Questions Answers 6-6-25.pdf

6/6/2025

ASL Interpreter Service for DLA Aviation and Forward Locations

SP4703-25-R-0008

Questions / Answers

Q1) Has the scope or size of the contract changed in any nontrivial way between the incumbent contract and the present solicitation? That is, is the scope and expected workload for the present solicitation approximately the same as for the incumbent contract?

A1) The number of hours and frequency for ASL Services vary on a month-to-month basis depending on the number of employees who require services and their needs (meetings, classes, etc.). The Government requests hourly rates based upon the hours provided in the Rough Order of Magnitude

(ROM).

Q2) The "FY25 ROM.xlsx" file is marked "Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)". Does this mean that the Government can order above these quantities during the course of the contract?

A2) The labor hours represent a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) or estimated annual hours only and are not purchased by this contract. Actual annual hours for each location may be more or less depending on demands for each year.

Q3) PWS 14.2 states, "The contractor will also include a separate hourly rate for interpreters requested needing a clearance to perform the duties of the job request." Please confirm that offerors do not need a SECRET or TOP SECRET facility clearance to bid on this solicitation.

A3) Offerors are not required to possess a facility clearance (Secret or Top Secret) to submit a proposal or to be eligible for award of this contract. PWS Section 14.2 has been updated.

Q4) PWS 5.3 / ROM header – Do the ROM “Hours” represent interpreter labor-hours (one interpreter × one clock-hour) rather than session-hours, so that a two-interpreter assignment would consume two ROM hours per clock hour?

A4) The ROM Hours represent individual interpreter labor hours (one interpreter x one clock-hour).

Q5) PWS 5.3 & 5.2 – For events that exceed the 1.5-hour dual-interpreter threshold but are ordered on an Emergency basis, should both interpreters be billed at the Emergency rate or one Standard plus one Emergency?

A5) Any request submitted as an Emergency Request should be billed at the Emergency Rate.

Q6) PWS 5.3, 5.7, 14.2 – What minimum clearance level (e.g., NACI, Tier 1, Secret) applies to the “separate hourly rate for interpreters … needing a clearance,” and what percentage of annual ROM hours historically required cleared interpreters at each location?

A6) Historically, 0% of interpreting assignments under this contract have required interpreters with a clearance. To date, there has been no instance where interpreters with NACI, Tier 1, Secret, or Top Secret clearance were required. PWS Section 14.2 has been updated.

Q7) PWS 5.4, 5.7, 5.9 – 5.12 – Please provide the historical or projected percentage of interpreter hours delivered via Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) versus on-site for each location.

A7) Historically, the majority of interpreting services have been delivered on-site. VRI usage has been minimal. Offerors should submit blended pricing that applies uniformly to both VRI and on-site services.

Q8) PWS 5.4 & 5.7 (VRI references) – For VRI assignments, will DLA furnish the collaboration platform/license, or must the contractor supply a secure, Section 508-compliant VRI platform at its own cost?

A8) DLA does not furnish the collaboration platform or associated licenses for VRI assignments. The contractor/offeror must supply its own secure, Section 508 compliant VRI platform. Platforms commonly used include Adobe Connect and WebRTC-based solutions.

Q9) PWS 5.8 / 5.2 / 5.3 – Please provide a historical distribution of individual assignment durations (e.g., 0-2 h, 2-4 h, 4-8 h, >8 h) for each location, or an average session length, to enable calculation of assignment counts and staffing efficiency.

A9) The number of hours and frequency for ASL Services vary on a month-to-month basis depending on the number of employees who require services and their needs (meetings, classes, etc.). The Government requests hourly rates based upon the hours provided in the Rough Order of Magnitude

(ROM).

Q10) PWS 5.2 – Based on the ROM hours, please provide the corresponding historical number of Standard and Emergency assignments per year for each location.

A10) The number of hours and frequency for ASL Services vary on a month-to-month basis depending on the number of employees who require services and their needs (meetings, classes, etc.). The Government requests hourly rates based upon the hours provided in the Rough Order of Magnitude

(ROM).

