Pueblo Warehouse Support Questions - Final.pdf

Pueblo Warehouse Support Questions

SECTION 1: TECHNICAL & OPERATIONAL CLARIFICATIONS

• Question 1 (MHE -Material Handling Equipment Certification Acceptance):

o RFP Reference: Section C.5.c, General Personnel Qualifications, Page 17 – "All MHE operators must be properly trained and certified."

o Question: Will GPO accept current, valid Material Handling Equipment (MHE) operator certifications issued by the Contractor or previous employers, or will GPO require Contractor personnel to undergo site-specific evaluation/certification on GPO's specific equipment during the 90-day transition period prior to operating MHE on-site? GPO requires Contractor personnel to undergo site-specific evaluation/certification on GPO's specific equipment and therefore earning a GPO Operator’s License per GPO Directive 670.3F This Directive is applicable to all GPO facilities where motor vehicles, industrial trucks, and specialized equipment are operated on official GPO business. For the purpose of this Directive, the term “motor vehicle” includes trucks, cars, all-terrain vehicles, riding mowers, and related equipment owned or leased by GPO. “Industrial trucks” include forklifts, aisle trucks, powered hand trucks, pallet jacks, roll tenders, and “specialized equipment,” all other related equipment owned or leased by GPO.

• Question 2 (GFE Maintenance & Inspection):

o RFP Reference: Section C.3, Scope of Work, Page 13 – "The Contractor shall utilize Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), including material handling equipment (MHE)..."

o Question: Does the Government provide all required MHE (e.g., forklifts, stock pickers, scissor lifts) fully maintained, inspected, and certified, or is the Contractor responsible for routine maintenance, servicing, and pre-shift OSHA inspection logs on GFE MHE? The Government performs all routine maintenance, servicing, and related inspection logs for OSHA and GPO Safety for GFE, which the Warehouse Manager forwards to the GPO Fleet Manager. The contractor is responsible for performing daily safety checks on GFE before daily use.

• Question 3 (PPE & Fall Protection Requirements):

o RFP Reference: Section C.6, Security, Safety & Compliance, Page 17 – "Contractor is responsible for its own Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) program and must provide all required PPE."

o Question: For high-lift MHE operations requiring specialized safety gear— specifically fall-protection harnesses and lanyards for order/stock pickers and scissor lifts—is this equipment provided as GFE -Government Furnished

Equipment, or must the Contractor supply all fall-arrest systems alongside standard PPE - Personal Protective Equipment (safety shoes, high-visibility vests)? Equipment is provided as government-furnished property. Personal protective equipment high visibility vests, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, are also supplied by the government.

Safety shoes are not provided by the government and must be supplied by the contractor if it is required for the position being filled.

• Question 4 (PPE Specifics): o RFP Reference: Section C.6, Security, Safety & Compliance, Page 17 o Question: Are steel-toe/safety-toe boots mandatory for all 8 warehouse/laborer FTEs, and does GPO require specific safety color standards for high-visibility apparel? Steel-toe/safety-toe boots are only mandatory for forklift operators. Safety shoes issued must conform to ANSI Z41-1999, American National Standard for Safety Toe Footwear or ASTM F2413-2005, American Society for Testing and Materials per GPO Directive 670.1E Foot Protection Program.

SECTION 2: COST & PRICING STRUCTURE

• Question 5 (SCA Wage Determination Clarification):

o RFP Reference: Section B (Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs) & Section C.5 (Personnel Requirements) o Question: Will GPO provide the specific Service Contract Act (SCA) Wage Determination number and heavy-equipment/warehouse wage rates applicable to Pueblo County, CO for this solicitation to ensure all offerors price direct labor consistently? The Wage Determination has been added as an attachment.

• Question 6 (Overtime Hour Estimation):

o RFP Reference: Section B (CLINs 0003, 0006) & Section C.4.c (Work Schedule) o Question: CLINs 0003 and 0006 list "Overtime" as a quantity of "1 EA" fixed price. How should offerors estimate the estimated number of overtime hours required per year for CLIN 0003 (Forklift Operator/WHSE OT) and CLIN 0006 (Labor

OT)? The estimated overtime hours for forklift operators/warehouse specialists will not exceed 1,050 per year. The material handling laborer is limited to a maximum of 150 overtime hours per year. Total overtime billed for the fiscal year will equal actual overtime hours worked multiplied by the contractor’s applicable hourly rates (e.g., 1,050 hours × the contractor’s rate represents the maximum annual amount for those positions). Overtime total hours will remain the same for each option year.

• Question 7 (Full-Time Equivalency Standard):

o RFP Reference: Section L.2, Volume 6 (Cost/Price), Page 41 – "Offerors may propose full-time equivalency based on the company's standard practice (e.g. 1920 hrs, 1880 hrs, etc.)" o Question: Does GPO have a preferred annual hour baseline per FTE (e.g., 2,080 hours vs.

