Solicitation Questions_Responses_20Jan2026.pdf

70Z08426RDL950003

SOLICITATION QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

1. Who are the decision makers on the committee who will evaluate proposals? In accordance with

Federal procurement regulations and to ensure the integrity and fairness of the evaluation process, the Government does not disclose the identities, titles, or specific roles of the individuals serving on the Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB) or committee.

2. Is a performance bond required for this project? If yes, how much? A performance bond is not required for this project.

3. Please provide an employee seniority list with position, date of hire and current hourly rate. We want to ensure all employees are maintained at their current rates or higher. The Government cannot provide a seniority list or the specific hourly rates of the incumbent contractor's employees, as this information is considered proprietary to the incumbent.

4. Please provide an employee schedule with position, hourly rate and numbers of hours scheduled per week. The Government cannot provide the incumbent contractor’s specific staffing schedule, as this information is considered proprietary to the incumbent and part of their technical approach.

5. Is it a requirement of the USCGA that employees are employed by the Prime Vendor? Or is it permissible to have them employed by a Sub Vendor? It is permissible for personnel to be employed by a subcontractor. However, the Prime Contractor remains solely responsible for all contract performance and for ensuring all personnel, regardless of their employer, meet every requirement of the solicitation.

6. Is there a multi-employer pension plan as part of the CBA. If yes, please clarify the financial requirements. Pursuant to federal regulations, the incumbent's Collective Bargaining Agreement

(CBA) has been provided as an attachment, and the Government is not a party to this agreement.

7. Please confirm the number of service days for cadets during the academy year. Cadets are here all year except for two weeks during Christmas break

8. Please confirm the number of service days for cadets during Swab Summer. Swab summer lasts approximately 7 weeks

9. Please confirm the number of service days annually for those eating in All Hands Dining Room. All hands dining facility is open all year except for two weeks during the Christmas break

10. How many patients on average receive meals at the Health Care Facility? Less than 10 a day

11. Of the total Cadet enrollment how many participate at breakfast on the weekends? Refer to attachment 5 2024-2025 estimations for historical estimations.

12. Of the total Cadet enrollment how many participate at lunch on the weekends? Refer to attachment 5

2024-2025 estimations for historical estimations.

13. Of the total Cadet enrollment how many participate at dinner on the weekends? Refer to attachment

5 2024-2025 estimations for historical estimations.

14. Who owns the food service equipment – See PWS tech exhibit 3C

15. Who owns the smallwares - See PWS page 27 3c

16. Who is responsible for replacing smallwares - See PWS tech exhibit 3C

17. What is the current cadet enrollment? As of 20 Jan 2026 - 1088

18. How many points of service are open per meal period in the Cadet Wardroom servery? 2/3 of the servery lines are opened during a normal buffet meal

19. Are cadets allowed to skip meals? If yes, what are the parameters of this allowance? school week meals are generally mandatory unless student have prior obligations or authorization for absence.

This is subject to change.

20. Are linen table clothes used at all family style meals for both the Wardroom and All Hands Dining

Facility? Yes

21. Does the USGCA have a supply of table linen or is that to be procured by the FSMC? This is the responsibility of the FSMC

22. Does the USCGA own the employee uniforms or FSMC? This is the responsibility of the FSMC

23. Per Sections 5.2.16.2 (Uniforms) and 7.3.10 (Uniforms and Appearance), female employees are required to wear black skirts and stockings for both special functions and daily operations. This requirement appears to impose a gender-specific dress code. Will this requirement be revised via amendment to allow for a gender-neutral uniform standard? See revision 2 of the PWS.

24. Per Section 2.3 (Academy Facility Operation), breakfast service in the Cadet Wardroom is described as family-style. Please confirm whether breakfast service will remain family-style or if a buffet-style service is anticipated. This will be coordinated with USCGA staff.

25. Per the RFQ, the resulting contract includes the Limitations on Subcontracting clause (FAR 52.219-

14). Please confirm whether this requirement will apply regardless of whether the contract is awarded to a Blind Vendor. Not required for RSA; a subcontracting plan is.

