TIRNO-09-R-00013_Questions and Answers_A008.xls
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| TIPSS-4 SB Questions & Answers TIRNO-09-R-00013 | Amendment 0008 | ||
| # | RFP Reference | Question | Response |
| Section B | |||
| 1 | Amendment_0007, Section 3.2.1, p. 3: “The Labor Category Rate Table shown below shall be completed at the time of award using cost data submitted in the offeror’s Cost/Price Proposal (Volume III).” [emphasis added] | There is no “Labor Category Rate Table shown below.” Does this refer to Attachment J.4? | No, it refers to the Labor Category Rate Table shown in Section B.2.1. of Amendment 7. The table begins on page B-4. |
| 2 | Amendment_0007, Section L.8.1, p. 4: TAB A – “Each offeror shall submit a revised proposal in two separate volumes as follows…[Volumes I and III are described]” |
But
| Section_L_A0007, Section L.8.1, p. L-5: “Each offeror shall submit a proposal in two(2) separate volumes as follows: …” [Volumes, I, II, and III are described]. | Please confirm that only Volumes I and III are to be submitted in response to this amendment. | Offerors are only required to re-submit Volume 1, Binder 1A and Volume III. | ||
| 3 | Reference: Section_L_A0007, L.12, p. L-19: "TAB A - The offeror shall submit a completed Attachment J.1, General Financial and Organizational Information in Tab A of Volume III – Revised Price Proposal." | No attachment J.1 is included with the amendment. Should we include the original as part of the response to the amendment? | Yes. Offerors shall submit a completed Attachment J.1, General Financial and Organizational Information in Tab A of Volume III - Revised Price Proposal. | |
| 4 | ||||
| 4 | Amendment 0007, Section 1., item (c), Pg 1 and Section B.1, item (c), Pg B-2 | Amendment 0007, Section 1, item (c), pg 1 has the start date of the Period of Performance as "03/18/2011". Section B.1, item (c), pg B-2 has the start date of the Period of Performance as "04/01/2010". Which Period of Performance start date should we use for the revised pricing? | Please refer to Amendment 7 Section B.1 -General (c) which has a period of performance start date of 03/18/2011. | |
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 8 | ||||
| 5 | Section B.2.1, page 3 | Are subcontractors required to submit a separate pricing binder as required with the original submission? | No. Separate subcontractor submissions are not required. | |
| 6 | Section B-1 | The new period of performance begins on 03/18/2011. Does the Government intend to wait a year before allowing work to commence under TIPSS-4, after TIPSS-3 is scheduled to expire on 11/30/2010, and after the offeror's acceptance period will lapse? | This question cannot be addressed at this time. | |
| 11 | ||||
| 7 | Amendment 0007, Section B.2.1, Pg 3 second paragraph | This paragraph covers attachment J.1.1 Rev 1 and, at the end of the paragraph states, "in addition, the offeror shall provide a detailed breakdown of the cost elements making up the loaded rates in accordance with the instructions in Lection L. In Section L.12, Pg. L-12 the instructions for Attachment J.1.1 Rev 1 contain no reference to the breakdown of cost elements making up the loaded rates. In Amendment 007 , does the statement that the offeror shall provide a detailed breakdown of the cost elements making up the loaded rates, refer to the completed Attachment J.1, General Financial and Organizational Information question (m) that asks offerors to "Provide indirect cost rates for your last completed fiscal year"? | No, it does not refer to Attachment J.1. A detailed cost breakdown is no longer required. Please refer to the sample pricing schedule included in Attachment J.1.1 Rev 1 of Amendment 7, now Amendment 8, for further instructions. | |
| 8 | Section B.2.1, Pg. B-4 | Second paragraph states for Attachment J.1.1 Rev 1, ... the offeror shall propose…rates for the Government site and the Contractor site for each year… Attachment J.1.1 Rev 1 states only the Contractor site is requested. In the amendment, only the Contractor site pricing is referenced. Is this an error? What pricing is expected on the J.1.1 Rev 1? | Only Contractor site pricing must be submitted. The Government's intent is for offerors to provide the three elements in Attachment J.1.1 – NTE Cost, Profit and NTE Rate. | |
| 9 | Section B.2, Pg B-4 | If the profit and fee is only for evaluation purposes and can be adjusted later can government please clarify if rate reasonableness will be determined using the NTE labor hours for each labor category rather than including the Loaded rate with fee. | The Government's intent is for offerors to provide the three elements in Attachment J.1.1 – NTE Cost, Profit and NTE Rate. Having fee in the chart was an error. In determining price reasonableness, it is the Government's obligation to evaluate profit. The Government must know profit percentatges when negotiating prices. | |
| 10 | Section B.2.1, Pg B-5 | Please clarify that Rates for Key Personnel Labor Categories are not required to be provided as part of the J.1.1 and that the Rate table will be filled at the time of award. | The rates, hours, price, and categories for key personnel should be included in the price proposal. | |
| 11 | ||||
| 11 | Section B.2 | Is this a BAFO? Are there any new revisions made to labor categories? | No. This is not a request for Best and Final Offers (BAFO). The Labor Categories in Attachment J.4 have not been changed. | |
| 18 | ||||
