Attachment A - Vendor Questions and Answers - Antenna Maintenance Services - Final.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 29 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Philippines TS - Antenna Maintenance Support
- Solicitation number
- 951700-26-Q-0019
- Issued by
-
US Agency for Global Media
About this file
This is a Vendor Questions and Answers document for USAGM RFQ 951700-26-Q-0019 addressing 60 numbered inquiries submitted by prospective offerors regarding the Philippines Transmitting Station Antenna Maintenance Support contract.
The contract seeks a six-month fixed-price engagement from approximately September 29, 2026 through March 28, 2027 for antenna maintenance support at the U.S. Agency for Global Media facility in Concepcion, Tarlac, Philippines. Minimum staffing requirements include 12 total personnel for antenna maintenance support (minimum three 500-foot-certified tower climbers), two TESDA-certified machinists, and one Philippine-licensed Registered Nurse who must be physically present throughout normal working hours (8:00 AM–4:30 PM). Temporary Additional Services (TAS) are estimated at 100 hours per month, pre-approved by the Contracting Officer's Representative and compensated separately from monthly firm-fixed-price CLINs. Acceptable certifications include SPRAT Work-at-Heights or Philippines DOLE/OSHC Working at Height certifications. Quotes must be submitted in both U.S. dollars and Philippine pesos. The Government furnishes all replacement parts, equipment, materials, machine shop access, Government-furnished property, office and workshop space, utilities, and site-specific safety training. Contractor responsibilities include provision of specified PPE and tools (per SOW Attachment 2), personnel transportation to/from the facility, communications/internet, lodging, meals, and obtaining required local permits (SEC, BIR registration, DOLE/immigration authorization). Work is limited to scope defined in the SOW with no out-of-scope requests authorized; work orders serve as administrative tracking documents only. Personnel submission for security vetting occurs after award, with an approximate 21-day background check window. The previous contract (951700-20-C-0136) ended August 31, 2025, and was awarded to RG Manucduc Construction Services.
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Q&A
| Attachment A- USAGM RFQ 951700-26-Q-0019 | |||||
| Question Number | Document Name | Page | Paragraph / Clause / Citation | Answer | |
| 1 | Request clarification on the required number of hours for the temporary additional services per month? | TAS for this solicitation is estimated at 100 hours per month. | |||
| 2 | Request clarification regarding CLIN 7 – Funding for Exchange Rate Fluctuation. How should offerors should price this line? | Please leave this item blank. This will be a fixed amount determined by the CO at award. | |||
| 3 | CLIN pricing structure. Section 1 lists six monthly firm-fixed-price CLINs, each covering Standard Services and Temporary Additional Services. Should offerors price each monthly CLIN as a single lump sum that includes Temporary Additional Services at no separate rate, or does the Government want an hourly or task rate sheet for Temporary Additional Services in addition to the monthly price? | Please see the revised CLIN structure in amendment A00002 | |||
| 4 | Supervisor across the two station contracts. Global Roots Services is also an offeror on Solicitation 951700-26-R-0002 (Facilities Maintenance) at the same station. If both contracts were awarded to the same contractor, may one English-speaking supervisor serve as the supervisor of record for both contracts, given that supervision would remain that person's sole function, or does the Government require a separate dedicated supervisor for each contract? | The contracts are separate and will be administered seperately. | |||
| 5 | Temporary Additional Services are ordered by the COR on an as-needed basis and invoiced after performance (SOW §3), yet they are included within the fixed monthly CLINs. How would the Government like these priced — as a fixed monthly allowance, against an estimated level of effort, or via a separate labor-hour rate schedule? | TAS for this solicitation is estinated at 100 hours per month. This temporary additional services will be pre-approved by the COR. | |||
| 6 | CLIN 5 (Jan 29 – Feb 28, 2027) lists only "Temporary Additional Services" and omits "Standard Services," unlike CLINs 1–4 and 6. Is this intentional, or should Standard Services also be priced in CLIN 5? | Please see the revised CLIN structure in amendment A00002 | |||
| 7 | Regarding CLIN 7, "Funding for Exchange Rate Fluctuation" — is this a Government-established not-to-exceed amount that offerors should leave blank, or an amount to be proposed by the offeror? How will it be administered and invoiced? | Please see the answer to question 2. | |||
| 8 | In what currency should quotes be submitted — U.S. dollars or Philippine pesos? | Please quote in both US dollars and pessos | |||
| 9 | For the LPTA technical acceptability determination, what specific contents must the technical quote include (e.g., staffing plan, personnel resumes/certifications, quality control plan, past performance)? Is there a page limit or required format? | The government is not defining the specifc form this should take. Please submit a technical quote that sufficiently demonstrates your firm's ability to mean all the requirements of the SOW (Section 1 through 8.5) | |||
