Non-Techncial_Questions.pdf

Amendment 000003: Answer to Non-Technical Questions-SOL-CI-15-00021

Q1 Will a company be eligible to submit a proposal if before the proposals due date it has submitted a formal request to have the company’s office certified as “bona fide”?

A1 Per the Solicitation Clause I-38 FAR 52.219-18, see paragraph (a)(1)-(3). Eligible 8(A) concerns must meet the criteria at the time of submission of an offer.

Q2 Our firm is a member of an 8(a) joint venture under the SBA’s mentor-protégé program. We, together with our JV partner, are very interested in this opportunity for the Chemistry Lab renovation in Corvallis. However, the solicitation states that at least one project submitted as relevant experience for a joint venture must have been completed by the joint venture itself. To date, we have not yet performed any work as a JV, but both the mentor and the protégé have independent work we would submit for your consideration as relevant experience. Are we ineligible to submit a proposal because the offeror (i.e. the JV) does not have a relevant project yet?

A2 In accordance with the Attachment 4: Proposal Instructions, section 3(f) If an offeror has no relevant past performance history, the offer should so state. In accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv), offerors with no relevant past performance history, or for whom information on past performance is not available, will be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably on past performance

Q3 We have exceptional federal Construction Contractor Administrative Support System (CCASS) and Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) evaluations we wish to provide in place of the PPQs. This is because in one case the Contracting Officer may no longer be available to provide relevant past performance, and in the other cases because these agencies have indicated to us on previous pursuits that the CCASS/CPARS evaluation is the official federal “score” that they will no longer respond to PPQs where a CCASS/CPARS has been published. Please confirm that federal CCASS and CPARS evaluations meet the requirements of the PPQ form.

A3. This is acceptable. In review of the CCASS and CPARS evaluation forms, the evaluations have Performance Categories that are similar to the PPQ form (Technical, Schedule and Management). In order for a consistent evaluation, only the categories asked in the PPQ will be utilized from submitted CCASS and CPARS evaluations. A copy of the CCASS and CPARS evaluations shall be submitted in the proposal. Please include the information requested in the top of the PPQ. The CCASS and CPARS evaluations are excluded from the page limitations.

The other information provided to address this criterion is not excluded.

Q4 When is the last day to ask questions?

A4 July 7th, 2015

Q5 Should the Cover Letter be included in both volumes?

A5 No

Q6 Please confirm if an original and three copies of each volume or an original and four copies of each volume should be submitted. The solicitation is inconsistent.

A6 Original and three (3) Hard Copies of each volume.

Q7 Can previously completed questionnaires be utilized in lieu of having clients complete the questionnaire included in the solicitation?

A7 See answer to Q3.

Q8 Regarding Clause B-2 “Fixed Rates for Task Order Pricing,” please provide details as to what costs each rate (Overhead, Profit [Applied to Total Costs] and Profit [Applied to Subcontracts, Material, Equipment and Other Direct Costs] should include or cover.

A8 It is upon the contractor to determine, based on its own accounting practices, what costs each rate should include or cover.

Q9 Regarding Clause I-113, do you have a standard form for offerors to complete for itemized costs rather than providing information in individual forms? This would make the Firm Fixed P rice Task Order Price Proposals easier for the government to compare.

A9 No, there is no standard form to utilize.

Q10 Regarding Clause I-113, do offerors need to submit certified cost or pricing data for the Firm Fixed Price Task Order Price Proposal to be submitted as part of the Price Proposal?

A10 No.

Q11 Should section L-3 FAR 52.204-17 Ownership or Control of Offeror (Nov 2014) be included as a separate tab in the Price Proposal?

A11 Yes.

Q12 Attachment 4, section 2. Previous Experience requires “IF the offeror is proposing as a Joint Venture or as a Teaming Arrangement, a minimum of one (1) Previous Experience shall be provided for the Joint Venture or Teaming Arrangement, as applicable, as well as a minimum of one (1) for each member.” Will the EPA consider requiring just one (1) Previous Experience from each member rather than one (1) Previous Experience for the Joint Venture or Teaming Arrangement?

A12 See answer to Q2

Q13 Attachment 3, Criteria 3 and Attachment 4, Paragraph E.3 provide instructions for submitting Past Performance evaluation forms. Our most relevant projects that meet the criteria for Previous Experience were performed for Federal Government agencies. In most cases, the contracting personnel are not allowed to complete Past Performance evaluation forms since our performance in formally evaluated under the CCAS or CPARS systems. If we are not able to receive commitments from our government clients to complete the Attachment 5 forms, can we submit copies of our CCAS or CPARS evaluations with our proposal?

