SPM8EJ-13-R-0001_Amendment_0005.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment your desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO.

IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

SPM8E1

Meghan Michalski

Amendment 0005 is hereby issued to provided responses to additional questions received regarding SPM8EJ-13-R-0001.

It should be noted that this amendment contains the information previously provided in Amendment 0002 for consistency purposes.

SPM8EJ

Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Construction & Equipment Supply Chain 700 Robbins Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19111-5092

Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Construction & Equipment Supply Chain (FCCB) 700 Robbins Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19111-5096

SPM8EJ-13-R-0001

1 10

07/31/2013

06/27/2013

Questions & Answers: Special Operational Equipment TLS Program SPM8EJ-13-R-0001 Amendment 5

1. Question/Comment: on Page 72 of the solicitation you state 100 pages (double-spaced, double sided, using 12pt. font size at minimum). My question is twofold does this mean that you would like a total of 50 sheets of paper printed front and back or 100 sheets of paper printed front and back, and also is the 12 pt. minimum the required size for action captions as it relates to figures and picture descriptions as well?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Proposals shall be limited to 100 pages (double-spaced, double-sided, using 12pt. font size at minimum). The total number of pages shall be no more than 100, which would equal 50 sheets of paper printed double-sided. The restrictions imposed on font size and line spacing are applicable to the body of text contained in the offeror’s proposal. As long as the information and text is clearly legible, the font-size and line spacing may be reduced as needed on any exhibits, pictures, tables, etc. that the offeror would like to include with their proposal.

2. Question/Comment: Does the restriction imposed on font size (i.e., 12 pt. font size minimum) include text in tables? In addition, does the restriction imposed on line spacing (i.e., double-spaced) include text in tables? (RFP Reference:Addendum to FAR 52.212-1.I.A.i (Page 72 of 95) “100 pages (double-spaced, double-sided, using12 pt. font size at minimum)”)

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Proposals shall be limited to 100 pages (double-spaced, double-sided, using 12pt. font size at minimum). The total number of pages shall be no more than 100, which would equal 50 sheets of paper printed double-sided. The restrictions imposed on font size and line spacing are applicable to the body of text contained in the offeror’s proposal. Font-size and line spacing may be reduced as needed on any exhibits, pictures, tables, etc. that the offeror would like to include with their proposal.

3. Question/Comment: Page 8/95, Caution Notice, paragraph 7, and page 50/95, 6.B.a.: Does this mean there is no option for authorized customers to purchase directly from a TLSP vendor with a Government Purchase Card (GPC) (without the bid process) unless directed by DSCP / DLA?

Answer: The Government Purchase Card (GPC) is not an acceptable form of payment for delivery orders placed under the SOE TLS Program Contracts; therefore, any GPC purchases made by a customer would be done outside of the TLS Program.

4. Question/Comment: Page 76, Paragraph 1.d: What is the “DLA Troop Support cost recovery rate?”

Answer: The DLA Troop Support cost recovery rate is a surcharge that covers DLA’s operational and administrative costs, which is added to each TLS delivery order prior to customer billing and shall be discussed with all awardees on a post-award basis. As stated in the RFP, the prices offered DO NOT INCLUDE the DLA Troop Support cost recovery rate.

5. Question/Comment: Page 82, when discussing the S&S Evaluation and Plan, what is meant by “Government Investment Strategy or Plan?”

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Surge and Sustainment capability is a requirement in this solicitation.

The offeror’s Capability Assessment Plan (CAP) will be evaluated as outlined in the RFP. The CAP must demonstrate the offeror’s ability to provide the full S&S quantity and delivery requirements as specified in the solicitation; the technical merits of the proposed solutions to any identified shortfalls in S&S quantity and delivery requirements; and the ability to achieve these without Government investment.

6. Question/Comment: Page 82, The paragraph immediately following the headline, “FAR 52.217-5

Evaluation of Options. This describes how the DLA will add the prices to the ‘total price for options to the total price for basic requirement.” What are the options?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, each contract awarded will have a base ordering period of 2 years and will contain a provision for unilateral option(s) on the part of the Contracting Officer to extend the term of the contract for up to three (3) one (1) year option periods. The exercise of options by the Contracting Officer is covered in FAR 52.217-9 entitled “Option to extend the term of the contract. Acceptance of this clause is mandatory. Therefore, submission of a proposal/offer shall be considered the offeror’s acceptance of the option provision. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

7. Question/Comment: Past Performance, II.Proposal Instructions, Factor I - Regarding their selection of “the 5 highest dollar value contracts over the past 5 years,” may offerors include any contracts awarded to their team subcontractors?