26. Please provide the sign-in sheets for the site walkthroughs conducted on January 7th at 8:00 a.m. and

January 9th at 1:00 p.m. at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The government will not be releasing the sign-in sheets for the site walkthroughs. This information is considered Source Selection Information under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101 and its release is restricted under FAR 3.104.

27. Per CLIN 00007 and subsequent years, paper products are required for USCGA food services patrons. When are paper products utilized, and why? What type and level of paper products are expected--silverware, plates, bowls, cups, to-go trays, straws, and/or lids? Are Styrofoam options currently being utilized, or does the USCGA prefer/require more eco-friendly/sustainable options?

Paper goods per CLIN 00007 refer to those used for cadets when the dishwasher is down

28. Are beverage stations available for patron use during buffet meals at the CDF (? Are beverage stations available for patron use at the CDF for all meals? Yes

29. Historically, what percentage of patrons take seconds? This is not an available metric.

30. Are Headcount/Cashier personnel required at the CDF for all breakfast and lunch family-style meals? Per PWS 5.2.6, the Dinner Buffet clearly requires employees to capture cadet sign-in, but requirements are unclear for the other daily meals. Headcounts are not required for family-style meals.

31. Who determines where patrons are to be seated during Family-Style Meal Service? Is a cashier required to perform such services? USCGA Staff.

32. In which CLIN(s) should the cost of Athletic Training Meals be included? These are under the same

CLIN as a normal meal based on their cost.

33. What type of vehicle is historically utilized for transportation of support services aboard USCGA?

(1) Box truck and (1) van

34. Per the Property Section, 5.3.2, the COR accounts for a 3% return for breakages and shortages of smallwares. What level of loss has the incumbent contractor experienced in the past three years? No estimate available.

35. PWS 7.1 requires the Project Manager to have Collegiate Food Service Experience. Will the government consider adding an alternative qualification for the Project Manager of non-collegiate but high-volume/military recruit and multi-unit food service experience? The govt will not consider an alternative qualification.

36. Please define the number of meal periods and/or number of days associated with each CLIN as outlined in the schedule of prices/B2. CLINs are monthly.

37. Under the schedule of prices/B2, the BASE YEAR of service shows 11 months of service, yet the number of meals associated with each CLIN are the same as the number of meals in OY1-OY4.

Please correct the number of meals that should be accounted for during the base year. See

Amendment 6. The 2024/2025 Estimations are intended to assist in building pricing. Please adjust pricing submission based on estimated provided for 2024/2025 year.

38. Please provide a daily (each calendar day) meal by meal breakdown of headcount for FY24 and FY

25 and the service level provided. The averages provided within the technical exhibits do not allow an outside contractor to estimate labor costs or understand the fluctuating demands of family-style

vs. buffet service and when this switch occurs. The govt will not provide this information.

39. There does not seem to be a CLIN established for Weekend/Holiday(s), Swab Summer Schedule, or

Exam weeks. In which CLIN should bidders price these days of service? Weekend/Holiday(s), Swab Summer Schedule, and Exam weeks do not affect pricing.

40. Are all USCGA Cadets required to dine in and be in attendance on scheduled family-style meal periods? yes

41. Please provide an updated seniority roster for all unionized employees. This is critical for pricing due to varying levels of vacation time, as well as the “longevity premium” cited within Article 15, Section D, which requires the employer to pay a determined amount of money to each employee on an annual basis. To which CLIN should this additional cost be attached? The government will not be releasing the seniority roster, as this may contain sensitive employee information

42. Per the CBA, the union employee is to receive a H&W stipend and may elect to simply be paid in lieu of receiving any type of medical benefits. Please provide the number of incumbent employees who accept the insurance in lieu of the direct payment, as this arrangement requires significant costs to the employer. Pursuant to federal regulations, the incumbent's Collective Bargaining Agreement

(CBA) has been provided as an attachment, and the Government is not a party to this agreement.

