RFI - Questions and Answers- Extended Shelf Life Water.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 20 KB Posted Oct 22, 2026

Attached to: Request for Information (RFI) - Drinking Water
Solicitation number: 70FB70Water
Issued by: Federal Emergency Management Agency

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Written by GovTribe AI · Oct 22, 2026

This is a Questions and Answers document clarifying requirements from FEMA's Request for Information (RFI) for extended shelf-life drinking water capabilities. FEMA is conducting market research to identify industry sources capable of providing disaster response water for both Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) locations, with an anticipated formal solicitation in early January 2027. Respondents must demonstrate capability to supply three water product types: canned water, conventional bottled water, and 10-year extended shelf-life water. All capacity and sustainability calculations should use seven specified delivery locations (Ft. Campbell KY; Maxwell AFB MS; Ft. Lee VA; Baton Rouge LA; March ARB CA; Ft. Bragg NC; Seguin TX) and support all OCONUS locations where FEMA maintains distribution centers (Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico). Emergency response requirements mandate delivery of 900,000 liters per day within 24 hours of award, while standard delivery orders allow 30 days from award. Vendors must report water quantities in liters as the primary unit with secondary units showing preferred methods (cases, pallets, truckloads).

The anticipated procurement will be structured as a multiple-award contract, potentially with a small business set-aside, though that determination remains pending market research results. Small business prime contractors may partner with manufacturers, though SBA nonmanufacturer rule limitations generally apply unless a waiver is granted. Vendor-managed inventory is optional, and any FEMA-procured inventory remains government property with vendors responsible for rotation as products near end of shelf life. Teaming arrangements are permitted with clear identification of each team member's capabilities. No pricing information is required for RFI responses. Product samples may be submitted to FEMA Distribution Management Division, Supply Chain Integration Branch at 500 C Street SW, Washington DC 20472. The procurement will not consider regional participation limitations, on-site water generation capabilities, or 1-gallon bottle sizes; all awardees must meet all stated requirements across all specified service areas.

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Request for Information - RFI_ Drinking Water Recompete.pdf	PDF	Oct 15, 2026

