Minutes, Q&A from Pre-Proposal Conference 19UZ8025Q0014

Date: May 6, 2025

Address: U.S. Embassy Tashkent
3 Mayqorghon Street, Tashkent
Uzbekistan 100093

Minutes From Pre-Proposal Conference of 05/06/2025

Request for Quotation (RFQ) Number 19UZ8025Q0014

Introduction
Contracting Officer, Kathleen (Casey) Murphy, welcomed all attendees, and introduced U.S.

Embassy Tashkent Team:
Shukhrat Arifdjanov – Procurement Supervisor
Irina Mezentseva – Procurement Agent
Sitora Raupova - Procurement Agent
Nodir Jumyazov- Procurement Agent
Botir Nigmatullaev – Realty Assistant
Marat Sitdikov – Housing Clerk

Preamble

This meeting will serve as the pre-proposal conference for the contract for temporary gardening and landscaping services for residences of the Embassy of the United States of America in Tashkent. This will be in accordance with the scope of work on page 5, paragraph 1, section 1.

Before starting discussion of the Solicitation Package, please note that there are two main requirements:  The first is to read the solicitation document carefully, and the second is to submit your proposal in compliance with the solicitation requirements. If you have worked in the past with the US Embassy but don’t submit a proposal in compliance with this solicitation, you will not be awarded the contract. Section 3 on page 41 provides you with clear instructions on what must be included to complete the proposal package. If something is not on this list, it will not be evaluated.  Section 4 on page 45 provides exactly what will be used to evaluate your proposal.

Please ensure that you provide accurate calculations for your bid, as this will be one of the main criteria that are evaluated.

The US Embassy strongly emphasizes transparency of the tender and equal conditions for participation.  If you have any questions, they must come in writing by email to TashkentProcurement@state.gov. We will set a deadline for questions, after which we will email the questions and their answers to all bidders at once to ensure transparency and a fair process.

I will let the procurement team explain how to complete the forms. 

Irina Mezentseva:
The meeting purpose is to make a contract for Temporary Gardening and Landscaping Services for the residences of the Embassy of the United States of America in Tashkent in accordance with Performance Work Statement paragraph 1, Section 1, page 5.
It was noted that proposals should be submitted no later than 14 pm of May 20, 2025. Proposals submitted later will not be accepted for consideration.

Proposals must be in a sealed envelope marked “Quotation 19UZ8025Q0014 Enclosed” and
delivered to the following address:
Attention: Contracting Officer
Embassy of the United States of America
3, Mayqorghon Street,
5th block, Yunusobod District,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan 100093

Please have an original ID with you.

In order for a proposal to be considered, you must also complete and submit the following:
SF-1449, Section 12, 17, 23, 24, 30.
Where:
12 – Discount terms (if any)
17 – Company name
23 – Unit price
24 – Total amount
30 – Name and title, signature and date

That is an IDIQ contract. For base + 4 option years

The contract will be for a one-year period from the date of the contract award (Base Period), with four-year extension (Option Year Period).

Prices should be extended for all 4-year periods (Base Year plus Option Years).
Please open page 6 – 8.
After establishing the contract, the U.S. government reserves the right to decide on its extension or completion of work under the contract. The Contractor will be notified of the decision in writing. In this regard, the U.S. government expects that prices will be given, based on the possibility of renewal (Option years).

II. Section 3 discussion
All the factors that we will use when considering proposals are specified in section 3, page 41. If the submitted proposal missing any information specified in section 3, the proposal can be considered technically unacceptable.
One of the requirements (section 3) intends that you need to specify the value of contracts with customers with whom the company has been working for the past three years.

III. Section 4 discussion
Section 4 on page 45 reflects Evaluation factors:
• Award will be made to the lowest priced, acceptable, responsible offeror. The quoter shall submit a completed solicitation, including Section 1 and 3.
• The Government (Embassy) reserves the right to reject proposals/quotations, which do not conform to the solicitation.
• The Government (Embassy) will determine acceptability by assessing the offeror’s compliance with the term of the RFQ to include the technical information required by

Section 3.
• The Government (Embassy) will determine Contractor responsibility by analyzing whether the apparent successful offeror complies with the requirement of FAR 9.1, including:
- Adequate financial resources or the ability to obtain them.
- Necessary organization, experience, and skills or the ability to obtain them.
- Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations.

