STARTAmend_1_Final.pdf

(x)

SOL-R7-13-00008

x x copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT

THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

R7

Lenexa KS 66219 11201 Renner Blvd.

US Environmental Protection Agency Region 7

04/10/2013000001

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

04/10/2013

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

REGION 7 START IV - The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to questions received and make corrections/additions etc. to the solicitation. Eight pages follow this

SF30.

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

Marie Noel

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

Questions on EPA Region 7 START IV RFP

SOL-R7-13-00008

1. Section B-1, Fixed Rates for Services, Pg. 8 of 106: This clause states “The Government shall pay the Contractor for the life of the delivery order at the rates in effect when the delivery order was issued, even if performance under the delivery order crosses into another period.” We have had COs interpret this clause differently. Please clarify if this means that the rates may change to the next year’s labor rate when crossing multiple years. If a project goes on for 3 or 4 years, this gives the contractor no pay increase mechanism to keep staff employed.

This clause will be amended and the sentence that states that rates will remain in effect for the life of a delivery order even when crossing into another period will be deleted.

2. Section F-6, Monthly Progress Reports, (d)(3)(i) and (e)(3)(i): EPA is requiring labor hour reporting at the contract level (d)(3)(i) and at the work assignment level (e)(3)(i). This makes the reporting requirements redundant and the financial package voluminous. May the contract level labor requirement be deleted since the same information is supplies at the work assignment level?

This clause will be replaced with a “new” clause is included in this amendment.

3. Section F-6, Monthly Progress Reports, (d)(6) and (e)(5), Average cost of direct labor: May these please be removed as they relate to taking an average of average rates? These appear to be cost plus requirements rather than fixed labor rate requirements.

See answer to #2 above.

4. Section I-30, Service Contract Act of 1965: No wage determination sheets were provided with the RFP. Can you please provide the wage determination sheets for Kansas City, MO?

The appropriate Wage Determination is attached and incorporated as part of this Amendment.

5. Section K-6, (b)(1): “Central Contract Registration” still notates the CCR and ORCA. Will this be changed to “System For Award Management (SAM)”?

This is a FAR clause and as such, I cannot change the verbiage. The clause has not yet been updated in the automated EPA Acquisition System. However, please note that the correct reference is the System for Award Management (SAM) and not CCR and ORCA.

6. Section K-6 (c)(2): This section states “Contracting Officer check appropriate” for this section.

No boxes are checked. Is this accurate?

Yes, no “boxes” are applicable for this solicitation.

7. L-4, Past Performance Information: Section (g) indicates that the Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment 6) will be used to collect information on offerors’ performance. Is it EPA’s intent that offerors submit the questionnaire to their client references along with the client authorization letter? If so, please provide instructions and a deadline for the references to complete and submit the Past Performance Questionnaires.

Offerors shall submit the notification letter to their client references. EPA will be sending the questionnaires to those client references for completion. Consequently, it is very important to include the correct contact name and email address for each reference.

8. L-11, Section I, Technical Proposal: Section I.A.1 indicates each offeror is to submit a Health and Safety Plan with its technical proposal, but the plan is not included in the page count. Due to the large volume of our Health and Safety Plan, is it acceptable that we submit the Health and Safety Plan in electronic format only, to be included on the CD that we submit with our proposal, thereby reducing the amount of paper required for this proposal?

One hard copy of the Health and Safety Plan is required to be submitted.

9. Section L-11, Section I.B “Required Sections of the Technical Proposal”: Item 6 Requires a Health and Safety Plan “in accordance with Section H and Attachment 3” of the RFP. However, Attachment 3 pertains to minimum standards for a COI plan. Please clarify.

The reference to Attachment 3 is hereby deleted. The Health and Safety Plan shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with Section H, Clause H-30.

10. L-11, Section I, Technical Proposal: Section I.A.4 indicates that all cost or pricing detail shall be omitted from the technical proposal, but Section I.B lists all the items to be submitted with the technical proposal, including the cost proposal [Item (3)]. Please verify that the cost proposal shall be submitted separately from the technical proposal and also clarify which items listed in Section 1.A.4 should be included with the technical proposal and which should be included with the cost proposal.

L-11, Section 1.B – list of items to be included with the Technical Proposal – item number (3) Cost Proposal in accordance with provisions of RFP Section L – is hereby deleted. The cost proposal shall be submitted as a separate volume. Instructions for its preparation are delineated in clause L-11, under B., Section 2-Cost or Pricing Proposal Instructions.

11. L-11, Section I, Technical Proposal: Section I.B.3 indicates that resumes shall be provided for the Program Manager and Response Managers. The personnel qualifications requirements described in Attachment 2 include no position descriptions for “response manager.” Please clarify which personnel EPA considers Response Managers for this purpose.

