W9115112R0035Amendment0004.doc

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 30 - BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

The following have been added by full text:

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Reference: Page 121 of 139 of the RFP, Section L, A. Proposal Submittal and Inquiries.

“1. Proposals shall be submitted electronically prior to the closing date and time identified in block 8 of the SF 1449, to the following web address: https://acquisition.army.mil/asfi”

Question: What is the maximum file size allowed for upload onto the ASFI website?

Government’s Response: Offeror’s should focus on the page limitation(s) detailed in section L. In the event that a file is too large to upload, the offeror may break the file into multiple smaller files, as necessary, to ensure it can be uploaded. Offeror shall ensure the total contents of each section do not exceed the applicable page limitations.

2. Reference: Page 124 of 139 of the RFP, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, 1. Proposal Format, (a) Section I - Contract

“6) A State Unemployment Tax Act Certificate (SUTA certificate) and Workers' Compensation Insurance (WCI) certificate. This information will assist in facilitating option period wage determination price adjustment(s) or price adjustment(s) resulting from CBA revisions, if necessary (see FAR 52.222-43, Technical Exhibit O, and Technical Exhibit P).”

Question: The Texas Workforce Commission does not issue a SUTA “certificate.” In order to satisfy this requirement, do you want our company to self-certify our SUTA and Workers’ Compensation rates? Or do you require something from our payroll service and insurance company?

Government’s Response: SUTA and WCI are no longer required to be submitted with your proposal. The Government will request these documents from the winning contractor at the time an option period is exercised, if the Government chooses to exercise an option period.

3. Reference: Page 125 of 139 of the RFP, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, 1. Proposal Format, (b) Section II – Technical Capability, 1) Staffing Approach

“The offeror’s staffing approach shall contain a narrative/plan addressing:

How the contractor plans to recruit and retain qualified personnel through the life of the contract

The proposed qualification requirements the contractor will impose for each labor position/category

A clear and feasible plan for obtaining all resources required prior to the performance start date

How the Contractor’s hiring approach will minimize any disruption to the Government’s operations”

Question: To allow enough space for the Staffing Plan to be adequately addressed, request the Government increase page count by an additional 10 pages.

Government’s Response: The Government reviewed the page limitations included in the solicitation and determined 30 pages to be adequate. The page limitation will remain unchanged.

4. Reference: Page 125 of 139 of the RFP, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, 1. Proposal Format, (b) Section II – Technical Capability

“3) Relevant Past Experience. The contractor shall have a minimum of three years of relevant past experience starting from the solicitation release date.”

Question: It is not common for the Government to state that a contract must exceed three years of operations before it can be considered for past performance. We also believe the Government should consider contracts that are less than three years but are yet complete (i.e. a bridge contract). Request the Government to relax the three year requirement.

Government’s Response: Your question implied that a contract must be three years long to be submitted as part of your proposal under Past Performance, this is not true.

Relevant Past Experience refers to the type of work (custodial, janitorial, management of personnel, ect.) as a whole and is included to give the Government assurance that the Contractor is in and has been in the business of providing the required services (custodial/janitorial) for at least the past 3 years (the contractor shall have a minimum of three years of relevant past experience starting from the solicitation release date). See Relevant Past Experience in Section L.

Past Performance refers specifically to work performed under contract (whether that be with the Government or Private Sector) and shall be “recent” as defined in section M of the solicitation.

The “recency” requirement is that the contract shall have been active within the last three years or still currently ongoing. This means if the contract’s period of performance was active at any time during the last 3 years (from the date of issuance of this solicitation) then the contract meets the “recency” requirement and would then be evaluated for “relevancy.”

5. Reference: Page 125 of 139 of the RFP, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, 1. Proposal Format, (b) Section II – Technical Capability

“3) Relevant Past Experience. The contractor shall have a minimum of three years of relevant past experience starting from the solicitation release date.”

Question: What is the difference between 3) Relevant Past Experience in Section II and the past performance information required in Section III? Does the Government want the same contract information to be submitted in both sections? Please advise.

Government’s Response: No, see the response to Question #4 for an explanation of the difference between Relevant Past Experience and Past Performance.

6. Reference: Page 126 of 139 of the RFP, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, 1. Proposal Format, (c) Section III – Past Performance, second paragraph “Past Performance information described herein is required on the offeror and all subcontractor(s), teaming partner(s), and/or joint venture partner(s) proposed to perform 20% or more of the proposed effort based on the total proposed price.”

Question: Does the past performance for the prime and the subcontractor get evaluated together given that the subcontractor meets or exceeds 20% of the proposed effort based on the total proposed price?

Government’s Response: Yes.

7. Reference: Page 126 of 139 of the RFP, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, 1. Proposal Format, (c) Section III – Past Performance, first bullet

· “The offeror shall include documentation regarding their relevant past performance as it directly relates to the work being procured under this solicitation. The offeror SHALL NOT go back any farther than 3 years for the submitted data. The past performance data shall document a successful history of past contract performance.”

