FDA Nationwide Ergonomic Services

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding Solicitation RFQ 75F40126Q00019 Amendment 0001 for FDA Nationwide Ergonomic Services.

• Incumbent Contractor: ES SQUARED, LLC (UEI: J5FXQUCBKTH6) is the incumbent on contract 75F40120C00197, with a total value of $1,647,232.48 and a period of performance from September 30, 2020, to March 29, 2026.

• Volume Estimates: Expected annual volumes include approximately 213-320 ergonomic assessments/month, minimal equipment recommendation reports, up to 4 health fairs/year, 12 trainings/year, and 1-2 travel instances per month to FDA offices (Washington D.C. metro and White Oak, MD daily as needed).

• OCI Language: The Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) language has been removed from the RFQ via Amendment 0001.

• Resumes: Resumes of proposed personnel are required as part of the technical volume. No specific format is required, but they must be clear and easy to comprehend.

• Staffing: Historical staffing for the incumbent contract was 1-2 FTE equivalent ergonomists and 1 project manager, working nationwide 5 days a week.

• Work Schedule: Services are expected Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, with after-hours report writing allowed. Contractors do not work on federal holidays.

• Submission Structure: The quotation must include a separate Cover Letter/Executive Summary, Volume I, Volume II, and Volume III, totaling four attachments.

• Past Performance: Criterion III focuses on experience performing similar efforts, while Criterion V (Past Performance) focuses on how well those efforts were performed (e.g., CPARS ratings).

• The removal of OCI language impacts potential conflicts.

• Clarifications on volume estimates, staffing, and submission requirements will aid bidders in preparing more accurate proposals.

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 0001 to Request for Quotation (RFQ) No. 75F40126Q00019 for Nationwide Ergonomic Services.

This amendment revises various sections of the original solicitation, including:

• Description/Commercial Services Procurement: Clarifies that this is a combined synopsis/solicitation and that no separate written solicitation will be issued. It also reiterates the total set-aside for small business concerns and provides the NAICS code and small business size standard.
• Notice of FAR: Updates the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) and Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) references.
• Period of Performance: Details the anticipated period of performance, including a Base Year and four Option Years, plus a 6-month option to extend services.
• Pricing: Provides detailed pricing tables for labor and materials for the Base Year and Option Year 1, with ceiling prices for Time-and-Materials (T&M) orders.
• Statement of Work (SOW): Outlines the objective, scope of work, tasks, and deliverables for nationwide ergonomic services.
• Contractor Personnel: Specifies requirements for contractor personnel, including legal citizenship, English language proficiency, communication abilities, IT proficiency, and professional certifications.
• Security Requirements: Details various security requirements, including background investigations, PIV cards, information security, privacy, controlled unclassified information, and incident response.
• Quotation Preparation Instructions: Provides instructions for submitting quotations, including deadlines, submission methods, and required content for the Cover Letter, Technical Quotation, Business/Price Quotation, and Past Performance volumes.
• Basis for Award and Evaluation Criteria: Outlines the basis for award (best value tradeoff) and the evaluation factors, including technical understanding, management approach, recent/relevant experience, and price.

This amendment provides updated details on the scope of work, period of performance, pricing, and submission requirements for quotations. Offerors must ensure their quotations address all updated information and adhere to the specified format and deadlines.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for nationwide ergonomic services, issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of the Chief Scientist, Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OOSH). The acquisition is a total set-aside for small business concerns. The goal is to procure contractor support to facilitate a safe and healthy work environment for FDA employees through ergonomic consultative services.

Services include:

• Ergonomic education, presentations, and trainings.

• Consultation on selection of furniture and equipment.

• Staffing for ergonomics assessments at FDA facilities nationwide.

• Conducting comprehensive ergonomic assessments to improve worker productivity, prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and educate employees on posture and behavior.

• Providing detailed written reports with findings and recommendations.

• Conducting various types of assessments including Health, Reasonable Accommodations, Post-Injury, Assistive Technology, Virtual, and Follow-Up Assessments.

• Providing in-service training on ergonomics and safety.

• Contract Type: Anticipated award of one (1) Time-and-Materials (T&M) Purchase Order.

• Period of Performance: One (1) Base Year (March 30, 2026 - March 29, 2027) plus four (4) Option Years, and a 6-month Option to Extend Services (FAR 52.217-8).

• Estimated Value: The associated small business size standard is $19 million. Specific contract value is not stated in the provided pages.

• Quotations are due by 2:00 PM Eastern Time, February 13, 2026.

• Questions are due by 2:00 PM Eastern Time, February 2, 2026.

• Submissions must be electronic via email to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer.

