Packing_and_Shipping_Formal_Questions_7-8-2014_-_Final.pdf

Packing and Shipping Solicitation Solicitation No.: S-CO200-14-R-0003

Formal Questions & Answers – Q&As July 8, 2014

Question #1: Section B.2 lists the minimum and the maximum number of services. Please explain how should sections B5 to B10 should be filled: by the minimum? by the maximum? or by the estimated quantity amount stated at the pricing matrix downloaded from: http://www.fbo.gov.

Answer: Section B.5 to B.10 must be filled out by bringing/exporting the total amounts from the Excel spreadsheet (i.e., using estimated quantities in the Excel spreadsheet) for both Import (Inbound) and Export (outbound).

Question #2: On the pricing sheet (F) Cost reimbursement: There is an amount, pre-established.

Please advise how services are considered to get this number. Is this a fixed cost that we must adjust to? if not, please advise the number of services we must take into consideration to calculate it On the pricing sheet:

Answer: This is an estimated ceiling amount for cost reimbursement line items provided by the US Government; this amount must not be adjusted by potential offerors. Offerors should use the provided estimated amount (plug figure) to price the cost reimbursement line items. Though, there is no number of services established; a list of expected services is itemized below, under line item 11 of the Solicitation.

“(f) Cost Reimbursement (Charges determined upon arrival of shipment) *(11)”

*(11)COST REIMBURSEMENT. The contractor shall be reimbursed at cost for import and export related charges described below. The contractor shall obtain advance approval from the COR for the reimbursement of any of these additional charges which shall be supported by third party receipts which must be attached to the bill for reimbursement.

EXPECTED IMPORT RELATED CHARGES: Charges are determined upon arrival of shipment and are inherent to the handling of the shipment. For Air shipments: Release of AWB with airline, deconsolidation of cargo by airline, transportation from airline to inbound or free zone warehouse, others as needed. For Ocean shipments: Release and handling of B/L: THC fee, document fee, discharge, gate charge, release of B/L; Port charges: use of port facilities, handling of containers within port facilities, others as needed; container demurrages, drop off fee (except for shipments arriving under SEABOARD), container cleaning or repair of damages to containers, others as needed. Support of every payment must be attached to the bill for reimbursement.

Embassy of the United States of America

Bogotá, D.C., Colombia

GSO/ Contracting Unit http://www.fbo.gov/

EXPECTED EXPORT RELATED CHARGES: Charges are determined at port to export each shipment. Port charges: Use of port facilities, handling/move of containers within port facilities, other as required/needed.

Question #3: Only Cartagena and Bogota are listed; however section C 1.1 states on section b) that services will have to be honored in Melgar, Santa Marta and Barranquilla. How will these services be quoted if the ciites are not listed on the pricing sheet?

Answer: Those services to cities other than Cartagena and Bogota will be competed and assigned to the lowest technically acceptable offer.

Question #4: What kind of insurance policies need to be set for/established the contract?

Answer: Please refer to Clause H.4 Lawful Operation, Permits, and Indemnification.

Question #5: Should every single service have an individual insurance policy?

Answer: No; however, please refer to Question #5, above.

Question #6: The Pricing Section format was not properly set up to calculate itself the grand total B.5 through B.10.

Answer: Potential offerors must be responsible and must make sure to calculate correctly prices of their offers by of bringing/exporting the total amounts from the excel spreadsheet for both Import (Inbound) and Export (outbound).

Question #7: Should we include item (f) in the grand total of our offer?

Answer: Yes, this line item (f) must be included in the grand total of your firm’s proposal.

Question #8: Clause L.1.2.2, Paragraph (9) Quarterly Reports: Is this provided as additional information? Does our firm require submitting this information in a special format as part of the solicitation?

Answer: No, it is not required to send it as part of the solicitation. Quarterly reports will have to be submitted upon contract is awarded.

Question #9: What is the Workers´ Compensation War-Hazard Insurance?

Answer: Contractor’s employees who must be insured under the Defense Base Act. The contractor must have insurance coverage for these employees. Covered employees are:

• U.S. citizens performing work overseas, regardless of where they were when they were hired by the contractor;

• U.S. residents, regardless of citizenship, regardless of where they were when they were hired by the contractor, performing work overseas; and

• Local nationals and third country nationals performing work in a country where no worker’s compensation laws exist.

