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COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS
02October2020QuestionsandResponses
RATIONALE(IFAPPLICABLE)
REVIEWTEAMRESPONSE
Ifacontractor,actingasaprimeorsub,onanITcontractsomewherein
theMHSmarket(DHA,VA,VHA,etc.)aretheyOCIoutofevenbidding
EITSI?
No,acontractoractingasaprimeand/orsubonan
existingITcontractdoesnotautomaticallyOCI
themoutoftheEITSIwork.TheRFQwillaskfor
OCImitigationplanssoanassessmentcanbe
made.EachpotentialOCIwillbeevaluatedatthe
timeitispresentedtotheGovernment.
HastheGovernmentdeterminedthetotalnumberofCallOrdersthat
willbeincludedundertheEITSIBPAduringthe10yearperiodof
performance?
ItisanticipatedthatCallOrder0001willbeawarded
concurrentwithBPAAwardandcover12monthPeriodof
Performance.SubsequentyearlyCallOrdersare
anticipated.OtherrelatedJ/6CallOrdersmayalsobe
awarded.
$2Bover10years.
CantheGovenrmentprovideanestimatedceilingvalueforCallOrder1? SeeOCIbriefpostedtobeta.SAM.Theestimateis$1B
HowwilltheCSPandGSPcontractsbeissued?WillitbeapoolofBPA
contracts?
5 Whatisthedefinitionofmajorsubcontractor?
Isthereanyhelpavailablefornewsmallbusinessesinworkingthrough
DHAplanstoawardatleastonecallorderperyear.
Thereisnolimitsetonhowmanycallorderscan
beawardedunderthisBPA.
Thereisno"estimatedceilingvalue"forCallOrder
0001.Theestimatedrangestatedrepresentsthe
potentialBPAceilingandQuotersarecautioned
theestimatesarenotnecessarilyevenlydistributed
throughoutthelifeoftheBPA.TheGovernmentis
planningtoestablishanafforabilitycapforCall
Order0001.Thisinformationwillbepublishedina
futuredraftrelease.
Thespecificacquisitionstrategiesandcontracting
approachesfortheCSPandGSPcontractsarestill
beingdevelopedandwillbesharedwithindustry
whenavailable.Thesemayincludeacombination
ofdifferentapproachesand/orcontractvehicles.
10%workshareoranyKeyPersonnel.Pleasesee
therevisedPhase1GateCriteriapublishedto
beta.SAM.gov.
TheDHAOfficeofSmallBusinessProgramscan
entertainquestionsthatquotersmayhave,
howeverquestionsrelatedtoformalRFQ
responsesshouldbedirectedtotheContracting
Officerofrecord.Thiswillensurefinal
quotesaresubmittedinaccordancewiththe
solicitationinstructions.Additionally,theSBA
ProcurementTechnicalAssistanceCenters(PTAC)
canprovideassistancetonewcompanieswishing
topursueGovernmentcontracts.Pleasecontact
yourregionalSBAPTACforadditionalguidance.
PleaseconfirmthataPrimemayhavebothaCTApartnerAND
subcontractors.
Couldlimitourteamingstrategyifwecan'thavebothas
somepartnersmaynotbeonaGSAschedule.
DraftPhase1EvalModel20200824Section1.2SignedOCIStatement
IsasingleOCIstatementrequiredfromtheprimethatrepresentsall
subcontractorsandCTAmembersorisanOCIstatementrequiredfor
eachmajorsubcontractorandCTAmember?
DraftPhase1EvalModel202008243.1PrimeandSubcontractor(s)do
allsubcontractorsneedtobeidentifiedorjustthosedesignatedasmajor
subcontractors?
NeedtobesurethattheproperOCIstatementsare
provided.
Needtoknowexactlywhichsubcontractorstoinclude.
EITSIBPAOCIBrief26August2020Slide6notionalEITSTimeline
incatesthattwocapabilityserviceprovidersareanticipatedtostart
duringCallOrder1.PleaseaddtotheCallOrder1PWStheintention
andtimingofaddingthesefirsttwoserviceproviders.
Identificationoftheserviceprovidersbeingaddedduring
CallOrder1willallowbidderstomoreeffectivelygauge
timingandimplementationofEITSIservices.
EITSIBPAOCIBrief26August2020Slide8OCIIntent(Cont'd)Ifthe
winningcontractorandteamhaveanycurrentDHAworkattimeof
awardoftheEITSIcontract,butpriortointegrationoftheworkintoa
specificserviceprovider,willtheybeallowedtocontinuethatworkuntil
theworkisrebidunderaserviceprovidercontract?
Forcingearlyterminationofexistingcontractpriorto
thosefunctionscomingundertheperviewoftheEITSI
wouldbedisruptiveanddetrimentaltoDHAservicelevels.