| 12 | Amendment 0007, page 2, “**” (area indicated by the double asterisk) | Amendment 0007, page 2 states “Any profit or fee proposed for evaluation purposes and agreed to in a resulting contract will serve as a reference point and may be negotiated up or down during task order performance depending upon the complexity of the requirement.” |
| Based on the above statement will an offeror be able to increase their prices at the task order level? | When requirements are issued at the task order level, it is at the discretion of the CO to determine the contract type (permissible in the RFP) appropriate for the requirement and the appropriate profit associated with performing the work. Therefore, profit may fluctuate throughout the life cycle, yet keeping in mind the overall profit total of the contract. | |||
| 20 | ||||
| 21 | ||||
| 22 | ||||
| 13 | Amendment 007 and revised sections B and L . The following sections in Amendment 007 and the amended RFP Sections do not match up: 1) B.1 2)Last paragraph of B.2 3)B.2.1 second paragraph 4) Section L, Binder 1A listing of dividers and their description. | Amendment 0007 does not match up to the revised Sections B and L. Which takes precedence Amendment 0007 or the revised Sections B and L? If Amendment 0007 takes precedence will you provide revised Sections B and L so that they can be included in the revised Binder 1A? | Revised Sections B and L are provided in Amendment 8. | |
| 24 | ||||
| 25 | ||||
| 14 | Section B.1, Pg B-2, paragraph (b) | The second sentence states "Offerors will be evaluated on a cost reimbursement (CR) and fixed price (FP) basis." Will the IRS still evaluate offerors only on a CR and FP basis for award of the TIPSS-4 IDIQ contract? | Contract awards will be made based on best value in accordance with Section M.3 of the RFP. | |
| 15 | Section B.2, Pg B-3, table | This section was revised to substitute "Fixed Fee" with "Profit". Is the IRS changing the pricing strategy in the Revised Price Proposal from "Cost Plus Fixed Fee" to "Time and Materials"? If not, what is the purpose of this wording change? | The language was revised to reflect the change in the Government's evaluation strategy. Refer to the Evaluation Criteria in Section M.4 for further details. | |
| 16 | Section B.2.1., Pg B-4, first sentence | This section was revised to substitute "fully loaded hourly labor rates" with "not to exceed (NTE) loaded hourly labor rates". Does the use of "not to exceed" in this substitution mean that, if awarded a contract, that this is the maximum rate the contractor can charge for each labor category? | Yes, this is correct. | |
| 17 | Section B.2.1., Pg B-4, last sentence before table | This section states "The Labor Category Rate Table shown below shall be completed at the time of award using cost data submitted in the offeror’s Cost/Price Proposal (Volume III)." Upon contract award how will the IRS determine the rates to populate these tables? Will these final rates be Time and Materials rates or not to exceed CPFF rates? | Offeror's proposals shall include NTE loaded hourly labor rates for each labor category specified in attachment J.4. The final rates will be NTE rates. | |
| 30 | ||||
| 31 | ||||
| 18 | Sections B.2, B.2.1, Attachment J | What factor and impact will the Reverse Auction have in the basis of award determination? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 19 | General and Sections B.2, B.2.1, Attachment J | It is unclear whether the reverse auction evaluation is intended to be applied to the requested revised Price Proposals or to the ID/IQ tasks that are released after award or to both. Please clarify. | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 20 | Sections B.2, B.2.1, Attachment J | Small Businesses, by their NAICS definition, generally do not have enough scale to support the lower cost structures that large companies can support on individual Labor Category rates. It appears that a reverse auction methodology for ID/IQ task order bidding will exclude Small Businesses from successfully pursuing tasking issued by IRS after award. In the past the TIPSS Small Business bidders have been encouraged to bid on all task orders issued by the IRS. Has the government considered that reverse auction bidding will preclude Small Businesses from competing successfully in all but SB Set-Aside tasking or is this the goal of this methodology? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 21 | Sections B.2, B.2.1, Attachment J | As a member of a Large Business Prime team, we are concerned that if Large Prime's prices are driven too low, they will of necessity turn to their teammates to deliver at rates below those NTE/Reverse Auction rates which will not be achievable by Small Businesses. Small Business partners will effectively end up eliminated from the practical pool of teammates who will deliver solutions by Large Businesses. How will the IRS ensure that Large Businesses meet their SB goals under this methodology? | Prime offerors must still adhere to the percentages outlined in Section J, Attachment J.4 & Section M, M.4. Changing the evaluation methodology has no impact to meeting those SB goals. When Large Business offerors are establishing their NTE rates, they must take into account the rates of their subcontractors. | |
| 36 | ||||
| 37 | ||||
| 38 | ||||
| 22 | Amendment 7, 3.B.2.1, Pg 3 | “Each offeror shall also propose NTE loaded labor rates for contractor site for each year of contract…… In addition, the offeror shall provide detailed breakdown of the cost elements making up the loaded labor rates in accordance with section L." |
NTE labor rates imply Time and Materials (Fixed price Labor Hour) rates versus Cost-Plus labor rates (where cost plus rates will vary year over year based on actual direct labor and actual indirect rates.
