Memo_-_Pre-proposal_conference_Shipping_Contract_2015.docx

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

MEMORANDUM

DATE : April 16, 2015

FROM : Md. Khan Jahan Ali – Procurement Agent

THROUGH : David Nickerson – Contracting Officer

TO : File

The Contracting Office arranged advertisement in FedBizOpps (FBO) for packing and shipping services requirements for the US Embassy, Dhaka. The notice was posted on March 16, 2015. The Classification Code was 19 and NAICS Code was 488. The full solicitation package was posted on March 31, 2015.

The Contracting Office also posted the solicitation package at Dhaka Embassy Website on March 31, 2015 and arranged advertisement in the local newspaper in The Daily Star and The Daily Prothom Alo on March 27, 2015 and March 28, 2015.

A total of fourteen (14) participants from seven (7) Shipping and Packing companies attended in the pre-proposal meeting, held on April 16, 2015 at 1100 hrs at the GSO Annex, Baridhara, Dhaka.

In the pre-proposal meeting Contracting Officer David Nickerson started the meeting by delivering the welcome speech. He introduced himself and then introduced Mr. Ahsanul Hoque – Shipping Unit Supervisor, Md. Maruful Islam – Procurement Manager and Md. Khan Jahan Ali – Contract Specialist.

Mr. Nickerson mentioned a few points in the meeting: a) with the exception of questions that can be addressed through provisions of the solicitation, any comments or queries on the solicitation from the contractor must be forwarded in writing to Contracting Officer, verbal query or discussion will not be entertained, b) Offerors must be treated fairly and our intention is to ensure everybody’s fair participation, c) the conversation in the conference would not change the solicitation unless written amendment(s) is formally made, d) The Government intends to award multiple contracts, if possible, or at least one resulting from this solicitation to the lowest priced, technically acceptable offeror who is responsible contractor(s). The contracting officer also added that the estimated amount in Section-B is based on total estimated Government requirements. This means if more than one award is made, the estimated amount of work awarded under the task order (s) to any single vendor will be less than the amount shown. At the same time, the $8,000 annual minimum is a guarantee.

Mr. Nickerson told the attendees that the contractor has to provide all required equipment, materials, supplies and transportation in order to perform the services for Shipping and Packing Services Contract, and also must meet quality specifications and is subject to approval of Contracting Officer's Representative.

He also added that contractor's furnished materials are subject to be produced during site inspection and are part of the process of evaluating for technical acceptability.

In reply to one participant’s question, Mr. Ahsanul Hoque – Shipping Supervisor told the participants that this contract does not allow any subcontract. However, raised the point by one of the participants that Bangladesh Government does not issue Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) licenses to the multinational companies and that whether, in that case, multi-national companies can have a contract with local C&F agent who will do all customs formalities on behalf of them, Mr. Nickerson indicated that we need this question in writing and that we would work with AOPE to determine if a formal amendment of the solicitation is required in order to have competition to the maximum extent possible.

Mr. Nickerson also discussed that the contractor shall collect shipping documents along with necessary papers (as required basis) from the Custom and Shipping Section, American Embassy, GSO Center, Baridhara and deliver to the host government concerned offices such as Ministry of the Foreign Affairs for export and import shipments.

Upon clearance from the above concerned offices, the contractor shall collect these documents and deliver to the Custom and Shipping Section of the GSO Center, American Embassy, Dhaka.

Mr. Nickerson asked the participants that for questions, if any, must be forwarded to procdhaka@state.gov by April 18, 2015 12:00 p.m. and after receiving all of the questions, we will prepare the answers and these would be given to all the prospective contractors participated in the pre-proposal conference as well as those that did not.

Mr. Nickerson discussed on some of the following important points to clarify the participants:

This is a fixed price indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, type contact. Orders will be placed by firm fixed price task orders.

