20250630W911S025DL1W QA.xlsx
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- Defense Language Institute-Washington (DLI-W) Foreign Language Support Services Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- W911S025RDL1W
About this file
This document is a comprehensive Questions and Answers (Q&A) spreadsheet for the Defense Language Institute-Washington (DLI-W) Foreign Language Support Services solicitation (W911S025RDL1W). The Q&A addresses critical details about the procurement, including proposal submission requirements, past performance evaluations, instructional personnel qualifications, and contract structure. Key clarifications include increasing the Mission Capability Volume page limit from 25 to 35 pages, confirming that course packages and resumes can be submitted as appendices not counting against page limits, and providing guidance on program management services estimated at approximately 1,000 hours annually.
The solicitation involves three unrestricted language groups with a maximum ordering amount of $122.9M, requiring small business subcontracting plans for Groups 1 and 3. The contract will provide foreign language training support for Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, supporting 200-400 resident students in the national capital region and potentially 400-500 students annually. Courses range from 10-week familiarization programs to 26-64 week basic courses, with approximately 275-300 task orders expected to be awarded annually across various language groups. The government anticipates supporting predominantly non-commissioned and commissioned officer ranks through resident and mobile training team instruction.
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Sheet1
| No. | Question | RFP Requirement/Excerpt | RFP Reference | RFP Page # | Answer |
| 1 | Does the Government require the resumes of Supervisors and the PM? | a) Supervisor and Academic Advisors’ resumes to include proof of the highest degree obtained. | Section L, 2.c.i.(1) a) | 105 | Yes the Government requires Resumes of the Key Personnel listed in the PWS these will not be counted towards page count |
2 Could the Government please include the estimated quantities for each CLIN? CLINs 0001, 0002, 0003 - Foreign Language Training & Support, Curriculum Development/Training Support, Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) Section B 3 yes the government will include these
3 Could the Government please specify the amounts for NTE CLINs? CLINs 0004 and 0005 - Instructional Materials & ODCs - Not to exceed a total of XXXX ($337,500.00 Last time). Travel - Not to exceed a total of XXXX ($300,000.00 Last time) Section B 4 Updated CLIn structure on SF 30
| 4 | What level of effort (hours) does the Government anticipate for the PM services (at the NCR) that it expects to fund through an annual task order? | The Government shall issue an annual task order to request and fund some PM services. | C.1.9.1 | 13 | This is a equivalent position for 50 wks. (approx. 1,000 hrs.) of work for PM duties as outlined in PWS. This position will assist in offsetting some duties by vendor staff to meet the deliverable outlined in the Quality Assurance Plan. |
| 5 | Which CLIN can be used to price the referenced PM services (at the NCR)? | The Government shall issue an annual task order to request and fund some PM services. | C.1.9.1 | 13 | The government will create a separate CLINS to bill for PM hourly rate for worked performed not to exceed the total cost of task order. Overtime will not be included in the CLINS. |
| 6 | Could the Government provide more details regarding the Program Manager for the GRIT program in Section 5.6? | Refer to Section 5.6 for details regarding a Program Manager for the GRIT program. | C.1.9.1 | 13 | The GRIT Program Manager will oversee the training, material development (based on individual student needs) training of instructors and reports to need the deliverables outlined in the PWS. |
| 7 | Will the Program Manager for GRIT be funded through an annual task order, as anticipated for the NCR PM? | Refer to Section 5.6 for details regarding a Program Manager for the GRIT program. | C.1.9.1 | 13 | This is a equivalent position for the GRIT PM (10hrs per week) to be added to NCR-PM hours task order. We will revisit hours on a quarterly basis depending on the number of sections and student load. |
| 8 | In case the Program Manager for GRIT is funded through an annual task order, what is the level of effort expected and which CLIN will be used to provide pricing? | Refer to Section 5.6 for details regarding a Program Manager for the GRIT program. | C.1.9.1 | 13 | This is a equivalent position for the GRIT PM (10hrs per week) to be added to NCR-PM hours task order. We will revisit hours on a quarterly basis depending on the number of sections and student load. |
| 9 | Would the Government consider increasing the page limit for Volume I - Mission Capability/Gate Criteria from 25 to 50 in light of the many volume requirements? | f. The following volumes of material shall be submitted: Volume: I; Title: Mission Capability/ Gate Criteria; Maximum Pages: 25 (…) | Section L, 1, f | 103 | The government shall increase page limit to 35 pages. |
Would the Government consider allowing the items below to be included as Volume I Appendices and excluded from the Volume I page count?
1) Supervisor and Academic Advisors’ resumes
2) A detailed duty description of the above personnel
3) Three actual student observation and counseling forms
4) A detailed description of the offeror’s instructional technology plan to include the Learning Management System (LMS) that will be provided by the offeror for DLI students’ use, and additional learning applications subscribed to by the offeror.
