Questions for Laurel Fulfillment RFP - Final.pdf

1. Could the government provide the applicable wage determination for this effort?

• Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4281. The solicitation amendment attaches the applicable wage determination.

2. Could the government advise if/ what is the transition period for this effort?

• 60 - 90 days to facilitate any specialized technical roles or mid-sized government contracts. This should allow knowledge transfer, incumbent interviews, and SOP reviews.

3. The government states that the Proposal submitted in response to this Solicitation must be no longer than 75 pages single spaced in A4 or 8.5"x11"size paper. Only Times New Roman 11-point or larger fonts will be accepted. Could the government clarify if the page count is inclusive of all (6) volumes that must equal the 75-page limit?

• Yes, the page count of 75 must include all 6 volumes. Title pages are not included in the page count.

4. Reference - RFP, page 8 of 52, para. 1.6; Background - Section 1.6 states: "The Government reserves the right to require the Contractor to work a standard Saturday and/or Sunday Shift when there are temporary increases in demand/ workload or there is a valid customer requirement." Ques on: Can the Government please provide historical data regarding weekend work?

• No weekend work has taken place in the last five years (2020-2025). There is a less than 1% chance of this event occurring.

5. Reference - RFP, page 8 of 52, para. 1.7(c); Background - Section 1.7(c) states: "The Contractor shall utilize a sign-in/sign-out sheet, provided by the COR, listing each employee by name and labor category. This roster will be used to reconcile labor hours and support invoice validation." Ques on: Can the Government provide a copy or example of the sign-in/sign-out sheet?

• See attached example.

6. Section L.1. Proposal Instructions states: “(a)Completion of Standard Form 1442, Blocks

14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20a, 20b and 20c. and Section B pricing of this document before submitting.” Can the government confirm that offerors need to complete Standard Form 33 and Section B pricing that are included in the solicitation package (not SF 1442)?

• The SF1442 was erroneously referenced as the solicitation/contract form. The amendment will update the instructions for Volume 1. Offerors must complete Blocks 12-18 on the SF33, leaving the irrelevant fields blank.

7. Section M.6. The solicitation states: “c. This contract requires a cost-loaded Network Analysis Schedule (NAS). The schedule of prices shall be included as part of the NAS and submitted with the proposal. Offerors shall provide a detailed price breakdown, including:

Quantities and unit prices for each category of work; Extended and summarized costs for each construction category; and Total contract price.” Can the government confirm if this requirement is applicable to this solicitation, given that the SOW does not include construction categories?

• Construction requirements are not applicable to the solicitation. Please disregard and adhere to the other instructions for pricing. The solicitation will be updated.

8. Section 1.6. Work Schedule states that "The Contractor shall perform workload planning and adjust staffing as needed to ensure an adequate number of personnel are available to support the mission from 0600-1700 hours each workday.” However, in Section 1.5 CURRENT DUTY HOURS AND ACCESS TO WORK SITE the solicitation indicates that the Contractor shall perform services required under this contract during the normal operating hours defined as “Monday through Friday, 7:00 A.M.-3:30 P.M. excluding Federal Holidays.” and in In Section F.1. (p. 27) the solicitation also states that "Work will be performed during normal business hours - 7:00 AM through 3:30 PM. Any work to be performed outside normal business hours and on weekends or holidays will need to be coordinated with the COR three (3) days prior. Can the government clarify if contractors should plan to operate from 0600-1700 or 7:00 A.M.-3:30 P.M.?

• There are two start times: 06:00 – 14:30 and 07:00 – 15:30. These are split for inbound and outbound operations.

9. Section L of the revised solicitation lists “Program Analyst” and “Junior Program Analyst” as key personnel positions and appears to use the titles “Project Manager” and “Program Manager” interchangeably to describe the same role. Elsewhere in the solicitation, these positions are designated Project Manager, Project Analyst, and Junior Project Analyst. Can the government clarify how offerors should designate these positions?

• The correct titles are Project Manager, Project Analyst, and Junior Project Analyst. The solicitation amendment will reflect this change.

10. Section 4.1. indicates that “The Contractor employees shall perform operator maintenance that includes but is not limited to replacing fuses, maintaining tire pressure, and topping off fluid levels.” Can the government confirm that the equipment and supplies required to perform these tasks will be government-furnished?

• The Government will furnish all equipment and supplies.

11. Several supervisory and functional roles are referenced in the SOW (e.g., Warehouse

Manager, Contractor Supervisor, Folder Inserter Operator, SOH Representative), but they are not identified as required Key or Non-Key personnel categories in Sections 1.8 or

1.8.1. Can the government confirm these are not additional roles, and that offerors should map these required roles to the categories presented in sections 1.8. and 1.8.1.

as appropriate?

