Q_&_A_Final.pdf

Questions and Answers

Question 1. Can you provide an official RFP doc that outlines the requirements needed to submitted in the technical proposal for this requirement?

Answer: Please read the entire synopsis/solicitation to include the Submission Guidelines, the PWS for technical requirements and the PWS Technical Exhibit 2 Quality Control Plan, and FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-2, and 52.212-3.

Question 2. Do you require only pricing info to be considered technical acceptable?

Answer: Please see Answer to Question 1.

Question 3. Where is the place of performance and can this be performed remotely?

Answer: Please see items 5.3.2 and 5.3.3 in the Performance Work Statement.

Question 4. Due date for proposal submission shows 6/25 which is same as the posting date.

Can you confirm if this is correct as I show on the FBO posting that questions to be submitted by July 8.

Answer: Due date for proposals is 1 August 2019 4:00 pm Eastern time, which is correct on the Solicitation on FBO.

Question 5. Can you provide incumbent contract info?

Answer: This is a new requirement with no incumbent contract.

Question 6. Can companies outside the USA apply for this (like, from India or Canada)?

Answer: Due to the nature of the records being scanned, this requirement is restricted to companies within the Continental US.

Question 7. Do we need to come to the pickup location for meetings?

Answer: Yes, please see item 1.4.7 of the PWS.

Question 8. Can we submit proposals via email?

Answer: Per the solicitation, proposals are to be submitted by email to john.w.wilkes.civ@mail.mil

Question 9. Should my company bid even though we exceed the size standard?

Per the Solicitation, “This acquisition is a 100% total set-aside exclusively for Small Business concerns. In the event of insufficient small business participation, the government reserves the right to make an award on an unrestricted basis.”

Question 10: Do you anticipate one pickup per year, per month, etc.?

Answer: There is no limit to the number of boxes that can be picked up at one time; however, the contractor is required to return the boxes within 90 days of pick up.

Question 11. May we use a rental vehicle driven by our employee or subcontractor’s employee?

Answer: Contractor Owned Vehicle. Please see Item 5.3.3 of the PWS.

Question 12. Can you estimate the average number of images per individual’s record?

Answer: Average number of pages is 80 per record.

Question 13. If there will be microfilm, could you estimate the percentage of the total images per year?

Answer: Expect at a minimum of 512,500 microfiche images per year. This could fluctuate due to most of the older records containing a high volume of microfiche documents. The records that are more current do not contain as high of a volume of microfiche.

Question 14. Is there a specific code or classification we must have in order to be recognized as a small business?

Answer: You must be registered in SAM (System for Award Management) as a small business for the NAICS code 561410 that is solicited.

Question 15: Is there additional consideration given to veteran-owned small business?

Answer: This acquisition is 100% set aside for small businesses only.

Question 16: This is a 3-year project. Is there any objection to have all the files scanned in one year or two years instead of 3?

Answer: This contract will be awarded with a base and 3 option years. The contractor shall be required to scan at a minimum 2,050,000 pages each contract year.

Question 17: Is prep of paper documents required, such as removing staples, paper clips, etc.?

Answer: Admin Services will prep records prior to being picked up. If company has to complete any prep work, it will be at a minimum.

Question 18. How many documents are to be picked-up per visit? Are all annual documents to be picked up at one time?

Answer: The number of documents being received will be determined based on the company’s workload ability.

Question 19: Is there a “Master List” of personnel names contained in the boxes and due for scanning?

Answer: There is a master list for most boxes. Admin Services will ensure that there is an accurate list of files contained in each box prior to pick up.

Question 20: Is the microfilm 16mm originals, or duplicate?

Answer: Some are originals and some are duplicates.

Question 21: How many personnel files are there typically per role of microfilm?

Answer: Microfiches pages are not on rolls. Microfiche pages are individually separated.

Question 22: Is there some sort of divider on the indicating that a new file is beginning?

Answer: There are no dividers between microfiche pages. Microfiche pages are individually separated and are not on a roll.

Question 23: Confirm the definition of page for paper or microfilm as a single side one-page image.

Answer: Both single side and front/back

Question 24: Confirm the media is rolls, not sheets. Identify the approximate number of rolls or sheets, and quantity of images per roll or sheet.

Answer: Most microfiche will be in sheets. Estimated number of sheets are 2,050,000. Most sheets will only need 1 image per sheet, some will require two images per sheet.

Question 25: How should the documents be scanned? In Black and white? Greyscale?

Color?

Answer: Black and White, unless the document in not legible. If the document is not legible, Greyscale should be utilized to achieve legibility.

Question 26: What DPI do the documents need to scanned in? Is 300 DPI acceptable?

Answer: 300 DPI is acceptable

Question 27: Does the COR provide access to the OPSEC training post award?

Answer: Training will be available on-line for contractor employees post award.

Question 28: Does the National Guard provide specs for drug test and background checks?

Answer: The contractor must insure that all employees involved in the processing of these documents have passed background checks and drug testing. All contractor employees involved in the processing of these documents must sign non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements.

Question 29: Is it acceptable to return documents quarterly or at the end of each contract duration?