Answer: For the purposes of the past performance evaluation factor, offerors may submit contracts awarded to their subcontractors and the Government may evaluate those contracts in accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iii), which states that "[t]he evaluation should take into account past performance information regarding...subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition." Please note that the Government may choose not to consider the past performance information if the Government determines that the subcontractor will not perform major or critical aspects of the requirement or that the information is not relevant.

Note: Offerors shall be advised that this acquisition is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside and certain contractual relationships, such as subcontracting agreements, between the offeror and another entity may affect the offeror's size and status as a small business concern and may render the offeror ineligible for award pursuant to FAR Part 19 and 13 C.F.R. 121.103. Please consult with the Small Business Administration for more information regarding affiliations, joint ventures, subcontracting agreements, teaming agreements and other contractual arrangements, and how these contractual arrangements may affect a concern’s size for purposes of small business set-asides.

8. Question/Comment: Page. 5 indicates “Alternate items to those found on the Price Evaluation List can be offered at the time of Price Proposal. However, the offeror must provide a complete technical data package for the Alternate item being offered as well as the item on the Price Evaluation List for comparison purposes.” Please confirm that the Government will accept the Technical Data Package as a PDF file that is clearly labeled as such, and as a printed appendix included in Volume II, Price Proposal.

Answer: The Technical Data Package and any other information provided for an alternate item shall be included as an addendum to the offeror’s Price Proposal. The package should be included with the Price Proposal and offerors shall provide 6 copies (5 Paper and 1 CD). The CD copy of the Price Proposal shall provide both the electronic copy of the Price Proposal (using the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Provided with the RFP) along with the Technical Data Package(s) provided for the alternate item(s). The electronic copies of the information provided for the alternate item(s) on the CD may be in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word Format and there are no page limitations applicable to the Price Proposal or the supporting documentation submitted for alternate items contained with the Price Proposal.

9. Question/Comment: Page 78, FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL I, states “Non-price factors are: Significantly more important than cost or price” and Page 81, PRICE PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA, states “The summation of the commonly offered line item aggregates will be the aggregate offeror evaluation price (Total Evaluation Price) and will be used to determine the lowest overall price for the purposes of making an award.” Please clarify how the Total

Evaluated Price indicated on page 81 will be used by the government in making a best value contract award determination in view of the other two cited RFP statements.

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the Addendum to FAR Clause 52.212-2, EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL ITEMS. Non-price Proposals will be evaluated using adjectival ratings. The "total evaluation price" for each offeror's Price Proposal will be calculated as stated on page 81 under "Total Aggregate Offer Evaluation." Then, considering the Non-price and Price Proposals, the Government will utilize the Tradeoff Source Selection Process to determine which proposal(s) offer the best value to the Government. The Tradeoff Process allows the Government to award to other than the lowest priced offeror or other than the highest technically rated offeror.

10. Question/Comment: Please confirm that the correct interpretation of this statement is to provide 100 pages of content, not 100 sheets, double-sided, with 200 readable pages of content. Please indicate whether the page count includes or excludes the following items: Table of Contents, List of Figures, Cross Reference Matrix of RFP to Proposal, Acronym List, and Executive Summary.

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Proposals shall be limited to 100 pages (double-spaced, double-sided, using 12pt. font size at minimum). The total number of pages shall be no more than 100, which would equal 50 sheets of paper printed double-sided. The restrictions imposed on font size and line spacing are applicable to the body of text contained in the offeror’s proposal. As long as the information and text is clearly legible, the font-size and line spacing may be reduced as needed on any exhibits, pictures, tables, etc. that the offeror would like to include with their proposal. The 100 page (or 50 sheets double-sided) limitation pertains to all documents included with the offeror’s non-price proposal.

11. Question/Comment: Set Aside 100% is checked but Small Business box is not checked?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, this solicitation was issued as 100% Set-Aside for Small Business.

12. Question/Comment: Could the Gov't elaborate on what "incidental services" may be included under this contract and what reporting would be required for such services?