A13 See answer to Q3.

Q14 Page 2 of Attachment 5 states that completed Past Performance Questionnaires are due no later than 4:30 PM EST on July 15, 2015. Can the date and time for completed Past Performance Questionnaires be extended to the same date and time for the submission of proposals?

A14 Yes.

Q15 Should the contractor’s profit and overhead be itemized in the future task order cost proposals?

A15 Yes. Profit and Overhead should be the same or lower than identified in Clause B-2.

Q16 In order to provide the pricing information in the format you desire, it would be helpful if a bid form was provided. We are not clear on exactly what information is required by the Price Proposal section of Attachment 4.

Q16. See Clause B.2 for the IDIQ contract. See Clauses I 113 for the initial projected task order price.

Q17 Please confirm if liquidated damages be a part of the contract?

A17 Liquidated damages clause is not included in this solicitation.

Q18 Please expand on the items that are included in the overhead/profit rates?

A18 Please see answer to Q8

Q19 Regarding Attachment 4, Section 2, Previous Experience: The solicitation includes a list of items/information to be included for each referenced contract. “Contract Type” is included on the list twice, both before and after “Brief description of the project….” Please confirm that this is an unintentional repetition

A19 It is an unintentional repetition and one iteration has been deleted. See revised Attachment 4.

Q20 On page 50 of 67 of Applicable Clauses and Provisions, paragraph I-113.(c).(3) indicates that travel and copying are to be considered direct costs. Please specify what other costs will be allowed as direct project costs, and what costs must be included in the overhead rate.

A20 Please see answer to Q8.

Q21 Page 4 of the Proposal Instructions states, “Offerors shall identify Overhead and Profit

(on Prime’s Direct Labor) and Overhead and Profit (on Prime’s material, equipment, and subcontract costs) in accordance with Clause B-2.” However, Clause B-2 only contains space for the contractor’s Overhead and Profit Applied to Total Costs, and Profit (but NOT Overhead) Applied to Subcontracts, Material, Equipment, and Other Direct Costs.

a. Please clarify if the Overhead and Profit is to be applied to “Total Costs” or “Prime’s Direct Labor”.

See Revised Clause B-2

b. As there is no pricing schedule in Clause B-2 for “Overhead Applied to Subcontracts, Material, Equipment, and Other Direct Costs,” how is the contractor to be compensated for overhead on subcontracted work, material, and equipment?

Overhead should be applied to Total Cost (See revised Clause B-2).

Q22 Please clarify the difference between the Prime Contractor Overhead and Profit Rates Applied to Total Costs, and the Prime Contractor Profit Rate Applied to Subcontracts, Material, Equipment and Other Direct Costs, and how these rates will be used. For example, are these items additive, such that all three rates are applied against the costs of subcontracts, materials, and equipment?

A22 See Answer to Q21

Q23 Please clarify if contractors are to provide hourly labor rates at this time. If so, are these hourly rates for supervisory positions or trades?

A23 No. See Clause I-113 for Projected Task Order Phase 1A requirements.

Q24 Please specify what is included in the fully loaded fixed hourly rate referenced in paragraph I-113. Does this include only burden (health insurance, 401k, worker’s compensation insurance, vacations, etc.), or does it also include overhead and profit?

A24 Answer to Q8 and Q21

Q25 Please confirm that no bid bond is required with submission of this proposal, either in association with the umbrella IDIQ contract or the Projected First Task Order.

A25 No bid bond is required.

Q26 Amendment 00001 extended the proposal due date to July 23, 2015, at 4:30pm ET. Please confirm that this extension also applies to the deadline for Past Performance Questionnaires (i.e., clients should submit questionnaires directly to the EPA no later than 4:30pm on July 23, 2015).

A26 Yes, this extension was applied to the PPQ with the issuance of Amendment 00002.

Q27 Please confirm that offerors should submit one original hard copy and four additional hard copies for a total of five copies. (We ask because paragraph L-19 on p. 65 of 67 indicates one original and three copies are required.)

A27 See answer to Q6.

Q28 Please clarify the following regarding the planned timing of phases and sub-phases described in Attachment 1, Statement of Work:

a) Will the phases and sub-phases described be performed consecutively, or will phases and/or sub-phases overlap?

