Q A_001_-_SOL-OAA-16-000001.pdf

29 October 2015

Q&A 001

The following are answers to questions received from potential offerors. The answers provide clarification only and DO NOT constitute an amendment to the solicitation.

1. Section 21 states that invoices will be paid upon delivery. Will these be paid Net 30? Will it be upon shipment since orders will be FOB? What if there is a significant delay in USAID picking up the cargo following the issuance of an order? Is there any recourse for an extended delay due to USAID?

ANSWER: Invoice payment guidelines will be defined at the PO level. Each individual PO will provide specifics on this matter.

2. Can an offeror be considered for either RUTF or RUSF, or will the entirety of the bid be the only consideration? For example, if an offeror is competitive for RUTF and uncompetitive for RUSF, would they be considered for the RUTF portion of the BPA or would they be considered on the combination of the two offers?

ANSWER: Offerors will be evaluated on their capability to produce both commodities.

3. Are non-profit organizations prohibited from being considered Small Businesses according to SBA.gov?

ANSWER: The government defines Small Businesses as for-profit organizations.

4. Are HUB Zone, woman owned business, non-profit and small business, preferential factors when considering the qualifications for the BPA?

ANSWER: No, these are not preferential factors.

5. On page 6 of the solicitation, Section 23 b, second table, the reporting unit for Salmonella is shown as "/250 grams". Should it be "/25 grams"?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SOL-OAA-16-000001

ANSWER: It should be "absent/ 25 grams" as analytical unit from a composite enriched sample.

6. On page 6 of the solicitation, Section 23 b states that ongoing monitoring testing is to be performed on a daily basis and reported on a per lot basis. Could you please clarify the definition of a "lot"?

ANSWER: A lot is a manufacture-specific concept. What's a lot for one supplier might not be a lot for another. For RUFs, we accept a day of production if total daily quantity is 110 MT or more. Otherwise, a week of production is a reasonable lot size.

7. The solicitation refers to a "cover letter" in some places and a "cover page" in others.

Please confirm if each of these terms is referring to the same page or if an actual cover letter in addition to the cover page that contains the company’s contact information, DUNS # and other details should be included.

ANSWER: The terms cover letter and cover page are referring to the same thing. There is no need to submit two different pages.

8. It is not clear if the four parts of the proposal can be combined in a single file or if each section should be submitted in separate files. Please define how the proposal should be presented.

ANSWER: Part III (Price) shall be submitted in a separate file. Parts I, II and IV can be combined in one single file.

9. On page 8 of the solicitation, Section 31, subsection Factor 1 Technical Acceptability, it states in the first sentence that in order to be considered for award an offer must meet the following minimum "threshold" technical requirements, which will be evaluated for technical acceptability. Please identify what are the minimum threshold technical requirements.

ANSWER: Reference page 8, Section 31, subsection Factor 1 Technical Acceptability:

“Experience - The Offeror shall have a minimum of 1 continuous year of experience, within the past 5 years, producing commercial products under NIAC code 311340.”

10. Please confirm if in addition to the firm fixed price for the year, the proposal shall also describe discount incentive programs that could be available to the U.S. government during the performance of the BPA.

ANSWER: Offers are not required to describe discount incentive programs

11. On page 9 of the solicitation, in Section B Basis for Award, sub-section 3, reference is made to provision 452.216-72 Evaluation. Please identify where this provision can be found.

ANSWER: Code of Federal Regulation, Title 48 Federal Acquisition Regulation System, Section 452.216-7. Link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2009-title48-vol4/CFR-2009-title48-vol4-sec452-216-72

12. On page 9 of the solicitation, Section C Evaluation of Factors for Award, sub-section 5

Production Capacity, it asks for the rate of production (production schedule) of each type of product offered. How should the Offeror's capacity be stated: weekly/monthly/annual and should the Offeror also include in their proposal a production schedule corresponding to the production of the initial floor stock (400 MT RUTF and 200 MT RUSF) over a 40 day period?

ANSWER: Offeror's capacity shall be weekly. Offerors are not required to provide a production schedule for the first initial floor stock. However Offerors should confirm that they can meet the requirement of producing the initial in 40 days.

