20150622_Questions_from_Webinar.docx

Q: Is there a list of qualifying curriculum?

A: SBA does not endorse any specific intensive entrepreneurship education curriculum. Please see the Statement of Objectives that describes the minimum requirements of the existing curriculum for growth-oriented entrepreneurs and small business owners. The offeror should not be proposing to create a new curriculum for this solicitation. The price of acquiring and administering any curriculum related expenses should be included in the proposed budget as SBA will not be providing the curriculum to award recipients. The offeror should discuss in their proposal how their proposed curriculum meets the requirements.

Q: On 7.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES paragraph 2, it mentions a Main Point of Contact Manager and an Alternate Point of Contact. Are these two different people? Does the Project Manager/Main Point of Contact Manager have to be dedicated to the project on a full-time basis? Does the Alternate Point of Contact have to be dedicated to the project on a full-time basis?

A: The Statement of Objectives describes the minimum key personnel of a Project Manager and Alternate Project Manager. The Main Point of Contact can also be the Project Manager. The total number of key personnel and full-time/part-time status are up to the offeror’s determination, but should be clearly articulated and with corresponding salary.

Q: Is a particular type of system required / recommended for record keeping? Does the program call for information/records to be stored in a system that can interface with EDMIS?

A: SBA does not require a particular type of system for record keeping. The offeror will be responsible for describing the system for which it will track and report the outcomes to SBA. Additionally, the offeror may be requested to input progress reports into SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development’s Management Information System (EDMIS), which would be done electronically.

Q: Is the NAICS Code 541611 or 541511?

A: Before a contract award is made, the offeror must be registered in SAM and should have listed the requested NAICS code 541611 -- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services. SAM and the selection of NAICS codes are a self-registration process, and entities seeking to register should go here for more information: https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Contract_Registrations.pdf

Q: Can a fee be charged for services?

A: No. All of the components of the ScaleUp America program submitted by the offeror must be provided for free for the small businesses participating in the cohort.

Q: Can a community included more than one town? Can a special district, with a SAM, be an awardee? Is the size of a community limited to the local level? Is a state to large of a community?

A: As SBA seeks the offerors to propose and to describe the community, SBA lists the minimum expectations and requested information about their proposed community of focus in the SOO. Therefore, any community and offeror that meet the minimum requirements would be eligible to apply. When defining the geographic defined space, offerors should remember that the cohorts are required to meet in-person for the education curriculum, and thus should consider any impact on distance/transportation for participating small businesses.

Q: If our organization has funding for one of these other entrepreneurial development programs (Small Business Development Centers, Women Business Development Centers, SCORE chapter, Clusters Initiative, or the Emerging Leaders Program) are we still eligible to apply for the ScaleUp program? Will there be a preference to communities that do not have these other programs?

A: Yes. Any entity that currently has funding for another entrepreneurial development program is eligible to apply. Should this entity receive a ScaleUp America award, SBA will work with the entity to ensure the funding is used for separate and distinct ScaleUp America activities and metrics are accurately reported.

Additionally, as described under Task Six of the SOO, all offerors must describe in their proposal “how they will collaborate with their local SBA Regional and District Offices, U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs), SBA Procurement Center Representatives and Commercial Market Representatives and other resource partners such as Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs).”

Q: Can local governments apply?

A: No. Due to the limited amount of funds available, this opportunity is only open to private industry.

Q: Can only one Offeror submit 1 offer per year? And are they able to submit year after year other offers?

A: SBA will only accept one offer per contractor for this solicitation. Should SBA choose to issue another ScaleUp America solicitation in the future, it would be a separate, new solicitation that describes its eligibility requirements.

Q: Must a list of the specific business owners to be included in the cohorts be included with the proposal?

A: No. The offeror must include a detailed outreach plan on how their program will reach a wide-range of diverse, high-potential small businesses and also their process to interview and select eligible small businesses.

Q: Will SBA accept a proposal that will focus solely on minority owned businesses?

A: This opportunity is a PARTIAL small business set-aside with no more than 2 of the 7 total awards going to a small business. The SBA will not show any preference when evaluating for award over the different small business concerns (i.e. SDVOSB, EDWOSB, HUBzone, HBCU, etc.) Please see FAR 19.502-3 for further information on partial small business set-asides.

Q: Can subsequent year (after base year) budgets be higher than the base year, to cover cost of living increases? Is offer allowed to budget for project manager, instructors, purchase of curriculum and for one on one management assistance?

A: It is up to each offeror to create and determine a pricing proposal that reflects their proposed ScaleUp America program. The offeror is responsible for delivering all components of the ScaleUp America program, therefore the budgets for the base year and four option years should be comprehensive. SBA has indicated that the award amount of the base of year will not exceed $240,000.

Q: In speaking with current, active, ScaleUP programs there was mention that travel to DC is recommended. Can you comment on any required / recommended travel for successful offerors?

A: It is anticipated that the resulting contracts will be firm fixed price (FFP) with a base year of twelve (12) months and four (4) 12 month option periods. The award amount shall include any associated travel and event costs. The Government will not pay any travel/event costs in addition to a business’s final proposed quote.

Q: What is a past performance questionnaire?

A: Please see Attachment B – PPQ.pdf of the solicitation posted on FedBizOpps.

Q: I noticed Key Personnel is one of the sections in volume one. Please confirm that key personnel resumes should be attached at the end and does not count toward the 40 page limit for Volume I.

A: please attach key personnel resumes and they will not count against the page limitation.

Q: Are you planning on extending the date for receipt of proposals? The SF1449 indicates the due date is 7/15, 12pm. Is the correct time is 4pm Eastern Time?

A: No

Q: When are awards likely to be made?

A: The goal is to have all awards made, or at least all potential awardees notified, NLT the first week of August.

Q: Is the coversheet and table of contents two separate pages? If so, each volume can include one page of each without adding to the page count?

A: The coversheet and TOC can be one page but do count against the page limit.

Q: Can you provide information on availability of Attachment C Travel Worksheet cited on Page 22 of the Solicitation?

A: Travel worksheet has been uploaded

Q: There is a reference in Section K of the solicitation to an attached example Price Worksheet, but that attachment doesn't seem to available on FedBizOpps, is it available elsewhere?

A: Please disregard the reference to example pricing worksheet. It should not be included and was an administrative oversight.