Item Unique Identification Data (IUID) Labels and IUID Processing and Management Services

SYNOPSIS MODIFICATION --The purpose of this synopsis modification is to provide corrections and clarifications.



--- CLARIFICATIONS



1. Clause L.15 Notice About Quantities is hereby corrected to reference CLIN 01 in the first paragraph and CLINS 03, 04, 05, 06, and 07 in the second paragraph to match the revised line item numbers in Attachment 1 Schedule of Items / Services and Prices.



2. The Government would like to reiterate that references in this solicitation or synopsis to any specific brand name materials for proposal pricing purposes is not an endorsement of those specific brands and does not preclude the offeror from proposing entirely different brand product options in the technical proposal. The brand name products, or equal, are referenced solely for the purpose of establishing a consistent and level playing field for the Attachment 1 pricing. These prices are the basis upon which pricing adjustments for proposed products are made in the offerors price adjustment strategy.



3. Lastly, the Government has determined that for the materials indicated on the AD specificatioin data sheet (attached), Avery Dennison FT 1125 HLP adhesive is determined to be an "or equal" product to the 3M 350-9485PC adhesive, which the Government has specified for pricing purposes, only, in the solicitation.

SYNOPSIS MODIFICATION --The purpose of this synopsis modification is to provide clarifications regarding prior synopsis modifications.



--- CLARIFICATIONS



If there are conflicts between answers to questions and other information, the answers and information provided in later synopsis modifications will take precedence over answers and information provided in earlier synopsis modifications. For example, answers to question 6 and question 7 addressed order discounts and pricing. Portions of those answers are superseded because they are further addressed or clarified in subsequent synopsis modifications. Specifically, the answer to question 6 states that discounts will NOT be considered in the evaluation of proposals. With the subsequent incorporation of the option to propose a discount strategy by adding paragraph L.3.7.k. and the discount strategy evaluation factor in Section M Step 1, this statement is no longer true. Discounts will be considered by evaluating the Discount Strategy as part of the technical evaluation scoring. Similarly, in answer 7 it reads only the total price will be used in the best value award determination. This sentence remains true with specific reference to the prices; however, the addition of the Discount Strategy and the Price Adjustment Strategy make it clear that these strategies will be considered in the best value award determination, but as part of the technical evaluation scoring and not the offered price.



Additionally, answers to questions that affect the proposal instructions or terms of the solicitation and contract, even though, inadvertently, they were not specifically incorporated into the solicitation, should be treated as if they were incorporated by reference. Specifically, the requirement to use the adhesive specified in the answer to question 12 and the answer to question 21 regarding material requirements, all for proposal purposes only, to ensure consistent pricing, are incorporated into Section L by reference even though such incorporation was not specifically stated in the answers to these questions.

SYNOPSIS MODIFICATION --The purpose of this synopsis modification is to answer vendor questions and amend the solicitation, where necessary, to provide corrections and clarifications. A conforming copy of Section L and M are attached that incorporate all of the changes made since the solicitation was first issued.



--- QUESTION 31: Do our subcontractors need to be small businesses?




--- ANSWER 31: Per the Agreement in the Solicitation H.7 clause entitled Small Business Set-Aside, which reads in part A small business concern submitting an offer in its own name shall furnish, in performing the contract, only end items manufactured or produced by small business concerns in the United States or its outlying areas, a small business set-aside requires manufactured end items to be supplied by small businesses. The size standard for the subcontractors is the same as for the prime contractor. For this solicitation under NAICS 339943 --- Marking Device Manufacturing, a business is considered small if it has 500 or fewer employees. In this case the firm that manufactures the completed label would need to be a small business but the firm that furnishes the raw materials, i.e., steel, aluminum, vinyl, adhesive, etc., would not have to be a small business.





--- QUESTION 32: The Government has received additional questions and concerns regarding label delivery. The following answer is provided to address these questions and concerns.




--- ANSWER 32: The solicitation Section C, Paragraph 7.2.1.11 entitled Delivery Times sets forth the Governments delivery expectations by stating Processing and delivery expectations are organized under a three tiered schedule. The expectations identified in the three tiered schedule were further clarified in synopsis Modification 8. The Government recognizes that industry practice, shipping schedules, overseas shipping complications, and other factors may affect shipping. For this reason, the requirement is stated as an EXPECTATION and not a firm requirement. Offerors are encouraged to submit proposals that address these expectations and offer the best possible solution. Solutions should be supported by data that substantiates the feasibility and realism of the proposed solution.



Deliveries are FOB Destination as provide by the clause entitled F.O.B. Destination (NOV 1991)( FAR 52.247-34), which is incorporated by reference in Solicitation clause F.1. The contract does allow for shipping delays that are beyond the control of the contractor. Additionally, offerors are reminded that this is a performance based contract and that simply confirming compliance with Government expectations does not relieve the Contractor from meeting those expectations during contract performance. If the Contractor fails to provide the value of goods or services required by the contract, the Government will expect to receive consideration from the Contractor.



The following changes are made to the solicitation Section F, L, and M to ensure consistency between the delivery provisions and to set forth the method of evaluating proposals regarding offered delivery solutions.




Make the following change to Section F Deliveries or Performance --



The second sentence of the solicitation clause F.3.1, IUID Data Labels (as amended) currently reads as follows: The IUID Data Label delivery times shall fall within the delivery tiers shown in paragraph 7.2.1.11. This sentence shall be changed to the following: IUID Data Labels shall be delivered F.O.B. destination. The IUID Data Label delivery times shall comply with the Contractors proposed and accepted delivery solution, which shall be incorporated into this contract at the time of award. If the Contractor does not provide a delivery solution, the IUID Data Label delivery times shall fall within the delivery tiers shown in Section C, Paragraph 7.2.1.11.
End of Paragraph




Delete paragraph L.3.7.d. Production & Delivery Capability, and replace it with the following paragraph. --



d. Production & Delivery Capability: The proposal shall specifically state the offerors production and delivery capability for each type of data label material. In other words, the offeror should provide a matrix showing how many data labels of each type can be delivered on a repetitive basis in the turn-around times set forth in the PWS (Paragraph 7.2.1.11). As an alternative, the offeror can propose a production and delivery solution setting forth delivery time alternatives and options based on production and delivery capability, order size, and commercial shipping practices. The production and delivery solution shall explain to what degree the offeror can meet the delivery expectations of the Government. Solutions should be supported by data that substantiates the feasibility and realism of the proposed solution. Note: This information is being requested both for proposal evaluation purposes and so that the Government can established daily IUID Data Label request limitations in the contract as a workflow management tool.
End of Paragraph




Delete the solicitation Section M 2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability paragraph entitled SHIPPING STRATEGY and replace it with the following paragraph. --



DELIVERY CAPABILITY & SHIPPING STRATEGY: The Government will evaluate the offerors proposed delivery solution to determine the degree to which the contractor can meet the delivery expectations of the Government. Additionally, the Government will evaluate the degree to which supporting data substantiate the feasibility and realism of the proposed delivery solution. The Government will evaluate each offerors shipping strategy (1) to determine the degree to which the shipping methods can ensure on-time delivery of IUID Data Labels and (2) to determine how well shipping costs can be controlled and kept to a minimum.
End of Paragraph

SYNOPSIS MODIFICATION --The purpose of this synopsis modification is to answer vendor questions and amend the solicitation, where necessary, to provide corrections and clarifications.



!!!! --- NOTICE --- !!!! All vendors desiring to submit a proposal must contact the Contracting Officer [email: eben.greybourne@gsa.gov or phone: 312 / 886-3811] to verify that they are registered in the GSA ITSS system. You will not be able to submit your proposal until I link your ITSS registration with the solicitation number.




--- Correction Synopsis Modification 7, Solicitation Section C, Paragraph 7.1.1.1.1(d) Aluminum foil per GG-P-455, Type 1, Class, Grade A, the thickness specification should be changed FROM Thickness .005 +/- .0005. TO Thickness .003 +/- .0003.



(Note: The thickness is correct in the revised Attachment 1, Schedule of Items/Services and Prices.)