f. The following volumes of material shall be submitted: Volume: I; Title: Mission Capability/ Gate Criteria; Maximum Pages: 25 (…) Section L, 1, f 103 Yes these appendices shall not be counted towards page count
| 11 | Would the Government allow for the referenced 4 course packages to be provided in an Appendix to Volume I and excluded from Volume I page count? | i. Each basic course package (3i, 3ii, & 3iii above) will include: | Section L, 2.c.i.(2)3)i | 109 | Yes, the government will allow for the 3 course packages to be excluded from Volume I page count. |
| a. Overall class syllabus – Each syllabus shall include the language skills, cultural skills, and regional area studies objectives, a list of the instructional materials and content areas and how they are sequenced in the course, and a student in- course assessment plan. | |||||
| b. For group classes: Provide a detailed plan describing how to accommodate students’ different language learning experiences and proficiency levels. Detail how such disparity will be handled within the group class setting. | |||||
| c. Weekly schedules (grid format preferable) for the first three weeks of the course, the two middle weeks, and the last two weeks – assume this is a full basic course for 3i, 3ii, and 3iii above. Must include learning objectives for language, culture, and regional area studies, references to specific materials used, activity and skill focus for each hour, grammar points and area studies (where relevant), assessment, and homework. These submissions must demonstrate an understanding of the methodological requirements laid out in Section 5 of the PWS. | |||||
| d. A sample of an in-course test designed to assess the three modalities, listening, reading, and speaking (L/R/S), at a level of 1+/1+/1 for the basic course above. | |||||
| e. A description of one immersion with objectives and descriptions that focus on intercultural communications and cultural knowledge acquisition. This is separate from field trips. | |||||
| f. A sample plan for one field trip with objectives, pre and post activities. | |||||
| ii. For Non-beginner (3 iv): Include a plan for evaluating current language proficiency and adjusting the curriculum for a refresher student at the beginning of the course. | |||||
| 12 | Would the Government consider allowing any tables and charts for Volume I - Mission Capability/Gate Criteria to be included in an Appendix to Volume I and excluded from page count? | f. The following volumes of material shall be submitted: Volume: I; Title: Mission Capability/ Gate Criteria; Maximum Pages: 25 (…) | Section L, 1, f | 103 | yes, tables and charts are included in the page count |
13 7. Should Volume I-IV files be submitted only as PDF or both as PDF and via separate uploads in their native format? b. File Packaging. All of the proposal files shall be submitted as separate uploads in their native format, i.e., doc, xls, ppt, etc. Files shall be in read-only format, using PDF extensions. All price breakdown information to aid in the cost/price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel 2007. **Please note – Self extracting exe files are not acceptable. Section L, 2.b. 103-104 yes a PDF copy and their native format
| 14 | Could the Government please clarify if “a plan for evaluating current language proficiency and adjusting the curriculum” is needed or if there is a different course package requirement for course iv? The referenced course (iv) is an “ initial acquisition program (…)”. | 3.ii. For Non-beginner (3 iv): Include a plan for evaluating current language proficiency and adjusting the curriculum for a refresher student at the beginning of the course. | Section L, 2.c.i.(2) 3)ii. | 110 | the government has removed this requirement from section L without impact on the contract schedule. Non beginner is a student returning to study in their existing language. |
| 15 | Does the Government refer to teaming agreements established with proposed subcontractors and, if so, is 50% the applicable percentage to be considered? | 4. The Past Performance Factor: |
The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s record of recent and relevant past performance to ascertain the degree of confidence the Government has that the Offeror will successfully perform the Solicitation’s requirements. The Government will also evaluate proposed subcontractor past performance where subcontractors are proposed to perform less than 50% of the work and have provided signed subcontracting agreements. Performance more than 50% of the work does not require signed subcontracting agreements. Section M, D.4 130 yes this refers to teaming agreements, and yes 50% is the applicable percentage
16 In the sentence “This includes all subcontractors who will be providing services or whose subcontract is for more than 30% of the total proposed price”, does the Government intend to convey “ This includes all subcontractors who will be providing services and whose subcontract is for more than 30% of the total proposed price”? (3) Section 3 – Subcontracts. Offerors shall provide an outline of how the effort required by the RFP will be assigned for performance within the offeror’s corporate entity and among the proposed subcontractors. The information provided for the prime offeror and each proposed major subcontractor must include the entire company name, company address, CAGE Code, UEI and type of work to be performed by citing the applicable Government PWS subparagraph number. This includes all subcontractors who will be providing services or whose subcontract is for more than 30% of the total proposed price. This section will further include written consent of major subcontractors to allow the disclosure of their subcontractor’s past performance information to the offeror. In addition, letters of commitment shall be included for all major subcontractors. Section L, 2, c, iii (3) 113-114 yes this is for subcontracts who will be providing more then 30% of the total propose price
| 17 | Could the Government please provide the PPQ form referenced in this section? | For all contracts identified in Section 1, Contract Descriptions, a PPQ must be completed and submitted. The offeror shall complete Part I of the PPQ and e-mail the questionnaire to both the Government contracting activity and technical representative responsible for the past/current contract. | Section L, 2, c, iii (5) | 114 | yes added as an attachment |
| 18 | Does the $121M IDIQ ceiling mean the ceiling for all three single award IDIQs? | For estimating purposes at the IDIQ Contract Level, offerors shall use the $121M IDIQ ceiling over the five (5) year ordering period and assume an even distribution of funded work annually. | Section L, 2, c, (iv) d | 115 | the 121M is equally divided into contract ceilings of 41M |
| 19 | Could the Delivery Order Numbers be included in an Appendix and excluded from the volume page count? | (f) Contract Number and, in the case of Indefinite Delivery type contracts, GSA contracts, and Blanket Purchase Agreements, include Delivery Order Numbers. | Section L, 2, c, iii,1(f) | 112 | yes these can be included as appendices |
| 1 | On the first tab of the pricing matrices, there are only columns for OP 1-3. |
Should vendors add the remaining years and update the formulas? Or will the government provide updated matrices? Attachment 4 – Pricing Matrix N/A corrected
2 This requirement states four SAIDIQs. Can the government please confirm the number of intended SAIDIQs? The maximum ordering amount of this requirement, to include all four Single Award IDIQs is $122.9M Section B.1.3 2 Language corrected to Three
| 3 | Will the government provide UNIT values for these CLINs? | Foreign Language Training & Support, Curriculum Development/Training Support, | |
| Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) | CLINs 0001, 0002, 0003 | 3 | yes corrected in CLINS |
4 To ensure equal comparison across offers, will the government provide NTE or plug amount for these CLINs? Instructional Materials & ODCs - Not to exceed a total of XXXX ($337,500.00 Last time).