| Is the government now planning TIPSS to have a T&M/Fixed Labor Hour pricing model versus a cost plus model? Section L does not seem to have any requirements regarding the breakdown of cost elements as indicated in Section B.2.1 of the Amendment. | Offeror's proposals shall include NTE loaded hourly labor rates for each labor category specified in Attachment J.4. Following the award of the TIPSS-4 SB Contract, when requirements are issued at the task order level, it is at the discretion of the CO to determine the contract type (permissible in the RFP) appropriate for the requirement. | |||
| 40 | ||||
| 41 | ||||
| 42 | ||||
| 43 | ||||
| 44 | ||||
| 45 | ||||
| 23 | Section B.2, page B-4; Section L.12, page L.19 | Section B.2 references Attachment J.4 but Section L.12 references Attachment J.4 rev 1. Attachment J.4 is labeled J.4, no revision number. Please explain. | Attachment J.4 should read "Attachment J.4 rev 1." Please see correction in Amendment 8. | |
| 24 | Section B.2, page B-3; Amendment 0007, page 1 | For the MBOSS area, the CLIN in B.2 is 0001-1001, but the CLIN in the amendment is 0101 - 1001. Please explain. | The CLIN 0101-1001 in Amendment 7 is incorrect. This was a typo in Section B.2 that is corrected in Amendment 8. | |
| 25 | ||||
| 49 | ||||
| 25 | Section B.2, Page B-3-4 | Some of the pricing terminology (Profit, Total Price) appears to be for fixed price bids. Other pricing terminology (Fully Loaded Hourly Rates & NTE) seems to relate to Time and Materials. And yet other pricing terminology (Fee) relates to Cost Plus Fixed Fee rates. Please clarify if IRS wants a Fixed Price bid, Cost Plus rates, or Time and Materials rates. | Offeror's proposals shall include NTE loaded hourly labor rates for each labor category specified in Attachment J.4. Having fee on the previous chart in Section B.2 was an error. The Government's intent is for offerors to only provide the three elements in Attachment J.1.1 – NTE Cost, Profit and NTE Rate. Please see Amendment 8. Following the award of the TIPSS-4 SB Contract, when requirements are issued at the task order level, it is at the discretion of the CO to determine the contract type (permissible in the RFP) appropriate for the requirement. | |
| 26 | Section B.2.1, Page B-4 | We see the requirement for NTE rates, but we do not see a provision that requires their use in task orders. Will that be required? If so, where is it specified? | Offeror's proposals shall include NTE loaded hourly labor rates for each labor category specified in Attachment J.4. Following the award of the TIPSS-4 SB Contract, when requirements are issued at the task order level, it is at the discretion of the CO to determine the contract type (permissible in the RFP) appropriate for the requirement. | |
| 52 | ||||
| 53 | ||||
| 54 | ||||
| 27 | Section B.2.1, Page B-4 | "In addition, the offeror shall provide a detailed breakdown of the cost elements making up the not to exceed loaded rates in accordance with the instructions in Section L." Tab C previously provided the detailed breakdown, but Tab C has been changed. Will IRS remove this clause or explain what data it is looking for? | The Government's intent is for offerors to only provide the three elements in Attachment J.1.1 – NTE Cost, Profit and NTE Rate. The request for a detailed cost breakdown has been deleted. Section B.2.1 has been amended. Please see Amendment 8. | |
| Section J | ||||
| 28 | Attachment J.1.1.1 rev 1_A0007 | Is it correct that the new pricing table has deleted the requirements for showing the allocation of hours to the subcontractors? | Yes, that is correct. However, offerors are required to clearly show and identify the prime and subcontractor's loaded hourly labor rates, hours and price for each CLIN. | |
| 29 | Attachment J.1.1.1 rev 1_A0007 | Is it correct that the new pricing table has deleted the requirements for providing government site pricing? | Yes, that is correct. | |
| 30 | Attachment J.1.1 | How does the Government want the Subcontractor pricing to be incorporated into Attachment J.1.1? Should the NTE Loaded Hourly Labor Rates reflect composite rates? | The NTE Loaded Hourly Rates should NOT reflect composite rates. Offerors are required to clearly show and identify the prime and subcontractor's loaded NTE hourly labor rates, hours and price for each CLIN. For Example: Offeror -CLIN Category Rate Hrs Price Prime - CLIN 7 Sr IT Spec $13.00 100 $1,300 Sub A- CLIN 7 Sr IT Spec $12.00 120 $1,440 Sub B- CLIN 7 Sr IT Spec $12.50 150 $1,875 etc....... Please refer to the Revised Attachment J.1.1 to review the sample pricing schedule format for the loaded hourly rates (must be shown with and without profit). | |
| 31 | Attachment J.1.1 | In Attachment J.1.1 _Rev A0007 –Sample Contractor Site, Should the information be provided using T&M format or CPFF format? In original previous pricing it was requested that we prepare sample pricing in CPFF format and that hourly rates be unburdened. | Please see the response to Question #30. | |
| Attachment TIRNO-09-R-00013_Attachment_J.4_A0007.xls | The Cyber Security Labor categories are not he same. Can you confirm the changes | |||
| Attachment TIRNO-09-R-00013_Attachment_J.4_A0007.xls | The Cyber Security Labor categories are not he same. Can you confirm the changes | |||
| 32 | Section J.1.1 | IRS removed the Government site tab and the Matrix tab. We assume IRS does not want us to provide Government site rates or a subcontractor rate breakout, correct? | The Government only requests Contractor site rates. Please see the response to Question #30 for further clarification. | |
| 33 | Section J.1.1 | If IRS does want us to provide Government site rates, where should they be provided? | Please see the response to Question #32. | |
| Section L | ||||
| 34 | Amend 007; page 6, | The Amendment states: TAB A - The offeror shall submit a completed Attachment J.1, General Financial and Organizational Information in Tab A of Volume III – Revised Price Proposal. Are we to use the last revision of J.1 (i.e. as submitted in September?) | Yes, please use the last revision and update as needed. | |
| 35 | Amend 007; page 20 | TAB E - Accounting System - The offeror shall identify the status of its accounting/estimating, billing and purchasing system. If the offeror’s accounting system has not been reviewed or approved by a Government agency, then the offeror shall provide a description of its methodology for estimating and accumulating costs under Government contracts. If this information has been provided elsewhere in the price proposal, the offeror may reference those sections in lieu of duplicating responses. Does this mean if we already submitted this information in the first submission (Sept 2009 (; we do not need to supply it again?) Or we still need to submit the same information? | Please submit the same or updated information. | |
