Consolidated_Questions_Received_-_BOSS.docx

W81XWH-16-R-0035 Business Operations Support Services Questions & Answers

1. Per GovWin, The current incumbent is Henry M. Jackson Foundation. Can the government confirm if there are any other contract companies currently supporting these tasks?

Government Response: Support for similar tasks is currently provided by Azimuth, HJF, and VMSI

2. RFP reference: page 11 of 71 and 13 of 71 indicates there may be a possibility of telework capabilities. Can the government confirm if there are any teleworkers on this RFP?

Government Response: Telework (typically one day a week) is permitted on this future contract as long as there are no performance issues.

3. RFP reference: page 27 of 71 and page 69 of 71. Page 69 indicates that key personnel are to be determined at the task order level, while the table on page 27 implies that personnel proposed at the IDIQ level are key. Please confirm that offerors need only propose key personnel at the task order level, and not as part of the IDIQ proposal submission.

Government Response: Key Personnel shall be proposed at the Base Contract level as well as the task order level. See revised RFP.

4. RFP reference: page 23 of 71 and Attachment 8. Page 23 indicates that offerors must provide a “Contractor Task Order POC Cover Page.” There is no subsequent discussion of what should be included in that cover page. Please clarify what information the Government requires for this piece, and the section in which it should appear in offerors’ proposals.

Government Response: The Task Order POC Cover Page shall include the contact information of the individual who will serve as the POC for all subsequent task order requests.

5. RFP reference: page 23 of 71: We assume that the stated page limit of “25 double-sided pages” is equivalent to 50 pages total for the non-price proposal. Please confirm.

Government Response: Yes, 25 double-sided pages. Fifty pages total.

6. RFP reference: page 23 of 71: Please confirm that the Government intends for proposal content to be no smaller than Times New Roman 12-point font (not pitch), and that exhibits, graphics, charts, captions, etc. shall be no smaller than 10-point font.

Government Response: Yes, proposal content shall be no smaller than Times New Roman 12-point font and exhibits, graphics, charts, captions, etc. shall be no smaller than 10-point font.

7. Attachment 2 Labor Categories and Descriptions Can the government provide education requirements for labor categories?

Government Response: The Government will not be providing education requirements for the labor categories listed in Attachment 2. The Government anticipates these labor categories will be necessary for completion of the tasks outlined in the PWS. The Offeror is to determine and propose the appropriate personnel to successfully complete the tasks.

8. PWS Section 4, Can the government provide a cross reference from the Tasks to be supported to the Labor Categories that support the tasks? For instance: 4.1.1 Financial Management and Analysis = <Labor Category>

Government Response: The Government will not be providing a cross reference from Tasks to Labor categories. Offerors are to submit a technical proposal inclusive of a technical approach to successfully accomplish the tasks outlined in the PWS.

9. PWS Page 23 d. Electronic Submission, Price Proposal – Can a Price Proposal Narrative be submitted in PDF format? If so, can the government revise the instructions.

Government Response: The Offeror’s Price proposal shall be submitted in MS Word or MS Excel 2000 or higher, but not greater than MS Word or Excel 2003 format.

10. PWS Page 23 Proposal Content and Format Instructions a. (1) Page Limits, Q. Transition-In Plan – Since this section is not subject to page limits can it be submitted as an appendix/attachment in the Non-price proposal? If so, can the government revise the instructions?

Government Response: Yes, the Transition-In Plan can be submitted as an appendix/attachment to the non-price proposal.

11. Q. “Contractor Task Order POC Cover Page” as this solicitation is at contract level, what does the government require on a Task Order POC Cover Page? Does the government require the contract proposal POC cover page in addition to the Title page? If a Task Order POC Cover Page is not required at contract level can the government please remove this from the instructions?

Government Response: The Government requires a Contractor POC Cover Page. This page should include the name and contact information of the individual authorized to contract with the Government on the Company’s behalf.

12. Past Performance Questionnaires – Government instructions are for the references to submit past performance questionnaires directly to the government POC for this solicitation but they are listed as not subject to page limits for the non-price proposal. Does the government require offerors to submit copies of the questionnaires in the non-price proposal?

Government Response: The Offerors are to distribute the past performance questionnaire to past customers who offerors had/have provided similar services in the past 3 years. These questionnaires will be submitted from the customer directly to the Government POC listed in the solicitation. Copies of these questionnaires will not be included in the proposal as they are submitted directly to the Government POC. However, the Offeror is to provide references in accordance with the solicitation.

13. Instead of Past Performance Questionnaires listed as not subject to page limits, is it the government’s intention that the Past Performance References list is not subject to page limits? If so, can the government revise the instructions accordingly and/or provide clarification?

Government Response: References shall submit their completed Past Performance Questionnaires directly to the Government. Because these questionnaires are not to be submitted with the offeror’s proposal, they are not subject to page limits.

However, the list of references of relevant contracts/ orders is to be submitted as part of the Past Performance section of the Non-Price Propsoal. This list and any subsequent narrative are subject to the provided page limits.

14. PWS Page 26 Factor 4 – Past Performance (c) Subcontractor Consent , Q. Are Subcontractor consent letters excluded from page count? If so, is it acceptable to submit as an appendix/attachment in the Non-Price proposal?

