Questions and Answers 001_0002.pdf

Questions and Answers 70FBR427R00000001

Questions are annotated by # with the Answer below.

1. Is there an instruction to offer for this solicitation?

Answer: FAR Provision 52.212-1 has been added.

2. Is there the criteria for evaluations for an award?

Answer: See Amendment 0001 - Changes, uploaded the - Proposal Attachment 10 Evaluation Factors for Award. Amendment 0002 has the updated criteria for evaluations titled in Attachment(s)

2 .2.1 Evaluation Factors for Award - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Updated Instructions

2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 2 APPENDIX - Weapons Roster - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Added column of Prime or Subcontractor

2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 3 APPENDIX - Pricing Proposal - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Added TAB: FAR Clause 52.216-31 o Updated TAB: Schedule

2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 5 Technical Evaluation Document -PSO Document List - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Added column of Prime or Subcontractor

3. Is this a new contract?

Answer: Yes.

4. Is there going to be a standard form 1449 to sign?

Answer: 1449 has been uploaded to sam.gov and will need signed.

5. Small Business and Geographic Eligibility: The solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside and includes the disaster-area representation requirements under FAR 52.226-3. May a small-business prime contractor headquartered outside Florida submit a proposal using an established Florida-based, licensed security subcontractor? Must the prime independently satisfy the Florida local-area requirements, or may the subcontractor's Florida operations and experience be considered in determining eligibility?

Answer: No. A Florida-based subcontractor’s location and experience may support the prime contractor’s proposed performance approach, but they do not independently satisfy the prime offeror’s representations under FAR 52.226-3. A small-business prime located outside Florida may submit a proposal only if it can truthfully make all required disaster-area representations and comply with FAR 52.219-14 and 13 CFR

125.6 limitations on subcontracting. The prime contractor must perform the required share of the work (50%) and may not use a subcontractor arrangement to circumvent small-business or disaster-area eligibility requirements.

No. A prime contractor headquartered outside Florida would not meet that requirement merely by teaming with or subcontracting to a Florida-based firm.

6. Security Agency Licensing: Is the prime contractor required to independently possess a Florida security agency license, or may it fulfill the operational licensing requirements through a properly licensed Florida Class B security agency subcontractor performing the armed security services?

Answer: Yes, the Prime Contractor must hold the required Florida Security Agency License (Class B).

7. Subcontractor Qualifications and Past Performance: May the prime contractor rely on its proposed security subcontractor's relevant federal security experience, personnel qualifications, and past performance to demonstrate technical capability? Will subcontractor references be considered in the technical evaluation?

Answer: No. The prime contractor may not rely exclusively or predominantly on a proposed security subcontractor’s past performance, personnel qualifications, or security-company experience to establish the prime contractor’s technical capability. The prime must demonstrate its own relevant experience and capacity to manage and perform a meaningful portion of the required services.

Subcontractor qualifications may be identified only as supporting information for the proposed team; they will not replace the prime contractor’s own qualifications or past performance. An arrangement in which the prime serves principally as a pass-through while the subcontractor performs the substantive security functions would not meet the Government’s requirement for meaningful prime-contractor performance and may raise compliance concerns under FAR 52.219-14 and 13 CFR 125.6.

8. Required Personnel: The PWS identifies seven primary officers and four standby officers across Fort Myers and Lake Mary. Are the four standby officers required to remain exclusively dedicated to this contract, or may they support other assignments provided they remain available when needed?

Answer: The four standby officers may support other assignments provided they remain available when needed.

9. Estimated Labor Hours: Please confirm whether the 19,925.5 estimated base-year hours and 3,440 option-period hours in the pricing schedule represent anticipated billable hours for the seven primary positions only, or whether they include standby, relief, or other staffing requirements.

Answer: The hours only represent the anticipated billable hours of PSOs working at the facilities. Not standby PSOs.

10. Operating Schedules: Are the identified guard posts expected to operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, or will FEMA provide specific operating schedules and shift requirements for each location?

Answer:

See 2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 3 APPENDIX - Pricing Proposal - Amendment 0002 – 20261026. Go to TAB: Schedule, that is the anticipated schedule.

