Atchmt 2 - ME Solicitation Questions Final.pdf

Middle East Region Solicitation Questions

SPE603-22-R-0501 Questions

General Questions

1. Our testing laboratory is limited to BAHRAIN only; can we still submit our bid for country Bahrain or this notice is meant for the companies providing testing services to all Middle East Region.

DLA Response: An offeror is expected to meet the statement of work requirements for each Middle East region for which it intends to submit a proposal. Therefore, an offer which proposes for the Gulf Region is required to meet the Statement of Work requirements for the service locations identified in C-1.0.1 under the Gulf Region which includes Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Jordan.

2. Are offerors required to bid all regions/countries or can we bid those sites that we have offices/ laboratories located within?

DLA Response: An offeror is not required to bid on all regions. An offeror may bid on one, two, or all three Middle East regions.

3. Please provide the contract # of the current contract under which the related work is being performed and please provide the contractor's name.

DLA Response: This solicitation is a follow-on contract to Contract Number SPE60017D009. The current contractor is ITS Testing Services UK Ltd. SHR.

Br.

4. As long as our JCCS registration is “submitted” status, is this ok? Because once it is submitted, it would be up to the KO to provide the review and change this to “active” or “approved” status.

DLA Response: Once submitted, the JCCS review office will review the information submitted for vetting. The current review time is approximately six (6) weeks. The Contracting Officer will notify the offeror if approved for contract award.

ME Region Solicitation Questions

SPE60322R0501

Statement of Work Questions

5. What is the turn around time requirement on samples? From receipt till completion?

DLA Response: SOW has two separate paragraphs to address turnaround time (TAT) requirements. Paragraph C-3.8, Transportation Turn-around Time will address when that transportation time starts and ends. Paragraph C-3.8.1, Sample Testing Turnaround Time will address the time allotted for laboratory testing and when that time starts and ends.

6. Is it possible that we could utilize our laboratory in the UAE to test samples from all of these locations that the customer would send the samples to our laboratory in

UAE?

DLA Response: Offerors are required to propose its laboratory locations in accordance with (IAW) the Statement of Work (SOW) paragraphs C-1.1 and C-1.1.1. Offeror shall have capability to provide the associated transportation services when requested.

7. Can the Government provide estimated number of days or instances where surveying duties will need to be performed? Third Party Witness, and Transportation of fuel?

DLA Response: The estimated annual quantities are provided in Solicitation Attachment 3 - Lab Testing Price Sheet. This is DLA Energy’s best estimate.

8. Can the Government provide estimated testing volumes by country and then by product to price this solicitation more accurately?

DLA Response: The estimated annual quantities are provided in Solicitation Attachment 3 - Lab Testing Price Sheet. This is DLA’s best estimate.

9. In reference to SOW, C-3.8 Transportation Turn-around Times: Given the austere environment of Iraq a 24 hour turn from notification the sample is prepared for transportation from the sample location to the servicing laboratory is unrealistic.

Can the Government provide flexibility for the locations in Iraq?

DLA Response: It is the offerors responsibility to propose a solution which meets the requirements IAW the Solicitation 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JUN 2020). Exceptions maybe submitted IAW M-001 – M72

EVALUATION OF OFFERS (EXCEPTIONS/DEVIATIONS) (DLA ENERGY APR 1997)

and will be evaluated for consideration IAW 52.212-2 EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL

ITEMS (OCT 2014).

10. In reference to SOW, C-6.0 Surveyor Duties, can the Government provide the qualifications required for the Surveyor desired, as well as the Third- Party Witness?

DLA Response: Please note SOW revision paragraph C-6.0 C-6.1, C-6.2 and C-6.3 SOW. The subparagraphs of C-6.1, C-6.2 and C-6.3 are evaluated in technical evaluation subfactor 6 and corresponding SOW paragraphs.

11. Please also clarify how this should be priced and how it will be evaluated by the government? Do we need to provide resumes for personnel in each region or site who will be performing the role of Surveyor or Third-Party Witness?

DLA Response: Please see the revision to the SOW section C-6.0, C-6.1, C-6.2 and C-

6.3 and Solicitation Section M – Evaluation Factors for Award providing the technical evaluation factors that will be used to evaluate offerors.

This is a firm fixed price requirements contract, it is the offeror to determine how to propose a fixed price which meets the requirement.

12. Does the Government anticipate the Surveyor will provide fuel source origin analysis of the fuel and investigation of supplier provided documentation to ensure DLA has properly received fuel in compliance with USG policies?

DLA Response: Fuel source analysis will be handled by DLA Energy and prior to request for contractor services.

13. In reference to SOW, C-6.2 Sampling of Petroleum Products, When the contractor is required to perform sampling services, is additional time allocated to the performance of the lab testing against the stated turn-around times?

DLA Response: No additional extension of the TAT will be authorized.

14. Per the SOW, section C-7.0 it requires all NON U.S. offerors and subs to be registered in JCCS. Can the Government clarify if US companies, either the prime offeror or subcontractors must also be registered in JCCS?