Question: Normally the Government lets past performance contracts go back 5 years from the solicitation release date. Request the Government relax the 3 year requirement to 5 years.

Government’s Response: Five years is the standard for construction contracts. Three years is the standard for service contracts. The solicitation will remain unchanged at three years.

8. Reference: Attachment 2 - Specific Relevant Contracts Sheet Question: Do we need to use the format of Attachment 2, or can we style our response to be similar to the form?

Government’s Response: Contractors shall utilize the provided form.

9. Reference: Attachment 2 - Specific Relevant Contracts Sheet Question: Page 1 and pages 2-4 have separate but similar requirements to fill out, yet they are listed in a different order. Should we follow the format from page 1, or the format from pages 2-4?

Government’s Response: Fill out pages 2-4 as they are (i.e. there is no need to change the order of the information). Page 1 just provides additional information for each section on pages 2-4.

10. Question: Is there a font size limitation?

Government’s Response: Use a font size between 10 to 12.

11. Question: How many pages would an 11x17 foldout count as?

Government’s Response: The page limitation(s) refer to the total number of digital pages in your proposal. To assist you in formatting your proposal, please apply this general rule: Your proposal should be legible if it were to be printed into hard copy on 8” by 11” paper.

12. Reference: Page 49 of 139, PWS 3.2 Utilities, “The Government will provide water, sewage service, electricity and refuse collection on a reimbursement basis, with reimbursement to the Government at the local prevailing rates, which are subject to change or to be adjusted as needed.”

Question: Can the Government provide historic cost for utilities?

Government’s Response: The estimated utility costs for FY13 are detailed below.

13. Reference: Page 40 of 139, PWS 1.2, Recycling, “The Contractor shall observe recycle program policies established by Fort Hood and published in FH Reg. 420-6, Recycle Program.”

Questions: Does the Government provide recycle containers for all the facilities? Is the contractor required to separate all the recyclables for from the trash receptacles while performing the trash removal requirements?

Government’s Response: The Government will not provide recycle containers at all facilities. The Contractor is not required to separate the recyclables from the trash receptacles when performing the trash removal requirement.

14. Reference: Page 128 of 139, Proposal Preparation Instructions section C.2, Pricing Instruction, “The rates and fringe benefits of the CBA (Technical Exhibit O) only apply to the first term of the contract (the base period). After the expiration of base period, the CBA rates and fringe benefits will no longer be applicable to this contract, at that time the Wage Determination will take precedence.”

Questions: Per this statement, it is our understanding that the contractor’s price to the Government for the base year will include the CBA wage rates, but all option years will be based on the SCA wage determination. Is this correct?

Government’s Response: The reference above only states the required minimums. The CBA is the minimum in the base period and the WD is the minimum for all option years. The Contractor can propose the rates they so choose as long as it meets or exceeds the required minimums.

15. Reference: Page 69 of 139, PWS 5.9.15. Attendant Services, “The contractor shall provide a full-time custodial services attendant at the Soldier Development Center.” And Page 35 of 139, 1.5.5 Standard Hours of Operation, “The contractor is responsible for conducting business, between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. Monday through Saturday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed…”

Question: Is the contractor required to provide 13 hours of attendant services per day for six days a week?

Government’s Response: The contractor is required to provide a full time attendant (M-F 40 hours per week) during the hours of 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

16. Reference: Page 69 of 139, PWS 5.7.2. Clean Carpets and Rugs, “When cleaning carpets and rugs, the Contractor shall clean carpet, rugs, carpet runners, and carpet mats.”

Question: Who is responsible for mat replacement?

Government’s Response: The occupants of the facilities are responsible for mat replacement.

17. Reference: Site visit on 11 November 2012. The site visit included a visit to a new chapel not on the TED, where attendees were told that the contractor is to restock restroom supplies when notified of an anticipated event, even though it may be out of scheduled service.

Question: Can the Government please identify that requirement in the PWS?

Government’s Response: The contractor is only responsible for keeping the facility appropriately supplied for the size and typical use of the building. See PWS 5.9.12.

On the site visit some incorrect information was given about the amount of visitors that the chapel services on a weekly basis. The reason the chapel was said to service 9,000 visitors a week was because the theater building recently burned down and all the scheduled training for that location had to be relocated to the chapel; however, this concern will be resolved before contract performance begins.

18. Reference: Page 125 of 139 of the RFP, Section L, C. Proposal Preparation Instructions, (b) Section II – Technical Capability

“2) Proposed Equipment and Supplies Listing. The contractor shall provide a list of the proposed equipment and supplies to be used in performance of this requirement.”

Question: Is the list of proposed equipment and supplies a representative list or an all-inclusive list?