The reference to Response manager is hereby deleted. Resumes shall be submitted for all key personnel listed in clause H-17.

12. L-11 Section 2.B: This section states “Offerors shall submit a straight time loaded hourly fixed labor rate for each of the personnel category listed in Attachment 2, “Pricing Schedule”.”

Attachment 2 provides no “Pricing Schedule”. Is Section B1, containing CLINS 1 through 11, to be the Pricing Schedule?

Clause L-11 Section 2.B is corrected to specify Clause B-1. The reference to Attachment 2, Pricing Schedule is hereby deleted.

13. M-5, Other Information to be Submitted: The three proposal attachments listed in this subsection of M-5 do not correspond directly with the proposal attachments requested under L- 11, Section I.B, and L-11, Additional Proposal Instructions. For example, M-5 discusses evaluation of a Subcontracting Plan, but L-11 includes no instructions for a Subcontracting Plan.

Please clarify which attachments EPA requires with this proposal. For the Subcontracting Plan, please also clarify whether it shall be submitted with the technical or cost proposal, and whether it shall be included in the page count.

Clause L-11 Section 1 B is corrected to add Subcontracting Plan as one of the required items as part of the technical proposal. It is NOT included in the page count. The following information is hereby included to assist offerors with preparation of a subcontracting plan

In preparing the Small Business Subcontracting Plan, the offeror shall include the information required by FAR 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan Alternate II. The offeror's subcontracting plan shall be consistent with the EPA Goals for Subcontracting with Small Business (available at epa.gov). The subcontracting plan will be incorporated into any resulting contract.

NOTE: In accordance with FAR 52.219-9(a), small business offerors are not required to submit a subcontracting plan.

14. Multiple sections of the RFP reference both a Quality Management Plan (QMP) and a Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP):

• Section C-6, page12 states that the QMP submitted in the proposal is to be incorporated into the contract by reference

• Section IA.1, page 97 states that the QMP and QAPP are not included in the page limitation of the proposal

• Section IB page 98 states that the offeror shall submit as part of their proposal the QMP and QAPP

• Section I “Additional Proposal Instructions,” page 101 states that the offeror shall submit a

QMP, and goes on to say that the “QMP shall address” . . . “d) the offeror shall submit a QAPP” but does not say that the QAPP must be submitted with the proposal.

• Section M-5, page 105, Other Information to be Submitted, states that the QMP will be evaluated as acceptable or unacceptable, but does not mention a QAPP.

It would appear that the QMP must be submitted with the proposal, will be incorporated into the contract by reference, will be evaluated as acceptable or unacceptable, and shall make reference to the QAPP, but that the QAPP is not required as part of the proposal. Is this a correct interpretation?

Both the QMP and QAPP shall be submitted as part of the proposal. Neither is included in the page count. Both will be evaluated for acceptability.

The clauses below replace those in the solicitation.

B-1 FIXED RATES FOR SERVICES-INDEFINITE DELIVERY/INDEFINITE

QUANTITY CONTRACT

The following fixed rates shall apply for payment purposes for the duration of the contact subject to Economic Price Adjustment as described in Section G and the Service Contract (for applicable employees).

BASE PERIOD – 3 YEARS

ESTIMATED UNIT

CLIN DESCRIPTION QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL

0001 Principal Professional 6,345 $_________ $______________

0002 IT Pro, Sr Sci, Sr Eng 63,402 $_________ $______________

0003 Jr Sci, Jr Eng 101,235 $_________ $______________

0004 Ctr Admin, Sr Tech 55,002 $_________ $______________

0005 Gen IT Tech, Jr Tech 20,646 $_________ $______________

0006 Clerical 24,643 $_________ $______________

0007 Travel + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 968,355.24

0008 ODCs + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 1,656,386.28

0009 Subcontracts + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 2,446,698.96

0010 Equipment + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $_ 73,877.40

TOTAL BASE PERIOD W/O OPTION ITEM $_____________

OPTION ITEM

0011 50% Increase (Total of CLINs 00001 thru 0010) $_____________

TOTAL BASE PERIOD WITH OPTION ITEM $_____________

OPTION PERIOD – 2 YEARS

ESTIMATED UNIT

CLIN DESCRIPTION QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL

1001 Principal Professional 4,230 $_________ $______________

1002 IT Pro, Sr Sci, Sr Eng 42,268 $_________ $______________

1003 Jr Sci, Jr Eng 67,490 $_________ $______________

1004 Ctr Admin, Sr Tech 36,668 $_________ $______________

1005 Gen IT Tech, Jr Tech 13,764 $_________ $______________

1006 Clerical 16,442 $_________ $______________

1007 Travel + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 703,515.24

1008 ODCs + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 1,206,026.28

1009 Subcontracts + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 1,173,605.76

1010 Equipment + G&A if applicable NTE (w/G&A) $ 53,790.48

TOTAL BASE PERIOD W/O OPTION ITEM $_____________

OPTION ITEM

1011 50% Increase (Total of CLINs 1001 thru 1010) $_____________

TOTAL BASE PERIOD WITH OPTION ITEM $_____________

NOTE: Offerors shall provide their G&A rate in lieu of the “if applicable” verbiage on price proposal submission.

