W564KV25RA009 Attachment 07 Questions and Answers 03 March 2025.pdf

Solicitation Questions and Answers

W564KV-25-R-A009

Attachment 07: Questions and Answers

03 March 2025

KOSOVO SECURITY GUARD SERVICES

1. Continuation of Deliveries or Performance (p. 6) / Continuation of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs, Page 3. The PoP is only 10 months with an option for an additional 6 months. What is the procurement strategy going forward? Does the Government intend to contract for services under some other vehicle (e.g., Global Protective Services, etc.)?

Government answer: The intended procurement strategy going forward (after the 10 month with the 6 month option concludes) is to contract for the services under the Global Protective Services vehicle, if it is available in time for re-procurement.

2. General (No Specific ORFP Reference) I was looking at your Kosovo bid and wanted to know who the incumbent is and if they are bidding for this contract?

Government answer: The Guard services at Camp Bondsteel Kosovo are currently being performed by CONTINUITY GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LLC. We do not know/cannot confirm which vendors intend to propose on this action.

3. Attach 1 Performance Work Statement (PWS). Section 5.2.2.5 states, “Guard Positions shall be staffed at a minimum in three (3) eight (8) hour shifts at the staffing levels prescribed in the Technical Reference #4” Would the Government please confirm guards are currently working 8-hour shifts?

Government answer: Current work shifts are established by the Performance Work Statement on that contract, which may be different from the PWS for this solicitation.

Offerors are reminded to propose in accordance with the requirements in the PWS listed in this solicitation (W564KV25R009) as Attachment 1 and using the latest amended version, if amended.

4. Attach 1 PWS. Section 5.2.2.5 states, “Daily minimum staffing requirements per shift are approximately for five (5) armed supervisors, thirty-five (35) armed guards, and six (6) unarmed guards.”

a. Can the Government provide current contractor staffing levels by labor category (Supervisor, Armed, Unarmed guards)?

Government answer:

a. Current contractor's current staffing levels are established by the Performance Work Statement on that contract, which may be different from the PWS for this solicitation. Offerors are reminded to propose in accordance with the requirements in this PWS.

b. Would the Government please confirm minimum staffing requirements as specified in the PWS are currently being fulfilled by the incumbent contractor?

Government answer:

b. Minimum staffing levels on the current contract are established by the Performance Work Statement on that contract, which may be different from the PWS for this solicitation. Offerors are reminded to propose in accordance with the requirements in this PWS.

c. Can the Government confirm that the RFP’s staffing requirements and quantities are consistent with the current contract’s staffing requirements? If they are not, can the Government indicate if the staffing has increased or decreased from the previous two years and if so, by how many hours?"

Government answer:

c. Overall staffing requirements and quantities on the current contract are established by the Performance Work Statement on that contract, which may be different from the PWS for this solicitation. Offerors are reminded to propose in accordance with the requirements in this PWS.

5. Attach 1 PWS.PWS Section 5.2.2.9, states that the Contractor must be able to adjust work schedules and personnel for increased staffing due to increased operations as required by the Government for protection of installations, personnel, and facilities. During these short-term increases, the contractor shall have the capability to increase the armed guard shift by up to twenty-five percent (25%) within two

(2) hours and up to fifty percent (50%) within four (4) hours of notification. It is anticipated that short-term increases/surge operations would not exceed seven days in duration.

PWS Section 5.2.2.1, says that the Contractor shall provide for the minimum guard staffing for services in accordance with Section 8.3 Technical Reference #3: Estimated Workload Data and Section 8.4 Technical Reference #4: Security Guard Minimum Staffing Requirements. These hours may increase or decrease by 10%, with no adjustment to the contract price.

a. Contractors understand the 10% potential increase for staffing as stated in PWS Section 5.2.2.1 with no adjustment to the contract price.

However, as reflected in PWS 5.2.2.9, should circumstances dictate that Contractor personnel are required to perform from 25%, up to 50% increase for surge labor, will the Government reimburse the contractor for this increase in cost?

Government answer:

a. The government will not reimburse the contractor for this temporarily adjusted daily staffing for circumstances described within these sections.

b. If not, where should contractors include the potential short-term increases/surge pricing within their cost proposal and on the Continuation of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs document (Section B Table)?

Government answer:

b. Contractors may incorporate their estimates of the potential surge events within the firm-fixed-price for each CLIN. There is no separate pricing mechanism.

6. Attach 2 Government Furnished Property (GFP). The list of GFP states there are 168 M-4 and 9mm weapons for contractor use.