--- Correction Solicitation Paragraph F.3.1 - IUID Data Labels states that The IUID Data Label delivery times shall fall within the delivery tiers shown in paragraph 7.2.1.8. This cross reference is incorrect and is hereby changed as follows: The IUID Data Label delivery times shall fall within the delivery tiers shown in paragraph 7.2.1.11.




--- Change to Section M The following note is added to the end of Section M, Paragraph M.4, Step 3 - Price/Rate: NOTE: The Government reserves the right to normalize prices and calculate evaluated prices to ensure an equitable evaluation.




QUESTIONS 1 through 16 were issued with previous synopsis modifications.




--- QUESTION 17: Having standardized materials/options/pricing, [can you] please provide a set of example (maximum) length data item strings for use in producing sample labels per 7.1.1.5.1 for data items.



-- Original Equipment Manufacturers CAGE

-- Item Serial Number

-- Original Part Number

-- Nomenclature (human readable only) for each

and per 7.1.2 examples

-- Current Part Number

-- AFEMS# .



This will be helpful to the Governments evaluation team comparing samples vis a vis marking methods proposed. [Can you] please advise?



--- ANSWER 17: All marking methods submitted shall be compliant with 2D Matrix marking quality standards established in MIL-STD 130N paragraph 5.2.7.2 Data Matrix symbol quality.



In general the CAGE will be 5 characters, serial numbers will not exceed 30 characters, part numbers will not exceed 32 characters, UIIs will not exceed 50 characters, and AFEMS numbers should not exceed 25 characters. These are maximums and the actual numbers will generally have many fewer digits than allowed. The vendors are expected to print according to industry standards. Vendors are not expected to print information on labels that are too small to accept all the information contained in the imprint. Ideally, the web-based interface will display an error message if the Government requestor tries to select a label size that is too small to for the amount of data submitted.





--- QUESTION 18: [The following question is restated from the original for clarification.] The solicitation paragraph L.3.8.a. states that The total price offered for IUID Data Labels will include: (1) the price of data labels, (2) the price of the processing and management service, (3) the price of the phone support, and (4) the price of all supporting and/or overhead costs associated with this product and its delivery (excluding actual direct shipping charges). Should the prices of items (2), (3), and (4) be spread over the ceiling quantity of labels for each phase increment?




--- ANSWER 18: Offerors should spread the indirect and support costs over as many labels as they think feasible to provide a uniform price per label to the Government. For additional clarity, Attachment 1 Schedule of Items / Services and Prices has been amended to include a separate line item for each of these prices on a per label basis. Using these line items is not mandatory since the per label prices for the web-based interface, phone support, and other costs will otherwise be included in the label prices; however, breaking out these prices by removing them from the per label price may help offerors represent their pricing and will facilitate price negotiations regarding these elements of price, should negotiations be necessary. The prices entered in these three line items, for each phase increment, will be totaled and added to the price of each label in the corresponding phase increment to arrive at the total offered price.



Example Label XX Phase 1 price $6.00 OR

Label XX Phase 1 price $1.00 + interface price $3.00 + phone support price $1.50 + other overhead price $0.50.

The evaluated price for Label XX Phase 1 is $6.00 in either case.





--- QUESTION 19: Minimum Order Price -- Supplier costs to setup, validate, verify, package and box each order for shipment are relatively fixed compared to the unit cost of the IUID labels that vary with quantity ordered. These costs, together with shipping, are much greater than a single IUID labels price as requested per Attachment 1. When pricing for Attachment 1, Mgt Sheet should the minimum order price be added to the single unit label price? Or should the minimum order quantity price be listed separately at the bottom of the each time period column with the number of labels included in the fixed price per order? Or should the minimum be ignored for Attachment 1, Mgt. and listed separately? Please advise.



--- ANSWER 19: Label prices should NOT include a surcharge for minimum label quantity order requests. The Government can not pre-determine the size of the order requests; therefore, a minimum quantity surcharge is not included in the evaluated price of the proposal, but the strategy will be evaluated as a technical factor. Section L and M of the solicitation have been amended to include the following provisions for the evaluation of minimum quantity surcharge pricing.



Add the following paragraph to Section L --



L.3.7.l. Minimum Order Request Surcharge At the option of the offeror, the offeror may propose a price surcharge for minimum order requests. If the offeror chooses to propose a Minimum Order Request Surcharge, the offerors surcharge strategy shall be submitted with the technical proposal. The strategy shall define what constitutes a minimum order request, i.e., single web-based interface request, all requests for a specific item within a 24 hour period, etc. and specify at what point the surcharge will be applied or above what quantity the surcharge will be removed. The Minimum Order Request Surcharge strategy shall clearly spell out the amount of the surcharge and specify if the surcharge amount will be different for different materials or label configurations. The proposed Minimum Order Request Surcharge strategy will be incorporated into the contract of the winning offeror.



Add the following paragraph to Section M, under the heading -- M.2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability



Minimum Order Request Surcharge: The Government will evaluate each offerors Minimum Order Request Surcharge Strategy to determine the degree to which the application of the surcharge will result in higher order prices on small quantity orders.




--- QUESTION 20: How should price variations be handled that are not accommodated by the solicitation Schedule of Items/Services and Prices?




--- ANSWER 20: Adjustments to the offered prices, either upward or downward, to accommodate variations in the product quality, composition, adhesive, or any other option offered in the technical proposal should be fully explained and will be evaluated as part of the technical evaluation. Section L and M of the solicitation have been amended to include the following provisions for the evaluation of pricing adjustments.



Add the following paragraph to Section L --



L.3.7.m. Price Adjustment Strategy If the proposal includes a strategy for adjusting the offered prices, either for product quality, composition, adhesive, or any other technical options or for any other reason, that strategy must be clearly explained. The price adjustment strategy will be evaluated along with the technical evaluation of the offered technical or business options. The proposed price adjustments and the strategy for their application will be incorporated into the contract of the winning offeror.



Add the following paragraph to Section M, under the heading -- M.2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability



Price Adjustment Strategy: The Government will evaluate each offerors Price Adjustment Strategy to determine the degree to which the strategy equitably represents the technical or business options being offered.





--- QUESTION 21: Detailed specification are provided for the materials in 7.1.1.1.1.(a)-(d) aluminum and 7.1.1.1.2 stainless steel. As specifications for materials to be quoted for 7.1.1.1.3 vinyl, 7.1.1.1.4 polyacrylic, and 7.1.1.1.5 polyester categories affect pricing, please provide specification references or approved data sheets for each material type to be used in the pricing per label responses.




--- ANSWER 21: For evaluation purposes, specification sheets for vinyl (3M White Vinyl 7605 or equal), polyacrylic (Tesa Secure 6973 or equal), and polyester (3M Thermal Transfer Polyester 7871/7872/7873 or equal) are added to the solicitation. Offerors shall propose products adhering to these brand name or equal specifications for pricing purposes. The use of these specifications for pricing does not limit the offeror from proposing additional materials with the ability to survive for the life expectancy of the item to which the label is attached as required by MIL-STD-130. (For proposal purposes, assets items to be labeled with these three material types shall be presumed to have a 10 year life and be located in an indoor environment.)





--- QUESTION 22: Are 7.1.1.1.3 vinyl, 7.1.1.1.4 polyacrylic and 7.1.1.1.5 polyester IUID labels to have an over laminate added to the pricing for the standardized examples in Attachment 1 pricing?




--- ANSWER 22: Include overlaminate in the price list when it is industry-standard to apply an overlaminate.





--- QUESTION 23: There is an inconsistency in the metal type for aluminum plate found in the revised paragraph 7.1.1.1(a). Can you please clarify.




--- ANSWER 23: There is a typographical error in revised paragraph 7.1.1.1.1(a). The aluminum plate is Type L and the testing requirements, per MIL-DTL-15024 should be Type L also.





--- QUESTION 24: Can you define the starting time and ending time for each of the three delivery time requirements, especially the 24 hour delivery time since it depends on pickup and delivery times set by the carrier?