43. How will the menu be scored for technical merit, and which of the factors will weigh most in the decision? They are all equally important. See Menu section in Amendment 6.

Creativity Variety Price

44. Please provide the current CLIN rates., which would allow bidders to benchmark each CLIN while designing our offer. Pricing is provided by bidder.

45. Will the government consider extending the due date to 2/09/2026? This additional week would give contractors sufficient time to respond to the intricate contract requirements stated within the solicitation and develop a comprehensive response to the answers provided from the Q&A response.

Extended to 2/2/2026. See solicitation amendment 6 70Z08426RDL9500030006.

46. Are contractors able to or encouraged to provide investment into servery trade-dress, minor enhancements, renovations, or other supporting platforms to improve the dining experience? Please see PWS for requirements of this solicitation.

47. There is no pricing CLIN for the Athletes’ table requirement. Is an Athletes’ menu required as part of the proposal? These meals are priced in the same CLIN as normal meals based on their cost

48. There is no pricing CLIN for patient feeding. Is a patient feeding menu required for as part of the proposal? Yes, and these meals are priced in the same CLIN as normal meals based their on cost

49. Are cadets permitted to leave campus for evening and/or weekend meals? If so, how many meals on average does a cadet miss while off-campus per year? This is not an available metric. See 2024-2025 estimation attachment.

50. Does the contractor have exclusive catering rights for non-contractual/billable functions or events at specified USCGA locations? No

51. For the Banquets Formal Sit-Down (Dinner) Individual Service, can the contractor propose center-of-the-plate items different than the 7 choices listed in CLIN table? See PWS page 22 5.2.16.3

52. Is any equipment in the Wardroom servery and in the All Hands serving line vendor- provided or contractor-owned? See PWS exhibit 3C for government owned equipment

53. Food costs continue to increase year-over-year. As such, should the contractor account for an increase in in food cost for each of the option years? Or is this to be discussed with the client each year? If discussed each year, when does this discussion occur? Are there cost escalation rules to which bidders should adhere? Offerors should price their proposals based on the terms of the solicitation, as a Firm-Fixed-Price. Proposals should include all anticipated costs for the life of the contract.

54. How is the increased cost of labor to be accounted for with the CBA expiring prior to work starting on this contract? Per the terms of the solicitation, the Government is not a party to any Collective

Bargaining Agreement.

55. PWS 5.1.1 Menu Requirements: Does the government require bidders to show how the menus fulfill the Cadet Wardroom menu’s PWS 5.1.1 nutritional checklist? Since the menus provide multiple entrée options for every meal, and since cadets select from within these options, it is not possible to demonstrate within the menus themselves how the menu items fulfill the requirements checklist. See requirements in PWS.

56. Do proposals need to be submitted through DHS Marketplace? See page 12 of amendment 6.

57. Would the government please consider revising the requirements for Project Manager and Assistant

Project Manager from “collegiate” to “educational,” since the delivery of food service in a collegiate setting is directly relevant to food service in an educational setting? No.

58. PWS 7.1.b requires the Assistant Project Manager to have 5 years of experience managing comparable collegiate food service programs, with 2 years as an APM. Would the government please consider removing the second bullet for this role to require only 2 years as an APM? The second bullet appears to be in conflict with the third bullet and unnecessary. No.

59. Please indicate how many employees take medical, dental and/or vision. Of those, please indicate which plan and which level (single, family, etc.) The Government will not provide a breakdown of incumbent employee benefit elections, as this information is considered proprietary.

60. Would the government consider revising the requirements for the Chef Manager position to allow a substitution of years of relevant experience in lieu of the required two-year degree, similar to the experience substitution permitted for the Project Manager and Assistant Project Manager? Many experienced chefs have not completed any formal education. No.