Answer: An example of an allowable incidental service is included as item 4 on the Price Evaluation

List. Item 4 (engraving) would be an allowable incidental service provided in conjunction with item 3 (the knife) on the Price Evaluation List. Incidental Services requests would be dependent on the customers’ needs and all requests for incidental services must be approved for scope in writing by the Contracting Officer in advance.

13. Question/Comment: If offerers are to ship ITAR controlled products worldwide, does the

Government intend to provide End Use Certificates with the order, and adjust delivery dates based on the contractors ability to get an export license? The delivery clock shouldn't start until the license is acquired.

Answer: Although DLA intends to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements, as applicable, regarding the sale, distribution, or transfer of export and import controlled items, DLA does not anticipate having to issue End Use Certificates or similar certificates under the terms of the SOE TLSP contract(s). Consideration may be given to allow for delivery extensions on a case by case basis in order to allow the contractor sufficient time to obtain necessary certifications, licenses, registrations, etc. in the event that a delivery order requirement is subject to certain export or import controls.

14. Question/Comment: There is no clause or reference in the solicitation addresses International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). As some of the products mentioned in the scope of the solicitation may fall under ITAR, does the Government intend to provide end use certificates?

Answer: Although DLA intends to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements, as applicable, regarding the sale, distribution, or transfer of export and import controlled items, DLA does not anticipate having to issue End Use Certificates or similar certificates under the terms of the SOE TLSP contract(s). SOE TLSP contractors must comply with any applicable statutory and regulatory requirements regarding the sale, distribution, or transfer of export and import controlled items and must comply with the terms of DFARS Clause 252.225-7048, Export Controlled Items, which is incorporated into the terms of this solicitation via amendment.

15. Question/Comment: FOB Destination for OCONUS locations is a very challenging aspect of this solicitation. We recommend that ceiling prices not apply to OCONUS shipments as the prices offered will be inflated to cover the possible expense of transportation costs to unknown international destinations. Additionally, that OCONUS shipment not be considered in the evaluation process. All of these shipments are likely to be in excess of $3,000.00 and consequently will be competed among the Contractors anyway. Given that the historical shipment data reflects that less than 4% of SOE TLS shipments are shipped OCONUS, why would you want to risk inflating your CONUS pricing?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, the Prices offered for the items and incidental service on the Price Evaluation List and prices offered for alternate items accepted by the Government will be used for evaluation purposes and will be awarded as firm fixed ceiling prices. The fixed prices will constitute a Not to exceed CEILING PRICE for the BASE PERIOD and for EACH OPTION YEAR TERM on any resultant contract for the Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support Program.

TLS Contractors are encouraged, when competing for delivery orders, to provide a quote less than their ceiling price.

16. Question/Comment: As this solicitation is 100% Set-Aside for Small Businesses expecting contractors to finance procurements for OCONUS shipments doesn’t seem to be appropriate as it could delay getting paid for as much as six months. Some of the products sold via TLS are very expensive items that most small business would not be able to finance for that length of time.

Would the Government consider issuing payment when the bill of lading from the Port is issued?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Fast Payment Procedures shall be utilized in accordance with FAR

13.4 for delivery orders issued under any resultant contract of solicitation SPM8EJ-13-R-0001 for orders valued up to $100,000. Prompt Payment shall be utilized in accordance with FAR 32.9 for all delivery orders valued at $100,000 or more.

17. Question/Comment: Is the plan to use WAWF for this contract or continue invoicing via EDI 810?

Answer: At this time, the Government anticipates that the EDI 810 will continue to be utilized for invoicing; however, WAWF may also be utilized in the future.

18. Question/Comment: Is the Government's intent to actually use the mail to issue orders? The fact that an order is considered issued when it is deposited in the mail really cuts down our time to react.

Should this be when received?

Answer: Paragraph (c)(2) of DFARS 252.216-7006 entitled Ordering does address issuing orders by mail; however, the Government does not anticipate that delivery orders will be issued via mail for the resultant Special Operational Equipment TLS Program Contracts.

19. Question/Comment: Does the government intend to include the Government Independent Cost Estimate into the auctioning process; or only incorporate Contractor’s bids?

Answer: The specifics pertaining to the Reverse Auction shall be provided to offerors by the Contracting Officer at a later date.