Are weapons individually assigned to each armed guard, and are these the same weapons the guards train and qualify with?

Government answer: Attachment 2, list of GFP, shows the maximum quantity of GFP which the contractor is authorized to receive.

There is no guarantee that the contractor will receive the maximum quantity of GFP listed, and the contractor may in some instances receive less than the maximum.

There are currently fewer weapons available than there are guards, therefore some guards will need to share weapons. These are the same weapons the guards train and quality with.

7. Attach 1 PWS. PWS Section 3.1.2 states that take out meals will be provided to personnel on shift.

…The contractor shall be responsible for pick-up and return of containers to the DFAC.

Government answer:

The Contractor is responsible for picking up and delivering the meals.

a. Are guards permitted to eat at posts while on duty? If not, does the government’s estimate of hours include enough relief personnel to provide coverage of posts while employees break for meals and bathroom breaks?

Government answer:

a. The guards are permitted to eat while on duty.

b. Are food runners included in the government’s estimated staffing shown in Table 2 of section 8.3? Do the food runners provide post relief while the guard eats their meal?

Government answer:

b. The runners are included in the staffing shown in PWS Section 8.4, Technical Exhibit #4:

Security Guard Minimum Staffing Requirements (refer to Patrol/Random Vehicle Inspection Team (Delta)).

c. Also, does the Government’s staffing tables account for all non-post related time for the workforce to include training hours and vacation time?

Government answer:

c. The total minimum estimated staffing levels are calculated based on factors in Army Regulation (AR) 190-13. The required minimum daily staffing is 120. Although the total minimum estimated staffing is 168 using the factors in AR 190-13, the contractor is responsible for determining its appropriate staffing levels in order to meet the minimum daily staffing required by the solicitation. (Refer to Section 8.4. Technical Exhibit #4: Security Guard Minimum Staffing Requirements).

8. Attach 1 PWS. Section 5.2.2.2 of the PWS states “The break down for total annual hours is for the following Guard Categories: FPOC Supervisors, Supervisors, Armed Guards, and Unarmed Guards” Section 8.3 Tables 1 and 2 only identify Supervisory Guards/Supervisors in the requirements.

There is no FPOC Supervisor listed in either table. Is the FPOC Supervisor included in the counts shown in Tables 1 and 2, or is this an additional Supervisor needed for the Operations Center?

Government answer: FPOC Supervisor is listed on 8.4 Technical Reference #4 under the line "Force Protection Operations Center Supervisor" with quantity "1" in the Armed column. It is directly underneath "Lead Shift Supervisor (Sierra 2)".

The five (5) supervisors within 8.3 Table 2 are: ACP-1 Shift Supervisor, ACP-3 Shift Supervisor, Chief-of-the-Guard (COTG) (Sierra 1), Lead Shift Supervisor (Sierra 2), and Force Protection Operations Center Supervisor.

9. Addendum to 52.212-1. Please confirm that Offerors need to only provide their CAGE Code in this section, and that the Government will verify their Facility Security Clearance.

Government answer: Per 52.212-1(b) addendum, Volume II – Technical Proposal, Factor 1, Subfactor 1: Facility Security Clearance;

“Offerors shall represent in their proposal whether they possess or do not possess, a current valid SECRET Facility Security Clearance at the time of proposal submission. The representation shall include that their SECRET Facility Security Clearance is linked to their Industrial CAGE Code Key used in the proposal”;

And per 52.212-2 Addendum to Evaluation, Basis for Award, d. FACTOR 1 -Technical, a.

Subfactor 1: Facility Security Clearance;

“In order to receive an "Acceptable" rating for this subfactor, the offeror must possess a current, valid SECRET Facility Security Clearance at the time of proposal submission. The U.S.

Government will verify the offeror's Facility Security Clearance through the National Industrial Security System”.

10. Addendum to 52.212-1. Regarding the requirement to describe the Offeror’s “Recruitment, hiring, and training of all required personnel IAW PWS 1.13, 1.14, 5.2.9, and Technical Exhibit #4,” are Offerors required to provide resumes and Letters of Intent for their proposed Key Personnel in their proposals? If yes, will these be exempt from the page limit?

Government answer: No, offerors are not required to provide resumes and Letters of Intent for their proposed Key Personnel. Therefore, there is no need to make an exception to the page limits except for the ones already listed under Addendum 52.212-1.

11. General (No Specific ORFP Reference). Is this opportunity limited to only the BPA holders or is it open to any company to bid?

Government answer: This opportunity is NOT limited to only the BPA holders. It is open to any company that meets the requirements to submit a proposal.

