	Does the PM location requirement apply at the time of BPA award, at the time of the first BPA Call award, or continuously throughout BPA performance? Would a PM who can relocate to within 51 miles within the phase-in period satisfy this requirement?		Clarify - Program Manager must be located within 50 miles from DC throughout the lifecycle of the BPA and all the BPA calls under it.
	V4	3	Technical	Section H-23
pg. 39	Is a TCN Recruitment Plan required at the BPA proposal stage for all offerors, or only for offerors who anticipate recruiting TCNs under specific identified Calls? May offerors commit to providing a TCN Recruitment Plan at the BPA Call level when TCN recruitment is actually required?		TCN Recruitment Plan should be address in Volume II, Subfactor 1(a) referencing H-23	Recruitment of Third Country Nationals for Performance on Department Of State Contracts
	V4	4	Technical	Attachment J	Are Key Personnel resumes required to be submitted with the proposal? If so, where should they be included within Volume II, and do resumes count toward the applicable page limitations?	If required, request that resumes be excluded from page count limitations to allow for complete presentation of qualifications.	Resumes are not part of the proposal. Resumes are part of the proposal on the BPA call level.
	V4	5	Technical	Section C-05 / Section H-27 – Transition / Phase In Requirements	What is the required timeline for transition to full operational capability following Task Order award, and does this timeline include completion of security processing requirements (e.g., MRPT or clearances)?		Page 23 language gas been updated.
	V5	1	Technical	Section C (p.22)	Please confirm that resumes for the PM and DPM should be included with this proposal submission. If yes, please confirm that Attachment J should be utilized?		Attachment J has been renamed and revised. This attachment is provided for reference and not included in the proposal. PM and DPM resumes do not need to be included. Qualifications for the position are included within the RFP and it is the vendor's responsiability to ensure those qualifications are met when providing the PM and DPM support.
	V5	2	Technical	Section L-16 (p.60) and Section M (p.63)	Section L-16 establishes a 15-page limit for Volume II, while Section M states Attachment E counts toward the page limit and Attachment O does not. Should Attachment E responses be fully included within the 15-page limit, or may they be submitted separately?		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V5	3	Technical	FACTOR ONE: Acknowledgement and Documentation (Page 61)	As currently listed, Requires that “Offerors shall provide a written statement certifying they are a WOSB under the size standard, $24.5M annually, for the corresponding NAICS code 541611. A formal recertification of small business status may be a requirement prior to award."
Could the government confirm that WOSB size classification is based on status at time of GSA MAS prime contract award.	Provide confirmation that the company's size standard is based on current representation at time of the original GSA MAS award, and not require recertification at the call order level.	Please provide a copy of the size standards at time of GSA award.
	V5	4	Technical	FACTOR ONE: Acknowledgement and Documentation (Page 61)	RFQ states as follows: “Offerors shall provide a written statement certifying they are a WOSB under the size standard, $24.5M annually, for the corresponding NAICS code 541611. A formal recertification of small business status may be a requirement prior to award.” We are seeking clarification surrounding this requirement. It is our understanding that under SBA regulations at 13 CFR 121.404(c)(4)(i), a contractor’s size/socio-economic status for GSA MAS BPA is determined at the time of the contractor’s initial offer for GSA FSS MAS contract and contractors generally maintain their size/socio-economic status for the life of the contract unless recertification is triggered by one of the events outlined in 13 CFR 125.12 (e.g., contract novation, acquisition, or merger). If a contractor recertifies as other than small, it may lose eligibility for future small business set-aside task orders under that contract vehicle. For this reason, it has been our experience that agencies often avoid unnecessary recertification where it is not required, as doing so can reduce the number of eligible vendors and affect competition on the contract. To that end, GSA and DOS have adopted FAR Part 19 of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO), which clarifies that agency small business credit is determined based on status at the master contract level, and is updated only when certain contract-level events occur, such as option exercises, novations, mergers, and acquisitions. See RFO FAR 19.301. Notably, this regulation removed language in the FAR allowing contracting officers to request agreement and task order-level recertification. Consequently, we believe GSA’s and DOS’s adoption of the RFO reinforces the rationale that BPA-level re-certification under the GSA FSS MAS is unnecessary and contrary to the FAR. Consistent with SBA rules and FAR 19.301, can DOS confirm that, in soliciting the subject BPA, it will rely on the size/socio-economic certifications offerors made at the GSA FSS MAS contract level? To make this clear, we believe DOS should amend the RFQ to remove the following language at page 61: “Offerors shall provide a written statement certifying they are a WOSB under the size standard, $24.5M annually, for the corresponding NAICS code 541611. A formal recertification of small business status may be a requirement prior to award.” This approach will maximize the pool of eligible small business contract holders, promote competition, and align with statutory and regulatory guidance for GWACS like GSA FSS MAS.	Provide confirmation that the company's size standard is based on current representation at time of the original GSA MAS award, and not require recertification at the call order level.	Please provide a copy of the size standards at time of GSA award. If size standard changes, compliance is still required.
