Solicitation_W91CRB-15-R-0036_Question_ _Answers_(20_Jan_2016).docx

10 December 2015

Q) Is there an incumbent? If so, what is the current contract number?

A) W91WAW-12-D-0021, KLC Network Services, Inc.

Q) Generally, a contractor must possess or obtain a facility security clearance at the classification level on the DD254 prior to performing contract work. If the contractor does not possess a facility clearance at time of award, will the Government will request one?

A) Contractors must possess at award and maintain a current Top Secret (TS) security clearance with SCI eligibility.

Q) I am hoping to find out if the subject effort is a new requirement or a follow-on to an existing contract? If the latter, can I please find out the incumbent contractor's name and contract number?

A) Please see above for incumbent contract information.

Q) If a contract has a Secret Facility Clearance, will the government sponsor the contractor to upgrade to TS?

A) Contractors must possess at award and maintain a current Top Secret (TS) security clearance with SCI eligibility.

Q) Would you be able to tell me if there is an incumbent contractor for this requirement? If so, could you please provide the contractor name and the contract number that was awarded?

A) Please see above for incumbent contract information.

Q) Is this work currently being performed? Is this work being performed under another contract? If this work is currently being performed, could you please provide me with: a) the name of the incumbent performing the work, b) the dollar value of the contract, c) how long the company has been performing the work?

A) Please see above for incumbent contract information. The Government can not answer b or c in the forum. You may request information under the Freedom of Information Act.

12/16/2016

Q) The Submission is stated on the SF1449 as January 5, 2016 at Noon, however we cannot located the instructions for delivery and to where. Should proposals be submitted electronically to Gwen Meadows and Gerald Simmons? Or is there a group email address? Or is this a hardcopy submission?

A) Per page 53 of the solicitation, Offerors shall submit their proposals electronically, using the FedBizOps website.

Q) Is there a possibility that an extension may be offered? Obtaining PP questionnaires from our clients over the next two weeks will be very difficult due to work priorities and the holidays spread between.

A) At this time the due date for proposals remains unchanged, and are due 12:00 PM 5 January 2016 EST.

12/18/2015

Q) The pricing information behind the total compensation package information (item on page 57 of 62) is highly proprietary information that is typically submitted to the government in the form of sealed packages. We would request that the government allow subcontractors to submit this information directly to the government via FedBizOps and indicate the prime contractor they are teamed with. Would the government allow this approach?

Yes, subcontractors can submit their information directly to the Government using FedBizOps. Subcontractors must clearly indicate who the prime is in the file name and also on the document.

Q) If an individual will be an employee of a subcontractor, we would request the ability to provide salary information in the sealed pricing package. Would this be acceptable?

Yes, subcontractors can submit their information directly to the Government using FedBizOps. Subcontractors must clearly indicate who the prime is in the file name and also on the document.

Q) We assume that the letters of intent are for the key personnel positions only. Would you please confirm?

Letter of intents are requested for each position and personnel.

1/6/2016

Q) Would the Government please consider changing the NAICS code from 541690 to 541519 or 541513 as these codes are more appropriate to the type of work requested?

A) Yes. We have revised the NAICS on the solicitation to 541519 Other computer related services.

1/11/2016

Q) With the extension to January 20, we assume that the Risk Assessment Questionnaires (Attachment 8) now due on January 20 as well. Would you please confirm?

A) Yes, the Risk Assessment Questionnaires (Attachment 8) must be submitted by the revised closing date 20 January 2016, noon Eastern Time.

Note/Clarification: There is a typo on the Solicitation Amendment, of Block 14 Description. It should read, “To extend the due date for the proposal submission to January 20, 2016, 12:00PM, Eastern Time”. Both FedBizOps, and the Summary of Changes on the Amendment indicate January 20, 2016. Apologies for the error.

1/14/2016

1. Does this contract fall under the Service Contract Act (SCA)? If so, could the government provide more detailed position descriptions?

A) The labor categories do not fall under the Service Contract Act (SCA).

2. Does the government object to Joint Ventures bidding on the opportunity?

A) The company/prime contractor receiving the award must be a SBA Certified 8(a) Program participant.

3. Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices; page 5 of 62 – It appears the Programmer is not a FTE. Please confirm?

A) The programmer is not a full-time position.

4. Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices; page 5 of 62 – If the Programmer is not a FTE, is a letter of intent required?

A) Letter of intents are requested for each position and personnel.

5. Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices; page 5 of 62 – How are you planning to utilize the Programmer? Will it be on a task by task basis? Will the Programmer be expected to be onsite for extended periods of time (i.e. days/weeks)?

A) Programmer will be onsite as required, right now we have that person come in once a week to do maintenance. It can vary from week to week.

6. Security Requirements 1.6.5; page 10 of 62 – Please explain “This clearance information shall be included in the resume file for each individual proposed”?

A) Include the clearance level of each individual on their resume.

7. Security Requirements 1.6.5; page 10 of 62 – Are Contractor personnel required to be “cleared for NATO classified information” prior to commencement of the period of performance of the contract? If so, what are the requirements for clearance?

