QTA0016GBA0002_-_Questions_ _Responses__2.pdf

ALLIANT 2 SMALL BUSINESS GWAC

Questions & Responses

Release #2

Thank you for your interest in Alliant 2 Small Business.

In addressing questions it is the Government’s position that if the solicitation’s position is self-evident, the response to a question may simply be that the solicitation already addresses the matter in the manner the Government intended for it to be addressed, or

“The solicitation is clear”.

While the Government may include one or more specific solicitation passages in a response to a question, interested parties are reminded that section L.3 of the solicitation states, “Offerors are instructed to read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments in Section J, prior to submitting questions and/or preparing an offer. Omission of any information from the proposal submission requirements may result in rejection of the offer.”

Questions were not extensively edited for grammar, punctuation or spelling. Not every question is shown. Only those questions, or portions of questions, that were deemed frequently asked and/or those that were deemed to benefit the procurement process are shown.

Questions and responses are organized into topic areas shown below. Interested parties stand to benefit from reviewing all statements, questions, and responses.

General

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Volume 5

Volume 6

Volume 7

Post Award

Additional Question and Response Documents will be posted to FBO as appropriate. It is the responsibility of the offerors to periodically check the solicitation on FBO for more information.

As a reminder, Offerors shall address all questions via e-mail to the Alliant 2 Small

Business GWAC PCO at A2SB@gsa.gov. All questions must be submitted in the format identified in L.3.5 of the solicitation.

General

General

Q&R # Question Response

2-1 Please confirm that title pages, indexes, and table of contents are not counted in the maximum page count for narrative documents.

Confirmed. The RFP does not specify that the Table of Contents, indexes, and title pages are counted in the maximum page counts cited throughout the RFP.

2-2 Same section as above - An index is also requirement, making the limited space to provide the LET write-up, even more limited.

Would the Government allow an additional 1/4 page to accommodate an index?

The RFP does not specify that the index is included in the page limitations.

2-3 L.3 Proposal Submission Instructions states on page 103 "The offeror ...shall submit only one proposal." Can you provide instructions for labeling the packages for Offerors who wish to send two sets of materials for the same proposal via different carriers to ensure on-time delivery?

The RFP did not prescribe a methodology, affording offerors the opportunity to label them in a clear way, e.g. one labeled "original" and any other(s) labeled "duplicate original".

2-4 Can we use the same mail address "General Services Administration, Federal Acquisition Service, Small Business GWAC Contract Operations (QTACC), Attn: Greg Byrd, Contracting Officer, 2300 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64108 for sending the proposal by Fedex?

Yes. L.3.4 is clear on this matter.

2.5 Please confirm that Microsoft Office 2010

compatible files are acceptable.

Yes, Microsoft Office 2010 files are acceptable

2-6 Please confirm that a cover page can be included at the front of each Volume for the DVD Volume files and 1 for the hardcopy submission

Yes.

2-7 Please confirm that a joint venture between a small business and a large business is considered small if the joint venture agreement has been approved as a participant in the SBA’s 8(a) mentor-protégé program.

SBA 8(a) mentor-protégé joint ventures are eligible to submit a proposal in response to the RFP. They will be evaluated within the rubric of the evaluation criteria, requirements set forth in the RFP, and applicable laws and regulations.

2-8 Can the government please provide some additional detail on the desired format of the email notification from the COR to the cognizant CO? What is the preferred method for capturing and presenting that the email has been sent?

The RFP did not prescribe a methodology, affording offerors the opportunity to complete this, e.g., a PDF of the sent email. It is clear that the RFP does not require an acknowledgement by the CO to whom the email notification was sent.

Volume 1

Volume 1

Q&R # Question Response

2-9 Do we need to provide a Section K filled out by the prime and also by any subs we may use?

Yes. L.5.1.5.2 is clear on this matter.

2-10 If there are multiple subcontractors (or JV Member companies), do we bundle the Section K for each company into one file (ABC.VOL1.RC) or do we submit a separate file for each subcontractor or JV Member company. Please clarify.

Section K representations and certifications for each member of a JV or Subcontractors in a Prime/Sub CTA can be combined into one file.

2-11 For Section K, Representations & Certifications do the offeror and subcontractors only fill out the name, DUNS number, and K.4 for each respective company?

L.5.1.5.2 is clear each CTA member shall have a SAM.gov profile and that each member’s completed section K must be part of the offer.

2-12 Are Joint Venture Primes permitted to have Subcontractors in accordance with L.5.1.5.2?