Q11) PWS 5.8 – When an interpreter is reassigned by the COR/Scheduling Coordinator to another event during the same confirmed block, is the intervening travel/setup time considered billable under the original two-hour minimum or non-billable?

A11) If an interpreter is reassigned to another event during the same confirmed two-hour minimum block, the time remains billable as part of that original block. No additional compensation beyond the two-hour minimum is provided for intervening travel/setup. DLA does not pay portal-to-portal travel or mileage.

Q12) PWS 5.10 & 5.11 – Will the Government identify at task-order issuance which events are recorded/streamed so the correct number of interpreters can be scheduled without penalty if no Deaf consumers attend?

A12) 12-month Task Orders (TOs) issued against the contract to provide services. The number of hours and frequency for ASL Services vary on a month-to-month basis depending on the number of employees who require services and their needs (meetings, classes, etc.). For assignments, per PWS Section 5.3, 5.3 The number of interpreters required is subject to the assessment of the COR and/or the Scheduling Coordinator.

Q13) PWS 5.12 – If an event runs long and the COR/Scheduling Coordinator approves additional time, should the entire extended period be billed at the Emergency rate or only the increment beyond the original end time?

A13) Only the increment beyond the original scheduled end time is billable. For example, if an event scheduled to end at 10:00 AM continues to 10:15 AM, the additional time is billable. If the event continues to 10:30 AM or later, a full additional hour is billable.

Q14) PWS 6.5 – Does a monthly “Poor” or “Unacceptable” rating reduce payment only for that month, or may withholds carry over to future months until deficiencies are cured?

A14) Per PWS 6.5, The performance will be rated each month by the COR. These findings will be the basis for the amount paid for that month.

Q15) PWS 7.1 – 7.4 – May interpreters who hold both national certification and 10+ years of Government experience be proposed and billed at a premium labor category, or must all interpreters be billed at a single blended rate?

A15) All interpreters should bill at a single rate.

Q16) PWS 8.0 – Is the five-year period of performance structured as one 12-month base year plus four 12-month option years, or as a single five-year ordering period without separately priced options?

A16) The contract PoP will be five (5) years with 12-month Task Orders (TOs) issued against the contract to provide services.

Q17) ITO “Pricing” – May an offeror propose voluntary price discounts that apply only if the same firm wins awards for two or all three locations, and if so, how should that contingency be shown on the ROM sheet?

A17) Any provided price discounts should be included in the proposal. Separate awards are anticipated for separate locations and/or groups of separate locations.

Q18) ITO “Submission of Proposals” – If an offeror encrypts its submission, will the KO provide an approved de-encryption key-exchange method other than ordinary e-mail to meet DoD cybersecurity requirements?

A18) Proposals should be submitted by email.

Q19) ROM header / PWS 5.3 – Do the “Standard” and “Emergency” ROM quantities already include additional interpreter hours generated by dual-interpreter teaming, or should offerors add the second-interpreter hours separately?

A19) The ROM Hours represent individual interpreter labor hours (one interpreter x one clock-hour).

Q20) ROM template / PWS 14.2 – The ROM spreadsheet lacks a column for the clearance-required hourly rate; will the Government issue a revised template, or should offerors insert an additional column?

A20) PWS Section 14.2 has been updated. There is no longer a requirement to provide a clearance-related hourly rate.

Q21) PWS 5.3 – Historically, what percentage of total billed interpreter hours required two interpreters (dual teaming) at each location?

A21) Approximately 20% of billed interpreter hours involve dual teaming, based on the complexity or length of certain assignments.

Q22) QA A8 / PWS 14.2 – Is the incumbent $72.49 per hour a single blended rate applied to both Standard and Emergency work, and does it include any premium for security-cleared assignments?

A22) The incumbent $72.49 per hour rate is the rate currently utilized for both Standard and Emergency services. This is the rate for all assignments.