20. Question/Comment: Under what circumstances would the Government decide to utilize the reverse auction process? i.e. Is there a trigger (such as a large spread between quotes)?

Answer: As stated in the RFP and in accordance with DLAD 52.215-9023, the Contracting Officer may utilize on-line reverse auctioning as a means of conducting price discussions under this solicitation. If the Contracting Officer does not conduct a reverse auction, award may be made on the basis of initial offers or following discussions not using reverse auctioning as a pricing technique. If the Contracting Officer decides to use on-line reverse auctioning to conduct price negotiations, the Contracting Officer will notify offerors of this decision.

21. Question/Comment: Does the Government intend to charge prime vendors for use of Government transportation and if so, are offerors able to obtain freight quotes to assist with FOB destination pricing?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, all pricing shall be provided on the basis of F.O.B. Destination in accordance with FAR 47.303-6. Depending upon the delivery order requirement, the F.O.B.

Destination point may be the customer’s CONUS location, customer’s OCONUS location, a DLA depot or storage facility, or a CONUS Consolidation Point where applicable. The contractor shall include the transportation cost (i.e. non-Government or commercial shipping costs) in the end unit price. After award, RFQs will specify if Government transportation is required for a delivery order such as delivery orders being delivered to U.S. CENTCOM. When Government transportation is authorized, DLA does not intend to charge contractors for the use of Government transportation.

Note: In accordance with FAR 47.303-6, “F.o.b. destination” means --

(1) Free of expense to the Government delivered, on board the carrier’s conveyance, at a specified delivery point where the consignee’s facility (plant, warehouse, store, lot, or other location to which shipment can be made) is located; and

(2) Supplies shall be delivered to the destination consignee’s wharf (if destination is a port city and supplies are for export), warehouse unloading platform, or receiving dock, at the expense of the contractor. The Government shall not be liable for any delivery, storage, demurrage, accessorial, or other charges involved before the actual delivery (or “constructive placement” as defined in carrier tariffs) of the supplies to the destination, unless such charges are caused by an act or order of the Government acting in its contractual capacity.

22. Question/Comment: Is it the Government's vision that this contract will incorporate labor rates?

Answer: The government does not anticipate labor rates will be incorporated into the contract.

23. Question/Comment: Will we be notified in the RFQ that the order(s) are for US CENTCOM? Will they be marked differently? If Government Transportation is being utilized does that mean we do not quote the items with freight included in our unit price as it directed on page 9 paragraph 10 “Pricing of Offered Items”?

Answer: The delivery order RFQ shall specify the delivery location and Customer’s Ship-to- DODAAC. For orders being shipped using Government Transportation, TLS Contractors’ pricing should include all freight costs incurred by the TLS Contractor. For example, if the TLS Contractor is incurring costs to have the material shipped to the Port or DLA Distribution Center, then the pricing should be reflective of that. If the material is being picked up at the TLS Contractor’s facility or a subcontractor’s facility by a DLA Contracted Carrier, then the pricing provided by the TLS Contractor should not include any freight costs.

24. Question/Comment: The process described on page 64 is very different from what is being done under the current TLS contract and what is described in the Information Technology Order and Receipt Processing section on pages 50-55. Please clarify which process the contractor is expected to follow.

Answer: The information provided in the Data Specification Document provides a general overview. Additional information can be found throughout the Statement of Work and at the following website: http://www.troopsupport.dla.mil/CE/EDI/.

25. Question/Comment: We do not find the specifications for the Monthly Data Usage report in the Data Specification Document. Will that information be provided after contract award?

Answer: The information provided in the Data Specification Document provides a general overview. Additional information can be found throughout the Statement of Work and at the following website: http://www.troopsupport.dla.mil/CE/EDI/. Monthly Usage Data shall also be discussed with all awardees on a post-award basis.

26. Question/Comment: Please clarify whether the offeror should submit the drawings, specifications and other necessary data on Alternate Items as part of the Technical or Price Proposal.

Answer: The drawings, specifications and other necessary data provided for alternate items shall be included with the Price Proposal.

27. Question/Comment: Regarding Item Number 119 on the Price Evaluation List Spreadsheet for the

London Bridge Trading Life Preserver - This item does not have a part number or NSN listed.

Could the Government provide this information?

