SOLHQ1500002_Q_A.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Solicitation Number SOL‐HQ‐15‐00002

SOL-HQ-15-00002

AMENDMENT 003

Q1: Page 8, top of page, states that “The rate, or rates, set forth above cover all expenses, including report preparation, salaries, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit.” Could EPA please confirm that these rates should also include fringe.

A1: Rates should be fully burdened in accordance with the contractor’s accounting practices.

Q2: Additionally, could EPA please provide clarification on “report preparation”? How is this different from Other Direct Costs?

A2: For this solicitation, offerors are expected to propose “”fully burdened” rates. The Government expects that report preparation will be prepared by employees for which those labor hours will be charged to the contract. As such, it is assumed that costs to prepare these reports will be a “program management” expense and not a cost reimbursable Other Direct Cost.

Q3: Page 8, paragraph 2, EPA states “the Government shall pay the contractor for the life of a task order at rates in effect when the task order was issued, even if performance under the task order crosses into another period.” Could EPA please clarify whether the contractor will be allowed to bid different rates for each year (based on approved rates submitted for each period with this proposal), when responding to a Task Order request?

A3: The contractor is required to propose negotiated fixed rates for each of the five years per labor category, even though the Government anticipates award of contract consisting of a five-year base period. During this five-year period, the contractor may be required to perform work for multiple years that cross the years of the contract. For example, the contractor may be asked to propose negotiated fixed rates for a two-year task order (years one and two). The contractor would propose negotiated fixed rates, as applicable in the fixed rate chart in Section B clause “FIXED RATES FOR SERVICES –

INDEFINTE DELIVERY/ INDEFINITE QUANTITY (EPAAR 1552.216-73) (APR 1984)”, for years one and two.

Another example, would be if the contractor proposes on a task order consisting of a period of performance of two and one half years (years one, two and part of year three). For this example, the contractor would propose negotiated fixed rates for year one, year two and for six months of year three.

In addition, if the period of performance for a non-severable task orders were extended past the expiration date of the contract (in accordance with Section I clause “OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES” (FAR

52.217-8) (NOV 1999), the rates negotiated in the contract for year five (5) would not change.

Q4: Page 69, Section 4, paragraph 2, EPA requests that we provide letters of commitment for proposed key personnel. Are commitment letters needed for key personnel currently employed by the prime contractor, or only in the event of contingent hires or consultants and subcontractors as is usually requested?

A4: Commitment letters are required for new hires, subcontractors or consultants being proposed for

Key Personnel.

Section L clause “PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-101)” Subsection (b) (1) “SECTION 4 - Key

Personnel” paragraph three of is amended as follows: “The offeror shall provide resumes for each key personnel proposed. The resume shall demonstrate that the proposed personnel possess the experience, education and qualifications necessary to successfully manage and perform the SOW including demonstrated ability to organize and manage large and technically complex contracts; ability to manage subcontractors and consultants; ability to schedule and coordinate several concurrent tasks;

ability to perform contract administration functions; and ability to anticipate, identify and resolve potential problems. The offer shall include letters of commitment of key personnel who are proposed new hires, subcontractors or consultants. The section H clause “Key Personnel” shall be modified to include additional key personnel proposed by the contractor. The offeror shall provide a clear demonstration that key personnel are available and dedicated to this contract and that the offeror has the ability to retain key personnel throughout the duration of the contract as specified in the Key

Personnel clause in Section H.

Consequently, the Section M clause “TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA” “FACTOR 4 – “QUALIFICATION

OF KEY PERSONNEL (10) points” is hereby amended to DELETE “throughout duration of the contract” and REPLACE WITH “as specified in the Key Personnel clause in Section H”.

Q5: page 70, Section 5, EPA requests that we provide information about the proposed labor mix. Can

EPA provide more detailed instructions on how it would like this information to be provided to complement the information provided in other parts of the proposal, including our cost volume?