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Sheet1

Question & Answers: RFI Extended Shelf Life Water
Question No.	Referenced Text	Question	Answer
1	Page Limits	The RFI sets a 15-page limit (excluding one cover page) and also a 10-page limit for responses to the questions. Should the full submission be one cover page plus no more than 10 pages, or may the remaining pages under the 15-page limit hold additional non-promotional content?	Limit the responses to 10 pages (excluding the cover page).
2	Unit of Measure	The Special Requirement directs that water counts be reported in liters, while Question 3A lists bottles, cases, truckloads, and gallons as example units. Should all figures be reported only in liters, or may vendors show case, pallet, and truckload equivalents as secondary units next to the liter figures?	Show both. Liters as the primary with their preferred method as secondary.
3	Delivery Assumptions	For Questions 3A through 3C, what delivery destinations, distance assumptions, or delivery terms (for example, FOB destination to a FEMA Distribution Center or Incident Support Base) should vendors use when calculating capacity?	Use the following locations to determine your capacity and sustaibability. These locations do not encompass all possible delivery locations. Ft. Campbell, KY; Maxwell AFB, MS; Ft. Lee, VA; Baton Rouge, LA; March ARB, CA; Ft Bragg, NC; Seguin, TX
4	OCONUS Locations	For Question 4, which OCONUS locations should vendors prioritize (for example, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, CNMI, American Samoa)?	We do not prioritize locations. Vendors must have the capabilities to support all OCONUS locations where FEMA has a distribution center (Hawaii, Guam, & Puerto Rico).
5	Product Specifications	Should vendors assume particular container sizes, case and pallet configurations, labeling requirements, or water quality standards for each water type? For the 10-year extended shelf-life product, does FEMA expect any specific documentation to support the shelf-life claim?	Yes, there are certain specifications vendors must adhere. These specifications will be outlined in the statement of work.
6	Multiple Disaster Response	For Question 3D, how many concurrent events and delivery locations should vendors assume? What event starts the guaranteed response-time clock (task order issuance, receipt, or acceptance)?	At a minimum, two delivery locations. The response time starts from the moment of delivery order award.
7	Vendor Managed Inventory	For Question 8, should storage capacity separate inventory dedicated to FEMA from shared commercial inventory? Does FEMA have expectations for inventory ownership, stock rotation, or replenishment triggers?	Inventory can comingle with commercial inventory. Any inventory procured by FEMA will belong to FEMA. It is the expectation that the vendor will rotate inventory as it nears its use of life. FEMA will determine the replenishment levels.
8	Teaming	May a respondent describe the combined capabilities of its team, including production, warehousing, and transportation provided by subcontractors or supply partners, as long as each team member's role is identified?	Yes.
9	Small Business Eligibility	The notice lists a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS 312112. For the anticipated recompete, would the nonmanufacturer rule apply to a small business prime that supplies water produced by a partner manufacturer? Should respondents include any size or socioeconomic documentation with the RFI response?	Yes, generally. If the requirement is a supply procurement assigned NAICS 312112, Bottled Water Manufacturing, and the small-business prime will furnish water produced by another company, the prime is generally acting as a nonmanufacturer. The SBA nonmanufacturer rule would therefore apply unless SBA has issued an applicable waiver. This is not a solicitation at this point, we are simply canvasing the market in preparation of our requirement.
10	Pricing	Does FEMA want budgetary or rough order of magnitude pricing in this RFI response? If so, what quantity ranges, units, and delivery terms should vendors use?	FEMA did not request any pricing information within this RFI.
11		Does FEMA anticipate considering organizations that specialize in procurement, fulfillment, and distribution rather than manufacturing bottled water?	FEMA will consider companies that can meet the requirements outlined in the SOW.
12		Can a prime contractor perform services directly while subcontracting portions of the work when needed?	Yes. The prime must comply with the applicable limitations on subcontracting.
13		Are there specific eligibility requirements or subcontracting limitations for nonprofit organizations interested in pursuing this opportunity?	Yes. Nonprofit organizations have specific eligibility considerations under federal contracting regulations.
14	Anticipated Acquisition Strategy	Does FEMA anticipate conducting the resulting procurement as a full and open competition, a small-business set-aside, or another acquisition structure? If a small-business set-aside is contemplated, is FEMA considering the applicability of the SBA nonmanufacturer rule or an associated waiver?	We anticipate conducting the resulting procurement as a small business set-aside but that decision is still being considered .
15	Prime Contractor and Manufacturing Partnerships	Will FEMA consider responses from qualified small businesses serving as prime contractors responsible for contract administration, logistics coordination, and compliance while partnering with an established bottled water manufacturer for production, inventory, and distribution?	See response to question #9 above regarding nonmanufacturer rule.
16	Production and Delivery Capabilities	For the requested production and delivery quantities, may respondents present capabilities supported by their proposed manufacturing and logistics partners, provided those capabilities and operational assumptions are clearly identified?	Yes.
17	Emergency Delivery Requirements	For the first 24-hour emergency response scenario, should respondents assume delivery to designated FEMA distribution centers, or should capabilities also account for direct delivery to disaster-affected locations?	FEMA distribution centers, pre-established staging locations, and/or the disaster affected location/s.