Answer: The NSN for Item Number 119 on the Price Evaluation List Spreadsheet is 4220-01-474- 5159.

28. Question/Comment: Determining shipping costs to these potential locations will vary based on the weights and/or dollar values of the product shipped. Can the Government provide more details about the type of product that was shipped and/or the weight and value?

Answer: This information would be irrelevant as the offeror is only required to provide pricing for the solicitation for the items on the Price Evaluation List and not the items that have been shipped historically under the current contracts. The offeror can identify the type of product, weight, and dollar value of the items listed on the Price Evaluation List or any alternate items provided.

29. Question/Comment: As this is will be a fourth generation for the SOE TLS Program, is there existing inventory that will be transferred to the awardees?

Answer: No, TLS vendors are not obligated to maintain inventory under the current TLS Contracts and shall not be required to maintain inventory under any contracts resulting from this solicitation;

therefore, no inventory will be transferred to awardees.

30. Question/Comment: Will a list of Surge and Sustainment items provided to offerors?

Answer: No, a list will not be provided; however, the Surge and Sustainment NSNs are designated on the Price Evaluation List and highlighted in yellow.

31. Question/Comment: How many awards did you intend to make as a result of the solicitation?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, the Government may elect to award a single delivery order contract or task order contract or to award multiple delivery order contracts or task order contracts for the same or similar supplies or services to two or more sources under this solicitation. While the Government intends to award multiple contracts, three (3) or more, the exact number of contracts to award will be based on a determination by the contracting officer at the time of award. The determination, which will be at the sole discretion of the contracting officer, will be based on, among other factors, the quality of offers received.

32. Question/Comment: How was the Price Evaluation List developed?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, the Price Evaluation List is considered a representative sample of the types of items that may be required by DLA Troop Support customers throughout the duration of the contract. The list illustrates the types of supplies that have been provided under the current SOE TLS Contracts, which the TLS contractor may be required to furnish under the resultant contracts for the follow-on initiative.

33. Question/Comment: When I enter the Capabilities Assessment page, only 6 of our 194 items are showing. Am I supposed to add the other items?

Answer: No, every item on the Price Evaluation List does not need to be addressed in the Capabilities Assessment Plan. As stated in the RFP, a Surge & Sustainment Capability Assessment Plan (CAP) is required along with the readiness plan. See DLAD 52.217-9007 Surge and Sustainment (S&S) Instructions to Offerors for information on what the plan must include. The surge/sustainment plan requirement does not eliminate the requirement for a readiness plan as requested above. The CAP must specifically address the surge items identified; whereas, the readiness plan must address the offerors plan to handle increased requirements for all items and services covered by the Special Operational Equipment (SOE) Tailored Logistics Support (TLS) Program in support of contingencies. It should also be noted that there are currently eight (8) surge items identified. The Surge and Sustainment NSNs are designated on the Price Evaluation List and highlighted in yellow.

34. Question/Comment: It seems there may be a discrepancy on Surge Product CAP Requirement.

The goggles (PN EP-10DT1-MSB) have a surge requirement of 15,340 but the base requirement is only 3,829. This is more than we expected for a surge requirement based on the initial QTY. We cannot finish our plan without confirming if this is the correct quantity. Will this be addressed?

Answer: The quantities specified on the Price Evaluation List have been verified to ensure accuracy.

The surge requirement of 15,340 is correct.

35. Question/Comment: Looking at the list, some items already have approved alternates under their NSN. Would these alternates be acceptable without documentation seeing as they are already approved alternates per the NSN or must we still provide the requested comparison data?

Answer: If an NSN has multiple approved sources of supply, an offeror may provide pricing for any one of the approved items without submitting the comparison and documentation required when submitting an alternate item. The offeror should annotate the manufacturer and part number for the item that they are providing a price for in the offeror notes column. Be advised that it is the offeror’s responsibility to ensure that the alternate source is in fact already deemed acceptable or approved for a particular NSN. If the offeror mistakenly submits a price for an alternate that is not actually listed as an approved source of supply and the offeror does not also submit a complete data package for evaluation purposes or submit an offer on the exact item listed, the offeror will be considered to not have submitted an offer for that item.

