Question and answers - RFQ 19KU2026Q0015 Lease of two (2) Mid-Size SUVs.pdf

Enclosure A Questions and Answers

RFQ: 19KU2026Q0015 - lease/rent mid-size SUV nd A

The responses provided in this Questions and Answers (Q&A) document are intended solely to clarify the requirements of the solicitation. Unless expressly stated otherwise in a formal amendment to the Request for Quotations (RFQ), these responses do not modify, revise, or supersede any requirement, specification, Statement of Work (SOW), drawing, schedule, or term and condition of the solicitation.

If the Government determines that a change to solicitation is necessary as a result of questions received or for any other reason, such change will be issued through a formal written amendment to the RFQ.

Offerors shall rely only on the solicitation, including any officially issued amendments, in preparing their quotations.

In the event of any inconsistency between this Q&A document and the solicitation, the solicitation, as amended, shall govern.

# Questions Answers 1 • The prime contractor has relevant past performance and experience managing vehicle fleets and providing fleet-related services for Government customers; and

• The actual vehicle lease/rental, insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance, and replacement vehicle services are provided through a Kuwait-registered vehicle leasing/rental company holding all required commercial licenses and permits to perform such services in the State of Kuwait?

The proposed arrangement would not be acceptable under the current terms of the RFQ.

As stated in the solicitation, quoters must be duly authorized and licensed to operate as vehicle and fleet leasing/rental companies in the State of Kuwait. The solicitation further specifies that the Contractor shall perform the required services directly and that subcontracting is not permitted. A quotation that does not comply with this requirement will be ineligible for award.

2 Contract start date and delivery The RFQ states that the tentative base-year start date is November 1, 2026, and that the vehicles must be available for delivery on or before the start date.

• (a) Could you please confirm whether November 1, 2026 is the firm required delivery date, or whether the actual start date will depend on the Notice to Proceed?

• (b) Could you please confirm the expected date by which the Notice to Proceed will be issued?

• (c) If the Notice to Proceed is issued after November 1, 2026, will the 12-month lease period begin on the actual Notice to Proceed/delivery date rather than November 1, 2026?

(a) Required delivery/start date

The RFQ identifies November 1, 2026, as the tentative start date for the base period and requires the vehicles are ready to be used by the Government on that start date. November 1, 2026.

(b) Expected Notice to Proceed date

The Government cannot commit to a specific Notice to Proceed date at this time. The Government anticipates issuing the Notice to Proceed sufficiently in advance of the required commencement of services; however, the actual date will depend upon completion of the procurement and award process.

Offerors should not rely upon any anticipated NTP date unless it is provided or confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(c) Lease period if commencement occurs after November 1

If the Government establishes a commencement date later than November 1, 2026, the applicable performance period will be established through the resulting contract, Notice to Proceed

Vehicle model and technical compliance The RFQ requires a mid-size SUV comparable to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Volkswagen Atlas, or equivalent, and permits larger vehicles but not smaller vehicles.

Could you please confirm how the Government will determine whether a proposed SUV is “comparable in size and capability” to the reference vehicles?

Would you please confirm whether a vehicle that meets all stated minimum technical specifications but is classified differently by the manufacturer, such as a full-size SUV, will be considered acceptable if it is not smaller than the stated mid-size class?

Could you please confirm whether the same vehicle make/model must be supplied for both SUVs, or whether we may quote two different compliant makes/models?

Is it acceptable to propose a 2025 model-year vehicle if it is brand new and unused at the time of delivery?

As stated in the RFQ, a vehicle classified by the manufacturer as a full-size SUV may be considered technically acceptable provided that it meets or exceeds all applicable minimum requirements and salient characteristics of the RFQ.

Manufacturer vehicle-class terminology, by itself, will not determine technical acceptability.

Offerors may propose different vehicle makes and/or models for the two required vehicles, provided that each proposed vehicle independently meets all minimum requirements and salient characteristics specified in the RFQ. The offeror shall clearly identify the make, model, model year, specifications, and applicable supporting documentation for each proposed vehicle.

Yes. In accordance with Section 1.2 of the RFQ, model years 2025, 2026, and 2027 are acceptable, provided the vehicle is new and unused and otherwise meets all minimum requirements of the RFQ at the time of delivery.

Engine requirements The RFQ requires a gasoline engine, minimum six cylinders, minimum 250 horsepower, and a minimum 65-liter fuel tank.

Could you please confirm whether a manufacturer-certified specification showing horsepower in PS, kW, or another measurement may be converted to horsepower for demonstrating compliance?

For the 65-liter minimum fuel-tank requirement, should the capacity be based strictly on the manufacturer's published specification?

Yes. Where the vehicle manufacturer's official specifications state engine power in PS, kW, or another recognized unit of measurement rather than horsepower (hp), the offeror may provide the manufacturer's published specification together with a conversion to horsepower.

