PreProposal_Conference_and_Site_Visit_Questions_and_Answers_-_Final.pdf

Pre-Proposal Conference/Site Visit Questions and Answers

1. Can you go over the CIMS certification, and what if you are not currently certified?

Yes, the CIMS certification is a requirement in accordance with (IAW) Performance Work Statement (PWS) 1.6.2., which states, the contractor shall maintain ISSA CIMS-GB certification throughout the contract period. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors, paragraph D.2.b.(6)(a)(1), “the offeror shall submit a copy of its current ISSA CIMS-GB certificate or submit supporting documentation of capability to obtain ISSA CIMS-GB certification within 30 calendar days of contract start date. The supporting documentation shall be of substantive, objective evidence (e.g., letter from ISSA) that the offeror will be ISSA CIMS-GB certified within 30 calendar days of contract’s start date. A team member or major subcontractor’s ISSA CIMS-GB certification may not be used to satisfy the ISSA CIMS-GB certification for a prospective prime contractor”. Please pay attention to the “objective evidence” requirement, as an email stating you applied for certification or that you have an inspection pending is not the objective evidence required by FAR Addendum to 52.212-1. Also, if your certification is going to expire prior to contract award, I would include “objective evidence” of your renewal in your proposal submission so that you meet the certification requirements of PWS 1.6.2. and FAR Addendum to 52.212-1.

2. Is there are cost for badges IAW PWS 1.11.1.?

No, there is not a contractor cost associated with the installation or hospital badging requirements.

3. Who has to do the “in-between” case cleaning and “pre-cleaning”?

The contractor does IAW PWS 5.6.3.

4. Is there a particular format (Word, Excel, etc.) for Deliverables like the Defect Report, Scheduling?

No, there is not a particular file format, like Microsoft Word or Excel, so it is up to you and the COR to determine what the acceptable format is. However, the contents of the deliverables is defined in the PWS and Exhibit B, so ensure you meet those requirements for Deliverables.

5. Is exterior window cleaning for all buildings or just the main hospital?

Please see Attachment 1 to the solicitation and it lists the windows that required cleaning, which includes WAMC and those MTFs in the HSA of WAMC.

6. If multiple offerors receive a Past Performance Evaluation Rating of Substantial Confidence, is there a scale within this rating that would score one of the offers higher?

No, there is not a scale within the confidence ratings. The evaluation process is outlined in full in the FAR Addendum to 52.212-2, and there is not any part of the evaluation process that is not fully disclosed in this section. Furthermore, please review the entire FAR Addendum to 52.212-2, specifically paragraph A, which states, “This is a competitive best value source selection in which an offeror’s past performance history will be evaluated on a basis of being slightly more important than price…..This may result in an award being made to a higher-rated, higher-priced offeror, where the KO determines that the benefits of past and present performance offered by the offeror outweigh the cost difference”.

7. If I only submit Type I services without the required Square Feet (SF), will I meet the Past Performance requirements for recency and relevancy?

No, IAW the Addendum to FAR 52.212-2, paragraph C.(1) – (2). Please review the requirements of this section in detail and ensure you submit the past performance that meets this recency and relevancy criteria. For example, if you submit in your past performance a contract that you were awarded today, that had Types I – VI with at least 1.3M SF, you do not meet the requirement for a total of 24 months of the previous 36 months from the date established for the submission of proposals. Since the solicitation closes on 1 November 2019, you only have 2 weeks of past performance which does not total 24 months of the previous 36 months. Same goes if you have a facility with at least 1.3M SF, for 48 months of the last 48 months, but it only has Type III and Type V Services.

This does not meet the recency and relevancy criteria as it does not have all the Types of Services (I – VI). Also, please note IAW FAR Addendum to 52.212-2, paragraph C.1.b., which states, “Offerors with no relevant past or present performance history shall receive the rating “Unknown Confidence” meaning the rating is treated neither favorably nor unfavorably”.