• The defined labor mix for this contract is divided into two categories: key personnel and non-key personnel. The roles in SOW section 1.8 are key roles and required. Please refer to the Key Personnel clause at Section H.1 of the solicitation. Certain experienced professionals and/or technical personnel are essential for successful accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract. Such personnel are defined as "Key Personnel" and are those persons whose resumes were/will be submitted for evaluation of the proposal.

Individuals categories not designated as key personnel are considered non-key personnel (1.8.1).

12. The SOW references contract deliverables but does not define what deliverables offerors are expected to produce. Can the government please provide offerors with a list of contract deliverables?

• Suggested Deliverables: Monthly Labor Cost & Burn Rate Report; Weekly Inventory Accuracy Audit; Order Fulfillment Performance Metrics (KPIs); Data Integrity & Receipt Log Compliance

Current layout and storage profile

13. Please describe the current warehouse layout at Laurel (e.g., square footage by building A and B, racking vs. floor storage, bulk vs. bin locations) and identify any constraints that the incoming contractor must plan around.

• 104k ft2 distribution facility with rack storage, mix of bin and gravity flow racking 3 inserter-sealers units, 1 high-speed labeling system for bulk USPS for order fulfillment.

14. Can the Government provide a breakdown of storage types (pallet positions, shelving, secure/pilferable areas, climate sensitive areas) and current utilization levels by category?

• The facility consists of one PII-sensitive Print on Demand area for printing, QC, and mechanical Insertion. All other storage and distribution is completed from a secure building.

15. Are there facility constraints or operational pain points (dock congestion, lowlight areas, limited staging, security checkpoints) that have historically caused bottlenecks, and that you want the contractor to address in its solution?

• No.

Inventory profile, accuracy, and historical issues

16. The PWS requires maintaining minimum 98 percent inventory accuracy from receipt through issuance. How is inventory accuracy currently defined and measured (location accuracy, quantity accuracy, financial accuracy, or all three)?

• All three.

17. What is the current baseline inventory accuracy and typical cycle count variance by location or customer so we can understand the starting risk profile?

• 99.0%

18. Can the Government confirm whether annual, semiannual, or customer-driven wall-to-wall inventories are required in addition to daily cycle counts (3,000 per year estimate)?

• Both annual and daily cycle-counts are required. More than 5000 SKUs.

19. Can the Government describe any recurring systemic issues related to inventory (e.g., repeated discrepancy types, specific locations or product families with higher variance) that the incoming contractor should specifically plan to address?

• Your technical approach should address any potential barriers that will hinder successful performance of this contract and address mitigation tactics.

Workload, volumes, and pain points

20. How are peaks and seasonal surges distributed during the year (e.g., fiscal year-end, open enrollment, or legislative cycles), and what is the expected maximum daily throughput for picks and shipments?

• The end of August to the end of September experiences a 20-40% increase in order fulfillment demand (~2.2k per day to ~ 2.8-3.0k per day)

21. Are there particular customers, product lines, or warehouse processes (receiving, putaway, picking, shipping, returns) that have historically presented higher error rates, delays, or complaints, and what has been most challenging to resolve?

• Order fulfillment has the highest frequency of errors, mis-selection and failed methods.

22. Systems and integration (DOTs/ROPS/S-Drive/Synergy/WMS)

• These are inventory management and warehouse management systems.

23. Please clarify which system is the system of record for inventory and warehouse operations, and which are supporting or reporting systems.

• DOTS and Mainframe are the current inventory systems. Synergy is reporting system. DOTS and ROPS are WMS.

24. Will the Government provide detailed interface/control documentation, user roles, and training for each system during transition, and are there any planned system changes during the base or option years?

• Yes, FY26 or FY27 WMS converting.

25. Are there existing RF/scanning devices or other automation (e.g., conveyor, sortation) integrated to the WMS, and will those be provided as GFE?

• No, not currently.

26. Have there been any system integration or data quality issues with

DOTs/ROPS/S-Drive/Synergy/WMS that have impacted inventory accuracy or order processing, and how do you envision the contractor helping mitigate those?

• Data entry errors are the most frequent errors.

MHE, equipment, and maintenance

27. Can the Government provide an inventory of GFE MHE (type, capacity, quantity, average age) and indicate any known replacement plans during the contract period?

• Multiple stand-up forklifts with up to 4k lifting capacity, Multiple sit-down forklifts with up to 4k lifting capacity, multiple vertical lifts 400-pound capacity, powered and manual pallet jacks, pallet lifters, pallet wrappers, baler [Daily use, All electric]. Three (3) high-speed folder inserters [Daily use]; Heavy-duty monochrome inkjet printer, bulk mail processing [Weekly use]

28. PWS states that the contractor performs daily checks and operator-level maintenance while the Government performs higher-level maintenance. How are equipment downtime, repair priorities, and replacement decisions coordinated and tracked?

