Polio EMRO QA 072921.pdf

RFP 75D301-21-R-71954 Polio EMRO

Q and A

No additional questions will be accepted.

The due date is not extended.

Page Section Question Answer

1 I know that Avram Corp holds the AFRO contract. Do they also hold the EMRO contract? If not, can you share who does?

There is not a current separate contract for

EMRO. Until this solicitation, we did not issue separate contracts based on regions. This EMRO solicitation is still considered a follow-on requirement to the current contract.

Avram

(200-2016-89993) is the contractor for the current contract.

2 Could you please tell me if the

Presolicitation posted as solicitation number

75D30121R71954 will be a follow-on requirement to any work performed currently or in the past, or will this be a new requirement?

If possible, can you please provide the most recent contract or task order number?

See answer to question 1.

3 I have two questions related to the following RFP: RFP

1. This is an 8A

75D30121-R-71954 “Polio and

Vaccine Preventable Disease

(VPD) Field Officer Support for

Activities in Eastern

Mediterranean Region-EMRO

Team”

1) Are firms/NGO eligible to apply ? If yes, is possible to apply within a consortium as the areas of interventions is wide.

2) The deadline will be on

29th of Jul 2021 ?

competitive set aside.

See section L of the solicitation for instructions and other information.

2. The due date is listed on the SAM.gov website.

4 Ref subject Pre Solicitation, as most of places of Performance of this contract are out of USA, hence will non US Citizen or non

US registered /based companies be allowed to bid or not.

Yes, but this an 8A competitive set aside.

The solicitation contains all the requirements.

5 85 L.6(b) The RFP requires 3 completed contract references from the offeror and ALL current contract references from the offeror and major subcontractors. This represents a significant number

(60,000+) of current contracts that in many cases are not relevant to the RFP PWS.

Will the CDC consider requiring only three current contract references that are relevant to the

RFP PWS from subcontractors?

No. However, the information is limited to the page count referenced in section

L.6.

6 Page. 2 -

CoAG

Partners

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award

Is this a complete list of partners?

Is EMPHINET also a regional partner?

1. This is the list for this requirement and is complete at this time.

2. This requirement does not designate a

“regional” type partner.

7 Page 11 -

Tasks -

'partners in various international and domestic locations';

Page 14, C.6

Travel;

Attachment 2

Position

Qualifications

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award;

Attachment 2

The RFP states "There will also be services required domestically as described in sections C.3 and

C.4." and "The Contractor shall provide services to CDC

Headquarters, CDC Field

Offices, and GPEI partners in various international and domestic locations" however the required positions only suggest international support. Is there a need for domestic support? If no domestic positions are needed, how will the contractors liase and collaborate with CDC headquarters?

There are no domestic positions required for this solicitation. There is not a need for domestic support.

8 Page 11 , C.4.1 Tasks

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award

The request is to use REDCap for weekly and montly reporting. Is this the current/ most frequently used tool for surveillance in the target countries?

It is unknown if

REDCap is the currently current/ most frequently used tool for surveillance in the target countries?

This task also allows for other portable software to be used.

9 Page 11-

Section C.4.1

Tasks

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award

In addition to in-country support, will offerors be allowed to proposed

EMRO team support tasks and resources, including but not limited to, program management, data management, data analytics, health education and training, and technical and operations support?

No additional labor categories can be proposed.

10 Page 13-

Section C.6

Travel

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award

If CDC-based support tasks are allowed, can travel funds be increased to reflect additional staff travel to countries, the

WHO, United Nations, and other locations as needed?

See answer to

Question 7.

11 Page 13- RFP Will the government clarify if International staff will

Section C.5

Government

Furnished

Materials;

Page 14-

Section C.7

Special

Requirements

Solicitation, Offer , Award equipment, including laptops and cellphones will be provided by

CDC? Section C.7 says it’s the contractor’s responsibility, but section C.5 says the government will provide contractor personnel with “an office environment typically provided to Government

Personnel that includes workstations, facsimile, telephones and computers with access to the Internet and LAN.”

work in assigned in-country office space with

CDC/WHO partners and will be provide with any related office equipment except laptop and cellphones.

The contractor shall provide laptops and cellphones to international staff.

12 Page 85-

Section L.6

CDC0.L018

Past

Performance

Information

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award

RFP states “The offeror should include the last 3 contracts completed during the past three years and all contracts currently in process for both the offeror and all proposed subcontractors.”

If our proposed subcontractors have an extensive number of ongoing contracts, should we list the most relevant contracts as they pertain to the SOW in this solicitation?

No

13 Page 85-

Section L.6

CDC0.L018

Past

Performance

Information

RFP

Solicitation, Offer , Award

If we will be using in-country subcontractors, do we need to submit documentation of their ongoing contracts?

Per L.6 (b) “The offeror should include the last 3 contracts completed during the past three years and all contracts currently in process for both the offeror and all proposed subcontractors.”

See the See answer to question 28 changing the number of years from “3” to “5”.

14 Page 1-3 Attachment 2 Can we propose labor categories other than what is listed in

Attachment 2?

No.