The Program Office will then issue Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order Form for location, dates, and times to have the Level II Armed Protective Officers performance that may decrease or increase the hours.

o Site 1 – Office Ft. Myers – 12651 Gateway Blvd, Ft. Myers, FL 33913 o 3 x PSO, with 2 on standby (5 total).

o Hours at this time: 06:30 – 17:00 (10.5 Hours) o Site 2 – Office Lake Mary – 701 International Pkwy, Lake Mary, FL 32746 o 4 x PSO Primary, with 2 on standby (6 total) o Hours at this time: 06:30 – 17:30 (11 Hours)

11. Task Orders and Additional Locations: If FEMA requires services at additional Florida locations, will staffing levels, hours, and any associated mobilization requirements be established through separate task orders or contract modifications?

Answer: The Program Office will then issue Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order Form for location, dates, and times to have the Level II Armed Protective Officers performance that may decrease or increase the hours depending on urgency.

If a new disaster occurs, FEMA may utilize Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order through the result of this solicitation/contract, a modification, or a new contract. That is to be determined.

12. Overtime Billing: Does the pricing structure permit separate regular and overtime hourly billing rates? Specifically, may authorized overtime exceeding 40 hours per employee per workweek be billed at 1.5 times the contractor's regular hourly rate?

Answer: No overtime billing is not authorized. In accordance with FAR Subpart 22.101-2 Overtime:

Contractors must perform all contracts, so far as practicable, without using overtime, particularly as regular employment practice, except when lower overall costs to the Government will result or when it is necessary to meet urgent program needs. Any approved overtime, extra-pay shifts, and multishifts should be scheduled to achieve these objectives.

13. Standby Personnel Compensation: Are standby personnel compensated for their availability, or are they billable only when activated and performing security services?

Answer: Only billable when activated and performing security services on this contract.

14. Billing and Payment: Will invoices be submitted monthly based on verified hours worked, and what is the anticipated payment cycle following receipt and acceptance of a properly submitted invoice?

Answer: Invoices will be submitted monthly.

o See 2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 3 APPENDIX - Pricing Proposal - Amendment 0002 – 20261026.

Go to TAB: Invoice #.

o This tab would be a projection.

o The Program Office will then issue Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order Form for location, dates, and times to have the Level II Armed Protective Officers performance that may decrease or increase the hours. The Schedule and Invoice will be adjusted.

o The Awardee of the Contractor performing will utilize FAR Subpart 2.10 Assignment and Sign-in, Attachment 10 - GSA Form 139, Level II Armed Protective Security Officers Duty Register to validate performance. This is submitted weekly and with the Invoice.

15. Florida security-agency licensing: Must the prime offeror hold its own Florida security-agency license at proposal submission, or may a licensed security subcontractor satisfy this requirement? If teaming is permitted, which licensing documents must each company submit?

Answer: Yes. The Prime Offeror must hold its own current and valid Florida security-agency license at the time of proposal submission. A licensed security subcontractor may support the Prime Offeror’s proposed performance, but the subcontractor’s license does not satisfy the Prime Offeror’s licensing requirement.

Teaming and subcontracting are permitted, provided the arrangement complies with all solicitation requirements and applicable small-business subcontracting limitations, including FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting. The Prime Offeror remains responsible for overall contract performance.

Required documentation:

Prime Offeror: Submit a copy of its current, valid Florida security-agency license applicable to the services required under the solicitation.

Proposed security subcontractor(s): Submit a copy of each subcontractor’s current, valid Florida security-agency license applicable to the specific security services it will perform.

Individual personnel licenses or credentials: Submit only if expressly required by the solicitation.

This may include documentation for armed security officers, qualifying agents, instructors, or other personnel where applicable to the proposed role.

Both companies must/shall be registered to perform in Florida.

The FAR provisions and clauses listed below establish the applicable small-business and subcontracting requirements; they do not replace the requirement for the Prime Offeror to independently hold the required Florida security-agency license.

The following FAR Provisions are added:

52.219-1 Small Business Program Representations.

The following FAR Clauses are added:

52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns.

52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting.

52.219-28 Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation.

52.244-2 Subcontracts.

