Beta.SAM Questions and Answers SPE1C1-20-R-0139.docx

Based on questions received in response to solicitation SPE1C1-20-R-0139 as of July 22, 2020 at 8:00 PM, the following clarification is provided for this solicitation:

1. Questions regarding lot applicability, Berry Amendment, and Buy American Act, the following is applicable:

All offerors shall review the language at FAR 25.003 and DFARS 225.003 for definitions and what it means to be considered a domestic, qualifying or designated country end product. To determine if a proposed item meets the requirements of each specific lot, offerors should review the following regulations which include lists of compliant countries:

a. Berry Compliant Lots: DFARS clause 252.225-7012 Preference for Certain Domestic Commodities

b. Buy American Act Compliant Lots: DFARS 225-872-1 provides a list of Buy American Act qualifying countries

Waivers and/or changes to the lot structure will not be made at this time.

2. Question: Can we supply you Gowns that are manufactured in China?

Answer: No

3. Question: We do not see any specifics regarding material which you want the gowns to be made of.

Answer: The solicitation is requiring commercial-off-the-shelf gowns and is not defining a required material. The only requirement is that the material does not include latex, meets the requirements listed in the product description, and there are test reports and/or COC as required in the solicitation and/or proposal submission form for the proposed item’s material.

4. Question: For Past Performance, could you please confirm that DLA is willing to accept commercial contract information in addition to any SPRS performance data?

Answer: Past performance will be rated as outlined in the addendum to 52.212-2 Evaluations – Commercial Items. Commercial contracts provided will be used to determine the offeror’s responsibility if they are in line for an award.

5. Question: As to Berry Amendment, if all Level 2 and 3 gown are manufactured to the same specifications and standards in ISO rated facilities, do we need to provide specific information as to each factory, or simply identify separate locations? Are samples required from each factory location or only the manufacturer itself?

Answer: Yes. The solicitation outlines requirements for submitting proposals for multiple factories (AKA places of performance). Please review pages 21-22 specifically which address this question.

6. Question: If I respond with multiple places of performance and raw material solutions, would the entire proposal be disqualified if one gown PDM does not meet the label requirements, delivery time or technical requirements?

Answer: The offeror needs to submit its proposal as outlined in the addendum to 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors – Commercial Items, specifically the guidance provided on pages 22-23 of the solicitation. If this guidance is followed and the offeror’s proposal is in line for an award, awards would be made for the PDMs/proposal submission forms that are determined to be technically acceptable. Awards would not be made to PDM/proposal submission forms that are determined not to be technically acceptable.

7. Question: We understand that you are accepting one PDF file only. If we respond on behalf of multiple entities, we would expect our PDF file to be quite large and are concerned that the email system would block the proposal. Are there other options for submitting the proposal?

Answer: Email is the only authorized method for submitting proposals. As listed throughout the solicitation, you shall electronically submit: 1) the signed solicitation and any subsequent amendments and 2) one proposal submission form for each place of performance, lot, and/or level of gown with all required documents attached in the corresponding proposal submission form. Therefore, you can submit the required documents in multiple emails; however, you need to clearly state the proposal is being sent in batches (i.e. email 1 out of 5) and use the same subject line for each email.

8. Question: Is there a tolerance on the Gown Size Chest Measurements provided?

Answer: Please review the measurements listed on page 14 of the solicitation. These are minimum measurements. As long as the proposed item for that size meets that minimum measurement but does not exceed the minimum requirement of the next size, it is acceptable.

9. Multiple questions were received regarding using multiple places of performance, cut and sew facilities, and fabric suppliers. Offerors shall review the guidance listed in the solicitation, specifically pages 21-22, for guidance on how proposals need to be submitted if these situations apply. For solicitation submission purposes, a place of performance has been defined on page 22 of the solicitation.

10. Question: Can we switch to using another material that is already on our supplier list if it looks different than what we start with initially?

Answer: If an award is made based on an offeror’s proposal, only the fabrics included in the proposal submission form would be authorized for production. If an offeror wishes to add something after the award is made, pre-production samples and/or test reports/COCs may be required in order to receive approval to use in production.

11. Multiple questions were received regarding the requirements of ISO 17025 and seam strength testing listed in the solicitation. If any changes are made to these requirements it will be done so via an amendment. The amendment will be posted to the DIBBS website (if required) and offerors should continue to monitor this website for any amendments.

12. Multiple questions were received requesting specifications and/or drawings. Please note that the gown being acquired under this acquisition is a commercial-off-the-shelf item and there are no specifications and/or drawings. It is the offeror’s responsibility to determine which specific materials, designs, and methods of construction are appropriate to meet the specified requirements in the solicitation.

13. Multiple questions were received about the length of the gown. Minimum length is not spelled out explicitly. It is the Offeror's/Contractor's responsibility to ensure that the offered item(s) will provide adequate protection and coverage to the user. ASTM F3352 states, in part, that the gown must provide coverage "from the knees up to but not including the neck". Suggest potential Offerors review Section 5 "Design Requirements" in ASTM F3352-19 for more information.

14. Multiple questions were received about the quantity unit pack. Multiple Gowns shall be packed in each case. The number of Gowns per case shall be determined by the Contractor. Gowns shall be packed in cases in a quantity and manner that ensures that the Gowns will arrive to the end user undamaged and in good condition.

15. Multiple questions were received about registering in SAMs. To register in SAM, please go to www.sam.gov, Getting Started – Register Entity. S