A5: For additional clarity, Section 5 of the Section L clause “PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-101)”

Subsection (b) (1) is hereby amended as follows:

SECTION 5 – Labor Mix

The offeror shall discuss its labor mix as it relates to its plan to distribute level of effort (LOE) among task areas (specifying labor categories as well as level of effort); and its plan to distribute level of effort among prime and subcontracting teams (specifying prime and subcontractor firms per labor category) in order to meet all task areas of the contract SOW. For informational purposes only, Sample Labor

Categories are attached (Attachment 3). Below is a sample labor mix matrix which may be used in your discussion. The offeror shall define relative assumptions for its labor mix, if applicable.

Level of Effort

Labor

Category

Level/

Grade

Firm Task

Area

Task

Area

Task

Area

Task

Area

Task

Area

Task

Area

Task

Area

Total

LOE

Labor Category Description:

Labor Category Description:

Q6: page 71, (2) Guidance states that “the offeror shall submit 1 printable electronic copy of the Price

Proposal….” Could EPA please provide guidance on how the offeror should submit subcontractor supporting details per page 72, Subsection 4.1 Labor, given that this information is usually confidential business information?

A6: Subcontractors may submit supporting data directly to EPA via FedConnect or directly emailed to the Contracting Officer, Meghan Thomas Meyers at thomas.meghan@epa.gov. Subcontractors should reference that the data is submitted as required under SOL-HQ-15 00002 Regulation, Evaluation and

Technical Support for the Office of Emergency Management.

Q7: Additionally, on Page 73, NOTE 1 states that it is IMPORTANT that documentation be provided to support proposed rates for any direct labor, overhead, and/or general and administrative expense.

Could EPA please provide guidance as to how the offeror should provide the subcontractor supporting documentation?

A7: Subcontractors may submit supporting data directly to EPA via FedConnect or directly emailed to the Contracting Officer, Meghan Thomas Meyers at thomas.meghan@epa.gov. Subcontractors should reference that the data is submitted as required under SOL-HQ-15 00002 Regulation, Evaluation and

Technical Support for the Office of Emergency Management.

Q8: page 92, Attachment 2, could EPA please indicate whether we should assume that the ODCs provided ($54,009) is already burdened with G&A or whether we should apply the applicable G&A to the

ODCs provided?

A8: The Government’s ODC estimate is not burdened with G&A. Each offeror should propose ODCs in accordance with its approved accounting system.

Q9: In Attachment 5, “Past Performance Questionnaire” (Page 99 of 99), Question #4, what is meant by the term “corporate affiliations.”

A9: The evaluator completing the questionnaire should identify if there is a business and/or financial connection between the evaluator and the contractor.

Q10: Reference sample Task Order #2 Statement of Work (Page 89 of 99), Section IV. “Deliverables” includes “Prepare impact analysis to TOCOR.” This does not align with a task from Section III. Tasks. Does this deliverable relate to a task that was inadvertently omitted?

A10: The Reference Attachment 1, Sample Task Order #2, Section IV “Deliverables” contains a typographical error. The sixth entry in the table, “Prepare impact analysis to TOCOR,” does not have any corresponding task in the statement of work under Section III, “Tasks” listed in the Statement of Work.

As this is a sample Task order, this attachment is for illustrative purposes only. Task orders drafted under awarded contact will have deliverables that correspond to the actual tasks in the Statement of Work.

Sample Task Order #2, Section IV “Deliverables” is amended to remove erroneous deliverables.

Q11. Reference Attachment 1, Sample Task Order #1 (Page 86 and 87 of 99), section IV “Deliverables.”

Please confirm that the two items associated with comment organization and response be removed, as there is not a corresponding task under Section III, “Tasks” listed in the Statement of Work.

A11: The Reference Attachment 1, Sample Task Order #1, section IV “Deliverables” contains a typographical error. The last two deliverables in the table do not have corresponding tasks in the statement of work under Section III, “Tasks” listed in the Statement of Work. These two deliverables have been removed. As this is a sample Task order, this attachment is for illustrative purposes only. Task orders drafted under awarded contact will have deliverables that correspond to the actual tasks in the

Statement of Work.

Sample Task Order #1, Section IV “Deliverables” is amended to remove erroneous deliverables.

