INQUIRIES.pdf

Inquiries

SB1341-18-RP-0011 MEP IDIQ

1. Will the government extend the proposal due date to August 21, 2018?

Response: Yes, the due date for quotations is extended through August 23, 2018, not later than 12:00 pm eastern.

2. Are there incumbent contractors currently performing some or all of these services?

If so, please give the contractor name and contract or task order number?

Response: Stone and Associates- Contract SB1341-13-CQ-0008

3. Do you intend to award six separate task orders, one for each Task area in the Scope of Work?

Response: No. The IDIQ SOW’s six task areas are simply a description of the different task areas that are included in the scope of work for the IDIQ contract. The government may issue as many task orders as needed throughout the period of performance of the IDIQ contract, and a given task order may include work that falls under one or more of those six task areas. In terms of task orders issued as a result of this current solicitation, the Mock Task Order may constitute an actual task order for services, which may be issued immediately following award of the IDIQ. The government reserves the right to convert this into a “real” Task Order following the IDIQ, in which case a SINGLE task order would be awarded for all tasks established in the mock SOW, and in accordance with this solicitation. However, regardless of whether an award is issued for the mock task order, the government may issue as many task orders as needed throughout the period of performance of the IDIQ, up to the cumulative ceiling amount of $9,965,000.00.

4. Please confirm that the IDIQ-level Program Manager is a fully billable position

Response: If the IDIQ-level Program Manager is utilized on the task orders awarded against the IDIQ, the contractor may bill the government for that position.

5. Is the Marketing Director, one of the Key Personnel for the IDIQ, expected to be the Project Director on the MEP Marketing Support Mock Task Order, or are these expected to be different positions?

Response: Yes, they can be different positions. It is at the discretion of the contractor.

6. Will the government correct FACTOR C on p.23 to specify contracts within the past 5 years, to be consistent with FACTOR C on page 28 and FACTOR B on page 22, which both ask for references within the past 5 years?

Response: Factor C on p. 23 is hereby revised to reflect “5 years”.

7. Would the government accept a copy of CPARS evaluations in lieu of the PPQ?

Response: CPARS assessments may be submitted in lieu of the PPQ.

8. The government notes that it is anticipated that 95% of the work will be done at the contractor site, then please advise what work or what personnel will be located at NIST/government site?

Response: Task orders may request contractor to travel and work at NIST MEP in Gaithersburg, MD or MEP Centers in CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

9. Will the 5 regional photographers to be identified in Task 4 of the Mock Task Order be paid directly by the government for their services or are their services to be included in the contractor’s price quote?

Response: Services must be included in the contractor’s price quote. It is at the contractor’s discretion to determine photographers.

10. Is the training in Task 5 of the Mock Task Order expected to be conducted online using PowerPoint, webinars, and similar tools, or will the contractor be required to coordinate and conduct large in-person training events?

Response: Both are acceptable approaches. The contractor and NIST MEP will determine jointly the best format for such trainings.

11. In Task 4-Photography (Page 33), please clarify what role the contractor will be playing aside from helping the government identify regional photographers. It seems that the regional photographers will be executing this task. Will the government contract with and pay the regional photographers directly, or will an ODC be provided to the contractor for the cost of the photographers?

Response: See question 9.

12. On page 35, under Travel: “As part of the Proposal, the contractor shall provide any anticipated travel costs, if known, to include: origination; destination; number of trips; number of persons; and a breakdown of lodging, meals, transportation and related costs. Actual expenses are limited by the Government Travel Regulations and must be pre-approved by the client.” Please clarify how can the contractor estimate and provide for travel costs if they will be determined in each task order.

With respect to Task 3, what is the anticipated duration of the MEP site visits in the Mid West and North East?

Response:

The government has amended the solicitation to add CLIN 0006a to the Mock Task Order, at a pre-determined Not to Exceed budget of $7,500.00.

Contract Line Item 0006a: Mock Task Order Travel: The Contractor shall provide a Not To Exceed Travel Budget of $7500.00:

Travel shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). The Contractor shall be responsible for making all travel arrangements including but not limited to airline tickets, hotel, car rental reservations, etc.

13. Task 4 under IDIQ SOW, requires start-up assistance to MEP Center adopting new programs. Based on most recent years’ experience, how many new programs should be anticipated (for budget purposes) in a typical year?

Response: It is anticipated MEP will adopt up to2 new programs a year.

14. Task 4 under IDIQ SOW, requires participation in sales events and workshops; in a typical year, how many sales events and workshops should the provider expect for budget and staffing purposes?

Response: Between 20-25 sales events and workshops depending on the number of awarded tasks orders and the nature of those tasks orders.

15. Task 6 under IDIQ SOW, requires various meeting support functions for summits and network meetings throughout the performance of the base contract. For budget and staffing purposes, how many of these meetings and summits should the provider anticipate in a typical year?

Response: Summit is once every 2 years. Network meetings happen twice a year.

However, the required attendance of each of these will be identified within a task order requirement.

16. .

Will relevant private sector and state government past performance that is of similar size and scope be considered?

Response: Yes, Factor C under Instructions to Offerors is hereby revised to allow private sector and local government references.

17. The Manufacturing USA program goal is stated as “restoring U/S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing.” Please share the metrics by which this goal will be measured and the current baseline upon which this IDIQ is being issued.

Response: Each innovation institute has its own set of metrics, which is currently unknown, that may change over time.