--- ANSWER 24: The solicitation Paragraph 7.2.1.11 - Delivery Times is modified to add the following explanations.



(1) At the end of the Tier 1: 24 hour turnaround paragraph add, Label requests received through the web-based label request interface between 0001 hours and 1000 hours in the Contractor designated time zone will be shipped the same day as received. Label requests received through the web-based label request interface after 1000 hours in the Contractor designated time zone will be picked up by the shipping carrier the following business day and delivered according to the carriers next day shipping schedule.



(2) At the end of the Tier 2: 5 working days turnaround paragraph add, Label requests received through the web-based label request interface shall be delivered five business days after receipt, not counting the day the request is made and excluding non-business days and Federal holidays. Example: A label request received on the Wednesday the 10th of the month must be delivered on or before Wednesday the 17th of the month assuming no holidays.



(3) At the end of the Tier 3: 15 working days turnaround paragraph add, Label requests received through the web-based label request interface shall be delivered fifteen business days after receipt, not counting the day the request is made and excluding non-business days and Federal holidays. Example: A label request received on the Wednesday the 10th of the month must be delivered on or before Wednesday the 31st of the month assuming no holidays.






--- QUESTION 25: Will our pricing proposal need to take in consideration any GSA fees?




--- ANSWER 25: No.





--- QUESTION 26: What is the spectrum of surfaces and/or surface finishes to which the adhesive backed labels must adhere?




--- ANSWER 26: Items managed by the Air Force Equipment Management System (AFEMS) are extremely varied in size, shape, material composition, and environmental exposure. The contractor will be expected to provide labels that adhere to such items as armored personnel carriers or other vehicles (including those painted with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating), laptop computers, encrypted telephones, forklifts, handguns, hydraulic carts, and many more. Examples of materials include various metals, plastics, fiberglass, laminates, and glass, some painted and others not. Application of labels to assets that are outside must adhere to surfaces having a wide variety of temperatures during and after application.






--- QUESTION 27: Is the Contractor required to furnish screws with the metal labels or just provide screw holes?




--- ANSWER 27: No, screws are not required, just screw holes.





--- QUESTION 28: Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4 Page Limitations -- Under the 3.c Exemptions to page limitations and restrictions, there is no reference to an appendix. Can we include an appendix that is not part of the technical proposal and does not count toward the 20 page restriction?




--- ANSWER 28: An appendix containing stand alone documents in support of the proposal will not be counted against the page limitation. Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4.c. Page Limitations - Exemptions is hereby amended to add paragraph (12) An Appendix containing stand alone supporting documents, such as teaming agreements, warranties, verification reports, user guides, etc.





--- QUESTION 29: Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4 Page Limitations -- Under the 3.c Exemptions to page limitations and restrictions, taking into consideration the 20 page restriction for the technical proposal section, it will be difficult to include screenshots for the data management section and keep it under the 20 page limit. May we include screenshots in an appendix without those pages counting against the 20 page restriction?




--- ANSWER 29: Yes. Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4.c. Page Limitations Exemptions is hereby amended to add paragraph (13) An Appendix containing screen shots of the proposed web-based interface.





--- QUESTION 30: Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4 Page Limitations -- Under c.9 it states individual resumes are excluded from the 20 page restriction. Our Program Management Plan contains a key personnel section (along with other program management details). May we include a program management section that will not be counted against the 20 page restriction?




--- ANSWER 30: General management information is included in the page restriction; however, imbedded resumes and information about specific prime or subcontract individuals will not be counted toward the page limit.

SYNOPSIS MODIFICATION --The purpose of this synopsis modification is to answer vendor questions and amend the solicitation, where necessary, to provide corrections and clarifications.



!!!! --- NOTICE --- !!!! All vendors desiring to submit a proposal must contact the Contracting Officer [email: eben.greybourne@gsa.gov or phone: 312 / 886-3811] to verify that they are registered in the GSA ITSS system. You will not be able to submit your proposal until I link your ITSS registration with the solicitation number.




--- Correction Synopsis Modification 7, Solicitation Section C, Paragraph 7.1.1.1.1(d) Aluminum foil per GG-P-455, Type 1, Class, Grade A, the thickness specification should be changed FROM Thickness .005 +/- .0005. TO Thickness .003 +/- .0003.



(Note: The thickness is correct in the revised Attachment 1, Schedule of Items/Services and Prices.)




--- Correction Solicitation Paragraph F.3.1 - IUID Data Labels states that The IUID Data Label delivery times shall fall within the delivery tiers shown in paragraph 7.2.1.8. This cross reference is incorrect and is hereby changed as follows: The IUID Data Label delivery times shall fall within the delivery tiers shown in paragraph 7.2.1.11.




--- Change to Section M The following note is added to the end of Section M, Paragraph M.4, Step 3 - Price/Rate: NOTE: The Government reserves the right to normalize prices and calculate evaluated prices to ensure an equitable evaluation.




QUESTIONS 1 through 16 were issued with previous synopsis modifications.




--- QUESTION 17: Having standardized materials/options/pricing, [can you] please provide a set of example (maximum) length data item strings for use in producing sample labels per 7.1.1.5.1 for data items.



-- Original Equipment Manufacturers CAGE

-- Item Serial Number

-- Original Part Number

-- Nomenclature (human readable only) for each

and per 7.1.2 examples

-- Current Part Number

-- AFEMS# .



This will be helpful to the Governments evaluation team comparing samples vis a vis marking methods proposed. [Can you] please advise?



--- ANSWER 17: All marking methods submitted shall be compliant with 2D Matrix marking quality standards established in MIL-STD 130N paragraph 5.2.7.2 Data Matrix symbol quality.



In general the CAGE will be 5 characters, serial numbers will not exceed 30 characters, part numbers will not exceed 32 characters, UIIs will not exceed 50 characters, and AFEMS numbers should not exceed 25 characters. These are maximums and the actual numbers will generally have many fewer digits than allowed. The vendors are expected to print according to industry standards. Vendors are not expected to print information on labels that are too small to accept all the information contained in the imprint. Ideally, the web-based interface will display an error message if the Government requestor tries to select a label size that is too small to for the amount of data submitted.





--- QUESTION 18: [The following question is restated from the original for clarification.] The solicitation paragraph L.3.8.a. states that The total price offered for IUID Data Labels will include: (1) the price of data labels, (2) the price of the processing and management service, (3) the price of the phone support, and (4) the price of all supporting and/or overhead costs associated with this product and its delivery (excluding actual direct shipping charges). Should the prices of items (2), (3), and (4) be spread over the ceiling quantity of labels for each phase increment?




--- ANSWER 18: Offerors should spread the indirect and support costs over as many labels as they think feasible to provide a uniform price per label to the Government. For additional clarity, Attachment 1 Schedule of Items / Services and Prices has been amended to include a separate line item for each of these prices on a per label basis. Using these line items is not mandatory since the per label prices for the web-based interface, phone support, and other costs will otherwise be included in the label prices; however, breaking out these prices by removing them from the per label price may help offerors represent their pricing and will facilitate price negotiations regarding these elements of price, should negotiations be necessary. The prices entered in these three line items, for each phase increment, will be totaled and added to the price of each label in the corresponding phase increment to arrive at the total offered price.



Example Label XX Phase 1 price $6.00 OR

Label XX Phase 1 price $1.00 + interface price $3.00 + phone support price $1.50 + other overhead price $0.50.

The evaluated price for Label XX Phase 1 is $6.00 in either case.





--- QUESTION 19: Minimum Order Price -- Supplier costs to setup, validate, verify, package and box each order for shipment are relatively fixed compared to the unit cost of the IUID labels that vary with quantity ordered. These costs, together with shipping, are much greater than a single IUID labels price as requested per Attachment 1. When pricing for Attachment 1, Mgt Sheet should the minimum order price be added to the single unit label price? Or should the minimum order quantity price be listed separately at the bottom of the each time period column with the number of labels included in the fixed price per order? Or should the minimum be ignored for Attachment 1, Mgt. and listed separately? Please advise.



