Questions_and_answers.pdf

Questions and answers

SINLEC16Q0057

Trace detectors INL Bogota

1. Could you please clarify the “Total Small Business” vs. “Small Business” set aside as in the

RFQ the government calls out products from FLIR, Morpho Detection and Smiths Detection whom are all large companies and by nature wouldn’t meet the Total Small Business definition. Is this the case? See section 1. Acquisition method

If it is I would ask that the set aside be changed to Small business from the current Total Small business. See section 1. Acquisition method

2. Please clarify the contractor’s responsibility under Pre-Delivery Inspection as it reads. Would a Factory Acceptance Test procedure meet this requirement, or are you requiring a representative from the contractor to be in FL to do the inspection at the Freight Forwarder? Please elaborate. See section 2.4.1 The government reserves the right to conduct inspection as stated on this section.

3. Please clarify the NAICS code information as you have an annual revenue of 750,000.00 listed on the 1449 form vs. the employee size of 1250 per the SBA? (please see attached SBA NAICS listing from SBA Feb. 2016, ALSO please note that most OEM’s in this space use NAICS code 334519) See updated SINLEC16Q0057.

4. Please clarify delivery and acceptance as you ask for the products to be delivered to FL but state Acceptance is done in Colombia. While the contractor also has to obtain all export documents and assume all taxes, VAT etc that may be required on this project we however have no control in the shipment process from FL to Columbia that is the reason for my question. Your Freight forwarder would be accepting at their dock facility after a Pre- Delivery Inspection has occurred to ensure all items are in their possession for shipment. Once on their dock the products have been accepted and delivered to the point of delivery per the RFQ. Accordingly, we have don’t have any control on shipment so that if damaged in the process it would be questionable as to how we can be held liable if acceptance is done in Columbia. Please provide some further information on acceptance as it should be at the freight forwarders dock as that is the last point of shipment for the contractor as written in this document. See section 2.4.1 Inspection and acceptance. The government reserves the right to conduct inspection as stated on this section

5. Also, Regarding shipment we aren’t handling the shipment out of the country per the RFQ but there are listed crating requirements in the document, please clarify is this is required or if it is a requirement for the governments freight forwarder? See section 2.4.1 The government reserves the right to conduct inspection as stated on this section

6. Regarding shipment and Export, typically if a product is shipped to a customer location in the US and then a Freight forwarder or broker ships out of the country on the government’s behalf, the Government (in this case the Dept. of State) would be the exporter of record and would handle all export paperwork, shipment and customs processes to include fees, taxes and VAT into Columbia. The RFQ is confusing and contradictive to this process. Please explain as it isn’t possible for a company to file for the Export paperwork if we aren’t the exporter of record? In past processes with government agencies either they have requested a contractor to deliver product to a freight forwarder and they take on the process from there, or the contractor is the exporter of record and does door to door service to Columbia.

See Section 2.3.1 and section 2.3.2

7. Regarding the export process if the contractor is in charge of this process an export license can take 6-8 weeks to be obtained properly which is an average of 56 days and is longer than the 45 days ARO listed on the RFQ. This is a process controlled by the US Dept. of Commerce and per our Manufacturer it is very important this process is followed by whoever is doing the exportation of the products as under the Dept. of Commerce regulations we would have to have the authorization paperwork on file to be able to support equipment out of the US. Please clarify if Dept. of State will be handling exportation or will the contractor? If it is the contractor will they be in charge of the shipment into the country and customs clearance? The government will complete custom clearance process in Colombia offeror requirements are outlined on Section 2.

8. There is no definitive time frame for the provision of training. Since payment is to take place upon project completion and if training is an element of the project, payment may be delayed for an unknown period of time. Can you stipulate as to when training must take place on a not later than basis? In addition, can the provision of equipment be separated from the provision of training so that invoicing can be submitted for the equipment upon completion of delivery and acceptance and a subsequent invoice be submitted upon the completion of the training? See section 2.2.6 Deliverables (Line items –CLINs)

9. If training is provided by a third party will evidence of workers compensation be required to be provided to the COR? NO

10. Regarding the Unit Specifications there are many Brand Specific specifications in the documents for multiple brands, and because of that I would like to ask if the models listed from Morpho, Smiths and others are units that have been determined to meet the government’s needs? See section 2.2.6 Requirements