Yes. Compliance with the minimum 65-liter fuel-tank capacity requirement will be based on the vehicle manufacturer's official published specifications. The offeror shall provide manufacturer documentation or a link to the manufacturer's official specifications demonstrating that the proposed vehicle has a fuel-tank capacity of at least 65 liters.

If the manufacturer's specification states fuel-tank capacity in another unit of measurement, the offeror may provide the manufacturer's published capacity together with a conversion to liters using a standard, recognized conversion methodology.

Navigation and infotainment The RFQ states that built-in navigation with Kuwait maps is required, with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto allowed as an alternative if built-in Kuwait navigation is unavailable. It also prohibits aftermarket navigation or infotainment.

Could you please clarify whether Apple CarPlay or Android Auto alone is sufficient when the vehicle does not have factory-installed navigation with Kuwait maps?

Refer to Section 1.6 Technology and Infotainment

If Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is used as the alternative, must the system be factory-installed, or would the vehicle's original manufacturer-installed system be sufficient?

Safety rating The RFQ requires a minimum four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, Australasian NCAP, Japan NCAP, NHTSA, or

IIHS.

Could you please confirm whether the safety rating must specifically apply to the exact proposed model and model year, or whether a manufacturer's equivalent/current generation safety rating will be accepted?

If the exact proposed model/year has not yet received a rating from one of the listed organizations, would the Government accept the rating for the same vehicle platform or previous model year?

The safety rating should apply to the proposed vehicle make/model and be applicable to the model year offered. The Government will consider a safety rating issued by one of the organizations identified in the RFQ, Euro NCAP, Australasian NCAP, Japan NCAP, NHTSA, or IIHS, where the published rating is expressly applicable to the proposed vehicle/model year.

If the rating organization applies a safety rating to multiple model years within the same vehicle generation, the rating may be accepted provided the offeror submits official documentation from the applicable rating organization demonstrating that the rating applies to the proposed model year.

Vehicle color The RFQ states that the Government will select the vehicle color from the dealer's available stock.

If the Government-selected color is not available when the vehicles are required for delivery, may the Contractor propose another available color?

Refer to Section 1.5 Comfort and Convenience

Insurance The RFQ requires full comprehensive insurance and states that the lessee will not be liable for any fee/cost in the event of an accident, with the lessee's responsibility being to provide a police report.

Could you please clarify the insurance requirements for windshield, tires, theft, total loss, missing items and third-party claims?

The Contractor shall provide and maintain full comprehensive insurance coverage for the leased vehicles for the entire period of performance, at no additional cost to the Government. Full comprehensive insurance, including coverage for vehicle damage arising from accidents, windshield/glass damage, tire damage resulting from an accident or covered event, theft, total loss, and third-party liability claims

The Government shall not be responsible for insurance deductibles, excess charges, claim-processing fees, or other costs associated with an insured accident or covered event. Such costs shall be the responsibility of the Contractor and shall be included in the quoted lease price.

Replacement vehicle The RFQ requires an equivalent replacement vehicle at no additional cost when repair/service exceeds five hours.

Must the replacement vehicle meet all of the original vehicle's technical specifications, or is an equivalent vehicle in the same size/class sufficient?

If an equivalent replacement vehicle is temporarily unavailable, what alternative arrangement would the Government accept?

The replacement vehicle must be equivalent to the type/class of the vehicle being replaced and suitable to meet the Government’s operational requirement

Daily rate / partial month The RFQ states that a monthly rate applies to a consecutive 31-day period and that a period of less than 31 days will be calculated by dividing the monthly rate by 31.

The 31-day calculation applies whenever a lease period of less than 31 consecutive days must be calculated, including any authorized partial period at the beginning or end of the applicable period of performance.

Could you please confirm whether the 31-day calculation applies only at the beginning/end of the contract or also to any partial month during the lease period?

If the lease begins or ends on a date other than the first/last day of a calendar month, should the invoice be calculated strictly using the monthly rate divided by 31?

10. Option year The RFQ contains one optional 12-month period, and the Government will evaluate the total base plus option pricing.

Could you please confirm the expected notice period for Exercising Option Year 1?

If the option year is not exercised, will there be any early termination or cancellation charge to the Government?

For any such partial period, the applicable monthly rate will be divided by 31 to establish the daily rate, which will then be multiplied by the number of authorized lease days.

The Government's exercise of Option Year 1 is at the Government's sole discretion and is subject to the terms and conditions of the resulting contract and availability of funds.

If the Government elects to exercise the option, the Contracting Officer will provide written notice in accordance with the applicable option clause incorporated into the resulting contract.

Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to exercise the option on behalf of the Government.

The inclusion and evaluation of Option Year 1 pricing does not obligate the Government to exercise the option.