Q12: In Section L, subsection L.10 “Disclosure Requirements for Organizational Conflicts of Interest (EPA-

L-09-102),” it is not clear if the intent of this clause is the offeror’s support to commercial clients and/or federal entities. Please clarify the scope of the disclosure the offeror is to provide.

A12: In accordance with the clause, the contractor shall disclose on all “firms”, this may include Federal entities as it relates to the work to be performed in the SOW.

Q13: In Section H, subsection H.4 “Limitation of Future Contracting, Alternative V (Headquarters

Support) (EPAAR 1552.209-74) (APR 2004)” subsection (c)(2), “financial arrangement or business relationship” is subject to many interpretations. Please define or provide clarity on the scope of

“financial arrangement” and “business relationship.” For example, would these terms include teaming arrangements? Also, will the agency change “may support or affect” to “are supporting and affecting” in

(c)(2); or just remove the word “may”? We think “may” is broad and speculative.

A13: Section H Clause “LIMITATION OF FUTURE CONTRACTING, ALTERNATE V (HEADQUARTERS

SUPPORT) (EPAAR 1552.209-74) (APR 2004)” Subsection (c) is amended as follows:

(c) Unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, during the life of this contract the contractor will be ineligible to:

(1) Enter into a contract with EPA to perform response action work (e.g., Response Action Contract

(RAC), Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS), Superfund Technical Assistance and

Removal Team (START), and Enforcement Support Services (ESS) contracts); or

(2) Enter into a financial arrangement or business relationship with an individual or company who may support or affect any efforts to influence policies, procedures, initiatives, or regulations relating to the contract statement of work.

Q14: In section L, subsection L.3 “Proposal Instructions” (b) Volume-Specific Instructions “Format” (page

68 of 99) sub-section 1.1 and subsection 1.2, there is a statement “The offeror shall define relative assumptions.” Please clarify what is meant by “The offeror shall define relative assumptions” and if these items are included in the evaluation criteria.

A14: Assumptions could be made by the offeror if necessary to support its technical and/or price proposal submission. This is not a routine occurrence and every offeror does not determine that its proposal(s) warrants further explanation. However, if offerors make assumptions, those assumptions will be considered in the Government’s evaluation(s).

Q15: B.8 (j) States Time and Materials, Firm Fixed-Price or hybrid, yet B.4 states the contractor can only voucher hours. F.2 (c)(3) indicates the contractor shall report hours and be paid in accordance with hours. FFP would be a conflict of this. Does that mean the contractor will have to bid FFP using the established rates of the basic contract? Reference: page 10, Section B.8(j)

A15: Clause B.4 refers to Time and Material task orders and Hybrid task orders to the extent applicable.

The solicitation is hereby amended to add the Section B clause “FIXED RATES FOR SERVICES INDEFINITE

DELIVERY/INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT (EPAAR 1552.216-73 (APR 1984)” to the Section H clause

“CLAUSES NOT APPLICABLE TO FIRM-FIXED PRICE TASK ORDERS”.

Q16: Section C.4 states contractors will need a QA plan in accordance with EPA-C-10-103. Where is this

EPA Guidance? Reference: page 19, Section C.4

A16: EPA guidance for EPA-C-10-103 (Incorporation of Contractors Quality Assurance Plan) can be found in the Environmental Protection Agency Acquisition Guidance (EPAAG), under the following link:

http://oamintra.epa.gov/files/OAM/EPAAG%2052.2clauses.doc.

Q17: The text states there is an allowance for payment of overtime that is "to be determined." At what point will this value be determined? Reference: page 52, Section I.7

A17: The Contracting Officer inadvertently entered TBD. The fill-in should reflect $0.00. There is no overtime approved on this contract. This clause was added to ensure that in the rare instance overtime may be required, the clause is available.

The fill in under the Section I clause “PAYMENT FOR OVERTIME PREMIUMS (FAR 52.222-2) (JULY 1990)” is amended to reflect the value $0.00.

Q18: The text states a request to use subcontractors is required if the prime contractor does not have an approved purchasing system. Does this apply to every task order if the subcontractors to be used were proposed in the original IDIQ proposal?