12. General (No Specific ORFP Reference). Will the USG accept Joint Venture agreements between a BPA holder and a non-BPA holder company if only BPA holders can submit a proposal?

Government answer: It will be considered an offer outside the BPA umbrella. Revised 52.212-1 Volume I section provides greater clarity as to what to submit when proposing a Joint Venture.

13. General (No Specific ORFP Reference). Will a Teaming Agreement between a Non-US Company and a US Company be acceptable where the non-US company will be the prime contractor, and the US Company will be the subcontractor who will be responsible to provide the US Personnel with Secret Clearance.

Government answer: A Contractor team arrangement in accordance with (IAW) FAR 9.601 parts

(1) or (2) is acceptable. There is no restriction about whether a non-US company can be the prime contractor.

PWS Sections 1.13.2 and 1.13.3 require that specific management positions have Secret Security Clearances. PWS 4.1 requires that the contractor possess and maintain a secret facility clearance. In the case of a prime contractor that subcontracts to another contractor, the prime contractor must hold a secret facility clearance.

The language of the Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors states that "Offerors shall represent in their proposal whether they possess or do not possess, a current valid SECRET Facility Security Clearance at the time of proposal submission." This means that it must be the prime contractor who has the Secret Facility Clearance.

Revised 52.212-1 Volume I section provides greater clarity as to what to submit when proposing a teaming arrangement.

14. Attach 1 - PWS/ Proposal Instructions. Is the Kosovo Security License required to be submitted with the BID or after the award?

Government answer: IAW PWS 1.40, the licenses must be provided prior to providing guard services. Del #17 requires licenses prior to start of contract. Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 requires that offerors provide under "Subfactor 2: Phase-in plan” its plan under item b to obtain the permits and licenses, and under "Subfactor 3: Management Plan" its plan to maintain permits and licenses.

Submission of both plans are required with the proposal; however, the submission of the actual license is required prior to contract start date for CLIN 0001 (meaning during the phase-in period) if it is the awardee.

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15. On the current contract, all off-duty personnel are allowed to utilize the DFAC without incurring any cost. Will the USG continue to allow “off-duty” personnel to utilize the DFAC at “No Cost”? If not, then will the USG revise the solicitation to include the cost for meals (e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner and after hours, etc.)?

Government Answer: The requirement under PWS 3.1.2 will remain unchanged. Off-duty personnel may not utilize the DFAC at “No Cost.”

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16. Site Visit/Labor. It is our understanding that current wages for armed guards and supervisors are very low and pose considerable risk to staffing this contract with U.S. personnel. Can the Government provide floor rates for hourly wages for the labor categories on this contract? Is there any directive, agreement, or ruling declaring a minimum wage that bidders must comply with or a directive/agreement/ruling that has been determined for the new contract but not publicized in the solicitation that bidders need to be aware of?

Government answer: The Government has not established any floor rates for the labor categories on the contract. The Government is not aware of any specific directives, agreements, or rulings related to minimum wage specifically for this procurement for offerors to comply with. However, Offerors are reminded that they are responsible for ascertaining and complying with all applicable U.S and Host Nation laws to include applicable labor law See, for example, DFARS 252.222-7002, Compliance with Local Labor Laws (Overseas), which is incorporated into the solicitation.

17. Labor. Can the Government provide a seniority list of incumbent personnel indicating how long each has been employed on the current contract?

Government answer: No, as this is a non-personal services contract, and a list of this type would include incumbent contractor’s private information. Further, the Government does not possess this information.

18. FAR Clause 52.228-3 (Defense Base Act). Workers Compensation Insurance (DBA) costs In consultation with our DBA provider, it is known that there is a high volume of DBA claims submitted for work in this location. Without the specific Run/Loss data associated with this specific task order, there will be a high variability in DBA quotes associated with this work. Additionally, obtaining DBA policies/quotes are difficult to get for performance periods beyond 12 months.

a. Given these considerations, would the Government consider incorporating a separate CLIN for DBA to be a cost-reimbursable CLIN on this contract?

Government answer: No. The Government will not incorporate a separate CLIN for DBA.

b. Would the Government provide the prior year’s Run/Loss data with incidents/claims from this project site?

Government answer: The Government does not have this information available.

c. Does the Government require proof of DBA coverage via a quote of coverage from a DBA provider to be included in the proposal?

Government answer: No, proof of DBA coverage does not need to be included with the proposal. The Government does expect the awardee to comply with the DBA and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas clauses FAR 52.228-3 and FAR 52.228-4.

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