Q23) QA A5 & PWS 5.2 – Will the contract include an annual ceiling clause (e.g., “not-to-exceed 125 % of ROM hours per CLIN”) to bound contractor cost exposure during surge requirements?

A23) There will be a 5-year maximum dollar amount for the contract. All issued Task Orders, combined, cannot exceed the maximum dollar amount.

Q24) QA A1 & PWS 5.17 – Are the historical usage reports that informed the ROM available for post-award transition planning, and if so, may a suitably redacted version be released at the proposal stage?

A24) The number of hours and frequency for ASL Services vary on a month-to-month basis depending on the number of employees who require services and their needs (meetings, classes, etc.). The Government requests hourly rates based upon the hours provided in the Rough Order of Magnitude

(ROM).

Q25) PWS 12.0 & 5.8 – If an assignment is scheduled before 06:00, after 19:00, on weekends, or on Federal holidays, should it be billed at the Standard or Emergency rate, or may offerors propose a separate after-hours premium CLIN?

A25) Per PWS Section 9.0, Hours of Performance, DLA operates under a flextime schedule, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday except on government holidays. The hours of performance for this requirement will normally fall between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with an unpaid 30-minute lunch break.

Work will not be performed outside of these hours/days.

Q26) PWS 5.4 (VRI) & 19.0 (PII) – Are remote interpreters permitted to perform VRI assignments from locations outside the continental United States, and if not, what geographic or citizenship restrictions apply?

A26) VRI services must be performed from within the United States or its territories. OCONUS-based interpreting services are not authorized due to DoD cybersecurity and data protection requirements. All interpreters must meet U.S. citizenship and applicable security requirements.

Q27) PWS 14.2 & FAR 52.222-41 – Will the resultant contract be subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards, and if so, which wage-determination number(s) and fringe-benefit requirements must be reflected in pricing?

A27) Yes, the Service Contract Act applies. The Wage Determinations are as follows:

Richmond, VA – Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4331

Huntsville, AL – Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4603 Mechanicsburg, PA – Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4225

Q28) The cancellations states that for any request that is a “standard request” (under 2 hours of interpreting) the cancellation is 24 hours, this is not industry standard, even for short jobs industry standard has been 48 hours before assignment start. Will the Government consider amending this language to match the cancellation language for “extended requests”?

A28) The PWS has been updated to reflect a 48-hour cancellation window for standard requests, aligning with industry standard.

Q29) For a small business set aside, penalties or performance fees are highly irregular and work against the interests of the government for filling emergency requests and needs. Will the Government consider removing the Monthly Remedy amount % from the PWS language to be more appropriately aligned with Small Business contracting standards?

A29) The utilization of a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is standard practice in accordance with FAR 46.4- Government Contract Quality Assurance.

Q30) What has been the historical volume of VRI vs On-Site?

A30) Historically, on-site interpreting is the predominant service mode. VRI usage has been minimal (approximately 10%) and subject to change based on mission needs.

Q31) Will the Government consider separate CLINs for VRI and On-Site services or regionally specific pricing?

A31) Current CLINs are organized by location, allowing for regional pricing. Offerors should submit blended pricing applicable to both VRI and on-site services. Separate CLINs for VRI are not being established.

Q32) In section 14.2 there is the following: “The contractor will also include a separate hourly rate for interpreters requested needing a clearance to perform the duties of a job request.”, this conflicts with the language in section 13.2 which states that this is an unclassified contract. Does the government need classified services? If so, please furnish a CLIN in the pricing sheet for the cleared needs and the total # of anticipated hours.

A32) This contract is unclassified. Historically, there has been no requirement for cleared interpreters.

PWS Section 14.2 has been updated.

Q33) Could you please let me know the minimum and maximum number of interpreters required for this contract?

A33) There is no set minimum and/or maximum number of interpreters required. The number of hours and frequency for ASL Services varies on a month-to-month basis depending on the number of employees who require services and their needs (meetings, classes, etc.). The Government requests hourly rates based upon the hours provided in the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) which represents the estimated number of hours per 12-month period of performance by location.