Questions and Answers June 25 2021.docx

Solicitation W56HZV-20-R-0101 Questions & Answers – Posted June 11, 2021:

1- RFP Section L-26, pg. 189 The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated TBD, during periods of crisis. The Continuation of Essential Contractor Services is not identified in Section L as a specific deliverable. However, L-26 requires it to be delivered with the submission (proposal). Will the Government please clarify when this is due, and where in the proposal it should be located, if due with the proposal?

Answer: The references to Continuation of Essential Contractor Services may apply at the Task Order Level. Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests.

2- RFP Section H.12, pg. 36 A small business (SB) subcontracting requirement may be included in a TOR. Does the Government expect a separate subcontracting plan for each TOR or a contract level subcontracting plan that is updated with each TOR?

Answer: For subject RFP, such plan is not required. A Small Business Subcontracting Plan will apply at the Task Order (TO) level for any TO that causes the value of a contract to exceed $750,000 and that has subcontracting possibilities. Updates to Small Business Subcontracting Plans may be required at the TO level.

3 - RFP Section L.5.1 pg. 195 Provide a scanned image of a signed copy of the SF33 cover page, a copy of all completed fill-ins for Sections A through K, and (if applicable) a signed copy of all Amendments to the solicitation. Please confirm that pricing information is not required in Section B, as Pricing is not part of this RFP evaluation.

Answer: Confirming that pricing information is not required in Section B as Cost/Price is not part of this RFP evaluation.

4 - RFP Section H.11.41 pg.34 Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan. Is this plan required with the proposal? If so, what are the submission requirements?

Answer: In the event Offeror identifies any potential OCI situations prior to proposal submittal, Offeror shall notify the Contracting Officer. An Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan may be required IAW Sections L.2.4.2 and H.11.4.1.

Solicitation W56HZV-20-R-0101 Questions & Answers – Posted June 25, 2021:

5 - RFP Section L-26 pg. 189 The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated TBD, during periods of crisis.Will the Government be providing the referenced attachment for Mission Essential Contractor Services?

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such attachment at the IDIQ level. If applicable, such attachment may be provided at the Task Order level.

6 - RFP Section L.4.2 pg. 195 All Offerors (Large and Small Businesses) shall submit Attachment 001 which identifies a list of one or more small business concern(s). Are Offerors required to submit Attachment 001 as an .xlsx file (Excel), or may we provide the required information within a Word or PDF document?

Answer: Attachment 001 may be provided in any acceptable file format listed in L.2.2.2.3

7 - Provide a scanned image of a signed copy of the SF33 cover page, a copy of all completed fill-ins for Sections A through K, and (if applicable) a signed copy of all Amendments to the solicitation. Please confirm that pricing information is not required in Section B, as Pricing is not part of this RFP evaluation.

Answer: Confirming that pricing information is not required in Section B as Cost/Price is not part of this RFP evaluation.

8 - RFP Section B pg. 4-6 Blank spaces under “Amount” column for each Ordering Year. Will the Government please clarify what, if anything, is required to be completed in Section B, and if pricing is required, specifically reference the details of the requirement by Solicitation paragraph(s) and/or Exhibit(s) that demonstrate how Section B is to be completed Answer: Confirming that pricing information is not required in Section B as Cost/Price is not part of this RFP evaluation.

9 - RFP Section H.11.41pg. 34 Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan. Is this plan required with the proposal? If so, what are the submission requirements?

Answer: An Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan is required IAW Section L.2.4.2 and H.11.4.1 in the event offeror identifies any potential OCI situations prior to proposal submittal.

10 - RFP Section L.4.1.2 USG stated relevance requirement is that the business has to have recent prime contract experience within 3 years of the date of this RFP. However, this RFP is for a 5 year period - as are most USG contracts. Small businesses, by dint of being small, often don't have resources to perform as prime on multiple contracts, so experience tends to be serial and not parallel. In order to provide for a more balanced proposal field, would the USG consider enlarging the relevance period to 5 years, as has often been the norm, instead of 3 years?

Answer: USG has given consideration to this request to extend the recency period to 5 years. However, the determination is to keep the recency period to 3 years.

11 - NP – What Federal Supply Code applies to this solicitation?

Answer: The Federal Supply Code is R425.

12 - RFP Section L.26 Offeror must provide a “written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD”. Offeror must provide a “written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD”. No attachment or reference provided with RFQ. Is there an attachment forthcoming?

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such attachment at the IDIQ level. If applicable, such attachment may be provided at the Task Order level.

13 - RFP Section H.11.4.1 H.11.4.1 States the contractor shall provide an Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan when it intends to provide services. Does our offer in response to the solicitation meet this definition? If yes, in which volume will this information be placed?

Answer: Section H.11.4.1 does not apply to proposal submission but is rather a special clause that shall be followed in the event offeror recognizes a potential or existing conflict of interest in performance of this contract. Section L.2.4 provides instructions prior to award and it instructs offerors to notify the PCO immediately of any conflicts, even prior to proposal submission.