If any of the three types of employees described above are working overseas on a State Department contract, then there are covered employees and DBA coverage is required.

Question #10: Will the bubble wrap plastic act as a waterproof paper and padding?

Answer: The bubble wrap plastic must be used to protect elements according to the best local practice.

Question #11: According to C.6. paragraph 2 those the group leader has to be the same person that interacts directly with COR or can we have someone at the office acting as an intermediary between the group leader and the COR?

Answer: The team leader must serve as a liaison with the COR; It is up to each company to designate someone else at their office to act as an intermediary between the group leader and the COR. However, on emergencies/urgent matters to assist the client at site, the team leader must be the liaison with the COR.

Question #12: According to C.6.3, does the group leader needs to be the one that speaks English or can we send someone from the office when the client doesn´t speak Spanish to act as an interpreter?

Answer: According to C.6.3 English Language Qualifications. Each Team Leader must possess sufficient ability in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the English language to carry out the duties prescribed herein for the position.

You might send someone that speaks English from your office to assist the Team Leader when the client requests it to solve complex issues or when you consider it necessary, for example to prepare the food inventory lists in English.

Question #13: Who is an approved estimator? How can we prove the people we have to do the surveys are qualified to act as approved estimators?

Answer: The estimator must have experience in doing surveys and must have excellent communication and English skills.

Question #14: How can we determine the need of special handling items in a destination service if everything comes within the liftvans? E.x. How can we determine if a crane is required or any other special handling when the contents and the measurements of the HHG is not known until the liftvan is open at the client´s residence?

Answer: The Customs & Shipping Unit is requesting employees prior to arrival to country, to report the oversized pieces they may have informing the dimensions which we will provide to the moving company assigned to the delivery and unpacking service to determine the kind of special handling needed.

Question #15: Is the GSO the same COR?

Answer: No, the General Services Office is the issuing office of the solicitation and the Contracting Officer’s Representative will act as the Contracting Officer’s primary delegate for the day-to-day administration of a contract. A Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) is a government official designated in accordance with the Department of State Acquisition Regulation (DOSAR) 642.270 Contracting Officer’s Representative. The COR is designated in http://dosar.state.gov/display/1/index.aspx?c=&cpc=&cid=&catURL=&r=0.549144983291626 http://dosar.state.gov/display/1/index.aspx?c=&cpc=&cid=&catURL=&r=0.549144983291626 writing by the Contracting Officer (CO), to provide technical direction, clarification and guidance with respect to the contract specifications and Statement of Work. The COR is the technical liaison between the contractor and the CO and is responsible for monitoring contractor performance and delivery as set forth in the contract. Acting as the eyes and ears of the CO, the COR's key role is to observe, document and communicate contractor performance to both the CO and contractor. The COR is responsible for performing the duties delegated to him/her in the COR designation letter from the CO.

Question #16: What exactly do you mean with C.12.3?

C.12.3 Crates and Containers/Lift Vans. The Contractor shall mark and report to the COR any Government owned wooden crates, lift vans, or air freight containers that are unsuitable for reuse. The contractor shall dispose of these items as instructed by the COR.

Answer: Not applies. Containers/lift vans subject of this contract for export purposes must be new. Moving companies may use the used containers received. Usually post receives lift vans in poor condition to reuse them. Section D.1. CONTAINER SPECIFICATIONS: (a) Containers to be used for export shipments of effects under this contract must be soundly constructed of waterproof plywood, lined with waterproof barrier, and reinforced with an inside framework.

Wooden containers must be heat treated or fumigated based on the requirements of the destination country……”

Question #17: After we use the liftvans (unpacking) can we use them as we need for warehousing purposes or others?

Answer: Yes, your firm can make use of them.

Question #18: Does C.13.4 need to be applied for recycled material?

C.13.4 The Contractor shall remove waste or refuse from storage areas or kept in metal containers with tight-fitting metal lids.

Answer: The contractor is responsible to remove waste or trash from storage areas or retain the waste/trash in metal containers as specified in C.13.4.

Question #19: According to C.13.5 we want to make sure if that applies when the warehouse is within a gated industrial park or if it is ok for us to store liftvans against the inner walls.