	V5	5	Technical	FACTOR ONE: Acknowledgement and Documentation (Page 61)	Under FAR 52.219-28 and FAR 19.301-2, representation requirements generally do not apply to orders issued under Federal Supply Schedule contracts unless the contracting officer specifically requires representation for the order. As a result, some MAS contractors that were awarded their Schedule contracts as small businesses under the applicable NAICS code may no longer meet the size standard today. Clarification regarding the basis on which size status will be evaluated would help MAS contract holders appropriately assess eligibility and participation for this requirement.	Provide confirmation that the company's size standard is based on current representation at time of the original GSA MAS award, and not require recertification at the call order level.	Please provide a copy of the size standards at time of GSA award. If size standard changes, compliance is still required.
	V5	6	Technical	Section M – Factor THREE (p.62)	Section M (Factor THREE, p.62) requires submission of Attachment O PPQs; however, Attachment E allows either CPARS or PPQs. Will the Government accept CPARS in lieu of PPQs, and is one preferred for evaluation?		If CPAR print out staisfies the specific type of Past Performance (See Section E of each of the three (03) past performance questionairres.
	V5	7	Technical	Section M – Factor THREE (p.62) and Attachment E	Would the Government confirm whether the same projects should be used for both Attachment E (Relevant Experience) and Attachment O (PPQs), or if offerors may submit different projects for each?		Attachment O - Past Performance Questionnaire template should be sent directly to the CO from the person completing the PPQ. Attachment E is embedded into the pages see page 61 and 62 for more information
	V5	8	Technical	Attachment E – Section E / Section M (p.63)	Would the Government please clarify what qualifies as “significant contractual savings” for the required project example? Are quantified savings required?		There is no threshold for this or %. However, providing some quantative numbers is helpful in understanding the significance behind your response
	V5	9	Administrative	L-08 (Page 57)	Could the government confirm the number of anticipated BPA awards.		Historically around 100 - 113 BPA calls
	V5	10	Technical	L-16 (Page 60)	The government provides maximum page limits and requirements for each volume which includes cover page and table of contents. Would the government please consider removing these pages from the overall page count (cover page, TOC)?		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V5	11	Administrative	Volume II Factor ONE Subfactor 1(a) (Page 61)	The government lists "Summary of Professional Employee Benefits as Attachment G; however the attachment was provided as Attachment H. Please confirm this was just an reference error.		Updated in RFP, Page 62
	V5	12	Technical	Factor THREE - Attachment O (Page 62)	The government says Attachment O "shall" be sent directly to the customer. As to not incur a burden on our government customer, would the government consider removing this requirement if a CPARS exists for the referenced past performance.	Remove PPQ requirement if CPARS exist and required bidders to embed the most recent CPARS. If PPQs are require, we respectfully request an extension for proposal submission to allow for sufficient time to coordinate with contract representatives that are impacted by ongoing government funding issues (ie. DHS, etc).	Attachment O is a requirement of the proposal
	V5	13	Administrative	VOLUME III - Scenarios - Scenario 1: Onboarding (ii) (Page 63)	Section ii states "Address Sections … " but those sections are blank. Could the government please revise the section requirements to be addressed.		IN your response you must address sections H-22-H-27 which are part of the RFP in earlier pages
	V5	14	Technical	VOLUME III - Scenarios - Scenario 2: Work Performance (Page 63)	With a 1 page limitation, and actions being slightly different between non-key and key personnel, could the government clarify whether the solution should address key or non-key personnel who have a performance issue.		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V5	15	Administrative	VOLUME IV - PRICING (Page 63)	The government refences the pricing sheet as Attachment A, please confirm we should use the provided Attachment B.		Page 65 updated
	V5	16	Cost	VOLUME IV - PRICING (Page 63)	Could the government confirm the proposed rates are ceiling rates for the BPA?		The ceiling rates are based on your company's GSA ceiling rates for each labor category
	V5	17	Cost	VOLUME IV - PRICING (Page 63)	Could the government clarify how call orders will be competed amongst BPA awardees?		Soliciation will be sent out to all BPA awardees for BVUT competition
	V5	18	Cost	VOLUME IV - PRICING (Page 63)	Will Call orders be based solely on price for the specific scope requested at the call order level?		Soliciation will be sent out to all BPA awardees for BVUT competition
	V5	19	Cost	VOLUME IV - PRICING (Page 63)	Could the government clarify how long after award will call orders be issued.		Immeditately after the start of the designated period of performance
	V5	20	Cost	B-05 (Page 10)	The government states "The Contractor agrees to perform this contract, so far as practicable, without using overtime, particularly as a regular employment practice". Could the government clarify how to account for overtime rates for employees classified under the SCA.		Overtime (referrred to as supplemental hours) are not typical as Contractor work is exected to be done during a normal 40 hour workweek. However it is built into the SOW in case overtime is requested by the onsite supervisor
	V5	21	Technical/Admin	C.5.1 Phase-In (Page 22 &23)	The RFP states that all staff must be hired within five calendar days of award and fully operational by Day Six.
