Attachment I to Amenment 0004.pdf

Question Answer 1 Is partial bidding of some, but not all – of the CLINs? Partial bidding is allowed because each CLIN will be awarded individually. This is not a “All or None” requirement. All offerors are encouraged to propose on all CLINs.

2 Regarding the locations, could we offer for most of the locations except one of them or such procedure cannot be done. Offering on some locations is allowed. This is NOT a “All or None” requirement. But all offerors are encouraged to propose on all CLINs.

3 Can you please check and verify that our Company’s SAM and JCCS profiles are complete and approved, and if we are in good position to participate in this solicitation?

All offerors are required to be fully registered in SAM and JCCS. The SAM and JCCS status of each individual offeror will be reviewed. Please ensure all required documents are uploaded under the correct title. In addition, ensure all submissions are in English.

4 Is the Diesel Fuel for Kurdistan Region locations DF2 or SFD? The diesel fuel for the Kurdistan Region is SFD. However, this requirement is for DF2.

5 Diesel fuel and MUM imported into Iraq comes from Arab Gulf and therefore the reference price for all the DF2 and MUM items, (except for locations in Kurdistan Region) should be Platts Arab Gulf rather than Platts Mediterranean.

The base reference price for all fuel products are determined by Market Research. Any change to this information will be submitted as an amendment to the solicitation. However, the base reference prices are set to ensure all proposals are compared and evaluated the same.

6 The reference price for DF2 CLINS should be Platts FOB Arab Gulf Gasoil 0.05% Sulfur (AAFEZ00) to accurately match the product requested, rather than reference price of ULSD 10 ppm. The Platts Mediterranean for ULSD 10 PPM can only be used for locations in Kurdistan Region, since Kurdistan Region imports SFD from Mediterranean markets.

For the purpose of evaluating the offer prices submitted in response to this solicitation, proposal of an alternative escalator is not permitted.

7 Kindly advise what kind of document does the DLA provide to support the contractor’s in obtaining the PM NOC from the Iraqi government? The PMNOC process does not apply to the northern Iraq/Syria area. PMNOC approvals are required in southern Iraq. DLA Energy submits the fuel requirement to our vendors but does not supply any documents for obtaining the PMNOC approvals from the Iraqi government.

To clarify - PM NOC is required on the following CLINs:

•CLINs 1 through 4, •CLIN 8, and •CLINs 12 through 14.

PM NOC is NOT required at the following CLIN’s:

•CLINs 5 through 7, and •CLINs 9 through 118 Does the DLA provide any kind of communication support in this matter? Yes, DLA Middle East communicates directly with our vendor and the Embassy LMC for updates.

9 Do you accept Fuel products from Kuwait or Jordan? Or everything should be from the Iraqi refineries. Fuel cannot be imported from Kuwait or Jordan. All refined fuels are sourced from the Iraq refineries.

10 If you do accept, does DLA provide documents for Tax/customs exemption if any? This is not applicable because fuel cannot be imported from Kuwait or Jordan.

11 Do I take the Platt per Month average? If yes, then we submit our offer on the 10th of July. We will take the June average Platt. Your offer price should include the given base reference price in the solicitation for each clin, plus your margin which should include all your cost and profit.

The award price will escalate using the published monthly average of the previous month.

12 As for the commodities Platt Arabian Gulf. Each commodity is measured in the Platt in different units (Barrel and Tons), it is not in US Gallon. Please advise and guide us on this matter.

The published fuel prices will need to be converted to $/US Gallons.

13 Are the quantities mentioned in the RFQ for one year or for the total of three years? The quantities in the solicitation are for three (3) years.

14 Platt price: Is it average per month or three days? The average is monthly.

15 Can we get an extension for the tender due date because of the Al Adha Eid vacation which will take around a week from time of proposal preparation.

We are working on getting all fuel supplies from Kuwait fully approved and tested as per the specs required.