36. Question/Comment: The Pricing worksheet seems to only allow for the offeror to price the item OR an alternate. There does not seem to be a provision on the sheet for the offeror to price the core list item AND an alternate. This is because the sheet only allows for one price for the base period and option years per line item and therefore cannot accommodate Alternate and Core list item pricing on one line. Could the Government please clarify how offerors should submit pricing if we would like to price the core list item AND an alternate?

Answer: The Price Evaluation List was revised via Amendment 0003 to the RFP and now contains separate columns for Alternate Item Pricing.

37. Question/Comment: If the items on the Core List are found to be non-compliant with TAA, BAA and/or Berry Amendment, should we indicate the country of origin for the item/manufacturer requested or should we provide a compliant alternative?

Answer: If an offeror identifies an item that can no longer be obtained from a compliant source or an item which is not Berry compliant (where applicable), it should be indicated in the offeror notes column on the spreadsheet. In the event that an item is identified as being non-compliant, the offeror may provide pricing for an alternate item which is compliant. Be advised that the offeror may want to consider offering a price for the exact item as well in the event that the exact item is ultimately deemed to be compliant and the alternate is determined to be unacceptable.

38. Question/Comment: Can the Government please provide clarification to Price Proposal Evaluation Criteria (found on page 81 of the RFP) in regards to acceptable alternate items? If an alternate is proposed and it is accepted, will the price of the alternate item be included in the total aggregate price of the offeror, or does the same alternate item (manufacturer and part number or NSN) have to be offered by all vendors so that it is common? If an alternate item is accepted, may that line item be included in the Reverse Auction? If so, how will the alternate item be identified so that all offerors are pricing the same item?

Answer: As stated in the RFP, Only items on the Price Evaluation List or acceptable alternates which are commonly offered by all of the offerors under consideration will be used to determine an offeror’s Total Evaluation Price. The estimated quantity for each commonly offered item will be multiplied by the offered unit price for the base period, the offered unit price for option period 1, the offered unit price for option period 2, and the offered unit price for option period 3. The summation of these four amounts will be the commonly offered line item aggregate (Total Five (5) Year Aggregate). The summation of the commonly offered line item aggregates will be the aggregate offeror evaluation price (Total Evaluation Price) and will be used to determine the lowest overall price for the purposes of making an award.

Note: As stated in the RFP and in accordance with DLAD 52.215-9023, the Contracting Officer may utilize on-line reverse auctioning as a means of conducting price discussions under this solicitation. If the Contracting Officer does not conduct a reverse auction, award may be made on the basis of initial offers or following discussions not using reverse auctioning as a pricing technique. If the Contracting Officer decides to use on-line reverse auctioning to conduct price negotiations, the Contracting Officer will notify offerors of this decision. The specifics pertaining to the Reverse Auction shall be provided to offerors by the Contracting Officer at a later date.

39. Question/Comment: How can items that were not identified on the Price Evaluation List and subsequently determined to be required be added to the contract?

Answer: The process for adding items is covered in detail in the Statement of Work contained in the solicitation on pages 47 and 48.

As stated in the RFP, “Additional special operational equipment and related supplies and incidental services, which were not identified on the Price Evaluation List provided with the solicitation but are subsequently determined to be required by the authorized customers, may be added to the resultant Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support Contracts as follows:

1. DLA Troop Support will conduct a review of all customer requests to identify new/replacement items to be added to the Special Operational Equipment Contracts and the Contracting Officer will make a scope determination for each item requested.

2. Once an item is approved for scope, a request for information (RFI) and/or request for quote (RFQ) will be sent to all TLS Contractors. TLS Contractors will price requested items and/or provide the required information on any alternate items to be considered for award.

3. DLA Troop Support will evaluate the pricing submitted by each TLS Contractor in order to determine prices fair & reasonable and will add the items to the special operational equipment catalog of historical prices maintained in the Bidwiser Program utilized by DLA Troop Support.

4. Based on the instructions provided with the RFI and/or RFQ, the items added to the catalog of historical prices may also be added to the Outline Agreement of the TLS Contractor(s) selected for award and will serve as the ceiling price for the applicable period (base period and/or each respective option year period).

5. The TLS Contractor(s) will be notified once a delivery order award has been made and when an item has been added to their contract’s Outline Agreement.

6. The TLS Contractor(s) pricing added to the Outline Agreement will serve as the ceiling price and cannot be exceeded on future requirements during the applicable period (base period and/or each respective option year period).”