| Travel - Not to exceed a total of XXXX ($300,000.00 Last time). | CLINs 0004 and 0005 | 4 | yes corrected in CLINS |
| 5 | These two sections are contradictory. |
Can the government please confirm the course cancellation fee structure and timing?
The inconvenience compensation listed in 1.3.1.6 is a more appropriate structure to support the requirement for professional language instructors. A two-week notice is a standard for professionals. 1.3.1.6.1. If cancelled less than two weeks prior to class start, the Government shall pay a cancellation fee of 80 hours at the proposed instructional rate.
1.3.1.6.2. If a class is curtailed during the specific period of performance with a two-week advance notice, the Government shall pay a curtailment fee of 40 hours at the proposed instructional rate.
1.3.1.6.3. If a class is curtailed with less than a two-week notice, the Government shall pay a cancellation fee of 80 hours at the proposed instructional rate.
a. If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of such cancellation or delayed start/early termination of a course (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) at least one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction/new termination date, the Contractor will not be entitled to inconvenience compensation.
b. If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of a cancellation (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) less than one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction, the Contractor will be authorized payment for one week’s worth of scheduled instruction, up to a maximum of 30 hours.
c. If the Contractor receives a telephonic of delayed course start/early termination (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) less than one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction/new termination date, the Contractor will be authorized payment for 50% of a week’s worth of scheduled instruction, up to a maximum of 15 hours.
d. For purposes of this clause, scheduled instruction is defined as the number or hours scheduled per week as delineated in the TO. Full-time students will have scheduled instruction for six (6) hours per day, five (5) days per week. Part-time students will received no less than 15 hours of training per week and the exact schedule of instruction will be part of the TO. 1.3.1.6 Cancellation of training by the Government Section H: Liability Agreement 6-7
| 68 | the limited liability agreement has been amended to match PWS and is attached in SAM.gov | |||||
| 6 | Is the one hour that vendors can bill for training related to OPSEC training described in 1.6.3.1 or is it related to the time spent for instructors to be fingerprinted? | Fingerprints for resident instructors are not required prior to the start of training but shall be conducted during the period of the contract (based on annual security review). Vendors may bill one hour for instructor training. | 1.6.4 | 12 | The one hours billable each for training related to OPSEC and for fingerprinting | |
| 7 | What CLIN will vendors use to price this annual task order? |
What level of effort (annual hours) does the government anticipate for the PM services for which the government is funding?
| Do vendors need to provide PM rates at this base proposal stage? | The Government shall issue an annual task order to request and fund some PM services. | 1.9.1 Program Manage for Requirements at the NCR | 13 | Contractors shall propose against CLIN 0001 the government This is a equivalent position for 50 wks. (approx. 1,000 hrs.) of work for PM duties as outlined in PWS. Yes the vendor needs to propose the rate for the PM. |
| 8 | Section 5.6 does not have any details regarding a PM for the GRIT program. |
Does the government expect an onsite PM for this program?
If so, is the onsite PM funded through an annual task order like the NCR PM?
| If so, what is the level of effort, and do vendors need to provide PM rates at this base proposal stage? | Refer to Section 5.6 for details regarding a Program Manager for the GRIT program. | 1.9.1 Program Manager for Requirements at the NCR | 13 | The government does not expect a full time PM on site but should be fully accessible to travel when needed to ensure all QASP deliverable are being met. This is a equivalent position for the GRIT PM (10hrs per week) to be added to NCR-PM hours task order. We will revisit hours on a quarterly basis depending on the number of sections and student load. |
| 9 | What CLIN will vendors use to price this annual task order? |
What level of effort (hours) does the government anticipate for these services for which the government is funding?
| Do vendors need to provide rates at this base proposal stage? | The Government shall issue an annual | ||
| task order to request and support these services. | 1.9.3. Enhanced Academic Support Responsibilities | 15 | Contractors shall propose against CLIN 0001 |
10 Are costs associated with immersions, guest speakers, and other cultural events chargeable as materials costs? Design language enhancement activities for such events as field trips and guest speakers to provide cultural and language learning opportunities. 1.9.3.1.2. Design language enhancement activities 15 Yes
11 This requirement references CDRL A0009.
Is the government going to provide a CDRL? 1.13.1 The Contractor shall upload the Contractor’s Funds and Man-hour Expenditure Reports in the eCRAFT system and submit the Contract Status Report on the day and for the same timeframe the Contractor submits an invoice into the WAWF module in PIEE. Compliance with this requirement is a material requirement of this contract.