61. Would you please include the annual Cadet enrollment numbers for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 that correspond to the meal counts in Revision 1 Attachment 6 Technical Exhibits 1-8 There are roughly

1100 cadets – but this number varies a bit each year

62. On Attachment 5 2024-2025 estimations does section 0008, 00009 and 00010 include staff and OCS meals? If not, please clarify which constituents are included in these meal counts. Staff would be included in 0008,0009,0010. OCS would be included in 0001-0007 with the cadets.

63. Pp.29/Sec. 52.212-1 GENERAL: “Submission of proposal shall be completed on SAM.gov.”

Please provide a detailed description of the procedure for completion of proposal submission on

SAM.gov. See Amendment 6, page 12 of the solicitation.

64. STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 11/2021) Block 8 Please confirm Offer Due Date/Local Time is

12:00 PM (noon) on Jan 26th. See amendment 6 deadline.

65. STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 11/2021) Block 6 Would LOG-95 Regional Contracting Office consider extending the proposal due date by one week to February 2nd? See amendment 6 deadline.

66. Schedule of Prices Excel template, RFP Attachment 5_2024-2025 Estimations Amend.05 states, "If a

Phase-In CLIN is not required, the unit price for CLIN 0002 will be multiplied by 12. Additionally, if a Phase-In Period is not required, the Period of Performance will shift to the right by one month, starting at 01 April 2026." In the Schedule of Prices Excel template, the base year CLINs are 11 months in duration but RFP Attachment 5 Estimations document has flat quantities for all 5 years.

For example, 240,869 Breakfast meals are expected in the Wardroom over 11 months in the base period and then the same 240,869 meals in OY1 over 12 months. Please confirm whether the Base

Year quantities must be adjusted to reflect the 11-month period? The 2024/2025 Estimations sheet was provided for historical information and to assist in creating pricing. The base period is 11 months with a 1 month phase in CLIN. See Amendment 6.

67. RFP pg.31/par.2 states that the Required Format for Volume II-Price is Microsoft Excel. RFP pg.32/Volume II–Factor III par. (c) requires, "All supplemental information to support proposed price, to include but not limited to fully burdened labor rates, and estimated level of effort by labor category." Please confirm that the detailed price/cost breakdown and supplemental information to support proposed price, including fully burdened labor rates, estimated level of effort by labor category required, etc., must be submitted in a separate PDF file, in addition to Completed Schedule of Prices Excel workbook. Our current understanding is that Volume II-Factor III Price Proposal is comprised of:-Completed Schedule of Prices – 1x Microsoft Exce-A narrative containing supporting data for the Completed Schedule of Prices – 1x PDF file (multi-page)If accurate, please indicate the page limit of the accompanying narrative file. If this understanding is not accurate, please confirm if

“all supplemental information to support proposed price” should be included in additional tabs in the completed Schedule of Prices Excel file. See proposal page limitations section in solicitation

68. Attachment 2_Past Performance Questionnaire - Respondent section: Question #3, “The contract was IAW (check all that apply)…” For question #3 in the “Respondent” portion of the PPQ form, if the PPQ respondent is not a government entity, how should they answer / select a response? Would writing-in a response, or adding “other” or “NA”, be acceptable? If the respondent for the Past

Performance Questionnaire is a non-governmental entity, they should select "N/A" for Question #3 if the options provided are specific to government regulations.

69. Attachment 3_CBA_Acorn Unite Here CGA_Expires 3.31.26 Are all current hourly workers at the USCGA: (1) Members of UNITE HERE Local 217, and (2) participating in the UNITE HERE

Retirement Fund? The government will not provide information on the union membership status or retirement fund participation of the incumbent contractor's employees.

70. Attachment 5_2024-2025 Estimations-Revision 1_Attachment 1_USCGA Food Service PWS --

5.1.2 Cadet Dining Facility Menu Standards (Pp. 10): “…Family style meals are served Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch, and all other meals are buffet (evening meals and weekends).

