J--Amendment #4 to 1333MF26Q0108

Continuation page from block 14.

The Amendment 0004 covers the final Q&A / Questions & Answers #2 within the Solicitation No. 1333MF26Q0108

Questions and Answers #2 1333MF26Q0108 (26-509)
SEFSC Galveston AC Preventative Maintenance Contract

Q1. Contractor licensing. The Statement of Work states that the contractor "must possess a working knowledge of Water Source Heat Pumps, Heat Pumps and Portable AC Units, and be licensed and hold the appropriate certifications in the state of Texas." Please confirm whether the Government requires the quoter/prime contractor to hold a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license in its own name, or whether that requirement is satisfied where the licensed contractor and the licensed and EPA-certified technicians performing the work are a subcontractor to the quoter.

A: The Personnel on site should have the applicable certifications associated with the project requirements.

Q2. Subcontractor past performance. Evaluation Factor 3 requires at least two past performance references and states that a quoter with no relevant past performance must affirmatively say so. Please confirm whether, and how, the Government will consider the past performance and experience of a proposed subcontractor that will perform the technical work, where that subcontractor's references are identified as such.

A: Past performance is rated on the prime/vendor proposing. The government does not have visibility of subcontractors.

Q3. Limitations on subcontracting. FAR 52.219-6 appears in the clause list; FAR 52.219-14 does not appear expressly, though FAR 52.212-5 is attached. Please confirm that 52.219-14 is incorporated for this total small business set-aside and that the applicable limitation is paragraph (e)(1), 50 percent, for services.

A: FAR 52.219-14 is for actions exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold of which this action does not, therefore this clause is not applicable to this action. Based on the foundational principals of small business set aside, by submitting a proposal, the prime contractor is certifying to the federal government that a small business is providing the primary solution. A small business prime contractor cannot legally subcontract most of the work to a large business. Doing so constitutes a serious federal procurement violation known as "pass-through fraud" or acting as a "front."

Q4. Filter quantities. Amended Annex A provides filter sizes and locations and Amendment 0002 confirms MERV 10 throughout. Please provide, or confirm, the number of filters per unit per service event and the total filter count per service event, so that all quoters price the same material quantity.

A: Correct quantities were provided in the most recent Amendment 0002
Q5. Cleaning frequency. Amendment 0002 states the initial event is a full cleaning of coils, drains and filter changes, and that filters are changed monthly. Please confirm whether the cleaning of coils, condensate pans, drain lines, grilles and cabinets recurs at every monthly event after the initial event, or on a different cycle (quarterly, semi-annual, annual), and confirm how the close-out service differs.

A: Initial work will include all tasks (full cleaning of coils, drains and filter change). On a monthly basis the filters will be changed. All other tasks will be performed quarterly.

Q6. Exhaust fan belts. The Statement of Work references exhaust fan belts. Please confirm whether belt replacement is within the firm-fixed-price scope, and if so provide the number of belts and their sizes.

A: Fan belt for exhaust fans is an A26 belt, there are 9 total.

Q7. Site access and escort. Please state the normal hours during which work may be performed, whether contractor personnel require a Government escort in occupied laboratory or office spaces, and the lead time for Real ID verification, sign-in and visitor badging in Building 307 for a recurring monthly crew.

A: All personnel will be required to sign in and be escorted into most all areas across the campus. Sign-in and signing-out are mandatory, the requirement for a “Real-ID” is a stipulation in the solicitation, the use of a Passport can be an acceptable form as an alternative. As for lead time, I assume this question is about the lead time required to get the License converted to a Real-ID, per the Texas Department of Safety (aka the DMV) there is a three day lag for appointments here in the Galveston Office.

Q8. Access equipment and staging. Please confirm whether any of the designated AHUs, FCUs or water-source units require lift, scaffold or ceiling-tile access rather than a standard ladder, and whether the Government will make interior space available for staging replacement filters on service days.

A: 95% of the units, as identified during the site visits, are located under ceiling tiles. Technicians will be required to climb an 8 to 9 foot ladder to access them. On the day of service we can provide a staging area for material on the day of work, but not for long-term storage.

Q9. Disposal. Please confirm whether the Government provides on-site waste disposal for removed filters and cleaning debris, or whether the contractor must haul all removed material off site.

A: Contractor should remove all waste to include filters and packing materials from the Campus. Debris should not be placed in the Dumpsters on the campus.

Q10. Johnson Controls. Amendment 0001 states the contractor "must be familiar with Johnson Controls referencing HVAC specifically." Please clarify the scope of that interaction - whether contractor personnel are expected to operate, silence, reset or otherwise interact with the Johnson Controls building automation system in connection with filter changes and cleaning, or whether familiarity is required only so that contractor work does not conflict with the existing controls.

A: Familiarity is required as the contractor will have to understand when the units are running and see the status on the VLx and communication boxes associated with each unit.

Q11. Certifications and documentary evidence. The Statement of Work requires, at a minimum, Site Safety and Health Support, Preventive Maintenance Coordination, OSHA Training, Quality Control Management Training, and EM 385-1-1 Safety Familiarity, and Factor 1 requires written documentation of the quoter's certifications. Please identify what documentation satisfies each - certificate copies, training rosters, or a signed statement of compliance - and confirm whether EM 385-1-1 familiarity is required given that EM 385-1-1 is a USACE safety manual.

A: Copies of certificates will suffice, I am required to maintain copies on site, as they will be inspectable during Standard Safety and Occupational Health Inspections.

Q12. Service Contract Labor Standards. Wage Determination 2015-5233 Rev. 35 is incorporated. Please confirm the labor categories the Government considers applicable to this scope, and confirm whether any incumbent employees are subject to FAR 52.222-17 Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers, and if so provide the seniority list.

A: The government deems the following to be applicable
23410 - Heating, Ventilation And Air-Conditioning Mechanic
23411 - Heating, Ventilation And Air Conditioning Mechanic (Research Facility)
23810 - Plumber, Maintenance

Q13. Quote format. Please confirm whether there is a page limit, font, or file-format requirement for the quotation, and confirm the Government's preferred method for acknowledging Amendments 0001, 0002 and 0003 - signed SF30s returned with the quote, or acknowledgment by letter.

A: The proposals should be no more than 8 pages total for all sections. Signed SF30’s is the preferred format for acknowledging Amendments but acknowledgement by letter within the proposal is acceptable as well.Vendors shall monitor SAM.gov for all future possible amendments as well.

Q14 - We are just looking to confirm that the filter size should be 18x2x1. If it is actually 18x2x2, so we want to make sure we quote the correct filter.
There is no reference to sizes 18x2x1 in the Annex A Galveston AC Listing
We also wanted to verify the filters listed as 18x36, 18x37, and 18x38. It looks like the final dimension may be missing, so we're hoping to confirm the full filter sizes.

A: the measurements for bldg 303 are 18x36x1 for buildings filters

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS SOLICITATION