QandA Responses - RFP 15F06725R0000373.pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP) 15F06725R0000373

5.56 NATO/223 Remington

Ammunition IDIQ

Service, Training Reduced-lead, Non-jacketed Frangible, and Jacketed Frangible

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Posted to SAM.gov on July 31, 2025

The following questions and answers are provided for informational purposes only. Nothing contained in the below questions and answers constitutes a change to the terms and conditions of the solicitation.

Any change to a term or condition will be issued through an amendment to the solicitation.

Note: In some instances, questions have been abbreviated or additional context has been added to clearly describe the question for all potential Offerors. Any reference to a specific product or potential

Offeror has been removed and made generic.

QUESTION 1:

What type of packaging is permitted? Can the outer packaging be cardboard, or must the packaging be M2A1 boxes?

ANSWER 1:

SECTION D OF THE RFP OUTLINES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PACKAGING. THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT

EXCLUDED CARDBOARD PACKAGING MATERIAL OR REQUIRED M2A1 BOXES.

QUESTION 2:

Section D.2.6 states Box inserts, if present, shall be constructed of biodegradable or recyclable material.

- Does this include the stripper clip? Our stripper clip is made of PBT-GF (20%). Is this material permitted?

ANSWER 2:

THE FBI DOES NOT CONSIDER STRIPPER CLIPS TO BE BOX INSERTS. STRIPPER CLIPS ARE PERMITTED.

QUESTION 3:

Do we have to bid everything, or can we bid on 2-3 of the items?

ANSWER 3:

SECTION L.5 OF THE RFP (PAGE 91) STATES, “OFFERORS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUBMIT IN EACH OF THE FOUR (4) AMMUNITION CATEGORIES.” FURTHERMORE, SECTION J, ATTACHMENT 1 OF THE RFP (PAGE

43) STATES THE FOLLOWING:

NOTE: OFFERORS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUBMIT FOR EACH CATEGORY OF

AMMUNITION (SERVICE, TRAINING REDUCED-LEAD, NON-JACKETED FRANGIBLE, AND

JACKETED FRANGIBLE). OFFERORS MAY SUBMIT IN ONE, TWO, THREE, OR ALL FOUR

CATEGORIES.

QUESTION 4:

Can the pressure tests carried out in-house be performed in accordance with M-CMOPI, and is this test method permissible?

ANSWER 4:

YES.

QUESTION 5:

As a company from Turkey, we would like to submit a bid for the RFP referenced as RFP - 5.56 NATO/223

Remington Ammunition IDIQ - Notice ID 15F06725R0000373. Could you please let us know if we have the right to bid on this tender?

ANSWER 5:

SECTION I.2 OF THE RFP SPECIFIES CONTRACT CLAUSES AND TERMS. PLEASE NOTE THAT FAR 52.225-1, BUY AMERICAN--SUPPLIES (OCT 2022) (41 U.S.C. CHAPTER 83) IS CHECKED (PAGE 29).

QUESTION 6:

L.8 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: VOLUME #3 PAST PERFORMANCE

The Offeror shall forward a copy of the past performance questionnaire, located in Section J, Attachment

2, to three (3) references.

- Would the Government accept a submission from a major subcontractor as part of the requisite

3 contracts?

ANSWER 6:

NO. PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONAIRES ARE TO BE FROM DIRECT CUSTOMERS OF THE PROPOSING

VENDOR.

QUESTION 7:

L.8 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: VOLUME #3 PAST PERFORMANCE

The Government reserves the right to consider any past performance information, above and beyond what the offeror supplies in Volume 3, if those efforts performed for other agencies of the Federal, state, or local governments as well as commercial customers is deemed relevant.

- Would the Government please confirm commercial clients are acceptable references for Past Performance requirements?

ANSWER 7:

THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONSIDER PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRES FROM COMMERICIAL

CUSTOMERS. THE COMMERICAL CUSTOMER SHALL STILL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN

Section M.3.2.

QUESTION 8:

Section L.5 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

A complete proposal shall consist of the following four (4) separate volumes.

- Does Service Ammunition require a separate proposal?

- Would the Government please clarify if offerors who are submitting on all 4 categories are to submit 4 separate proposals with 4 volumes each (16 volumes)?

- If offerers are not required to submit 4 proposals, please confirm the Government will accept one technical volume that meets the discussion requirements for each category?

ANSWER 8:

ONE TECHNICAL VOLUME COVERING MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS IS ACCEPTABLE PROVIDED ALL REQUIRED

DATA IS INCLUDED.