• Pre-trip/Post-Trip of MHE, basic troubleshooting with printers and high-speed folder inserters. Reporting of issues. Replacement recommendations are encouraged.

29. Have there been recurring systemic issues with MHE availability, safety, or repair turnaround times that the incoming contractor should factor into its operator maintenance and fleet management approach?

• Fleet is a government-managed process.

Staffing, coverage, and surge expectations

30. Are there lessons learned from the current or prior contractor’s staffing approach (e.g., use of part-time/contingent labor, cross-training levels, overtime usage) that you would like the next contractor to incorporate or avoid?

• Cross-training, QC management, KPI adherence.

31. Can the Government provide the current number of incumbent employees by labor category assigned to Laurel warehouse operations, along with average tenure and 12-month turnover rate?

• Administrative Assist – 2+ Years (2.0 FTE) Material Coord – 2+ Years (6.0 FTE); 2.0 EE turnover Mail Clerk – 4+ Years (3.0 FTE)

Material Labor – 1.5 Years (3.0 FTE);

Lead – 2+ Years (1.0 FTE) Proj Analy – 2+ Years (1.0 FTE) Program Mgr – 8+ Years (1.0 FTE)

32. GPO Laurel Distribution Center supports approximately 30 customers and is described as growing. Does the Government anticipate onboarding additional agencies or materially increasing volume during the base or option years beyond historical trends?

• The Government anticipates an annual increase of two customers/agencies, and an increase of workload by 2-5% yearly, while managing the attrition of existing customers/agencies.

control, metrics, and systemic issues

33. The PWS references less than 1 percent weekly, monthly, and annual error or rejection rate across operations. Will the Government define separate error-rate targets for warehouse functions (receiving, putaway, picking, shipping, returns), or is this a single blended metric?

• Single blended metric.

34. Can the Government share the current primary causes of rejections or errors in warehousing (e.g., mis-picks, mis-slots, damage, documentation errors) to help us address them in our proposed processes?

• Mispicks and documentation errors.

35. Are there any existing Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) findings, audit results, or systemic nonconformances related to warehouse operations that the incoming contractor should plan to remediate early in performance?

• Failure to follow the order fulfillment methods are typically the issues that require the most attention.

36. In the event of Government-furnished system outages, GFE equipment failures, or facility access restrictions outside the Contractor’s control, how will performance metrics (e.g., inventory accuracy, production rates, error rates) be evaluated or adjusted?

• The Government will not penalize the contractor for any issues beyond the performer’s control.

Customer/product segmentation and special handling

37. GPO Laurel supports approximately 30 customers with variable order profiles. Are there any customers whose inventory must be physically segregated (by cage, room, or dedicated zone) or that require special handling or packaging standards?

• Yes, this is defined in processing SOPs.

Returns, disposals, and obsolescence

38. How are returns and obsolete or excess publications currently handled (e.g., return to agency, pulping/shredding, resale), and what volume of returns/disposing activity should the contractor plan to process annually?

• Current Handling Process o Returns: Returned publications are received at the Laurel warehouse, inspected, and evaluated for usability.

o Obsolete or Excess Publications: Items identified as outdated, discontinued, or no longer required by the client are segregated and prepared for disposal.

o Disposal Method: Obsolete or unusable materials are destroyed through pulping or shredding, in accordance with agency requirements and security guidelines.

o Agency Direction: If a client agency requests that materials be returned to them instead of destroyed, the warehouse follows those instructions.

• Annual Volume o The volume of returns and disposal activity varies by client and publication cycle.

39. Will the contractor have authority within documented SOPs to recommend or initiate disposition actions when stock is obsolete or damaged, or will all such decisions remain with the Government?

• All disposition decisions for obsolete, excess, or damaged stock remain under the authority of the Government. The contractor may identify items that appear to be outdated, damaged, or no longer suitable for distribution and may provide recommendations in accordance with documented SOPs. However, the contractor will not initiate any disposal, pulping, shredding, or return actions without explicit Government approval. Final authorization for all disposition activities rests solely with the Government.

Security, continuity, and lessons learned

40. Are there any restricted zones within the warehouses that require additional clearances or escort procedures for contractor warehouse staff?

• The PII sensitive area is restricted to those with badge access.

41. Are there any lessons learned from prior COOP events, emergencies, or drills at Laurel that should inform the incoming contractor’s continuity of operations planning for the warehouse environment?

• NA

42. Could you please provide a copy of the site visit sign-in sheet from February 24?

• Yes, see attached.