C.13.5 Household effects shall be stored on skids, dunnage, pallet bases, elevated platforms, or similar storage aids, maintaining a minimum of two inches of clearance from the floor to the bottom-most portion of the stored goods. The Contractor shall not store property in contact with exterior or interior walls.

Answer: It applies to every storage facility where you store Embassy or personal property. The property shall not be stored in contact with exterior or interior walls.

Question #20: According to C.14.7, are we talking about HHG or regular warehousing of embassy furniture?

C.14.7 The Contractor shall store upholstered and overstuffed furniture in special enclosed lift van containers apart from other effects. Upholstered rooms must be fully enclosed areas containing only articles of furniture in loose-pack storage. Walls must have sturdy framing and be covered with a javascript:glossary('Contracting%20Officer%20(CO)');

solid sheathing material such as masonite, cellotex, or plywood of a minimum thickness of one-quarter inch Sheathing shall be free of holes and tightly joined to prevent the entry of dust and contaminants.

Entry doors into such upholstered storage rooms must be kept closed at all times except during periods of actual placement into and/or removal of furniture. Any other type of upholstered storage must be specifically approved by the COR before use.

Answer: It would apply to Embassy furniture not furniture that is part of a Household Effects.

Question #21: Do you have a form of a Non Negotiable warehouse receipt? Or are there specific instructions for us to adapt one of our forms?

Answer: No. The Non Negotiable warehouse receipt must be in accordance to C.15.1 and C.15.2.

Question #22: Where can we get the authorization number for storage?

Answer: The name of the employee or agency provided by Customs & Shipping unit is enough to identify the storage lot. You might assign an internal # and confirm it to COR.

Question #23: Since we handle freight forwarding, movings, and transportation under the same company, do we still need to leave evidence when the shipment is release to any of the divisions?

C17.1.1

Answer: You need to have evidence of release of each shipment among your divisions for any future reference and must be available to the COR whenever necessary.

However C17.1.1 refers to the document that the US Government will issue to request/authorize any service subject of this contract; however, a Task Order will be issued for this purpose instead of the Government bill of Lading (B/L) mentioned in this clause. Contractors are not allowed to provide any service unless you receive the Task Order prior to take any action.

Question #24: C.20.4, how do we have the government employee sign the form of the weight ticket if the final weight is recorded at the warehouse?

Answer: Attach a copy of the inventory reflecting weights prepared at site and signed by the employee.

Question #25: D.1.d.2 what discount are you referring to in this section?

Answer: The packing rate for HHE or official cargo is based on 100 net pounds. The price of the lift vans are not charged on separate basis but as part of the packing rate. This clause does not apply to this contract.

Question #26: In D.5.b. what exactly should be understood with the word trailers

Answer: Trailer is a container on wheels which is pulled by a car or other vehicle and which is used for transporting large or heavy items. Or is a long vehicle without an engine which people use as a home or as an office and which can be pulled behind a car.

Question #27: Is there a maximum amount of motorcycles permitted per shipment?

Answer: Under the Mission Policy of this post, employees are not authorized to ship motorcycles to post therefore there would be no motorcycles to be shipped out from country either. If any exception is granted by the Chief of Mission, there would be confirmed by the COR.

Question #28: According to D.6.g what exactly do you mean with packing a vehicle? Where is this cost contemplated?

Answer: Not a service to provide or needed at post.

Question #29: What protocol should be followed to have our crew uniforms approved?

Answer: There is no protocol as such. The uniforms shall have the logo of the moving company as a minimum requirement. See H.2.(b).

Question #30: When do we know if we are required to submit the financial statements according to section L4?

Answer: Your firm must submit financial statements as delineated in Section L.4, as follows:

Income (profit-loss) Statement that shows profitability for the past three (3) years;

Balance Sheet that shows the assets owned and the claims against those assets, or what a firm owns and what it owes; and

Cash Flow Statement that shows the firm’s sources and uses of cash during the most recent accounting period. This will help the Government assess a firm’s ability to pay its obligations.

The Government will use this information to determine the offeror’s financial responsibility and ability to perform under the contract. Failure of an offeror to comply with a request for this information may cause the Government to determine the offeror to be nonresponsible.