DLA Response: The locations in this contract are in the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility. All vendors contracting and subcontracting in the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility are required to be registered in JCCS. Please see the revised SOW section C-7.0

15. Did the estimates in the Lab Testing Price Sheet come from actual testing over the last contract period? How accurate are they?

DLA Response: The estimates are gathered by historical supply and demands. It is an estimate and not a guarantee of work.

16. In reference “C-8.0 Sample Shipment”, will shipping samples be billed directly to the DLA or reimbursable?

DLA Response: The contract is a firm fixed price requirements contract, not a cost reimbursable contract.

17. Is “Shipping Costs” in the Lab Testing Price Sheet an estimate?

DLA Response: In Solicitation Attachment 3 - Lab Testing Price Sheet the “Est. Qty” or Estimated Quantity is DLA’s quantity estimates. Offerors are required to submit the Sample Shipment prices in Solicitation Attachment 3 - Lab Testing Price Sheet.

18. Can we manipulate the spread sheet formulas for the Transportation price calculations depending on the location?

DLA Response: Please do not manipulate the spreadsheet, incomplete prices may make an offeror ineligible for award. Please submit Price Sheet in Excel spreadsheet.

Note the pricing spreadsheet has been updated to reflect “Other Services” in a separate tab. Offerors may now offer a Transportation and Sample Shipment price for each country.

19. As the licensing for all 5 countries in the Gulf Region is very difficult for one contractor to cover, due to the distance between the countries, different laws and regulations governing licensing for laboratory and inspection services, would DLA E consider offers for one or more countries within the Gulf Region and not all of them?

DLA Response: To be eligible for award, an offeror is required to meet all requirements in the region proposed.

20. There is no single company that has a laboratory (full spec) for all of the products and test requirements detailed within the SoW within the country of Iraq. All companies/contractors are faced with the same issue of shipping the sample to another country for testing (i.e. border of Kuwait is closed for COVID issues, shipment by vessel is on average 1 week, and shipment by airlines is impossible. Therefore, we request that the shipment time to outside of Iraq to UAE for example be allowed up to at least 10-14 days.

COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JUN 2020). Exceptions maybe submitted IAW M-001 – M72

EVALUATION OF OFFERS (EXCEPTIONS/DEVIATIONS) (DLA ENERGY APR 1997)

21. There is no single company/contractor that has a laboratory (full spec) for all of the products and test requirements detailed within the SoW within the country of Kuwait. Local oil companies utilize their own laboratories and 3rd party surveyors only perform witnessing, sampling, and light testing services. Shipment of samples to the UAE is almost a must for all of the major and local companies who will bid this requirement. Therefore, we request that the shipment time to outside of Kuwait to a laboratory allowed at least 5 days.

COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JUN 2020). Exceptions maybe submitted IAW M-001 – M72

EVALUATION OF OFFERS (EXCEPTIONS/DEVIATIONS) (DLA ENERGY APR 1997)

22. Who will take the samples in each country? Many of these military bases do not allow access to 3rd party surveyors. Will DLA Energy provide letters allowing the awarded contractor access to the bases to collect the samples? If the DLA E fuel contractor will be providing the samples to our team for testing, where should we coordinate pickup of these samples in each country?

DLA Response: Normally sample is taken by the operators of the storage location. The laboratory contractor will be notified in accordance with SOW C-3.8 to transport the sample to the testing facility. If access is required, a DLA Energy representative shall coordinate the logistics and information needed.

23. If our laboratory can perform up to 80% or even 95% of all the test sets for each product, but need support from another lab for certain testing that is not available within our laboratories, are we allowed to subcontract those remaining few tests to another laboratory as long as they are ISO 17025 certified and qualified to do so and have sufficient quality control measures in place to demonstrate accurate proficiency?

DLA Response: Subcontractors are allowed in the offeror’s proposal with a detailed plan in accordance with SOW C-1.1. The Prime contractor is always responsible for the sub-contractors’ qualifications.

24. If we utilize another laboratory to plus up our capabilities and perform as a subcontractor, does that laboratory/company require a JCCS registration also?

DLA Response: Yes, all subcontractors will need to be registered in the JCCS.

Clause Questions

25. In reference to CENTCOM Special Requirement 5152,225-5916 Mandatory Eligibility for Installation Access (OCT 2015) Contractors and subcontractors at all tiers are required to register for installation access in the Joint Contingency Contracting System (JCCS) and are responsible for keeping the information in this system updated at all times.

Please confirm all personnel regardless of their employer must be registered and approved for base access in JCCS? How will the Government notify offerors and or successful offeror that their subcontractor and or personnel have been approved for base access?

DLA Response: JCCS is a vendor registration system, required of all vendors contracting and subcontracting in the USCENTCOM Area of responsibility. While JCCS questionnaires requires vendors to input some employee information, it is not a personnel registration system.

For any employees requiring base access, this is completed at the base level / Contracting Officer level for approved access.