The due date for all proposals have been extended to July 17, 2023 at 1:00PM EST, Fort Belvoir VA Time. See amendment 0003 to the solicitation.

16 When is the expected date of award for the contract and how much time after award do the awardee have to prepare for execution? The target start date for this requirement is October 8, 2023. The awardee will have 30 days from the date of award to start delivery.

17 The solicitation includes different standards for diesel including ULSD and DF2, and further states exceptions for Iraqi products on page 17 (a different requirement/standard). Please clarify which standards are required for which CLINS.

DF2 is the required fuel product. DF2 should meet the standards set forth per C16.18-2 FUEL OIL, DIESEL (OCONUS) (DLA ENERGY MAR 2023).

18 Can alternative escalators be proposed? For the purpose of evaluating the offer prices submitted in response to this solicitation, proposal of an alternative escalator is not permitted.

19 How will an alternative escalator be evaluated? For the purpose of evaluating the offer prices submitted in response to this solicitation, proposal of an alternative escalator is not permitted.

20 Can an alternative base reference price be proposed? For the purpose of evaluating the offer prices submitted in response to this solicitation, proposal of an alternative base reference price is not permitted.

21 Is a PMNOC required for transportation to all CLIN locations? And, what is the PMNOC process? See the answer for question number 7 above.

22 Are contractors required to purchase diesel products from the Iraqi OPDC? Are contractors required to purchase motor gasoline products from the Iraqi

OPDC? Are contractors required to purchase jet fuel products from the Iraqi OPDC?

Yes, for all products mentioned above.

23 Section B - Item 0001 & 0002 Delivery Notes - Will trucks be required to stage and use the Govt GLOC for this location? No GLOC is not required.

24 Section B - Item 0003 & 0004 Delivery Notes - Please define was is the “RPC footprint”, who is the “Partner Force”? Any reference to the "RPC footprint" and "Partner Force" is removed for the solicitation.

25 Section B - Item 0012, 0013, and 0014 Delivery Notes - Please clarify what type of base access is required? Where is the GLOC originating? The GLOC is not required for any CLIN.

26 Special notes #1 - Please clarify “If contractor is re-directed to another location, contractor SHALL contact the Contracting Officer immediately or within 24 hours for guidance”. Who within the federal Government is responsible for and will re-direct a contractor to another location?

Only the Contracting Officer can make changes to the contract. However, coordination with DLA Middle East Bahrain office, is required for all deliveries.

27 F4 DELIVERY AND ORDERING PERIODS (DLA ENERGY JUN 2002) notes “ordering officer” and FAR 52.216-21 – REQUIREMENTS (OCT 1995) discusses performance “as authorized by orders issued in accordance with the Ordering clause”. F30.01 ORDERING AND PAYING OFFICERS (OVERSEAS PC&S) (DLA ENERGY APR 1998) notes the authorization “to make any necessary changes to this listing”. Does the DLA Middle East Commander or DLA Middle East Bahrain team have the authority to direct the contractor in making operational decisions with regards to fuel movements, fuel resupply decision, and fuel transportation.

Coordination with DLA Middle East Bahrain office is required for all deliveries, however all approval to contract changes have to go through the Contracting Officer.

28 What are the authorities, if any, that have been given to the DLA Middle East Commander and the DLA Middle East Bahrain office applicable to a resulting contract award.

None.

29 How will an “exception” to the solicitation be considered/evaluated within the LPTA process? For the purpose of evaluating offers, the provision on page 119 of 119, M72 EVALUATION OF OFFERS (EXCEPTIONS/DEVIATIONS) (DLA ENERGY APR 1997) provides details on how exceptions will be considered and evaluated.

30 How will an “exception” to the solicitation be considered when considering price realism? Each exception will be evaluated using M72 EVALUATION OF OFFERORS and offer prices will be evaluated based on market conditions.