Government’s Response: TE M and TE N are only estimates of the equipment and supplies required to perform the solicited effort. The list proposed shall contain the quantities and names of the proposed supplies and equipment broken out similarly to how it is broken out in TE M and TE N. The word “minimal” has been removed from both TE M and TE N.

**Be sure to specify the unit of measure for the proposed quantities (e.g. cases, gallons, boxes, or each).

19. Reference: Technical Exhibit C, Estimated Workload Data

Question: Does the workload data include the estimated hours for the current contractor’s subcontractors, for services such as floor stripping, buffing, carpet cleaning, etc.?

Government’s Response: TE C is the Government’s estimate of how many net productive hours full contract performance would require on an annual basis. This estimate was developed utilizing historical performance information as well as labor calculators.

20. Reference: Page 125 of 139, Proposal Format, 1) Staffing Approach

“For each labor position/category covered by the Service Contract Act or the Collective Bargaining Agreement the contractor shall also provide the Wage Determination Category Number/Collective Bargaining Agreement Position Title and the unburdened base hourly rate(s).”

Question: Is the contractor to provide the unburdened base hourly rate for the base period and all option periods?

Government’s Response: Yes. See FAR 52.222-43. Furthermore, contractors are not to escalate labor costs for Non-exempt labor as they are entitled to Wage Determination Adjustments/Increases at the time an option period is exercised, if the Government chooses to exercise an option period. For exempt labor see “exempt labor” within the pricing instructions contained in Section L.

21. Question: TE “D” indicates bldgs 91002 & 91010 are Rest rooms, is this correct?

Government’s Response: Building 91002 and 91010 contains administrative areas and not only bathroom areas. The square footage indicated on TE D is correct.

22. Question: TE “D” has numerous abbreviations for building occupants can you provide names?

Government’s Response: No. This information is for internal Governmental uses only and is irrelevant for offerors.

23. Question: What is the building number for the Troop Development Center? Does this bldg requires a full time attendant?

Government’s Response: Bldg 33009. Yes, this building requires a full time attendant. See response to question # 15.

24. Question: What is current contractor's pricing (base plus all options and increases)?

Government’s Response: The current contract, W91151-10-D-0002, was awarded at $11,535,658 for a base year and 4 one-year options; however, the current contract will end after only 30 months. This is due to a substantial increase in the scope of the contract that prevented the Government from being able to issue a contract modification without violating the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA). It is important to note that not only has the magnitude of this contract increased substantially (from the current contract) but also the quantities under the current contract were calculated differently than they are under this solicitation. Contractors are strongly cautioned that the current contract does not provide an apples to apples comparison with this solicited effort.

25. Question: Any change to scope of work from current and past SOW?

Government’s Response: See response to question #24.

26. Question: Is site walk-thru mandatory and if so when will it be?

Government’s Response: The site visit is not mandatory but is highly encouraged. The site visit was held on 11 October 2012.

27. Question: When is current CBA end date?

Government’s Response: See TE O – CBA, Page 2. The end date is 31 July 2013 but the rates and fringe benefits included in the CBA will apply to the entire duration of the base period.

28. Question: How many employees does contractor have on site?

Government’s Response: See TE C for estimated workload data. The current contractor’s practice is irrelevant.

29. Reference: Solicitation Attachment TEO, CBA and Attachment TEP, WD 05-2523 (Rev.-12)

Question: Are offerors required to include the CBA labor classifications in their proposal, or could they opt for similar classifications from the Service Contract Act (SCA) Wage Determination?

Government’s Response: The contractor is required to follow the instructions in Section L of the solicitation. The base period shall include the proper CBA labor classifications, rates, and benefits and the option years are up to the contractor; however, the SCA WD is the minimum for the option years.

30. Question: Please confirm that offeror’s should use the collective bargaining agreement in the solicitation for determining all janitorial labor related costs?

Government’s Response: See response to question #14.

31. Question: In Part 3, paragraph 3.2 Utilities: The Government will provide water, sewage service, electricity and refuse collection on a reimbursement basis, with reimbursement to the Government at the local prevailing rates, which are subject to change or to be adjusted as needed. What are the local prevailing rates for these services?

Government’s Response: See response to question # 12.

32. Question: Another question concerning the Ft Hood Custodial. Para 4.5 Supplies. Are all supplies for this contract required to be ordered from AbilityOne?

Government’s Response: If the supply is on the AbilityOne procurement list the answer is yes. For this type of contract it is highly likely that all supplies will be on the procurement list. Recommend you review the procurement list which can be downloaded from the URL in the PWS section 4.5.

33. Question: Please confirm building 33009 requires a full time attendant on duty M-F, 40 hours per week.

Government’s Response: See response to question #15.

34. Question: The contractor is responsible for providing their own office trailer and storage in the cantonment area? If so, what is the size of the trailer and storage the current contractor is using?