52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

16. Local-area eligibility: Please confirm the documentation required to establish the prime offeror’s

Florida eligibility and whether a Florida subcontractor’s qualifications may be considered.

Subfactor 1 State License Registration. Offeror must provide a copy of the State of Florida

License Registration - https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ByName

Subfactor 2 Security Company/Business License. Offeror must provide the State of Florida’s Security Company/Business License - https://licensing.fdacs.gov/access/agency.aspx o Florida Class "B" License is the official business license issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) required for any person or entity to operate a private security agency or provide security services for consideration

The Prime Contractor must be located within the State of Florida.

o See FAR Provision: 52.226-3 Disaster or Emergency Area Representation.

For example, if the Prime is in Texas and does not have the above licenses. The Prime will be determined to be unresponsive.

17. Startup staffing: May the 11 required guards—seven primary and four standby—be provided through a combination of prime and subcontractor personnel? Must all 11 be identified and fully documented with the proposal, or before performance begins?

The Prime Contract has to perform 50% or more in accordance with the added FAR Clause

52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting.

See https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-125/section-125.6 § 125.6 What are the prime contractor's limitations on subcontracting?

See https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121/subpart-A/subject-group- ECFRd133f03f6d8398b/section-121.103#p-121.103(h) § 121.103 How does SBA determine affiliation?

Yes, the 11 must be identified and fully documented with the proposal.

IAW the performance work statement 2.10.3 All Level II Armed Protective Security Officers must be in Prime Contractor company uniform and ready to begin work promptly at the start of their shift and shall remain on the job and in full company uniform until the end of their full tour of duty. No mix matching uniforms or Prime/Subcontractors.

18. Standby requirements: Are standby hours billable? Please specify required availability, duty location, response time, and whether standby personnel must remain onsite.

Answer: Standby personnel will not be retained onsite. Standby personnel are not billable hours.

o Site 1 – Office Ft. Myers – 12651 Gateway Blvd, Ft. Myers, FL 33913 o 3 x PSO, with 2 on standby (5 total).

o Hours at this time: 06:30 – 17:00 (10.5 Hours) o Site 2 – Office Lake Mary – 701 International Pkwy, Lake Mary, FL 32746 o 4 x PSO Primary, with 2 on standby (6 total) o Hours at this time: 06:30 – 17:30 (11 Hours) o The Program Office will then issue Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order Form for location,

19. Schedule and quantities: Please confirm the required daily schedules, weekend and holiday coverage, and whether the workbook’s labor-hour quantities are estimates or guaranteed minimums. How should overtime and changes in operating hours be priced?

The Labor-Hour is the current estimate. There is not a guaranteed minimum.

See 2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 3 APPENDIX - Pricing Proposal - Amendment 0002 – 20261026. Go to TAB: Schedule, that is the anticipated schedule.

The Program Office will then issue Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order Form for location, Overtime is not paid for by FEMA.

o In accordance with FAR Subpart 22.101-2 Overtime: Contractors must perform all contracts, so far as practicable, without using overtime, particularly as regular employment practice, except when lower overall costs to the Government will result or when it is necessary to meet urgent program needs. Any approved overtime, extra-pay shifts, and multishifts should be scheduled to achieve these objectives.

20. Option period: The PWS describes a two-month option, but the pricing workbook shows

November 16–December 31, 2027. Please confirm the intended dates and provide a corrected workbook, including any necessary formula corrections.

Answer: The dates are correct. FEMA understands that it isn’t the full two months.

21. Wage determination: Please provide the applicable wage determination or determinations, including required wages and fringe benefits for both locations.

Answer: The two following wage determinations have been added to the solicitation in Amendment

Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4529 – State Florida – County Lee – Revision 32 – Published 20260826

Service Contract Act WD # 2015-4553 – State Florida – County Seminole– Revision 35 – Published 20260821

The following FAR Clauses have been added:

52.222-40 Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act 52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards—Price

Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts)

22. Personnel suitability: Does the PWS’s stated 120-day disaster waiver apply to this procurement?

What approvals and documentation are required before personnel may begin work, and what processing time should offerors allow?