Is this requirement of 10 days (total) firm for all positions, including OCONUS roles, or will flexibility be provided based on clearance timelines, visa processing, and location-specific constraints?		Language has been updated - Page 23
	V5	22	Technical/Cost	C-02 Scope (Page 17)	Does the Government have a notional labor mix it can share?		No
	V5	23	Technical	C-03.6/7 Work Hours/Telework (Page 19)	Can the Government clarify whether positions under this BPA are expected to be primarily onsite, or if a mix of onsite, hybrid, and telework arrangements?		Per the Return to Work posture, all BPA calls all have a full time onsite location requirement
	V5	24	Admin/Cost		Understanding that BPA Call timing is dependent on evolving mission needs, can the Government provide any general expectations regarding the timing of initial BPA Call issuance following award? Additionally, are any follow-on support of existing requirements anticipated or only new requirements?		Immeditately after the start of the designated period of performance
	V5	25	Admin	N/A	FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, is not included in the solicitation although this is a set-aside. Can the Government incorporate FAR 52.219-14 in full and complete the clause to indicate whether compliance is required at the BPA or call order level?		Added on page 46
	V5	26	Admin	N/A	As this is being solicited under GSA MAS, this is an acquisition of commercial services; however, the solicitation contains several FAR clauses that do not apply to commercial acquisitions (e.g., 52.215-2, 52.215-20). Can these clauses be removed to prevent confusion?		Removed based on FAR review
	V5	27	Admin	N/A	Can the government confirm that independent contractors/sole proprietors/1099s (i.e., individuals who work on the contract but who are not W2 employees of the prime or another subcontractor) shall be considered subcontractors?		Subcontractor is the company under the Prime if applicable
	V5	28	Admin	RFP pg. 46	The solicitation discusses Non-Displacement of Qualified Workers and contains FAR 52.222-17, but this FAR clause has been rescinded. Can this language and clause be removed to prevent confusion?		page 47 updated
	V6	1	Technical	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits, pp. 59-61
	Will any full page "Charts, figures, diagrams, etc. that are included in each volume should be numbered and referenced in the
document" be counted against the total Volume II page limit?	The Offeror recommends that the Subfactor 1(a) Recruitment, Screening, and Retention flow chart requested on p. 61 be permitted as an annex and not count against the Volume II page limit.	Requirement stays as is
	V6	2	Technical	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits, VOLUME III - Scenarios, Factor ONE, Scenario 1, ii, pp. 63
	Could INL please confirm the RFP sections to address in Factor ONE, Scenario 1, point ii: "Describe your company’s protocol with onboarding processes for domestic positions (i.e. clearance process, VAR, badge, government furnished equipment, role of BPA’s Program Manager, etc.)"?		Please a brief explain on how the company assures clearances are in place and how quickly they are able to provide necessary information to ensure badging and equipment issues are resolved.