| 36 | Amend 007, page 3 | The Responses being due at 2:00pm on Wednesday May 26th in Oxen Hill does not provide enough time to update Price Proposals and submit. The change from cost to price evaluation may require some to restructure the price proposals to prepare for the potential Reverse Auction. We request an additional two weeks past the current May 26 date. | Please see the revised proposal due date in Amendment 8. The Government will not use the Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 37 | Amend 007 - page 5 | L.8.2 – FORMAT, ORGANIZATION, AND CONTENT OF FILES; The following information must be cited on the outside of the box and on the spine and cover of each binder: • Box __ of __ boxes and Volume Number (The numbering scheme shall include all outside packages, e.g., information submitted under separate cover). Please confirm that we are putting the box number only on the boxes - and not on the volume covers. And the volume numbers only on the volume covers and not the boxes. | Revised Volumes I and III shall be submitted in separate loose-leaf binders. The following information must be cited on the outside of the box and on the spine and cover of the binder: 1)Solicitation Number 2) Revised Cost and Price Proposal 3) Offeror's Name 4) Box __ of __ boxes and Volume Number (The numbering scheme shall include all outside packages, e.g., information submitted under separate cover) | |
| 38 | Section L.8.1, Pg 5, Binder 1A | The table requests Section J be completed. Does the IRS want all of Section J or just Section J.1, General Financial and Organizational Information? | Please only re-submit the parts of Section J affected by Amendment 7, now Amendment 8. | |
| 39 | Section L.8.1, Pg 5, Binder 1A and Section L.10.2, Tab B. | Section L.8.1, Pg 5, Binder 1A requests the inclusion of Section B, J, L & M. Section L.10.2, Pg L-10, Tab B.is titled "Tab B - SF 33 and SECTIONS B - K". Does the IRS desire the inclusion of all of Sections B, J, L & M or just the applicable portions of Sections B through K? | Please follow the Instructions for Proposal Submission in L.8.1. Tab B of Binder 1A shall contain a signed copy of SF-33 & applicable solicitation Sections B, J, L and M. | |
| 40 | Section L.2, Pg L-2 | Is the FAR reference to 52.204-6 correct? | Yes | |
| 41 | ||||
| 41 | Section L.20 and M.4 | Will all vendors that submit revised cost/price proposals be invited to participate in the reverse auction process? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 42 | Section L.20 and M.4 | What does reverse auctioning technique mean? Will it be conducted electronically via a government web site? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 43 | L.8.1, Pg 4 | Is there a separate competition for 8(a) offerors? Or are they included under the Small Business competition? | No. | |
| 44 | L.8.1 Volume III, page 7 | Do major subcontractors have to resubmit their audited financial statements under Tab F? | Yes, and updated as required. | |
| 45 | L.8.1 Volume II, page L - 6 | Are we to resubmit any part of Volume II? | No. | |
| 46 | L.8.1, page L-6 | If no other Past Experience (Project Profiles) are deemed more relevant that those submitted with the original Proposal last September, are offerors expected to re-copy and re-submit these profiles? | Offerors are required to re-submit Volume I - Revised Terms and Conditions Binder 1A in its entirety, which includes Tabs A and B. Offerors are required to re-submit Volume III - Revised Price Proposal in its entirety which includes Tabs A, B, C, D, E, and F. | |
| 47 | L.8.1, page L-6 | If there has been no change to an offeror's Past Performance References since the original Proposal submission last September, is it necessary for offerors to re-submit this information? | Offerors are required to re-submit Volume I - Revised Terms and Conditions Binder 1A in its entirety, which includes Tabs A and B. Offerors are required to re-submit Volume III - Revised Price Proposal in its entirety which includes Tabs A, B, C, D, E, and F. | |
| 48 | L.8.1, page L-6 | Do Past Performance Questionnaires that were submitted with last September's original Proposal have to be re-submitted? We are concerned that going back to our partners and requesting this same request be completed again is a burden on them. | Offerors are required to re-submit Volume I - Revised Terms and Conditions Binder 1A in its entirety, which includes Tabs A and B. Offerors are required to re-submit Volume III - Revised Price Proposal in its entirety which includes Tabs A, B, C, D, E, and F. | |
| 49 | L.8.1, page L-5 | What is the significance of showing entries for Tabs A and B three times in the Binder 1A chart? | Please see the correction in Amendment 8 | |
| 50 | Section L.12, Pg L-19 | Under TAB-A, it states that the offeror shall submit a completed Attachment J.1, General Financial and Organization Information. In Attachment J.1, it requests information completed in the offeror last completed fiscal year. Question, will the offeror have to update from the original submission if they have completed a fiscal year since original submission? | Yes. | |
| 51 | At L.20(2) In order for an offeror to participate in the reverse auction, such offeror must agree with the terms and conditions of the entire solicitation. | By requiring agreement with all terms and conditions, it appears the government is converting this into an IFB instead of an RFP. Should it be re-released as an IFB? | No. | |
| 52 | Section L.20, pp. 8-9 | Will the Government make provisions so that offerors participating in the reverse auction cannot all wait until the last 5 minutes to adjust their bids? It has been estimated that 50% of typical bids in the commercial “eBay” auction site are received in the last 3 minutes of a given auction. | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 53 | Section L.20, pp. 8-9 | Will the government ensure that the playing field is level and the participants cannot develop automated “sniping” tools to automatically bid at the end of the reverse auction (such as they can for eBay auctions)? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 54 | Section L.12 Tab F - Financial Capability | Financial resources documentation have been secured for original submission. Do we need to acquire new bank letters for this Amendment response? | Only if the information needs to be updated. | |