Government’s Response: See PWS 3.1 for Contractor Site Yard Dimensions (70 Feet by 100 Feet). The current contractor’s choice of trailer/storage is irrelevant.

35. Reference: Section 1; Item 6, requires a State Unemployment Tax Act Certificate (SUTA certificate).

Question: How would a firm fulfill this requirement if they currently don’t pay wages to persons working in Texas? According to Texas Workforce Commission one cannot register for Unemployment Tax Registration unless they have paid wages to persons working in Texas.

Please let me know what information would be acceptable to fulfill this requirement.

Government’s Response: See response to question #2.

36. Reference: PWS 3.1/3.2/4.2

Question: Would the government please provide an average cost of utilities for the past 12 months or an average monthly cost so that all offerors can provide the same estimated cost for utilities and thus a level playing field for all offerors on this cost issue.

Government’s Response: See response to question # 12.

37. Reference: PWS 4.5

Question: The question was asked during the site visit, and we would like to confirm based on the requirements in 4.5, that all offers are required to use NIB/NISH (Ability One) pricing for Supplies and to price out all supplies and wrap into the unit price.

Government’s Response: The Contractor is required to purchase its contract supplies from AbilityOne IF the supplies are on the AbilityOne procurement list. The contractor’s proposed cost under each CLIN shall include all costs associated with providing that service (i.e. cost of supplies, labor, management, travel, equipment, insurance etc.).

38. Reference: Technical Exhibit C, Estimated Workload Data

Question: Would the Government please confirm that the labor hours for each labor category presented in TE C are the minimum amount of hours required that are acceptable to perform the stated services at the frequencies and levels of performance as provided in the PWS?

Government’s Response: Technical Exhibit C is only the Government’s estimated baseline staffing. The values in Technical Exhibit C are not required minimums but are strictly provided for information purposes. The Government used historical workload data in combination with labor calculators to arrive at the net-productive hour estimates in Technical Exhibit C.

39. Reference: Technical Exhibit M, Minimum Equipment List

Question: Would the Government please confirm that the equipment items and quantities listed in TE M are the minimum amount that is required and is acceptable to perform the stated services at the frequencies and levels of performance as provided in the PWS?

Government’s Response: See response to question #18.

40. Reference: Technical Exhibit N, Minimal Supplies List

Question: Would the Government please confirm that the supply items and quantities listed in TE N are the minimum amount that is required and is acceptable to perform the stated services at the frequencies and levels of performance as provided in the PWS?

Government’s Response: See response to question #39.

41. Reference: Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices

Question: The Government stated during the Site Visit that offerors need to ensure they fill-in the Unit Price. Would the Government please consider providing a revised Section B with the next Amendment.

No. Since the quantities contained in schedule B have not changed, from the conformed copy provided with amendment 0002, there is no need to provide a new conformed copy. Offerors shall ensure each line item in schedule B contains both a unit price and total. Offerors are also reminded that they shall complete the schedule/section B contained in the conformed solicitation dated 4 October 2012 in lieu of the schedule/section B contained in the original solicitation.

42. Question: Do you have the current price for existing service being provided for this bid?

Government’s Response: See response to question #24.

43. Question: Can you provide pricing from Ability One for typical supplies/equipment ordered for this contract.

Government’s Response: The URL for where the AbilityOne procurement list can be downloaded/viewed and the AbilityOne contact information have been included in the PWS, Section 4.5.

44. Question: You mentioned twice per month billing is acceptable in order to accommodate small businesses. Will this be available as early as the first month of service?

Government’s Response: There is a difference between billing and payment. The twice a month billing will be available for the first month of service but usually DFAS won’t have the first payment processed for 30 to 45 days after the contractor correctly submits the first invoice. i.e. The contractor should have a cash flow position strong enough to support this contracted effort assuming the first payment may not come until 60 days after the performance begins.

45. Question: Do you anticipate extending the due date?

Government’s Response: Yes, the proposal due date has been amended. Proposals are now due on 1 November 2012 at 2:30 PM, CST.

46. Question: On TED can you please clarify what a T4 is under the Furniture column?

Government’s Response: T4 is a type of 4’ fluorescent light tube; this information is irrelevant to custodial/janitorial work requirements.

47. Question: Are contractors allowed to purchase fuel for their vehicles on Fort Hood?

Government’s Response: No.

48. Question: Do you anticipate posting another amended “conformed” solicitation based on questions posed after the site visit?

Government’s Response: See response to question #41.

49. Question: Can you tell how many people are at this facility (base) for normal day to day operations?

Government Response: This number is constantly fluctuating and is impossible to determine. The information provided in the solicitation package should be more than sufficient for developing an offer.

50. Question: Can you send out a copy of the sign out sheet of the company names who attended the site visit?

Government’s Response: The Sign-In sheet has been uploaded with the other solicitation files.