A18: The prime contractor awarded the resultant contract from this solicitation shall govern all task orders placed under the contract in accordance with all terms and conditions.

Q19: Please clarify whether the evaluation criteria is for the entirety of Appendix B- Quality

Management Plan and Programmatic Quality Assurance Plan. RFP Citation: M.6, page 84 of 99

Evaluation of Quality Management Plan (QMP) and Programmatic Quality Assurance Plan (QAPP). RFP

Reference: The plan described in Section L entitled “Quality Management Plan” will be evaluated as acceptable or not acceptable.

A19: In accordance with the Section E clause “HIGHER-LEVEL CONTRACT QUALITY REQUIREMENT

(GOVERNMENT SPECIFICATION) (FAR 52.246-11) (FEB 1999)” the offeror must submit both the Quality

Management Plan and Programmatic Quality Assurance Project Plan for the entire program as part of its technical proposal.

The Section M provision “EVALUATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN (QMP)” is amended to include the evaluation of the Programmatic Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The Section L provision

“PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-101) APPENDIX B”, is amended to correctly define the requirement as a Programmatic Quality Assurance Project Plan.

Q20: Although the RFP includes the referenced FAR clauses, which define the elements of an acceptable small business subcontracting plan and the credentials required for each small business concern, the

RFP does not provide subcontracting goals. Please confirm whether it is the Government’s intent to provide stated subcontracting goals and, if so, the percentage or monetary value(s), as applicable, associated with the individual small business goals. RFP Citation: I.1 Contract Clauses and L.3 Proposal

Instructions, Appendix A-Subcontracting Plan. RFP Reference: The RFP includes FAR clauses 52.219-8

Utilization of Small Businesses and 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan Alternate II in Section

I.1. Section

A20: The Section L provision “PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-101)” is amended to include EPA’s

2016 Small Business Goals under APPENDIX A – Subcontracting Plan. The clause in Section L.3 references the incorporation of the Subcontracting Plan into the resultant contract.

TYPES OF BUSINESS PRIME SUBCONTRACT

Small Businesses 41.75% 55.0%

Small Disadvantage Businesses 5.0% 5.0%

Women-Owned Businesses 5.0% 5.0%

HUBZone Businesses 3.0% 3.0%

Service Disabled Veteran-Owned SB 3.0% 3.0%

Q21: Because the successful offeror for this opportunity will support policy and regulation development activities for OEM, and because these policies and regulations (and existing OEM policies and regulation) are designed to mitigate or reduce risks associated with oil spills and other hazardous substances, we assume that prospective offerors with business relationships with the members of the regulated community would be precluded or otherwise ineligible to compete for the work associated with this

RFP. Please confirm.

A21: Section H clause “LIMITATION OF FUTURE CONTRACTING, ALTERNATE V (HEADQUARTERS

SUPPORT) (EPAAR 1552.209-74) (APR 2004)” Subsection (c) is amended as follows:

(c) Unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, during the life of this contract the contractor will be ineligible to:

(1) Enter into a contract with EPA to perform response action work (e.g., Response Action Contract

(RAC), Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS), Superfund Technical Assistance and

Removal Team (START), and Enforcement Support Services (ESS) contracts); or

(2) Enter into a financial arrangement or business relationship with an individual or company who

Q22: We have heard that multiple challenges and concerns were raised by the vendor community prior to this RFP release from many possible prime contractors on some conflict of interest clauses that the

EPA had included in the pre-solicitation. How\If were those challenges and clauses revised?

A22: This is not a specific solicitation-related question. Therefore, the Government offers NO response.

Q23: Please advise whether the restriction on Brownfields contracting includes programmatic and policy support provided to EPA/OSWER for the Brownfields Program. Direct remedial action work for

Brownfields and Land Revitalization work is understandable as it may be subject to the regulations and policies supported under this RFP’s Statement of Work, but that type of remedial support is outside the scope of that mission support contract. There does not seem to be any Conflict of Interest in supplying policy and programmatic support to two separate groups within the Office of Solid Waste and

Emergency Response.

RFP Section: H.4.c.