| 55 | Section L.20 | With regard to the reverse bidding process, will small businesses bid against other small businesses only or will small businesses also bid against large businesses? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 56 | Section L.6, Pg L-6, L-12 through L-19 | It appears that the solicitation is requesting that the full Technical Proposal (Volume II) be resubmitted even though it is unchanged, is that correct? If yes, than the requirement to have references recreate Past Performance Questionnaire is overly burdensome on the reference and should be eliminated. If still required than the due date should be extended. | Volume II is not to be re-submitted. | |
| 57 | Section L.12 Binder III - Revised Price Proposal (Factor 5), Tab A, page 6 | There is no revised Attachment J-1 in Amendment 7. Attachment J-1 requires data for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Are those the years for which you require data? | Please provide the most current information available. | |
| 58 | Section L.12 Binder III - Revised Price Proposal (Factor 5), Tab F, page 7 | We do not have audited 2009 financial statements, yet. Will a statement from our auditor stating that there will be no cardinal changes from an unaudited 2009 statement suffice? | No, please provide the unaudited financial statement and a copy of your tax return in accordance with Section L.12, TAB F of Amendment 7, now Amendment 8. | |
| 59 | Section L.12 Binder III - Revised Price Proposal (Factor 5), Tab B, page 7; J1.1 Sample Pricing Schedule (Rev 1) | L.12 states: "Offerors are to prepare the schedules in accordance with the sample pricing schedule in Attachment J.1.1 Rev1." J.1.1 Rev 1 appears to combine labor categories under CLINs, but not for all labor categories nor does it provide the CLINs. What CLINs are we to use? Does the Government want us to combine labor categories or use the labor categories as specified in Attachment J.4 without combining? | Attachment J.1.1 is a sample pricing schedule. Rates shall be provided for all CLINs in Attachment J.4. | |
| 60 | 10. L.20 Reverse Auction Procedures, pages 8 - 9 | Will reverse auction procedures be used to compete Task Orders or for award of the TIPSS-4 prime contract? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 61 | Amendment 0007, page 5, Section L.8.1 Instructions for Proposal Submission, Volume III | Are you requiring that Tabs A, E and F be updated as of May 2010 or should the information stand as of the date the original proposals were due? For example sales figures and manpower numbers have changed and we now have audited financials for 2009. | Please provide the most current information available. | |
| 62 | Section L.8.2, Pg L-9, item (c) | This section states that files shall be formatted in Microsoft Word and Excel 2003. May we submit Volume I, Binder 1A in Adobe pdf format? May we submit Volume III in Adobe pdf format? | No. | |
| 63 | Section L.12, Pg L-19, Tab B | Is the IRS requesting "Cost Plus Fixed Fee" pricing from this section in the Revised Cost Proposal? If so, how will the IRS determine the T&M rates for a prime contractor from this Price Proposal? | Please read the instructions in Section L.12, Tab B, Amendment 7, now Amendment 8. | |
| 64 | Ammendment-011.doc, section L.9.1 - Volume IV - Dividers | Please clarify by name what summary schedules are to be included in Volume IV TAB B | There is no Volume IV in TIPSS-4 SB. | |
| 65 | Ammendment-011.doc, section L.9.1 - Volume IV - Dividers | Please clarify what items and format are required to describe the difference between the original and revised proposal | There is no Volume IV in TIPSS-4 SB. | |
| 66 | Section L_A0011, section L.9 | This section identifies binder 1B as required for submission of revised proposal, this differs from the Amendment section L.9.1, which is correct | Offerors are required to re-submit Volume I - Revised Terms and Conditions Binder 1A in its entirety, which include Tabs A and B. Offerors are required to re-submit Volume III - Revised Price Proposal in its entirety which includes Tabs A, B, C, D, E, and F. | |
| 67 | Section L_A0011, section L.22 | It is stated that offerors that are in the competitive range will be allowed to participate in the reverse auction process. What is the anticipated time from government notification for training on the reverse auctioning process? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 68 | Section L_A0011, section L.22 | Will the reverse auctioning process be used for award of the TIPSS-4 IDIQ only or for subsequent task orders as well | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 69 | L.20 | The Government has referenced a commercial reverse auction service provider's website (L.20.5). Can details be provided on who is the commercial provider being referenced? Additionally, as the commercial provider will have access to each offerors proprietary and sensitive cost data - how will this information be protected from disclosure? Is the commercial service provider prevented from being a member of a TIPSS-4 offerors team (as a prime or subcontractor)? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 70 | L.20 | Given that this is a CPFF IDIQ and the offerors were required to provide rate buildup in the original submission, if the offeror were to participate in the reverse auction, will it still have to provide detailed breakdown supporting the proposed fully loaded rates? If so, how will this backup be provided? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 71 | L.20 | How long does the Government anticipate the reverse auction process to take place? Is it expected to occur over the course of hours or multiple days? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 72 | L.8 | Due to the change in the period of performance, are revised sealed packages required from all proposed subcontractors? | No. | |
| 73 | ||||
| 73 | Section L.8.2 Page 5 | Should the electronic version on CD contain only the documents relevant to the amendment or should we submit all of the proposal with this amendment? | Offerors are required to re-submit Volume I - Revised Terms and Conditions Binder 1A in its entirety, which include Tabs A and B. Offerors are required to re-submit Volume III - Revised Price Proposal in its entirety which includes Tabs A, B, C, D, E, and F. | |