43. Are the incumbent staff eligible for interview and hire by the awarded contractor?

• There are no restrictions on retaining and/or hiring incumbent staff. Information on the incumbent is provided in Section B of the solicitation. The Government will not assist with scheduling any interviews prior to award.

44. Confirm that all technology, equipment, facilities, and infrastructure is GPO provided.

• These items are furnished by GPO.

45. Section B- section 1 Purpose and section 1.1 Scope of Work, describes the requirement to include print design, promotional printing, website design, development maintenance and technical support, and contact center operations, however there is no further SOW, volumes, or current staffing levels on these requirements. Will further information be provided?

• Yes, upon award.

46. Please provide volumes and current staffing levels for contact center operations. Is this work currently performed at the Laurel warehouse?

• Our contact center operations are managed by a Project Analyst and a Junior

Project Analyst who handle all customer inquiries related to onboarding, website support, publication setup, and inventory coordination. These staff members serve as the primary points of contact for clients and ensure that all service requirements are addressed promptly and accurately. The team manages a steady volume of inquiries that typically include questions about website functionality, publication updates, order status, and inventory availability. Both roles support customer communication, reporting, and issue resolution as part of the contact center function.

47. Please provide further information on the print design and promotional printing requirements, as well as volumes and current staffing levels. Is this work currently performed at the Laurel warehouse?

• Yes, the work is performed at the Laurel facility. Current staffing level is 0.5 FTE, 20-30 printing orders per quarter.

48. Please provide further information on website design, development and maintenance and technical support, as well as volumes and current staffing levels. Is this work currently performed at the Laurel warehouse?

• Our customer account and service requirements are supported by both a Project Analyst and a Junior Project Analyst. These roles serve as the primary points of contact for clients as they transition onto GPO services. They assist with website design and setup, support the preparation and organization of publications, and develop item descriptions required to display those publications online. They also coordinate with the receiving team to ensure all items are properly brought into inventory and made available for ordering. All work supporting these functions is currently performed at the Laurel warehouse.

49. Please provide more information on the management of customer account and service requirements. Please provide the current labor categories, volume of inquiries, and number of personnel currently supporting this requirement.

• In addition to onboarding and account management, the Project Analyst team produces weekly inventory reports, as well as monthly, quarterly, and annual Excel reports. They also manage inventory levels for each client to ensure accuracy and availability.

50. Please confirm that there is not a preferred format for price submission and that only fully burdened rates per labor category and number of FTE should be included.

• A narrative should be included detailing the reasoning behind total contract price and cost/pricing data.

51. Is the key personnel and non-key personnel listed in section 1.8 and 1.8.1 a current and exhaustive list of the current staffing levels which totals 21 FTE’s? Is there currently a Warehouse Management position? If not, please provide an exhaustive list of labor categories and number of FTE’s.

Description , FTE

• Wse / Project Mgr, 1.00

• Project Analyst, 3.00

• Project Analyst, Jr, 2.00

• Order Full Specialist, 8.00

• Stock Clerk Lead, 1.00

• Warehouse Specialist, 3.00

• Mailroom Operator, 3.00

Summary 21.00

52. What is the current service level agreement for order fulfillment turnaround?

• 1 day – 10 days; it varies by agency

53. Does the GPO have any specific challenges with the existing operation that would be worth sharing with bidders so that they can address in their proposal?

• NA

54. Does the GPO have any goals or initiatives in the pipeline regarding the existing operation that would be worth sharing with bidders so that they can address in their proposal?

• NA

55. The RFP states that the offeror’s proposal must include a minimum of three completed

Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs), and no more than five, to enable proper evaluation. It also states that submission of a minimum of three completed PPQ forms satisfies the requirement for this volume, and that offerors may include supplemental information in Volume 5. If we include five projects under Factor 4 (Past Performance), will the Government review all five, or only the three for which PPQs are submitted directly to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist? Also, what types of supplemental documentation, if any, should we include or are recommended for Volume 5?

• Please refer to the solicitation instructions. The Government will review all projects/information included. You are not required to submit a completed PPQ for each project referenced beyond the minimum requirement. An example of supplemental information is CPARS.

56. On SAM.gov, the NAICS code listed is NAICS 561330, which covers human resources and human resource management services. Given that the scope of work involves fulfillment, warehousing, print, and material handling services, can you please confirm whether this is the correct NAICS code for this solicitation? Should the applicable NAICS code instead be NAICS 493110?

• The applicable NAICS code is 493110. This has been changed in SAM.gov.

Page(s) Solicitation

Section

Solicitation Subsection

Question

3 Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

2. Contract Type Pricing Tables

1. Should Offerors provide anything in the description field?

Offerors must fill in the total price field for each CLIN.

