Questions_and_Answers.pdf

W9124D-19-Q-6175 Education Support Services

Solicitation Questions and Answers

Q.1. Is this a new requirement? or a follow on contract?

A.1. This is a follow-on contract. The current contract number is W9124D-16-C-0017, The contractor is Indtai, Inc at 2095 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 300, Vienna VA 22182- 3733.

Q.2. How many FTEs are currently supporting the current contract effort?

A.2. The staffing level of the incumbent contractor is proprietary information that cannot be released.

Q.3. Are contractor personnel required to have a clearance other than NACI?

A.3. No. Contractor personnel supporting this contract shall have a favorable Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) finger print card check, and initiate a NACI or equivalent investigation (as determined by the government) before access to government system can be granted, and shall maintain the level of security required for the life of the contract.

Q.4. Quote content Part 1. The Government is asking for multiple item including FAR provisions that will exceed 5 pages. Will the Government please change the page limitations or make the page limit unlimited?

A.4. The FAR provisions are not included in the page limitations. The only FAR provision that must be provided in full text is FAR Provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, Alternate 1.

Q.5. Part 2 Technical Past Performance. Can the Government reconsider requiring Past Performance citations with a value of $1.8M or greater? $1.8M annual is a difficult threshold to get to for 3 past performances even at a company with gross receipts of $15M. Further, there maybe a subcontractor involved and lastly most companies can perform at a value higher than their current contracts. Will the Government consider $800k to $1M threshold as an alternate?

A.5. The government will lower the threshold to $1.5 million annual.

Q.6. Part 4 Price. The Government is requesting completion of a direct labor table.

Should the offeror create a table for each of the 4 CLINs listed?

A.6 Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors-Commercial Items the offeror shall submit a price quote for a one-month phase in, 11 month base period and two one-year option periods. The Contractor shall provide a table that captures all the information the Government has provided in the direct labor table.

Q.7. Part 4 Price. Is the Government asking for the pay rate under the column base hourly rate? If yes, is the Government allowing subcontractors to submit sealed packages?

A.7. the Government is asking for hourly rate. The Government will allow subcontractors to submit a quote by email to James Gnagie (CS) at james.d.gnagie.civ@mail.mil and Melody A. Price at Melody.a.price8.civ@mail.mil.

Must state who the prime is along with the percentage of work the sub plans on doing.

Q.8. Can the Government confirm if the Program Manager must be onsite at HRC?

A.8. Program manager must be onsite to supervise requirements completed by contracted personnel in support of this contract. All work associated with this contract must be performed onsite since many of the systems must be accessed from HRC. In addition, it requires interaction/collaboration with government employees’ onsite.

Q.9. Does the Government consider the PM to be a FTE that is priced in the Firm-Fixed Price?

A.9. Yes the Government considers the PM to be a FTE.

Q.10. Technical Exhibit 3. Based on the Governments note on the top of TE3, is the Government stating the Program Management is 1920 Productive Hours?

A.10. Yes the Government is stating the Program Management is 1920 Productive Hours. Reference PWS Technical Exhibit 3.1, Optimum Staffing Plan.

Q.11. Technical Exhibit 3. Can the Government finish the data column for 5.1 Program Manager because it seems incomplete?

A.11. The sentence has been completed: Average 2 process improvements per month, 6 meetings per month.

Q.12. In Part 1: General , it states “Solicitation W9124D-19-Q-6175 shall be submitted fully completed…”. There is no SF-1449 or SF-33. What is it that shall be fully completed, is it the CLIN Table or anything else? Please clarify.

A.12.There will be no SF-1449 or SF-33 issued until award. Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instruction’s to Offerors-Commercial Items, gives instructions on how to provide your quote.

Q.13. PWS Technical Exhibit 3 (TE 3) Workload Historical Data identifies a range of tasks, activities and actions for each of the 11 Specific Task Areas of the contract.

Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items, under Element 2, indicates that the requirements in TE 3 are the government’s “Optimal Staffing Plan”. Finally, Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Item, under Non-Price Evaluation Factors, Element 2 – Optimum Staffing Plan, states that the “Government will evaluate the proposed staffing, labor mixes and labor hours per classification per period of performance to validate the offer is in correlation to Technical Exhibit 3 (TE 3).” Instructions to Offerors, and the evaluation of the Staffing Plan do not account for the government’s specified “staffing requirement”, under PWS

1.5.8. which requires Contractor Functional Leads for each of the PWS Specific Tasks

5.2 to 5.11 (i.e., 10 Functional Leads). Can the government please consider incorporating this PWS Requirement for Functional Leads in TE 3, Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items and Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Item to ensure consistency amongst: 1) the PWS-specified requirements in both Section 1.5.8 and TE 3; 2) the government’s instructions to offerors; and 3) the government’s approach to evaluation of offers.

A.13. Government updated PWS paragraph 1.5.8. to: Contractor shall provide ONE Financial Analyst for Tuition Management Team Support to include Tuition Recoupment/Refund (PWS Paragraph 5.8) and Government Approved School Invoice Processing Support (PWS Paragraph 5.9). The Financial Analyst should possess a minimum of an Associate’s Degree or 60 semester hours, as well as, two years of experience that has equipped the person with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the task.

Q.14. Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items includes quote (page) limitations and the following note: “Page limits includes all appendices, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, and other information provided in the quote.” Please confirm that cover pages and tables of content are excluded from the specified quote (page) limitations.

A.14. The Government will allow cover pages and tables of content to be excluded from the specified quote limitations.

Q.15. The Government states it wants a Cover Letter as part of the proposal. Can the Government confirm if they want it in Part 1 General or as a separate document?

A.15. The Government will allow this to be a separate document.

Q.16. Will the Government provide the Wage Determination Occupational Code for each of the PWS task areas so offerors can price this requirement accurately and the Government can evaluate offerors equitability?

A.16. Technical Exhibit 3.1, Optimum Staffing Plan, has been incorporated into the

PWS.

Technical Exhibit 3.1 (TE 3.1) Optimum Staffing Plan

Labor Categories Direct Labor

Hours

FTE

Program Manager (PWS Para 5.1) 1,920 1.0

Administrative Assistant (PWS Para 5.2) 1,920 1.0

Secretary II (PWS Para 5.3) 1,920 1.0

General Clerk III (PWS Para 5.4) 1,920 1.0

Personnel Assistant (Employment) I (PWS Para 5.5) 5,760 3.0

General Clerk III (PWS Para 5.6) 3,840 2.0

General Clerk III (PWS Para 5.7) 2,880 1.5

Financial Analyst I (team lead) (PWS Para 5.8 & 5.9) 1,920 1.0

Accounting Clerk III (PWS Para 5.8) 2,880 1.5

Accounting Clerk III (PWS Para 5.9) 9,600 5.0

Personnel Assistant (Employment) III (PWS Para 5.10) 1,920 1.0

Personnel Assistant (Employment) II (PWS Para 5.11) 5,760 3.0

Personnel Assistant (Employment) III (PWS Para 5.11) 1,920 1.0

Total 44,160 23.0

Q.17. Can the Government please disclose the SCA Labor Categories and their appropriate levels being utilized on the incumbent contract?

A.17. This information is proprietary. The government has disclosed its optimal staffing plan and the applicable labor categories. Reference PWS Technical Exhibit 3.1, Optimum Staffing Plan.

Q.18. We have reviewed the PWS and solicitation but have not seen the proposal requirements. For example, page limit, required sections, double space vs single space, budget requirements, etc. Can you provide instructions/requirements for contractors that would like to respond to this solicitation?

A.18. Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items has the instructions for page limit, quote limitation, quote content, pricing schedule. It is up to the contractor to review this section to make sure you comply with all requirements.

Q.19. How will this be evaluated? LPTA, Best Value?

A.19. Addendum to FAR Provision 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items section b ii states, “Award will be made to a single Offeror who is deemed responsible in accordance with the FAR, whose quote is judged by an overall assessment of the evaluation criteria and other considerations specified in the solicitation, which will represent the lowest total evaluated price and tenders a quote that clearly meets the minimum requirements of the solicitation and is deemed acceptable. Trade-offs between cost/price and non-cost/price factors are not permitted. It is the Government’s intent to award without discussions. Offeror’s initial offer should contain the offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such as in in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received. The government will not use either LPTA as a subset of Best Value under FAR Part 15.

Q.20. Do you have to have the NAICS code 611710 in order to bid/Prime?

A.20. Yes in order to bid you need to have the NAIS code 611710.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.