Vendor QandA Updated 2.28.22.docx

Vendor Questions and Answers UPDATED 28 February 2022

Question 1. Section C.4 indicates that the roles of SME are directly involved in Requirements 3 and Requirement 4 only. Section L.3.a indicates that the specific technical area that an SME will perform should be listed on their resume. However, Attachment 2 defines the roles of SME 1 and SME 2 similarly but does not specify required or preferred technical areas for each role but does list out speciaties (RCx, building controls, or cyber). Please clarify the specific requirements for submitting proposed SMEs. Should one SME specialize in Requirement 3 tasks (RCx/Controls systems) while the other should specialize in Cyber? Is there a preference for which specialty SME1 or SME2 should have (i.e. SME1 should be RCx/controls and SME2 should be cyber or vice-versa)?

Answer: See edits in Section C.4. and L.3.a.2 in RFP Amendment 1

Question 2. Regarding RFP paragraph L.3.c, could you please provide your Center’s small business goals?

Answer: Given that the ratings for the small business participation factor are only acceptable or unacceptable, we do not feel that it is necessary to provide the Center’s goals.

Question 3. Will the Government allow previously completed Government PPQs (different format) to be submitted for past performance? We are finding it increasingly difficult to impose on Government owners, to repeatedly fill out PPQs for the same project.

Answer: Previously submitted PPQs are acceptable, but they are still required to be submitted by the source, not by your office. See updated language in L.3.b. of RFP Amendment 1.

Question 4. Paragraph M.3.d Factor 4, Past Performance, section 1, Recency Assessment states: “To be recent, the effort must be ongoing or must have been performed during the past five (5) years from the date of issuance of this solicitation” conflicts with paragraph L.3.a.4 which states: “The offeror shall demonstrate their experience by describing completed projects with tasks and scope of a similar nature to that described in the solicitation.” Please clarify if relevant experience examples must be completed, or if they are allowed to be ongoing.

Answer: Completed or ongoing projects are acceptable. See updated language in L.3.a.4 of RFP Amendment 1.

Question 5. Paragraph L.3.a.2 states “If subcontractor or personnel employed by other than the offeror are proposed, qualifications will only be considered if a firm commitment is demonstrated with the firm by which they are employed or with the individuals identified. Commitment letters shall be provided with the offeror as appropriate.” Please clarify if commitment letters are to be a corporate commitment, or if they need to be personal commitments for each proposed resume.

Answer: See updated language in L.3.a.2 of RFP Amendment 1

Question 6. Regarding RFP paragraph L.3.d2 Please confirm whether or not the submission of subcontractor indirect cost rate information (Rate Component Tab in Attachment 1) is required or if it is optional.

Answer: It is optional.

Question 7. May existing CPARS be used in place of PPQs?

Answer: Section L.3.b. addresses the fact that the Government may use data provided in the offeror’s proposal and data obtained from other sources, which may potentially include CPARS.

Question 8. May PPQs submitted on prior Government proposals be submitted in place of new PPQs?

Answer: See answer to Question 3.

Question 9. Does the maximum of 12 PPQS include both Prime and Subcontractor experience?

Answer: Yes, both prime and subcontractor experience.

Question 10. Is there a minimum number of PPQs each subcontractor is required to submit?

Answer: No

Question 11. The majority of our projects span multiple Technical Areas. When combined with our Subcontractors’ Past Performance, there is the potential for our team to show more than 3 three projects in each Technical Area. Is this acceptable given the requirement to show Subcontractor Past Performance?

Answer: Yes, as long as there are at least 3 per area and no more than 12 total.

Question 12. Regarding Attachment 2 – “Subject Matter Expert 2,” should “15 years” read “5 years”?

Answer: Yes, it should be “5 years.” See edited Attachment 2 in RFP Amendment 1

The following questions have been added 25 February 2022:

Question 13. Are the facilities incorporated in this solicitation located in the Midwest, Nationally, or Internationally?

Answer: We expect most tasks to relate to facilities Nationally, but there may be an occasional task that is International

Question 14. Can prior received past performance questionnaires be submitted so the past clients don’t need to repetitively fill out this document?

Answer: See answer to Question 3.