| 74 | SECTION L.12 BINDER III | Should the team partners (proposed sub contractors) also submit their revised proposals? | No. | |
| 75 | SECTION L.12 BINDER III Tab F, page 7 | It states "Major subcontractors are contractors, subcontractors, or vendors to the prime contractor who are budgeted to receive at least $3,500,001.00 or 20% of the total contract funds (whichever is less)". Earlier it was “Major subcontractors are contractors, subcontractors, or vendors to the prime contractor who are budgeted to receive at least $1,000,000.00 or 20% of the total contract funds (whichever is less).”. Please confirm what it is | Instructions included in Amendment 7, now Amendment 8, take precedence over the original RFP. | |
| 76 | L.8.1 Pg L-5 | Per L.8.1, Tab B of Binder 1A should contain signed copy of SF-33 and solicitation Sections B, J, L and M. Per L.10.2 Tab B shall include SF-33 and Sections B - K. |
| Please clarify. | For Volume I, Binder 1A, Tab B, offerors are required to sign and re-submit only those sections or subsections of B, J, L & M included in Amendment 7, now Amendment 8. | |||
| 77 | Section L.10.4, Page L-10 | Is the offeror required to submit Binder 1B with the Revised Price Proposal? | No. | |
| 78 | Section L.12, TAB C, Page L-19 | Please confirm that a written narrative explaining basis and methodology for proposed cost estimates is no longer required. (i.e., supporting documentation for pricing sources; mapping of its company labor category titles to the government labor category titles; current rates or escalated rates; indirect costs approval status; names and cost proposed for each subcontractor; and methodology for computing proposed other direct costs.) | Yes, that is correct. | |
| 79 | Reference Section L, paragraph L.10.2.1 Offer Acceptance Period. | The Government identifies a validity period of 240 days. Please clarify whether or not this is accurate and that the Government will still require eight (8) additional months to make award. | The offeror's acceptance period shall be for an additional 240 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of proposals in Amendment 8. | |
| 80 | Reference Section L, para. L.5; 52.237-10 Identification of Uncompensated Overtime (1997) subparagraph (b). | In this Section the Government cites its concern to unrealistically low labor rates, please clarify the concern for unrealistically low labor rates, when requiring that offerors participate in a reverse auction that inherently requires offerors to submit extremely and dangerously low rates in order to be “competitive”? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 81 | Section L-.8, Pg. L-6 | States that "Completed Past Performance Questionnaires shall be…." Question, if Vol. III is to be resubmitted, are new Past Performance Questionnaires to be submitted or do the original ones stand? | Past Performance Questionnaires are not being requested under Amendment 7, now Amendment 8. | |
| 82 | Section L.8.1, page L-7; Amendment 0007, page 6 | On page L-7 under Volume III Binder 3, Tab A lists Attachment J-2 - General Financial and Organizational Information. In the amendment under paragraph 8. Tab A lists Attachment J-1. Please confirm this should be Attachment J-1 - General Financial and Organizational Information. | Yes, that is correct. | |
| 83 | Section L.20, page L-22 | Will you please provide some insight as to why the Reverse Auction Procedures were added to the solicitation? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 84 | Section L.8.1, page L-5; Section L.10.2, page L-10; Amendment 0007, pages 3 and 4 | Please state whether only those sections or subsections included in Amendment 0007 are to be included in Volume I Tab B or whether the Sections are to be included in their entirety. (i.e., Section J is listed for inclusion in Tab B of Volume 1; however, only J.4 and J.1.1 were included in Amendment 0007. Is Vol I Tab B to include all of Section J or only J.4 and J.1.1?) | For Volume I Binder 1A Tab B, offerors are required to sign and re-submit only those sections or subsections of B, J, L & M included in Amendment 7, now Amendment 8. | |
| 85 | Section L.8.1, page L-5; Section L.10.2, page L-10; Amendment 0007, page 4 | If you are asking for Section J to be included in its entirety, are we to re-evaluate and resubmit all subsections? For example, Section J includes Past performance information. Are we to evaluate and submit more current past performance information if applicable? | Only those subsections of Section J included in Amendment 7, now Amendment 8, are to be re-submitted. | |
| 86 | Section L.5, page L-3 | L.5 sub-bullet numbering is incorrect | This is corrected in Amendment 8. | |
| 87 | Amendment 0007, Item 6, page 4; Section L.8.1, page L-6 | Section L includes Volume II – Technical Proposal instructions yet Volume II is not required for submission with this Amendment. Please verify that we are to disregard all Volume II instructions for purposes of the revised cost proposal / Amendment 0007 and confirm that Volume II is NOT required. | This is correct. | |
| 88 | Section L.10.3, page L-10; Amendment 0007, page 4 | L.10.3 calls for Tab C – Signed Amendments yet Amendment 0007 does not call for a Tab C. Please verify that we are to disregard L.10.3 | According to Amendment 7, the offeror shall provide a written narrative in Tab C of Volume III - Revised Price Proposal explaining the differences between the original and revised proposal amounts. | |
| 89 | Section L.8.1, Page L-7 | Tabs A, E, and F will be the same as the original proposal. Do we need to re-submit them in Volume III? | Yes | |
| 90 | Section L.14, Page L-21 | Tab C asks for the "differences between the original and revised proposal amounts". If IRS is asking for other than CPFF rates, the rates will not be comparable. What differences does IRS want explained? | Tab C requires a narrative explanation of the differences between the original and revised proposal amounts (for example, changes may be due to updated labor and/or indirect rates".) | |
| 91 | Section L.20, Page L-22-23 | Since small business offerors have to do 2 auctions (one for ITS and one for MBOSS/CS), will IRS schedule the auctions for 2 different dates? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 92 | Section L.20, Page L-22-23 | We understand that reverse auctions are typically restricted to commodity buys. In fact, there are articles about government "Best Practices" that advise they are not appropriate except when "there is a clear and concise statement of requirements," such as is more typical of commodities. How can this technique work effectively for procurement of subjectively described services that are not even defined at all except under later task orders? How will the cost/technical tradeoff work? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| Section M | ||||