1,920 hours) or should offerors price strictly according to their standard corporate practice?

Yes, we base our projection on 252 business days per year, excluding federal holidays. For example: (252 days × 8 hours/day × 1 position) = 2,016 hours for the year.

SECTION 3: TRANSITION, STAFFING & SECURITY

• Question 8 (Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers): o RFP

Reference: Section B.1 (Purpose) & Section C.8 (Transition Period) o

Question: The solicitation notes that these services are currently performed under Contract No. 040ADV-21-C-0091. Does the Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (Executive Order 14055) apply to incumbent personnel currently performing work at the Pueblo Distribution Center? The Executive Branch rescinded EO 14055 in January 2025. There is no legal requirement to offer the right of first refusal to incumbent contractors. Staffing decisions, including the selection and assignment of personnel, are solely at the contractor’s discretion and responsibility; the Government does not direct or supervise contractor staffing.

• Question 9 (Transition Phase-In Funding): o RFP Reference: Section

C.8 (Transition Period), Page 18 o Question: Is the 90-calendar-day transition/phase-in period funded as part of the Base Year CLINs starting October 1, 2026, or is the phase-in period expected to take place prior to October 1, 2026? The 90-day phase-in period will begin at the start of the base year. The Government will schedule a transition meeting between the incumbent and the successful offeror, provided the incumbent is unsuccessful, prior to the contract start date.

• Question 10 (Security Clearance Processing Time):

o RFP Reference: Section C.5.c & Section H.14 (Contractor Access and Security Requirements) o Question: What is the average processing timeframe for GPO background checks and fingerprinting for new contract personnel, and will conditional facility access be granted during the 90-day phase-in period? The Government’s standard processing timeline for initial vetting – including fingerprinting, credit checks, and completion of the security questionnaire – averages 14 days. Once the case is released to DCSA for investigation, processing times vary based on workload and case complexity. The full background investigation can range from 90 days to 12 months, depending on the required investigation level; however, cases extending to 12 months are uncommon. Facility access is granted only when all initial checks return favorably. We do not authorize badges or facility entry until this initial vetting is successfully completed. So, it's critical that we have all the correct onboarding documents and that applicants pay attention to their email for any messages from our office, so we can move them along.

• Whether Service Contract Labor Standards apply and, if so, the applicable wage determination. We do not see a wage determination among the two SAM.gov attachments currently listed.

o The applicable wage determination has been included as an attachment.

• The solicitation does reference a CBA. Can you confirm if there is a CBA in place and if so, can you provide us a copy of the CBA so that we are aware of the requirements thereof, especially the salary rates, PTO requirements, etc..?

• We do not have a CBA in place for contract employees. Please disregard any references to a

CBA.

There are 2 key personnel listed in the solicitation. Just to confirm, there is only a requirement to provide the resumes of these two personnel in the proposal and not the resumes of the entire staff.

• Correct; Offerors are only required to submit resumes for candidates who are proposed as key personnel.

• Will you be posting a sign in sheet of those who attend the site visit?

o Yes

• On page 37 of the solicitation, there is mention of a Performance Guarantee. Is this a bond that is required? What are the bonding requirements?

o This is not applicable to the solicitation and will be removed.

• Section L.2 first states the proposal "shall consist of five (5) volumes," then lists six volumes (Volume 2 Technical Capability and Volume 3 Management and Staffing Plan shown separately). Please confirm whether offerors shall submit five or six volumes, and if five, whether Technical Capability and the Management and Staffing Plan are combined in a single volume. o Please include six (6) volumes as follows: 1) Signed SF33 and Company Information, 2) Technical Capability, 3) Management and Staffing Plan, 4) Key Personnel, 5) Past Performance, and 6) Cost/Price Proposal.

o Section B.2 states the Government intends to award a time and materials (T&M) contract, while each CLIN in Section B is designated Firm Fixed Price. Please confirm the intended contract type for the base and option year CLINs, and whether the overtime CLINs (0003, 0006, and their option year equivalents) are labor-hour or firm fixed price.

The intended contract type for all CLINs is Time and Materials. The estimate is based on the October–September fiscal year, consisting of 252 business days. For Forklift Operator/Warehouse Specialist positions: (252 days × 8 hours/day × 7 employees) = 14,112 total regular hours. Total hours multiplied by the contractor’s rate represents the maximum annual amount for those positions. Estimated overtime hours for forklift operators/warehouse specialists will not exceed 1,050 per year. The material handling laborer is limited to a maximum of 150 overtime hours per year. Total overtime billed for the fiscal year will equal actual overtime hours worked multiplied by the contractor’s applicable hourly rates (e.g., 1,050 hours × the contractor’s rate represents the maximum annual amount for those positions).