A) The Government will initiate NATO clearance after the start of work.

8. Part 6 Applicable Publications; page 26 of 62, ix. Memorandum, DAMO-ZCA, 8 Apr 14, subject: Contracting Officers Representative (COR) Duties and Responsibilities – Could the government provide a copy of the applicable publication?

A) The Government will remove this document.

9. Proposal Instructions; page 53 of 62, 8. “Each factor shall be submitted as a separate volume” – Please identify the five (5) factors? Only 3 factors are identified; however, the solicitation is calling for proposals to be submitted in five (5) separate volumes/files.

A) Should read, “Each volume shall be submitted as a separate file.”

10. Proposal Instructions; Cover Page/Executive Summary; page 53 of 62 – Is the cover page and Table of Contents included in the eight (8) page count?

A) Yes it is.

11. Proposal Instructions; page 54 of 62, 1. Cover Page/Executive Summary (3) proposal title – is the government referring to the volume title?

A) That would be the name you chose for your proposal.

12. Proposal Instructions; page 54 of 62, 1. Cover Page/Executive Summary “Signed offer/cover page” – Does the government mean to say signed offer/cover letter?

A) Yes, signed cover letter.

13. Proposal Instructions; page 54 of 62, 1. Cover Page/Executive Summary – Please clarify the governments’ intent when referring “cover page”?

A) Provide a signed offer letter as your cover page for this volume.

14. Proposal Instructions; page 54 of 62, 1. Cover Page/Executive Summary – Please clarify the governments’ intent when referring to "a Table of Contents for the proposal"? Is the government referring to a Table of Contents for the Cover Page/Executive Summary volume?

A) The solicitation reads, “a Table of Contents for the proposal,”

15. Proposal Instructions; page 54 of 62, 1. Cover Page/Executive Summary – The government requests "evidence of individual authorized to bind the company/corporation". Please identify what evidence the government will accept?

A) In lieu of a partnership or sole proprietor, it is authority specifically granted in writing to bind the company. This may take the form of a written memo or letter from an officer of the company granting authority to bind and to what limits, or may be found in certain corporate documents.

16. Proposal Instructions; page 55 of 62, 3. Past Performance, Dissemination of Performance Risk Assessment Questionnaires – Due to the potential delay in the Contracting Office receiving responses from the Government POCs, we request the due date be extended to ensure the Offeror is not unfairly penalized due to circumstances out of our control?

A) At this time the due date is not going to be extended. This solicitation was originally posted December 3, 2015 with a due date of January 5, 2016, and subsequently been extended to January 20th.

17. Proposal Instructions; page 55 of 62, 3. Past Performance, Dissemination of Performance Risk Assessment Questionnaires – Please explain how the government evaluates a Past Performance should a Government POC fail to return the Questionnaire to the Contracting Office?

A) That is explained in Section M – Basis for Award, page 59.

18. Proposal Instructions; page 56 of 62, 4.c. Price – The letter of intent instructions state that an anticipated start date must be included. Can the government provide an anticipated start date? Or is language such as the anticipated start date will be XX days after award notification acceptable?

A) See Section F – Deliveries or Performance, page 30 for anticipated contract performance dates.

19. Proposal Instructions; page 56 of 62, 4.d. Price – The instructions State: “Offerors shall provide a proposed price for Phase In support separately from the Price Proposal Template, but included in the cost volume.” Is there a pricing template for the Phase In support?

A) No there is not.

a. Is there an anticipated timeframe for the Phase-In Process? 30, 60, 90 days?

A) Phase in support is specified in the PWS paragraph 1.6.14.1.

20. Evaluation Approach; Factor I – Technical; page 60 of 62 – Is the government anticipating first right of refusal to be offered to the incumbent staff?

A) See clause 52.222-17, Non-displacement of Qualified Workers, page 39.

21. Evaluation Approach; Factor II – Past Performance; page 61 of 62 – could the government explain “unknown” past performance and how it would be considered acceptable?

A) The Government will not elaborate further than what is specified in the solicitation.

22. Evaluation Approach; Factor III – Price; page 61 of 62 – The government states “transition Phase In pricing will be evaluated separately for price fair and reasonableness”. Does this mean the government will not include the “transition” price in its consideration of award selection?

A) The basis for determining the lowest price offer is clearly stated in the solicitation. Please review page 61.

23. Price proposal template – The “TO 1” worksheet shows the number of personnel to be 6.21, however based on calculations using the max hours on the “IDIQ Maximum” worksheet, the number of personnel would calculate to 8.21. Is the number of personnel 6.21 or 8.21? Please clarify?

A) The TO 1 specifies the number of personnel for each labor category, and the hours for each labor category.

A) The IDIQ Maximum tab indicates the total hours available for the life of the contract for all task orders issued. There is the potential for more than one task order during a given fiscal year, and hence more hours allocated to the IDIQ Maximum.

24. Price proposal template – The “TO 1” worksheet shows the number of hours for the JR AV Engineer to be 3760 but the “IDIQ Maximum” tab states the total max hours for the JR AV Engineer is 22560. Is this correct? Please clarify?