15 Page 1-3 Attachment 2 Will the labor category positions be filled by individuals transitioning from the incumbent contract or will these positions all be new hires?

The offeror is responsible for making hiring decisions, not the

Government.

16 Page 1-3 Attachment 2 Are all of the LCATs presented in Attachment 2 key personnel positions?

They are not key personnel, but those labor categories are required.

17 Page 1-3 Attachment 2 Are offers required to use these labor categories or exact amounts/number of hours?

Yes.

18 Page 1-3 Attachment 2 Will the government allow for offers to determine what level of effort, labor categories, and skill levels are requried to fully complete the requirements based upon the RFP?

No.

19 Page 2-7 RFP

Solicitation, Offer, Award

Is it accurate that travel will be the same cost of $183,000 for the

Base Year and Option Years 1-4?

Was the same amount intentionally used for CLINS

1002, 2002, 3002 and 4002?

This amount is the

Government’s best estimate, and it was used for all CLINS.

20 Page 67 of

RFP- Section

J. List of

Attachments

RFP

Solicitation, Offer, Award

Attachment 1

The government has attached the

Quality Assurance Surveillance

Plan (QASP) but there is no mention of this in the solicitation-does the QASP need to be submitted with the proposal?

No. No response is needed for this document. It is for reference.

21 Page 85 L.6

CDC0.L018

Past

Performance

Information

(May 2020)

Should the Offeror provide

CPARS or Past Performance

Surveys on all on-going contracts in addition to the last 3 completed contracts, or only the last three completed?

If you have a completed CPARS record (in the CPARS system website) , do not complete the following:

a. A copy of your

CPARS (L.6.b.11) is not needed.

b. Do not complete the past performance survey.

If you do not have a completed CPARS record, then complete the past performance survey (up to 4) for contracts

(Government or non-Government subcontracts cooperative agreements or grants) question 28 changing the number of years from “3” to “5”.

22 Pages 10 – 12 C.3. Scope of

Work and

C.4.1 and

C.4.2 Tasks

(Technical

Requirements)

C.3 and C.4 do not refer to

COVID-19 until the Surge

Support (C.4.2). Does the CDC definition of VPDs include

COVID-19 for non-surge staff?

Yes. COVID-19 is included in VPD.

23 Page 82 L.5.2

CDC0_L016:

Business

Proposal

Instructions, Fixed Price and

Attachment 3

– Personnel

Qualifications

The Notes section states in L.5.2 states, "Include the appropriate labor hour rates for the Surge

CLINS (all labor categories for each period of performance)," which is inconsistent with

Attachment 3 - Personnel

Qualifications. Additionally, Attachment 3 states, "Note that

SURGE CLINS 0003,1003,

This note section is not on the EMRO solicitation L.5.2.

However, in

Attachment 2 Position

Qualifications, there is a note that reads

“Note that SURGE

CLINS 0003,1003,

2003, 3003 and 4003, are to be proposed on a labor hour basis

(lines 1-11 below)." Would the

Government please clarify if the

Offeror should price surge labor hour rates for all 15 labor categories?

2003, 3003 and 4003, are to be proposed on a labor hour basis

(lines 1-14 below)”.

This note is correct.

24 Page 79 L.3 FAR

52.216-1

TYPE OF

CONTRACT

The RFP states, "The

Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed Price contract with separate CLINS for Cost

Reimbursable Travel." Would the

Government please confirm if cost-reimbursable travel will include indirect costs during execution per FAR 31.205-46?

The Government does not include any indirect cost in the amount listed for the travel

CLINS.

The offeror will have to ensure costs are per

FAR 31.205-46.

25 Page 13-14 C.5

Government

Furnished

Materials and C.7

Special

Requirements

Pg. 13 C.5 - In this section, the

Government states "that the

Government will provide all contractor personnel with an office environment typically provided to Government personnel that includes workstations, facsimile, telephones and computers with access to the internet and LAN.

the Government will issue a laptop of deemed necessary to complete the requirements of the contract"

Pg 14 C.7 - it states:

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the

Contractor shall furnish all the necessary personnel, facilities, supplies and equipment including laptops and cellphones, and travel required to provide these services

Question 11.

in accordance with international labor and tax laws.

Question: Would the

Government please clarify who is providing the office environment, internet, cell phones and laptops for the staff on the contract?

26 Page 50 H.13

Requirements for Contractor

Performance or Travel

OCONUS

(part A.

Training)

Is the OCONUS travel for in-person training included in the

Travel CLIN?

Most, if not all of the training in Part A is available from CDC or State Department at no cost. If there is a cost, the contractor will be allowed to invoice for it as a reimbursement under the Cost CLIN.

Any training that may incur an expense will need to be approved by the COR and CO in advance.

27 No reference Software Is the Offeror required to purchase any additional software?

No.

28 Page 82, 85 L.5.D.2 L.5.D.2 (Page 82) requires a list of previous or ongoing contracts over the past 5 years. L.6.b (page

85) requires a list of the last 3 contracts completed during the past three years. Would the government consider making both requirements a period of 5 years for the sake of consistency and continuity of data for both relevancy and performance across

Volumes 1 and 3?

Yes, it is 5 years for both.