No. If an Offeror is submitting a proposal as a Contractor Teaming Arrangement (CTA (Joint Venture, Partnership, or Prime/Subcontractor)) it can submit only as one single type of CTA.

Combinations of different types of CTAs cannot be proposed.

2-13 Section L.4 indicates that one paper copy of Attachment J.P-1 be included with the proposal submission. Section L.5.1.2, item 1 states that rows and columns of the Self Scoring Worksheet are not to be altered. As issued, the Self Scoring Worksheet is not formatted for printing on 8.5x11 paper with 1" margins. Is it acceptable to format the Self Scoring Worksheet for printing and print in landscape orientation so the sheet fits horizontally with 1" margins?

Yes

2-14 When printing one paper copy of attachment J.P-1 - Document Verification and Self Scoring Worksheet, is it acceptable to adjust the margins in order to print as 4 pages in portrait format?

Yes

Volume 2

Volume 2

Q&R # Question Response

2-15 Do submitted relevant experience projects have to cover all 3 PSC groups? In another words, does a vendor have to submit one relevant project experience in each PSC Groups?

No. L.5.2.2 is clear on this matter.

2-16 If an offeror references a single award BPA and references combined task orders, can a separate task order (not part of the combined reference) be used to meet a different PSC code requirement?

No. If a BPA or indefinite delivery task order contract is used and a collection of task orders are combined and submitted as a single project, another task order issued under the BPA or indefinite delivery task order contract can't be used for a different PSC code relevant experience project.

2-17 If an offeror references a single award BPA and references combined task orders, can a separate task order (not part of the combined reference) be used to meet a leading edge requirement?

No. If a single award BPA or indefinite delivery task order contract is used and a collection of task orders are combined and submitted as a single project, another task order issued under the BPA/ or indefinite delivery task order contract can't be used for a different LET relevant experience project.

2-18 If a prime contractor is an awardee of a multiple award IDIQ or BPA, and that prime contractor has received multiple and sequential task orders for the same work based on the original Statement of Work, can the prime contractor combine the total value of those task orders to submit as a single project?

Yes. L.5.2.1 will be amended to allow a collection of task orders as a single relevant experience project to come from a multiple award indefinite delivery or BPA task order contract as long as it's well defined and for a specific purpose.

2-19 L.5.2.1. states: A Relevant Experience "project" is defined as (1) single contract...".

If an offeror won a recompete within the last 5 years (a complete new contract), can the offeror use both the previous contract and the new contract as Project Experience (in separate PSC and LE areas)?

Yes. Each individual contract or task order awarded stands on its own.

2-20 This paragraph requires offerors to submit a copy of a COR email notification to the cognizant CO with completed J.P-2 if access to the cognizant Contracting Officer is unattainable. If access to the CO is unattainable, the COR would not be able to send the CO an email. Please clarify this requirement if email access to the CO is unattainable.

There is a chain of command for the CO.

Hence, the email can be sent to the contracting/acquisition office with cognizance over the task order or contract.

2-21 If we have a contract which is a follow on contract to a prior contract can these 2 be combined as one relevant experience project?

No. Each individually awarded contract/task order stands on its own.

2-22 For PSC Group Relevant Experience Projects where a subcontractors' prime contract experience is used (per L.5.5.1.2), is the Offeror able to receive credit for that project being a Cost-Reimbursement contract type or are only the Offeror's relevant experience projects eligible for these additional points?

The Offeror will receive credit for a cost reimbursement contract type on Relevant Experience projects fulfilled by subcontractors on a Prime/Sub CTA if the RFP criteria for that scoring element are met.

2-23 Do offerors only provide a paper copy of Attachment J.P-1, Document Verification and Self Scoring Worksheet? Do we need to provide paper copies of the Volumes? If so, how many paper copies of each volume?

It is clear that the RFP does not contemplate paper copies of the Volumes being sent with the proposal, and that the only paper copy requested is the J.P-1 document.

2-24 Would the Government confirm that scanned, unsearchable (static image) PDFs are acceptable for Attachment J.P-2 and J.P-3?

Yes, it is confirmed that the RFP clearly did not specify searchable PDFs for those topics.

2-25 Will the Government accept proposed subcontractors project experience within the Leading Edge Technology section?

Yes. L.5.1.5.2(3) is clear on this matter

2-26 We were awarded a Task Order under a Multiple-award contract. The Task Order has 4 option years. Each Option Year value is greater than $1 million and can reference a different PSC code. Can we use each Option year as a Relevant Experience Project?