18. In the Mock Order Statement of Work for the MEP Marketing Support Task Order, Task 5 (MEP National Network Branding and Marketing Implementation) states that the contractor shall develop and execute an annual national marketing plan that raises awareness for the MEP National Network brand. Can you please provide additional information regarding the intended scope and audience for this Task?

Response: This plan is expected to include reaching our stakeholders (from other federal agencies to state governments to the US manufacturers directly). It is at the contractor’s discretion as to what approach will be taken to successfully implement the annual national marketing plan.

19. Is there an incumbent contractor supporting the same types of services now?

Response: See question 2 above.

20. Is this a 100% small business set-aside? Section 10. on page 1 of the solicitation (SF1449) is not marked as small business, but page 58 is marked as small business.

We just want to confirm.

Response: Confirmed, this requirement is set aside 100 percent for small businesses.

Section 10 on Page 1 of the solicitation indicates this acquisition is set aside 100 percent for small businesses.

21. Please confirm that the price quote requirement for proposals is to provide: 1) a list of labor categories with a firm fixed hourly rate for each labor category, as described on page 23 of the solicitation, and 2) a firm fixed price for the Mock Task Order. Will doing these things alone satisfy the requirements for completing pages 3-4 of the SF 1449?

Response: Please refer to the Instructions to Offerors, which clearly details what is required for each Volume and Factor submission.

22. It is unclear from the SF 1449 what scope of work is to be included in the Firm Fixed Price quote. Pages 3-4 request a firm fixed price quote for “all labor, material, and services to support the MEP marketing, branding, and communications projects in accordance with the attached Statement of Work” for the base year and four option years plus for the Mock Task Order. Page 40 says, “5.

The firm fixed-priced quotation shall include all labor and other direct costs associated with the required work.”

Response: Please see Instructions to Offerors section, it is hereby revised to incorporate the following:

CLINs0001 through 0005 are applicable to the IDIQ contract. CLINS 0001 through 0005 shall have a zero NTE, as the total amount of the IDIQ contract shall not exceed ceiling of $9,965,000.00 cumulatively, throughout the period of performance.

CLIN 0006 is applicable to the Mock Task Order, and CLIN 0006 is where the offeror shall include its proposed firm fixed price for the Mock Task Order, minus travel costs.

CLIN 0006a is hereby incorporated to establish a NTE Mock Order Travel Ceiling of $7500.00.

23. Please clarify what is the intended “Statement of Work” for the FFP quotation on pages 3-4. Is this intended to be all of the Tasks 1-6 described on pages 9-13 of the solicitation or only the “labor, material and services to support the MEP marketing, branding and communications projects” such as Task 2 describes? Does this include travel costs?

Response: The “Mock Task Order SOW” is the SOW for which the offeror shall propose a firm fixed price (under CLIN 0006). See response to question 22 and Instructions to Offerors section of the RFP.

24. Should the mock task order be included in the FFP for the base year (Item 0001), or be presented only as a separate line item and cost for Item 0006 on page 4 of SF 1449?

Response: There is no firm fixed price to be proposed at the base IDIQ contract level (CLINs 0001-0005). The mock task order pricing shall be separate from the Base CLIN 001, and only presented in CLINS 0006 and 0006a. See response to question 22 and Instructions to Offerors section of the RFP.

25. If the full scope of tasks 1-6 are to be included in the FFP, what assumptions should proposals make regarding deliverables, travel and other indirect costs that would be defined in future task orders?

Response: The FFP proposed for the Mock Task Order shall only include the tasks identified in the “Mock Task Order SOW.” See response to question 22 and Instructions to Offerors section of the RFP.

26. Many assumptions would need to be made to offer a firm fixed price on the base year and option years. The variety of those assumptions between offers could make it extremely difficult for the government to make a meaningful price comparison between offers. Would the government benefit by eliminating the need for those assumptions and changing the requirements of the SF 1449 pricing such that it only requires: 1) a firm fixed price for the Mock Task Order, and 2) a separate table of labor categories with a firm fixed hourly rate for each labor category, as described on page 23 for Volume II of the proposal?

Response: See response to question 22 and Instructions to Offerors section of the RFP.

27. Task 6g on page 11 mentions “NIST’s Conference Services event contractor.” Does this mean it is not necessary for this proposal to include event contractor services?

Response: Proposals may need to include event contractor services if the technical approach requires it. This contractor may work with the NIST’s Conference Services event contractor and NIST MEP will identify on task orders. This is a separate contract not awarded at MEP.

28. Is it acceptable for the Marketing Director to be a subcontractor employee rather than an employee of the prime contractor?

Response: It is at the discretion of the contractor.

29. Is it acceptable for the Senior Research Project Manager to be a subcontractor employee rather than an employee of the prime contractor?

Response: It is at the discretion of the contractor.

30. Is there an incumbent contractor which is providing, or which recently provided, similar services to the NIST MEP customer? If so, what is the incumbent contractor’s name and point of contact?

Response: See response under question 2.

31. Page 23 of the solicitation states: “Offerors are directed to provide completed Past Performance Questionnaires on no more than five (5) of the Offeror’s most recently completed Federal Government contracts for services similar in scope to those of this requirement, for work completed or substantially completed within the last three (3) years.”

Response: See response to question 7.

32. Will the government consider relevant non-Federal Government past performance?

Response: See response to question 18.