Previous RFIs from Other Horizontal Regions for Reference.pdf

RFI Text KO Response

1 Under Submission Requirements, the solicitation states that, “SF330,in Adobe format and the most current edition (Caution-https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications), must be used…”. However, we are instructed to provide two-page resumes and project sheets, which cannot be done using the Adobe format, and the information required in Section H requires multiple pages, which also cannot be done using the Adobe format. We are limited to the number of characters that can be provided in the Section F project title, which makes it impossible to fulfill the requirement to include the contract number or IDIQ number and individual task order number associated with the project in the title.

The SF330 PDF Section F Project Title fillable PDF allows for 135 Characters, which should be adequate to meet Project title requirement. Firm to attach additional sheets as required.

2 Should we include CPARS for Section F projects? If so, do you want these included with Section H or under a separate tab?

CPARS should not be included in to Section F of the SF330. CPARS can be provided under Criteria D and submitted under Section H.

4 The solicitation lists, “Criteria C Capacity to accomplish multiple task orders in the required time (SF330, Part I, Section F)”.

Please confirm that we should address this information in Section H.

Yes, Please submit information for Criteria C in Section H of the SF330. A formal change of this requiremnt will occur in Amendment #001 which will be posted soon.

5 Can we provide more than one resume per discipline? For example, can we provide two Project Manager resumes?

Yes. However, the firm must identify the role of each PM as it relates to their role in this requirement. Minimum requirements for the PM are described in the synopsis.

Horizontal RFIs for Reference

7 Please confirm that additional minor SF 330 Section C support team members may be added at a later date to meet specific local task order needs.

All Key Personnel listed in the synopsis will be evaluated by the Government. Please refer to Enforceability of Proposal paragraph in the synopsis for instructions regarding substitutions of key personnel and subcontractors.

9 26. Under Criteria D – Past Performance, the solicitation states, “Firms may include supporting information in the proposal, such as letters of commendation from clients, past performance…” Please confirm these pages will not count against the 75-page limit and can be included in a separate Appendix.

Yes, bound Letters of Commendation separately as an appendix for ease of page count against 75-page limitation.

11 Under ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, the solicitation indicates, “NOTE: To avoid conflict of interest, any contractor proposing as a prime may not have a subcontractor who is also proposing as a prime.” We believe this is clear, but want to confirm this means a Large Business contractor pursuing a “reserved for unrestricted” Horizontal Region 1 AE IDIQ contract as a Prime cannot include as a subconsultant a Small Business contractor who is pursuing a “reserved for Small Business” Horizontal Region 1 AE IDIQ contract as a Prime.

Correct

12 Under SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS, the solicitation indicates we are invited to submit an electronic copy of the SF330 via Secure File Exchange. However, further in the document it indicates that Section D and Section G can be on 11 x 17 in sheets if folded to 8 ½ x 11 in size and bound in the SF330.

Please confirm only an electronic submission is required.

Correct, Only electronic submission is required

13 Can a Small Business pursuing the Small Business Reserve have a firm as a subconsultant on their team that is pursuing or awarded the Unrestricted Reserve?

No, Any contractor proposing as a prime may not have a subcontractor to a firm who is also proposing as a prime.

15 Does the cover, table of contents, or completed client Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) count toward the 75 page limit for Part I?

No, a single page cover letter will not count towards 75-page limit

17 Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

Will greater consideration be given to new construction or rehabilitation projects?

No, Greater consideration will not be given on the merits soley between new construction and rehabilitation projects but the whole breadth and depth of experience identified in Criteria B and similarities to the scope identified in this announcement.

18 Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

Will greater consideration be given to projects that are in the Region 1 Horizontal AOR?

Yes, Projects from within the identified region with similar scope identified in this announcement will be given greater consideration.

19 Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

Will greater consideration be given to Design-Bid-Build projects or Design-Build RFP projects? Or will both project types be evaluated equally?

Yes, Design-Bid-Build experience will be evaluated as a stronger indicator of specialized experience and technical competence than similar Design-Build experience due to the amount of technical design required. Note: The Government is requesting a minimum of (1) design-build experience under Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence Subsection (9) to be evaluated in conjunction with all Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence requirements.

21 Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

Under Criteria B, subsection 12, it asks offerors to describe in Section H of the SF330 the firm’s quality management plan, quality assurance process, coordination of in-house work consultants and prior experience of the prime firm and significant consultants or partner firms etc. Please confirm that this evaluation factor is for Criteria B Specialized Experience and Technical Competence.

Criteria B subparagraph 12 requires utilizing Section H of the SF 330 answer that portion of the specialized Experience. The offeror's Criteria B subparagraph 12 information in Section H will be evaluated under Criteria B.

23 Criteria D – Past Performance: In many instances when performing services as the Designer of Record (DoR) for a Design- Build (DB) project, the accepted industry-practice for past performance feedback for the AE firm is the use of Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs). Please confirm that PPQs are acceptable documentation of Past Performance for offeror’s Section F projects?

Yes, PPQs is an acceptable documentation of Past Performance for offeror’s Section F projects.

