Answers_to_Vendor_Questions_Amendment_0003.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 76 KB Posted
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- State Media Services Program (SMSP)
- Solicitation number
- W9133L-17-R-0028
- Issued by
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Department of the Army National Guard
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Answers to questions
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| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| W9133L-17-R-0028-P00003.docx | DOCX document | |
| W9133L-17-R-0028-0002_signed.pdf | ||
| Price_Proposal_Matrix_(Amendment_2).xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
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SMSP Questions & Answers
| QUESTION | GOVERNMENT RESPONSE | REFERENCES | Date Received (email from Mr. Dedicatoria) |
| Question 1: It appears that Section M.D “Proposal Submission (Section L)” that begins on Page 115 is a duplicate of “Section L Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors”. Can the Government please provide clarification as to which section Offerors should utilize in preparation of IDIQ Response proposals? | Yes, it is a duplicate and the revised Solicitation will address and correct the error. | Reference: RFP Section L , Paragraph(s).All , Page(s) 98 . |
Reference: RFP Section M , Paragraph(s).D , Page(s) 115.
Question 2: The tables provided in both sections contradict the Sub-Factor II Sample Task Order Maximum page limits. On page 100, the maximum pages are 30, however on page 117, the page limitation is 100. Can the Government please clarify the correct page limitation for the Sub factor II – Sample Task Order? The maximum should read 100 pages for the Sample Task Order proposal submission and the revised Solicitation will reflect the change. Reference: RFP Section L , Paragraph(s).3.3 , Page(s) 100 .
Reference: RFP Section M , Paragraph(s).D.3.3, Page(s) 117 .
Question 3: Can the Government also provide clarification if digital copies are the only form of submission required? The table on page 117 states that Printed Copies are required. Only digital copies are required. Printed copies are NOT required and the revised Solicitation will address and correct the error. Reference: RFP Section L , Paragraph(s).3.3 , Page(s) 100 .
Reference: RFP Section M , Paragraph(s).D.3.3, Page(s) 117 .
Question 4: Can the Government please clarify if a completed Market Assessment and completed Marketing Plan for FL are required as part of the Sample Task proposal response? Yes, a Sample Market Assessment and a Marketing Plan with Summary should be completed for the state of Florida. Reference: RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 4.Subfactor II, Page(s) 103 – 104 .
Reference: RFP Section M , Paragraph(s) C.2.Subfactor II, Page(s) 111.
Reference: RFP Section Attachment 3 , Paragraph(s) All, Page(s) __.
| Question 5: The offeror has identified there is no actual or potential OCI identified at this time. How is the Offeror to produce a mitigation plan that must minimize any potential conflict to an acceptable risk level if no conflict has been identified? | An OCI risk mitigation plan is a requirement of the Solicitation and all Offerors must provide one as a part of their Technical Approach that states that no OCI has been identified. | RFP Section L and M , Paragraph(s) 4 Volume- Technical Approach, Subfactor 2; C. Evaluation Approach, Page(s) 104; 111. |
| Question 6: Several places in the solicitation state the proposal shall be submitted digitally; while other sections require submission in a three ring binder. Can the Government please clarify the method of submission? | Only digital copies are required. Printed copies are NOT required and the revised Solicitation will address and correct the error. | RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 1 Introduction , Page(s) 98, 100, 101. |
| Question 7: One of the potential services listed in C.5.1 is “development of marketing plans and assessments”. Does the government intend to have the contractor write marketing plans under this contract? If so, approximately how many plans does the government expect the contractor to write annually? | No, the Government does NOT intend to have the Contractor write marketing plans under this contract. |
The Government DOES intend for the Contractor to write Market Assessments (one per state/territory, per year) to assist the Government in the creation of Marketing Plans.
The Government DOES intend for the Contractor to develop a Marketing Plan template for Government employees to follow when writing their marketing plans.
| RFP Section C , Paragraph 5.1, Page 37 | ||
| Question 8: Under Digital Outreach and Advertising “developing technology sets” is mentioned. In order to accurately provide an approach, can the Government please explain what is meant by “developing technology sets”? | “Developing technology sets” is used to describe technology that may not yet be available currently. Offerors who demonstrate the ability to use cutting edge technology, stay ahead of trends and innovate will be viewed as more desirable to the Government. | RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 4, Subfactor 1 Page 103 |
| Question 9: This paragraph states: “THIS STATEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY: IT IS NOT A WAGE DETERMINATION |
Employee Class Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits
Graphic Artist GS-12 (Step 01) Base Rate, See below sites for wage rates at:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2017/GS_h.pdf”
Can the Government please clarify whether the “Graphic Artist GS-12 (Step 01) Base Rate” labor category identified is subject to the Service Contract Act?
