SOLICITATION NOTICE
84 -- Uniform Rental and Laundry Services
- Notice Date
- 3/20/2009
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 315211
— Men's and Boys' Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- SB134109RQ0102
- Archive Date
- 3/25/2009
- Point of Contact
- Maria M. Gray,, Phone: (301)975-5577, Mario A. Checchia,, Phone: 301-975-8407
- E-Mail Address
-
maria.gray@nist.gov, mario.checchia@nist.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Questions and Answers (Q&A) Question #1 The proper NAICS code for this offering should be 812332....This is the correct NAICS classification for Industrial Launderers, which include Uniform Rental and Laundry Services as titled on this solicitation. The SBA Size Standard is $14 Million. Response Question #1: The NAICS code is changed to #812332 Industrial Launderers. Question #2 Statement of Work--Paragraph 2.6 states that "No rental uniform shall have a wearing cycle of longer than 18 months." This statement makes the assumption that the garments won't last beyond 18 months, which is not true...Depending upon the usage and how "hard" a wearer is on the garments, some garments may need replacing BEFORE 18 months, and many should wear well beyond 18 months. Especially with respect to the Hazard Level 2 garments requested, the industry standard useful life on those garments (due to the Nylon content in them) is twice as long as with 100% cotton, level 1 garments...Many of those garments have a useful life, depending upon usage, of up to 3 years or longer in many instances due to their inherent durability in the Level 2 fabric. If you pre-determine a garment life of only 18 months for all garments, then you are telling the offerors that they will have to invest double (twice the garments necessary to fulfill the requirement at the outset) during the term of the contract. Thus, an offeror would have to account for double the investment, and thus, the pricing will reflect the double investment. Almost all uniform rental solicitations have wording such as this instead: "Garments in need of replacement due to normal wear and tear will be replaced with new garments during the term of the agreement, on an as needed basis, and in all cases, at the discretion of the CO or end user." This way only garments that need replacing get replaced, saving both sides the expense of a forced, unnecessary replacement, but still leaving the control of what does and does not get replaced at your discretion. This is a standard operating procedure in our industry, and as long as you control it, should not be a problem. Response Question #2: Please delete the last sentence in paragraph 2.6 of the SOW “No rental uniform shall have a wearing cycle of longer than eighteen (18) months" and replace with this sentence: “Garments in need of replacement due to normal wear and tear will be replaced with new garments during the term of the agreement, on an as needed basis, and in all cases, at the discretion of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).” Question #3 SOW--2.7 With respect to replacement costs of the uniforms, this paragraph states that garments that are less than 9 months old, the replacement would be 50% of the cost. This must be a mistake and does not make any sense.....If a new wearer gets all new garments (over $1000 worth for 11 sets of clothes), then leaves after a week or even a few weeks, why wouldn't the replacement cost be 100%. This type of action would cause us to lose money, which I don't think is the intent of the rule. We have seen many specs which call for a decreasing replacement value based on life of the garment, but in almost all cases, the replacement cost would be due at 100% for the first period (usually up to a year), then graduate down in value each year after that. Again, this rule seems to base itself on an 18 month useful life, which, as noted in 2) above, is not the industry standard at all. If this clause remains (much like the one discussed in #2 above), then again, it would be reflected in much higher pricing than is necessary if the replacement costs guidelines were industry standard. Response Question# 3:Please delete the second, third and fourth sentences in paragraph 2.7 of the SOW "If Plant Division fails to return a uniform and the uniform is less than nine months old, Plant Division shall pay half of the replacement cost of the uniform. If the uniform is between nine months and fifteen months old, Plant Division shall pay one quarter of the replacement cost of the uniform. If the uniform is more than fifteen months old, Plant Division shall not be charged for that particular uniform." Please replace these deleted sentences in paragraph 2.7 of the SOW with - "If Plant Division fails to return a uniform and the uniform is less than one year old, Plant Division shall pay 100% of the replacement cost of the uniform. If the uniform is more than one year old, Plant Division shall pay a replacement cost for the uniform by applying a decreasing replacement value that is based upon the life of the uniform, as mutually agreed upon between the Contracting Officers’ Representative (COR) and the Contactor” Question #4 SOW--3.1.2 With respect to Shirts sizes, stock sizes of up to 3XL is available from all manufacturers, and some (including our supplier) carry up to 4X....but any sizes larger than that would be available, but only as a special custom cut. I assume prices quoted are for stock sizes and colors available from most any manufacturer....Again, this is standard availability to the industry. Response Question #4: Pleas add the following sentence to paragraph 3.1.2 of the SOW - Prices quoted should be for stock sizes and colors available from most manufacturers.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=06c9d180205d83891e5ae18f24832c1d&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899, United States
- Zip Code: 20899
- Zip Code: 20899
- Record
- SN01774350-W 20090322/090320220801-06c9d180205d83891e5ae18f24832c1d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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