--- ANSWER 19: Label prices should NOT include a surcharge for minimum label quantity order requests. The Government can not pre-determine the size of the order requests; therefore, a minimum quantity surcharge is not included in the evaluated price of the proposal, but the strategy will be evaluated as a technical factor. Section L and M of the solicitation have been amended to include the following provisions for the evaluation of minimum quantity surcharge pricing.



Add the following paragraph to Section L --



L.3.7.l. Minimum Order Request Surcharge At the option of the offeror, the offeror may propose a price surcharge for minimum order requests. If the offeror chooses to proposed a Minimum Order Request Surcharge, the offerors surcharge strategy shall be submitted with the technical proposal. The strategy shall define what constitutes a minimum order request, i.e., single web-based interface request, all requests for a specific item within a 24 hour period, etc. and specify at what point the surcharge will be applied or above what quantity the surcharge will be removed. The Minimum Order Request Surcharge strategy shall clearly spell out the amount of the surcharge and specify if the surcharge amount will be different for different materials or label configurations. The proposed Minimum Order Request Surcharge strategy will be incorporated into the contract of the winning offeror.



Add the following paragraph to Section M, under the heading -- M.2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability



Minimum Order Request Surcharge: The Government will evaluate each offerors Minimum Order Request Surcharge Strategy to determine the degree to which the application of the surcharge will result in higher order prices on small quantity orders.




--- QUESTION 20: How should price variations be handled that are not accommodated by the solicitation Schedule of Items/Services and Prices?




--- ANSWER 20: Adjustments to the offered prices, either upward or downward, to accommodate variations in the product quality, composition, adhesive, or any other option offered in the technical proposal should be fully explained and will be evaluated as part of the technical evaluation. Section L and M of the solicitation have been amended to include the following provisions for the evaluation of pricing adjustments.



Add the following paragraph to Section L --



L.3.7.m. Price Adjustment Strategy If the proposal includes a strategy for adjusting the offered prices, either for product quality, composition, adhesive, or any other technical options or for any other reason, that strategy must be clearly explained. The price adjustment strategy will be evaluated along with the technical evaluation of the offered technical or business options. The proposed price adjustments and the strategy for their application will be incorporated into the contract of the winning offeror.



Add the following paragraph to Section M, under the heading -- M.2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability



Price Adjustment Strategy: The Government will evaluate each offerors Price Adjustment Strategy to determine the degree to which the strategy equitably represents the technical or business options being offered.





--- QUESTION 21: Detailed specification are provided for the materials in 7.1.1.1.1.(a)-(d) aluminum and 7.1.1.1.2 stainless steel. As specifications for materials to be quoted for 7.1.1.1.3 vinyl, 7.1.1.1.4 polyacrylic, and 7.1.1.1.5 polyester categories affect pricing, please provide specification references or approved data sheets for each material type to be used in the pricing per label responses.




--- ANSWER 21: For evaluation purposes, specification sheets for vinyl (3M White Vinyl 7605 or equal), polyacrylic (Tesa Secure 6973 or equal), and polyester (3M Thermal Transfer Polyester 7871/7872/7873 or equal) are added to the solicitation. Offerors shall propose products adhering to these brand name or equal specifications for pricing purposes. The use of these specifications for pricing does not limit the offeror from proposing additional materials with the ability to survive for the life expectancy of the item to which the label is attached as required by MIL-STD-130. (For proposal purposes, assets items to be labeled with these three material types shall be presumed to have a 10 year life and be located in an indoor environment.)





--- QUESTION 22: Are 7.1.1.1.3 vinyl, 7.1.1.1.4 polyacrylic and 7.1.1.1.5 polyester IUID labels to have an over laminate added to the pricing for the standardized examples in Attachment 1 pricing?




--- ANSWER 22: Include overlaminate in the price list when it is industry-standard to apply an overlaminate.





--- QUESTION 23: There is an inconsistency in the metal type for aluminum plate found in the revised paragraph 7.1.1.1(a). Can you please clarify.




--- ANSWER 23: There is a typographical error in revised paragraph 7.1.1.1.1(a). The aluminum plate is Type L and the testing requirements, per MIL-DTL-15024 should be Type L also.





--- QUESTION 24: Can you define the starting time and ending time for each of the three delivery time requirements, especially the 24 hour delivery time since it depends on pickup and delivery times set by the carrier?




--- ANSWER 24: The solicitation Paragraph 7.2.1.11 - Delivery Times is modified to add the following explanations.



(1) At the end of the Tier 1: 24 hour turnaround paragraph add, Label requests received through the web-based label request interface between 0001 hours and 1000 hours in the Contractor designated time zone will be shipped the same day as received. Label requests received through the web-based label request interface after 1000 hours in the Contractor designated time zone will be picked up by the shipping carrier the following business day and delivered according to the carriers next day shipping schedule.



(2) At the end of the Tier 2: 5 working days turnaround paragraph add, Label requests received through the web-based label request interface shall be delivered five business days after receipt, not counting the day the request is made and excluding non-business days and Federal holidays. Example: A label request received on the Wednesday the 10th of the month must be delivered on or before Wednesday the 17th of the month assuming no holidays.



(3) At the end of the Tier 3: 15 working days turnaround paragraph add, Label requests received through the web-based label request interface shall be delivered fifteen business days after receipt, not counting the day the request is made and excluding non-business days and Federal holidays. Example: A label request received on the Wednesday the 10th of the month must be delivered on or before Wednesday the 31st of the month assuming no holidays.






--- QUESTION 25: Will our pricing proposal need to take in consideration any GSA fees?




--- ANSWER 25: No.





--- QUESTION 26: What is the spectrum of surfaces and/or surface finishes to which the adhesive backed labels must adhere?




--- ANSWER 26: Items managed by the Air Force Equipment Management System (AFEMS) are extremely varied in size, shape, material composition, and environmental exposure. The contractor will be expected to provide labels that adhere to such items as armored personnel carriers or other vehicles (including those painted with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating), laptop computers, encrypted telephones, forklifts, handguns, hydraulic carts, and many more. Examples of materials include various metals, plastics, fiberglass, laminates, and glass, some painted and others not. Application of labels to assets that are outside must adhere to surfaces having a wide variety of temperatures during and after application.






--- QUESTION 27: Is the Contractor required to furnish screws with the metal labels or just provide screw holes?




--- ANSWER 27: No, screws are not required, just screw holes.





--- QUESTION 28: Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4 Page Limitations -- Under the 3.c Exemptions to page limitations and restrictions, there is no reference to an appendix. Can we include an appendix that is not part of the technical proposal and does not count toward the 20 page restriction?




--- ANSWER 28: An appendix containing stand alone documents in support of the proposal will not be counted against the page limitation. Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4.c. Page Limitations - Exemptions is hereby amended to add paragraph (12) An Appendix containing stand alone supporting documents, such as teaming agreements, warranties, verification reports, user guides, etc.





--- QUESTION 29: Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4 Page Limitations -- Under the 3.c Exemptions to page limitations and restrictions, taking into consideration the 20 page restriction for the technical proposal section, it will be difficult to include screenshots for the data management section and keep it under the 20 page limit. May we include screenshots in an appendix without those pages counting against the 20 page restriction?




--- ANSWER 29: Yes. Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4.c. Page Limitations Exemptions is hereby amended to add paragraph (13) An Appendix containing screen shots of the proposed web-based interface.





--- QUESTION 30: Solicitation Section C, Paragraph L.4.4 Page Limitations -- Under c.9 it states individual resumes are excluded from the 20 page restriction. Our Program Management Plan contains a key personnel section (along with other program management details). May we include a program management section that will not be counted against the 20 page restriction?




--- ANSWER 30: General management information is included in the page restriction; however, imbedded resumes and information about specific prime or subcontract individuals will not be counted toward the page limit.

The purpose of this synopsis modification is to answer vendor questions and amend the solicitation, where necessary to provide clarification.



Due to the changes made to the solicitation as presented in this synopsis modification, the due date for proposals is extended. The synopsis is changed as follows ----- (xvi) OFFERS DUE: 19 June 2008.



Additionally, all references in the solicitation to Tesa tape should be changed to Polyacrylic Tape. The Polyacrylic Tape specification is provided below.