Section 4 should be reviewed carefully to know Embassy requirements.
IV. SAM registration discussion
SAM registration page 1.
This registration is free of charge and must be updated every year.
Page 41. Defense base Act (DBA) insurance.
This kind of insurance must be included in this contract. Please see the DOL web site where you can purchase it. DBA insurance cost must be included in your commercial proposal.
Please note that you would have to purchase DBA insurance only if Contract awarded to you.

Performance Work Statement pages 9 – 16 will be covered by COR Botir Nigmatullaev.

Conclusion
We hope that the information obtained will help you to provide acceptable and mutually beneficial offers. All questions might be asked during the meeting or send via electronic mail to address TashkentProcurement@state.gov. We will send the answers to all the companies, that will reflect the transparency of the tender and equal conditions for participation.

Deadline for the question is May 7, 2025 at 12.00 PM

When the decision is made, we will inform all in writing about its results, announce the winning company, and separately, each company will be informed why it did not win the tender.

The conference concluded and attendees were thanked for their presence and expression of interest in serving the U.S. Government. The meeting was adjourned.

Q&A:

Q: Does the tender apply only to residences, or does it also include the Embassy compound?
A: The SOW includes only residential properties and does not include the Embassy compound.

Q: How many residences are covered under this contract?
A: While the exact number of residences is not fixed, the estimated total service area is approximately 108,000 square meters annually.

Q: How frequently will the service be required (e.g. weekly, monthly)?
A: The contract is issued under an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) model. Therefore, the frequency and volume of services will be determined based on actual need.

Q: Is it possible to inspect the sites in advance to assess the scope of work?
A: Site visits will not be permitted prior to contract award. Only the selected contractor will be granted access to the locations.

Q: What tasks are expected to be performed at the residences besides lawn mowing?
A: All required services are outlined in the estimated Statement of Work.

Q: How will pricing be determined if the scope of work varies from site to site?
A: Pricing shall be based on a unit cost per square meter, regardless of the specific site/task.

Q: Will there be one contractor selected, or will multiple contractors be considered for different categories/locations?
A: The contract will be awarded to a single contractor.

Q: Are there any specific insurance requirements (e.g. liability insurance,)
A: Any local insurance company is acceptable.

Q: Is DBA insurance required for each employee individually?
A: No, a single DBA insurance policy covering the company for one year is acceptable.

Q: If the Embassy already has our documents on file, do we need to resubmit them?
A: Yes, all proposals must be submitted in full and must include the following documents for consideration:
1. Completed SF-1449 (Sections 12, 17, 23, 24, and 30)
2. Section 1 – Price Table
3. Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions

Q: Are there any special requirements regarding the qualifications or clearances of employees?
A: Please refer to pages 13 and 41 of the solicitation documents.

Q: Where can we obtain an electronic version of the tender documents?
A: The documents are available on the official Embassy website as well as the SAM.gov portal.

Q: Where and how should the tender documents be submitted?
A: Submit your proposal in a sealed envelope marked “Quotation 19UZ8025Q0014 Enclosed" to the Contracting Officer on or before 14:00 Tashkent time on May 20, 2025. NO proposal will be accepted after this time.

Q: We would like to respectfully request the following information regarding any incumbent contractor(s):
1. Name of the incumbent contractor (if applicable).
2. Last contract award amount.
3. Last contract period of performance (start and end dates).
4. Whether the last award was Firm-Fixed-Price or another contract type.
5. Whether there are any material changes to the scope of work compared to the prior solicitation.
6. Additionally, is there an established ceiling price or historical budget for this requirement?
A: It is a new contract. The incumbent contractor name/information is not applicable.