It is intended that each phase will be a separate task order issued independently of any previous task orders, while also recognizing that there will need to be coordination between the phases of work to provide the least interruption to laboratory activities. While not inconceivable, it is not likely that the construction period of different phases will overlap, in part because overlapping phases would adversely impact laboratory operations.

b) Are significant gaps in time anticipated between the main phases and/or any of the sub-phases?

The contract is for a 10 year period, which is anticipated to be sufficient time to complete all phases of the project. However, budget and availability of funds will determine the timing of when task orders for phases of the project will be awarded. The project is separated into phases because funds for the entire project could not be made available within a one or two year time period, and because of the need to continue most lab operations during the renovations with a minimum of interruption.

c) Will each sub-phase be issued as a single task order, or will a sub-phase comprise multiple task orders?

It is intended that each phase of work provides for completion of a portion of the laboratory building into which existing lab operations can move, freeing up space for the next phase of construction. Whether each phase will need to be broken into sub-phases will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on availability of funds and laboratory operations.

Q29 Regarding page size requirements:

a) Will the EPA please allow use of 11 x 17-inch paper for larger charts, tables, or figures to allow readability (and compliance with the 10-point font size requirement for these elements)?

No.

b) If 11 x 17-inch paper is permitted, please confirm that these pages will be excluded from the 35-page limitation when used for charts, tables, figures, or illustrations (per the instructions in Paragraph L-19 that such as elements are excluded from the page count).

See Answer to Q29a

c) Will the EPA please consider excluding the material submitted in response to Evaluation Criteria #4, Projected First Task Order – Phase 1A, from the 35-page limitation?

No.

Q30 If offerors submit copies of awards or certifications in response to Attachment 4, Section 3, Item (g), will these copies be excluded from the 35-page limitation?

A30 Yes. This would be considered supplemental information and will be excluded from the page limitation.

Q31 Attachment 4, p. 4, notes under the instructions for the technical portion that, “Offerors shall submit a technical proposal with pricing…” (emphasis added) for the Project First Task Order

– Phase 1A. Please confirm that the pricing for the Project First Task Order should be submitted in the Price Proposal (and not the technical portion), as indicated later on Attachment 4, p. 4, and in Section L-19, p. 66.

A31 The pricing for the Projected First Task Order should be submitted in the Price Proposal.

Q32 Please confirm that the Standard Form 1442 and Section K (Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Bidders) should be included in Volume II, Price Proposal.

A32 Yes.

Q33 Please clarify whether the EPA requires offerors to submit any documentation as evidence of 8(a) status, evidence of having a bona fide place of business within the geographical competitive area, and/or evidence of approval to joint venture (as applicable). If yes, please confirm that such documentation should be included in Volume II, Price Proposal.

A33 No. EPA will verify eligibility prior to award.

Q34 Please clarify the nature / type(s) of laboratories that this contract will involve. For example, will work involve bio-medical laboratories

A34 The first task order for construction of Phase 1A includes only one laboratory room, a sample receiving lab. The WED laboratories to be renovated in future phases are general chemistry and biology analytical and research laboratories, and do not involve any special lab types or uses.

Q35 The solicitation (Attachment 4, p. 2) states, “IF the offeror is proposing as a Joint Venture or as a Teaming Arrangement, a minimum of one (1) Previous Experience shall be provided for the Joint Venture or Teaming Arrangement, as applicable, as well as a minimum of one (1) for each member.” Please confirm that a newly formed joint venture that has not yet completed work is still eligible for this contract and may instead submit only previous experience of its joint venture partners.

A35 See answer to Q2.

Q36 Please confirm that the pricing for all task orders will be Firm Fixed Price.

A36 Yes.

Q37 Section I, Paragraph I-33 FAR 52.216-19 Order Limitations, notes that the is not obligated to honor (1) any order for a single item in excess of $10,000,000 or (2) any order for a combination of items in excess of $10,000,000. Please clarify how this paragraph applies in relation to the expectation that, e.g., Phase 2A is expected to have a value of between $15,000,000 and $20,000,000.

A37 See revised clause.

Q38 Please clarify the requirement of Section L. Paragraph L-6 (p. 60). The solicitation language seems incomplete.

A38. A revised version of the clause is included.

Q39 Will the EPA confirm the price on line 17 of the SF1442 form and the Section B - Supplies or Service/Prices are the two pricing requirements for this proposal?

A39 No. There should be no price identified on Line 17. See price proposal instructions.