The Government's decision not to exercise Option Year 1 does not constitute an early termination or cancellation of the base period and will not result in any termination, cancellation, penalty, or similar charge to the Government. If the option is not exercised, the contract will expire upon completion of the current period of performance, subject to the terms and conditions of the contract.

Offerors shall therefore include all costs associated with performance of each period in their quoted prices and shall not condition their pricing on the Government's exercise of the option.

Payment terms The RFQ states that payment is monthly upon receipt of a proper invoice and acceptance, with Net 30 payment terms.

The Performance Work Statement/Price Schedule states that a monthly rate applies to a consecutive 31-day period and that any period of less than 31 days will be charged at a daily rate calculated by dividing the established monthly rate by 31. Separately, the Invoice Submission & Payment Terms state that payment is on a Net 30-day basis. Could you please clarify that the 31-day calculation applies solely to the determination of the daily lease rate for partial lease periods, while Net 30 refers to the Government's payment period following receipt and acceptance of a proper invoice?

Yes. The two provisions address separate matters.

The 31-day calculation applies solely to determining the applicable lease charge for an authorized period of less than 31 consecutive days. For such a partial lease period, the established monthly rate will be divided by 31 to determine the daily lease rate, which will then be multiplied by the number of applicable lease days.

The Net 30 payment term relates to the Government's payment of a proper invoice and does not affect the calculation of the lease rate. Payment will be processed in accordance with the payment terms and applicable provisions of the resulting contract following receipt of a proper invoice and Government acceptance.

Submission format The RFQ requires four separate electronic attachments:

SF-1449, Introduction, Technical, and Price.

Could you please confirm the exact email address to which the four quotation attachments must be submitted?

Could you please confirm the maximum permitted file size for each attachment?

Could you please confirm whether the Price Attachment must be submitted only in Microsoft Word, as indicated in the RFQ, or whether PDF is also acceptable?

All submissions must be emailed to Kuwait_Solicitation@state.gov

No specific maximum file size for attachment. Offerors remain responsible for ensuring that all required attachments are successfully transmitted and received by the submission deadline.

Attachments must comply with format submission as requested in Section 3 mailto:Kuwait_Solicitation@state.gov

Page references The RFQ states that offerors must identify page numbers where required submission items are addressed.

Could you please confirm whether the Government has a preferred format for the page-reference matrix?

Should page references identify the page number within the submitted attachment or the original RFQ page number?

No

Amendments and clarification RFQ requires signed copies of released amendments, if applicable.

Could you please confirm whether any amendments or clarifications have been issued to date for RFQ

19KU2026Q0015?

If an amendment is issued after we submit our quotation but before the submission deadline, may we replace the affected attachment with a revised version?

No amendments were issued

AI clause The RFQ contains a specific AI-use disclosure requirement if the Contractor, subcontractor, vendor, or agent intends to incorporate AI into contract performance.

Could you please confirm whether the AI disclosure requirement applies to ordinary administrative, accounting, fleet-management, or customer-service software used by the Contractor, or only to AI specifically incorporated into the performance of the vehicle lease services?

If no AI system will be used in providing or managing the leased vehicles, should the Contractor simply state that no AI will be incorporated into contract performance?

Yes

Could you please clarify the responsibility for traffic fines, parking violations, speeding fines, and other traffic penalties incurred during the lease period? Specifically, will the Government/authorized driver be responsible for such fines, or will the Contractor initially pay the fines and subsequently seek reimbursement from the Government? If reimbursement is applicable, please clarify the required process and supporting documentation.

• Could you please confirm whether any administrative fees, processing fees, or service charges associated with identifying or processing traffic fines will be payable by the Government in addition to the actual traffic fine?

The Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer or designated Government representative upon receiving notice of any such violation and shall provide supporting documentation identifying, at a minimum, the vehicle, date and time of the violation, nature of the violation, and amount assessed.

The Government will review properly documented traffic violations attributable to its authorized drivers and determine the appropriate disposition in accordance with applicable law, regulation, and Government procedures.

Fines, penalties, or charges resulting from the Contractor’s actions, its employees or agents, or periods when the vehicle was not in the Government’s possession will not be the responsibility of the Government.

• Could you please clarify how traffic fines received after the vehicle has been returned at the end of the lease period will be handled, including responsibility for payment and reimbursement?

The Government will not be responsible for administrative, processing, handling, or service fees imposed by the Contractor in connection with traffic fines. Any amount claimed must be supported by appropriate documentation

A traffic fine received after return of the vehicle will be reviewed based on the date and time of the underlying violation. If the documented violation occurred during the Government’s authorized lease/use period, it may be processed in accordance with the established reimbursement procedure. The Contractor must provide supporting documentation demonstrating that the violation relates to the Government’s period of possession