Industry Questions From Solicitation Round 2.docx

W911RX-22-B-0003 – Refuse and C/D Landfill Operation Solicitation Questions Round 2

1. Who is the incumbent contractor and how long have they been operating the contract?

The current contract number is W911RX18D0003. Possible ways to look up contract information www.SAM.gov or www.fpds.gov. Filing for Freedom of Information Act can also give access to information.

2. What is the amount of the awarded contract including any contract modifications?

The current contract number is W911RX18D0003. Possible ways to look up contract information www.SAM.gov or www.fpds.gov. Filing for Freedom of Information Act can also give access to information.

3. When were the last year’s modifications?

Check Last “option year”. The last bilateral modification for wage adjustment was 1 July 2021

4. Were these modifications to increase the dollar value of the contract for Wage Determination?

This is irrelevant for this contract. The cost adjustments are included in the prepriced CLINS and the Contractor is to bid any increases in CLINs 0002 & 0004 in the out year pricing periods.

5. Were there modifications to increase the dollar value of the contract for Landfill Fees?

This is irrelevant for this contract. The cost adjustments are included in the prepriced CLINS and the Contractor is to bid any increases in CLINs 0002 & 0004 in the out year pricing periods.

6. Were there modifications due to the Increase in Fuel Cost?

This is irrelevant for this contract. The cost adjustments are included in the prepriced CLINS and the Contractor is to bid any increases in CLINs 0002 & 0004 in the out year pricing periods. This is Firm Fixed Price contract and pricing fluctuations need to be taken into account in the bid for all ordering periods.

7. Form 33 – says one original and one copy? Is this correct?

The SF33 that was included with amendment 1 is the original minus the draft water mark. Please look to the amendment 1 document for changes.

8. Past Performance completed in Attachment 6 is historical data and no Past Performance form. Please clarify.

Please look to amendment 1, which added Attachment 9-Pre-Award Information which includes the Past Performance Form.

9. The revised ordering periods in Section F show 5 years effective pricing, however the revised CLINs only show 4 years. Can the Government please clarify if Year 1 pricing is from 1 Sept 2022 – 31 July 2024 (per the CLINs) or 1 Sept 2022 – 31 July 2023 (per Section F).

Pricing Period: 1 August 2022 - 31 July 2027 Transition Period: 1 August 2022 – 31 August 2022 (Base) Pricing Period 1 effective: 1 August 2022 - 31 July 2023 Pricing Period 2 effective: 1 August 2023 - 31 July 2024 Pricing Period 3 effective: 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2025 Pricing Period 4 effective: 1 August 2025 - 31 July 2026 Pricing Period 5 effective: 1 August 2026 - 31 July 2027 The Contractor bid pricing in Exhibit C – Bid Schedule for CLINs 0002 and 0004 for each of the pricing periods are to be used for ordering and payment. The coefficient CLINS in Exhibit D – Supplemental Bid Schedule for CLIN 0001 and each pricing period will be used for ordering and payment for CLIN0001. It is important that the offerors completely fill out Exhibits C – Bid Schedule and Exhibit D – Supplemental Bid Schedule.

10. Section L 2.2.2 has been revised to read “Bidders shall acknowledge all IFB amendments issued on Standard Form (SF) 33, by completing blocks 14, of each amendment issued and submitting with their bid.”. However, the SF 30 shows that a copy of the Amendment must be provided with the bid. Can the Government please clarify if a copy of the signed SF 30 with the bid is required?

Yes, a copy of the SF30 needs included and signed.

11. Section L 2.3.1 still references Section B of the SF 1449. Can the Government please clarify that this should read “Section B of the SF 33”?

Correct Section L. 2.3.1 should read “Section B of the SF33”

12. It is our understanding that Exhibit D is used to generate prices to be inserted into Exhibit C. Can the Government please confirm that Exhibit D is not required to be submitted with the proposal?

Exhibit D – Supplemental Bid Schedule is required with the bid proposal. The coefficients in Exhibit D are required for CLIN 0001 payment during performance.

13. LATE SOLICITATION QUESTIONS 9 states “Section L 2.1.1.4 has been removed; however, Amendment 0001 still contains that paragraph. Can the Government please clarify whether this is still a proposal requirement?

This section was to be removed however it does look like the change did not make it to amendment 1. Section L 2.1.1.4 is not required for proposal.

14. LATE SOLICITATION QUESTIONS 14 states that Section M 1.2.1.1.6 has been removed however Amendment 0001 still contains that paragraph. Can the Government please clarify whether is still a proposal requirement?

This section was to be removed however it does look like the change did not make it to amendment 1. Section M 1.2.1.1.5 and 1.2.1.1.6 are not required for proposal.

15. Will the Government please explain the bid procedure in more detail? In over 40 years of refuse and recycling contract bidding we have never seen these pricing bidding requirements and we do not think it will be beneficial to the Government to procure pricing this way. Fort Riley historically has had one of the easiest and best bidding contracts and now it is in jeopardy with this complex and confusing system.

The offerors shall completed Exhibit C – Bid Schedule and Exhibit D – Supplemental Bid Schedule as instructed. To clarify Solicitation Amendment 1 Paragraph 2.3.1.1, the total estimated amount column for CLINs 0001, 1001, 2001, 3001, 4001 in Exhibit C – Bid Schedule will be added together and inserted into Section B of the SF33 CLIN 0001. CLINs 0002 and 0004 shall be handled in the same manner. It is important that the offerors completely fill out Exhibits C – Bid Schedule and Exhibit D – Supplemental Bid Schedule.