14 - RFP Section L.26 525.237-7024 - States “The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated TBD, during periods of crisis.” Is this required to be provided with our offer for the IDIQ or in response to TO’s? If yes, please provide the referenced document.

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such attachment at the IDIQ level. If applicable, such attachment may be provided at the Task Order level.

15 – RFP Section L.4.1.3 Will bidding on a single Category/Task type as defined in Section L.4.1.3 limit the Contractor’s ability to bid on certain types of Task Orders after award of the MA-IDIQ?

Answer: No.

16 - RFP Section L Does the list of small business candidates (Attachment 001) need to be limited to small businesses that would be used in support of the Category/Task as defined in Section L.4.1.3 or can it include small businesses that would be used for any of the work within the Statement of Work (SOW) Section C?

Answer: It can include small businesses that would be used for any of the work within the Statement of Work (SOW) Section C that the offeror “commits to providing, to the maximum extent practicable, opportunities for performance under this contract” (Ref L.4.2) 17 - Are bidders allowed to redact pricing from submitted contract documentation?

Answer: Yes 18 - RFP Section L-26 pg.189 Please explain whether the 252.237-7024 Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services Plan is part of the TS3 ERS proposal or designated for future task orders. If it is part of the proposal, please provide the location for the plan in the proposal.

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such attachment at the IDIQ level. If applicable, such attachment may be provided at the Task Order level.

19 - Section I Clauses - Will the USG accept those specific pages with fill-ins rather than inserting the entire 119 pages of Section I into Volume 3?

Answer: Yes.

20 - RFP Section L-26 Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services, (b) states “The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated TBD, during periods of crisis.” Where is the reference to essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD? Can the Government clarify and provide additional guidance on providing a written plan as stated in L-26?

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such attachment at the IDIQ level. If applicable, such attachment may be provided at the Task Order level.

Answer: Yes.

22- Please confirm that a Pricing submission is not required for this proposal.

Answer: Confirming that pricing information is not required in Section B as Cost/Price is not part of this RFP evaluation.

23 - Please confirm that if the Experience Contract submitted is a Task Order under an IDIQ, then Offeror should submit executed contract cover sheets and PWSs for BOTH the IDIQ and the task order.

Answer: Pursuant to L.4.1.4.4.(e)&(f), both must be submitted.

24- Please confirm that if a ERS contract is awarded based on a proposal on one Task, the Offeror will still be able to bid on all future ERS task orders for all Task types and Categories.

Answer: Yes. Offerors will still be able to propose on all future ERS task orders.

25 - As there is a heavy emphasis on OCONUS work on the current ERS IDIQ, please confirm there is no OCONUS experience requirement for this Solicitation.

Answer: Experience with a task listed in L.4.1.3 is not required to be performed OCONUS.

26 – RFP Sections H.12, H.13, I-285 52.219-9, L.4.2, M.4.2 35-36, 36, 110-116, 195, 199 H.12.1 This section does not apply if: 1) an approved comprehensive small business subcontracting plan, established under DFARS Subpart 219.7, applies; or, 2) a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is not required pursuant to FAR 52.219-9(a).Please provide the goals for the subcontracting plan at the IDIQ level.

Answer: For subject RFP, such plan is not required. A Small Business Subcontracting Plan will apply at the Task Order (TO) level for any TO that causes the value of a contract to exceed $750,000 and that has subcontracting possibilities. Updates to Small Business Subcontracting Plans may be required at the TO level.

27 - RFP Sections H.12, H.13, I-285 52.219-9, L.4.2, M.4.2 pg.35-36, 36, 110-116, 195, 199 H.13.1 A small business (SB) subcontracting requirement may be included in a Task Order Request (TOR). This requirement will apply to both SBs and OTSBs. SBs can propose to meet the SB subcontracting requirement via its own performance. If this requirement is added, the TOR will identify the percentage of fully-loaded labor dollars to be subcontracted to SB concerns for each period of performance, not including any phase-in period. The Government will reject a contractors proposal that fails to comply with this requirement at the time of proposal submission. We assume the Subcontracting Plan goals sum to the IDIQ level and those goals are not applicable to every Task Order Request (TOR); Is this assumption correct?

Answer: For subject RFP, such plan is not required. A Small Business Subcontracting Plan will apply at the Task Order (TO) level for any TO that causes the value of a contract to exceed $750,000 and that has subcontracting possibilities. Updates to Small Business Subcontracting Plans may be required at the TO level.

28 – RFP Sections L.4.2, M.4.2 pg.195, 199 All Offerors (Large and Small Businesses) shall submit Attachment 001 which identifies a list of one or more small business concern(s)(which includes the subcategories of Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned SB, HUBZone SB, Veteran-Owned SB and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned SB) that it commits to providing, to the maximum extent practicable, opportunities for performance under this contract. SB Offerors may meet this requirement using work they perform themselves. We assume the Small Participation Plan is based on Total Contract Value (TCV) at the IDIQ level. Is this assumption correct?

