Questions in Response to RFQ - With Answers.pdf

USVI Patients Charter Flights: RFQ No. 36C24826Q0330

The questions made in response to the aforementioned solicitation, as well as the answers are as follows:

1- Question: The Schedule of Prices lists a quantity of "1.00 EA" for 96 estimated flights. Should the unit price be submitted as the cost per individual roundtrip flight, or as a total aggregate for the estimated 96 flights per year?

Answer: The vendors shall quote the price per flight. The estimated flights per year are provided to assist vendors in providing accurate quotes.

2- Question: Are landing fees, ramp fees, overnight parking, and security fees at Cyril E. King (STT), Henry E. Rohlsen (STX), and Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU) to be included in the fixed unit price, or are these considered pass-through reimbursable costs?

Answer: There will not be any reimbursable costs in the contract resulting from this solicitation. The vendors shall include in their quote all associated costs necessary for the provision of services described in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) associated with this solicitation.

3- Question: The PWS (Section 3.2) states price revisions occur "before issuance of a BPA order" and "six months into a BPA order." If market volatility exceeds a specific threshold (e.g., 10%) between these intervals, is there a mechanism for an emergency price adjustment?

Answer: The frequency of price revisions was placed at every six (6) months to avoid being burdensome on the administration of the BPA and BPA orders.

4- Question: If a flight is scheduled but the Veteran/Medical Companion fails to show, or if the VA cancels within 2 hours of departure, is the contractor entitled to a "dry run" fee or a percentage of the flight cost to cover positioning and crew costs?

Answer: Veterans Administration policies does not permit “dry run” fees for contracts/agreements involving beneficiaries travel funds. Instead, the BPA holder may invoice an “activation fee” in the amount of 50% that of the charter flight.

5- Question: Medical appointments often run late. Is there a standard "grace period" for the aircraft and crew at SJU before an hourly "wait time" rate applies? If so, where should this rate be disclosed in the Schedule of Prices?

Answer: There will not be waiting time costs applied in the BPA orders resulting from this solicitation.

When requesting a flight, we will request the return time as well. The Government expects such return time not to exceed one (1) hour. This wording has been added to the revised PWS, section 8.14.

6- Question: Is there a current or recent incumbent performing this requirement, and if so, what is the incumbent name, contract number and / or award amount?

Answer: This solicitation is a follow-on procurement, meaning that there currently is a contract in place.

Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract number 36C24821D0083 is currently in place.

Information regarding this contract can be found in https://sam.gov/.

https://sam.gov/

7- Question: If there's an Incumbent, has there been any significant "Change in Scope" or increase in the numbers between the incumbent's award solicitation and this 2026 solicitation?

Answer: The only significant change in scope can be seen in section 5.7 of the PWS (VetRide).

8- Question: Will all "eligible beneficiaries" be ambulatory, or should the contractor be prepared to transport non-ambulatory patients via stretcher / gurney? If stretchers are required, does the contractor provide the equipment, or does the VA?

Answer: Services requested on this solicitation does not include eligible beneficiaries that must be transported using stretchers. Services requested under this solicitation include eligible beneficiaries that are ambulatory and wheelchair bound.

9- Question: The PWS mentions "medical companions." Are these VA employees (nurses/medics) providing clinical care, or family members?

Answer: Medical companions are non-clinical in nature. These are medical companions medically required to accompany the patient, and are often family members.

10- Question: Are patients permitted to bring Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) or other life-support equipment? If so, is the contractor responsible for providing a power source for this equipment on the aircraft?

Answer: Some patients may require the use of Portable Oxygen Concentrators; solicitation does not require the provision of a power source for this equipment.

11- Question: Is there a standard weight allowance for Veterans, and must the aircraft accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, or motorized scooters in the cargo hold?

Answer: The BPA holder must provide weight capabilities that can accommodate the available aircraft considering the number of passengers and the mix of wheelchair, walkers or motorized scooters, if it is the case. The VACHS will send the passengers information to the BPA holder, and if there are concerns with the weight limitations identified at that time, they shall notify the COR. Also, there is a very low probability that more than one (1) wheelchair-bound passenger be on a given flight.

12- Question: The PWS identifies "96 flights per year." Is there a fixed weekly schedule, or are these "on-call" missions? If on-call, what is the required "Notice to Proceed" time (e.g., 24-hour or 48-hour notice)?

Answer: There is not a fixed schedule of flights. However, due to year-to-year increases, this estimated flights per year has been adjusted to 100 for ST Thomas, and 45 for ST Croix (see revised Schedule of Prices). VA sends request of flights at least five (5) days before the date required but some flights may be requested between forty-eight (48) and seventy-two (72) hours before the flight date, due to commercial flights instability for these locations. This wording has been added to the revised PWS, section 8.15

13- Question: In the event of unscheduled maintenance, is the contractor required to have a dedicated "backup" aircraft available within the USVI / PR region to maintain the 95% on-time rating?