QUESTIONS 1 through 10 were issued with synopsis modification 5.



QUESTION11: Could you tell me if there is a page limitation for the proposals.



ANSWER 11: Initially the government only required concise proposals; however, recent discussions with the technical evaluation team members have produced a consensus that a page limit be placed on proposals.



Solicitation Section L.4 Proposal/Quotation Submission Instructions is amended to add the following paragraph L.4.4. Page Limitations



L.4.4 Page Limitations


a. The government has limited the size of proposals to reduce the burden on the evaluation team. The limitations are as follows

(1) Technical Proposal 20 pages

(2) Past Performance Information -- Two pages per referenced company plus 5 pages for other past performance documentation

(3) Price Proposal No page limit



b. A page is defined as follows: Printing on one side of a standard letter size 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper or letter size electronic page. Larger page sizes are considered to be one page provided they are used for charts and diagrams, only.



c. Exceptions to the page limitation restriction are as follows --



(1) Front Cover Page and Back Cover Page, provided no proposal information appears other than identifying information such as the offerors name, offerors contact information, project title, solicitation number, date of preparation, and company logos.

(2) Section Tab/Separator Pages, provided no proposal information appears on the page other than Section Name/Number.

(3) Table of Contents.

(4) List of Tables.

(5) List of Figures.

(6) Pages intentionally left blank.

(7) Organizational Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan, if applicable.

(8) Any required safety or security forms.

(9) Individual employees resumes or curriculums vitae (CVs).

(10) Preprinted brochures or specification data sheets

(11) Compliance matrix, should the offeror choose to furnish one.





QUESTION12: [Several potential offerors have asked questions about the materials specifications and the label marking process. Rather than answering individual questions, the following information is provided.]



ANSWER 12:



The Government is looking for the best IUID Data Label solution. The solution, presented in the proposal, should include flexibility to order a wide variety of material, imprint, and adhesive options. To clarify the Governments intent, see the first item under the title ADDITIONAL SOLICITATION CHANGES, below. The following material examples are provided in the solicitation. These materials are the ones that shall be used by the offeror when completing the representative Schedule of Items/Services and Prices, (Attachment 1) that is being used as the pricing example forproposal evaluation purposes, only.



Solicitation Section C, Paragraph 7.1.1.1 as currently written is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following --



7.1.1.1 Materials The Contractor shall provide material choices so that the Government can order labels that comply with the requirement found in MIL-STD-130N, Para. 4.3 that states, identification labels used shall be as permanent as the normal life expectancy of the item and be capable of withstanding the environmental tests and cleaning procedures for the item to which it is affixed.



The following materials, along with their respective minimum specification, imprinting process, and attachment method, shall be included in the ordering options under this contract. This is not intended as a comprehensive list of all materials that may be required to support the contract. The contract may be awarded to include additional options proposed by the Contractor or modified to add materials that are not included in this original list, should that be necessary to meet the needs of the Government (i.e., changes to comply with future versions of MIL-Std-130).



7.1.1.1.1 (a) Aluminum plate per MIL-DTL-15024, Type L, Style III. 1100 aluminum alloy per AMS-QQ-A-250/1. Thickness .020 =/- .002. Anodize per MIL-A-8625, Type II, Class 2, Color 37038 (black) per FED-STD-595. Testing requirements per MIL-DTL-15024, Type A.

Imprint Method -- Laser etching

Attachment Method screws or adhesive



7.1.1.1.1 (b) Aluminum plate per GG-P-455, Type 1, Class, Grade A. Thickness .020 +/- .002. Blank plates shall be exposed and processed to a black surface, anodized and sealed in accordance with GG-P-455. Plate color 27038 or 37038 (black) per FED-STD-595.

Imprint Method Photo etching

Attachment Method screws or adhesive



7.1.1.1.1 (c) Aluminum foil per MIL-DTL-19834, Type I, Style III 1100 aluminum alloy per AMS-QQ-A-250/1. Anodize per MIL-A-8625, Type II, Class 2, Color 37038 (black) per FED-STD-595.

Imprint Method Laser etching

Attachment Method adhesive



7.1.1.1.1 (d) Aluminum foil per GG-P-455, Type 1, Class, Grade A. Thickness .005 +/- .0005. Blank foil shall be exposed and processed to a black surface, anodized and sealed in accordance with GG-P-455. Foil color 27038 or 37038 (black) per FED-STD-595. Adhesive backing per MIL-DTL-19834, Type 1.

Imprint Method Photo etching

Attachment Method adhesive



7.1.1.1.2 Stainless Steel -- Corrosion resistant steel plate per MIL-DTL-15024, Type 1, Style IV corrosion resistant steel, annealed, Type 302/304/321 per ASTM A 240/A240m. Thickness .016 +/- .002.

Imprint Method -- Laser anneal or dot peen

Attachment Method screws or adhesive



7.1.1.1.3 Vinyl -- Able to withstand a variety of severe weather and handling conditions. Will not curl of split when exposed to moisture/humidity.

Imprint Method Thermal transfer

Attachment Method adhesive



7.1.1.1.4 Polyacrylic Tape Flexible and able to be engraved and die-cut using Nd: YAG or CO lasers. Resistant to abrasion, grease, oils, and most common industrial chemicals. Temperature resistant (-50C - +200C; -58F to +392F).

Imprint Method Nd:YAG or CO2 Laser etching

Attachment Method adhesive



7.1.1.1.5 Polyester -- Polyester able to withstand temperatures up to 300F, chemical and abrasion resistant IAW MIL-STD-202F, Notice 12 Method 215 and ROHS compliant.

Imprint Method Thermal transfer

Attachment Method adhesive



The adhesive shall be as used on 3M Adhesive 350 9485PC, or equivalent per the attached 3M specification sheet, Solicitation Attachment 5. (Attached to this synopsis modification)



NOTE: The material thickness variations stated on each worksheet in Attachment 1 are to be used in place of thickness variations stated in Section C. Offerors should propose the closest commercially available products.




QUESTION13: Request clarification on the requirement for vinyl labels. Does this type label include destructible labels, i.e., labels that are destroyed when removed from the item?



ANSWER 13: Destructible tags that offer tamper detection characteristics are not a primary requirement for this effort but may be included as a proposed material option (see answer to question 12, above).





QUESTION14: Can the AIT PMO provide a standard label quantity level for evaluation purposes?



ANSWER 14: To ensure that pricing from different offerors is placed on equal footing, solicitation Sections L, M and Attachment 1 have been amended. Attachment 1 has been amended to include specific quantities, for proposal purposes only. Attachment 1 has been revised to include pricing for each different size and for each of the three delivery times, as well as for material type, material thickness, marking process, and attachment method. See amended Attachment 1, attached. Solicitation Section L, Paragraph L.3.8. is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following. Changes are made throughout.



L.3.8 Price - State the fixed unit prices and total price for a quantity of one, each, offered for IUID Data Labels.

a. Fixed unit prices offered for IUID Data Labels will include: (1) the price of data labels, (2) the price of the processing and management service, (3) the price of the phone support, and (4) the price of all supporting and/or overhead costs associated with this product and its delivery (excluding actual direct shipping charges).

b. A quantity of one, for each of the selected Contract Line Item Number (CLIN), shall be used as the basis for proposal price comparison. The total price offered will be the total amount when all unit-of-one prices are summed. This total price amount will be used for evaluation purposes only. The actual schedule of items and prices will be established based on the options offered in the best value solution. The contract ceiling will be set by the Government at time of award to accurately represent the total price for purchasing all data labels.

c. The Government has provided a Schedule of Items / Services and Prices (see Attachment 1). Offerors shall use this schedule for submitting their list of items and prices. The configuration of this schedule represents the Governments conception of item pricing. Phase increments have been used to allow for price changes over the life of the contract and are not fixed to any specific period of time although they generally represent one year.

d. The Government recognizes that the best value solution, selected for contract award, will likely incorporate item options and prices not included in the Governments schedule that is being used for proposal evaluation purposes. Additionally, offerors may desire to use different schedule configurations to represent or capture their individual pricing structure, considering tier pricing or pricing variations. Offerors may propose an alternate schedule configuration. The proposed alternate configuration will be considered by the Government for use in the contract but prices in the alternate schedule configuration will not be considered during the evaluation or affect the outcome of the evaluation. Only the total price, as defined above, will be used in the best value determination. Note: Delivery orders placed against this contract will be based on the fixed unit prices offered.

e. State the estimated prices for shipping* based on the proposed shipping strategy. For estimating purposes, 80% of the labels shall be shipped to locations within the continental United States and 20% shall be shipped overseas. Shipping costs are included on a separate contract line item and will be reimbursed at actual cost. These prices will be used for planning and budget purposes and to establish ceiling prices in the contract but will NOT be included in the price total when performing the best value determination during proposal evaluations.