2. Please confirm that Offerors should provide the total labor price per period in the “Unit Price” field, so that when added to Other Direct Costs, the Extended Price is the total cost for the CLIN.

Correct.

Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

SOW 1. General Conditions and Requirements

SOW 1.1 Scope of Work

2. Contract Type Pricing Tables

All

All

The “Supplies/Services” listed in each of the tables in Section B.2 include “website hosting” and the bulleted lists in SOW Section 1 and 1.1 include services for “website design, maintenance and support” and “website development and ongoing maintenance,” respectively. However, no detailed technical, security, hosting, operational, or performance requirements are provided.

To enable Offerors to develop an accurate technical and cost proposal, please clarify the following:

1. Existing Environment and Technical Architecture

• Is there an existing website? If so, please provide the current platform/CMS, hosting environment, database technology, integrations, and whether source code repositories will be provided.

• Are there mandated platforms, programming languages, frameworks, or architectural constraints?

• Is this effort limited to maintenance of an existing system, or does it include new website development or redesign?

2. Hosting and Infrastructure Requirements

• Is hosting government-furnished or contractor-provided?

• Are there required environments (Dev/Test/Prod), uptime/SLA standards, or after-hours support expectations?

• Are there federal cloud, CDN, WAF, DDoS, or Infrastructure-as-Code requirements?

3. Security and Compliance

• What data classification applies (Public, CUI, PII, etc.)?

• Is there an existing ATO to maintain, or is a new ATO required?

• What security and compliance frameworks apply (e.g., NIST, FISMA level, FedRAMP, Section 508/WCAG)?

• Are vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, logging, monitoring, or authentication integrations required?

4. Design, Content, and Functional Scope

• Is new UX/UI design required, or is branding to remain unchanged?

• Are there required templates, multilingual support, integrations, or analytics/reporting tools?

• Who is responsible for content updates and workflow management?

5. Operations, Maintenance, and Enhancements

• What activities are included in “maintenance” (patching, upgrades, enhancements, feature development, etc.)?

• What are the required support hours, ticketing expectations, and service levels?

• Are there release management or change control requirements?

6. Deliverables and Transition

• What documentation, training, or transition-out materials are required?

• Are there known technical issues or third-party licensing costs Offerors should consider?

GPO IT handles all website design, development, maintenance, and ongoing technical support will be handled.

All technical functions—including security, hosting, system operations, and platform maintenance—are fully managed by IT. This ensures that all website-related activities remain compliant, secure, and supported by dedicated technical personnel.

Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

SOW 1. General Conditions and Requirements

2. Contract Type Pricing Tables

All

Section B.2 and SOW Sections 1 and 1.1 reference website design, development, maintenance, and support services; however, SOW Section 1.8 nor 1.8.1 of the solicitation identify associated labor categories for these requirements.

Please clarify the intended labor categories to support the website requirements or confirm whether Offerors may propose appropriate labor categories based on their technical approach.

9-11

11-13

SOW 1.1 Scope of Work

SOW 1.8 Key Personnel

SOW 1.8.1 Non- Key Personnel Labor Categories

All

All

All

GPO IT handles all website design, development, maintenance, and ongoing technical support. All technical functions—including security, hosting, system operations, and platform maintenance—are fully managed by IT. This ensures that all website-related activities remain compliant, secure, and supported by dedicated technical personnel.

6 SOW 1.1 Scope of Work

N/A The solicitation states:

• “Print design and promotional printing support”

Can the Government provide historical annual print job counts by job type (brochures, pamphlets, posters, etc.), including average run sizes and complexity?

Twenty (20 ) jobs per quarter, 8-10 million copies in total; these will all be re-prints based on demand, clings, sticker, magnets, posters and books.

6 SOW 1.1 Scope of Work

N/A The solicitation states:

• “Print design and promotional printing support”

Does the print design requirement include original creative development and layout services, or is the Contractor primarily formatting Government-provided files?

All reprints, no design required.

6 SOW 1.1 Scope of Work

N/A This section provides an illustrative list of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and specifically references that the list is not exhaustive.

Does GPO anticipate the contractor to acquire any equipment to support the requirements of the contract? If so, please specify.

GPO will furnish all equipment.

7 SOW Section

1.5 Current

Duty Hours and Access to Work Site

N/A Section 1.6 of the SOW describes potential overtime work when authorized by the COR; however, the solicitation does not indicate whether overtime hours are to be included in the evaluated price or how overtime labor rates should be proposed under this T&M contract.

To ensure consistent pricing and evaluation, please clarify:

1. Should Offerors propose separate overtime hourly rates for each applicable labor category?

Yes. Surge OT is expected once or twice a year for each hourly rated category.

2. If overtime is anticipated, will the Government provide estimated or representative overtime hours to be included in the evaluated price?