A) The IDIQ Maximum tab indicates the total hours available for the life of contract for all task orders issued. There is the potential for more than one task order during a given fiscal year, and hence more hours allocated to the IDIQ Maximum.

25. Price proposal template – The “TO 1” tab shows the total number of hours to be 46720 but total max hours on the “IDIQ Maximum” tab is 61760. Please clarify which is accurate or explain the discrepancy?

A) The IDIQ Maximum tab indicates the total hours available for the life of the contract for all task orders issued. There is the potential for more than one task order during a given fiscal year, and hence more hours allocated to the IDIQ Maximum.

26. Proposal Instructions; page 55 of 62, 3. Past Performance – Is it considered acceptable for an Offeror to use two separate task orders awarded on the same GWAC for the same requirement and the same client as two separate past performance references?

A) Yes that will be acceptable.

1/20/2016

1. Due to the extension of the proposal due date, we would respectfully request that the due date for the Past Performance Risk Assessment Questionnaires be extended to coincide with the amended proposal due date of January 27, 2016 at 12:00 PM EST.

A) That’s is acceptable.

2. We have reviewed page 59 of the solicitation and cannot find a reference in Basis for Award that identifies how the Offeror will be evaluated on Past Performance should a Government POC fail to return the Questionnaire to the Contracting Office. Is this action then determined to have an unknown factor and therefore in the context of acceptability/unacceptability, "Unknown" and considered acceptable?

A) The Basis for Award begins on page 59, and explains the basis for each factor. The explanation for Past Performance factor begins at the end of page 60 and continues onto page 61.

3. Page 39 of the solicitation has Clause 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (MAY 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67) selected. Please either provide the WD table or remove the clause.

A) See attachment 9. Based on the labor categories selected, the government does not anticipate that the clause will be applicable for an award. It is attached for reference, should it be determined necessary.

4. Follow on question #23 - Does this mean that we letters of intent are only required for the 6.21 personnel identified on the TO1 worksheet or for 8.21 on the IDIQ Maximum tab? Please clarify.

A) Yes, letter of intents for the personnel for TO 1 only.

5. Paragraph 5.1.1

· The Contractor shall ensure software and hardware licenses are current, and provide accurate quantities of clients…

· The Contractor shall provide the COR with an inventory document which depicts number of licenses, licensed equipment, status, 90/60/30 days to expiration of licenses for respective equipment and software.

· QUESTION – Do these lists already exist and just need to be maintained going forward after contract award?

A) YES

6. Paragraph 5.2.4

· The Contractor shall physically perform installation, problem diagnosis and resolution, relocation, or upgrade of audio systems, including the installation of requisite software and system configuration/testing.

· QUESTION – If given a request to upgrade an audio system would this be financed outside of the scope of this contract? In other words would this be a separate contract as needed.

A) NO, this requirement has 3 Engineers on staff for this purpose.

7. What brand/model of MCUs do you currently use that we would be responsible to maintain, upgrade and operate?

A) MPS 800/Yes

8. Does your operation use a firewall transversal device for VTC operation? Example Cisco VCS Transversal. If so would we be responsible for the operation, configuration and upgrade of this device?

A) Yes/Yes

9. Paragraph 5.2.9

· The Contractor shall perform updates, upgrades, configuration changes and as requested, develop scripts and menus for AV and CRESTRON control panels to meet mission requirements.

· QUESTION - Do you have in your possession all of the existing uncompiled source code for all Crestron and AMX control systems in use in any of your rooms to include touch panel code?

A) Yes

10. Paragraph 5.2.10

· The Contractor shall test and monitor the impact of VTC sessions from within and outside the RSAC, AOC, and NMCC

· QUESTION - What tools if any do you currently have that we would get access to that would give us the ability to test and monitor the impact of VTC sessions on your network(s)? Or would we be expected to provide any tools needed to do this task? The government provides these tools.

11. Paragraph 5.2.11

· The contractor shall maintain an inventory of supplies and spare parts and a database for all BDS system equipment, supplies and spare parts, and track ordered items until receipt.

· QUESTION – Does this inventory list / database already exist and just needs to be maintained going forward upon award of contract?

A) YES

12. Paragraph 1.4 Scope

· BDS fault isolation and repair

· QUESTION - Who is the manufacturer for the BDS system? Is this just a Sharepoint site or something else?

A) Answered in 1.1

13. Paragraph 5.6.1

· The Contractor shall train USC personnel to provide help desk level AV support to customer base.

· QUESTION – Who are the USC personnel?

A) USER SUPPORT CENTER

14. Do you have a list of all equipment that is covered under warranty, have recorded the terms of the warranties and the points of contact that would be called when warranty service is needed?

A) YES

15. Do you have any existing maintenance contracts with system integrators / service organizations for the equipment in your conference rooms?

A) YES/depends on the device

16. Will you be providing to the engineers an off-network laptop computer to use as a tool to troubleshoot, upgrade firmware, change configurations, etc. of A/V equipment?

A) YES