31 How will the Govt “conduct a price realism evaluation in the event that pricing offered is so low as to indicate a misunderstanding of the requirements”? Isn’t a price realism evaluation required in order to establish that pricing offered is not too low?

The contracting officer can determine a price is too low, showing a clear concern that the offeror does not understand the full extent of the requirement.

Questions & Answers to SPE60523R0210

32 Will the DLA-E analyze price realism to establish the competitive range? If discussions are necessary and the contracting officer feel that establishing a competitive range is in the best interest of the government, a competitive range based on the rating of each proposal against all evaluation criteria, may be established. The government reserves the right to use price realism when evaluating price.

33 The ordering period notes a 3 year PoP but the I209.18 OPTION TO EXTEND notes the entire contract shall not exceed 24 months. Please clarify. The entire contract shall not exceed 60 months (3 year base plus not to exceed a 24 month option).

34 What is the page limit, if any, of the proposal submission? None.

35 How does the Government want the proposal to be structured/organized and what information should be included in the proposal? No proposal instructions are included in the solicitation, including, for example, section L.

The Technical Volume shall be organized in the following format:

General Information Sub-Factor 1: Supply Sub-Factor 2: Transportation Sub-Factor 3: Storage Distribution.

36 Why does DLA state that it will use PPIRS a "source" for past performance information when PPIRS expired in 2019? Reference to PPIRS is removed.

37 Does the solicitation's use of the word "encouraged" mean that offerors who bid on all 14 CLINS will be favored over offerors that bid on less than 14 CLINS, and if so, how will they be favored in the evaluation of offers?

No.

38 Given that the Solicitation includes FAR Clause 52.228-3, will DLA amend the solicitation to require offerors to provide proof of DBA insurance at the time of proposal submission or require the resulting awardees to provide proof at the time of award?

No.

39 The above solicitation questions, ambiguities, lack of information and omission of instructions to offerors have a material affect on an offeror's ability to formulate its price proposal. Thus, will DLA-E extend the proposal due date by at least 60 days so as to permit intelligent proposal preparation?

No, the solicitation has been extended to July 17, 2023 @ 1:00PM Eastern Fort Belvoir Va Time.

40 Platt price: Is it average per month or three days? Monthly.

41 Can we get an extension for the tender due date because of the Al Adha Eid vacation which will take around a week from time of proposal preparation.

We are working on getting all fuel supplies from Kuwait fully approved and tested as per the specs required.

The due date for all proposals have been changed to July 17, 2023 at 1:00PM EST, Fort Belvoir VA Time. See amendment 0003 to the solicitation.

42 When is the expected date of award for the contract and how much time after award do the awardee have to prepare for execution? The target start date for this requirement is October 8, 2023. The awardee will have 30 days from the date of award to start delivery.

43 Destination Location - Q-West: I have been unable to locate the specific coordinates for the destination location mentioned in the contract, which is Q-

West. If possible, could you please provide me with the precise coordinates for this location? It would greatly help me ensure accurate logistical planning.

The delivery address is provided under the CLIN.

44 Delivery Notes for Q-West: In reviewing the delivery notes for Q-West, I noticed that there is an additional tank listed. Could you kindly provide information regarding the required fuel type for that particular tank? Additionally, it would be helpful to know if the tank is above ground or below ground for proper handling and delivery.

There is 1 tank for the fuel capacity of 2641. This is an Above Ground Tank.

45 Obtaining and Registering for Gloc Schedule at Camp Pongo: I am interested in obtaining and registering to receive the Gloc schedule for Camp Pongo. Could you please provide me with any information or guidance on how to onboard and gain access to the Gloc schedule? Any relevant instructions or contact details would be greatly appreciated.

The GLOC is not required for any CLIN.

46 Access to RPC Footprint and Driver Approvals: I understand that access onto RPC footprint requires administrative approval from the Partner Force. I value my drivers' time and wish to ensure their efficiency. Could you please guide me through the process of obtaining access and getting my drivers approved? Additionally, if there are any specific requirements or documentation needed for this approval, kindly provide the details so that I can streamline the process and respect their time.

