SPE2D1-15-R-0001_AMENDMENT_0001.pdf

SOLICITATION SPE2D1-15-R-0001 AMENDMENT 0001

(1.) Based on a number of questions we are clarifying how vendors should submit pricing using Attachment 5 and when pricing support information needs to be provided.

DLA/VA RESPONSE: Attachment 5 spreadsheet (Attachment #5 - Both VA and DLA - Contract Price Book Template.xlsm) is the complete price book template that will be used to submit pricing, modifications and maintain contract pricing throughout the life of any resultant contracts and contains tabs that are only for post award use. For submitting an initial proposal under this solicitation, only the OFFER-MOD_REQUEST tab should be completed.

Furthermore, vendors are not required to complete the price support fields on the OFFER- MOD_REQUEST tab (columns BM to BV) as part of their initial proposal submission. That information will be required after submission of proposals, as part of clarifications. After the solicitation closing, DLA or VA Contracting personnel assigned to evaluate a vendor’s proposal shall provide further guidance on what price support information is required and whether a VA IG audit will be required. At that point columns BM to BV shall be completed.

All vendors who receive a contract, regardless if they were audited by the VA IG, shall be required to provide price support information in tab OFFER-MOD_REQUEST tab and complete the price support fields in columns BM to BV for any contract addition requests, in accordance with sampling procedures provided by the vendor’s Contracting Officer.

(2.) Will DLA/VA entertain an extension of the closing date or accept a late offer?

DLA/VA RESPONSE: Unfortunately, we are not able to extend the closing of the solicitation.

Late proposals shall not be considered based on Federal Acquisition Regulations which are very specific on solicitation closing rules and rejection of late proposals.

(3.) I can’t find the timeline for vendor questions for the new Imaging Contract. Would you mind sending the questions due date?

DLA/VA RESPONSE: Vendors should submit any questions by COB July 6th to ensure that DLA and VA have sufficient time to provide responses prior to the solicitation closing. We will take questions after that date but may not have enough time to respond prior to the closing date and we do not envision extending the closing date/time for any unanswered questions that were submitted after July 6th.

(4.) The following general information is being provided regarding the open season, when existing contract holders are recommended to submit proposals, and potential evaluation timeframes:

DLA/VA RESPONSE: Besides the current solicitation closing in July 2015, there will be at least one open season, likely to be held in 2017. The open season will amend the solicitation to reopen it and to allow new offers to be submitted. It will likely also have a closing date approximately 60 days after the solicitation is reopened. We do not expect to have any open season in 2016. It should also be noted that it will take DLA and VA an extended period of time to evaluate and award contracts. As a result, vendors whose contracts expire in 2016 or 2017 and who do not submit a proposal prior to the current closing on July 27, 2015 are likely to experience a lapse in program participation as they will not be able to submit a new proposal until 2017 and would not likely have a contract until 2018. That is the reason we are strongly encouraging all vendors who have contracts expiring in 2016 or 2017 to submit a proposal prior to the July 27, 2015 solicitation closing time to avoid any lapse in program participation.

(5.) Is the company less likely to be awarded a contract under this round due to the fact that its current contract may be extended until 2019?

DLA/VA RESPONSE: No. However, we will be prioritizing contract awards based on expiration timeframes and whether a vendor has program coverage, so such a proposal may be evaluated and/or awarded later than a company that has an earlier final expiration or has no existing contract.

(6.) If the company submits a proposal in response to the current solicitation, would a contract awarded replace the company’s current contract?

DLA/VA RESPONSE: We would likely time the award to an option exercise date so that we would not exercise the upcoming option on the vendor’s contract, and would instead issue the new award.

(7.) We understand in reading the solicitation materials that contracts awarded will have a 5 year term with one 5-year option term. Is it expected that the same term would be used for contracts awarded following the 2017 open season?

DLA/VA RESPONSE: Yes. We do not envision any significant differences in terms of the solicitation requirements, particularly the Statement of Work.