13. On page 11 of the solicitation, Part IV sub section 2, what is the Contractor Performance

Report - Short Form?

ANSWER: Performance Rating form on pg. 52.

14. Please confirm if offered prices should be stated in US dollars per 1 (one) metric ton.

ANSWER: Yes, prices should be provided in U.S. dollars per one metric ton as well as per carton. Describe in price proposal what consist of a carton

15. What is the Authorized Geographic Code 935?

ANSWER: Geographic Code changed to 937. It is used for direct contracts the Agency enters into using program funds, to all contractors not otherwise restricted by statute, regulation, Agency policy or administrative determination (i.e., suspension and debarment) from receiving

USAID funds, and subject to competition requirements.

16. When will a prospective contractor be notified whether or not they are awarded a BPA?

ANSWER: Award will be made at the end of December. Depending on Offerors standing in the review process, they maybe informed of not being selected for award earlier than award date of contract.

17. On page 9 of the solicitation, Section B Basis for Award, sub section 4 Discussions states that the government intends to make award AFTER discussions with offerors within the competitive range. Does this mean that the discussions will ultimately decide which qualified offeror is awarded a BPA?

ANSWER: The government will make award after discussion with offers considered to be in the competitive range.

18. Could it be possible to use metric tons or cartons at the discretion of the offeror as the units of measure in the BPA?

ANSWER: Both.

19. What will be the evaluation criteria for issuing POs in the event that multiple suppliers are awarded the BPA? As expressed in the conference call, it would be very difficult for suppliers to adapt to the method of procurement proposed in the RFP without a full understanding of the PO decision criteria prior to submission of BPA offers.

a. Can a specific rubric be shared with suppliers that will be used to evaluate Purchase

Orders?

b. The BPA lists the relevant importance of evaluation factors (p.9). Will these factors also be used to evaluate for each individual purchase order?

ANSWER: Please see section 20 of Amend 1 of the solicitation.

20. If multiple suppliers are awarded the BPA, will target quantities be offered for each supplier? Target quantities (even if they are not committed) enable suppliers to plan raw material procurements and thereby allow them to offer the lowest possible price over a longer time horizon.

a. The RFP specifies that 400 mt of RUTF and 200 MT of RUSF will be required to remain in stock (p.1). Will these stock levels be split between multiple suppliers and adjusted stock levels proposed to each supplier, given multiple suppliers awarded?

ANSWER: Please see section 20 of Amend 1 of the solicitation.

21. Can you please confirm that the BPA will be issued for a 13-month fixed period (p.1) and that no optional extension period is available?

a. Would short-term option periods be considered in order to clear remaining stock at the end of the year?

ANSWER: The BPA will be issued from beginning of January 2016 to December 31, 2016.

The government may exercise a 3 month option period to allow the government time to solicit for a follow on BPA.

22. Regarding CIDs which are applicable to the solicitation:

a. The solicitation includes reference to the old CID for RUTF. Can you please confirm that the new CID will be used?

b. The CID for RUSF was not attached to the solicitation. Can you please confirm the

CID which should be referenced?

ANSWER: Once a new CID is approved it will be incorporated into this BPA.

23. A replenishment rate of 150 MT/ week is requested (p.3). We recommend that it be changed to an ‘average replenishment rate of 100 MT/week’ and that the contracting officer can request best available replenishment rate from suppliers at any given time.

ANSWER: The government requirement will not be changed.

24. Could a waiver be issued for USAID to exceptionally accept products which are older than

4 months (p.3)? With uncertainty about how POs are issued, this would give more confidence to suppliers to hold the recommended amount of stock.

ANSWER: Section 24 addresses this question.

25. According to the RFP, USAID will accept commercially branded products if USAID labels are affixed to the boxes upon issuance of the PO (p.4). Can branding be done at the pallet level rather than the individual box level? Or some compromise between the two? (for example, labeling all outward-facing boxes on a pallet). This would allow for much more efficient allocation of stock and no additional costs for breaking down, labeling and rebuilding pallets.