IF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IS THE SAME FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT REQUIRE DUPLICATION. HOWEVER, IF THE INFORMATION REQUIRED IS DIFFERENT ACROSS THE

CATEGORIES, THE OFFEROR SHALL SUBMIT THE REQUESTED DATA FOR EACH SUBMISSION. FOR

EXAMPLE, SECTION L.10 OF THE RFP (PAGES 91-92) SPECIFIES REQUIRED INFORMATION TO BE

INCLUDED IN VOLUME#1 INCLUDING “COMPANY BACKGROUND”. THE RESPONSE FOR ONE

AMMUNITION CATEGORY MAY BE VALID FOR ALL. HOWEVER, SECTION L.10 ALSO SPECIFIES

“INFORMATION ON CARTRIDGE DESIGN”. THIS RESPONSE WOULD BE SPECIFIC FOR EACH SEPARATE

CATEGORY OF AMMUNITION.

QUESTION 9:

Reference Projectile Design, C.4.2.4, Training Reduced-Lead

- Can this projectile feature a polymer tip, providing the lead is fully encapsulated? This may provide a lower priced option for this category.

ANSWER 9:

YES.

QUESTION 10:

Reference Section M, M.1, 52-212-2 Evaluation, Paragraph 3, states that technical evaluation is approximately equal to price.

- Is there an equation in place to compare the two as a ratio (Performance vs Cost ratio)?

ANSWER 10:

NO.

QUESTION 11:

If an equation is in place, can we have a copy of this equation. For example, 50 technical points = $.03/ difference per round. This would allow a manufacturer to provide the best option to fulfill a contract at the lowest price. Without having this equation, there isn’t a way to calculate what would be best for the US Government in terms of technical performance vs pricing.

ANSWER 11:

NOT APPLICABLE. SEE ANSWER #10.

QUESTION 12:

V1: Could the deadline for this submission be extended until September 30, 2025?

V2: Could the FBI please extend the due date 30-45 days to allow adequate time for weapon testing to be conducted.

V2.1: Adams Arms 7.5” or the Geissele 11.5” weapons had to be ordered to validate functional and/or performance compatibility.

V2.2: Frangible bullets are a purchased component, and we need time for our suppliers to provide sufficient quantities and then us to load and test for the bid sample.

V3: Would the FBI Grant a 30-day extension to current due date for purposes of product development/testing and sample configuration to ensure responsive submission?

ANSWER 12:

PLEASE SEE #001 of AMENDMENT 001 FOR DETAILS OF DEADLINE EXTENSION.

QUESTION 13:

Are we allowed to clarify responses with additional questions following the July 16th deadline, providing the topic has already been discussed during the original Q & A period?

ANSWER 13:

QUESTION 14:

Page 110 of section 13. Frangibility testing. Will the FBI please confirm if the Jacketed Frangible and Non- Jacketed Frangible Dimpling allowances should be swapped? Our expectation is that a jacketed bullet would potentially cause greater plate deformation that a non-jacketed bullet.

ANSWER 14:

THE SCORING FOR FRANGIBILITY STANDS AS WRITTEN.

QUESTION 15:

Will the FBI provide an updated list of test materials as some of the suppliers, such as JoAnn Fabrics, are out of business and/or products or no longer available?

ANSWER 15:

NO. THE LIST OF TEST MATERIALS WAS PROVIDED TO INFORM OFFERORS OF WHAT MATERIALS THE

FBI WILL USE IN TESTING.

QUESTION 16:

Award Notification Timing What is the expected timeline between proposal submission and contract award announcement? (Section L.10)

ANSWER 16:

THE FBI INTENDS TO HAVE ALL 5.56/223 AMMUNITION CONTRACTS AWARDED PRIOR TO THE

EXPIRATION OF THE EXISTING CONTRACTS; FY26 Q2.

QUESTION 17:

Pricing As cost of raw materials change - will the pricing be up for discussion every year? As the type of contract is for one (1) base year and four (4) possible one-year option periods (section B2).

ANSWER 17:

THE RFP REQUIRES FIRM FIXED PRICING. SECTION J – ATTACHMENT 1 OF THE RFP DOCUMENTS THE PRICING MATRIX. THE PRICING MATRIX REQUIRES THAT PRICING BE SUBMITTED FOR THE BASE YEAR AND ALL FOUR (4) POTENTIAL OPTION YEARS. SECTION J – ATTACHMENT 1 (PAGE 44) STATES, “ANY PROPOSED LINE ITEM THAT DOES NOT OFFER A PRICE FOR THE BASE AND FOUR OPTION PERIODS MAY

NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD.”