(8.) We are in the process of working through the subject line solicitation. I have a couple of questions:

Page 74, Special Instructions for the Submission of Proposal Information states:

a. AGREEMENT TO ALL SOLICITATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: A proposal will be considered technically acceptable when it has satisfactorily met the requirement of the solicitation and the vendor has not taken exception to any terms or conditions…All vendors shall provide a written certification that they shall fully comply with all solicitation requirements and are not taking exception to any terms or conditions.

Considering that clause, there is a question regarding system updates/upgrades.

Page 46, Section (d) APPLICATION SOFTWARE AND OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRENTS, paragraphs 1 and 2 state:

a. Application software updates compatible with the offered system's hardware shall be kept current at no additional cost to the Government as long as the equipment is in use. For the purpose of this clause, updates are defined as all modifications to correct or improve system operation and current functions including known remedies for security vulnerabilities and shall be provided to the Government at no additional cost. Upgrades are defined as providing additional functions and shall be made available for purchase at the Government’s election.

%&^%*&^&'s system update/upgrade policy currently only provides updates at no additional cost when the system is under warranty or during the term of a service agreement. Am I reading this correctly that it is the government intention that all suppliers shall provide system updates at no cost with or without a warranty or service agreement?

Lastly and again considering the first clause above, what options for negotiations/ adjustments to language are there when submitting our response to the solicitation? Is the system update language something that is negotiable?

DLA/VA Response: Yes, it is the government requirement that vendors shall provide system updates at no cost with or without a warranty or service agreement. This requirement has been a contractual requirement under the existing program, including on all existing contracts, and this is not a point the Government will negotiate.

(9.) Is the subject contract a follow-on? If so, can you please identify the incumbents? Also, is it anticipated that any of these systems would be destined for shipboard installation (USN or Military Sealift Command)?

DLA/VA RESPONSE: This will be the second generation of the joint program. There are currently 37 contract holders under the program. Most sales under the program are not for shipboard installation.

(10.) Does this solicitation include dental radiography equipment? While the synopsis mentions subsystems and components, on page 49 of the solicitation, it states that "the primary purpose of this solicitation is to provide for complete functional systems." Does this mean that if we only had, for example, our intraoral sensors and imaging software available, would they be considered as components only and so our proposal would not be considered? If our proposal would be considered, then for the Modality Matrix in Attachment 6, would it be appropriate to enter YES for "Fixed DR X-ray" and "Portable DR X-ray" (assuming DR stands for Digital Radiography) or more appropriate to enter YES into the last column, "Other Modalities"? We are also curious if "RF" and "Digital RF" in the Modality Matrix refer to Radiofrequency ablation? We just want to be certain that it doesn't (or does) relate to our products.

DLA/VA RESPONSE: The Radiology and Imaging Systems Program does not support dental digital radiography. DLA procures these kinds of requirements through the Equipment ECAT program which has a different solicitation. The VA supports their digital dental requirements through FSS contracts. "RF" and "Digital RF" in the Modality Matrix do not refer to Radiofrequency ablation.

(11.) We are reviewing this solicitation now. One question we have at this point regards pricing.

Our current contract has one additional option year that the government may choose to exercise in June, 2016. It is possible that one year from now we may request an increase of prices on our existing contract under the EPA provisions for the final option year. Given that we have current pricing on our existing DLA/DVA contract, and this solicitation is for the successor to our existing contract in two years, how do we deal with proposed price offers to the government in our response? We are unsure how to deal with pricing in this solicitation under these circumstances.

DLA/VA RESPONSE: The new proposal pricing does not have to directly link to any existing contract. The new solicitation and all resultant contracts shall have the same Economic Price Adjustment clause as existing contracts. Offered list pricing must match existing commercial catalog pricing in effect at time of proposal submission while discounts can be proposed that are different from an existing contract. However, vendors must keep in mind that any offered pricing must be supported and be determined as fair and reasonable. The Government may evaluate price changes between an existing contract pricing and proposed new contract pricing and vendors would have to satisfactorily explain and support any significant changes.