Failure to comply with this requirement may result in contract termination. The Contractor shall submit their reports on the same day and for the same timeframe the Contractor submits an invoice in WAWF. The amounts shall be the same in WAWF and eCRAFT. Acceptance/rejection will be indicated by e-mail notification from eCRAFT. If the report is rejected by eCRAFT, the Contractor shall resolve any errors or deficiencies in the report and resubmit the report within eCRAFT. (CDRL A009).
Language courses lasting anywhere from 26 to 64 weeks (depending on Language Category) where the focus is on initial acquisition of the target language up to ILR levels 2/2/1+ (Listening/Reading/Speaking).
FINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR CRYPTOLOGIC STUDENTS
IN BASIC COURSES (2019): They are. briefly, to produce graduates who have:
Achieved a high level of proficiency in listening and reading: at least L2+/R2+.
ENABLING OBJECTIVES
Students shall: Attain the highest possible proficiency in receptive modalities of listening and reading: L2+/R2+ at minimum. 2.6. Basic Course
| Appendix C | 20, |
| 56, 57 | CDRL has been added the Governmetn will Transpose the rates from the pricing workbook to the CDRL. |
12 In what increments does the government expect vendors to invoice when the 3:1 ratio doesn’t occur?
For example, how many preparation hours should be charged for a class that has 5.5 instructional hours due to a student’s pre-planned absence?
Should vendors round up to the nearest full hour? In the above example of 5.5 instructional hours, vendors would charge 2 preparation hours.
We propose allowing vendors to invoice one preparation hour for any portion of a three hour increment. For the purpose of this contract, one hour of preparation shall be required for every three hours of instruction. 2.8. Class Preparation Period 20 The government expected invoices to be billed at quarter hr. increments when the 3:1 ratio does not occur
13 These two sections are contradictory. Can the government please confirm the class cancellation requirement?
Is the on-time cancellation period five business days or one business day?
In order for vendors to retain qualified, professional language instructors in support of this mission, a five business day class cancellation is appropriate to ensure stability. Instances where the Contractor has been provided more than five business days’ notice in advance of a student class absence (utilizing the electronic process directed by DLI-W), either by the student or by the Contracting Officer’s Representative. In such cases, the vendor is not authorized to charge for the missed instruction and the missed hours of instruction may be rescheduled (as banked hours) at the mutual convenience of students and teachers.
2. Ongoing enrolled students will occasionally miss hours or days of instruction due to illness or other excused absence as determined by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). In such cases, the Government will reimburse the Contractor according to the following conditions:
a. In instances where the Contractor has been provided more than 24 hours (one business day) notice in advance of such absence (telephonic notice followed up by a written letter or e-mail), either by the student or by the COR, the Contractor is not authorized to charge for the missed instruction. Such missed instruction is considered “banked hours” and may be rescheduled at the mutual convenience of students and teachers.
b. In instances where the Contractor has been provided less than 24 hours (one business day) notice in advance of such absence (telephonic notice followed up by written letter or e-mail), either by the student or by the COR, the Contractor may invoice as if the instruction was provided. Such missed instructional hours may not be rescheduled without authorization of the COR. 2.46 Timely Class Cancellation (by student)
Section H: Liability Agreement 24 68 Liability agreement has been updated in SAM.gov
14 Technology is changing rapidly and therefore difficult to price in the indirect expenses.
Will the government allow vendors to charge a student’s materials budget for licenses?
If so, will the government consider an increase to the $1,500 cap for class materials?
| Will the government allow students to use personally purchased subscriptions/licenses (Duolingo, ChatGPT, Quizlet) for class work? | Faculty and students shall use only school licensed products or those licensed by the government. Use of free versions of educational technology tools as part of the course materials is not permitted as these may exploit user data inappropriately. All educational technology tools adopted in addition to the LMS (such as flash card applications, game applications) shall be listed in the course syllabus and approved by DLI-W for use. | 5.1.5.2 | 31 | The government will allow vendors to charge the materials budget for licenses of material that is part of the material package and needed for student learning tools throughout the course. The government will not exceeded $1500 per. The government will allow students to use personally purchased material subscriptions/licenses. | ||
| 15 | If an instructor meets the 1.5-year requirement during the task order period, can the full instructional rate be re-established during the task order period? | If an instructor with less than 1.5 years of relevant teaching experience, and an adequate compensation plan, is deemed acceptable and approved by the COR, the instructional hourly rate shall be reduced by 25% for each instructional hour taught by these not-fully-qualified instructors. | 5.3.2.2. | 42 | See updated PWS section 5.3.2.2 in Solictation Modification U0001 |
16 This appears to be a typo as Section 6/Part 6 is applicable publications.
| Can the government provide the correct reference for this requirement? | Specific skills, abilities, and knowledge sought | ||
| shall be described in individual task order requests but shall generally include those required of an instructor as described in Section 6 above. | 5.4. Foreign Language Training And Support Services: | 43 | Instructor's are referenced in Section 5.3, not Section 6 Part 6. |
17 There appears to be a typo and missing components to this requirement. Section 5.3 (Instructor and Other SMEs) and Section 5.4 (Foreign Language Training and Support Services) are not “principles” of a POI.