QUESTION 18:

Minimum Order Guarantee per Category Can you confirm that the $1,000 minimum applies per ammunition category for each awardee? Does this happen? (Section B.3)

ANSWER 18:

SECTION B.3 SPECIFIES THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM FOR THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT. THE MINIMUM

IS PER CATEGORY.

QUESTION 19:

Order Forecast Will the FBI or authorized buyers provide any estimated annual volume or delivery schedule forecasts post-award? (Section F.2)

ANSWER 19:

QUESTION 20:

Order Distribution Will the FBI allocate orders equally among awardees, or will distribution be performance or price-driven? (Section B.2 / Section M.1)

ANSWER 20:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FBI INTENDS TO MAKE ONLY ONE (1) CONTRACT AWARD IN EACH

AMMUNITION CATEGORY. ORDERS WILL BE PLACED FOR THE CATEGORY OF AMMUNITION REQUIRED.

QUESTION 21:

License & Certifications: Are there specific licenses or certifications required from us as manufacturers?

ANSWER 21:

NONE. PLEASE SEE SECTION C OF THE RFP FOR ALL REQUIREMENTS.

QUESTION 22:

Crimping Are the Training reduced lead required to be crimped?

ANSWER 22:

SECTION C.4.5.2 READS, “PRIMERS SHALL BE STAKED OR CRIMPED IN PLACE.” THIS INCLUDES PRIMERS

ON TRAINING REDUCED LEAD AMMUNITION.

QUESTION 23:

Service Would the FBI consider using 62 grain solid copper hollow point for the service rounds?

ANSWER 23:

YES, PROVIDED IT MEETS ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN SECTION C.

QUESTION 24:

Buy American Does the “Buy American-Supplies” clause (52.225-1) applies to the origin of raw materials such as copper, lead, or brass used in projectile or casing production, or is compliance based solely on the location of final manufacturing and assembly?

• Will components or raw materials source from Israel or FTA countries (e.g., Canada, Mexico) be treated as compliant under clause 52.225-3 for the purpose of meeting domestic content requirements?

ANSWER 24:

THE BUY AMERICAN CLAUSE HAS SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE FAR. PLEASE SEE FAR SUBPART

25.1 FOR COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS. SOURCED COMPONMENTS MUST BE, AT A MINIMUM, TAA

COMPLIANT.

QUESTION 25:

Delivery Locations Clarification Can the FBI provide a list or expected mix of delivery destinations (e.g., % to CONUS vs. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico)? (Section F.4.1)

ANSWER 25:

QUESTION 26:

Partial Shipments Are partial shipments allowed without prior written approval? (Section F.2.2)

ANSWER 26:

PARTIAL SHIPMENTS ARE ALLOWED HOWEVER SHOULD FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTIAL

LOTS IF/WHEN APPLICABLE. SECTION F.2.2 SPECIFIES THAT “PARTIAL LOTS MAY BE ACCEPTED WITH

APPROVAL FROM THE CO OR COR.” IT DOES NOT SPECIFY “WRITTEN APPROVAL.”

QUESTION 27:

Emergency Order Protocols How often does the FBI expect emergency orders to be placed and what quantity range do these usually cover? (Section C.7.3 / Section F.2.4)

ANSWER 27:

DURING THE LAST 5-YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD, THE FBI HAS NOT PLACED ANY EMERGENCY ORDERS.

THE FBI DOES NOT PLAN FOR EMERGENCY ORDERS AND WILL TAKE STEPS TO AVOID THEM. HOWEVER, THE FBI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PRIORITIZE ORDERS BASED ON EMERGENCY STATUS.

QUESTION 28:

Shipping cost Is that an add on to the price or should we include it in the price per round?

ANSWER 28:

SECTION F.4.2 STATES THAT, “DELIVERY OF AMMUNITION SHALL BE F.O.B. DESTINATION.” F.O.B.

DESTINATION IS DEFINED WITHIN SECTION F.4 OF THE RFP. THE PROPOSED PRICE PER ROUND SHOULD INCLUDE ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANUFACTURING AND SHIPPING OF THE AMMUNITION.

QUESTION 29:

Invoice Review Timeline How long does it typically take for the COR or delivery location POC to certify receipt so payment can be processed? (Section G.5)

ANSWER 29:

THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWS FAR 52.232-25, PROMPT PAYMENT WITH NET30 TERMS.

