Q&A_Solicitation_Vol._I.docx

Detroit Arsenal Information Technology (IT) Services: Question & Answer Vol. I

1. Does this solicitation have incumbents and if so do you have their name(s)?

The incumbents are United Business Technologies and Caelum Research Corporation.

2. Will there be any type of industry day related to this solicitation in the coming months?

No, an industry day will not be held for this requirement.

3. As stated in the solicitation, performance is the prime indicator when choosing a vendor, we have the experience to conduct the work but have no performance history with the DOD, would you advise teaming/sub-contracting with another vendor with the appropriate history.

Please see Section L.5.1.7 for information about Joint Venture.

4. The draft stated: “C.1.4.8.2 Facility Clearance: If the contractor does not have a current and valid facility clearance the Contractor shall request a Form DD254 from the requiring office (CIO/G6) at time of award. Contractor shall submit the completed Form DD254 to the TACOM G2 office within 2 business days after award of the contract.”

The solicitation states: Section C.1.4.6.2 states that "Facility Clearance: The contractor shall have a current and valid secret facility clearance or above prior to the time of award."

If the contractor has a Top Secret Clearance but not a Secret Facility Clearance, can this JV still bid for the opportunity?

Obtaining a Secret Facility Clearance is a mandatory requirement for this effort. If a contractor does not possess a Secret Facility Clearance by time of proposal, they are not eligible for award. Sections A, C, L, and M of the RFP will be amended to reflect this requirement.

5. Page 120: L.5.1.5: Facility Clearance: In a JV, do you require both the members to have a facility clearance at the time of submission of response? If only one of the members have a facility clearance, do you consider the response as “not meeting the requirement?”

Both entities will need to apply for clearances once the award has been finalized.

6. Page 117: L.4.1.1: Past Performance (PP): Meeting the PP requirement of “providing services involving at least 50 FTEs in the past 3 years” puts many 8(a) companies at a disadvantage and it favors only the incumbents. Revising the requirement to include PP that supports the functional areas/labor categories or meeting the quality standards such as Capability Maturity Model for Integration (CMMI) level 3 or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 would be more appropriate than quantitative requirements. Revising the length of time to 10 years rather than 3 past years would also increase competition involving many qualified 8(a) small businesses.

It is standard to ask for relevant contracts within the past 3 years. This criteria will not be changed.