There also is “Additionally,” with no rest of the sentence.
| Can the government provide the correct reference for this requirement and complete the sentence? | Shall follow the principles spelled out in | |||||
| Sections 5.3 and 5.4 of this document. Courses do not have a pre-set curriculum and need to be tailored to each student’s needs. Additionally, | 5.6.5. Program of Instruction (POI): | 45 | Removed. | |||
| 18 | Are individual class cancellations required to be reported to the Contracting Officer or just overall course cancellations? | 4. Any cancellations must immediately be provided in writing to the Contracting Officer once all parties are aware of the situation. | Section H: Liability Agreement | 69 | Overall Couse Cancellations |
19 The government has the statement of equivalent rates in red with the words “ADD” and “Last time”.
| Are the rates provided for the current equivalent rates? | STATEMENT OF EQUIVALENT RATES FOR FEDERAL HIRES (MAY 2014) | 52.222-42 | 87 | These labor rates rates are added to the clause | ||
| 20 | Can file names have a period (.) before the format extension (i.e., .doc)? | Attachments included in emails should not contain a period (.) in its title as the document may be stripped during transmittal. | 1. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS, b. | 101 | no the (.) shall not be included use (_) | |
| 21 | With this volume serving as the gate criteria and with the addition of more languages, will the government consider increasing the page count to 50 pages as it was in the previous solicitation? | Maximum Pages - 25 | Mission Capability/ Gate Criteria | 103 | The government shall increase page limit to 35 pages. | |
| 22 | Does the government want original Word documents or PDF documents? | All of the proposal files shall be submitted as separate uploads in their native format, i.e., doc, xls, ppt, etc. Files shall be in read-only format, using PDF extensions. | b. File Packaging | 103 | Please Submit in both PDF and Native formats | |
| 23 | Are the following requirements included in the 25 page limit? | |||||
| • | Supervisor and Academic Advisors’ resumes to include proof of the highest degree obtained. | |||||
| • | Three actual student observation and counseling forms | |||||
| • | Sample Course Packages | |||||
| • | List of Instructional Materials |
| For the last RFP, all of these were appendices and not counted as part of the page limit. | (i) VOLUME I – Mission Capability/Gate Criteria. | 104-111 | These shall be submitted as appendices and not counted towards page count. | |
| 24 | 3 (iv) is a basic course, not a non-beginner course. |
| Please confirm the government’s expectations for course documentation. | (i) VOLUME I – Mission Capability/Gate Criteria. | 104-112 | yes 3(iv) basic course language has been removed | |||||
| 1 | The current effort consists of four (4) contracts held by three (3) incumbents, the highest value of which is $16.3M. Requiring relevant efforts to be over $10M per year (1) would not qualify even the incumbent past performance and (2) presents a significant barrier to entry for non-incumbents and specifically for Small Businesses; this is especially so considering the 3 year recency requirement and the reduction of similairly-sized USG foreign language training contracts competed since 2020. Will the Government please adjust the value for relevant magnitude to a combined total of $10M for all past performances? | This requirement will consider efforts greater than $10M per year to be similar in magnitude to the effort required by the Solicitation when evaluating the past performance references for the prime contractor or joint venture. | Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award, D. Evaluation Approach, 4. The Past Performance Factor | 132 | The combined total has been adjusted to $1M | |||
| 2 | Volume/Factor 1: Mission Capability requires a detailed description of the physical institution, management approach, technical approach, and four (4) detailed sample course packages in response to provided scenarios. Please confirm that the four (4) sample course packages are not counted in the 25 page limit for Volume 1. | Page Limit: 25 | Section L: Proposal Submission A. Proposal Submission (Section L), 1. Proposal Submission Requirements | 103 | The government shall increase page limit to 35 pages. Sample language packages will not count toward page total | |||
| 3 | All previous iterations of this contract called for a nuanced evaluation of each Offeror’s technical capabilities, risks, and confidence. The current solicitation’s evaluation gate criteria of an “Acceptable” or “Unacceptable” rating only for Volume/Factor1: Mission Capability; which includes multiple descriptive factors such as detailed sample course plans, technical methodology, and management practices, does not provide sufficient flexibility for assessing such a complex response. The current evaluation method for Volume 1 would limit the Government’s ability to make meaningful distinctions among proposals, and lack of transparency and nuance in the ratings would increase the risk of protest from unsuccessful offerors. We respectfully recommend that the Government utilize the same rating system as detailed for Volume 2. | Table 1: TECHNICAL ACCEPTABLE/UNACCEPTABLE RATINGS | Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award, D. Evaluation Approach, 2. The Mission Capability Factor | 129 | The government will evaluate mission capability as Acceptable/Unacceptable. | |||
| 4 | Some organizations work with multiple smaller federal contracts that add up to $10 million (or near $10 million). Managing multiple contracts is in many ways more difficult than managing one large contract. Can multiple contracts in one year be used to demonstrate capacity to handle large contracts? | 1. | In reference to Past Performance requirements: | Section M | 129 | yes | ||
| 1 | Can you please provide clarification on the acceptable formats for submission? (The statement on page 103 seems to offer contradictory information.) “All of the proposal files shall be submitted as separate uploads in their native format, i.e., doc, xls, ppt, etc. Files shall be in read-only format, using PDF extensions.” (p. 103) | (The statement on page 103 seems to offer contradictory information.) | Section L | 103 | Please Submit in both PDF and Native formats | |||
| 2 | Are course packages in addition to the 25-page limit? May the course packages be submitted as appendices or separate attachments? If so, which format is preferred? | yes these can be submitted as appendices | ||||||