Contractors could amass up to 750 total hours of OT each year.

3. If overtime hours are not to be included in the evaluated price, please confirm that Offerors should provide a table of overtime rates with the proposal which will be incorporated into the contract and billed when the COR authorizes overtime.

Yes.

SOW 1.6 Work Schedule

F.1 Observance of Legal Holidays/Federa l Non-workdays

A.

1st Paragraph

Section 1.6 of the SOW states that contractor-provided support hours are “0600–1700 hours each workday.” However, Section F.1 of the solicitation indicates that “work will be performed during normal business hours - 7:00 AM through 3:30 PM” and further notes that “any work to be performed outside normal business hours…will need to be coordinated with the COR three (3) days prior.”

Please clarify the required contractor hours of operation for this effort and confirm which provision governs.

We have two start times: 06:00 – 14:30 and 07:00 – 15:30. These are split for inbound and outbound operations.

9-11

SOW 1.7

Personnel

SOW 1.8 Key Personnel

H.1 Key Personnel

A

All

All

Section 1.7 states that “Contractor employees shall report solely to the Contractor’s Warehouse Manager.” However, the Warehouse Manager position is not identified as a Key Personnel labor category in Section 1.8 of the SOW of H.1 of the solicitation, nor are any other management labor categories listed.

The “Warehouse Manager” is the same role as Project Manager. This change will be reflected in the solicitation amendment.

Please clarify whether project management personnel, including the Warehouse Manager, are considered allowable and reimbursable under this contract. If so, please confirm how these positions should be proposed and provide any required qualifications and experience, if applicable.

Positions should be mapped to the job descriptions of the defined key and non-key personnel labor categories.

9 SOW 1.7

Personnel

F. The solicitation states “Maintain mission compliance, including inventory accuracy at a minimum of 98%, covering all phases from receipt to issuance.”

What has been the historical inventory accuracy rate over the past three fiscal years, and what are the most common root causes of discrepancies?

FY24- 97.6%; FY25 – 99.0%, FY26 – 99.2%

9-10 SOW 1.8 Key Personnel

All Section 1.8 of the SOW identifies three (3) Project Analysts and one (1) Junior Project Analyst.

Please provide additional context regarding the anticipated workload, complexity, or performance expectations that informed this staffing profile so Offerors may appropriately align their proposed approach and pricing assumptions with the Government’s intent.

Our customer account and service requirements are supported by both a Project Analyst and a Junior Project Analyst. These roles serve as the primary points of contact for clients as they transition onto GPO services. They assist with our IT department in website design and setup, support the preparation and organization of publications, and develop item descriptions required to display those publications online. They also coordinate with the receiving team to ensure all items are properly brought into inventory and made available for ordering.

In addition to onboarding and account management, the Project Analyst team is responsible for producing weekly inventory reports, as well as monthly, quarterly, and annual Excel reports. They also manage inventory levels for each client to ensure accuracy, availability, and timely replenishment.

9-10

SOW 1.8 Key Personnel

L.2 Proposal Preparation Instructions:

All

Volume 4: Key Personnel

Pages 9-10 refer to the Key Personnel labor categories as “Project Analyst” and “Junior Project Analyst”, while page 46 refers to them as “Program Analyst” and “Junior Program Analyst.”

Can GPO kindly provide the official titles for the Key Personnel?

The correct titles are Project Manager, Project Analyst, and Junior Project Analyst. The solicitation will be amended to reflect this change.

9-11

11-13

SOW 1.8 Key Personnel

SOW 1.81 Non- Key Personnel Labor Categories

All

All

DOL Category Codes are provided for some, but not all, positions.

Can GPO please provide the DOL Category for the Junior Project Analyst?

The code for Junior Project Analyst is the same as Project Analyst.

11-12 SOW A.1.8.1

Non-Key Personnel Labor Categories

Stock Clerk Lead Page 11 states that the Stock Clerk Lead will lead all staff listed below, although the DOL Category of 21130 is a Service Contract Act (SCA) category for Shipping and Receiving Clerk.

SCA staff are not typically allowed to manage other staff. Please clarify the DOL Category for this role.

The category should be 21040 – Material Expediter.

12-13 SOW A.1.8.1

Non-Key Personnel Labor Categories

Mailroom Equipment Operator

Page 13 states that the Mailroom Equipment Operator Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporations (PBGC) Operation requires US Citizenship and ability to pass a background check.

1. Please confirm that this is the only position which requires US Citizenship.

Yes.

2. Is the background check required for this position different than the background investigations required for all other staff, if applicable?

No, it is the same.

16 SOW 3.0 Safety and Occupational Health (SOH)

C. The solicitation states that the Contractor shall designate a Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) Representative to oversee implementation and enforcement of the SOH Plan during all working hours.