Any reference to the "RPC footprint" and "Partner Force" is removed for the solicitation.

47 As you know, the autonomous Kurdistan region is separated administratively from the rest of Iraq and therefore has its own business licensing requirements through the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). As currently solicited, combining the fuel requirements for locations governed by the KRG (CLINs 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11) with locations governed by the Baghdad Ministry of Trade (CLINs 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 13, and 14) unduly restricts competition to only a single vendor that is licensed by both authorities. Were the Agency to separate these requirements into different solicitations, DLA would benefit from substantially greater competition as many vendors are licensed to deliver fuel to one region but not both. Will the Agency consider splitting the Solicitation into two separate requirements such that fuel delivery for the Kurdistan region (CLINs 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11) is procured separately from fuel delivery for Iraq (CLINs 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 13, and 14)?

No.

48 Will the Agency consider permitting offerors to submit bids for less than all of the CLINs rather than the current all-or-nothing approach (similar to the approach taken by DLA to amend Solicitation #SPE605-23-R-0209 to allow offerors to compete for the Erbil CLINs without also competing for the Syrian CLINs)?

Yes. Offeror can submit for less than all of the CLIN's. This is not an "All or None" procument.

49 The reference price, is this a Platt price or just a price that the government would like to see beaten? Differential Price means what exactly? I did not see exact locations on the attachments. Do you have locations where the fuel will need to be transported?

The Base Reference Price is a baseline for the fuel product. Offeror are required to add their differential (transportation, taxes, profit) to the base reference price to determine their offer price. The addresses are listed in the solicitation under the CLINs.

50 I did not see exact locations on the attachments. Do you have locations where the fuel will need to be transported? The delivery address is provided under the Clin.

51 Economic price Adjustment - Can a percentage be put in place to determine the limit of decreased prices? No.

52 Sample Submission - Will contractors be compensated if the Government requests more samples? No.

53 Stop-Work Order - When a Contracting Officer offers an equitable adjustment, how will it be calculated? Equitable adjustments are handled on a case by case basis.

54 DIBBS - Who will be liable for the work order if the DLA Energy Contracting officer does not respond within reasonable time? All awardees will be required to be properly registered in BIBBS to receive delivery orders.

55 Will Contracting Officers be held liable if their systems are down and the Contractor is unable to fulfil the terms and conditions of this agreement accordingly?

No. All awardees will be required to be properly registered in BIBBS to receive delivery orders.

56 Shipping and Routing - How will demurrage be calculated? Demurrage is calculated on a case by case basis.

57 Early Payment - Who will be responsible for deciding the percentage of Discount? Early payments discounts will not be allowed on this contract.

58 Termination - How much will the Contractor be compensated if the Contract is terminated without cause? Terminations are handled on a case by case basis.

59 Early Delivery - Will the Contractor be compensated if the Government decides to work with another company with regards to early delivery of supplies?

No.

60 Please advise if it's possible to provide a quotation for one or two locations for example for (Area IV and Camp Navas Baghdad, IQ) & (Al Asad Air Base Al Asad IQ)

Offering on some locations is allowed. This is NOT a “All or None” requirement. But all offerors are encouraged to propose on all CLINs.

61 Besides submission instructions, Section L is lacking detailed instructions to provide offerors guidance on what each proposal volume should contain by each Factor and Subfactor. Would the Government please provide a Section L?

The Technical Volume shall be organized in the following format:

General Information Sub-Factor 1: Supply Sub-Factor 2: Transportation Sub-Factor 3: Storage Distribution

62 In which volume should offerors include the SF1449 and acknowledgement of amendments? The signed SF1449 and SF30's must be acknowledge and included in your porposal. There is can be added to the General Information of the Technical Volume.