A23: Section H clause “LIMITATION OF FUTURE CONTRACTING, ALTERNATE V (HEADQUARTERS

SUPPORT) (EPAAR 1552.209-74) (APR 2004)” Subsection (c) is amended as follows:

(c) Unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, during the life of this contract the contractor will be ineligible to:

(1) Enter into a contract with EPA to perform response action work (e.g., Response Action Contract

(RAC), Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS), Superfund Technical Assistance and

Removal Team (START), and Enforcement Support Services (ESS) contracts); or

(2) Enter into a financial arrangement or business relationship with an individual or company who

Q24: Item (v) requires the “Name, title, and signature of principals of the firm.” As a large business, we have delegated authority for specific individuals in our company to sign proposal offers. Does EPA require the signature of “principals” and who qualifies as a “principal”?

RFP Section: L.3: Cover Letter Instructions

A24: The EPA requires the signature of “principals” and those who have the delegated authority and therefore qualify as “principals” as it pertains to this requirement.

Q25: Does EPA want the Past Performance Questionnaires and Client Authorization Letters as sent to client contacts included in the Technical Proposal Volume, Section 2? Or, should Section 2 include a summary of the Past Performance contracts/subcontracts that meet the requirements for inclusion, together with the information required by EPAAR 1552.215-75 Past Performance Information, as required under Section L.8 of the RFP? EPA typically requires that we email the letter and questionnaire to the client with a cc to the Contracting Officer for the procurement (which is required under Section

L.8 of the RFP), together with only the summary information in the Past Performance section.

RFP Section: L.3: Past Performance

A25: At a minimum, offerors shall include the Contract Data section of the Past Performance

Questionnaire and a copy of each Client Authorization Letter.

Q26: L.3.: Please confirm that we can provide the CPARS report directly in place of submitting a questionnaire to a client. Or, is that text intended to allow the client to submit the CPARS instead of filling out the questionnaire as the client’s option?

RFP Section: L.3: Past Performance

A26: Offerors may submit finalized official CPARS report in lieu of a questionnaire from a client. Clients may also submit CPARS in their response to the CO in lieu of the questionnaire.

Q27: page 70 of the solicitation requires:

APPENDIX A – Subcontracting Plan

In this appendix, the offeror shall include the information required by Section I clause FAR 52.219-9

“Small Business Subcontracting Plan, Alternate II”. The offeror’s Subcontracting Plan will be incorporated into any resulting contract.

Question 1: The referenced FAR clause does not provide any EPA-specific socio-economic subcontracting plan goals. Please provide the EPA’s socio-economic subcontracting plan goals for this procurement.

Question 2: Because the Subcontracting Plan includes dollar and percentage amounts expected to be subcontracted as part of our plan, should this be an Appendix to the Cost Proposal and not the Technical proposal?

RFP Section: L.3: Appendix A Instructions

A27: APPENDIX A – Subcontracting Plan of the Section L clause “PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-

101)” is amended to include EPA’s 2016 Small Business Goals for informational purposes.

TYPES OF BUSINESS PRIME SUBCONTRACT

Small Businesses 41.75% 55.0%

Small Disadvantage Businesses 5.0% 5.0%

Women-Owned Small Businesses 5.0% 5.0%

Service Disabled Veteran-Owned SB 3.0% 3.0%

HUBZone 3.0% 3.0%

In accordance with the Section I contract clause FAR 52.219-9 “SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING

PLAN (ALTERNATE II) (JAN 2011)”, the subcontracting plan separately addresses subcontracting with small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business concerns, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns. The small business subcontracting plan does not include large businesses and may not include all subcontractors. The offerors’ small business subcontracting goals are expressed in terms of percentages of total planned subcontracting dollars, not the total cost or price. The offerors small business subcontracting dollar amounts are expressed as a portion of total planned subcontracting dollars, not the total cost or price.

Q28: We typically provide our COI Plan as part of the Cost Proposal, and Section L.9 indicates that the

COI Plan should be submitted as part of the Cost Proposal. However, Section L.3 indicates that the COI

Plan is an appendix to the technical Proposal. Please provide guidance as to whether this plan should be an appendix to the Cost or Technical Proposal.