51. Question: Is the Suta certificate our quarterly form we process?

Government’s Response: See response to question # 2.

52. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.5.6.

Question: "The work performed under this contract shall be performed at Fort Hood, Texas which consists of the main cantonment, West Ford Hood and North Fort Hood areas." Contract employees will be servicing each area on Fort Hood. Due to the geographic disbursement of the locations, will the Contractor be permitted to have time clocks in the various areas? During the site visit, we were told that Contractors would be given a space to place a storage unit on North Fort Hood? Is this correct and if so, how large will the space be?

Government’s Response: The Government cannot guarantee that the contractor will be permitted to have time clocks at various locations; however, for the Main Cantonment and West Fort Hood the contractor’s building, at the site yard, should suffice. For North Fort Hood the contractor will be able to utilize Building 56143 as a storage location. Building 56143 is approximately 800 Square Feet.

53. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.13.

Question: "The Contractor shall comply with all OSHA reporting requirements…" When was the last OSHA inspection? Did OSHA find any issues in the most recent inspection and have they been resolved?

Government Response: During the past five years, OSHA has not performed any inspections; however, the contractor shall still follow OSHA requirements. The COR will perform safety inspections on this contract regularly.

54. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.20.

Question: "The Contractor shall observe recycle program policies…" Is any of the cost of recycling bore by the Contractor?

Government Response: No.

55. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.25.

Question: "Personnel shall also be trained on the potential asbestos hazard associated with abrasive stripping of vinyl asbestos tile." What percentage of the 988,000 sq.ft. of vinyl tile contains asbestos?

Government Response: Less than 5% of the total. None of the vinyl asbestos is friable and does not present a hazard to the custodians. However, the contractor needs to be aware of the dangers associated with asbestos and how to properly work around it.

56. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.26.

Question: "Contractor personnel shall not wear any part of a currently authorized military uniform while performing contract duties, nor clothing such as exercise suits, shorts, tank tops, or t-shirts. There shall be no objectionable messages or phrases on the clothing." Does this mean there is not a requirement for a standard issue uniform? Are jeans acceptable or would khakis be preferred? Should employees all wear the same colored shirt/smock? Does the Company logo or name need to be shown on the uniform?

Government Response: There is not a requirement to wear a standard issue uniform. The Government does not have a preference as to what they wear, but are more concerned with a neat and clean appearance; however, there is a requirement to have a badge visible at all times. See PWS 1.28.1.

57. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.26.1.1.

Question: "The Project Manager shall be available 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Monday through Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed." Does the Government mean the PM must be present on site 13 hours a day, 65 hours/week or must (s) he be reachable by phone? Can the Alternate PM stand in for the PM for part of the 13 hour day?

The project manager needs to be present 8 hours a day (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and be able to be reached by phone to respond to any issues until 8:00 p.m.

58. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.27.

Question: "The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance." Does the government expect company personnel at levels above the PM to participate in these meetings?

Government Response: The Government expects the PM to be present at these meetings and would expect personnel at higher levels to participate if the PM is not gaining resolution to problems that arise during the performance of the contract.

59. Reference: Section C Paragraph 1.32.

Question: "Each addition and/or deletion of the facility(s) listed in TE D will not require a contract modification; however; anytime a change to TE D is made an updated document will be provided to the Contractor. The contract will be modified on a quarterly basis to update the contract and capture all additions/deletions to TE D that occurred during that particular three month period." Are the additions and deletions of facilities such that it requires a modification each quarter? How many times were the current and previous contracts monetarily modified in the last five years? When will the Contractor be made responsible for the additions to TE D? Will the Contractor be made responsible for those facilities at the time they are added to TE D or when the contract is actually modified?

Government Response: Any time a contractual document changes it needs to be modified to keep the contract file current; however, to eliminate some of the administrative burden for this contract, the Government will only issue a modification to update TE D quarterly.

It is easier to understand how this contract will work if you look at it on a month by month basis. 15 days prior to the start of EACH upcoming calendar month the contractor will be provided a revised TE D which the contractor will use to build its schedule for the next month. Once the schedule is approved by the Government it will be unlikely that any changes will be required for that month’s schedule; however, if changes to an approved schedule are required it will be accomplished through a bi-lateral modification. This process will repeat each month. **Keep in mind the “one-time services” are not “scheduled services”** See PWS 5.10

Month to month changes in TE D are forecasted to be minor and overall maintain the status quo. For example, two buildings may come off the contract the same time three new ones are added in. Additionally, some customers may move from two day a week service to six day a week service, etc.

60. Reference: Section C Paragraph 2.1.3.

Question: "A report initiated by the Government, which the Contractor is required to complete, whenever performance is unsatisfactory." How many, if any, CDRs have been issued for the current and previous contracts?

Government Response: This type of information is not releasable to external parties.