| 3 | Please clarify the requirements for the price and budget submission. Statements on pages 103-104 seem to contradict statements on page 119. • | All price breakdown information to aid in the cost/price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel 2007. (Page 103-104) • | (3) General Instructions. IAW FAR 15.402 and 15.403-1, certified cost or pricing data are not required based on the fact that adequate competition is expected for this procurement. Information other than certified cost or pricing data may be provided in contractor format providing that sufficient information is made available. Information submitted shall be prepared following the instruction in FAR 15.403-5. If after receipt of proposals the Contracting Officer determines that there is insufficient information available to determine price reasonableness and none of the exceptions at FAR 15.403-1 apply, the offeror may be required to submit cost or pricing data. Additionally, in the event that adequate competition is not obtained, the Contracting Officer may incorporate FAR 52.215-20 entitled, “Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other Than Cost or Pricing Data,” into the solicitation and request a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data. There are no page limitations for this volume. Proposal information included in this volume which is not directly related to Cost will be disregarded. (Page 119) | Section L and M | 119 | The government anticipate adequate price competition, and as such certified price is not required unless requested by the government. The cost/price volume does not have a page limit | ||
| 4 | Can you please provide further clarification on this statement? "Solicitations, Offer and Award Documents and Certifications/Representations shall not be addressed separately from that submitted in VOLUME VI – SOLICITATIONS, OFFER AND AWARD DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS/REPRESENTATIONS." (PWS p. 120) | Volume IV | 120 | please provide certification and representations in VOLUME IV | ||||
| 5 | Can you please clarify the max amounts listed in the two CLINs marked by XXX on page 4? | CLIn Structure | Page 4 | CLINS have been updated | ||||
| 6 | Given that that language group 2 is a small business set aside and represents a portion of the overall contract, are vendors competing in language groups 1 and 3 still required to ensure that 30% of the work they propose is set aside for small businesses? Obviously, vendors working with language groups 1 and 3 will want to engage with small businesses but it may be difficult to guarantee 30% in each contract year due to the varying requirements and the need to pivot quickly to meet the Sponsor's needs. | Section L | yes a 30% subcontracting set aside is required on Group 1 and 3. | |||||
| 7 | Assuming the proposal does include one or more subcontractors, does this text require two separate documents? “The offeror shall also submit the written consent of its major subcontractors to allow the disclosure of its subcontractor’s past performance information to the offeror. In addition, letters of commitment shall be included for all major subcontractors for their past performance to be considered.” (p. 112 of the PWS) | yes a letter of commitment is required for each subcontractor | ||||||
| 8 | If the proposal does not include any subcontractors, should the offeror still describe assignment of effort within the internal team for Section 3 of the Past Performance Volume (p. 113-114 of the PWS) | Pg 113-114 | yes | |||||
| 9 | What are the Sponsor’s expectations for immersions? |
Can you please define the Sponsor’s expectations for the immersions?
Are they daily or overnight experiences?
How many per course and duration?
| What are the expectations for travel, accommodation, meals, and related costs? | The sponsor expectations of immersions are done in-house with actives of the target language and culture and should last no more than 1/2day. The number of events are dependent length of training and part of vendor lesson planning. There is no additional expectation for overnight or travel cost related. | ||||||
| 10 | Is this the past performance questionnaire that should be submitted according to the instructions on p. 114 of the PWS? https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/PP_Questionnaire.pdf | Pg 114 | attachment updated | ||||
| 11 | Does the text below from p. 115 of the PWS mean that offerors should submit SF 294 and SF 295 forms that have been submitted as part of contracts referenced in the past performance volume? “For Other than Small Business offerors, include SF 294 information for references cited in this volume and SF 295 (or Individual Subcontracting and Summary Subcontracting Reports in eSRS) information for DOD contracts with these reporting requirements for the last three (3) years.” | PG 115 | Yes please attach the SF's | ||||
| 1 | Volume I has a 25-page limit. For ease of readability and evaluation, can the course packages, resumes of Supervisors and Academic Advisors, samples of observation and counseling forms, the four sample basic course packages supporting documentation, and materials for groups 1 and 3 be included as Appendices and not be counted towards the page count? | f. | The following volumes of material shall be submitted: Volume I, Mission Capability/Gate Criteria, 1 Digital Copy, 25 pages, PDF format. | Section L, letter f. (Page 103) | Pg. 103 | page count has been updated to 35 | |
| 2 | Volume II has a 25-page limit. For ease of readability and evaluation, can the supporting documentation be included as Appendices and not be counted towards the page count? | f. | The following volumes of material shall be submitted: Volume II, Instructional Personnel and Staffing, 1 Digital Copy, 25 pages, PDF format. | Section L, letter f. (Page 103) | Pg 103 | supporting documentation can be included as appendices and will not count towards page limit if added as appendices | |
| 3 | Could the government confirm the number of hours on this task order to allow vendors to take this into account when completing the pricing? | The government shall issue an annual task order to request and fund some PM services. | Section 1.9.1 (pg. 13) | Pg 13 | This is a equivalent position for 50 wks. (approx. 1,000 hrs.) of work for PM duties as outlined in PWS. This position will assist in offsetting some duties by vendor staff to meet the deliverable outlined in the QASP. | ||
| 4 | Section C mentions cancellation fee maximums of 80 hours and 40 hours, but Section H mentions lower maximums of 30 and 15 hours for cancellation fees. Can the government clarify which version of the liability agreement is correct? | 1.3.1.6.1. | If cancelled less than two weeks prior to class start, the Government shall pay a cancellation fee of 80 hours at the proposed instructional rate. | ||||
| 1.3.1.6.2. | If a class is curtailed during the specific period of performance with a two-week advance notice, the Government shall pay a curtailment fee of 40 hours at the proposed instructional rate. | Section C 1.3.1.6.1 – 1.3.1.6.3 (pgs. 6 – 7) and | PG 6-7 | the Limited Lability agreement is updated in SAM.gov | |||
| 5 | 1. a. | If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of such cancellation or delayed start/early termination of a course (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) at least one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction/new termination date, the Contractor will not be entitled to inconvenience compensation. |
1. b. If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of a cancellation (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) less than one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction, the Contractor will be authorized payment for one week’s worth of scheduled instruction, up to a maximum of 30 hours.