The rate, or rates, set forth above include all expenses, including report preparation, salaries, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit.

The Contractor shall voucher for only the time of the personnel whose services are applied directly to the work called for in individual Task Orders and accepted by the EPA Project Officer.

The Contractor shall maintain time and labor distribution records for all employees who work under the contract. These records must document time worked and work performed by each individual on all Task Orders.

F-6 MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORTS

(a) The Contractor shall furnish copies of the combined monthly technical and financial progress report stating the progress made, including the percentage of the project completed, and a description of the work accomplished to support the cost. If the work is ordered using task orders, include the estimated percentage of task completed during the reporting period for each work task order.

(b) Specific discussions shall include difficulties encountered and remedial action taken during the reporting period, and anticipated activity with a schedule of deliverables for the subsequent reporting period.

(c) The Contractor shall provide a list of outstanding actions awaiting Contracting Officer authorization, noted with the corresponding work assignment, such as subcontractor/consultant consents, overtime approvals, and work plan approvals.

(d) The report shall specify financial status at the contract level as follows: (1) For the current reporting period, display the amount claimed.

(2) For the cumulative period and the cumulative contract life display: the amount obligated, amount originally invoiced, amount paid, amount suspended, amount disallowed, and remaining approved amount. The remaining approved amount is defined as the total obligated amount, less the total amount originally invoiced, plus total amount disallowed.

(3) Labor hours.

(i) A list of employees, their labor categories, and the numbers of hours worked for the reporting period.

(ii) For the current reporting period, display the expended direct labor hours and costs broken out by EPA contract labor hour category for the prime contractor and each subcontractor and consultant.

(iii) For the cumulative contract period and the cumulative contract life display: the negotiated, expended and remaining direct labor hours and costs broken out by EPA contract labor hour category for the prime contractor, and each subcontractor and consultant.

(iv) Display the estimated direct labor hours and costs to be expended during the next reporting period.

(4) Display the current dollar ceilings in the contract, net amount invoiced, and remaining amounts for the following categories: Direct labor hours, total estimated cost, award fee pool (if applicable), subcontracts by individual subcontractor, travel, program management, and Other Direct Costs (ODCs).

(5) Unbilled allowable costs. Display the total costs incurred but unbilled for the current reporting period and cumulative for the contract.

(e) The report shall specify financial status at the task order level as follows:

(1) For the current period, display the amount claimed.

(2) For the cumulative period display: amount shown on workplan, or latest task order modified amount (whichever is later); amount currently claimed; amount paid; amount suspended; amount disallowed; and remaining approved amount. The remaining approved amount is defined as: the workplan amount or latest task order amount (whichever is later), less total amounts originally invoiced, plus total amount disallowed.

(3) Labor hours.

(i) A list of employees, their labor categories, and the number of hours worked for the reporting period.

(ii) For the current reporting period, display the expended direct labor hours and costs broken out by EPA contract labor hour category for the prime contractor and each subcontractor and consultant.

(iii) For the current reporting period, cumulative contract period, and the cumulative contract life display: the negotiated, expended and remaining direct labor hours and costs broken out by EPA contract labor hour category for the prime contractor and each subcontractor and consultant.

(iv) Display the estimated direct labor hours and costs to be expended during the next reporting period.

(v) Display the estimates of remaining direct labor hours and costs required to complete the task order.

(4) Unbilled allowable costs. Display the total costs incurred but unbilled for the current reporting period and cumulative for the work assignment.

(5) A list of deliverables for each task order during the reporting period.

(f) This submission does not change the notification requirements of the "Limitation of Cost" or

"Limitation of Funds" clauses requiring separate written notice to the Contracting Officer.

The following is hereby incorporated into clause L-11 in regard to the requirement to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan:

In preparing a Small Business Subcontracting Plan, the offeror shall include the information required by FAR 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan Alternate II. The offeror's subcontracting plan shall be consistent with the small business goals described in the Section L provision, EPA's Goals for Subcontracting with Small Business. The subcontracting plan will be incorporated into any resulting contract. NOTE: In accordance with FAR 52.219-9(a), small business offerors are not required to submit a subcontracting plan.