• Section M.6(c) requires a cost-loaded Network Analysis Schedule (NAS) with the schedule of prices included as part of the NAS. Please confirm whether a NAS is required for this staffing services requirement and, if so, the expected format and content.

o Network Analysis Schedule (NAS) is not required. Construction requirements are not applicable to the solicitation. Please disregard and adhere to the other instructions for pricing. The solicitation will be updated.

• Clause 52.222-47, SCA Minimum Wages and Fringe Benefits Applicable to Successor Contract Pursuant to Predecessor Contractor Collective Bargaining Agreement, is incorporated in Section I. Please confirm whether the incumbent contractor's workforce under Contract No. 040ADV-21-C-0091 is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and, if so, provide the applicable wage and fringe schedule by amendment.

o The applicable wage determination has been added as an attachment.

• Section L.1(e) limits the proposal to 75 pages. Please confirm which volumes count against the 75-page limit, and specifically whether the signed SF 33 and company information (Volume 1), Key Personnel resumes (Volume 4), and the Cost/Price Proposal count against the limit. Please also confirm that Past Performance Questionnaires submitted directly by references are excluded from the limit.

o The total number of pages is not to exceed 75 pages. This includes Volume 1, resumes, and the Cost/Price proposal. Completed past performance questionnaires are not included in total page count.

o Section B includes overtime CLINs (0003, 0006, and their option year equivalents) without estimated quantities or hours. Please confirm how these CLINs will be evaluated for purposes of total evaluated price (for example, evaluated as rates only, or extended against a government estimate of hours). The estimate is based on the October–September fiscal year, consisting of 252 business days. For Forklift Operator/Warehouse Specialist positions: (252 days × 8 hours/day × 7 employees) = 14,112 total regular hours. Total hours multiplied by the contractor’s rate represents the maximum annual amount for those positions. Estimated overtime hours for forklift operators/warehouse specialists will not exceed 1,050 per year. The material handling laborer is limited to a maximum of 150 overtime hours per year. Total overtime billed for the fiscal year will equal actual overtime hours worked multiplied by the contractor’s applicable hourly rates (e.g., 1,050 hours × the contractor’s rate represents the maximum annual amount for those positions). Overtime total hours will remain the same for each option year.

• Can a major subcontractor satisfy that requirement for the team?

o Yes.

• Page 1 – SF 33: The SF33 shows that proposals are due on 8/14/2026 and Section L indicates that proposals are due on 8/28/2026. Will the Government confirm the proposal submission date?

o The proposal submission date is Friday, August 28, 2026, at 5PM EST. This amendment hereby corrects the closing date.

• Page 5 – 12., Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs: Since the Government has designated a separate overtime CLIN for Forklift OPR/WHSE Specialist, will the Government clarify if CLINs 0006, 1006, 2006, 3006 and 4006 are intended to support estimated overtime for all other positions other than the Forklift OPR/WHSE Specialist CLIN or are the CLINs established for a specific position? The only two positions that are expected to work overtime are the Forklift OPR/ WHSE Specialist and the Material Handling Laborer. The customer service representative and supply technician will not work overtime.

• Page 37., L.1 Proposal Instructions(e): The aggregate page count for all volumes is set at 75 page inclusive of all volumes. Will any of the volumes or documents required be exempt from the page count?

o No, total page count may not exceed 75 pages.

• Page 38., Section L.2 Proposal Preparation Instructions: The Instructions in the first paragraph of this section indicate that proposal submissions shall consist of five (5) volumes titled, as follows:

1) Signed SF 33 and Company Information, 2) Technical Capability and Management Plan, 3) Key Personnel, 4) Past Performance, and 5) Cost/Price Proposal. However the Proposal Format requires offerors to submit six (6) Volumes to include: Volume 1: Signed SF33 and Company Information; Volume 2: Technical Capability; Volume 3: Management and Staffing Plan; Volume 4: Key Personnel; Volume 5: Past Performance; and Volume 6:Cost/Price Proposal. Will the Government clarify how many volumes are to be submitted and the contents that each volume should contain?

o Please include six (6) volumes as follows: 1) Signed SF33 and Company Information, 2) Technical Capability, 3) Management and Staffing Plan, 4) Key Personnel, 5) Past Performance, and 6) Cost/Price Proposal.

• Page 40., Volume 4: Key Personnel: Are offerors to include copies of proposed key personnel’s degrees, diplomas or certifications as supporting evidence?

o The solicitation requires Resumes (not to exceed five (5) pages each); and supporting evidence of education, professional credentials, technical competencies, and relevant experience.