	V6	3	Cost	Attachment L.a Proposal CONUS Pricing & Method;
Attachment L.b Proposal OCONUS Pricing & Method	Could INL please confirm if Offerors will have the opportunity to update pricing information 90 days after proposal submission on both Attachment L.a and Attachment L.b, or if we should price for validity for 180 days to match the requirements for the full proposal validity, as stated on page 57 of the RFP?		Pricing is valid for 90 days per the BPA terms
	V6	4	Technical	L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits, VOLUME II, Factor Three, Attachment O, p. 62
	The RFP states: "Attachment O – Past Performance Questionnaire shall be sent by the offeror directly to the customer to be completed. The customer shall then submit back to the Contracting Officer only NLT than the due date listed in section L-13 Request for Proposal deadline." For past performance of projects previously managed by U.S. federal agencies that have since been closed or reduced in staffing, and past COs, AOs, CORs, and/or AORs are no longer available to provide direct experience-based customer satisfaction responses, will there be any remediation available for Offerors if current U.S. government staff or Industry Liaisons do not complete Attachment O by the RFP deadline listed in section L-13?		In the instance where the CO is no longer available, please attach appropiate CPARs to describe performance.
	V7	1	Admin	Section A - Set-Aside	Given that the incumbent contractors successfully performing the bridge requirement are Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), would the Government reconsider the current Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside and revise the procurement to at least a Total Small Business set-aside so that qualified SDVOSB and WOSB firms may compete?		Based on market research this set aside was selected
	V7	2	Admin	Section A - Set-Aside	Did the Government’s market research evaluate whether at least two qualified SDVOSB concerns, including the incumbent contractor, could perform the requirement at fair market prices before restricting the procurement to WOSB concerns only?		Based on market research this set aside was selected
	V7	3	Admin	Section A - Set-Aside	Given that the bridge requirement was previously awarded in an SDVOSB environment, what changed in the Government’s market research such that the follow-on requirement is now restricted only to WOSB concerns?		Based on market research this set aside was selected
	V7	4	Admin	Section L - Proposal Due Date	In order to allow offerors sufficient time to review the Government’s responses to vendor questions and incorporate any resulting clarifications or amendments into their proposals, would the Government consider extending the proposal submission deadline?		Consideration is being granted
	V8	1	Technical	RFP pp. 62 Factor THREE: Corporate Experience & Past Performance	Given that this procurement is structured as a BPA with call orders of varying scope and value, could the Government clarify how it will assess the “size” aspect of past performance? Specifically, should offerors align past performance examples to an anticipated call order magnitude, the BPA ceiling, or another benchmark?		Please provide an example where you provided staffing of subject matter experts for at least 20 - 30 BPA calls with a mixture of CONUS and OCONUS duty work location.
	V8	2	Admin		We observed that the solicitation was ultimately released as a WOSB set-aside, whereas earlier indications suggested a different small business designation. In order to support robust competition and ensure the Government receives the highest quality proposals, we respectfully request consideration of a short extension to the submission deadline. The shift to a WOSB set-aside has necessitated adjustments to teaming arrangements and proposal planning that would benefit from additional preparation time.		Based on market research this set aside was selected
	V8	3	Admin	RFP pp. 60	Would the Government consider removing page limits for VOLUME I – BUSINESS as this volume is largely administrative and requires information that typically far exceeds five (05) pages?		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V8	4	Admin	RFP pp. 60	Would the Government consider removing the requirement that the Cover Page and Table of Contents be included in the page count for each volume?		Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V8	5	Technical	RFP pp. 63 VOL III - Scenario 1 - Onboarding	With reference to the RFP pp. 63 VOLUME III – Scenario 1 – Onboarding reads:

“ii. Describe your company’s protocol with onboarding processes for domestic positions (i.e. clearance process, VAR, badge, government furnished equipment, role of BPA’s Program Manager, etc.) - Address sections”

There is no reference to which sections this portion of the scenario should address. Can the Government please clarify which sections this scenario should address in the RFP?		Please provide an example where you provided staffing of subject matter experts for at least 20 - 30 BPA calls with a mixture of CONUS and OCONUS duty work location.
	V8	6	Technical	Attachment E – Relevant Experience Questionnaire and RFP pp. 62-63 Factor THREE: Corporate Experience & Past Performance	Would the Government consider accepting CPARS in lieu of Past Performance Questionnaires to evaluate the quality of projects?	In the instance where the CO is no longer available, please attach appropiate CPARs to describe performance.