Yes,butCTApartnersmusthavetheirownGSA
Schedulecontract,whereassubcontractorsdonot
havetohavetheirownGSASchedulecontract
SignedOCIStatementisrequiredfromallentities
subjecttotheOCIclause.Thisincludestheprime
contractor,allmajorsubcontractors,theCTAlead,
andallCTAteammembers.
Onlymajorsubcontractorsneedtobeidentified.
PleaseseerevisedPhase1GateCriteriapublished
inbeta.SAM.gov.
Asindicatedbythe"notional"labelonthe
referencedslide,thespecificacquisitionstrategies
andtimelinesfortheServiceProvidersarestill
beingdevelopedandwillbesharedwithindustry
whenavailable.
Yes,thisistheintent.However,ifandwhensuch
workisrecompetedasaServiceProviderunderthe
EITSEnvironment,theEITSIwillnotbepermitted
tobidonthenewServiceProvidercontract(s).
ClearlydefininghowDHAwillinteractwithCTATeamsto
executeEITSIrequirementswillenableIndustryto
structuretheiragreementstomeetDHAobjectives.
TheGovernmentanticipatesprovidingadditional
guidanceregardingCTAs.Itiscurrentlyanticipated
thatDHAwillawardoneBPAtotheCTALead.
Reducestheriskofbreaksinservice,disruptionofservice
andhugeOCImitigationplansateverycamppostand
station
TheonlyvendorstheGovernmenthas
automaticallyexcludedfromtheEITSIsolicitation
arethecompaniesprovidingacquisitionsupportto
theMHSEITSIIPT.Allproposedcontractorswho
havecurrentorpastDHAITcontract(s)or
subcontractswillhavetheireligibilityevaluated
duringPhaseIoftheEITSIevaluationprocess.
Phase13.2CTAUnderGSACTAguidelines,Teamshaveflexibilityto
definetheiragreements.ToensureCTAagreementsareproposedthat
alignwithDHA'sdesiredpreferenceforGovernmentandTeamLead/
Membercommunications,aswellasissuesdealingwithbillingand
performancemanagement,pleaseclearlystateexpectationsforDHA
interactionwithCTATeams.
13 TheDHAhasaddressedOCIstrategyandplan,statingspecificallythat
theEITSBPAawardeecannotofferonanyServiceProvider(SP)or
CapabilityProvider(CP)efforts.However,werecommendthatitshould
bestatedifacontractorisperformingcurrentlyundertheconstructof
theSPCP,theyareprohibitedfromofferingontheEITSBPA.Most
FederalcontractsthathaveOCIissuesspecificallyidentifyexistingOCIby
specifyingtherequirementorcontractorwhoareprohibitedfrom
offering.IntheT5contractdraftfortheDHA,forexample,andother
DHARFQ/RFPsithasspecificallyidentifiedvendorswhoareprohibited
forofferingonspecificworkduetoOCIissues.Toremainconsistentin
thisregard,wouldtheDHAconsideridentifyingcontractorswhoare
currentlysupportingtheSP/CPeffortsandstatingthattheyare
automaticallyconflictedoutofofferingontheEITSBPA?Thiswouldvery
mucheliminateanyconfusionaroundeligibilityforbiddingontheEITS
BPA.
14 IsitexpectedthatKeyPersonnelwillresideinTXorVA?
15 AsstatedinOCIRelatedQ&AResponses21August2020,"The
contractingofficerexpectsthattheMHSEITSsolicitationwillincludea
provisionthatrequiresofferorstodiscloseallpastandpresentcontracts
andsubcontractsinsupportoftheDHAandMHSandtodescribe
presentorcurrentlyplannedcontractsorintereststhatmaycreateOCIs
relatingtotheworkdescribedinthesolicitation.Thesolicitationwillalso
providethatthecontractingofficerwillassess,basedontheinformation
providedandotheravailableinformation,whetheranysignificantOCIs
existfortheofferorspertainingtoanycontractswiththeDHAorin
supportoftheMHSexistingatthetimeofaward."Question: Ifan
industrycontractorhasOCI,wouldtheGovernmentallowofferorsto
qualifytobidiftheyareabletoproposeamitigationplanthatis
acceptabletotheGovernmentpriortotheEITSIofferorproposal
submission?
ItisanticipatedthatmostoftheKeyPersonnelwill
performinTexas.
ItisanticipatedthatOCIMitigationplan(s)maybe
submittedoncetheformalRFQhasbeenreleased.
ItwouldbebeneficaltoreceiveMitigationplan(s)
priortothePhase2submission.PotentialOCI
Mitigationplan(s)willbeassessedaspartof
responsibilitydetermination.Thisassessmentwill
beseparatefromtheEITSIphaseevaluationmodel.
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