Government Response: Yes, Subcontractor consent letters are not subject to the page limitations and may be submitted as an appendix/attachment.

15. PWS Page 27 Labor Category Table Level of Effort, Q. Are all labor category level of effort listed in the base year currently staffed with incumbent personnel? If not, which labor categories are new and/or not staffed?

Government Response: No, not all labor category levels listed in the base year are staffed with incumbent personnel. No further information will be provided regarding incumbent personnel.

16. Pricing Attachment 7 – Pricing Sheet: States “Per the solicitation this a Government estimate, and offerors may adjust the labor categories and hours on the pricing sheet based on their technical proposal.” Q. How are offerors to adjust labor categories and hours without task orders or workload data? As with other IDIQ contracts, we would suggest the Government request ceiling rates for each labor category and provide hours and / or workload data at the task order level.

Government Response: The Government will be evaluating labor category rates to ensure fair and reasonable pricing, as well as the estimated overall total from the SF1449. In addition, the Government will be evaluating the initial task order for price reasonableness and price realism.

17. Page 26 Factor 5 Price (2) Pricing Sheet, Instructions say to fill out the SF1449. Q. Since there is one CLIN for all the labor categories, does the government intend on the offeror providing a total ceiling price for all the FTEs and labor categories specified in the table provided on page 27 for the base and each option year?

Government Response: Yes.

18. Factor 5 Price, Q. Does the government want cost breakdown from subcontractors? If so, if detailed rate builds are required, are sealed packages from subcontractors required? If so, can subcontractors submit their breakdowns directly to the government POC per the instructions via email?

Government Response: Yes, the Government requires detailed rate builds from subcontractors. Subcontractor may submit their breakdowns directly to the Government POC via email.

19. Attachment 8, Q. Are there incumbent personnel currently performing the level of effort called for in Sample Task Order#0001? If not, which requirements are new or vacant?

Government Response: Yes

20. For transition planning purposes, what is the current level of staffing under this contract?

Government Response: The anticipated level of support for the first task order is found on the Task Order Request. The Government anticipates issuance of the first task order to coincide with the award of the base contract.

21. Is any portion of the IDIQ anticipated to be used towards R&D, clinical trials, etc?

Government Response: No.

22. Would the government waive employee citizenship requirements in order to obtain specific SME support?

Government Response: No.

23. What is the anticipated level of travel for this contract?

Government Response: At most 2 local travel trips for each staff member (in the Baltimore/DC metro area per position each contract year. Local travel only, no overnight trips requiring overnight stays or airfare/per diem.

24. What percent of the travel is anticipated to be CONSUS vs OCONUS?

Government Response: See response to question 23 above. No OCONUS travel will be necessary under this contract.

25. Are all employees expected to physically report to Ft. Detrick on a daily basis?

Government Response: Yes, that is the expectation but telework arrangements can be made if necessary. See response to question #2 above.

26. Can the Technical Proposal refer to past work and references which are not submitted in the Past Performance section?

Government Response: Yes, it is expected that offerors provide that information in the Experience section of their proposal.

27. Factor 4 states that a lack of past performance will result in a neutral rating. Factor 4 also states that references are required for the Prime and subcontractors. Please reconcile.

Government Response: If no past performance information is available for the prime or the subcontractor, the Past Performance evaluation factor will receive a neutral rating.

28. Is the list of references being viewed as separate and distinct from the past performance questionnaires?

Government Response: Yes, see response to Question 12.

29. The requirements defined within Section 4.1.3 of the PWS varies from the requirements found in Section 4.1.3 of Attachment 8: BOSS, Task Order 0001. (The Task Order 0001 Section 4.1.3 has more requirements than the PWS Section 4.1.3.) When preparing our Non Price Proposal, which set of requirements should we address (PWS vs Task Order) as it pertains to Section 4.1.3 Key Task: Senior Information Management and Information Assurance Services?

Government Response: Please see revised RFP. A technical execution plan shall be submitted with the Offeror’s technical proposal inclusive of a brief description of how the objective in the Task Order 0001 PWS will be accomplished.

30. Can the Government please clarify in what section of the Non-Price proposal offerors should include a proposal for the Task Order?

Government Response: See revised RFP. A Technical Execution Plan shall be included with the non-price proposal.

31. Can the Government please clarify if this means a total of 25 written pages or 50 written pages?

Government Response: See response to Question 5.

32. There is no Attachment 7 – Pricing Sheet attached to the RFP. Are we to complete the SF1449 and the continuation sheets rather than Attachment 7?

Government Response: Attachment 7 has been updated and is included with the RFP.

33. In the RFP, page 23, page limits: it states that proposals are "limited to 25 double-sided pages”, I’m reading this as a total of 50 pages. Is this correct?

Government Response: See response to Question 5.

34. In the RFP, page 25, past performance: it states that past performances “have provided similar services in the past 3 years”. Since this is a service disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) set-aside is it possible to extend the past performance to 4 or 5 years. Small businesses have limited number of awarded contracts and this will enable SDVOSB’s to present a stronger past performance to level out the playing field.

Government Response: The Government requires past performance information within a three year time period because the Government must retain past performance information for no longer than three years, per the Army Source Selection Supplement. Past Performance must be performed within the last three years to be considered recent under this RFP.