*Note: The estimated price for shipping is the estimated amount that will be paid to a third party shipper or the estimated amount that the offeror will charge for self-shipping. In either case, shipping costs must be broken out separately prior to reimbursement by the Government, and will be subject to validation in accordance with the cost reimbursement provisions of the contract. If offerors propose self-shipping or to include indirect charges on direct shipping costs, the Government will require extensive validation and financial audits to insure that these indirect charges are not also included in the overheads charged on the fixed price portions of this contract. This financial oversight will not be required if only third party shippers are used and only direct costs are billed for shipping.



f. Travel will be reimburse at actual cost up to the ceiling of $10,000 per contract phase increment. These ceiling prices are included in the price schedule. Travel prices will NOT be included in the price total when performing the best value determination during proposal evaluations.



End of Section L change.



Solicitation Paragraph M.4 is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following. Changes are made to the last sentence of the first paragraph and the entire last paragraph.



M.4 Step 3 - Price/Rate



IUID DATA LABEL AND IUID DATA LABEL MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSING SERVICES PRICES:



For evaluation purposes, the Government will use the total price offered for IUID Data Labels when making its best value determination. The total price offered for IUID Data Labels will include: (1) the price of data labels, (2) the price of the processing and management service, (3) the price of the phone support, and (4) the price of all supporting and/or overhead costs associated with this product and its delivery. The total price shall be based on the estimated quantities set forth in the Schedule of Items and Prices (solicitation Attachment 1).



For evaluation purposes, the Government will NOT use (1) the estimated price of shipping*, or (2) the estimated price of travel.



*Note: The estimated price for shipping is the estimated amount that will be paid to a third party shipper or the estimated amount that the offeror will charge for self-shipping. In either case, shipping costs must be broken out separately prior to reimbursement by the Government, and will be subject to validation in accordance with the cost reimbursement provisions of the contract. If offerors propose self-shipping or include indirect charges on direct shipping costs, the Government will require extensive validation and financial audits to insure that these indirect charges are not also included in the overheads charged on the fixed price portions of this contract. This financial oversight will not be required if only third party shippers are used and only direct costs are billed for shipping. In the latter case, the Government will only require copies of shipping invoices to verify reimbursement requests.



The Government has provided a Schedule of Items / Services and Prices (see Attachment 1). Offerors shall use this schedule for submitting their list of items and prices. The configuration of this schedule represents the Governments conception of item pricing. A quantity of one, for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN), shall be used as the basis for proposal price comparison. The total price offered will be the total amount when all unit-of-one prices are summed. Only this total price amount will be used when performing the best value determination. This amount, used during the proposal evaluation, does not represent the contract ceiling.



End of Section M change.





QUESTION15: What type of label(s) (i.e. template material, thickness, and attachment options) will the PMO require to be delivered within 24 hrs during Phase 1 and Phase 2?



ANSWER 15:



The Government does not have a definitive answer to this question, and the following does not represent a firm or implied Government requirement. The Government believes that the .003" aluminum foil label (1.75"L x .75"H) with laser etching and adhesive backing AND the polyester label (1.75"L x .75"H) with thermal transfer and adhesive backing will be the two labels most in demand for the 24 hr delivery (in both Phase 1 and 2.)




QUESTION16: On page L3, (4) Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, the offeror may propose to provide any item or combination of items. Please confirm/clarify if proposals may offer some of the data label types but not required to offer all types.



ANSWER 16: The Government has taken exception to the standard language cited in the question. The Governments requirement is stated in Paragraph L.3.14. However, due to the need for clarification, Paragraph L.3.14 is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:



L.3.14 Partial Proposal - Paragraph (c)(4) of FAR 52.215-1 Instructions to OfferorsCompetitive Acquisition, above, does not apply to this acquisition. The Government is looking for the best solution; however, the proposed solution, as a minimum, must include the materials identified in Solicitation Section C, Paragraph 7.1.1.1 Materials. Only proposals that offer these required items will be eligible for award.





ADDITIONAL SOLICITATION CHANGES



The following additional changes are made to the solicitation to clarify and stress what the Government is looking for in the proposal regarding an IUID Data Label solution and to add a provision to take advantage of Item Request Quantity Discounts.



1. The Government wishes to make it clear that it is looking for the best IUID Data Label solution. This includes product options to meet a wide variety of labeling requirements. Proposals should demonstrate the capability to produce labels that meet the requirement found in MIL-STD-130N, Para. 4.3., which states, identification labels used shall be as permanent as the normal life expectancy of the item and be capable of withstanding the environmental tests and cleaning procedures for the item to which it is affixed. The solicitation is clarified as follows to convey the intent of the Government.



Add the following change to Section L --



Paragraph L.3.7.b - Vendor Product vs. Government Requirement-General is changed to add the following sentence -- The Government is looking for product flexibility to meet a wide variety of labeling requirements, and compliance with the intent of MIL-STD-130N. For example, this includes material, imprint, and attachment options. These should be clearly addressed in the proposal.



Add the following paragraph to Section M, under the heading -- M.2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability



IUID DATA LABELS: The Government will evaluate the degree to which the offer is flexible in its ability to provide product options (i.e., material, imprint, attachment, etc.) to meet a wide variety of labeling requirements.




2. The Government desires to take advantage of quantity discount pricing, if it is offered. Since the Government does not know the quantities that will be requested under individual orders, there is currently no way to designate quantity discounts other than to hide them in unit prices. To provide an alternate way of evaluating quantity discounts, Section L and M of the solicitation have been revised to include the evaluation of an item request quantity discount strategy. This strategy will be evaluated as part of the technical evaluation. The changes to the solicitation are as follows:



Add the following paragraph to Section L --



L.3.7.k. Item Request Quantity Discount Strategy At the option of the offeror, the offeror may propose an item quantity discount strategy. The discount strategy, if quantity discounts are offered, shall apply to item quantity discounts given at the time IUID Data Labels are requested through the web-based interface. The strategy should set forth the percent discount (not dollar amount) that will be offered on an individual label request based on the quantity ordered (specifying whether in total, by individual label material type, size, thickness, marking process, attachment method, delivery time, etc.). The strategy may include tiered discounting. If the discount strategy is to offer lower unit pricing (in Attachment 1), the offeror should clearly state this in the proposal.



Add the following paragraph to Section M, under the heading -- M.2 - Step 1 - Evaluation of Technical Capability



QUANTITY DISCOUNT STRATEGY: The Government will evaluate each offerors Item Request Quantity Discount Strategy to determine the degree to which the strategy will save the Government money by making larger quantity label requests.

NOTICE of Pending Solicitation Amendment


In response to additional questions and concerns from perspective offerors, the Government wil be publishing an amendment to the solicitation on or about Thursday, 29 May 2008. The amendment will respond to questions regarding (1) proposal page limitations, (2) detailed materials specifications, (3) detailed pricing for the proposal to ensure comparable pricing from each offeror, and (4) time extension for proposal submission.

The purpose of this synopsis modification is to answer ten (10) vendor questions and amend the solicitation, where necessary.



Additionally, the synopsis as published in modification 03, (see above) is modified to correct a discrepancy in the due date for proposals. The proposal due date is changed to read as follows: --- (xvi) OFFERS DUE: 5 June 2008





Questions and Answers




----QUESTION 1: From a commercial perspective...what...is currently being used, in this instance TESA tape, is slightly different than the exact thickness called out in the spreadsheet [PWS]. [Please provide] a clarification on the precision of the thickness desired...



