Reverse_Auction_RFI.pdf

Reverse Auction for Fuel Support into Afghanistan

The following Request for Information (RFI) is hereby released to gather industry feedback on the successful applicability of the On-Line Reverse Auction Pricing Tool, which has been directed for mandatory use by the Director, Defense Logistics Agency, to be applied to all fully competitive procurements above the simplified acquisition threshold.

In order to measure and potentially avoid risk to contingency mission support under purchase program 1.6J, 1.6B, 1.6C, the Contracting Officer has determined it necessary to release the below RFI, to gather response, thoughts, comments and concerns from industry, to the application of the automated reverse auction process to buy CLS III, Aviation Jet Fuel; Motor Gasoline and Diesel in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

Prior to responding, please review the following:

• Attached terms and conditions clause 52.215-9023 Reverse Auction (JUL

2012).

The market is advised that if online reverse auction is applied to this solicitation, such offeror must agree with the terms and conditions of the entire solicitation, including all provisions and agree to the commercial online reverse auction service provider’s terms and conditions for using its service.

Any offeror unable to enter pricing through the online commercial reverse auction service provider’s system during a reverse auction must notify the Contracting Officer or designated representative immediately. The Contracting Officer may, at his/her discretion, extend or re-open the reverse auction if the reason for the offeror’s inability to enter pricing is determined to be without fault on the part of the offeror and outside the offeror’s control. Important Note:

The reverse auction will be conducted using the commercial reverse auction service provider’s website. Offerors shall be responsible for providing their own computer and internet connection.

After reviewing the material attached:

1. Please indicate if you have successfully offered and received a DLA Energy contract before.

2. Do you have any questions regarding the mandated online reverse auction initiative being applied to this solicitation?

3. Do you have any comments regarding the application of the mandated online reverse auction initiative being applied to this solicitation?

4. Do you have any concerns regarding the application of the mandated online reverse auction initiative being applied to this solicitation?

5. Where is the location from which your offer into the online reverse auction service would be entered? US? Europe? Baltics/Caucuses? Middle East?

Pakistan? Or Afghanistan?

6. Please indicate if you are an Afghan owned business.

7. Please indicate if you employ Western or American Ex-patriots within your organization.

8. Please indicate if you have overnight and secured access to consistent electricity, computer and internet. Dial up, Cable or Satellite?

9. After reviewing the terms and conditions attached, please indicate if you understand how the online reverse auction process will work.

10. Do you understand how to navigate through the online reverse auction process?

11. Do you understand how your pricing offer would be handled?

12. After reviewing the terms and conditions attached, please indicate if you understand how to competitively formulate an offer price.

13. After reviewing the terms and conditions attached, please indicate if you understand how to re-submit a more competitive offer price.

14. Please include any other comments related to online reserve auctioning for

Afghanistan.

Respondents are advised that the feedback provided will have no impact on later evaluation of their offer under the same solicitation number. Market research and industry feedback is invaluable in forming procurements that meet the context of the environment. All responses shall be reviewed.

Please submit your response to DLAE-PCB@dla.mil NLT 12:00PM, local time Fort Belvoir, Virginia on 01 October 2012.

mailto:DLAE-PCB@dla.mil

ATTACHMENT 1

52.215-9023 REVERSE AUCTION (JUL 2012)

The Contracting Officer may utilize on-line reverse auctioning as a means of conducting price discussions under this solicitation. If the Contracting Officer does not conduct a reverse auction, award may be made on the basis of initial offers or following discussions not using reverse auctioning as a pricing technique. If the Contracting Officer decides to use on-line reverse auctioning to conduct price negotiations, the Contracting Officer will notify offerors of this decision and the following provisions will apply.

(a) The award decision will be made in accordance with the evaluation factors as set forth in the solicitation. The reverse on-line auction will be used as a pricing technique during discussions to establish the final offered prices from each offeror. These prices will be used in conjunction with the evaluation factors stated elsewhere in the solicitation in order to make the award decision in accordance with the basis for award stated in the solicitation.

(b) Following the decision to conduct discussions using on-line reverse auctioning as a pricing technique, the Contracting Officer or his/her representative will provide offerors determined to be in the competitive range with information concerning the on-line auction process. The Government intends to use a commercial web-based product to conduct the reverse auction.

(c) Prior to or simultaneously with conducting the on-line reverse auction, the Contracting Officer may hold discussions with the offerors concerning matters appropriate for discussion, such as issues involving technical proposals or unbalanced pricing.

(d) The lowest offeror’s price(s) for each round of the reverse auction will be disclosed to other offerors and anyone else having authorized access to the on-line auction. This disclosure is anonymous, meaning that each offeror’s identity will be concealed from other offerors (although it will be known to the Government; only a generic identifier will be used for each offeror’s proposed pricing, such as “Offeror A” or “lowest-priced offeror”). By submitting a proposal in response to the solicitation, offerors agree to participate in the reverse auction and that their prices may be disclosed, including to other offerors, during the reverse auction.

(e) An offeror’s final auction price at the close of the reverse auction will be considered its final proposal revision. No price revisions will be accepted after the close of the reverse auction, unless the Contracting Officer decides that further discussions are needed and final proposal revisions are again requested in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.307.

(f) The following information is provided regarding the procedures to be followed if a reverse auction is conducted.

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/15.htm#P322_54457

(1) Each offeror identified by the Contracting Officer as a participant in the reverse auction will be contacted by Defense Logistic Agency’s commercial reverse auction service provider to advise the offeror of the event and to provide an explanation of the process.

(2) In order for an Offeror to participate in the reverse auction, such offeror must agree with terms and conditions of the entire solicitation, including this provision, and agree to the commercial reverse auction service provider’s terms and conditions for using its service. Information concerning the reverse auction process and the commercial service provider’s terms and conditions is embedded within the email notification sent by the on-line reverse auction pricing tool system administrator.

(3) Offerors shall secure the passwords and other confidential materials provided by the commercial reverse auction service provider or the Government and ensure they are used only for purposes of participation in the reverse auction. Offerors shall keep their own and other offerors’ pricing in confidence until after contract award.

(4) Any offeror unable to enter pricing through the commercial reverse auction service provider’s system during a reverse auction must notify the Contracting Officer or designated representative immediately. The Contracting Officer may, at his/her sole discretion, extend or re-open the reverse auction if the reason for the offeror’s inability to enter pricing is determined to be without fault on the part of the offeror and outside the offeror’s control.

(5) The reverse auction will be conducted using the commercial reverse auction service provider’s website as embedded in the email notification. Offerors shall be responsible for providing their own computer and internet connection.

(6) Training:

(i) The commercial reverse auction service provider and/or a Government representative will provide familiarization training to offerors’ employees; this training may be provided through written material, the commercial reverse auction service provider’s website, and/or other means.

(ii) An employee of an offeror who successfully completes the training shall be designated as a 'trained offeror.' Only trained offerors may participate in a reverse auction. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to request that offerors provide an alternate offeror employee to become a 'trained offeror.' The Contracting Officer also reserves the right to take away the 'trained offeror' designation from any trained offeror who fails to abide by the solicitation’s or commercial reverse auction service provider’s terms and conditions.