No. Consistent with clear RFP language the whole task order would be considered a single Relevant Experience Project.

2-27 Does the NAICS Code for any Relevant Experience Project have to be specified as 541512 in FPDS-NG?

No

2-28 If a contract expired and there were no option periods remaining, and the customer awarded the recompete of the same work to the same contractor, may we add the total dollar value of both contracts to determine the project value on the PSC Group Relevant Experience?

No. Each awarded contract stands on its own.

2-29 Will the Government consider, the Offerors, first tier subcontracts in the Leading Edge Technology Relevant Experience Projects?

The RFP is clear that the Relevant Experience Projects must have been performed as a Prime Contractor. If the Relevant Experience Project meets the criteria to be used in a PSC or LET, the whole project can be used, including any subcontracted work under the project.

2-30 Proposed Subcontractors indicates that offerors shall submit Relevant Experience projects which "may be in the name of the offeror or in the names of any proposed subcontractor." Please clarify that subcontractors do not need to submit a separate Volume 2 but that their Relevant Experience projects may be used for the PSC Groups or for LET Relevant Experience within the Prime contractor's proposal.

Clearly, all RFP requirements are to be within the Prime Contractor's proposal.

2-31 Section L.5 provides examples of contracts or task orders award documents that identify a contractor as a Prime. Will the Government consider accepting contracts or task orders awarded as a "Grant" using Standard Form (SF) 424 Application for Federal Assistance?

No. Clearly grants are not included in the examples cited in the RFP. Grants do not meet the definition of a Relevant Experience Project as spelled out in L5.2.1

2-32 If an offeror is using a single award IDIQ contract with a collection of task orders for a PSC Relevant Experience, should offerors submit the FPDS report for the overall IDIQ or for each task order under the IDIQ contract.

When a collection of task orders under an indefinite delivery task order contract or BPA is used as a Relevant Experience Project, offerors should use business judgement to determine which FPDS report(s) satisfy the RFP requirements.

2-33 If the FPDS-NG report supports only part of the J.P-2 information, offerors are required to submit the FPDS-NG Report AND have the J.P-2 signed to verify the information.

The J.P-2 Part IV instructs offerors to "choose one" verification method from FPDS-NG report or Signature. Since the referenced RFP instruction requires both verification methods, please clarify how offerors should respond to this part of the J.P-2.

Both boxes should be checked. An amendment will clarify this.

2-34 Can a Blanket Purchase Agreement, Governmentwide Acquisition Contract, or other multiple award contract be used a stand-alone example of relevant experience/past performance if the A2SB offeror is prime contractor and is performing work on task orders under the contract?

The solicitation is clear that you can use individual task orders or a collection of task orders under indefinite delivery task order contracts or BPAs.

2-35 For our project experience - does the GSA want only the latest entry (most recent record) in FPDS NG for our contracts, or does the GSA want every report record for our chosen contracts that appears in the FPDS NG system? For example, if one of our contracts has 20 pages of records in the system, does the GSA want all of those records, or just the most recent record?

L.5.2.2.1.1 is clear on this matter. The most recent one shall be sent with the proposal.

2-36 The offeror has a “collection of task orders” placed under a Single-Award IDIQ task order contract or Single Award BPA. Each of the individual / single task orders under the Single-Award IDIQ task order contract or Single Award BPA achieve the minimum project value without submitting all of the task orders that have been awarded. Will the government allow the task orders to be submitted as individual projects since each meets the minimum requirements for LETs under Section L.5.2.3 Leading Edge Technology Relevant Experience Projects?

The offeror has the option of using a "collection of task orders" as a Relevant Experience Project (if it meets the criteria of the RFP) or using each individual task order as a Relevant Experience Project. However, the offeror cannot use both methods for the same Indefinite delivery contract or BPA.

2-37 If we submit two projects that have two distinct contract numbers but both come from the same agency and the work is the same, may we use them under two distinct leading edge technology categories?

The solicitation’s standards for what constitutes a project are clear. Please vet this question through that rubric and rely upon those criteria.

2-38 If we only have one LET Group Relevant Experience, can we place it in LET 1-3 and receive the 300 points?

No. It is clear that if you have one citation in a particular LET it must go in the first slot for 100 points.

Volume 3

Volume 3

Q&R # Question Response

2-39 In the event the Contracting Officer is unattainable, is it acceptable for a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) sign attachment J.P-5 - Past Performance Rating form?

Yes. An amendment to the RFP will allow completion and signature by the cognizant COR if the CO is not available.