61. Reference: Section C Paragraph 3.1.

Question: "It is the responsibility of the Contractor to establish and maintain this as a fenced-in area…" Is the Contractor responsible for actually constructing a fence around the yard, or is one already in place?

Government Response: A fence is already in place.

62. Reference: Section C Paragraph 3.1.

Question: "The Government is providing the land only; the buildings, water and electric costs are the burden of the Contractor." Is there a limit to the number of or size of buildings the contractor can place in the Contractor's Yard?

Government Response: There is not a limit to the number or size of the buildings at the contractor’s yard. Prior to placing any structures inside the yard, the contractor shall obtain approval from the Directorate of Public Works (DPW).

63. Reference: Section C Paragraph 3.2.

Question: "The Contractor shall provide the building and the necessary hook-ups, connections and install utility meters for utility consumption readings." Does the contractor have to use an outside vendor to install necessary hook-ups and meters or can a properly certified employee of the company complete the installations?

Government Response: A properly certified employee from the company can perform the installations. The Government will not allow connections that violate state plumbing and electrical codes.

64. Reference: Section C Paragraph 3.2.

Question: "The Government will provide water, sewage service, electricity and refuse collection on a reimbursement basis, with reimbursement to the Government at the local prevailing rates…" Can the Government please provide what the average monthly amounts for the water, sewage, electricity and refuse have been over the past year?

Government Response: See response to question #12.

65. Reference: Section C Paragraph 3.3.

Question: "The Contractor will provide the Contractor a storage space or janitor's closet where available in buildings where custodial services are required." Can the Government give a better idea of which buildings have Housekeeping/storage closets, the size, and which floor(s) they are located on? During the site visit, it was mentioned that the government could not control the supplies that were stored in these closets/spaces. Are these spaces secure (able to be locked) and if so, who will have access/keys to them? Is the Contractor permitted to change the locks on the doors upon contract award to ensure CFE and supplies are secure?

Government Response: The Government is unable to identify exactly which buildings have janitor’s closets available contractor use, which floor they are located on, or the different sizes. Some locations have storage closets that are set up for the janitor and some locations do not. In most of the larger facilities and some of the smaller facilities, allowances have been made for the janitors to have access for storage but the tenants of these facilities also have access to these closets because they use the area as well. Most of the closets can be secured but the tenants again will require access to these closets. The contractor will not be permitted to change the locks on the doors to secure the supplies that are being stored at the location.

66. Reference: Section C Paragraph 4.2.

Question: "The Contractor shall provide a temporary office building at the location provided by the Government in the main cantonment area." Is this area different from the Contractor's Yard mentioned in C.3.3?

Government Response: No. The Contractor’s Yard is where the temporary office building shall be located.

67. Reference: Section C Paragraph 4.3.

Question: "To avoid shortages, extra supplies shall be left 'on hand' in latrines and in designated supply areas." Is there a set amount per location of "on hand" items that have to be left?

Government Response: See PWS 5.9.12.

68. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.4.

Question: "This service requires notification and coordination between the Contractor and the Contracting Officer at least 24 hours in advance of requested service(s)." Who requests the services? Please clarify the frequency and meaning of "One-Time Cleaning Services."

Government Response: The contracting officer will request the services. The frequency is hard to determine but the PWS gives an estimate for the part of this requirement. Furthermore, the CLIN Quantity gives the contractor an estimate of the annual usage of One Time Cleaning Services.

One Time Cleaning - Living Quarters Services, see PWS 5.5: “Historically, there has been an average of five to ten Living Quarters that require service on a three times a week basis.”

69. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.8.1.5.

Question: "Grouted tile floors, such as ceramic tile, or quarry tile, shall be cleaned by machine scrubbing." Is the annual machine scrubbing in addition to the stripping and refinishing of ceramic tile flooring noted in Sec. C.5.8.1.3?

Government Response: PWS 5.8.1.5 only applies to grouted tile, ceramic tile, or quarry tile that falls under the column “Other Floors (Refinishable)” on TE D.

70. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.8.2.2.

Question: "Washing exterior glass shall include complete cleaning of both sides of all exterior glass... " In light of environmental concerns, may the contractor use either a deionized water and/or reverse osmosis window washing systems for exterior windows and frames?

Government Response: Yes, the Contractor may use either de-ionized water and/ or a reverse osmosis window washing system. The windows and frames shall be clean after the window washing effort is complete.

71. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.9.2.

Question: "Clean all public urns and replace sand." Is the sand provided by the Government or is the Contractor to provide this? Please provide the number of public urns.

Government Response: The Government estimates that there are less than 50 urns that need to be maintained. The Contractor is responsible for the sand.

72. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.9.5.

Question: "Machine scrub floors that cannot be completely cleaned by wet mopping with a germicidal detergent." How many floors does this apply to and what is their scheduled cleaning (1, 2, or 6 days)? This will effect scheduling and equipment purchase.