| 93 | Amend 007; page 1; Section M - page M-2, M-11 | If the proposals are first to be verified by cost realism and competitiveness - resulting in a NTE value; how will you ensure that bidders do not go below their cost realism during the reverse auction process? By publishing the numbers as the auction progresses - companies may get the false idea of realistic pricing. Furthermore, some companies may be better able to take a loss to win business - than others. This does not create a fair playing field for all vendors and in the end may not result in best value to the government. | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 94 | Section M.4, Pg M-9 | Will reverse auction prices be established for each labor category by year? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 95 | Section M.4, Pg M-9 | Under Evaluation Criterion Factor 5 (Cost/Price), the Government states, “The Government will evaluate the offeror’s total proposed contract price for reasonableness using price analysis techniques described in FAR 15.404-1. Price analysis will be used to determine the competitive range” (emphasis added). That section of the FAR states that “Price analysis is the process of examining and evaluating a proposed price without evaluating its separate cost elements and proposed profit,” whereas “Cost analysis is the review and evaluation of the separate cost elements and profit in an offeror’s or contractor’s proposal (including cost or pricing data or information other than cost or pricing data), and the application of judgment to determine how well the proposed costs represent what the cost of the contract should be, assuming reasonable economy and efficiency.” If the Government intends to use Price Analysis rather than Cost Analysis, why does Attachment J.1.1 (Sample Pricing Schedule) break out cost from fee? | The Government's intent is for offerors to only provide the three elements in Attachment J.1.1 – NTE Cost, Profit and NTE Rate. The request for a detailed cost breakdown has been deleted. Section B.2.1 has been amended. Please see Amendment 8. | |
| 96 | Section M.4, Pg M-9 | Under Evaluation Criterion Factor 5 (Cost/Price), the Government states, “The Government will evaluate the offeror’s total proposed contract price for reasonableness using price analysis techniques described in FAR 15.404-1. Price analysis will be used to determine the competitive range” (emphasis added). FAR 15.306(c)(1) states that “Based on the ratings of each proposal against all evaluation criteria, the contracting officer shall establish a competitive range comprised of all of the most highly rated proposals” (emphasis added). What criteria will the Government use to determine the competitive range? | The competitive range will be established in accordance with Section M.4. Offerors will be evaluated against five factors. Factors 1 and 2 are of equal importance and when combined are more important than Factors 3 and 4 combined. Factors 3 and 4 are of equal importance. The two sub-factors under Factor 3 are of descending importance. These four technical factors combined will make up the proposal’s overall technical rating. Please note, Factor 5 is of less importance than the technical factors combined; however, the closer the proposal technical ratings are to one another, the more important cost/price consideration becomes in determining the best value to the Government. | |
| 97 | Section M.4, Pg M-9, Section M.3, Pg M-2 | HUBZone offerors may have additional cost factors imposed by statutory restrictions on where their offices may be located and where their employees must reside. The solicitation states that the Government “will be conducting SEPARATE competitions” for HUBZones, and "Comparisons will not be made across competitions." Does this mean that the determination of Competitive Range and the reverse auction for HUBZone offerors will be conducted among other HUBZone offerors only? | The determination of the Competitive Range for HUBZone offerors will be conducted among other HUBZone offerors only. The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 98 | Section M.3, Pg M-2 | The solicitation states that the Government “intends to award at least one contract to Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and one contract to HUBZone businesses.” Noting the use of the plural “HUBZone businesses,” is it the Government’s intention to award at least one contract to HUBZone businesses, with the goal of competition among HUBZone businesses for task orders? | The RFP should state; "The IRS intends to award at least one contract to Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and at least one contract to HUBZone businesses. Please see revision in Amendment 8. The use of the plural "HUBZone businesses" only reflects the grouping of all HUBZone business offerors. Additionally, HUBZone businesses will be competing with all small businesses for task order awards under the TIPSS-4 SB Contract. | |
| 99 | Section M.4, page 9 | How many awards does the government anticipate as a result of the reverse auction? | The Government does not know the anticipated number of awards. | |
| 100 | Section M.4, page 9 | Will the "proposed prices" in the reverse auction be the Total Price or Total by Year or by Labor Category rate or some other permutation? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 101 | Section M.4, Pg M-9 | Section M Evaluation Factors for Award Factor 5 Cost/Price “Offerors determined to be in the competitive range will then participate in a reverse auction during discussions to establish final offered prices”. Will the rates established at the conclusion of the reverse auction take precedence over the rates submitted with the proposal even if the reverse auction rates are higher than that proposal rates? Will the reverse auction process once again be invoked when task orders are competed among the contract holders? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 102 | Amendment 0007, page 1 (para.1) , Amendment 0007 page 9 (section M.4-Evalution Criteria) | Paragraph 1 on Amendment 0007 page 1 states: |
“Cost analysis will only be performed at the task order level based on agency requirements.”