	V8	7	Technical	RFP pp. 63 - Factor THREE: Corporate Experience & Past Performance	The Government states that “Attachment E is counted towards Volume II page count.” Would the Government consider excluding this attachment from the overall page count of fifteen (15) in Volume II – Technical and Past Performance?	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V8	8	Technical	Attachment E - Relevant Experience Questionnaire	Would the Government consider removing or revising the past performance requirement that offerors must “illustrate where significant savings on taxpayer dollars were achieved,” and "which performance wasn't stellar but worked with government to improve" as this criterion may unduly limit the ability to present relevant and high-quality past performance that demonstrates technical excellence, program effectiveness, and mission impact, even in cases where cost savings were not the primary objective or explicitly documented?	Attachment O - Past Performance is a required attachment
	V8	9	Technical	RFP pp. 62 Factor THREE: Corporate Experience & Past Performance	Would the Government accept past performance examples of Joint Ventures from the offeror who serves as the prime contractor for this effort AND the managing partner of a Joint Venture past performance example?	See RFP for details
	V8	10	Technical	RFP pp. 61 Volume I, Factor One: Acknowledgements and Documentation	Could the Government please consider removing or lowering the requirement for a $1 million line of credit for small business offerors, particularly in light of the requirement for recertification as a true small business, as this criterion may be overly restrictive and could limit competition by excluding otherwise highly qualified small businesses with sound financial management practices and the capability to successfully perform the requirements of the BPA?	Page 62 language was updated in reference to documentation for credit limit
	V8	11	Admin	RFP pp. 61 Volume I, Factor ONE: Acknowledgements and Documentation	Could the Government please clarify whether a combination of available line of credit and cash reserves would be acceptable to meet the $1 million line of credit requirement, particularly given that a stated line of credit may not reflect actual available capacity?	Page 62 language was updated in reference to documentation for credit limit
	V8	12	Admin	RFP pp. 41 H-24 Contractor Vetting After Award	Can the Government please provide additional clarity as to when and under what circumstances Contractors must submit DS Form 4184 to the Contracting Officer?	When changes to PM or DPM after inital award are needed by the company.
	V9	1	Admin	Final-RFP, page 58
L-13 RFP Deadline	We are committed at all times to provide high quality proposals to showcase our capabilities servicing the government. Considering the heavy lift required for the development of this proposal wondering if there is a possiblity of an extended due date.	We respectfully request the government to extend the due date to the end of April.	Consideration is being granted
	V9	2	Admin	Final-RFP, page 63

L-16 RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits Volume III - Scenarios

Scenario 1, ii	Volume III - Scenario 1, section i requires to address "sections H-22 through H-27" but Scenario 1, section ii does not show requirements, please clarify.	Please provide the requirements to be addressed for Scenario 1, section ii.	These sections are included in the RFP in earlier pages
	V10	1	Admin	Section L-16, RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits (p. 59)	Section L-16 states that Volume III shall not exceed one (01) page per scenario, while also stating that page limits "include the Cover Page and Table of Contents." Both a cover page and a TOC with active hyperlinks are mandatory for every volume under the same section. If the one-page-per-scenario limit governs the entire volume, no pages remain for the required front matter. Does the one-page-per-scenario limit apply to each individual scenario response only, with the cover page and TOC additive to that limit, producing a five-page total ceiling for Volume III? Or does the three-scenario limit constitute the entire volume ceiling inclusive of all front matter?	The Government should confirm that the one-page-per-scenario limit applies to each scenario response individually and that the required cover page and table of contents are additive, producing a total Volume III ceiling of five (05) pages. This interpretation is consistent with the treatment of front matter across all other volumes and eliminates an irreconcilable conflict between the page limit and the mandatory front matter requirements of Section L-16.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.
	V10	2	Admin	Section L-16, RFP Organization, Font, and Page Limits (p. 59–60); Volume II Factor One Subfactor 1(a) (p. 61)	Section L-16 states that Attachment E is counted toward the Volume II page count, while Attachment O is explicitly excluded. The RFP does not specify whether Attachment E must be reformatted to conform to the Volume II formatting standard (Times New Roman 12-point, 1-inch margins) or may be submitted in the government-provided Attachment E template format. The two formats render at different page densities, producing materially different page budget impacts against the 15-page Volume II ceiling. Which format governs Attachment E for page counting purposes?	The Government should confirm that Attachment E may be submitted in the government-provided template format and that page count is assessed based on the template as rendered, without requiring offerors to reformat government-supplied attachments to match the Volume II body text standard. If reformatting is required, the Government should consider increasing the Volume II page ceiling or explicitly excluding Attachment E from the page count consistent with the treatment of Attachment O.	Please see updated soliciation page counts have been revised. See page 62.

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