Volume 4

Volume 4

Q&R # Question Response

2-40 RFP Section L.54.9 states that ISO/IES 27000 certification will qualify for 1500 points. However based on our understanding of the ISO 27000 certification process, this serves as an umbrella certification and a vendor therefore cannot obtain ISO 27000 certification. Instead it has to obtain one of the underlying certification, for example ISO 27001. Can the Government clarify if ISO 27001 will qualify for the same credit?

Yes it does. Clearly ISO/IES 27000 is a series of certifications that includes ISO 27001

2-41 If the offeror provides verification documents that meet the criteria in L.5.4.1, but does not submit a project for the L.5.2.2.4 (page 124) Cost Reimbursement bonus, does the offeror earn points for the scoring element in L.5.4.1 Cost Accounting System and Audit Information?

Yes. Clearly they are independent scoring elements with their own standards.

2-42 The Proposal Format Table in the RFP says that the documentation for each of the systems and certifications is "limited to the verification document." However, the descriptive information in Section L.5.4 for the various systems and certifications requires a multi-part submission, including a page with the DUNS and CAGE code and the POC information, and a copy of the official report, certificate, etc. Please confirm that the "verification document" referenced in the Proposal Format table should include all elements described in Section L.5.4.

Yes, the requirements contained in RFP Section L.5.4 for the various systems and certifications are required in Volume 4.

Volume 5

Volume 5

Q&R # Question Response

2-43 Please confirm that, if attempting to claim credit for the Volume 5 scoring element, the following is true: (1) Companies offering as part of a prime/sub team will submit both a copy of a contract/order under which the team worked and a copy of their current subcontractor agreement.

That is true. L.5.5.1 is clear on this matter.

2-44 If we are proposing two (or more) small business subcontractors who have all performed as subcontractors to us previously, but on different contracts, does this count as the “previously performed business arrangement”? In other words, “Proposed Subcontractor A” has previously subcontracted to us under prime contract “X” and “Proposed Subcontractor B” has previously subcontracted to us under a different prime contract “Y”. Would we get credit for the “previously performed business arrangement” under L.5.5?

Yes. L.5.5.1 is clear on this matter.

2-45 Will the offeror receive points or partial points if a one of multiple subcontractors proposed previously performed on a contract or order as a subcontractor to the offeror?

No. L.5.5.1 is clear that all subcontractors of a Prime/Sub CTA must have been a subcontractor to the prime on previously performed subcontracts to gain the points, i.e., all or nothing.

Volume 6

Volume 6

Q&R # Question Response

2-46 The J.P-8_Cost_Price_Template does not include the contract access fee. Please confirm that the CAF is not included in the proposed maximum labor rates.

Confirmed. The CAF is not included in the ceiling labor rates. L.5.6.2 is clear as to what's included in the ceiling labor rates.

2-47 It is our understanding from reading this section that the Contract Access Fee does not need to be built into the Time and Materials Hourly Rates, but rather should be included as a separate line item cost in each Task Order Price. Is this assumption correct?

That is correct.

2-48 The RFP states “Offerors shall submit supporting documentation for the basis for direct labor, labor escalation…” Given that the Government has provided a fixed labor escalation of 1.93%, what supporting documentation does the Government expect the Offeror to provide?

An amendment will remove the requirement to submit supporting documentation for escalation of direct labor.

2-49 Is the requirement to "state the methodology" for computing indirect costs a request for text describing the process of generating indirect rates or a request to provide backup financial data used in computing the indirect rates?

It is a detailed narrative describing the methodology of generating indirect rates.

Q&R # Question Response

2-50 Please affirm that for populated joint ventures, financial responsibility documents required by Volume 7 will be submitted for the joint venture itself and there is no requirement for other JV member companies to submit financial responsibility documents.

Affirmed. L.5.7.1 is clear on this matter.

Post Award

Q&R # Question Response

2-51 Must contractors have Defense Base Act Insurance at the time proposal is submitted or can that insurance be procured once a Task Order requiring OCONUS travel is awarded?

Defense Base Act Insurance is not required at the time the proposal is submitted.

2-52 The ceiling rates are to be based upon the highest qualified employee within a given labor category, working in the highest paid area within CONUS, on a highly complex requirement, excluding Top Secret/SCI/or higher." Given this guidance, please confirm that if Orders are released requiring Top Secret level or higher clearances/accesses, Offers will be permitted to submit rates for these positions that exceed the Offeror's ceiling rates (Maximum rates) proposed on the Master contract.

Yes. B.1151 is clear on this matter.