QUESTION 30:

Small Business Payment Acceleration Can you confirm eligibility and average processing time for accelerated payments under the small business clause? (Section G.4)

ANSWER 30:

THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWS FAR 52.232-25, PROMPT PAYMENT WITH NET30 TERMS. FOR SMALL

BUSINESS ACCELERATED PAYMENT THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE BEST EFFORTS TO PAY PROPERLY

SUBMITTED INVOICES WITHIN 15 DAYS.

QUESTION 31:

Rejected Invoices What are the most common reasons for invoice rejection under this program, and how can they be avoided? (Section G.3)

ANSWER 31:

TO AVOID REJECTED INVOICES THE VENDOR SHALL ENSURE ALL INFORMARTION LISTED IN RFP SECTION G.3 HAS BEEN PROVIDED. THE CO AND COR WILL WORK WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO IDENTFY ANY

CORRECTIONS IF THEY ARE NECESSARY.

QUESTION 32:

Quarterly Reports Format Can the FBI provide a sample format or template for the required quarterly usage reports? (Section C.8.1–C.8.2)

ANSWER 32:

THE CO AND COR WILL WORK WITH CONTRACTOR(S) UPON AWARD TO CLARIFY FORMATTING.

QUESTION 33:

Subcontractor Approval Process What is the expected turnaround time to obtain approval for a subcontractor (e.g., projectile or packaging supplier)? (Section C.3.4)

ANSWER 33:

THE TIME NEEDED FOR APPROVAL/DENIAL WOULD BE DEPENDENT UPON THE NATURE OF THE

CHANGE. THIS WOULD BE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.

QUESTION 34:

Change Notifications How should manufacturers notify the FBI of component changes (e.g., primer supplier) and what’s the typical review time? (Section C.3.8)

ANSWER 34:

CONTRACTORS SHALL NOTIFY THE CO AND COR TO REQUEST APPROVAL FOR CHANGES TO THE

PRODUCT. SECTION C.3.8 NOTES THAT THE CO MUST APPROVE ANY/ALL CHANGES TO AMMUNITION OR COMPONENTS. IN THE EVENT OF A PROPOSED CHANGE, THE CO WILL WORK WITH THE FBI’S BALLISTIC RESEARCH FACILITY TO DETERMINE IF AND WHAT TESTING WOULD BE NECESSARY. THE AMOUNT OF TESTING NEEDED WOULD DRIVE THE TIME NEEDED FOR APPROVAL OR DENIAL. THIS

WOULD BE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.

QUESTION 35:

Product Liability Scope Under what circumstances would the contractor be financially liable for damage to FBI firearms? (Section E.2.6)

ANSWER 35:

THE FBI IS CONCERNED WITH MANUFACTURING DEFECTS THAT CAUSE WIDE-SPREAD DAMAGE TO A

FLEET OF WEAPONS.

QUESTION 36:

Recall Protocol If a voluntary or mandatory recall is needed, what is the FBI's expectation for timing, communication, and remedy? (Section D.1.2)

ANSWER 36:

IN THE EVENT OF AN AMMUNITION RECALL, THE FBI WOULD EXPECT THAT THE REMEDY WOULD

INCLUDE A TIMELY REPLACEMENT OF ALL RECALLED AMMUNITION. THE FBI WILL WORK WITH THE

CONTRACTOR TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE TIMEFRAME FOR SUCH A PROCESS. THE APPROPRIATE

TIMEFRAME FOR REPLACEMENT AMMUNITION WILL BE NO LONGER THAN THE DELIVERY SCHEDULE

DOCUMENTED IN SECTION F.2 OF THE RFP.

QUESTION 37:

Background Check Timeline How long does it typically take to process security background checks for employees who may require access to FBI facilities? (Section H.4)

ANSWER 37:

THE FBI DOES NOT ANTICIPATE THAT CONTRACTORS WILL REQUIRE ACCESS TO FBI FACILITIES.

QUESTION 38:

Facility Visits Will FBI personnel conduct on-site audits or inspections at the contractor’s facility? If so, how frequently? (Section C.8.1 / Section E.1.2)

ANSWER 38:

THE FBI WOULD WELCOME SITE VISITS TO A CONTRACTOR’S FACILITY. THE TIMING AND FREQUENCY

SHALL BE COORDINATED WITH THE CONTRACTOR.

QUESTION 39:

C.4.2.1 and M.3.5.7. Does the Bureau distinguish between “fouling shots” and “settling shots/warmers”.