| Yes this wage category is subject to the Service Contract Act. Should the Offeror propose this labor category, they must be paid the minimum equivalent of a GS-12 (step 01) base rate. | RFP Section I , Paragraph(s) 3 , Page(s) 65 . | |
| Question 10: Additionally, is this the same “Graphic Artist” labor category identified on page 6 (15080 - Graphic Artist)? | Yes. | RFP Section I , Paragraph(s) 3 , Page(s) 65 . |
| Question 11: Will the Government please confirm that Volume Title Page and Table of Contents are not included in page limitations? | Yes, they will NOT be counted in the page limitations. | RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 3.3 and 3.4.1 Page(s) 100, 101. |
| Question 12: The paragraph states “Each file of the proposal shall consist of a Table of Contents, Summary Section, and the Narrative discussion. The Summary Section shall contain a brief abstract of the file.” |
a) Will the Government please confirm that the “Summary Section” is not included in page limitations?
b) Will the Government please confirm that the “Narrative discussion” is the Volume Response information and not a separate requirement? c) Will the Government please confirm the Summary Section is only required for Volume I Technical Approach, Volume II Management Approach, and Volume III Past Performance (and not required for Volume IV Small Business Participation Plan, Volume V Price, Volume VI Solicitation)?
| a) Summery Section WILL be included in the page limitations. b) The "Narrative discussion" is the Offerors explanation of how they will accomplish the requirements of the PWS and Solicitation. c) Summary Section is only required for Volume I Technical Approach, Volume II Management Approach, and Volume III Past Performance | RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 3.4.2.b Page(s) 101 . |
| Question 13: a) Will the Government please provide a size limit per email for electronic submission, if any? |
b) Will the Government please provide a size limit per file for electronic submission, if any?
| a) The size limit per email is 10GB to include all attachments. b)The size limit per email is 10GB to include all attachments. | RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 3.5 Page(s) 101-102 . | |
| Question 14: Can the Government please confirm that the terms “pricing summary spreadsheets” and “cost summary sheets” used in this paragraph refer to Attachment 1, Price Proposal Matrix? | Yes the terms “pricing summary spreadsheets” and “cost summary sheets” used in the paragraph refer to Attachment 1, Price Proposal Matrix. | RFP Section L , Paragraph(s) 8.2 , Page(s) 106 . |
| Question 15: Sec B, CLIN 0002 description is identical to CLIN 0001. Similarly, 1002 and 1001, and 2002 and 2001. Can the Government please clarify the differences? | CLINs 0001, 1001, and 2001 are for State Media/Marketing Plan Services. |
CLINs 0002, 1002, and 2002 are for Media Buys.
| RFP Section B , Paragraph(s) , Page(s) 19 . |
| Question 16: Past Performance Questionnaire states, “The offeror shall complete Part I of the Past Performance Questionnaire, Attachment 4 and e-mail the questionnaire to both the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist and technical representative responsible for the past/current contract.” |
Can the Government please clarify whether this instruction means the Government wishes PPQs to be sent to the Contracting Officer, Contract Specialist, and technical representative of the past contract for completion, or whether the Government means to include the NGB Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist for this State Media Services Program procurement on the email to the past contract’s technical representative (i.e., courtesy copy)?
| Yes please Courtesy Copy (Cc) the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist in order for us to have the email addresses for the technical representative of the past contract for our records. 7. | RFP Section L.6 , Paragraph(s) , Page(s) 105 . | |
| Question 17: Factor 5: Cost/Price states, “The resulting award will be a FFP IDIQ contract. Cost realism will be utilized in the evaluation of Cost Reimbursable efforts. Price reasonableness will be utilized in the evaluation of the Firm-Fixed Price effort.” Page 113 discusses both cost realism and cost reasonableness without distinguishing between cost types. Can the Government please clarify, since no Cost Reimbursable pricing is being submitted? | Cost reasonableness references will be removed from the Solicitation. | RFP Section M , Paragraph(s) B , Page(s) 109 . |
RFP Section M , Paragraph(s) C , Page(s) 113 .
Question 18: With respect to the requirement for administration and maintenance of a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Job Postings site – is the site owned by the Government or the current contractor? More specifically, will the successful offeror take over administration and maintenance of an existing site or will they be required to implement a new site at time of award?
The Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Job Postings (NationalGuard.com) site is maintained by a contractor under the Multi-Media contract. The site is the property of the ARNG and the ARNG will allow the awardee access to the site.
| State Media Solicitation_ SECTION 5.1_PAGE37 | ||
| Question 19: The Proposal seems to state in CLIN 0002 (Page 19 of the Final Solicitation) that media buys should be invoiced on a FFP basis at a rate of 1/12 of the total annual due each month. Does this mean that we budget monthly vs actuals, as it’s expected monthly spend will vary greatly based on campaigns/time of year. | The contractor shall bill on an “actuals” basis on cost expended per month. | State Media Solicitation_Final_Item No 0002_ Page 19_Pricing |
| Question 20: Will the Government please confirm that completed evaluations from CPARS can be submitted, when available, in place of Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQs) to fulfill the past performance requirement? | Per the Solicitation, the Government requires the vendor to submit at a minimum 3 PPQ’s and a maximum of 5. However, in lieu of insufficient number of PPQ’s, the Government will use CPARS if necessary. | State Media Solicitation_SECTION L_ Volume III_Past Performance |
| Question 21: Are benchmarks provided to allow for some idea of expectation for leads per dollar? | No, benchmarks will not be provided to allow for some idea of expectations for leads per dollar. The Government is concerned with obtaining an optimum number of impressions, engagements, leads, etc. within our target demographic. | SAMPLE TASK_ Attachment_2_-_Sample_TO_0001_PWS _ 5.1.2_Media Buy_Page1 |
| Question 22: Will ARNG provide information on mission per state or recruiting command? This information is not publicly available outside of what can be found in press releases related to number of soldiers that have joined a state in a given year, but this doesn’t provide details on # of recruiters per state or their mission. | No, the Government will not provide details on the number of recruiters per State or their mission within the Solicitation. It is the intent of the Government to ascertain the vendor’s ability to create a Marketing Plan and assessment. The offeror is allowed to use notional numbers in order to create their Sample Task Order Proposal for the Solicitation requirement. | SAMPLE TASK_ Attachment_2_-_Sample_TO_0001_PWS_5.2.1 (2) Recruiter Mission Analysis_Page2 |
| Question 23: Will NGB provide end strength and retention goals set by the command? | No, the Government will not provide details on the end strength and retention goals set by the command within the Solicitation. It is the intent of the Government to ascertain the vendor’s ability to create a Marketing Plan and assessment. The offeror is allowed to use notional numbers in order to create their Sample Task Order Proposal for the Solicitation requirement. | SAMPLE TASK_ Attachment_2_-_Sample_TO_0001_PWS_5.2.1.1 Recruiter Mission Analysis_Page3 |
| In both sections, the Amendment states, “The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s proposed Labor Mix for the IDIQ contract pursuant to the Offeror’s completed Attachment #1, IDIQ Price Proposal Matrix.” Now that hours are no longer required for the IDIQ portions of the Price Matrix, how will the Government evaluate Labor Mix for the IDIQ contract? | In addition, to the Government evaluating labor rates for For the IDIQ portion, the Government will evaluate the proposed Labor categories in relation to the accomplishment of the IDIQ tasks throughout the life of the contract. | RFP Section L.4, Subfactor 1, Paragraph(s) Bullet 9, Page(s) 7. RFP Section M.D, Subfactor 1, Paragraph(s) Bullet 9, Page(s) 13. |
| The maximum permitted past performances is 5 according to page 9, section 6 VOLUME III – Past Performance. However, in the evaluation criteria, past performance seems to suggest the inclusion of past performance of subcontractors. Will the government look favorably on past performance included from only the prime contractor (assuming the maximum past performance reported), or does each major subcontractor (according to section M) require past performance? | The Government evaluate both prime and subcontractor past performance references equally. No, the offeror does not have to submit a past performance reference for each subcontractor unless the offeror chooses to do so as a part of their maximum of 5 past performance references. | Page 9, section 6 VOLUME III – Past Performance |
| The amended price proposal seems to be the same with omitted ‘Proposed hours’ from Base Year, Option Year 1, and Option Year 2. This suggests the major change to the submission requirements is clearer evaluation criteria. Does the updated submission require a new price proposal with the removed columns, or will the original submission be considered acceptable as it has all required information and more? | Labor hours do not apply to the IDIQ portion of the proposal, however it is at the discretion of the offeror to change their original proposal submission. | None provided |
| Are the submission requirements the same: a. Should each volume be resubmitted in 6 separate emails or would the government prefer to only have updated volumes submitted? |
b. Would the government like headings changed to reflect 0002 designation and updated date (especially as it related to volumes not updated) or will the original submission headings suffice?
c. How would the government like updated information not specifically amended through this solicitation labeled/called out for easy reference (updated organization charts, new small/minority owned business partnerships, etc)?
a) Offerors should only email volumes which have been revised. b) The method to reflect changes can be determined by the offeror as long as changes have been clearly marked. c) Offerors must submit all proposal revisions in MS Word track changes format. None provided
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