Government Response: This applies to any restroom being serviced. If wet mopping does not suffice for cleaning the floor surface then the contractor shall machine scrub the restroom floor to ensure it is properly maintained. There is no particular schedule for this requirement; it is on an as needed basis.

73. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.9.5.

Question: "Clean walls, ceiling and air-intake vents, removing lint, spider webs, and dust." Please expand on the cleaning of the air-intake vents; specifically whether the cleaning entails removing the cover to clean both sides of the vents.

Government Response: The Contractor does not have to remove the vents to clean both sides. The dusting and/or vacuuming of the vents and surrounding area to present a clean appearance is sufficient.

74. Reference: Reference Section C Paragraph 5.9.6.

Question: "The Contractor shall provide bar soap where no liquid dispenser is available." Is there a size/weight standard for bar soap?

Government Response: A standard bar soap or liquid bottle soap will suffice.

75. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.9.6.

Question: "The Contractor's supplies shall conform to the existing types of dispensers." What type of dispensers are used and are they all of one type?

Government Response: There are a variety of dispensers for toilet paper, paper towels and soap. There are bi-fold, tri-fold, large and small roll paper towels. There are small residential type single roll toilet paper dispensers, small and jumbo size single and dual dispensers for toilet paper also. There are bar soap, grit bar soap, wall mounted, under- sink installed and un-mounted pump dispensers. See TE N for the Government’s estimated supply listing.

76. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.9.9.

Question: "The Contractor shall clean ash trays and receptacles at all entrances including loading docks." Per AR 600-63 referenced in Sec. C 1.22 will the ashtrays be moved at least 50 feet from the buildings and will they still fall under there purview of this contract?

Government Response: The Contractor is responsible for cleaning the ashtrays and urns that are associated with the facility they are cleaning.

77. Reference: Section C Paragraph 5.9.15.

Question: "The Contractor shall provide a full-time custodial services attendant at the Soldier Development Center." Please provide the building number, as the Soldier Development Center is not listed on TE D.

Government Response: See response to question #23.

78. Reference: Section L Paragraph C.1(a)6

Question: "A State Unemployment Tax Act Certificate (SUTA certificate) and Workers' Compensation Insurance (WCI) Certificate." Is there a particular form required for the WCI Certificate or will a Certificate of Liability form suffice?

Government Response: See response to question #2

79. Reference: Section L Paragraph C.2(1)

Question: "The rates and fringe benefits of the CBA (Technical Exhibit O) only apply to the first term of the contract (the base period). After the expiration of the base period, the CBA rates and fringe benefits will no longer be applicable to this contract, at that time the Wage Determination will take precedence." Are Contractors to use the CBA rates for non-exempt positions covered under the CBA for the base year and then use the current Wage Determination rates for all non-exempt positions (including previous CBA positions) for the option years?

Government Response: See response to question #14.

80. Reference: Section M

Question: What will be the weighting of the three evaluated factors (technical experience, past experience, and price) for the contract award?

Government Response: This is Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA); factors are not weighted but rather are evaluated for acceptability. The contractor must receive an acceptable rating for all evaluation criteria to be considered for award.

Award will be made to the offeror whose proposal meets the acceptability standards for non-cost factors (Technical and Past Performance), and provides the lowest evaluated price to the Government. An evaluation will be conducted to identify offerors whose proposals are technically acceptable in accordance with the RFP evaluation criteria set forth in the solicitation. An offeror must also meet all of the other RFP requirements, which include all stated terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and other information required by the Addendum to 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors.

81. Reference: TE C

Question: Estimated Workload Data: Is the estimated workload for Custodian, Floor Tech, and Word Processor I based on current/actual Contractor staffing levels or are they what the Government is anticipating for the next contract? If the current/actual staffing levels are lower than what is provided in TE C, how will the government evaluate a lower proposed staff?

Government Response: The estimate in TE C applies to this solicited requirement. The government will evaluate each offeror’s staffing approach based on the information provided to determine whether the proposed approach is realistic and meeting the PWS requirements. TE C is only an estimate; the contractor determines how to staff the effort. Contractors must explain their staffing approach as indicated in Section L.

82. Reference: TE C

Question: Estimated Workload Data: 52. In order to properly price our labor costs we need information for fringe costs. Request the government provide a list of current personnel seniority who will be accruing two, three and four weeks’ vacation?

Government Response: Assuming the first date of performance under this requirement, 1 February 2013, below is the current contractor’s personnel seniority.

**The above seniority list is based on the current contract’s 6 month extension which is comparable to the magnitude/size of this solicited effort.

83. Reference: Site Visit

Question: During the site visit, Contractors were taken to the Chapel Complex. It was mentioned that the theater burned down and the Chapel was being used also as an auditorium. One person stated that approximately 1,000 people use the chapel each week, while another stated that an average of 9,000 people use it each week. In order to provide adequate supplies to this location, Contractors need to know how many people use this facility on average.

