Amendment 1 - Questions and Answers QA Round 1.pdf

FDA Facility Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Support services at the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR)

Questions and Answers (Q&A) – Round 1

7/2/2026

1. Appendix XIV, Page 24 of 99 - What year of the contract (Base and Options) will the 6-year Fire Extinguisher Maintenance be required?

Answer: Maintenance consists of hydro testing and will be required in option year one period of performance.

2. SECTION 16, Environmental Monitoring and Control Systems, 16.1 General states:

“The existing building automation system consist of Siemens Desigo CC system”. It continues with “Work station, computer server hardware, and software are maintained by both the government and the Contractor”. Who is responsible for the costs to perform software and/or hardware updates? How often are software and/or hardware updates performed?

Answer: The Contractor handles minor software updates and the government funds more extensive upgrades. Recent historical data indicates approximately every 24 months for software and/or hardware updates.

3. Appendix 5 identifies a subcontractor Powers of Arkansas. Is the SP to subcontract with Powers of Arkansas for updates for software and hardware?

Answer: Yes, Contractor is to contract with Powers for this service. Hardware is updated every three years.

4. SECTION 7, Waterpumping, Treatment, Storage and Distribution, page 42 and page 43 identifies Location and Average Gallons/Month for DI/RO water systems to be maintained. Building 53C-211 was not listed. Is this location to be maintained by the contractor? If, so what is the estimated water usage?

Answer: This room was inadvertently left out, it is required and uses approximately 20 gallons annually. Added to Amendment 1- Attachment J-1 - Performance Work Statement.

5. Section 11, Electrical Plant and Distribution, page 49 states “A spring and fall full building Center wide generator load test are required”. Section 14, Preventative Maintenance Program, Page 53, states “The Contractor shall be responsible for maintenance, both PM and as needed for all emergency generator located on campus. This shall include annual load testing and fuel costs for normal operation and maintenance, not to include emergency use”. Is the contractor to provide load testing of generators one time per year or twice a year? Will the contractor be responsible for the fuel costs for exercising the generators once a month?

Answer: Once per year, using load testing equipment. Yes, Contractor should budget for 100 gal annually for exercising the generators once a month.

6. What is the historical annual diesel usage in gallons for load testing and monthly exercising of generators?

Answer: 100 annually

7. Section 14.1, Preventative Maintenance Program, page 53, states: “The Contractor will be responsible for all maintenance, both PM and as needed on all government owned heavy equipment in the possession of the O & M contractor. The Contractor will also be responsible for providing fuel for heavy equipment”. Please provide a complete list of government provided equipment and the average annual fuel usages for this equipment.

Answer: List of heavy equipment added to Page 156 of Amendment 1 - Attachment J-3 Appendix VII Equipment List. Estimated 300 gallons fuel usage annually.

8. Section 3, Craft Shop Services, 3.3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Shop Services, Page 37, States “This shop installs new or repaired component and performs complex modifications of systems and components in accordance with applicable electrical publications and directives and will maintain and repair specialized laboratory equipment such as fume hoods, de-ionized water systems, bio-clean systems, vacuum systems, cascade refrigeration systems, and laboratory sinks”. Is the Facility Maintenance Contractor responsible for all specialized laboratory equipment at the facility. If so, we need a complete listing by building of all equipment with equipment descriptions.

Answer: The Contractor will not maintain or repair specialized lab equipment with the exception of DI Water Systems and Fume Hoods.

9. Section 4, Maintenance, Alteration and Repair of Building Equipment, and Structures, 4.1, General states “The Contractor will be responsible for troubleshooting Daikin Air units located in Building 14. Maintenance and repair expenses are not included in this.” Does this mean the government or contractor is responsible for the costs associated with the Daikin Air units? Please, clarify the statement Maintenance and repair expenses are not included in this.

Answer: The Contractor shall include costs for Daikin technicians to troubleshoot and diagnose problems. Historically three visits annually have covered these diagnoses. Parts and labor for repairs if required would be covered under a work order.

10. Section 9, Grounds Maintenance, page 46, 9.3.9 Clean -up, states “Removal of wild geese as needed”. We have reviewed the Migratory Treaty Act which includes Canadian Geese. Under 50 CFR Part 21 the contractor would be unable to remove geese as they are protected. Please advise how the contractor would address removal of wild geese as needed.

Answer: The Government expects the contractor to propose workable solutions to performance challenges, not simply identify roadblocks. The Contractor shall request permit through appropriate state agency to net and remove during molting period up to three times annually. This will occur during the summer months.

11. Section 9, Grounds Maintenance, page 45, 9.3.1 Lawn Maintenance, identifies the areas for irrigation in Appendix XI. There is no reference to building 2. Is the contractor to provide irrigation repairs and maintenance for this facility? Is the contractor to provide fertilization for this facility during the growing season?

Answer: Yes, Building 2 has been added to Amendment 1 - Attachment J-1 - Performance Work Statement. This is a new facility.