Answer: Documents must be returned once digitalization is complete. There is no limit to the number of boxes that can be picked up at one time; however, the contractor is required to return the boxes within 90 days of pick up.

Question 30: PWS specifies that file requested it must be scanned and emailed in PDF format.

If a file is too large, it will not send via email. Are there alternative methods to receive this file such as an FTP port?

Answer: Images must be downloaded onto an external hard drive or FTP port. The high volume of documents being imaged prevents the use of e-mail.

Question 31: Are the documents already packed into boxes and labeled with accurate labels?

If not, is it required for the contractor to pack and label contents into boxes?

Answer: Documents are boxed and labeled accurately. Final preparation for pick up will be provided by the SCARNG Admin Services section.

Question 32: Can the boxes receive barcodes for tracking purposes?

Answer: Barcodes are allowed for tracking purposes.

Question 33: Can the files receive barcodes for scanning/indexing purposes?

Answer: Barcodes are allowed for indexing purposes.

Question 34: Is it acceptable to use FedEx to transport documents back to the National Guard facility?

Answer: Contractor Owned Vehicle. Please see Item 5.3.3 of the PWS.

Question 35: CLIN 0002 Contractor Manpower Reporting (No cost CLIN to the Government).

What amount is to be entered on this line?

Answer: A zero dollar amount is to be entered for this line item. The contractor shall report all contractor labor hours required for performance of services provided under this contract for the National Guard Bureau via the secure data collection site provided.

Question 36: Is the Contractor required to be Safe Harbor Compliant?

Answer: No, all security measures are outline in the PWS.

Question 37: Will you provide the next box to scan once the previously provided box completed and returned? What is the turnaround time for one lot of boxes to be digitized?

Answer: No. The contracting company will pick up next group of boxes as completed boxes are returned.

Question 38: What are the conditions of the documents? Are any water damaged and/or fragile? If yes, please provide and estimated quantity and type of damage.

Answer: Most documents are in good shape. No water damage is present on any documents.

Some documents are fragile due to the age of the document.

Question 39: Is there budget fix for this project? If yes, how much?

Answer: This Solicitation is out for competitive bids, so this information cannot be revealed.

Question 40: How many pages are there approximately in each personnel folder?

Answer: 80 pages.

Question 41: Do we need to reassembly for the files after they have been scanned?

Answer: Files should be placed back in folder as they were when picked up by contracting company.

Question 42: What is the ratio of Color and B/W documents and single & double-sided documents?

Answer: 200,000 (Color) / 8,000,000 (B/W) & 4,000,000 (single) / 4,200,000 (double-sided)

Question 43: Are you require any type of training for these services?

Answer: See section 1.4.5 of the PWS for training required.

Question 44: Is there any fix time frame for digitization?

Answer: This contract will be awarded with a base and 3 option years. The contractor shall be required to scan at a minimum 2,050,000 pages each contract year.

Question 45: Will the hard drive provided by the SCARNG have cloud capabilities?

Answer: No

Question 46: Will the majority of the government documents be single-sided paperwork?

Answer: About half of the documents will be double sided.

Question 58: Do the paper records or microfilm take precedence in processing?

Answer: Equal

Question 59: Does the customer want all documents as a single image? (i.e.post-its, attached small docs, etc. to be taped on blank sheets and scanned as a separate image).

Answer: Stand alone images shall be single imaged. Documents with continuation pages should be imaged together.

Question 60: Can we view samples or receive samples to test prior to submitting the proposal?

Answer: No, due to privacy concerns of Soldiers’ information.

Question 61: Will a site visit be allowed so the Contractor can better assess the scope of effort?

Answer: No.

Question 62: What is the total number of boxes to be picked up? What are the box dimensions?

Answer: 1,250. 12 ½” x 22”

Question 63: What is the estimated number of boxes that will be ready for pickup at one time?

Answer: There is no limit to the number of boxes that can be picked up at one time; however, the contractor is required to return the boxes within 90 days of pick up.

Question 64: How often are boxes and images to be returned?

Answer: Contractor will return files within 90 days of pick up.

Question 65: Will the SCARNG provide an electronic file listing for each box? Or and electronic manifest (Excel or Word doc) prior to pickup?

Answer: Hard copy excel spreadsheet manifest will be provided.

Question 66: What are the size dimensions of the documents?

Answer: 8 ½” x 11”

Question 67: What are the approximate volumes for each size dimension? (percent 8 ½ x 11?

Over 11x17?)

Answer: 8 ½” x 11”

Question 68: Do the documents need to be rebound?

Answer: No

Question 69: What is the estimated number of files to be indexed?

Answer: 102,500

Question 70: What are the evaluation factors for the RFQ?

Answer: See Answer to Question 1.

Question 71: What is the format for responses? Page limitations? Past performance requirements? Socio-economic considerations?

Answer: See Answer to Question 1.

Question 72: What is the pricing format for this proposal?

Answer: See Answer to Question 1.

Question 73: Where is SF 1449? None is attached.

Answer: Not required, this is a combined synopsis/solicitation.