RFP Section: L.3: Appendix C Instructions

A28: As stated in Appendix C, the offeror’s Organizational Conflict of Interest Plan should be submitted as part of the Cost Proposal.

APPENDIX C – Organizational Conflict of Interest Plan is hereby deleted from the Technical Proposal

Instructions and incorporated into the Cost Proposal (see Cost Proposal Instructions (Page 72).

Q29: Cost Proposal Instructions, SECTION 4 – Labor Rates and Task Matrix, Section 4.1: Please advise as to whether full details on indirect build up is required of subcontract labor rates, or just the requirement that we independently evaluate subcontractor rates? If full build up details for subcontractors are required, we request that the information be supplied directly by the subcontractor through

FedConnect rather than included in Section 4.1 as it is proprietary data. Also, if subcontractor detail is required, will EPA consider a dollar threshold (such as $1 million as done for past performance or 10% of total contract price or similar value) so that consultants or subcontractors with low expected subcontract value can be excluded from providing the full required supporting detail?

RFP Section: L.3: Cost Proposal Instructions

A29: In accordance with the Section L provision “PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-101)” Subsection

(b) (2) Section 4 - Labor Rates and Task Matrix, the offeror shall propose labor rates for all prime and subcontractor labor categories proposed. The offeror shall provide specific individual rates for average wage rate, overhead rate, fringe rate, general and administrative (G&A) rate, profit, escalation factor and any additional burden. Subcontractors may submit supporting data directly to EPA via FedConnect or directly emailed to the Contracting Officer, Meghan Thomas Meyers at thomas.meghan@epa.gov.

Subcontractors should reference that the data is submitted as required under SOL-HQ-15 00002

Regulation, Evaluation and Technical Support for the Office of Emergency Management.

Q30: The Client Authorization Letter (Attachment 4) states that questionnaires are to be returned by mail or email by June 18, 2015. The RFP states that Client Authorization Letters should be mailed or e-mailed to individual references no later than five working days after proposal submission (i.e., June 25, 2015). We assume that the RFP is controlling over the Client Authorization Letter (Attachment 4). Please confirm and indicate what date should be specified in the sample letter.

RFP Section: L.8: Past Performance

A30: Yes, the RFP due date overrides submission dates expressed in the Client Authorization Letter

(Attachment 4). Therefore and per the RFP, Client Authorization Letters should be mailed or e-mailed to the individual references no later than five (5) working days after proposal submission. Therefore, Attachment 4 and 5 are amended to reflect the revised date, February 29, 2016.

Q31: RFP Section: L.10(a): OCOI Disclosure Requirements. This clause seems overly broad. EPA asks us to disclose: “Each offeror shall specifically disclose whether it is directly engaged in or if it has a business, financial, or competitive relationship(s) with firms who provide support related to the contract

Statement of Work.” As a large federal and EPA contractor, we “directly engage in . . . support related to the contract Statement of Work.” All of our past performance supports that and EPA wants qualified contractors who have experience doing what is required in the SOW. We also have numerous teaming and competitive relationships with other firms that support EPA and other Federal Government agencies “who provide support related” to the contract SOW. None of those seem to have any OCOI issues. It would seem that EPA is looking for direct engagement or relationships with entities that are subject to remedial or related work that may be impacted significantly and financially by the regulatory/policy/other work within the SOW for this procurement such that conflicts could arise. But, as written, this provision does not seem to address conflict situations. This is important because paragraph (c) indicates that EPA has determined that any activities in paragraph (a) have been determined to create an OCOI. We request that the scope of this clause be narrowed to read similar to the following: “Each offeror shall specifically disclose whether it is directly engaged in remedial actions at a Brownfields or Land Revitalization site or in other work for a business entity or other organization that may be subject to the regulatory and policy requirements that the offeror would support EPA in developing under the Statement of Work.”

