X-ray Lease

What they want

• Lease new security-screening X-ray machines in four sizes (small, medium, large, extra-large), single-view and multi-view, priced as a monthly lease per machine.
• Ship, handle, install and maintain the machines, with a maintenance and service agreement for the length of each lease.
• Relocate machines (up to 25 miles, or 25 miles or more), exchange rollers the Government ordered by mistake, and dispose of equipment that is not leased.
• Meet the minimum specifications: entrance and exit roller tables, an exit panel of at least 24 inches, up to 16x digital zoom, organic-only and negative image views, automated threat recognition that can be turned on and off, and plug-in power at 120 or 230 volts.
• Detect the listed explosives and the threats in the Prohibited Items List (Appendix C, not read); keep the monitor and keyboard mobile and separate from the machine.
• Keep 30 days of data in internal storage, allow report downloads, offer tiered user access, and get DHS and FPS cybersecurity approval before any networked part connects to an FPS or federal network.
• Manage about 270 concurrent task orders: track periods, schedule annual maintenance, send monthly invoices, and time new machine delivery with removal of machines from expiring orders.
• Show proof of insurance before starting work and send inspection reports of your own day-to-day quality checks to the Government.

What they'll judge offers on

• Technical Approach: a response to every line of the minimum-requirements table (machine sizes, roller tables, software, threat detection, monitor, power, network and audit), three pages
• Relevant Past Performance: up to two contracts, current or done in the past three years, judged on scope, magnitude and complexity, with a Past Project Form for each
• Risk Mitigation Strategies: supply chain management, schedule and logistics management, and program management, one page per risk
• DHS Mentor Protégé Program Participation: credit only for large businesses, compared with other large businesses, shown by a signed DHS approval letter
• Price: total of all line prices plus six months of the offeror's price for the possible extension, checked for fairness and for unbalanced pricing

What to include when you submit

• Use Standard Form 1449? (SF 1449: the form you sign and return as your offer) as the cover page, with prices filled in and every page completed, including the pricing schedule.
• Send both a price proposal and a technical (non-price) proposal, state the offer expiration date, and hold the offer valid for 120 days after the closing date.
• Price every contract line item number? (CLIN: one priced line of the order) with a unit price and extended price, and give a total estimated price for the 60 months. Partial pricing makes you ineligible. Do not price the six-month extension.
• Technical Approach: answer every line of the minimum-requirements table, say how far you exceed any minimum, or state that you can meet the requirement if you only meet it.
• Past performance: send up to two contracts, each with a Past Project Form (Attachment 2). A Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment 3) is optional, and your customer must email it to the contract specialist by the due date.
• If you team up, you may add up to two projects for partners, with at most four in total (joint ventures: four in total, no more than two per entity). Include a narrative or the teaming agreement describing each party's role and share of the work.
• To use an affiliate's past work, include a separate narrative showing the affiliate will be meaningfully involved in performing this contract.
• Risk Mitigation Strategies: address supply chain management, schedule and logistics management, and program management for about 270 concurrent task orders.
• Large businesses: state whether you take part in the DHS Mentor Protégé Program and attach the signed DHS approval letter if you do.
• Offerors that are not small businesses: include an Individual Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

After award, you must have

• Liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage, automobile liability of $200,000 per person, $500,000 per occurrence and $20,000 property damage, and employer's liability of at least $100,000. The Federal Protective Service must be named an additional insured for general liability. From Solicitation - 70RFP326REH000002.pdf: The Contractor selected for award shall be required to submit satisfactory evidence of…
• Any machine part that connects to a network needs DHS and FPS cybersecurity review and approval before it is connected. From Solicitation - 70RFP326REH000002.pdf: Any network-capable system shall undergo cybersecurity review and approval prior to being connected to an FPS or federal network.

Current contractor

No incumbent is named. The risk section mentions removing machines from expiring task orders but does not say who holds them.

Not in the notice text

• The Statement of Work (Attachment 1), the past performance forms (Attachments 2 and 3), the Appendix B location list and the Appendix C prohibited items list are attached on SAM.gov but were not read, and the middle of the solicitation PDF was left out.
• SAM.gov shows no set-aside, and the set-aside boxes on the SF 1449 cannot be read as ticked. Check the form on SAM.gov.
• The Government's estimate or the contract maximum price is not given; the maximum is described only as the total awarded price.
• Which locations the machines go to, and the response times and maintenance terms in the SOW, are not in the text read.
• The solicitation lists FAR 52.219-4, a HUBZone price evaluation preference, but the evaluation text does not describe a preference. Ask the contracting officer.
• No site visit or pre-proposal conference is mentioned.