The Army has published additional questions and answers regarding the Army Camouflage Improvement Effort solicitation (W911QY-11-R-0008). Question 12 is interesting.

Questions for US Army Camouflage Improvement Effort – W911QY-11-R-0008, submitted between 29 April 2011
and 19 May 2011.

1. QUESTION:
May an offeror offer a family of less than three patterns?
ANSWER:
A valid offer consists of a family of camouflage patterns – one wooded, one transitional, one arid and a complimentary OCIE pattern, which may or may not be identical to one of the uniform patterns / palettes.

2. QUESTION:
At page 22 clause 52.232-13 “Notice of Progress Payments” is included. However, no actual progress payments clause is included. Is it the intention of the agency to include a progress payments clause? If not, will 52.232-13 be deleted from the solicitation?
ANSWER:
52.232.-13 is deleted.

3. QUESTION:
Please verify that the pricing requested under the solicitation is only for the Stage 2 requirements as noted at Section B of the solicitation and that offerors are not required to include any costs for Stage 3 in the offers under this solicitation.
ANSWER:
The pricing request is for all CLINS located under Section B, in accordance with Section L.10 Area III paragraph b.

4. QUESTION:
At page 56 it is indicated that cost or pricing data is required if the offeror is proposing a “contract award of $650,000 or greater”. Is this figure for the basic CLIN’s only or does it also include proposed pricing for the option provisions as well?
ANSWER:
“$650,000 or greater” includes the cost of all CLINS under Section B of solicitation.

5. QUESTION:
As part of our process, we’d like to ask if the camouflage room located at Natick is available for our use. We’d like to look at our patterns in the environments available there as well as take photos.
ANSWER:
The Natick shade room is not available for upfront camouflage work, recommend partnering with printers that have a desire to participate in Phase IV.

6. REFERENCE:
Factor B: Written Technical Proposal. The Offeror shall submit a technical description of the proposed family of patterns in sufficient detail. This must include:
a. The process used to arrive at the proposed camouflage patterns;
b. Interim test results, if available, purporting each pattern’s performance;
QUESTION:
Offeror respectfully requests the required uniform markers and the utilization components?
ANSWER:
A scaled PDF of the pattern layout (i.e., uniform markers) for a size L coat and size L trouser will be provided as attachment 12.

7. REFERENCE:
Solicitation – Page 55 of 67 – AREA II – Management/Production Readiness Proposal Information for the Management/Production Readiness Proposal pertains to all proposed significant subcontractor and material suppliers as well as the prime.
Factor A: Producibility of Print. Proposals shall clearly describe the producibility of the submitted pattern. The proposal should address how the Offeror anticipates printing the pattern. It should also address the printer or printers on the team.
QUESTION:
Is this referring to the staff or to the equipment, such as the printer?
ANSWER:
In the proposal you should describe the printing process to be utilized and tell us which printer you are teamed with.

8. QUESTION:
For the stage II step (CLINs 0001 – 0003) does the 1000 yards of supplied fabric have to meet the operation requirement in attachment 002, page 3 – meet the requirements for both Flame Resistance and Permethrin treatment, or just the stated requirements in Section C.6.1.1 – 50/50 Nyco Ripstop w/ visual, nIR, SWIR performance?
ANSWER:
At this stage, the only requirements are for visual, nIR and SWIR.

9. QUESTION:
Is the Army asking for 4 new patterns or 3? I have read the solicitation and it appears that the request is for 4 patterns, the last being the PPE. I take it that it is an in between pattern like the transitional but different?
ANSWER:
A valid offer consists of a family of camouflage patterns – one wooded, one transitional, one arid and a complimentary OCIE pattern, which may or may not be identical to one of the uniform patterns / palettes; thus potentially resulting in 3 or 4 patterns.

10. QUESTION:
Do you know what constitutes a “complete OCIE set in size large” as called for in the Phase IV documentation?
ANSWER:
A complete OCIE set includes the plate carrier, the hydration carrier and the tactical assault panel.

11. QUESTION:
What is the list of items in the OCIE “set?” Can you supply a Purchase Description number(s) or a description of the items?
ANSWER:
A complete OCIE set includes the plate carrier, the hydration carrier and the tactical assault panel. Purchase Description and Description of items will not be necessary for proposal submission.

12. QUESTION:
Can the letter from “second printer” be someone familiar with printing (education / engraver) rather an actual printer who is possibly a competitor. (p.54)
ANSWER:
The “second letter” can be from someone familiar with dyestuffs in order to verify that your color palette selections are printable and producible.

13. QUESTION:
If an experienced government camouflage printer submits a bid as the prime can that printer also provide the letter of Technical feasibility? (p.54)
ANSWER:
Yes.

14. QUESTION:
What constitutes the services’ expectation for SWIR? What range in nm?
ANSWER:
SWIR is between near and mid-wave IR and has a nominal range of 1000-3000nm.

15. QUESTION:
Is the use of CMRA (p11) absolutely required? We are not employing any “contractors” only the actual employees of ourselves (prime) and employees of one sub-contractor. None of these are replacing / performing the services normally performed by a government employee.
ANSWER:
CMRA accounts for all direct labor hours performed on contract, whether it be the prime contractor or the subcontractors.