A31: Section L, Provision “DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

(EPA-L-09-102)” Subsection (a) is amended as follows:

(a) The proposed contract requires that the contractor provide regulation, evaluation and technical support to the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Office of Emergency

Management (OEM) in accordance with the contract Statement of Work. Each offeror shall specifically disclose whether it is directly engaged in or if it has a business, financial, or competitive relationship(s) with firms who perform response action work (e.g., Response Action Contract (RAC), Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS), Superfund Technical Assistance and Removal Team

(START), and Enforcement Support Services (ESS) contracts); or support or affect any efforts to influence policies, procedures, initiatives, or regulations relating to the contract statement of work.

Q32: In the task matrix in RFP Attachment 2, EPA included a line for other direct costs (ODC) but no line item for firms to include their indirect cost rate(s) that are applied to ODCs. Will the matrix be updated to show an indirect rate line item?

A32: No, the RFP will not be updated to show an indirect rate line item. Offerors shall propose in accordance with their approved accounting system.

Q33: The RFP does not state that the submittal of subcontractor cost data for the proposal is required. Because we have to submit the proposal through FedConnect and because subcontractor data typically contains proprietary data, please advise how we are to submit subcontractor data. Specifically:

Are we required to provide EPA with supporting cost data for subcontractors?

If yes, how should subcontractors submit this information? E-mail directly to the CO?

A33: In accordance with the Section L provision “PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (EPA-L-36-101)” Subsection

(b) (2) Section 4 - Labor Rates and Task Matrix, the offeror shall propose labor rates for all prime and subcontractor labor categories proposed. The offeror shall provide specific individual rates for average wage rate, overhead rate, fringe rate, general and administrative (G&A) rate, profit, escalation factor and any additional burden. Subcontractors may submit supporting data directly to EPA via FedConnect or directly emailed to the Contracting Officer, Meghan Thomas Meyers at thomas.meghan@epa.gov.

Subcontractors should reference that the data is submitted as required under SOL-HQ-15 00002

(Regulation, Evaluation and Technical Support for the Office of Emergency Management).

Q34: Per Section L.8 of the RFP, offerors are instructed to send client authorization letters and past performance questionnaires to their client references “no later than five (5) working days after proposal submission.” However, according to the sample client authorization letter and the questionnaire provided in the RFP (Attachments 4 and 5), we are instructed to ask our clients to email completed questionnaires to EPA by the close of on the proposal due date (originally June 18, 2015). Please clarify this discrepancy and provide clear instructions for when EPA needs to receive the completed past performance questionnaires. “

A34: The due date provided in the Section L provision “PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION (EPAAR

1552.215-75) (OCT 2000)”governs. Therefore, client authorization letters and past performance questionnaires should remain as it relates to the revised proposal submission date (no later than five (5) working days after proposal submission). Therefore, Attachment 4 and 5 are amended to reflect the revised date, February 29, 2016.

Q35: Under Sample Task Order No. 1 (RFP Pages 86 to 87), are the two deliverables identified at the bottom of the table relating to organizing and responding to proposed rule comments intended for this sample task order? There does not appear to be a corresponding task in the sample task order, and the activities appear to be beyond the scope of the task order described. Please clarify.

A35: The Reference Attachment 1, Sample Task Order #1, section IV “Deliverables” contains a typographical error. The last two deliverables in the table do not have corresponding tasks in the statement of work under Section III, “Tasks” listed in the Statement of Work. As this is a sample Task order, this attachment is for illustrative purposes only. Task orders drafted under awarded contact will have deliverables that correspond to the actual tasks in the Statement of Work.

Sample Task Order #1, section IV “Deliverables” is amended to remove erroneous deliverables.

Q36: Are Enforcement Support Services contractors allowed to receive an award under this contract?

A36: Section H clause “LIMITATION OF FUTURE CONTRACTING, ALTERNATE V (HEADQUARTERS

SUPPORT) (EPAAR 1552.209-74) (APR 2004)” Subsection (c) is revised as follows:

(c) Unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, during the life of this contract the contractor will be ineligible to:

(1) Enter into a contract with EPA to perform response action work (e.g., Response Action Contract

(RAC), Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS), Superfund Technical Assistance and

Removal Team (START), and Enforcement Support Services (ESS) contracts); or

(2) Enter into a financial arrangement or business relationship with an individual or company who