| 1. c. | If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of delayed course start/early termination (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) less than one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction/new termination date, the Contractor will be authorized payment for 50% of a week’s worth of scheduled instruction, up to a maximum of 15 hours. | the Limited Lability agreement is updated | ||
| 6 | Section C mentions cancellation fee maximums of 80 hours and 40 hours, but Section H mentions lower maximums of 30 and 15 hours for cancellation fees. Can the government clarify which version of the liability agreement is correct? | 1. a. | If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of such cancellation or delayed start/early termination of a course (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) at least one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction/new termination date, the Contractor will not be entitled to inconvenience compensation. |
1. b. If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of a cancellation (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) less than one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction, the Contractor will be authorized payment for one week’s worth of scheduled instruction, up to a maximum of 30 hours.
| 1. c. | If the Contractor receives a telephonic notice of delayed course start/early termination (followed up with a written letter or e-mail from the KO or designated representative) less than one week (five business days) prior to the scheduled start of instruction/new termination date, the Contractor will be authorized payment for 50% of a week’s worth of scheduled instruction, up to a maximum of 15 hours. | Section H Liability Agreement (pg. 68) | PG 68 | the Limited Lability agreement is updated in SAM.gov | ||
| 7 | Clarification needed on the in-course tests for the course packages: Are in-course test samples required only for the 3 Basic Course packages and not the Refresher Course package? | d. A sample of an in-course test designed to assess the three modalities, listening, reading, and speaking (L/R/S), at a level of 1+/1+/1 for the basic course above. | Section L 2.3.i.d (pg. 109) | PG 109 | yes in-course test samples required only for the 3 Basic Course packages and not the Refresher Course packages. | |
| 8 | We would appreciate clarification on the rationale behind the requirement to reduce our hourly rate by 25% when assigning instructors with less than 1.5 years of relevant teaching experience. In practice, the cost of providing instruction — particularly in less commonly taught languages where qualified instructors are scarce — does not decrease when assigning a less-experienced instructor. In fact, due to market constraints, the rate for these instructors may be equal to or higher than those with more experience. Additionally, the vendor's operational costs remain constant regardless of the instructor’s years of experience. These include classroom facilities, supervision, administrative oversight, and professional development. Could you please provide insight into the reasoning for this rate reduction? Specifically, how does the policy account for the market realities and the cost of doing business in languages where experienced instructors are not readily available? | 5.3.2.2. If an instructor with less than 1.5 years of relevant teaching experience, and an adequate compensation plan, is deemed acceptable and approved by the COR, the instructional hourly rate shall be reduced by 25% for each instructional hour taught by these not-fully-qualified instructors. | 5.3.2.2 | The rate will reduce for high volume languages when the instructor does not meet the full relevant teaching experience. The provision will be annotated individual task orders at the government discretion and not a blanket provision in all languages. The government will reduce the hourly rate by 25% when not fully quasifield instructors are submitted in high volume languages and are minimal training session on-going. | ||
| 9 | We would also appreciate clarification on how the rate reduction policy applies when an instructor with less than 1.5 years of relevant teaching experience is submitted with a compensation plan and subsequently accepted by the Government to teach a course. If the Government has reviewed and approved the instructor based on the submitted compensation plan, thereby acknowledging their suitability for the task, how does this align with the requirement to reduce the hourly rate by 25%? From the vendor's perspective, approval of the compensation plan confirms that the instructor plus the plan meet the Government’s performance standards — even if not the exact experience threshold — and the costs associated with delivering instruction remain unchanged. Could you please clarify how these two elements — approval via compensation plan and mandatory rate reduction — are meant to coexist? | 5.3.2.2. If an instructor with less than 1.5 years of relevant teaching experience, and an adequate compensation plan, is deemed acceptable and approved by the COR, the instructional hourly rate shall be reduced by 25% for each instructional hour taught by these not-fully-qualified instructors. | 5.3.2.2 | pg 110 | The government is accepting risk of a less qualified instructor therefore; approval of the compensation does not mitigate of the risk of having an less qualified instructor. | |
| 10 | The PWS calls for four course packages in all Language Groups that are described as Full Basic, Initial Acquisition courses. The required course packages do not include any non-beginner courses. Should we disregard the requirement for a refresher student plan? | For Non-beginner (3 iv): Include a plan for evaluating current language proficiency and adjusting the curriculum for a refresher student at the beginning of the course. | Section L, A.2.3.ii (pg. 110) | pg 110 | the government has removed this requirement from section L without impact on the contract schedule. Non beginner is a student returning to study in their existing language. | |