Answer: Due to the current disaster; which has exceeded 120 days. The waiver is not applicable in this requirement. The PWS is not updated due to potential future disasters.

23. Additional locations and equipment: Which statewide deployment costs and supplemental items—including vehicles, guard shacks, and fencing—must be included in the hourly rate? How will additional locations or equipment be authorized and compensated?

Answer: Vehicles, Guard Shacks, and Fencing are not required in the hourly rate. If additional locations are needed. It will usually occur during the beginning of the disaster. FEMA will see if the offeror who is awarded the contract can perform. An additional CLIN is usually added to account for it.

The additional locations would be utilizing Attachment 01 - Guard Task Order Form to annotate the location and what is needed. When it comes to additional equipment such as vehicles, guard shacks, and fencing, that is a separate CLIN and would be requested. That would be negotiated before the modification is added to the contract, adding the funding and CLIN for the requested added items and compensation.

24. Financial responsibility: Please confirm how the required one-month financial capacity will be calculated and which supporting documents are acceptable.

Answer: For example, 12 months on the base CLIN, the offeror proposes $1.2 million. The required one-month financial capacity/capability would be $100,000. The supporting document for Financial Responsibility is: 2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 6 Determination of Finance Responsibility

25. Past-performance questionnaires: Attachment 4 directs customer submission to the Contracting

Officer, while Attachment 10 requests completed questionnaires with the proposal. Should references submit directly, should offerors include the completed forms, or are both required?

Answer: The Proposal and all attachmentsto the proposal shall/must be submitted to the Contracting Officer at one time.

26. Missing attachments and submission instructions: Please provide the PWS-referenced attachments that were not included in the package and confirm the controlling proposal checklist, submission recipients, and page limits where instructions differ.

1. Document Incorporation: Ammendment 0001 - The following documents are hereby added and incorporated into the solicitation package:

02.1.1 Sol_70FBR427R00000001

Proposal Attachment 10 Evaluation Factors for Award

2. See updated attachments in Amendment 0002:

2 .2.1 Evaluation Factors for Award - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Updated Instructions

2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 2 APPENDIX - Weapons Roster - Amendment 0002 –

20261026 o Added column of Prime or Subcontractor

2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 3 APPENDIX - Pricing Proposal - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Added TAB: FAR Clause 52.216-31 o Updated TAB: Schedule

2.2.1 Proposal Attachment 5 Technical Evaluation Document -PSO Document List - Amendment 0002 – 20261026 o Added column of Prime or Subcontractor

27. Submission method: Attachment 10 indicates proposals are submitted by email to you at mimie.preston@fema.dhs.gov. Would you please confirm that is the correct and only submission route?

Answer: Proposal submissions shall be submitted to the following email address:

mimie.preston@fema.dhs.gov It is the only submission route.

28. SAM.gov registration: Redacted submitted its SAM.gov entity registration on October 25, 2026

(Redacted); validation and activation are in process. Does FAR 52.204-7 Alternate I apply to this solicitation, and will an offeror whose registration is submitted and pending activation be considered eligible at proposal submission?

Answer: FAR Clause 52.204-7 - System for Award Management—Registration (DEVIATION DATE) has been added.

“Active” The Offeror shall have an active Federal Government contracts registration in the System for

Award Management (SAM) when submitting an offer or quotation in response to this solicitation and at the time of award.

29. Is there anything further you would like offerors to know at this stage — for example, whether answers to questions will be issued by amendment, or anything about how you would like the proposal package organized?

Answer: Amendment 0002 will have the Questions and Answers posted due to the questions received.

FEMA will answer the remaining Questions and Answers by the specific date: The reason Amendment 0002 is to mitigate duplicated questions. See Amendment 0001 and 0002 for updates to the solicitation.

30. The SF 1449, Block 8, lists the offer due date as 11/2/2026 at 1430 ET. Proposal Attachment 10, Evaluation Factors for Award, lists the due date as October 28, 2026 at 2:30 PM ET. Please confirm which date controls. Please also confirm whether FEMA will accept additional questions, since Attachment 10 set the question deadline for today at 12:00 PM ET.

Questions are due: Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 14:30 PM ET.

Proposals are due: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 14:30 PM ET