Supplying Principles and Practices > Solicitation Provisions > Provision 1-1 Supplier Clearance Requirements (March 2006) > Provision 2-1 Warranty Information (March 2006)

Provision 2-1 Warranty Information (March 2006)

Offerors are encouraged to submit information on any standard commercial warranties provided for offered products. The Postal Service will consider these warranties in determining the most advantageous proposal, to the extent provided in the evaluation factors.

Provision 2-2 Time of Delivery (March 2006)

a. The Postal Service requires delivery to be made according to the delivery schedule specified in Section C of the contract Schedule. The Postal Service will evaluate equally, as regards time of delivery, offers that propose delivery of each quantity within the applicable delivery period specified above. Offers that propose delivery that will not clearly fall within the applicable required delivery period specified above will be considered unacceptable and rejected. When an offeror offers an earlier delivery schedule than required, the Postal Service reserves the right to award under either the required delivery schedule or the proposed delivery schedule. If the offeror proposes no other delivery schedule, the required delivery schedule above will apply.

(ALTERNATE (a)(1) - DESIRED DELIVERY)

a. The Postal Service desires delivery according to the desired delivery schedule specified in Section C of the contract Schedule. If the offeror is unable to meet the desired delivery schedule, it may, without prejudicing evaluation of its offer, propose an alternative delivery schedule. However, the offeror's proposed delivery schedule must not extend the delivery period beyond the time for delivery in the Postal Service's required delivery schedule specified in Section C of the Schedule. Offers that propose delivery of a quantity under such terms or conditions that delivery will not clearly fall within the applicable specified required delivery period will be considered unacceptable and if the offeror proposes no other delivery schedule, the desired delivery schedule above will apply.

(End of Alternate (a)(1))

b. The Contract Award provision of the solicitation provides that a written award or acceptance of offer mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror results in a binding contract. The Postal Service will mail or otherwise furnish to the offeror an award or notice of award not later than the day award is dated. Therefore, the offeror should compute the time available for performance beginning with the actual date of award, rather than the date the written notice of award is received from the Contracting Officer through the ordinary mails.

(ALTERNATE (b)(1) - AWARD BASED ON CALENDAR DATES AFTER ASSUMED DATE OF AWARD)

b. The delivery dates or specific periods contained in Section C are based on the assumption that the Postal Service will make award by the date of award specified in Section C of the contract Schedule. Each delivery date in the delivery schedule will be extended by the number of calendar days after the above date that the contract is in fact awarded.

(End of Alternate (b)(1))

(ALTERNATE (b)(2) - AWARD BASED ON CALENDAR DATES AFTER ASSUMED DATE OF RECEIPT OF NOTICE OF AWARD)

b. The delivery dates or specific periods contained in Section C are based on the assumption that the supplier will receive notice of award by the date specified in Section C of the contract Schedule. Each delivery date in the delivery schedule will be extended by the number of calendar days after the above date that the supplier receives notice of award, provided that the supplier promptly acknowledges receipt of notice of award.

(End of Alternate (b)(2))

Provision 2-3 Evaluation of Options (March 2006)

a. Unless it is determined in accordance with the Consider Use of Renewals and Options topic of the Develop Sourcing Strategy task of Process Step 2: Evaluate Sources, and the Decide to Renew a Contract or Exercise Options topic of the Manage Delivery and Contract Performance task of Process Step 5: Measure and Manage Supply, in the Postal Service Supplying Practices, that evaluation of options is not in the best interest of the Postal Service, option prices will be included in the evaluation of offers for award purposes. Evaluation of options does not obligate the Postal Service to exercise the options.

b. If the Postal Service elects to exercise an option at the time of award, proposals will be evaluated on the basis of total price for the basic quantity and for the option quantity to be exercised with the award. In all other cases, proposals will be evaluated by adding the total price for all option quantities to the total price for the basic quantity.

c. Any proposal that is materially unbalanced as to prices for basic and option quantities may be disregarded as unacceptable. An unbalanced proposal is one that is based on prices significantly less than cost for some work and prices that are significantly overstated for other work.

Provision 2-4 Evaluation Exclusive of Options (March 2006)

The Postal Service will evaluate offers for award purposes by including the price for the basic requirement, i.e., options will not be included in the evaluation of award purposes.

Provision 2-5 Evaluation Exclusive of Unpriced Options (March 2006)

The Postal Service will evaluate the unpriced option at the time the option is exercised.

Provision 2-6 Credit Card Order Acceptance Requirement (March 2006)

The Postal Service intends to place credit card orders, using an authorized Postal Service credit card, under the ordering agreement or contract resulting from this solicitation. Any supplier entering into an ordering agreement or awarded a contract as a result of this solicitation must have the capability to accept orders made with such a credit card.

Provision 2-7 Brand Name or Equal (March 2006)

a. One or more items called for by this solicitation have been identified in the Schedule by a brand-name-or-equal product description. Proposals offering equal products will be considered for award if these products are clearly identified and are determined by the Postal Service to contain all of the essential characteristics of the brand-name products referenced in the solicitation.

b. Unless the offeror clearly indicates in the proposal that the proposal is for an equal product, the proposal will be considered as offering a brand-name product referenced in the solicitation.

c. If the offeror proposes to furnish an equal product, the brand name and model or catalog number, if any, of the product to be furnished must be inserted in the space provided in the solicitation. The evaluation of proposals and the determination as to equality of the product offered will be based on information furnished by the offeror or identified in the proposal, as well as other information reasonably available to the purchasing activity. The purchasing activity is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the proposal and reasonably available to the purchasing activity. Accordingly, to ensure that sufficient information is available, the offeror must furnish as a part of the proposal:

(1) All descriptive material (such as cuts, illustrations, drawings, or other information) necessary for the purchasing activity to establish exactly what the offeror proposes to furnish and to determine whether the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation; or

(2) Specific references to information previously furnished or to information otherwise available to the purchasing activity to permit a determination as to equality of the product offered.

d. If the offeror proposes to modify a product so as to make it conform to the requirements of the solicitation, the offeror must:

(1) Include in the proposal a clear description of the proposed modifications; and

(2) Clearly mark any descriptive material to show the proposed modifications.

Provision 2-8 Investment Recovery (March 2006)

With its proposal, the supplier must provide an investment recovery plan to reuse the equipment, or eliminate or reduce final disposal costs. Final disposition must be environmentally responsible, eliminate or reduce landfill, and comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Proposals must address the complete life-cycle, including final disposition of the items being purchased. Disposition alternatives include take-back, repair, refurbishment, and disposal. The supplier is required to design and describe additional innovative, value-added, end-of-life disposition opportunities for the items being purchased.

Provision 2-9 Accounting System Guidelines - Cost Type Contracts (March 2006)

Before awarding a contract resulting from this solicitation, the Postal Service's Inspector General or representative must review and approve the accounting system the prospective supplier will use for the contract. To be approved, the accounting system must address or contain each of the following elements:

a. Proper segregation of direct costs from indirect costs.

b. Identification and accumulation of direct costs by contract.

c. Logical and consistent method for the allocation of indirect costs.

d. Accumulation of costs under general ledger control.

e. A timekeeping system that identifies employees' labor by contract.

f. A labor distribution system that charges direct and indirect labor to the appropriate contract.

g. Interim (at least once a month) determination of costs charged to a contract through posting to books of account.

h. Exclusion from costs charged to Postal Service contract amounts that are not allowable pursuant to applicable regulations.

i. Identification of costs by contract line item and units (as if each unit or line item was a separate contract).

j. Segregation of preproduction costs from production costs.

k. Labor charging system.

l. Timekeeping policy and preparation.