----ANSWER 1: The solicitation is amended to add the following note after Table C-2, on page C 11 of 25. "Note: This requirement is for commercially available data label materials. If commercially available materials do not come in the precise thicknesses called out in the Performance Work Statement, offerors should propose the commercially available thicknesses that are closest to those specified and clearly indicate the thicknesses offered."





----QUESTIONS 2: Para 7.3.1.4 ends without completing the sentence. [Please clarify.]


ANSWER 2: Somehow this paragraph got cut off when converting to a pdf file. Paragraph 7.3.1.4. should read as follows:

"7.3.1.4 The IUID Data Label processing solution shall provide the means for the requestor to annotate the request as having been successfully fulfilled and to submit a request for corrective action if the IUID Data Label request is not filled as originally placed."





----QUESTION 3: Para 7.3.2.1 states in Phase 1 and 2 DOD IUID registry performed by the SNT IUID Project Office and Para 7.3.2.2 states in Phase 2 the contractor shall register the items within the DOD IUID registry. [Please clarify.]



----ANSWER 3: The first sentence in Section C, paragraph 7.3.2.1 is REPLACED with the following ---



"Phase 1 & Phase 2 - UII and Birth Record Transmission - The IUID Data Label processing solution shall enable the SNT IUID Project Office to obtain, on at least a weekly basis, all of the UIIs assigned by the Contractor along with birth record information and transmission date. During Phase 1 the SNT IUID Project Office will keep this information for their records and will send data pertaining to the AFEMS pilot to the DoD IUID registry. The Contractor shall send the data pertaining to labels ordered by the Air Force depots to the DoD IUID registry. During Phase 2 the SNT IUID Project Office will keep all of this information for their records and the Contractor shall register all of the information with the DoD IUID registry, as stipulated in Paragraph 7.3.2.2, below. The processing solution shall include the means for the Government requestor to indicate that IUID Data Labels, received by the Government, have been affixed to the designated assets. The Contractor, through this means, shall ensure that labels have been successfully affixed to the intended asset before items are registered in the DoD IUID Registry."



ADDITIONALLY, Section C, (Government Furnished Items - Data) Paragraph 11.1.4 is amended to add an additional sentence at the end. The amended paragraph reads as follows:



11.1.4 The Air Force personnel who request IUID Data Labels shall provide the Contractor with data specific to the tangible asset(s) being labeled for inclusion in the data matrix. This data shall be provided as part of the request process. They shall also provide verification that the labels have been placed on the designated assets through the web-based interface.





----QUESTION 4: Para B.4 states a ceiling of 9,461,400 and Section C Para 2 states an order ceiling of 7.2M. What is the ceiling amount?



----ANSWER 4: Section C, Paragraph 2, the reference to the approximate number of data labels is changed to read "approximately 9.46 million IUID Data Labels". Also, the last sentence in Section C, Paragraph 8.2 is amended to read as follows: The government anticipates a contract total of approximately 9.46 million labels by the end of the last option year.





----QUESTION 5: Section C Para 10.6 states key personnel designation is not applicable to this PWS and Section M Para M.2 Evaluation of Technical Capability states that this evaluation will look at the competencies, skill, knowledge, and experience of the management and staff in relation to the attributes needed to execute this project. Do we need a section that describes key personnel and their qualification?



----ANSWER 5: The Key Personnel provision, if implemented, requires (1) that the contractor perform the work with personnel who possess essential qualifications and who are therefore specifically named in the contract and (2) that key personnel substitutions only be made after the contractor receives government approval to ensure that they (the replacements) meet the qualification standards originally established in the solicitation. This contract does NOT require key personnel. The government does, however, want information about the offeror's personnel along with other information about the offeror's resources, as specified in Section M, so it can determine which offeror can give the government the greatest level of confidence that it will perform this contract satisfactorily.





----QUESTION 6: When customer MIPRs funds for an estimated quantity and price to GSA and the contractor is awarded the task order, is contractor obligated to provide labels and quantity exactly match the task order, or what the customer order transaction at a later date? ---



Scenario: GSA CO provides a task order to the contractor for 1000 vinyl tags at a cost of $5 per label for a total of $5000. Authorized requestor than orders aluminum tags at a unit cost for $10 a tag with a qty of 500 resulting in a 500 label decrease.
Question: Can the authorized requestor order differently than what was place on the task order provided they dont exceed the funded ceiling amount? The same question arises for quantity discounts. If the authorized requestors orders in quantities greater than or less than what was originally placed on order this could result in volume discounts being applied or not being applied. This would constrain or increase the number of tags that could be ordered against the ceiling funded amount.



----ANSWER 6: It is envisioned that Deliver Orders will specify estimated, not to exceed, ceiling quantities for the various types of labels the client wishes to purchase. Individual offices will provide the exact material, size, and biometric data to complete the order. Offices will not be able to exceed the ceiling quantities specified in the delivery order. The Contractor's web based solution must be able to enforce established delivery order ceilings. Ceilings can be changed by delivery order modification or increased by placing another delivery order. If a delivery order is closed without all ordered labels being requested, the delivery order price will be adjusted during close-out. Because there are too many variables, I can not address how the Government will handle discounts at this time because that will depend on how they are proposed by the Contractor. I can only say that the Government will handle all aspects of the orders in an equitable manner. For purposes of evaluating the proposals, offerors should assume that the ceiling quantity of labels will be purchased in the quantities stipulated in solicitation Attachment 1. The Government, however, can not guarantee the size of any delivery orders, and therefore, if discounts are offered based on the size of individual delivery orders, those discounts will NOT be considered in the evaluation of proposals. (However, if the contract is otherwise awarded to a firm offering such discounts, the Government will take those discounts during contract performance when they apply.). Only discounts on total quantities ordered will be considered in the total price used in the best value award determination.





----QUESTION 7: May we use qty discounts that differ from attachment 1? Attachment 1 shows a qty discount scenarios of 1,950 (70,200 for aluminum), 320,000, 356,660, 600,000, and 600,000. We would like to consider using a different quantity discount with different price breakpoints.



----ANSWER 7:
The solicitation does not address or stipulate discounts. As stated in Section M, paragraphs M.4 and M.5, only the total price will be used in the best value award determination. How you structure the internal pricing, with or without discounts or cost of living increases, is entirely up to you; however Phase 1 is for a maximum of 78,000 data labels, of which 90% are estimated to be aluminum, as stated in the solicitation. The AIT PMO reserves the right to move the contract into Phase 2 upon completion and acceptable performance of the web-based ordering solution. The Government will move any unordered Phase 1 labels to Phase 2 (see solicitation paragraph.B.4 - Quantities).





----QUESTION 8: In attachment 1 it shows screw holes for materials such as polyester, vinyl, and tesa tape. The thickness of these materials may not support an attachment device such as a screw or a rivet. Does the customer require pricing for screw/rivet holes for these materials? Or should screw/rivet holes be only applicable to steel and aluminum?



----ANSWER 8: The solicitation is amended to add the following note to Table C-2, on Section C page 11 of 25 and on the Vinyl, TESA tape, and Polyester tabs of Attachment 1:
"Note: The screw and rivet attachment options only apply to aluminum and steel."





----QUESTION 9: Are the perforations necessary or required for all the label sizes and types?



----ANSWER 9: Perforations are mandatory for Wright-Patterson AFEMS labels only, but should be available in all cases where label sizes and materials permit.





----QUESTION10: Please advise regarding the reference to DD Form 1423-1s at the end of top paragraph on page F-2 of 3 in solicitation 5TS57070224.



"A detailed description and information pertaining to each data item is provided on the attached DD Form 1423-1s."



To date I have not located the referenced DD Form 1423-1s on the web site or as part of the RFP downloads. Where can DD Form 1423-1s be viewed/downloaded?



