RFP-SOL-OAA-14-000041_-_Amendment_1.pdf

As a result of this Amendment, the specific changes to the solicitation are as follows:

1. COVER PAGE

Replace “Past Performance Due: February 10, 2014 at 5:00 PM (EST)” with “Past Performance Due:

February 19, 2014 at 5:00 PM (EST)” in lieu thereof.

2. PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS, SECTION

J-LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Add “Attachment J.9, Questions and Answers” found on pages 4-6 of this Amendment.

3. PART IV REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS, SECTION L.7 INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE PREPARTION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

a) Format Limitations

Replace “Offerors must use Times New Roman Font 11 or a similar size font.” with “Offerors must use Times New Roman 11 point font and may use 10 point Times New Roman font on tables and figures.” in lieu thereof.

b) L.7.3, B Key Personnel

Delete “Biographical Data Sheets must also be submitted by key personnel (See Attachment J.6)”

4. PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS, SECTION K -

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

OFFERORS

a) Delete the following in its entirety:

“K.11 CONTRACTOR PURCHASING SYSTEM REVIEW

[ ] Offeror affirms its purchasing system has been reviewed and is currently approved by an agency of the Federal Government.

[ ] Offeror’s expected Government sales (excluding competitive or commercial contract awards are not expected to exceed $25 million in the next 12 months.”

b) Delete the following in its entirety:

“K.12 PROPERTY ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM REVIEW

[ ] Offeror affirms its property administration system has been reviewed and is currently approved by an agency of the Federal Government.”

5. PART IV REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS, SECTION L.8 INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE PREPARTION OF THE COST PROPOSAL (CPFF)

PART 2- Proposed Costs/Prices

a) Delete “3) Testing Cost Estimate: Each offeror must provide an estimate with costs of testing.

Offerors must use the instructions to prepare a Quality Control Strategy as stated in Section C.4.2.

The Testing Cost Estimate must match the Quality Control Strategy prepared by each offeror.

Offerors must provide a narrative to explain the proposed testing cost.

4) The following is the information required in the budget and budget narrative:”

and replace with “3) The following is the information required in the budget and budget narrative:” in lieu thereof.

b) Delete “NOTE 1: All indirect rates that Offerors propose (in the budget format provided (see attachment J.5) must match those ceiling rates proposed in Section B. If any of the indirect costs do not apply, please identify in the proposal that these categories are not applicable.” in its entirety.

ATTACHMENT J.9

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

USAID/ Global Health Supply Chain- Quality Assurance Program

Solicitation Number: SOL-OAA-14-000041

Questions submitted prior to the January 20th deadline contained in the solicitation

1Q. If an organization is interested in bidding on QA, for example, could this organization be eligible for the TA award(s) as well, and vice versa?

1A. The holder of the QA award would also be eligible for an award resulting from solicitation SOL-OAA-14-00034 as long as no other exclusions listed in RFP Section H.26 apply.

2Q. The cover of the RFP states that past performance information must be submitted no later than February 10, 2014, but section L.6 (h) on page 88 states that past performance information must be submitted no later than February 19, 2014. Please clarify the date on which past performance information is due.

2A. February 19, 2014. The date on the cover letter is incorrect. The incorrect date will be deleted.

3Q. RFP section L.6 (h) on page 88 states that past performance information, including the five-page narrative (if needed) and the Past Performance Report Short-Forms is to be submitted electronically to qaq@usaid.gov. Past Performance Report Short-Forms are also included in the Technical Proposal appendix material listed on page 89 of the RFP. Are offerors required to include Past Performance Report Short-Forms in the appendix to the Technical Proposal in addition to submitting them electronically to qaq@usaid.gov?

3A. Yes

4Q. Regarding the Organizational Conflicts of Interest regulations in RFP section H.26 (page 56): It is our understanding that a subcontractor on the Single Award IDIQ that is not directly involved in procuring commodities (e.g., a subcontractor that only provides quality assurance services on the Single Award IDIQ) will be eligible for the Quality Assurance contract. Please confirm that this interpretation is correct.