12. Attachment 2, Appendix 2, Page 4 of 163 - Will Building 2 maintenance and repair services be included in the contract? If so, please provide an equipment listing, to include pumps, generators, chillers, motors and preventative maintenance schedules on equipment.

Answer: Yes, Building 2 equipment added to Amendment 1 - Attachment J-2 Appendix II and III Descriptions of Existing Facilities and Utilities.

13. What are the warranties for pumps, generators, chillers, motors etc. Will the contractor be responsible for Eddy Current testing of the chillers?

Answer: O&M manuals will be available; each piece of equipment has a different warranty. If the equipment is out of warranty, the repair will be at government expense.

14. 3.3 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, Shop Services, Page 37 of 99 - Is the contractor responsible for all fume hood certifications for laboratories at the facility?

Answer: Yes, fume hood certification and biohazard cabinet certifications.

15. Various Sections: 3.1, 4.1, 10.4 mentions “doors”. Automatic entrance doors require specialized proprietary equipment to troubleshoot when not working (Approximately 22 doors center wide). Will the contractor be reimbursed for the initial trouble-shooting of these automatic doors? Is the contractor reimbursed for subcontracting with the door vendor (IDIQ) or will the government contract directly with the automatic door vendor?

Answer: Contractor shall include costs to cover 20 troubleshooting visits annually.

16. If specialized equipment, such as a crane, is required to remove/replace equipment on a roof, is this reimbursed under the IDIQ portion of the contract?

Answer: Depends on the cost, it will be covered as a P Card order unless cost limits are exceeded. At that time, it would need to be a Task Order to the existing IDIQ portion of the contract.

17. Section L-5, Part III – Past Performance / Section M-3 – Recent and Relevant Past Performance: Section L-5 refers to the relevancy of “completed contracts,” while Section M-3 states that recent past performance includes contracts “completed or substantially completed” within three years prior to the solicitation closing date. To ensure consistent proposal preparation, support full and open competition within the small business set-aside, and provide the Government the most complete basis for assessing performance risk, will the Government please confirm that offerors may submit ongoing contracts where the reference can evaluate performance to date. In addition, will the Government also please confirm that offerors may submit past performance for affiliated companies and proposed major subcontractors when the proposal identifies the performing entity, its relationship to the offeror, its role on the proposed team, and the relevance of the work to this requirement?

Answer: For purposes of this solicitation, offerors may submit contracts that are completed or substantially completed within three (3) years prior to the solicitation closing date. Ongoing contracts may be submitted if the offeror meets the "substantially completed" threshold and the customer is able to evaluate the offeror's performance to date. For this solicitation, "substantially completed" means that the offeror has successfully performed at least ten (10) months of the period of performance in effect as of the solicitation closing date (whether the base period or applicable option period) for the referenced contract. For example, if the contract is currently in its base period, at least ten (10) months of the base period must have been completed. If the contract is currently in an option period, at least ten (10) months of that option period must have been completed. See Attachment:

Amendment 1 - Sol Doc

With respect to past performance submitted for affiliated companies or proposed subcontractors, the solicitation requires offerors to submit their past performance in accordance with Section L-5. The Government will evaluate past performance in accordance with the criteria set forth in Section M-3, which are based on the offeror's record of recent and relevant past performance. Offerors should prepare their proposals consistent with the solicitation instructions and evaluation criteria.

18. Will the Government please provide a complete equipment list/inventory, including Government-furnished equipment, tools, test equipment, vehicles, and cafeteria equipment applicable to this requirement

Answer: Equipment lists are provided in Attachment J-3 Appendix VII

19. PWS 9.3.6, page 45: Will the Government please clarify if the contractor responsible for maintenance of the solar panels referenced, or any other photovoltaic systems on site? If so, will the Government please provide quantities and specs (make, model, serial number, etc.) on the corresponding equipment?

Answer: Solar panels are inoperative and do not receive maintenance other than grounds maintenance.

20. Attachment J-2, page 3: Will the Government please clarify the contractor’s responsibility for EMCS/DDC systems? Attachment J-2 states that systems are monitored by Siemens Apogee, Johnson Metasys, or Trane Tracer Summit and that some values are programmed by Government EMCS staff. What tasks are contractor-performed versus Government-performed?

Answer: The EMCS system is operated by Contractor employees. Monitoring occurs 24/7/365. The government has ownership and oversight of the systems but day-to-day operations are performed by contract employees.

21. The Performance Work Statement mentions in Section 1.2.6 Affirmative Procurement of Bio-based Products for Operations and Maintenance Services, that the “Contractor shall submit with the initial proposal a complete list of biobased Products…of this contract.” However, in SECTION L – INSTRUCTION, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS does not mention the addition of the biobased information in any of the three parts of the proposals to be submitted to the Government. Please clarify if the biobased information is required in any of the proposals.

Answer: List of biobased is not required to be submitted with initial proposals.

See: Amendment 1 – Attachment J-1 - Performance Work Statement