Answer: BPA holder is expected to have an airplane available to provide services when requested by the Government. In the event of a scheduled maintenance for the BPA holder’s aircraft, it is expected he has another available for the provision of these services. This wording has been added to the revised PWS, section 8.16.

14- Question: Given the "Mini-Residency" and "Rural Provider" context found in related VA documents, will there ever be a requirement to transport groups of staff / instructors instead of patients? If so, what is the maximum seating capacity required?

Answer: No. This BPA and the orders to be made under it are specifically for VA patients from USVI, along with any authorized companions.

15- Question: Between patient transports, are there specific "medical-grade" sanitation protocols required by the VA, or is standard FAA / Part 135 cabin cleaning sufficient?

Answer: Sanitation protocols must be the standard FAA and/or specific protocol guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services at the time of the flight.

16- Question: The Pre-Solicitation Notice states a tiered evaluation: (1) SDVOSB, then (2) Small Business.

If a technically acceptable SDVOSB bid is received, will the government automatically bypass all Tier 2 (Small Business) bids, regardless of price difference, or is there a "price reasonableness" ceiling that would trigger a move to Tier 2?

Answer: The evaluation process and basis for award can be seen in the Addendum to FAR clause 52.212- 1 (Instructions to Offerors).

17- Question: The BPA Terms and Conditions (Section 11) require the use of the VA VetRide platform.

Does the VA provide training and access credentials for this platform upon award, or is there a subscription fee the contractor must bear?

Answer: VA will provide training and access credentials of Vetride platform upon award. No subscription fee will be applied for the use of the platform.

18- Question: The Clauses and Provisions reference FAR 52.204-9. Since flight crews rarely enter the VA Medical Center and typically stay on the tarmac / FBO, is a full PIV badge (with background check) required for all pilots, or can they operate under their standard SIDA / Airport badges?

Answer: BPA holder and his personnel are not required to possess VA Personal Identification Verification (PIVs).

19- Question: If bidding as an SDVOSB, is the cost of "fuel" and "airport landing fees" excluded from the calculation of "cost of personnel" when determining the 50% self-performance requirement?

Answer: When determining compliance with the Limitation of Subcontracting (LOS) found in VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 852.219-75, the BPA holder will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the Government to non-SDVOSBs. This price is total, and there are no excluded costs.

20- Question: The PWS cites a base fuel price of $4.038/gallon. Given that current spot prices may differ significantly from the date the draft was written, will the VA update the "base price" in the final BPA based on the EIA index on the actual date of award?

Answer: The base fuel price that shall be used for quotes shall be $4.009/gallon, published on 04/01/2026. The PWS has been updated accordingly. After award of the BPA has been made, the BPA order may be adjusted dependent upon the actual Jet Fuel rates at that moment.

21- Question: How many flights actually flew round trip in 2025/2024/2023?

Answer: Historical flights can be seen in the table below:

Type 2023 2024 2025 St. Croix 26 38 50

St. Thomas 9 76 143 Total 35 114 193

22- Question: Will there be a consideration for fuel price increases as this is a very long term contract?

Answer: See section 3 of this solicitation’s PWS for Jet Fuel Adjustments.

23- Question: In the Schedule of Prices attachment, the CLINs only give estimated flights. Is there an historical average of flights per year for each CLIN?

Answer: 96 flights per location, as stated in the Line Item Numbers (LINs) descriptions.

24- Question: In the Schedule of Prices attachment, are the any minimum guarantees for flight utilization on an annual basis?

Answer: A BPA does not have a minimum amount, only a ceiling, which is $2,000,000.00. The Government does not guarantee that it will order in an amount equal to that ceiling. However, since this is a follow-on acquisition, there is an existing need for these flights. Therefore, BPA orders will be made to the vendor that is awarded the BPA.

25- Question: In the Performance Work Statement, paragraph 4.1 states that aircraft should hold up to nine (9) eligible beneficiaries along with their medical companion. Does the aircraft need to be able transport 18 passengers (9 veterans + 9 medical companions) or does it just need to be able to move 9 passengers?

Answer: The requirement is for a total of nine (9) passengers. If veterans have companions traveling with them, these will count towards the nine (9) passengers.

26- Question: Past Performance submission requirements state “ii. Have at least five (5) years of experience in the maintenance and repair of Cooling Towers.” Should this be disregarded?

Answer: This is an error that has since been corrected in the amendment.

27- Question: Under what certificate will the services be performed, FAA 135 or FAA 121? Are offerors required to submit their operating certificate as proof that they are qualified to perform the work?

Answer: Services are to be performed under FAA Part 135 which are for or on-demand charter, commuter, or smaller-scale operations. As a prerequisite to qualification, it is required that interested vendors submits a copy of their FAA operating certificate.

28- Question: If a patient experiences a medical emergency mid-flight, what is the contractor’s liability versus the medical companion’s responsibility?

Answer: If a medical emergency happens mid-flight, BPA holder must follow protocols in accordance with the FAA.