| 11 | Can you please define Human Language Technology Tools and give some examples? | The training shall incorporate the use of diverse instructional technologies such |
as, but not limited to, electronic flash cards, online learning applications (apps), games, virtual and augmented reality, social collaboration tools in the LMS, a Human Language
| Technology tools (HLT) and Gen AI. | 5.2.2.6 | HLT is use of LLMs (AI/ML tools), Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) , auto translators and transcribers, chat bots. Virtual assistances and tutors, etc. | ||||
| 12 | The Group 1 spreadsheet is missing tabs for OP 4 & 5. In addition, the summary tab "Language Group #1" is missing Columns for OP 4 & 5. | Attachment+4 Pricing Matrix Language Groups 1 | L.A.2.c.v.(1) | spread sheet is corrected | ||
| 13 | Could the Government please provide Hours for the Foreign Language Training and Support, Curriculum Development & Training Support, and Remote - Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) CLINS on the "Language Group #1" tab? | Attachment+4 Pricing Matrix Language Groups 1 | L.A.2.c.v.(1) | spread sheet is corrected | ||
| 14 | Could the Government please provide more details and requirements for the Program Management requirement to include annual estimated hours and a CLIN for pricing? In previous contracts, these requirements were accounted for in the Overhead calculation. If the estimates are not provided, it could result in a vendor providing improper Overhead in-direct calculations and material defective pricing. | Program Manager for Requirements at the NCR: "The Government shall issue an annual task order to request and fund some PM services" | PWS 1.9.1 | CLINS are updated | ||
| 15 | Section 5.6 contains no information regarding the GRIT Program Manager responsibilities. Could the Government please provide clarification and a CLIN for GRIT Program Manager services? | Refer to Section 5.6 for details regarding a Program Manager for the GRIT program. | PWS 1.9.1 | The GRIT Program Manager will oversee the training, material development (based on individual student needs) training of instructors and reports to need the deliverables outlined in the PWS. | ||
| 16 | Could the Government please provide more details and requirements for the Enhanced Academic Support Responsibilities requirement to include annual estimated hours and a CLIN for pricing? In previous contracts, these requirements were accounted for in the Overhead calculation. If the estimates are not provided, it could result in a vendor providing improper Overhead in-direct calculations and material defective pricing. | Enhanced Academic Support Responsibilities: "The Government shall issue an annual task order to request andsupport these services" | PWS 1.9.3 | On specific occasions the government will issue task order when additional enhanced academic support as deemed necessary. These responsibilities are outside of the scope of regular PM duties and DLI-W will determine the amount of hours for each project assigned. Reference PWS 1.9.3. | ||
| 17 | The Government is not requesting vendors to propose Labor Categories for this RFP. Could the Government please remove this requirement or provide further clarifications? The standard LCATS in eCRAFT have no similarities to the work being proposed in this RFP. | LCAT Crosswalk to Standard eCRAFT Labor Categories, LCAT Crosswalk to SCA Labor Categories | L.A.2.c.v.(4) | The Government has added updated LCATS and will transpose the LCATS from the pricing workbook | ||
| 18 | Can the Government confirm that the only required eCRAFT reporting is for the Cost-Reimbursable Travel CLIN? | Electronic Cost Reporting and Financial Tracking (eCraft) | 1.13 | This is for the Labor Hours CLINS and the governemnt will transpose from the pricing workbook. | ||
| 19 | Could the Government provide this CDRL (CDRL A009) and any related CDRLs required to meet this requirement? | CDRL A009 | 1.31.1 | attachment updated | ||
| 20 | Could the Government please provide this template? In the event that a CO or COR reference is not available due to ongoing governmental changes, what concessions regarding this requirement would the Government entertain? | Past Performance Questionaire | L.A.2.c.iii.(5) | past performance questionnaire is attached | ||
| 21 | Could the Government confirm that there are only 3 Language Groups? 2. Given that Groups 1 & 3 are Unrestricted and require Small Business Subcontracting Plans, would the Governmenr please provide the anticipated Ceiling amount by group so that offerors can accurately provide commitments in the Small Business Participation volume? | B.1.3. The maximum ordering amount of this requirement, to include all four Single Award IDIQ's is $122.9M. | Section B B.1.3 | yes the Government has corrected | ||
| 1 | Will the Gov’t advise if they will provide any of the curricula? If the Gov’t will provide the curricula, what format will the curricula come in (documents, audio, video, etc.)? Will the curriculum be provided as individual files, or common cassette, or hard copies? | No, the government requires that the contractor will be held responsible for curriculum development in collaboration with DLIFLC personnel per PWS. | ||||
| 2 | To ensure a fair comparison of an offeror's TEP, will the government provide the number of hours/days offerors should use for each CLIN (1, 2, & 3)? | Attachment 4 | Attachment 4 - Group 1, 2, & 3, Language Group tab | Page 3 | Attachment updated | |
| 3 | Should all five ordering periods be included in the Weighted Average rate calculation or just the three shown on the Language Group tabs? | Attachment 4 | Attachment 4 - Group 1, 2, & 3, Language Group tab | Attachment 4, Group 1, 2, & 3, Language Group tab | Attachment updated to include all 5 OP's |
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