Is the SOH Representative role typically filled by one of the Key Personnel or another position?

This is not a singular role. Any FTE can dually support the SOH requirements.

18-19 SOW 3.1

Preparedness Exercises

H. Transition Plan and Reports

The solicitation states that “The Contractor shall develop a Transition Plan…” However, Section L (Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors) does not include a requirement for submission of a

Transition Plan with the proposal, and Section M (Evaluation Factors for Award) does not identify a Transition Plan as an evaluated element.

Please clarify whether a Transition Plan is required as part of the proposal submission or is intended to be developed and submitted post-award.

This will be required post-award.

23 SOW 6.0

Quality Control Plan (QCP)

Key Elements The solicitation states:

• “Serves as the first line of defense against errors and non-conformance. The Contractor shall proactively identify deficiencies, conduct root cause analysis, and implement timely corrective actions.”

What specific print inspection criteria and acceptance thresholds will be applied under the Government’s

QASP?

Section 6.0 refers to the Quality Control Plan, and nothing regarding print inspection. The requirements will be covered in the operating SOPs.

24 SOW 7.0

Workload

All Section 7 of the SOW identifies responsibilities for a “Folder Inserter Operator.” However, this labor category is not listed in Section 1.8.

Please confirm whether the “Folder Inserter Operator” is synonymous with the Mailroom Equipment Operator labor category, or if it is intended to be proposed as a separate position.

The Folder Inserter Operator is part of the Mailroom Equipment Operators.

24 SOW 7.0

Workload

Quality Control The solicitation states:

• “Ensure barcodes and addresses meet postal standards”

Have there been any USPS compliance findings, returned mail trends, or postage reconciliation discrepancies under the current contract?

Postal compliance will be discussed post-award. We are required to follow USPS guidelines when processing mail.

24 SOW 7.0

Workload

Documents and Reporting

The solicitation states:

• “Maintain logs of production output and machine performance”

What internal controls and reconciliation processes are currently required for postage meter auditing and financial reporting?

Start/End meter monitoring. Documentation of all events each month.

24 SOW 7.0

Workload

Team Collaboration

The solicitation states:

• “Coordinate with creator of print files via written correspondence (email), voice dialog over the phone”

Is the Contractor responsible for address validation (NCOA, CASS certification), or does the Government provide fully validated mailing lists?

The government provides a system that will allow validation of addresses. The operator will complete this task.

24 SOW 7.0

Workload

Annual production for

The solicitation states:

• “Over 2.3M letters mailed

• 11K per day possible during peak season

• Machine capacity up to 4,800 envelops per hour”

Can the Government provide monthly mail production volumes for the past three fiscal years, including peak-day production records and seasonal fluctuation patterns?

Monthly letter distribution ranges from 250k to 475k.

We have three (3) folder/inserters on site; utilization is under 40% on a single shift.

24 - 25 SOW 7.1 Order Fulfillment

Annual Production for 2024 / Production Rate

The solicitation states:

• “Orders – 94.3K

• Lines – 456.8K

• Item Count 2.5M”

Can the Government provide monthly workload data for the past three fiscal years, including peak daily order volumes, seasonal surges, and historical overtime utilization?

No OT was reported in the last two years. Additional data will be provided post-award.

24 –

SOW 7.1 Order Fulfillment

Order Processing

The solicitation defines production standards, but no turnaround time is specified.

What are the required turnaround times for standard and expedited print production jobs?

One to ten business days is standard; it varies by agency.

24 - 25 SOW 7.1 Order Fulfillment

Production Rate The solicitation states “GPO Laurel Distribution Center supports 30 different customers and is growing. Customer orders vary by customer type and seasons. All fulfillment employees’ total production rate is systematically tracked by user ID.”

• What are the required order fulfillment turnaround times (same-day, 12-hour, etc.), and what backlog threshold triggers corrective action?

One to ten business days is standard; it varies by agency, outside of the individual agency requirement.

For example, if a five-day turnaround is planned for agency ABC and we have nine days of work, that is outside of the threshold. The contractor will need to explain and correct the issues that prevented the government from being within the proper threshold.

Ensure this issue doesn’t appear again.

37-42 Section I – Contract Clauses

All The solicitation includes various provisions and clauses containing fill-in representations and certifications.

1. Please clarify whether an active and up-to-date SAM registration satisfies the representations and certifications requirements for this solicitation, or whether Offerors are required to complete and submit the applicable fill-in provisions as part of their proposal submission.

Offerors must also complete and submit the applicable fill-in provisions as part of proposal submission.

2. If submission is required, please confirm the appropriate proposal volume in which these completed provisions should be included.

Volume 1.