63 Since the price volume is an Excel sheet, in which volume should offerors include the Section B? The price spreadsheet must be included in your proposal. There is can be added to the General Information of the Technical Volume.

64 In which volume should offerors put the Representations & Certifications, and the completed fill-in provisions? Offeror must provide Representations & Certifications. There is can be added to the General Information of the Technical Volume.

65 Would the DLA consider using DOD Safe for the proposal submission? Doing so would ensure an easier submission for users No.

66 Since the proposal is due on Monday July 10, would the Government please confirm that someone will be available to acknowledge receipt of proposals on Friday July 7, Saturday July 8, or Sunday July 9? Or would the Government consider revising the due date to ensure receipt confirmation?

The due date for all proposals have been extended to July 17, 2023 at 1:00PM EST, Fort Belvoir VA Time. See amendment 0003 to the solicitation.

67 Since Kerosene, Grade No. 1-K (KS1), NSN: 9140-01-292-4460, is a new product to this contract, it will require additional time to properly draw samples and send them to either SGS or Intertek for a full lab analysis. Additionally, there is a Muslim holiday and the July 4th holiday, which further complicate the delivery of a timely and compliant proposal. Would the Government please extend the deadline for submission of proposals by two weeks?

The due date for all proposals have been extended to July 17, 2023 at 1:00PM EST, Fort Belvoir VA Time. See amendment 0003 to the solicitation.

68 To properly apply for and receive approval from the Iraqi government; an offeror and its subcontractor, if used, must present a current tax clearance letter or no objection letter from the Iraqi tax office; otherwise, movement of fuel by said offeror will not be authorized. This authorization comes from the Prime Minister's National Operations Center (PMNOC). Without a current tax clearance letter from both the offeror and any subcontractors, the offer to procure and deliver fuel to the DLA would be considered unexecutable. Would the Government please amend the language in the JCCS registration requirement to include a copy of the Offerors current tax clearance letter separate from the Tax Identification Certificate, as this is insufficient to qualify for approval from the PMNOC?

No, the language will not be amended.

69 The Government states that all offerors and their subcontractors at all tiers must be registered in JCCS. The only legal fuel source for central Iraq is through the state-owned Oil Products Distribution Company (OPDC), and oftentimes the fuel is delivered to client storage by Iraqi government OPDC trucks. Given this understanding, would the Government amend the language for JCCS/ base access authorization to be from offeror-intermediate storage to DLA delivery site, inclusive of all subcontractors at all tiers? This would relieve the offeror of the requirement to convince OPDC and its subcontractors to register in JCCS.

No, the language will not be amended.

70 Are Offerors to assume the prices listed in Attachment 1 – Price Data Sheet, Column C serves as the basis for the benchmark for developing our extended unit prices per gallon? For example, CLIN 0001 provides a price of $2.08 per gallon. Therefore, are Offerors to assume that $2.08 serves as the basis for the benchmark for developing an extended unit prices per gallon?

Yes. The base reference price is the benchmark for developing you offer price.

71 As the economic price adjustment clause (B19.02) provides an economic price adjustment that is benchmarked on the PLATTS OIGRAM, does the economic price adjustment only allow for the direct adjustment in fuel prices, with no additional adjustment in the differential?

Yes.

72 Per Amendment 2, "the purpose of this amendment is to correct the escalator for MUM", but displays ULSD 10 PPM. Therefore may the Government please clarify?

The escalator for MUM was incorrectly listed as "FOB ARAB GULF MONTHLY (ULSD 10PPMs), in the solicitation.

73 On page 40 of the RFP pertaining to NSN 9140-01-556-9156, the quoted standard metric for Diesel (SFD) ULSD is 10 PPM but 10 PPM Diesel is not available from Iraqi OPDC refineries. May the government please clarify?

The NSN for MUM is 9130-01-272-0983. The NSN listed in the table is incorrect.