24 Additional Requirements – The solicitation notes ‘To avoid a conflict of interest, any contractor proposing as a prime may not have a subcontractor who is also proposing as a prime.’ Can you please confirm that this statement only applies to subcontractors for the region the offeror is responding to, and not if that subcontractor is submitting on other NGB Horizontal and/or Vertical regions.

Yes, Only for the region the offeror is responding to they may not overlap.

25 According to the Solicitation on page 15, “blank sheets/Tabs separating the sections within the SF330 will not count in the page-count maximum for PART I.” Please confirm that the cover also does not count in the page-count maximum for PART I.

No, a single page cover letter will not count towards 75-page limit

26 The Solicitation lists the Volume of DOD Contracts awarded to the firm during the previous 12 months as included in Part I, Section H of the SF330. To meet the full requirement including the table and listing all categories NGB requests, this will take up multiple pages in Part I, Section H. Would you allow us to list the Volume of DoD table as an attachment in Part II of the SF330 rather than in Part I or exclude from the page count limitation?

No, the firm shall provide all data for these secondary criteria on Part I, Section H, of the SF330.

27 Does this preclude licensed professional engineers with decades of significant federal IDIQ experience from serving as engineers on this contract?

See Criteria A for minimum requirements for all disciplines.

28 May we include significant disciplines relevant to the work described in the announcement that are not one of the 14 discipline roles outlined under Critera A.

Additional information is not discouraged as long as the entire minimum synopsis requirements have been met.

29 Is there an SBE or other set aside for this Contract? Refer to the CONTRACT INFORMATION listed inte solicitation, for Small Business reservations.

30 Under the Past Performance criteria, it is requested that we submit name, address, and telephone number of references for all relevant contracts and subcontracts started or completed within the past six (6) years measured from the date of the award.

As a very large firm, we have started or completed 600+ contracts and subcontracts within the past six years. Is it appropriate for us to select a subset of the most relevant projects to satisfy this requirement?

Per Criteria D, "Firms must provide relevant past performance in the accomplishment of similar work.

Relevancy is defined in the DOD guide, as it pertains to the collection and use of past performance, as information that has a logical connection with the matter under consideration and application period.

31 Regarding the registration requirement for Geologist, due to the importance of experience within Region 1 for this field and the restrictive nature of AIPG certification, will certification as a Professional Geologist from a state certified board and membership in the American Institute of Professional Geologists be acceptable?

No, Refer to Criteria A, for minimum acceptable requirements.

33 Can PPQ, Letters of Commendation be included as an appendix to not count against the 75-page limit?

After further review the Government decided that, bound Letters of Commendation attached separately as an appendix for ease, will not count against the 75-page limitation. This changes the response for RFI #9 for Horizontal Region 1.

34 Will inclusion of a cover letter count towards the 75-page limit? No, a single page cover letter will not count towards 75-page limit

35 In evaluation the Project Manager qualification will registrations such as Professional Project Manager (PMP) and Certified Energy Manager (CEM) suffice for relevant professional registration?

See Criteria A for minimum requirements for all disciplines.

36 Is the definition of “Firms” (as cited in Criteria F. Secondary Criteria, 4. Geographic Proximity) inclusive of all team members (prime and subcontractors) listed in Part I, Section C.

For Geographic Proximity, the Government will be evaluating "core disciplines" within the firm. The definition of "Firms" can include the prime as well as subcontractors whose role is considered a core discipline as described in this secondary criteria.

37 Does the 6 year limit of services inclusive of Type C services during construction?

See Amendment 0001, Criteria D

38 Criteria D: Past Performance seems duplicative of information provided in Section F. Given the page limit, is it acceptable to cite Section F projects, and limit the Section H requirement to include only a few additional relevant contracts/subcontracts and reference information over the last six years that are not previously included in Section F?

See answer to Question 30

39 We are interested in submitting our SF330 qualifications for the above solicitations but noticed the following clause:

•NOTE: To avoid a conflict of interest, any contractor proposing as a prime may not have a subcontractor who is also proposing as a prime.

We’d like to clarify if this restriction apply to all categories?

For example, we have been asked to be a subconsultant on a team that is pursuing the “Other than small business category”.

We would like to pursue the “Small Business” category. Can we still submit in the “small business category” if we are a subconsultant on another team for the “Other than small business category”?

We typically like to use firms that have direct experience with the type of work and agency so when we are performing projects there is no learning curve, but the subconsultants we would choose on our team are pursuing other categories as Prime.

See answer to Question 24

40 Are the potential projects being considered under these contracts primarily airport/airfield projects

Refer to the Project Information section of the Synopsis.

41 We plan to include PPQs, Letters of Commendation, CPARS etc as an appendix to our submission. We request verification that the appendix will not be considered part of the 75-page limit?

After further review the Government decided that, bound Letters of Commendation separately as attached as an appendix for ease, will not count against 75-page limitation. This changes the response for RFI #9 for Horizontal Region 1

42 Criteria B – Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

Will greater consideration be given to projects that are in the Region 1 Horizontal AOR?

Yes, Projects from within the identified region with similar characteristics to the scope of this notice will be given greater consideration.