Amend_006.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment your desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO.

IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

SEE CONTINUATION PAGE

U.S. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

CONTRACTS OFFICE

1000 WILSON BLVD., SUITE 1600

ARLINGTON, VA 22209-3901

PHONE: (703) 875-4357 FAX: (703) 875-4009

SEE ITEM 6

IQ201391288

RFP-USTDA-14-D-0001

2013-91004A

1 6

11/12/2013

10/18/2013

Amendment 006

SF 30 - BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

The purpose of this amendment is to provide responses to prospective offerors’ questions as follows:

Question 158: With regards to Past Performance,the RFP states that: "Offerors shall submit a list of the five (5) most recent Government and/or commercial contracts (prime contracts, task/delivery orders, and/or major subcontracts) in performance at any point during the three (3) years prior to the quote submission date. The RFP then states that: "“Offeror” refers to the proposed prime contractor (and all team members, if applicable) and all proposed major subcontractor(s). A major subcontractor is defined as one who will be providing more than 20% of the total proposed work. The prime contractor (and all team members, if applicable) and proposed major subcontractor(s) will be assessed individually and the results will then be assessed in their totality to derive the Offeror’s Past Performance rating."

Does this mean that the prime contractor and major subcontractors shall collectively submit a total of five past performance contracts.

Yes.

Question 159: In cases where an offeror is providing more than one technical expert for a given labor category, may the offeror provide multiple rates for that labor category?

Offerors may provide rates for Junior Experts and Senior Experts per Section B.3 of the solicitation. Offerors may only provide one rate per Junior Expert and one rate per Senior

Expert for each of the job categories listed in B.3. Please take note that on Energy IDIQ task orders, Offerors will not be able to bid labor rates that exceed those quoted in their proposals for the base IDIQ contract; however, Offerors will be able to quote rates that fall below those quotes in their proposals.

Question 160: Since USTDA reserves the right to pursue projects outside this IDIQ (Summary of Requirements Section D.1.3 - page 24), can a contractor be selected to participate in this IDIQ and participate in a separate proposal jointly with a host country sponsor?

Yes. Energy IDIQ Contractors may participate in other USTDA-funded program activities outside of this Energy IDIQ.

Question 161: Can a small business contractor submit a proposal that does not cover all six areas identified in Section D.1.7.1 - (Categories of Specialists, Page 30) as well as for environmental engineering and Legal Advisement - or if they don't have in house capabilities in all areas must they demonstrate a way to procure those capabilities and include three (3) examples of activities undertaken in each of the energy sub-sectors ( Section E.1.8 - Quote

Contents , Page 41, Paragraph a) even though those capabilities may have to be sought outside the small business?

Regarding the Categories of Specialist, if Offerors cannot provide in its proposal qualified experts in the areas specified in D.1.7.1, then the Offeror must demonstrate its ability to procure experts in the areas specified in D.1.7.1.

Regarding Section E.1.8, USTDA will more favorably evaluate proposals that provide at least three examples of activities undertaken in each of the energy subsectors listed in

Section D.1.6.1.

Question 162: Clarifications to the Energy IDIQ requirements have crystallized certain burdens that are being placed on small businesses which seem excessive and which may not result in

USTDA receiving best pricing. We ask that you consider the combined effect of the following provisions.

1) Small businesses must bid to participate in each and every category under Section D.1.3 to qualify for the IDIQ. (see answers to Question 107 and 116)

2) Small businesses must however, provide pricing fixed only according to the categories in

Section B.3 of the RFP without possibility to offer any sub-categories. (see answer to question 119)

3) Small businesses that are selected under the IDIQ are expected to bid on all Task Order solicitations. (see answer to Question 105)

It is fair to say that very few, if any, small businesses will be in position to meet requirements to supply expertise in all of the nine broad areas and the additional sub-categories required under the RFP with their own in-house personnel. Therefore, most, if not all, small businesses will need to sub-contract for some expertise and probably to do so from a number of different sources. While this is a burden that is extremely difficult, it is manageable. What is not manageable however, is to restrict the pricing of all outsourced experts to be lumped together in the more limited labor pricing categories – especially if the selected IDIQ small business contractors are required to bid each and every Task Order. Moreover, this may result in

USTDA not receiving the most competitive labor pricing.

First, consider that if a small business is outsourcing experts, then the pricing for such experts will have to vary by sub-category of expertise. A “senior power generation engineer” for a solar

PV project may be priced rather differently, depending on from whom it is outsourced, than a

“senior power generation engineer” for a wind energy project. Also, given the nature of outsourcing relationships, even with a letter of intent provided by the outsourcing partner at time of the IDIQ proposal, there can be no firm assurance that such expert will be available to be outsourced for each and every IDIQ Task Order over the course of a five year period. Therefore, a small business, has no choice but to build in a considerable contingency in each broad labor category to ensure that it can cover a) the differentials between all the sub-categories of labor that may be required and b) the possibility that it will have to find alternatives in any category for a particular Task Order. This will result in risk and burdens for small businesses and not the most competitive pricing for USTDA.

USTDA can redress this problem by modifying the RFP requirements in any or all of the following ways.

