Q and A v1 through 20210104 Solicitation W912SV21R0002.pdf

Blanket Purchase Agreements for Prepared Meals Solicitation: W912SV21R0002

Government Responses to Questions as of: 4 January 2021

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This document serves as a running tally of questions received from industry regarding Blanket Purchase Agreements for Prepared Meals, Solicitation #W912SV21R0002, and the Government responses. These answers are provided here on a non-attribution basis. Questions received after the stated response date in the solicitation may not be accepted, however, the contracting officer reserves the right to address received after that date if deemed in the best interest of the Government.

Responses highlighted in yellow indicate a change from the previous Q&A, if any.

Q1: Is it a fair assumption that the list of participants at these events will pre-determine their entrée choice and the contractor will be given sufficient notice of their choice of said complete meal?

A1: As stated in Paragraph 6 - DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT in the solicitation, calls/orders will be competed among Master BPA holders for the applicable region as request for quotes via oral solicitation or by e-mail. The request for quotes shall contain information to quote for the specific requirement.

Q2: Will the contractor be required to supply paper goods for the food consumption of each participant at all meals?

A2: The requirement for the vendor to supply these items is stated in paragraph 4.d of the performance work statement (PWS) titled “EXPENDABLE PAPER PRODUCTS”.

Q3: Are all meals individually packaged or served buffet style or a combination of both?

A3: “Complete, containerized, and delivered meals” (see PWS Paragraph 1) allows for either individual meal or buffet-style packaging to support the training/event needs of the units. See also PWS Paragraph 4.c.i.

Q4: Are the meals in the field report set or are they considered suggested and can they be modified?

A4: As stated in combined synopsis/solicitation W912SV21R0002, Attachment 4 – 21 Day Menu (Field Menu Report) is provided solely to illustrate (i.e. provide an example) the types of food expected.

Q5: Will special packaging be required for this program?

A5: See PWS paragraph 4.c.i. and 6.a.for packaging anticipated to support unit/event needs and to maintain required food temperatures.

Q6: How much advanced notice will the contractor be given for each date of service?

A6: There is no set timeframe. Requests for quotes and order placement is dependent upon mission and individual unit needs.

Q7: Are their dietary constraints that maybe required when ordering?

A7: Units are not prohibited from requesting special dietary meals (e.g. vegetarian, no pork, etc) when requesting quotes.

Q8: Is there a preferred pricing structure that the contractor can request on a per meal basis?

A8: The preference is for quotes to be priced per-person per-meal, however, there is no requirement for how the vendor is to price their quote.

Q9: Are the serving size requirements per meal available to assist in our developing a pricing structure?

A9: Please refer to the solicitation submission instructions (see SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS paragraph 3). The intent is for vendors to include their current price list(s) for prepared foods. As stated in Paragraph 6 - DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT in the solicitation, calls/orders will be competed among Master BPA holders for the applicable region as request for quotes via oral solicitation or by e-mail.

Q10: Is there a list of times of service of each meal and when will that be supplied?

A10: See PWS Paragraph 3 - MEAL SERVICE HOURS of the PWS.

Q11: What is the required amount of time needed from location arrival trough the complete process of delivery and setup ( is there a required arrangement of getting to the site of service )?

A11: As stated in Paragraph 1 of the PWS, the requirement is for “complete, containerized, and delivered meals only; contractor personnel shall not be used in the set-up of meals or serving of Soldiers.”

If installation access is what is meant by “required arrangement of getting to the site”, installation access is dependent upon the specific installation. See Paragraph 9 - Installation Access of the PWS.

Q12: Will the site of service be set up with tables for the contractor to utilize as a staging and serving area?

A12: As stated in Paragraph 1 of the PWS, the requirement is for “complete, containerized, and delivered meals only; contractor personnel shall not be used in the set-up of meals or serving of Soldiers.” Site of service arrangement/set up and serving is entirely the responsibility of the individual units.

Q13: Will there be kitchen access (refrigeration/water/food heating availability at each site of service?

A13: No. The requirement is for prepared meals/food to be delivered only.

Q14: Can a bid be submitted for all 4 delivery zones?

A14: Vendors are not limited to the number of delivery zones for which they would like to be considered, however, the interested party’s attention is directed to the solicitation’s Evaluation Criteria paragraph 1 for Technical/Quality regarding evaluate the Offeror’s proposed approach to providing prepared foods that meet the requirements of PWS section 6 – Food Serving Temperatures.

Q15: Can the contractor choose which dates of service are best suited for them in each of these zones on a per event basis or are you committing to all events in each zone? I realize there are other vendors in this program and how is it determined who is being offered what events and can the vendors work in conjunction with each other to satisfy dates of service?

A15: As stated in Paragraph 6 - DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT in the solicitation, calls/orders will be competed among Master BPA holders via Request for Quote (RFQ). A vendor is not prohibited from declining to submit a quote in response to the request for one.

Q16: Can a clearer map of Massachusetts it's cities and towns in all 4 zones be supplied? This would be helpful in determining to which zones we would like to submit a bid for.

A16: Unfortunately this is the way that this particular map has scanned, however, Massachusetts maps available on the internet and the zone delineations at paragraph 10 – DELIVERY REGIONS in the PWS can be used, if required, to provide additional details for cities and towns in each zone.