Government Response: See response to question #17.

84. Reference: Site Visit

Question: During the site visit, Contractors were taken to Building 33009. We were told that on the current contract, the attendant stays until 10 pm, but that this requirement has changed. We were then told that carpet cleaning in this building would need to be done after hours. What percent of carpet cleaning will be need to be done after hours? And what percent of stripping/waxing will take place after hours?

Government Response: The facility is open until 10:00 p.m. The carpet cleaning will need to be scheduled through the COR. The percentage of carpet cleaning, stripping and waxing is 100% after 4:00 pm, Saturdays or Sundays. See PWS 1.5.5.1 for obtaining approval to perform work after hours.

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The required response date/time has changed from 25-Oct-2012 02:30 PM to 01-Nov-2012 02:30 PM.

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1

FAR Provision 52.212-1 is Amended as follows:

Para (c) Period for acceptance of offers. The period of acceptance of offers is changed from 30 days to 90 days. This paragraph now reads: The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

Para (d) is deleted.

Para (e) is deleted.

Para (h) is deleted.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Submittal and Inquiries.

1. Proposals shall be submitted electronically prior to the closing date and time identified in block 8 of the SF 1449, to the following web address:

https://acquisition.army.mil/asfi/

2. Electronic submissions via Army Single Face to Industry (ASFI) is the only acceptable means to submit proposals; however, in the event that the ASFI website is not working offeror’s may submit their proposals directly to the contract specialist at the e-mail address below.

michael.p.christ2.civ@mail.mil In the event that direct e-mail submission to the contract specialist is necessary the offeror shall include an explanation of why the offeror was unable to utilize ASFI. This explanation shall be supported by either e-mail communication between the offeror and the ASFI help desk or the ASFI point of contact name and phone number.

3. Questions. The point of contact responsible for supplying additional information and answering all inquiries is the Contracting Officer via the Contract Specialist. All questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted in writing via email not later than 4:00 PM CST, 12 October 2012 to the Contracting Officer and Contracting Specialist identified below:

Contracting Officer: Susheep Oden, (254) 287-5479, susheep.oden.civ@mail.mil Contracting Specialist: Michael Christ, (254) 287-6495, michael.p.christ2.civ@mail.mil Questions raised after the specified date/time will not be accepted by the Government. Responses to the questions will be incorporated into an amendment to the solicitation and posted to ASFI for viewing by all potential offerors. Industry questions and answers may or may not have a bearing on the substantive content of the solicitation or the contract requirements, and it should NOT be assumed that the date set for receipt of proposals will be extended.

4. Site Visit. The Government will hold a site visit at numerous buildings on Fort Hood, Texas on 11 October 2012. Site visit registration will be from 8:00 AM-9:00 AM, CST, with the site visit/pre-proposal conference beginning at 9:00 AM, CST in the III Corps Headquarters Building 1001, Room W113. The III Corps building is located at the intersection of 761st Tank Battalion Avenue and TJ Mills Blvd. Attendees must register at the Visitors Center as you enter the Fort Hood installation. A visitor’s pass is required for access to the installation, and it can take up to an hour to acquire one. Attendees should plan to arrive early in order to obtain their visitor’s pass and arrive at the site visit on time (for additional information visit: http://www.hood.army.mil/visitors.center.aspx?2). During the site visit, the technical representatives and/or Contracting Officer will entertain questions and clarifications of the requirements in the solicitation; however, no verbal answers or responses will be considered official Government answers.

B. General Instructions

1. The selection of a source for award purposes will be conducted utilizing source selection (negotiated) procedures as delineated in FAR Part 15. Offers will be evaluated using the criteria under Section M, “Evaluation Factors for Award.” Noncompliance with the Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements may hamper the Government's ability to properly evaluate the proposal and may result in elimination of the proposal from further consideration for contract award.

2. The Offer. The submission of the documentation specified below will constitute the offeror's acceptance of the terms and conditions of the RFP, concurrence with the Performance Work Statement, and contract type.

3. It is the Government’s intention to award without discussions. Offerors are encouraged to present their best technical proposal and prices in their initial proposal submission. However, in accordance with (IAW) FAR Part 15.306, should discussions become necessary, the Government reserves the right to hold them. If this occurs, a competitive range will be determined and offerors notified. The competitive range may be limited for purposes of efficiency IAW FAR Part 15.306 (c)(2).

4. Instructions outlined in paragraph C below, prescribe the format for the proposal and describe the approach for the development and presentation of proposal data. These instructions are designed to ensure the submission of necessary information to provide for the understanding and comprehensive evaluation of proposals.

5. If an offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, an ambiguity, omission, or are otherwise deemed unsound, the offeror shall immediately notify the KO in writing with supporting rationale. The offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussion.

6. In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals.

7. All referenced documents for this solicitation are available on the…