4A. Correct

5Q. The format limitations specified in RFP section L.7 (page 89) state that offerors must use 11-point Times New Roman or a similar size font. In tables and figures, would it be acceptable for offerors to use 10-point Arial?

5A. Offerors may use 10 point Times New Roman font on tables and figures. Everywhere else 11-point Times New Roman font must be used. The language “or similar size font” is deleted.

6Q. Paragraph B, Key Personnel, under RFP section L.7.3 on page 92 directs offerors to submit resumes and Biographical Data Sheets for key personnel in the Technical Proposal. Biographical Data Sheets are also required in the budget narrative submitted with the Cost Proposal under “Proposed Labor Categories/Mix, Salary, Wages and Escalation” on page 95 of the RFP. As Biographical Data Sheets contain salary information, we did not expect to include them in the Technical Proposal. Please confirm that Biographical Data Sheets should be included in both the Technical and Cost Proposals.

6A. Please include the Biographical Data Sheet only within the cost proposal. The language requesting Biographical Data sheets within the technical proposal will be deleted.

7Q. Part 4, Policies and Procedures, under RFP section L.8 (page 97) states: “If the offeror does not have prior Federal contracting experience, the offeror must submit a copy of its personnel policies, especially regarding salary and wage scales, fringe benefits, merit increases, promotions, leave, differentials, travel and per diem regulations, etc.” Should offerors with extensive Federal contracting experience omit this section?

7A. Contractors that have Federal contracting experience may choose not to respond to this specific requirement. However, much of this information would be included as part of the budget narrative and to demonstrate compliance with “AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel Compensation (Jul 2007)”.

8Q. Please confirm that the authorized geo code for both the prime contractor and subcontractors is 935.

8A. The geographic code which applies to the prime contractor is 937; the prime contractor must be from the United States, a cooperating country, or a developing country, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source. However, USAID has obtained a waiver to allow the prime contractor to use a 935 geographic code (any area or country, including the recipient country, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source) for all of its procurement of goods and services under the contract.

9Q. Note 1 in the Cost Proposal instructions on page 97 of the RFP states: “All indirect rates that offerors propose in the budget format provided (see attachment J.5) must match those ceiling rates proposed in Section B. If any of the indirect costs do not apply, please identify in the proposal that these categories are not applicable.” Please clarify if the offeror is able to propose rates that are lower than the ceiling rates, as opposed to matching the ceiling rates. In addition, please clarify if the ceiling rates can be higher than the approved provisional indirect rates. Given the length of the proposed period of performance, there could be increases to the approved indirect rates.

9A. Yes, the offeror may propose rates lower than the ceiling rate. This note is being removed. Yes, ceiling rates can be higher than the approved provisional indirect rates.

10Q. On page 42 of the RFP, under F.10. Level of Effort (Cost Plus Fixed Fee) it is stated that "the level of effort estimated to be ordered during the term of this contract 265,032 hours during the base period and 178,873 hours during the option period if exercised”, are these estimated thresholds referring to the hours/LOE to be undertaken solely by the technical support staff? Do these estimates also include administrative support?

10A. These hours include administrative support.

11Q. On page 94 the RFP states, “Each offeror must provide an estimate with costs of testing” and we are also given plug-in numbers on Attachment J.5 (also references in text on p. 94), kindly indicate if we should use our independent estimate or the plug-in values for our final cost presentation? Additionally, how were the plug-in numbers calculated and are the corresponding datasets publically available?

11A. The use of plug figures without a supporting illustrative budget is sufficient. The requirement to provide an estimate with costs of testing will be deleted. Plug figures were developed based on estimated costs applied to the anticipated level of testing as stated in the table provided in the RFP on the assumption that procurement items and volumes will approximate the data provided as background for the RFP. There are no other relevant data sets.

12Q. Are previous USG grants and/or cooperative agreements considered a contract for completing the PPR requirements of L.7.4.B (p.93/ points 1 and 2)?

12A. Yes