Per the meal counts provided for each SLIN (period agnostic) in Attachment 5_2024-2025

Estimations: Family style is served M-F for lunch. Currently, the CG Academy decided to have buffet for breakfast M-F

71. Please confirm whether dinner in the Cadet Wardroom is served both family style [SLIN 00003] and buffet style [00004], and during which days (weeknights M-F and/or Sat-Sun), as the PWS Section

5.1.2 Cadet Dining Facility Menu Standards states family style meals are only served for breakfast and lunch. The Coast Guard Academy command decides which type of meal service

72. What are the estimated quantities for Buffett meals for weekend breakfast and lunch in the Cadet

Wardroom? Are these quantities accounted for under any of the present SLINs? Refer to attachment

5 2024-2025 estimations for historical estimations.

73. Technical Exhibit 7 - Attachment 5_2024-2025 Estimations Per Technical Exhibit #7-Athletic

Training Menu Guide: “Athletic meals are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Please describe how athletic training meals are served in the Cadet Wardroom, both for family-style dining

(breakfast and lunch) and buffet style during optional meal periods (weekday dinners and weekend meals). See PWS page 18 5.2.7.3

74. Are any athletic training meals ever served in the CGDF/All Hands? No

75. What is the current total of hourly food service workers (food prep, cooks, wait staff, etc) for the

USCGA’s two dining halls? Offeror is responsible for determining based on requirements listed in

PWS. It is proprietary, the technical approach.

76. What is the current cost per plate for meals in both the Wardroom and All Hands dining rooms?

There are multiple meal rates depending on the person’s status and whether its in all hands or the wardroom

77. GovWin Federal Tracked Opp 250907: FULL FOOD SERVICES AT THE US COAST GUARD

ACADEMY IN NEW LONDON CT Publicly available government data sources indicate that government spending on the current USCGA food services contract was as follows in the past three years:FY2023: $7.59M FY2024: $9.17M FY2025: $7.75M. Are these figures accurate? If not, would

LOG-95 Regional Contracting Office please provide the government spending range for the current contract for the past five years? This requires a FOIA request.

78. How did food service continue for the cadets during the government shut-down in October-mid

November 2025? Please describe how a Government shutdown would impact food service operations during such a time. Follow the terms and conditions of the contract.

79. What is the possibility of the contract awardee for this opportunity also gaining exclusive catering and concession rights on campus? This does not relate to the requirements in the PWS.

80. Is the USCGA open to discussions on potential food retail opportunities for evening and weekend meals? No.

81. Could you please publish the site visit attendance list for both the January 7th and January 9th site visit? The Government will not be releasing the site visit attendance lists. This information is considered Source Selection Information as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101, and its disclosure is restricted under FAR 3.104 to protect the integrity of the competitive procurement.

82. On page 15 of the solicitation in the bottom of the page paragraph, it states: The award will only be made to an 8(a) concern or an SLA. The solicitation is set aside for Small Business. Please advise.

Reference amendment #2

83. Is there a limit on the number of personnel who can attend from a given company? Reference amendment #2

84. On page 33 of the solicitation, it indicates the PPQ forms are excluded from the 12-page limit for

Factor II, Past Performance. On page 34, paragraph 3, however, it states that “The forms will count toward the Volume I page limit previously described. Reference amendment #3

85. Is there an incumbent and if so what what is the incumbent or old contract number to look. Current contract number is 70Z08421DAA151500.

86. What is the average number of meals provided daily to patients at the

Coast Guard Health Care Facility, and approximately how many patients are typically serviced each day? Typically less than 10 cadets

87. What is the average number of cadets receiving meals in the Cadet Wardroom

(e.g., 500, 700, 1000 cadets)? It varies greatly

88. What is the average number of cadets dining in the Coast Guard Dining Facility

(e.g., 500, 700, 1000 cadets)? It varies greatly

89. For Special Events, what is the estimated average number of cadets or attendees to plan for

(e.g., 500, 700, 1000 participants)? It varies greatly

90. For Formal Banquets, what is the expected average number of cadets or guests served per event? Or, should these quantities be projected based on the full complement of approximately 1,100 cadets? It varies greatly

91. Does the Government anticipate any significant change in cadet enrollment or attendance in the next several years that could affect projected meal volumes? This is not a metric USCGA can predict.