16. QUESTION:
Accounting Standards – 52.230-1 (p.45) and 48 CFR 99 – 9903.201 etc. Is this provision required for ourselves & sub-contractors on this small contract? We are classified as a “big business” and our common parent had > $50 million in government contracts last year but this contract will be < $650,000. ANSWER:
The provision will be implemented where applicable.

17. QUESTION:
Accounting Standards – 52.230-1 (p.45) and 48 CFR 99 – 9903.201 etc.
Are there any exemptions in any of 48 CFR 99 or the various FAR clauses due to the development nature and small size of this solicitation?
ANSWER:
Exemptions will be applied if the requirements for an exemption are met.

18. QUESTION:
Can, as noted in 9903.202-1(b) (1), any required CAS report(s) be submitted “after /if” we are selected for an award but before the actual award?
ANSWER:
CAS report shall be submitted prior to award by those chosen for award, if applicable.

19. QUESTION:
Does a printer, acting as a potential sub-contractor to the prime submitting the bid have to supply all the explicit cost & profit breakdown to the prime as outlined on page 56? Does said printer, as a subcontractor, have to provide the CAS data as well?
ANSWER:
The prime contractor must provide a cost & profit breakdown of all costs. These costs include subcontractor costs.

20. QUESTION:
How do we label / submit the SF33 and the rest of the basic solicitation. Is it to be included in one of the listed volumes (Areas I – V) or as a separate volume?
ANSWER:
See Section L.10 Area III Paragraph a. (pg. 56)

21. QUESTION:
Where can one find an explicit definition of the difference between a Subcontractor and a Supplier?
ANSWER:
FAR Part 44.101 – Definitions, “Subcontractor” means any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that furnishes supplies or services to or for a prime contractor or another subcontractor.”

22. QUESTION:
L.10. Area I. Are the Factor A: Product Demonstration Samples (PDS) c. full-sized color print outs, submitted for each pattern, included in the 35 page limit for the Area I. Technical Proposal?
ANSWER: No.

23. QUESTION:
Are any finishings and findings required for Stage 2 available as Government Furnished Materials?
ANSWER:
No. Finishings and findings must be provided by the submitting vendor to ensure correct color match to the uniform and OCIE fabric.

24. QUESTION:
If a bidder is using existing camouflage color(s) in the submitted patterns, can existing finishings and findings be utilized if commercially available?
ANSWER: Yes

25. QUESTION:
For both IP (intellectual property) and/or competitive reasons, is there a Government approved source to evaluate the producibility of the submitted patterns? (pg 54, L.10.Area I.Factor B.f)
ANSWER:
The reasonableness of pattern producibility will be evaluated during the source selection process by government personnel with expertise in this area.

26. QUESTION:
If a fabric with similar usage to what is used in the current ACU is offered, can a bidder state the utilization rates for the fabric will be the same as the current ACU? (pg 55, L.10.Area II, Factor B)
ANSWER: Yes

27. QUESTION:
Can the current fabric usage for one, size large set of OCIE, in today’s camo pattern(s) be provided? (pg 55, L.10.Area II, Factor B)
ANSWER:
It is provided in the RFP under Attachment 11.

28. QUESTION:
How/when should the offeror submit disclosure objection in advance of submission, noted in A7?
ANSWER:
Based on the deliverables for each CLIN, per unit costs are not expected. Section A, paragraph A.7 is
deleted.

29. QUESTION:
A.9. notes all electronic data formats must be .pdf, .doc, or .xls. Should Adobe Photoshop (L.10.Area I. Factor A) be added to this list?
ANSWER:
Yes, Adobe Photoshop format .psd shall be accepted and added under Section A, paragraph 9..

30. QUESTION:
Request clarity regarding if and how Contractor Manpower Reporting (CMRA, Page 11) direct labor hours should be handled for requested FFP proposal CLIN or what may be FFP subcontracted efforts (e.g. pattern supply, material printing or sourcing of findings)?
ANSWER:
CMRA accounts for all direct labor hours performed on contract, whether it be the prime contractor or the subcontractors.

31. QUESTION:
Are there any suggestions on what to do if no fabric printers are willing to team up with an offeror for this bid?
ANSWER:
If no fabric printers are willing to team up with an Offeror for this bid, then the Offeror should submit evidence proving that solid attempts have been made. The Offeror should also submit evidence from all printer’s unwilling to team up. Evidence will not be counted against the total technical proposal page count but must be explained in the body of the proposal. Lastly, the Offeror should consider working with dyestuff manufacturers to weigh in on their color palette’s technical feasibility, which is described in Section L.10.Factor B.

32. QUESTION:
If, “Family performance (with and without OCIE) will be evaluated as well” then, what OCIE pattern/patterns will be used with the baselines?
ANSWER:
Matching OCIE will be used with each baseline, additionally in the case of desert and woodland MARPAT, the current “coyote” OCIE will be utilized.

33. QUESTION:
Will patterns with OCIE be tested against patterns without OCIE?
ANSWER:
No.

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