----ANSWER 10: The documents requiring the DD 1423s were not used in this final solicitation. This reference should have been deleted from the final document. I apologize for the confusion. Section F, Paragraph F.3.3, the last sentence as quoted in the question, is deleted in its entirety. Document contents are either specified in Section C, Performance Work Statement, or should be provided in accordance with standard commercial practice.

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(i) OPENING STATEMENT: The Governments objective is to purchase Item Unique Identification (IUID) Data Labels for placement on tangible assets (equipment, etc.) and to purchase IUID Data Label Processing and Management Services for placing orders and providing data reports.



The purpose of this notice is to release the solicitation for this requirement.



(ii) RFP SOLICITATION NUMBER: 5TS57070224 ;

(iii) CLAUSE AND PROVISION IN EFFECT THROUGH FEDERAL ACQUISITION CIRCULAR: 2005-16 Effective 22 March 2007;

(iv) SET-ASIDE: Total Small Business Set-Aside,

NAICS CODE: 339943 --- Marking Device Manufacturing

SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD: 500 Employees;

(v) LINE ITEM(S): 01 Estimated Shipping Costs, 02 Estimated Travel Costs, 03 Fixed Unit Price Aluminum Data Labels, 04 Fixed Unit Price Steel Data Labels, 05 Fixed Unit Price Tesa Tape Data Labels, 06 Fixed Unit Price Vinyl Data Labels, 07 Fixed Unit Price Polyester Data Labels. This requirement will also include training, report and documentation deliverables included in the label price. This requirement will include two phases. Phase 1 will be an implementation test phase and will include the purchase of no more that 78 thousand IUID Data Labels. Phase 2 will be full implementation with an estimated ceiling of 7.2 million IUID Data Labels. The Government will reserve the right to order fewer than the total quantity solicited. The Government will place orders for a guaranteed minimum of 200,000 data labels.

(vi) DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS: (1) IUID Data Labels --- labels of various sizes, attachment methods, and composition imprinted in one of a number of ways with machine readable and human readable identifying information unique to the tangible asset being labeled. (2) IUID Data Label Processing and Management Service is a web based service (with some manual features) for requesting IUID Data labels, monitoring IUID Data Label request processing and delivery status, and providing reports of all IUID Data Label processing information.

(vii) DATE(S) AND PLACE(S) OF DELIVERY: As designated on individual delivery orders. Phase 1 delivery will be primarily in the vicinity of Wright Patterson AFB, OH. Phase 2 delivery could be world wide.

(viii) FAR 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS: Included in the solicitation;

(ix) EVALUATION PROCEDURES: Included in the solicitation;

(x) OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATION: FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, Required (submit with proposal or through ORCA);

(xi) FAR 52.212-4, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS? Included in the solicitation;

(xii) FAR 52.212-5, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS COMMERCIAL ITEMS, Included in the solicitation;

(xiii) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Included in the solicitation; Subcontracting Plan is not required;

(xiv) DEFENSE PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS SYSTEM (DPAS): N/A;

(xv) NUMBERED NOTES: None;

(xvi) OFFERS DUE: 3 June 2008;

(xvii) GOVERNMENT CONTACT: eben.greybourne@gsa.gov, Contracting Officer, 312/886-3811.



Note: Solicitation (including Performance Work Statement), Schedule of Items-Services and Prices, MIL-STD 130N, IUID Web Design & Usability Guide, and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan ARE ATTACHED.

The purpose of this "Request for Information" synopsis modification is to extend the time for providing company interest and comments on the DRAFT Performance Work Statement.

Please provide responses by close of business 21 January 2008



Interested firms will be notified when the solicition is released.

(i) OPENING STATEMENT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE:

A. The Governments objective is to purchase Item Unique Identification Labels for placement on tangible assets (equipment, etc.) and to purchase a service for requesting IUID Data Labels and for monitoring and reporting the status of each request.



The purpose of this notice is to solicit information and comments from industry (1) regarding the commercial availability of IUID Data Labels and IUID Data Label Processing and Management Services, and (2) regarding the Governments proposed DRAFT Performance Work Statement for this requirement (attached). To obtain this information, the Government requests that all interested parties RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ON OR BEFORE 8 JANUARY 2008.



Release of a solicitation is tentatively planned in the first quarter of calendar year 2008. However, this notice does not obligate the Government to solicit for this requirement or award a contract.



THE PROPOSAL DUE DATE IN THIS NOTICE IS SYSTEM GENERATED AND DOES NOT APPLY. A PROPOSAL DUE DATE WILL BE ESTABLISHED WHEN THE SOLICITATION IS RELEASED.



IF DETERMINED FEASIBLE, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE RELEASED TO FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULE CONTRACT HOLDERS ONLY.



B. RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE: Vendors who can fulfill this requirement and who would be interested in submitting a proposal, in the event that a solicitation is issued, are requested to provide the following information in response to this request --

1. Name of Company:

2. Address of Company:

3. Name, phone number and email address of company representative.

4. Company size standard and/or socio-economic standing; i.e., large business, small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, or women-owned small business.

5. A statement as to whether this requirement is commercially available or must be developed. Please address both the supplying if IUID Data Labels and the furnishing of IUID Data Label Processing and Management Services.

6. Indication that the IUID Data Labels and/or the IUID Data Label Processing and Management Services are or are not available on a GSA Schedule contract or Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC). -----

7. Responsible comments or suggestions regarding the attached Performance Work Statement. Please note that the PWS is in draft form and the Government anticipates revisions to this document prior to its release as a request for proposals (RFP)

8. Identification of any requirements in the work statement that are not standard commercial practice.



Responses should be emailed to: Eben Greybourne, Contracting Officer at eben.greybourne@gsa.gov.



(ii) RFP SOLICITATION NUMBER: 5TS57070224 ;

(iii) CLAUSE AND PROVISION IN EFFECT THROUGH FEDERAL ACQUISITION CIRCULAR: 2005-16 Effective 22 March 2007;

(iv) SET-ASIDE: -- NOT YET DETERMINED,

NAICS CODE: 339943 --- Marking Device Manufacturing

SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD: 500 Employees;

(v) LINE ITEM(S): Yet to be determined but will likely include a line item for IUID Data Label Processing and Management Services and one or more line items for IUID Data Labels. This requirement will also include training, report and documentation deliverables. This requirement will include two phases. Phase 1 will be an implementation test phase and will include the purchase of no more that 25 thousand IUID Data Labels. Phase 2 will be full implementation with an estimated ceiling of 5.2 million IUID Data Labels. NOTE: The Government may fulfill this requirement by establishing a Blanket Purchase Agreement with the successful offeror against which orders will be placed for needed items and services. The Government will reserve the right to order fewer than the total quantity solicited. Option quantities may be solicited.

(vi) DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS: (1) IUID Data Labels --- labels of various sizes and composition imprinted in one of a number of ways with machine readable and human readable identifying information unique to the tangible asset being labeled. (2) IUID Data Label Processing and Management Service is a web based service (with some manual features) for requesting IUID Data labels, monitoring IUID Data Label request processing and delivery status, and providing reports of all IUID Data Label processing information.

(vii) DATE(S) AND PLACE(S) OF DELIVERY: As designated on individual delivery orders. Phase 1 delivery will be primarily in the vicinity of Wright Patterson AFB, OH. Phase 2 delivery could be world wide.

(viii) FAR 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS ? Not yet established;

(ix) EVALUATION PROCEDURES: Not yet established;

(x) OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATION: FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, Required (submit with proposal or through ORCA unless already verified by a FSS contract;

(xi) FAR 52.212-4, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS? Not yet established;

(xii) FAR 52.212-5, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS COMMERCIAL ITEMS, Not yet established;

(xiii) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Not yet established; Subcontracting Plan, if required, applies (for large businesses only);

(xiv) DEFENSE PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS SYSTEM (DPAS): N/A;

(xv) NUMBERED NOTES: None;

(xvi) OFFERS DUE: Not yet established;

(xvii) GOVERNMENT CONTACT: eben.greybourne@gsa.gov, Contracting Officer, 312/886-3811.



Note: DRAFT PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT and MIL-STD 130M ARE ATTACHED.