127EAX26Q0103 QA3.docx

This is a Questions and Answers document addressing inquiry regarding the Period of Performance timeline for the I Field Project at the Northern Great Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NGPRL) in Mandan, North Dakota.

The Q&A clarifies that while the contract Period of Performance is listed as 9/30/2026 to 2/28/2027, the actual project completion timeline is 90 days, which commences after the Notice to Proceed (NTP) is issued and agreed upon with the selected awardee. This distinction addresses concerns about winter working conditions in North Dakota by establishing that the project completion clock begins upon NTP issuance rather than on the contract start date. The underlying I Field Project is a Total Small Business Set-Aside solicitation (127EAX26Q0103) issued as an RFQ for construction services including barbed-wire fence installation with posts and gates, electrical service line installation with outlets, approximately 1,475 feet of underground 1-inch polyethylene water supply pipe with associated valves and hardware, one 1-inch frost-free 8-foot hydrant, and one double-bowl thermosink stock water fountain. The work is being performed for the USDA-ARS NGPRL facility, with NAICS code 238990 and a small business size standard of $19 million.