ANSWER: USAID has a preference for branding at the individual box level. The all inclusive price/rate per carton and nmt should reflect this cost (if any). Individual POs will have branding requirements.

26. The page limit for the last BPA proposal was 20 pages. While there is no specific limit detailed in the RFP, we would recommend that the page limit be 25 pages for this solicitation.

ANSWER: Page limit: 30 pages

27. Given the uncertainty of procurements and timelines, suppliers can be expected to produce their commercially-branded products as stock (p.4). USAID-branded products would generally only be made when there is a specific purchase order that will be made-to-order and not pulling from stock. Please confirm that this is understood and acceptable.

a. Please also note that if suppliers are asked to produce USAID-branded product, this may result in increased lead time, depending on availability of packaging materials

(for example, if commercially-branded is the new default, suppliers will not necessarily maintain significant stocks of USAID packaging).

ANSWER: Evaluation for selection will be based on the requirement stated in this BPA. Each individual PO requirement will be specified at time of the issue of the BPA.

28. Regarding the transition to the harmonized specification, can you please confirm that remaining stocks of premix and packaging film can be used until they have been exhausted, even if their incorporation lasts beyond the December target implementation date?

ANSWER: Any premix stock or any ingredient and supplies impacted by the new single spec implementation can be used even after the specification is official. It has to be documented and communicated to the contracting officer.

29. We have been informed that other customers, including WFP and MSF, have not yet accepted the harmonized specification for RUSF and that there is no committed timeline for the transition to the new spec. Until we have confirmation from other potential customers, it will be high risk for suppliers to produce stock using the new harmonized spec without purchase orders from USAID. This is because suppliers will have no alternative customers who would be able to accommodate a stock comparable to the size that suppliers are being asked to hold.

a. Would USAID reconsider the RUSF stock level requirement proposed in the RFP

(p.1) until the point that the new specification is universally accepted?

b. Until the new specification is universally accepted, can we offer our commercially branded product (which meets the previous spec) as a secondary option as part of our proposal?

ANSWER: USAID requirements will not be changed. Once a new CID is approved it will be incorporated into this BPA.

30. When you use term ‘nmt’ in units, what does it stand for?

ANSWER: Net metric tons.

31. Is the Agreement limited to the manufacturers in the United States of America or manufacturers from other countries can also participate?

ANSWER: The BPA is limited to U.S. companies only.

32. In order to participate in the solicitation, does the company need to register as a supplier with USAID?

ANSWER: Vendors must have a DUN number, and register in the System for Award

Management (SAM) in other to be awarded a BPA.

33. Factor 1: Technical Acceptability defines Quality Control which includes “quality system plans and processes”. Could you please provide outline the exact components that should be included under this section?

ANSWER: Offeror should define its quality system plans and processes that will help the

Offeror meet the requirements under this solicitation.

34. Factor 1: Technical Acceptability defines Technical Approach. Please elaborate as to what will constitute “facets of the food manufacturing process”.

ANSWER: Offerors should describe the particulars of the food manufacturing process.

35. Factor 1: Technical Acceptability defines Experience. If company has produced Wheat

Soya Blend (WSB) and related foods for over 6 years, would that meet the experience requirement under NAICS Code 311340?

ANSWER: NAIC Code 311340 is for confectionary manufacturing, not for flour or flour blends.

36. Factor 1: Technical Acceptability defines Production Capacity. Would the Certificate from

District Industries Centre (DIC) be proof enough to establish the company’s production capacity?

ANSWER: Capacity is defined either through a start-up process or a first production approval when the supplier is new or after production has been approved by the contracting officer, as the result of food safety, quality and capability data have been received and approved.

37. The delivery method as envisaged under the BPA does not define the delivery point till which the supplier is to be responsible for the commodities. Could you please lay out the scheme for the same, in order to have a better understanding of the process?

ANSWER: The delivery point will be identified under each PO. In general the delivery point will be manufacturer’s facility

38. Are TIN and EIN the same thing?

ANSWER: TIN: Tax Identification Number, EIN: Employer Identification number. Offerors shall provide TIN or EIN