It has been our experience and standard test methods that 2-3 warmers are required during V&P to ensure the first shot does not unduly impact the overall average or rest of the group. Similarly, with test barrel accuracy, a couple of rounds will help settle the fixture into place, yielding more consistent results. To be clear, this question is not asking for 10+ rounds to “season” the barrel prior to testing.

ANSWER 39:

THE TEST BARREL SETUP WILL BE VALIDATED PRIOR TO AND POST TESTING BY BOOKENDING THE TEST EVENT BY FIRING A 10-SHOT GROUP WITH A CONTROL LOT OF AMMUNITION BEFORE AND AFTER THE

ASSESSMENT.

QUESTION 40:

C.4.4.1. CARTRIDGE CASE- Would the FBI waive final headstamp requirements on bid samples with the understanding that drawings/renderings of final headstamps will be provided in bid submission & potential awarded deliverables will be meet the SOW?

ANSWER 40:

YES. PLEASE SEE #002 OF AMENDMENT 001.

TEST SAMPLES SUBMITTED FOR THIS RFP ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION ON THE HEADSTAMP; HOWEVER, THE REQUIREMENT WILL NOT BE WAIVED IF THE OFFEROR’S SAMPLE IS

SELECTED FOR AN AWARD.

QUESTION 41:

C.4.6- Pressure states the Maximum Probable Sample Mean (MPSM) shall not exceed 58,500 PSI, but Section C.3.1, General Requirements states offered cartridges shall conform to either SAAMI .223 REM or

5.56 NATO. MPSM is a SAAMI calculation and does not correlate to 5.56 NATO testing per MOPI or MSCAT- P. Will the FBI update the requirement to add that the cartridges may be measured using the MPSM already noted or the 5.56 NATO/Mil-Spec which calls out a maximum lot average chamber pressure of 58,700 PSI while maintaining the individual single shot maximum of 66,150 PSI?

ANSWER 41:

YES. PLEASE SEE #004 OF AMENDMENT 001.

QUESTION 42:

D.2.-PACAKAGING & IDENTIFICATION- Is it the FBI’s expectation that non-stripper clipped offerings (Service & Frangible items) be packaged in trays or with separators or would a non-separated “oriented” pack be acceptable?

ANSWER 42:

THE FBI DID NOT SPECIFY AN EXPECTATION. ALL PACKAGING OPTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE PROVIDED THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN SECTION D OF THE RFP. NON-SEPARATED “ORIENTED”

PACKAGING IS ACCEPTABLE.

QUESTION 43:

D.2.3.-PACAKAGING & IDENTIFICATION- Would the FBI waive final packaging graphics for bid samples with the understanding that sample packaging will be dimensional accurate, drawings/renderings of final graphics will be provided in bid submission & potential awarded deliverables will be meet the SOW?

ANSWER 43:

YES. PLEASE SEE #003 OF AMENDMENT 001.

QUESTION 44:

Section M.3.5.6- Penetration Test Materials List 7) Sheet Metal calls out for 20ga 316 Stainless Steel cold rolled 2B finish. Did the FBI mean to call out stainless steel or did the FBI mean to reference galvanized, cold rolled and annealed steel?

ANSWER 44:

GALVANIZED. PLEASE SEE #005 OF AMENDMENT 001.

QUESTION 45:

Packaging- The tray inserts commonly used are made of plastic but are recyclable but not biodegradable.

ANSWER 45:

SECTION D.2.6 READS, “BOX INSERTS, IF PRESENT, SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED OF BIODEGRADABLE OR RECYCLABLE MATERIAL.” INSERTS MADE OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENT.

QUESTION 46:

Packaging- Are the trays also required to be biodegradable?

- If yes, do you have a reference on a biodegradable insert that is acceptable to the government

ANSWER 46:

PLEASE SEE ANSWER #45.

QUESTION 47:

Components-Tariff Impacts/Availability

- If unforeseen tariff impacts multiple inputs to the awarded contract post awarded, how will cost impacts be determined and revised?

- If Tariff impacts availability to an input to the awarded contract post award, will the testing procedure of the rounds need to be recompleted if an input component is approved and changed?

ANSWER 47:

THE FBI WILL WORK WITH CONTRACTORS IN GOOD FAITH IF AND WHEN TARIFFS ARE IMPLEMENTED.

QUESTION 48:

Will (1) common Q&A file be circulated amongst the bidders on the RFP?

ANSWER 48:

THE ANSWERS TO CONTRACTOR SUBMITTED QUESTIONS WILL BE POSTED TO SAM.GOV.

END OF QUESTIONS & ANSWERS