The last date of submission of the proposals is May 4, 2015, 4:30 p.m. local time and late offer shall not be considered. Mr. Nickerson and Mr. Khan Jahan Ali iterated this information many times.

The Government reserves the right to reject proposals that are unreasonably low or high in price.

The contractor must have own logistic facilities to be used to accomplish the work under the contract, such as:

Warehouse – Dhaka & Chittagong (Large Warehouse Facilities), Trucks - Long Distance Trucks, Trailers.

The contractors have to read section L and M of the packing solicitation package very carefully and submission of offer.

Offer must be consist of three separate volumes, each volume five copies: one is price, one is technical and the other is certificates of insurance as defined in section L of the solicitation package.

Mr. Ahsanur Rahman explained the general requirements of this solicitation as are described in Section C, which the contractor has to perform. He also explained the packing requirements as described in Section D.

Mr. Ahsanur Rahman and David Nickerson explained that the contractor(s) need to use US Flag airliners for air shipment as practicable in maximum extend. Participants wanted clarification on what does US Flag airliners mean, Mr. Hoque and Mr. Nickerson explained that US Flag airliners means the airliners that are registered in the USA.

Mr. Hoque and Mr. Islam explained the invoice and payment procedure.

Mr. Hoque explained that payment of International Through Government Bill of Lading (ITGBL) will be only between local vendor and the US vendor. He also explained ITGBL is the term for a ‘door-to-door’ shipment wherein all services of pre-move survey, pack-out, pick-up, transport, delivery out, unpacking, etc., are bundled together, using one forwarder to perform all services and generally billed on one paying document. In this method Transportation Department in US award contract to ITGBL carrier and they choose local contractors (approved by US Embassy, Dhaka) to handle the shipment and all payment to local contractor will be made by ITGBL carrier in US.

Mr. Ahsan also explained Direct Procurement Method (DPM) is the movement of cargo from origin to destination where each leg of the process (e.g., pack-out, pick-up, transport, delivery out, unpacking, etc.) is managed individually (e.g., the non-ITGBL method of shipping by a DA or post) and the billing for services provided is done separately for each vendor/handler in a specific leg and payment for all services will be made to the local contractor from the post/US Embassy, Dhaka.

Mr. David Nickerson explained that the Government may elect to award multiple IDIQ contracts or a single IDIQ contract and offerors are reminded that the Government intends to award this contract based on initial proposals and without holding discussions.

Mr. Nickerson explained Economic Price Adjustment that are included in the solicitation means – the contract can raise the modification request only if any unseen or not-anticipated costs are added e.g., new tax imposing by the government on shipment. The discretion of raising the price is solely onto the Contracting Officer and subject to approval from AOPE in Washington DC. Mr. Nickerson went on to declare that the expectation on the part of offerors is that they take into account all historical market data when building their proposals as well as inflation and other factors that may increase, or decrease over the period of all five years.

Mr. Hoque explained the Contractor shall pay for any and all demurrage charges according to the schedule for receipt of Provisional Documentation and TEC documentation mentioned above. The Contractor shall not be reimbursed for demurrage charges and the government is not liable for payment of any type of demurrage charges provided the Contractor has received the necessary clearance documentation mention above.

Mr. Khan Jahan Ali explained the offer submission procedure – he summarized the instruction as explained in Section L. He walked through SF-33 and explained blocks 12- 18 of SF-33 form. He also explained Section K and M. He reiterated several times that the offer submission deadline is May 4, 2015, 4:30 p.m. local time and no offer will be accepted that reach after that deadline.

Mr. Maruful Islam interpreted in local language many aspects of the discussion knowing, through his past experience, the gravity of relaying the “how to submit offer” information to the local participants.

Head of Contracting Activities Mr. Charles Clegg was present in the audiences’ row at the beginning.

Mr. Ahsanul Hoque, Mr. Maruful Islam and Mr. Khan Jahan Ali helped in conducting the meeting.

The meeting ended with a message of thanks by Mr. Nickerson.