39 Section I - Contract Clauses

52.212- 5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (MAY 2002) (c) (2)

The solicitation includes 52.222-41, Service Contract Act, and associated clauses.

Can GPO kindly provide the wage determination which will be incorporated into the contract?

Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4281

The document is attached to the amendment.

39 Section I - Contract Clauses

52.212- 5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statu tes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (MAY 2002) (c) (6)

The solicitation includes 52.222-47, SCA Minimum Wages and Fringe Benefits Applicable to Successor Contract Pursuant to Predecessor Contractor Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

1. Can GPO please clarify if any or all of the positions under this contract are in a union?

N/A; No collective bargaining agreements exist.

2. If yes, please provide the name of the union, confirm which positions are included, and provide the CBA for pricing purposes.

N/A

43 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors

General Instructions for t he Preparation of Proposal

Page 43 states that “Any and all team members comprising the legal entity must sign the Performance Guarantee.”

Please GPO kindly clarify when the Performance Guarantee must be signed, and provide a copy for review, if applicable to this solicitation?

This is not applicable to the solicitation.

44 L.1 Proposal Instructions

(e) Please clarify whether the 75-page limitation applies collectively to all proposal volumes combined or individually to each volume. Additionally, please confirm whether any sections (e.g., cover pages, table of contents, resumes, past performance, or attachments) are excluded from the page count.

The 75-page limit is for all volumes combined. Title pages are not included in the page count.

L.2 Proposal Preparation Instructions

L.3 Submission, Modification, Revision, and Withdrawal of Proposal Instructions

Introduction

(e)

Section L.2 states that “Offeror's proposal must be submitted in an Adobe PDF portfolio format…” and that “Offerors shall submit one complete, electronic version of their proposal.” Section L.3 states that “Multiple emails may be sent to accommodate the proposal size and content, but each email must clearly identify the attachments and instructions for assembling the proposal.”

Please clarify what assembly instructions should be included if an Offeror submits a proposal using multiple emails.

All volumes must be submitted in a portfolio.

L.2 Proposal Preparation Instructions

L.3 Submission, Modification, Revision, and Withdrawal of Proposal Instructions

Introduction

(e)

Section L.2 states that “Offeror's proposal must be submitted in an Adobe PDF portfolio format…” and that “Offerors shall submit one complete, electronic version of their proposal.” Section L.3 states that “Multiple emails may be sent to accommodate the proposal size and content, but each email must clearly identify the attachments and instructions for assembling the proposal.”

Please confirm that any necessary assembly instructions should be included in an Offeror’s email narrative for their submission. If not, please clarify how Offeror’s should submit assembly instructions for their proposal.

All volumes must be included in a portfolio. Multiple portfolios are acceptable.

50-51 Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award

M.5 Past Performance

Page 51 states that Relevancy of Past Performance will be assessed based on whether the provided construction performed under those contracts relate to a similar size and scope as those required by this solicitation.

As this solicitation is not for construction services, can GPO kindly provide updated language to evaluate relevancy?

Updated language is attached to this amendment.

51-52 Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award

M.6 Cost/Price Evaluation

Section on page 52 states that the contract requires a cost-loaded Network Analysis Schedule (NAS) and references construction-based pricing elements (e.g., quantities, unit prices, construction categories).

However, the Cost/Price Proposal Instructions require Offerors to propose fully burdened labor rates, FTE methodology, indirect costs, profit, and CLIN pricing in accordance with Section B.

1. Please clarify whether the cost-loaded NAS requirement on page 52 is applicable to this procurement. If not, will the NAS instructions be removed to align with the Cost/Price Proposal Instructions?

The NAS is not required for this solicitation. Please adhere to the other instructions for pricing. The solicitation will be updated.

2. To comply with the Cost/Price Proposal Instructions, please confirm that Offerors may provide a detailed labor-based cost breakdown using their own template, including proposed labor categories, hours/FTEs, fully burdened labor rates, other direct costs (if applicable), and total pricing by CLIN and period of performance.

This is correct.

Multipl e

Section H - Special Contract Requirements a nd

Section I - Contract Clauses

Multiple Clauses

The link provided to the MMAR on page 41 includes many outdated clauses and/or clauses included in the solicitation are not included within the linked MMAR document.

For example, MMAR 52.203-13 on page 33 is not found in the linked MMAR document. MMAR 52.215- 13 includes a version date of OCT 2010 on page 37, but the MMAR document includes version OCT 1997.

Can GPO kindly provide an updated link to the most recent version of the MMAR so that Offerors can ensure they are reviewing the current clauses?

The link provided is the only complete version of the

MMAR.

N/A N/A N/A Can GPO provide a list of attendees who were present at the site visit?

Yes, see attached.