8. What is the difference between sanitized and unsanitized CD? And how do we address past contracts in the sanitized CD without identifying ourselves?

A sanitized CD is Volume II of your proposal (technical) without any identifying information about your company. An unsanitized CD is all Volumes (I – IV) of your proposal that are not sanitized, removing your company information. This is done to protect the integrity of the evaluation process, as we provide the Source Selection Technical Board (SSEB) with the sanitized version of your proposal during evaluations. For example, if you say in your technical proposal that you completed phase-in or five years at Fort XYZ successfully, that may identify you to the SSEB if they know what contractor is currently at Fort XYZ. You could instead say you completed X number of phase-in’s or five year contracts for the Department of Defense and that could be any number of contractors and not self-identify your company. Use sound judgement when determining what information to sanitize and be sure to follow the sanitization requirements IAW FAR Addendum to 52.212-1, paragraph D.2.b.(1). Also, be careful of simply using “Control F” to “Find and Replace” your company name, employee names, bases, etc. because this often does not catch each and every case of unsanitized information.

9. Should the union price/fees be included or excluded for the price matrix?

As referenced in the Pre-proposal slides, this is a Firm-Fixed-Price contract.

Therefore, your prices shall include all the costs you expect to incur during the life of the contract. The Attachment 3, Price Matrix, or the solicitation CLIN structure, does not contain a Union CLIN. The CLINs are broken out by CMR, Buildings, RMW, Linen, Phase-In, Post-Award Conference, and Deliverables only. We expect to see your costs of the union fees included in the costs you propose for these CLINs. Furthermore, with this being a competitive requirement, we won’t see any pricing information break out, other than what is required in the Attachment 3, Price Matrix.

10. Will a supply list be provided?

No, a current contractor supply list will not be provided as the government does not have access to this information. If you want to obtain this information, you would have to contact the incumbent contractor with this request, although it is doubtful in a competitive requirement that they would provide this to you. Please use the PWS and the information in Attachment 1 to assist you in determining your supply list contents.

11. Is the CIMS-GB requirement allow for an equivalent certification to be acceptable?

No, there is not an acceptable alternative to the CIMS-GB certification IAW PWS 1.6.2.

12. Is it okay for the Prime or the Sub to have the certification, or does the Prime have to have the certification too?

In accordance with FAR Addendum to 52.212-1, paragraph D.2.b.(6)(a)(1), “a team member or major subcontractor’s ISSA CIMS-CB certification may not be used to satisfy the ISSA CIMS-GB certification for a prospective contractor”.

13. Who cleans under the omnicells? Do we coordinate with the government to move these to clean under?

Yes, you coordinate with the government. The contractor will not move the omnicell machines.

14. Who fills up the ScrubEx Machine, the linen department?

The ScrubEx Machine is not a requirement of this contract or its resultant contractor.

15. Are Xenex/UV lights currently being used at this MTF?

No, as it is not referenced in the PWS.

16. Building 3403, the hallway outside of 224 and 217 was a cork like material. What is the actual floor type?

Please see the forthcoming updated Exhibit D for the floor types in this building.

17. Building 3403, is the contractor responsible for cleaning Physical Therapy mats and equipment at this location? Same for the intrepid building?

No, cleaning the equipment in Physical Therapy is not a requirement of the contractor. This is completed by the healthcare personnel in this location.

18. Exhibit D does not have the dining facility of the main hospital listed or the atrium in the Robinson clinic listed, will this be updated?

Yes, the dining facility will be added to the forthcoming amendment to the solicitation which will update Exhibit D. The atrium is not specifically called out in the current Exhibit D, instead it is what is referred to as Room N041 - Waiting area/Life skills - 13,794 SF and Room N218 - Waiting/Lobby - 60, 192 SF.

19. How far out is the 5 feet policing?

Please see PWS 5.11.2. for the details of this requirement.

20. Can we still submit written questions?

Yes, IAW Attachment 5 of the solicitation.