92. Schedule of Prices – We understand the Base Period is 11 months, however, the quantities shown are the same for the Option Periods. Can you confirm this is correct? The base period is 11 months and there is a 1 month phase in CLIN. The option periods are 12 months.

93. Can headcount be broken out by buffet vs. family style? Buffet-style headcounts vary greatly throughout the year. Family style headcount is approximately 1088 currently.

94. Requesting an Academic calendar that reflects feeding report.Is there catering outside of the mess hall, or off campus, that the contractor would be responsible to service? Catering requests vary significantly throughout the year. There is outside catering on campus and off campus at Stonington lodge.

95. Does the contractor need to have its own vehicles such as vans or trucks with a lift gate? Yes

96. During a weather emergency is there lodging for managers and hourly staff on the academy grounds? No

97. Who is responsible for the purchasing of the heavy-duty cleaning equipment, such as floor polishing machines? See PWS page 27 e.

98. How many offices would the contractor occupy? 3

99. When does the current union contract expire? See CBA Attachment.

100. During the times the Academy is closed how are hold overs fed? If fed by the contractor is payment based on a daily rate or is it billed as a catering? If there were hold-overs they would be fed in the same manner as any other time when the Academy is opened

101. Does the Academy have a nutritionist that meets with the contractor and if so, how often? No.

102. Is the contractor responsible to supply a cook to work on any ships going out to sea? No.

103. Is the contractor responsible for providing a POS system at Chase Hall? Yes

104. Is SLA allowed to bid on the contract? Yes

105. Are cadets here throughout the year? Yes, there are cadets here throughout the year except during

Christmas break

106. Are cadets here in the summer? Yes, those going through SWAB summer (new cadets) as well as those here for various training and instructing purposes

107. How large is the OCS class? 70-100 students

108. Is a deep fat fryer used here? Yes, in all hands dining facility and in the main galley

109. Is the contractor responsible for maintenance? The contractor is responsible for minor repairs (ie) sharpening slicer blades. The government is responsible for all major equipment repairs (ie) ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers see PWS page 27 f

110. Who fixes equipment? see PWS page 27 f

111. What times are meals served? see PWS pages 1 & 2

112. Is there a medical inspection required? Yes, Coast Guard health services inspect all foodservice spaces on a weekly basis and provide results to contractor

113. Are credit cards accepted in all hands dining facility? No, all hands dining facility is cash only

114. Who’s responsible for replacing China? see PWS page 27 c

115. Who owns the equipment in the storage rooms? See PWS exhibit 3C for government owned equipment

116. Why are there different meal prices in all hands dining facility? There is a standard and non-standard price depending on your category listed on the meal sign in sheets by the cash register

117. Who is Acorn partnered with right now? The Government does not maintain or provide information regarding an incumbent contractor's specific teaming agreements, partnerships, or subcontracting arrangements under a prior contract. Such arrangements are considered proprietary business information of the incumbent.

118. Are linens used for all meal service? No, just family style service. See PWS Revision #2.

119. Is there a state requirement for bidding on this contract? No

120. Is this a union account? See solicitation CBA attachment.

121. Could we see a list of OOC equipment?

Vertical Rotating oven

Convection Ovens 7 & 8

#4 deep fat fryer

All hands reach in frig

Pulper/Press Machine

Pantry Reach in frig, Ordered but not shipped

122. Is food served in the Muzzy Room the same as the food served in the cadet wardroom? Yes, typically unless otherwise requested

123. How many lockers are available for employees? 80 lockers

124. How much back up food and water do you carry for emergencies? See PWS page 36 d.3

125. What is the clearance height of the loading dock? 13’

126. Could we have a list of inventory owned by the Coast Guard? See PWS tech exhibit 3C