16. Why was the coefficient bid schedule only added after the QnA? Was this not the Government’s initial pricing plan? Please explain the Governments thoughts and timeline of adding this complicated procedure. This use of the Bid Schedule is at the discretion of the Government. The Government’s decision to incorporate the coefficient is to minimize the contractor’s risk by a known variable.

a. Is the coefficient median of 422 always the same, or does the median move with the contract? If it moves, what interval is it recalculated? The median tonnage (422) is based on the historical data in Exhibit E – Historical Data. It is used to ONLY to evaluate the pricing for CLIN0001 pricing. Refer to Exhibit C – Bid Schedule Notes to Bidder paragraph 1 and Exhibit D – Supplemental Bid Schedule instructions.

17. Please extend the bid date because the level of complexity has risen entirely with the addition of the very consuming coefficient and tonnage band bid schedule.

Bid closing will be extended to 27 April 2022 at 12:00 PM CST

18. Not all refuse tons are created equal. This simple statement is very true for this contract. The way the Government is trying to have offers bid this contract can put 8a bidders at financial risk. By having different pricing columns for tonnage bands, it doesn't allow the offeror to capture its fixed cost. We still have to run the same routes whether there are 10, 100, or 300 or 400 tons because the Government expects the containers to be picked up regardless of the tonnage captured. We still have to physically drive around with the same labor, fuel, repairs and maintenance etc. to collect the tons. And then at some point, based on route and tonnage a 2nd route is needed. Can the Government please consider removing this pricing structure? No, the use of the Bid Schedule is at the discretion of the Government.

a. The pricing bands are too spread apart. Collecting and having to bid/price 201 and 349, 351 and 449 in the same columns is too big of a spread. Will the Government please revise or remove altogether this complex approach? No, the use of the Bid Schedule is at the discretion of the Government. The intent is to have fair and equitable pricing from the offerors for price comparison and payment to reduce risk to both the Government and offerors.

19. Why does the Government lump roll off collections into the tonnage pricing? These should be billed as “each” versus per ton because a ton of bricks is different than collecting a ton of feathers. Lumping this is with front load tonnage is impossible to bid as they are different collections entirely. Offerors shall bid accordingly.

20. Is container washing supposed to be bid in the pricing bands and coefficient pricing? Yes If so, why? It is a requirement for performance. What does it have to do with collecting tons? If we collect 1 ton of 10000 the containers still have washing requirements.

a. Will the Government Please remove every requirement from the tonnage pricing schedule other than the cost of the tons themselves and make the rest a monthly FFP line item? No

21. Will the Government please answer with yes or no if the contractor can park refuse collection vehicles and containers at the landfill? The PWS isn't 100% clear and referring us back to it isn't helping answer the question. Yes, but the offerors must meet the requirements of Attachment 2 – Annex E paragraph 3.7.1 .

22. Will the Government Please answer yes or no if all refuse front load containers need lid locks? Same for recycling front load containers. If yes, what type of lid locks are needed? If yes, this is new for refuse containers and the PWS isn't as straight forward as the Government is answering. Yes, all front load containers require locking lids. The type and style of lock is at the discretion of the offerors.

23. Will the Government Please remove that the contractor has to clean up a burned trash load if its truck catches fire? No It costs a lot of time, equipment and manpower to collect a burned trash pile ejected from a front load truck when it could be up to 15 tons on the ground. This is especially costly since it is out of the contractor’s control.

24. Will the Government Please remove that ALL scale house damage is the contractor’s responsibility? No Why does the contractor have to repair and be responsible for a 3rd party's mistakes when it has no control over the 3rd party? The Contractor shall comply with the requirements of the revised Attachment 2 - Annex E paragraph 3.7.2.

25. As per Industry Questions from Solicitation- Could you please provide us details for bid bond as assurance?

a. RFP Section L 2.1.1.4. states “Bidders shall provide written assurance of their ability to be able to meet the requirements of the PWS without deviation to the timelines and performance requirements listed within the PWS.” Will the Government please provide additional detail as to what information is required to address the assurance requirement?

Section L. 2.1.1.4 has been removed. Please refer to the bid bond as assurance.

** Revised answer to Industry Questions. The assurance will be the Certificate of Insurance. Bid bonds are not required. Refer to FAR 52.228-5 Insurance – Work on a Government Installation.

All clauses referring to bid bonds will be removed.

26. Is there any page limit for Transmittal Summary Letter? Shall it be on company letter?

No, the Transmittal Summary Letter does not have a page limit. The government has no preference on company letter.

27. Could you please provide revised section B where we can add amount?

No, you may edit and insert information or hand write on the document

28. As mentioned in Industry Questions from solicitation the following paragraph will be removed, could you please help us with the revised/removed Section L. 2.1.1.4 and Section M 1.2.1.1.5 These sections were to be removed however it does look like the changes did not make it to amendment 1. Section L 2.1.1.4.,Section M 1.2.1.1.5 and 1.2.1.1.6 are not required for proposal. Changes will be made in Amendment 2.

"Have a satisfactory performance record. A prospective Contractor shall not be determined responsible or not responsible solely on the basis of a lack of relevant performance history, except as provided in 9.104-2. The Contracting Officer may obtain a Certificate of Competency from the Small Business Administration if the bidder has no relevant past performance. Relevancy is defined as having performed contracts successfully under NAICS 562111 as a prime contractor."

Contractors past performance determination as specified in the solicitation

Late Questions Round 2

1. Whose signature is requested in form “Attachment 9 – Pre-Award Information” Is it our company’s POC or Financial Institutes POC?

The company’s POC who has authority to obligate the company financially.