1) Allow small businesses to submit on most but not all of the categories in Section D.1.3

(i.e. minimum 6 out of the 9 categories)

2) Allow small businesses to submit additional subcategories of labor pricing – the scoring can still be based on an average price of all subcategories – but if selected as an IDIQ contractor, the small business would have flexibility to provide pricing according to the subcategories. With present RFP requirements, a small business will be forced to provide only highest price from all sub-categories for which it has arranged outsourcing in the main labor category. USTDA therefore would not be receiving the best possible pricing.

3) Allow small businesses selected as IDIQ contractors to decline to participate, without penalty, in a certain percentage of Task Orders issued under the IDIQ (i.e. 25%).

USTDA would like to amend its answer to Question 105, to provide the following additional clarification:

Contractors are not under any obligation to respond to every task order that USTDA issues under the IDIQ contract. However, it is USTDA’s expectation that all IDIQ pool members remain active in the task order procurement process and that small businesses in the IDIQ pool participate in the small business set-aside procurement. Please note that poor performance and/or non-responsiveness to successive task order requests on which the contractor is otherwise qualified to bid may be grounds for off-ramping.

Regarding labor pricing, see response to Question 159.

Offerors may not submit additional subcategories of labor pricing. See response to

Question 119, Amendment 003 (issued on 11/06/2013).

USTDA will not set any minimum task order bidding thresholds for small business under the IDIQ.

Question 163: USTDA traditionally requires cost share from grant applicants. Can USTDA confirm that cost share will not be required for Task Order Proposals let under this IDIQ?

USTDA often requires cost sharing from U.S. companies that bring sole-source grant proposals to USTDA for funding consideration. Competed task orders under the resulting

Energy IDIQ contracts are not grants and will not require any cost sharing on the part of the Contractor.

Question 164: Reference: Section E.1.8, Page 40, Paragraph 1 st paragraph of Section E.1.8.

The RFP states, “Each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line.” How shall bulleted items be treated with respect to spacing between each bulleted item, and also, spacing between a paragraph heading and the associated paragraph?

Offerors may provide spacing of bulleted items and paragraph headings in any format desired.

Question 165: Can a Joint Venture/teaming proposal include a non-profit business membership organization which may not have an NAIC code as a subcontractor to a small business with the requisite NAIC codes?

See FAR 19.101(7) and 13 CFR 121.103(f)(3) for Small Business size standard requirements for each member of a proposed Joint Venture.

Question 166: Reference: Section D, Page 13-23, Paragraph – all. Could any of the qualified experts listed to provide services for the IDIQ contract be foreign citizens? If the qualified experts can indeed be foreign citizens, what are the conditions and criteria that would allow them to supply IDIQ services?

See response to Questions 7 and 16. See USTDA’s Nationality, Source and Origin requirements at http://www.ustda.gov/foia/USTDA_NationalityRequirements.pdf.

Question 167: Reference: Section - Addendum to FAR 52.212.2, Evaluation—Commercial

Item, Page 44. The last sentence states, "The Government reserves the right to award the sample task without discussions based upon the initial evaluation of proposals." It does not appear there is a sample task in the RFP documentation released by USTDA, is there supposed to be a sample task for which offerors are to respond? Is TDA going to provide this documentation and when would this occur?

See response to Question 70, Amendment 002 (issued on 11/04/2013). See Amendment 004

(1)(j) and attached revised RFP (issued on 11/07/2013). Also see response to Question 137, Amendment 005 (issued on 11/08/2013).

Question 168: Reference Section E.2, Page 43. “Technical Expertise and Past Performance are of equal importance and when combined are significantly more important than price considerations. “ Could the government inform offerors whether work for other clients that is of similar size and scope may be considered of equal significance as work completed for the TDA?

See response to Question 45, Amendment 002 (issued on 11/04/2013).

http://www.ustda.gov/foia/USTDA_NationalityRequirements.pdf

Question 169: Amendment 004 revised Section B.3 to reflect daily rate vs. hourly fully burdened labor rates. Please confirm offerors should assume a daily rate equates to eight hours of work per day.

Offerors shall assume an eight hour work day.

Question 170: Reference: Section D.1, Page 23. Is the Contractor responsible for outlining a particular Activity in our Technical proposal or will the USTDA be responsible for outlining and issuing the Activity? For example, if the Contractor knows of a Host Country Sponsor who needs an Energy Audit, do we mention this opportunity in our Technical proposal to USTDA at this time?

No. Offerors are not required to propose potential assistance activities for USTDA funding consideration in their proposals. Under the Energy IDIQ, USTDA will be responsible for identifying activities and issuing task orders for work to be conducted by IDIQ

Contractors.

Question 171: Reference: Section D.1.13, Page 35. If the Contractor competes for and is awarded an individual task order, does he become ineligible for competing for subsequent task orders under the same program? For example, if contractor is awarded an individual task order for an Energy Feasibility Study that results in a power generation opportunity, will the contractor be eligible to compete for the power generation opportunity?

If a Contractor recommends a study to USTDA for funding consideration, that Contractor will not be eligible to compete for work on that study if it is funded by USTDA.

All other terms and conditions of this solicitation remain unchanged.