Question 15. Please clarify the difference between fully burdened and unburdened hourly rates.

Answer: Fully burdened hourly labor rate means an hourly rate that includes all salary, overhead costs, general & administrative expenses, and profit.

Question 16. Is there a small business target goal level that we can base our planned participation on? Is the goal overall small business or are their specific goals for the categories broken down below?

0. Small Disadvantaged Business:

0. HUB Zone Small Business

0. Woman Owned Small Business

0. Veteran Owned Small Business

0. Service Disabled Veteran Owned SB Answer: See answer to Question 2.

Question 17. Amendment 1 removes the requirement for an SME in technical area 3 (RCx support). Please confirm that both SME 1 and SME 2 are intended to be for Technical Area 4 (Cybersecurity). Are any additional SMEs required for work in Technical Areas 1, 2, or 3?

Answer: Subject Matter Experts should be identified such that in combination they address all requirements for each area. See updated language in C.4. Requirement 4 and M.3.a.

Question 18. Please confirm the total quantity of SMEs required is two (2).

Answer: There is no specific requirement as to number of SMEs. Subject matter expertise across all areas must be demonstrated using any number of personnel.

Question 19. Amendment 1 Q&A response to question 11 indicated a minimum of 3 past performance projects are required per technical area with a maximum of 12 projects. The RFP still indicates 2 per technical area with a maximum of 15. Please confirm that the requirement is a minimum of 2 per technical area with a maximum of 15 total projects.

Answer: These are two different requirements. L.3.b is a requirement for past performance evaluation and includes a maximum of 12 projects. L.3.a.4 is a requirement for relevant experience and includes a maximum of 15 projects.

Question 20. Would a proposal submission extension be acceptable?

Answer: Proposal submission due date has been extended through 8 March 2022 at 11:59AM CST.

Question 21. Regarding Page 5 – Requirement 2 – Second Bullet Point: Typically, in a professional services Cx/RCx engagement, providing and/or installing BCS hardware, software, firmware, or patches is performed by a Controls Contractor or OEM Representative while the Cx/RCx Agent would specify, request, observe, and/or confirm these upgrades. Please confirm intent or language regarding this requirement?

Answer: See updated language in C.4. Requirement 2.

Question 22. In preparing our Small Business Participation Plan, we noticed the NAICS code listed in Attachment 4(d) (541715) does not match the NAICS in the Solicitation or on SAM (541690). May we revise Attachment 4(d) to include 541690?

Answer: The Attachment 4 document was only a template. An updated Attachment 4 will be included with Amendment 2 to avoid any confusion.

Question 23. A proposed Subject Matter Expert subconsultant is not registered in SAM and does not have a CAGE code, but would meet the Small Business Size standard. May we provide DUNS for this subcontractor in place of CAGE?

Answer: Yes, a DUNS is acceptable.

The following questions have been added 28 February 2022:

Question 24. Paragraph L.3.a.4 requires project experience and Paragraph L.3.b requires past performance questionnaires to be submitted. Please clarify what information should be provided in reference to ‘b. Past Performance Proposal’ from the table on RFP page 36, if projects and PPQs are already provided in other sections?

Answer: L.3.a.4.1 through L.3.a.4.4 states what information needs to be included for the relevant experience factor. This is separate from the PPQs required in the L.3.b. Past Performance section. PPQs are required to be submitted by other entities. The Past Performance Proposal shall include a list of the PPQs sent out by the offeror to include company name along with the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of the points of contact. The proposal shall also provide information explaining the relevance of the data provided in the PPQs summarized in one page or less for each previous project.

Question 25. In the table on page 36 of the RFP, it states that the technical proposal shall not exceed 20 pages; in part b. Past Performance Proposal of that table, is states that the past performance proposal pages will be excluded from the page limits. Please clarify if the past performance proposal section is excluded from the overall 20-page limit.

Answer: The Past Performance Proposal is excluded from the 20-page limit for the technical proposal

Question 26. As we prepare our submittal for Volume I, Technical, we are finding it difficult to fit all of the required items into the page limitations set for this section. Will the government please consider excluding the cover letter from the 20-page limitation allowing for more pages to fit the other requirements?

Answer: We will not be changing the 20-page limit for the Technical Proposal.