Amendment 0007 page 9 (section M.4-Evaluation Criteria) paragraph 1 states:
Offerors determined to be in the competitive range will then participate in a reverse auction during discussions to establish final offered prices. These prices will be used in conjunction with the other non-price evaluation factors stated in the solicitation in order to make the award decision in accordance with the basis for award stated in Section M.3.
| Please clarify which of these statements is correct. The first indicates an analysis after award and the second indicates an analysis prior to award, which is correct? | The Government will evaluate the offeror's total proposed contract price using price analysis techniques described in FAR 15.404-1. Price analysis will be used to determine the competitive range. The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. Cost analysis will only be performed at the task order level. | |||
| 103 | Amendment 007, Pg 9 Section M.4 L2 | It is indicated in section M.4 Evaluation Criteria that price analysis will be used to determine the competitive range, and only those offerors in the competitive range will be invited to participate in the reverse auction. If it is determined that an offeror is outside of the competitive range does that mean the offeror has been eliminated to participate in TIPSS-4? | Yes. The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 104 | Amendment 7, Pg 1 Section M-4, Factor 5, Pg M-9 | In the first paragraph of Amendment 7 it states that the Government "may" utilize a reverse auctioning technique. Under Factor 6 in M.4, it states that offerors determined to be in the competitive range "will" then participate in a reverse auction. |
| Is the reverse auction optional? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |||
| 105 | Section M - Evaluation | Please clarify, what factor and impact the Reverse Auction will have in the basis of award determination | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 106 | Section M - Evaluation | Please provide insight into the Government's thought process as to how the Not To Exceed (NTE) rates and Reverse Auction will not be detrimental to Small Businesses since SBs generally don’t have enough scale to support the lower cost structures that can allow large companies lower price points on Labor Categories. | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 107 | Section M - Evaluation | Is the Government aware that if Large Primes prices are driven too low they will not be able to meet their SB goals since NTE rates mean that small business subcontractors will also have to be able to deliver at some level below those rates | In order to be considered responsive, Large Business offerors must meet all subcontracting plan goals identified in Attachment J.4. When Large Business offerors are establishing their NTE rates, they must take into account the rates of their subcontractors. | |
| 108 | Reference Section M; page M-9 FACTOR –Cost/Price. | Since offerors who are eligible to participate in the reverse auction have already achieved proposed rates that fall within a competitive range, is there any concern that the reverse auction might force offerors into rate structures that cannot support the attainment of personnel who meet the requirements of the contract? | The competitive range has yet to be determined. The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 109 | Reference Section M; page M-9 FACTOR – Cost/Price. | Given the reverse auction nature of this procurement, is the Government concerned that the final proposal revisions will result in rates that cannot be supported by any indirect cost structure? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. The NTE fully loaded hourly labor rates in the Labor Category Rate Table represent base labor rates, indirect burden (fringe, overhead, G&A, etc.), and profit associated with providing the required skill. | |
| 110 | Reference Section M. | The Government stated that while factors 1 – 4 are more important than factor 5 (Cost/Price), in the event factors 1-4 are close, and then factor 5 becomes more important. Because of the large number of competitors for this procurement, the likelihood of very close proposal rankings for factors 1-4 is high, therefore placing more importance on factor 5. Given such, is there any concern that the reverse auction will effect a cost shoot out creating a low bidder environment that would have the potential of negatively impacting successful bidder’s ability to fill positions for this contract? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. The Government intends to award contracts based on best value in accordance with Section M.3 of the RFP. | |
| 111 | Section M.4, Page M-9 | Once in the auction, will the technical factors still be important? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 112 | Section M | In TIRNO-09-R-00013 Section M Evaluation Factors for Award Factor 5 Cost/Price "Offerors determined to be in the competitive range will then participate in a reverse auction during discussions to establish final offered prices" Will the reverse auction process or price discounts be required when task orders are competed among the contract holders? | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| General Questions | ||||
| 113 | Amend 007 - general | How will the Competitive Range be determined since that’s the entry point to the Reverse Auction? | The competitive range will be determined based upon Section M.4 of the RFP. The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. | |
| 114 | Amend 007 - general | What factor and impact the Reverse Auction will have in the basis of award determination | The Government will not use Reverse Auctioning in the price analysis of this solicitation. |
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