Answer: Since Cost/Price is not part of this RFP evaluation, offerors are not required to submit the total combined dollar value and percentage of work to be performed by both large and small businesses. Attachment 001 shall include a list of one or more small businesses that would be used for any of the work within the Statement of Work (SOW) Section C that the offeror “commits to providing, to the maximum extent practicable, opportunities for performance under this contract” (Ref L.4.2)

29 – RFP Sections L.4.2, M.4.2 pg. 195, 199 Offerors' proposal will be rated either Acceptable or Unacceptable for the Small Business Participation Factor. A proposal with a rating of Acceptable will be considered to be technically acceptable offer for this Factor. An Unacceptable rating will result in being determined a non-qualifying proposal. In the event a proposal fails to address the requirements set forth in Section L.4.2, the proposal will be rated Unacceptable and determined non-qualifying. Please provide the goals based on Total Contract Value (TCV) for the Small Business Participation Plan at the IDIQ level.

Answer: Since Cost/Price is not part of this RFP evaluation, offerors are not required to submit the total combined dollar value and percentage of work to be performed by both large and small businesses. Attachment 001 shall include a list of one or more small businesses that would be used for any of the work within the Statement of Work (SOW) Section C that the offeror “commits to providing, to the maximum extent practicable, opportunities for performance under this contract” (Ref L.4.2) 30 - RFP Section L.4.2 pg. 195 All Offerors (Large and Small Businesses) shall submit Attachment 001 which identifies a list of one or more small business concern(s). Regarding Attachment 001, Subcontractors and Vendors will be identified at the Task Order level, not at the IDIQ level. Does Attachment 001 need to be completed with Subcontractor and Vendor information at the IDIQ level?

Answer: Attachment 001 needs to be completed and submitted at the IDIQ level to include small businesses that the offeror “commits to providing, to the maximum extent practicable, opportunities for performance under this contract” (Ref L.4.2).

31 - RFP Section L. 4. 1. 3 pg 194 Paragraph L. 4. 1. 3 says "The offeror is limited to propose to only one experience task." Does this mean that after award the offerers will limited to proposing to Task Orders (TO) only to the proposed experience task or will awardee's be eligible to propose to all experience tasks TO's?

Answer: No. Offerors will not be limited to only the proposed experience task. The one task is for evaluation purposes only.

32 - RFP Section L-26 pg 189 (b) The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated TBD, during periods of crisis. The offeror shall—

(1) Identify provisions made for the acquisition of essential personnel and resources, if necessary, for continuity of operations for up to 30 days or until normal operations can be resumed;

(2) Address in the plan, at a minimum --

(i) Challenges associated with maintaining essential contractor services during an extended event, such as a pandemic that occurs in repeated waves;

(ii) The time lapse associated with the initiation of the acquisition of essential personnel and resources and their actual availability on site;

(iii) The components, processes, and requirements for the identification, training, and preparedness of personnel who are capable of relocating to alternate facilities or performing work from home;

(iv) Any established alert and notification procedures for mobilizing identified ``essential contractor service'' personnel; and

(v) The approach for communicating expectations to contractor employees regarding their roles and responsibilities during a crisis.

Will the Government please provide the proposal location offerors are to provide the information required per Section L-26?

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such information at the IDIQ level. If applicable, necessary information will be provided at the Task Order level.

33 - RFP Section L pg. 189 L-26 252.237.7024 b) The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform essential contract services listed in Attachment TBD Mission Essential Contractor Services dated TBD during period of risk. Please provide guidance on what specific documentation should be submitted as evidence of the offeror's status as the successor company.

Answer: Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests. Government will not be providing such information at the IDIQ level. If applicable, necessary information will be provided at the Task Order level.

34 - RFP Section I and L, I-274(c)(1) Reference: “The Mission-Essential Contractor Services Plan submitted by the Contractor is incorporated in this contract.”

L-26(b) Reference: “The offeror shall provide with its offer a written plan describing how it will continue to perform the essential contractor services listed in attachment TBD, Mission Essential Contractor Services, dated TBD, during periods of crisis.”

Does the Government require the Mission-Essential Contractor Services Plan to be submitted with the proposal or should the Plan be submitted in response to Task Orders? If this Plan is required with this IDIQ proposal, in which Volume and Section of the proposal does the Government want the referenced Plan? How do we address the TBD attachment and TBD date?

Answer: The references to Continuation of Essential Contractor Services may apply at the Task Order Level. Solicitation provision, DFARS 252.237-7024, Notice of Continuation of Essential Contractor Services will be removed from this RFP since it is more applicable to future Task Order Requests.