18	Geographic Coverage	For Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) delivery capabilities, is FEMA primarily evaluating service to U.S. states and territories outside the continental United States, or should respondents also address international disaster-response locations?	Service to CONUS, OCONUS, and U.S. territories.
19	Anticipated Procurement Timeline	Has FEMA established a tentative timeline for the next phases of this procurement, including the release of a formal solicitation, proposal submission period, and anticipated contract awards?	Tentatively, early January 2027.
20	Production ramp-up and lead time	What lead time, if any, does FEMA anticipate providing between contract award and the start of required deliveries to allow contractors and manufacturers to ramp up production for anticipated Year 1 quantities? Will FEMA provide estimated quantities and an initial ordering schedule before performance begins?	Requirement arises -> solicitation issued -> responses due -> awardee chosen -> POP begins. During steady state, the awardee has 30 days from date of award to complete the delivery order. During emergency response, the awardee must have the capability to provide 900,000 liters of water per day within 24 hours of award per delivery order.
21	Veteran-Owned Small Business participation	Is FEMA considering a partial set-aside for certified Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs)? If so, how would that certification affect participation or evaluation?	FEMA is contemplating a total small business set-aside procurement but that decsion is not final.
22	Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business participation	Is FEMA considering a partial set-aside for certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs)? If so, how would that certification affect participation or evaluation?	FEMA is contemplating a total small business set-aside procurement but that decsion is not final.
23	Distributor participation and prime contractor eligibility	The RFI identifies NAICS 312112, Bottled Water Manufacturing. Horizon Enterprises would serve as the distributor and prospective prime contractor, coordinating orders, delivery, and contract administration, while our manufacturing partner would produce and supply the water. May Horizon respond to the RFI using our manufacturing partner’s documented product specifications, inventory, and production capabilities? For the anticipated solicitation, does FEMA expect distributors to be eligible as prime contractors, and what manufacturer authorization or commitment documentation would be required? Please also clarify whether FEMA anticipates a nonmanufacturer-rule waiver.	Yes. RFI responses may include subcontractor capabilities provided that the prime clearly identifies which capabilities belong to the prime contractor and which belong to the manufacturing partners. Regarding manufacturer see response to question #9 above.
24	Product samples	Would FEMA accept samples of our proposed canned drinking water for review as part of this market research? If so, please provide the designated recipient, shipping address, preferred quantity and package sizes, required labeling or documentation, and any submission deadline.	FEMA Distribution Management Division c/o Supply Chain Integration Branch 500 C. Street, SW Washington, DC 20472
25		Is FEMA interested in capabilities for on-site water generation, as a complement to packaged water delivery? If so, would the Agency prefer that such capabilities be described under the "Other, please specify" line in Section 1, or in another part of the response?	No.
26	Acceptable bottle sizes and packaging	Will 1-gallon HDPE and PET bottles be considered under the anticipated procurement? If so, are there anticipated requirements for case counts, pallet configurations, pallet types, labeling, and remaining shelf life at delivery?	No.
27	Regional participation	Will FEMA consider manufacturers that can support selected continental U.S. regions or destinations without requiring them to serve all CONUS and OCONUS locations?	No.
28	Product-specific participation	May vendors participate solely as suppliers of conventional bottled water, or would each awardee be expected to provide canned water and 10-year extended-shelf-life water as well?	Awardees must be able to provide canned, 10-year extended shelf-life, and bottledwater.
29	Award categories	Does FEMA anticipate structuring awards by product type, package size, geographic region, or supplier capacity? Could a manufacturer qualify for a defined portion of the requirement based on its demonstrated capabilities?	FEMA will consider companies that can meet the requirements outlined in the SOW.
30	Transportation and warehouse partners	The RFI requests information about contracted transportation. For companies relying on trucking providers or third-party warehouse partners, what level of partner identification, supporting documentation, or commitment is requested at the RFI stage?	Identify/state that your company will have to contract transportation services and answer the remaining questions as appropriate.
31	Emergency delivery assumptions	For the first-24-hour and Days 2–14 delivery estimates, should vendors assume deliveries to FEMA distribution centers or staging locations, or directly to locations within disaster-affected areas? Are there specific destinations or planning regions FEMA would like vendors to use?	Use the following locations to determine your capacity and sustaibability. These locations do not encompass all possible delivery locations. Ft. Campbell, KY; Maxwell AFB, MS; Ft. Lee, VA; Baton Rouge, LA; March ARB, CA; Ft Bragg, NC; Seguin, TX
32	Vendor-managed inventory	Does FEMA anticipate requiring vendor-managed inventory or prepositioned stock from every awardee, or could manufacturers participate through production and delivery capabilities without maintaining dedicated FEMA inventory?	Vendor Management Inventory is optional
33	Anticipated contract structure	Does FEMA anticipate a multiple-award IDIQ procurement, and is the total small-business set-aside identified in the current notice expected to carry forward to the solicitation?	Yes to multiple-award but the set-aside is still flexible pending the results of the ongoing market research
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File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Oct 22, 2026.