• Evaluation will be based on Technical Understanding and Approach, Management Approach, Recent and Relevant Experience, Past Performance, and Price. Technical factors are considered more important than price.

• Total set-aside for small business concerns.

• NAICS Code: 541690 - Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services.

• Small business size standard: $19 million.

• The solicitation incorporates FAR provisions and clauses effective through FAC 2025-06.

• Specific security, privacy, records management, and personnel requirements are detailed, including background investigations and PIV card issuance.

• Offerors must comply with Section 508 accessibility standards for ICT supplies and services.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment A, a Pricing Worksheet for the FDA Nationwide Ergonomic Services RFQ 75F40126Q00019. It is intended for bidders to provide their labor and material pricing for the anticipated period of performance.

• Labor Prices: Includes categories such as Ergonomist and Project Manager. Bidders are expected to provide estimated hours, government site hourly rates, and extended prices for each labor category.
• Materials Prices: Includes "Other Direct Costs (ODCs)" with a "Not to Exceed (NTE) Price" for Travel. Bidders are expected to provide total materials prices.
• Period of Performance: The worksheet outlines pricing for a Base Year (March 30, 2026 - March 29, 2027) and four Option Years, plus a 6-Month Option to Extend.
• Ceiling Prices: The worksheet includes fields for Base Year T&M Ceiling Price, Option Year T&M Ceiling Prices, and a Total Purchase Order T&M Ceiling Price.

Bidders must complete this worksheet to submit their pricing proposal. The "#VALUE!" entries indicate where specific pricing information needs to be filled in by the bidder. This document is critical for understanding the cost structure and submitting a compliant bid. Note that the provided text shows placeholder values or formulas that resulted in errors, and bidders will need to input accurate figures based on the solicitation requirements.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an "Employee Agreement" for a "Commitment to Protect Non-Public Information" from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is required for individuals who will have access to non-public FDA information during the performance of official duties under a contract.

• Requires the employee to agree not to release, publish, or disclose non-public information.
• Mandates protection of such information in accordance with specific U.S. Code provisions (21 U.S.C. 331(j), 21 U.S.C. 360j(c), 18 U.S.C. 1905) and other relevant laws.
• States that violations are subject to criminal penalties.
• Includes fields for employee signature, printed name, date, and a section for a witness's signature, printed name, and date.
• Provides a space to describe the specific information being released.

Bidders may be required to have their employees complete and sign this agreement if the contract involves access to non-public FDA information. It outlines the confidentiality obligations and potential penalties for employees involved in the contract.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Past Performance Questionnaire intended to gather feedback on a contractor's performance for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bidders are instructed to complete this questionnaire and return it via email, referencing "Past Performance Questionnaire, FDA Nationwide Ergonomic Services, RFQ No. 75F40126Q00019" in the subject line. It should be sent to Melinda Kim (Contract Specialist) with a CC to Nicholas Bisher (Contracting Officer).

The questionnaire requests information about the contractor being surveyed, including:

• Contractor Name
• Department/Component
• Contract Number
• Date of Survey
• Name of Person Completing Survey
• Your Company/Agency
• Your Role in this Contract (Contracting Officer, Contract Specialist, Project Officer, Other)
• Contract Value (including options)
• Performance Period (including option periods)
• Type of Contract
• Approximate percentage of work performed by subcontractors
• Information on subcontractors (if >51% of work)

It also includes rating sections for:

• Business Relations
• Quality of Service
• Cost Control
• Timeliness of Performance
• Customer Satisfaction

Ratings are on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 4 (Excellent), with an option for N/A. Specific questions address personnel qualifications, management, responsiveness, flexibility, accuracy of reports, cost control, timeliness, and overall customer satisfaction, including a recommendation for future awards.

This questionnaire is crucial for bidders as it outlines the performance criteria the FDA uses to evaluate past performance. Understanding these criteria and the types of feedback sought will help potential bidders prepare their own past performance narratives and identify relevant past contracts to highlight. It also provides insight into the FDA's expectations for contractor performance in areas such as quality, timeliness, cost control, and business relations.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment D, the RFQ Question Submittal Form for Solicitation RFQ 75F40126Q00019, "FDA Nationwide Ergonomic Services". It is provided for vendors to submit questions to the government regarding the solicitation.

The form includes columns for:

• RFQ Section
• RFQ Page Number
• Question to Government
• Government's Response

Bidders should use this form to formally submit any questions they have about the solicitation requirements, specifications, or any other aspect of the RFQ. The "Government's Response" column is intended for the government to provide answers to these submitted questions, which will likely be shared with all potential bidders as clarifications.