| 10 | Is there a required or expected total staffing level? The SOW specifies minimums (three 500-ft-certified climbers, a nurse, a dedicated supervisor) but not an overall headcount. | For this solicitation, the minimum personnel requirement is: a.) For Antenna Maintenance Support a total of 12 with minimum of 3 are locally qualified and capable of climbing towers up to 500-ft, b.) For Machining Work: 2-qualified machinist with Philippines TESDA Certifications or previous employer certifcate, c.) For Emergency Response/Nursing Services: 1-Philippines Registered Nurse. | |||
| 11 | Which tower-climbing and rope-rescue certifications does the Government consider acceptable, and must certifying bodies be identified at quote submission or only prior to performance? | SPRAT Work-at-Heights Certifications or Philippines DOLE/OSHC Working at Heigh or related safety training, or DOLE-accredited safety training that specifically covers fall protection, harness use, anchorage, climbing, and rescue. | |||
| 12 | What licensure must the nurse hold (e.g., Philippine-licensed RN), and are any additional authorizations required for the health-verification services described in SOW §2.3? | Philippine-Licensed RN | |||
| 13 | Will a site visit be offered prior to the quote due date? | The station can not schedule a site visit anymore. All job requirement details are in the SOW. | |||
| 14 | Is there an incumbent contractor, and can the Government share the current staffing level and any pricing history for this recurring requirement? | Previous Antenna Maintenance Services contract no. 951700-20-C-0136 ended August 31, 2025. Contractor was RG Manucduc Construction Services | |||
| 15 | Can the Government provide an estimate of historical work-order and machining volume to help size unscheduled-repair labor? | NO. | |||
| 16 | Is a Department of Labor wage determination or a local prevailing-wage schedule applicable to this contract? FAR 52.217-8 references prevailing labor rates from the Secretary of Labor, but none appears to be attached. | NO. | |||
| 17 | When must contractor personnel be named and submitted for RSO vetting — before award or after Notice to Proceed? Given an estimated award of ~Sep 29 and a ~21-day background check, we want to confirm an acceptable performance ramp. | Submission of personnel name will be after the award for RSO vetting purposes. | |||
| 18 | Please confirm the quote due date and time. The synopsis states Sep 11, 1:00 PM ET, while SF 1449 Block 8 indicates Sep 10, 13:00 ET. | Please see the revised due date in amendment A00002 | |||
| 19 | Please confirm which SF 1449 blocks (12, 17, 23, 24, 30) must be completed, signed, and returned with the quote. | Please complete (12, 17, and 30) | |||
| 20 | Incumbent Staffing: For pricing and transition planning, can the Government provide the current staffing structure by position/function including the nurse. | For this solicitation, the minimum personnel requirement is: a.) For Antenna Maintenance Support a total of 12 with minimum of 3 are locally qualified and capable of climbing towers up to 500-ft, b.) For Machining Work: 2-qualified machinist with Philippines TESDA Certifications or previous employer certifcate, c.) For Emergency Response/Nursing Services: 1-Philippines Registered Nurse. | |||
| 21 | Nurse: Please confirm whether one qualified nurse must be physically onsite throughout every normal working day for the entire six-month performance period. The SOW currently requires a qualified nurse throughout the normal working day. | Yes. The Nurse must be physically present and will stay mostly in the Station Clinic throughout the working day. | |||
| 22 | Temporary Additional Services (TAS): Please confirm whether TAS is included within the monthly Firm-Fixed-Price CLIN or whether authorized TAS will be compensated separately. | Authorized task will be compensated separately. | |||
| 23 | TAS Estimated Hours: If TAS is included within the monthly FFP, please provide the estimated and/or maximum six-month TAS hours separately for: |
Rigging and Antenna Support;
Machining and Metal Fabrication;
Emergency Nursing Response; and
| Supervisor/other support, if applicable. | Estimated at 100 hours per month. Based from previous experience, most of the TAS-hours are consumed by the Rigging and Antenna support only. | |||
| 24 | TAS Historical Usage: If available, please provide the approximate actual TAS hours utilized during the most recent 12-month period by service category. This would materially assist offerors in pricing the FFP requirement without excessive contingency. | 100 hours per month | ||
| 25 | After-Hours Response: Please specify the required response time for emergency/TAS call-outs after normal working hours, weekends and holidays. | 2-4 hours approximate response time. | ||
| 26 | 24/7 Availability: Please confirm whether any personnel are required to remain onsite or on standby outside the normal 8:00 AM–4:30 PM working hours. | All contract personnel are required on-site ONLY on normal duty-hours 8AM-4:30PM | ||
| 27 | Government-Furnished Parts: Please confirm that all antenna/RF system replacement parts, components and materials required for preventive and corrective maintenance will be Government-furnished at no cost to the Contractor. The current SOW states that the Government supplies replacement parts, equipment and other materials required to support the contract. | YES. All Government Furnished Equipment are to be provided by the station | ||
| 28 | Consumables: Please identify any maintenance consumables that are specifically Contractor-furnished rather than Government-furnished, including lubricants, cleaning chemicals, paint/coatings, welding consumables, fasteners, grinding/cutting materials and similar expendables. | The contractor will only provide all that is listed in the attachment 2 of the SOW - Contractor Furnished Property | ||
| 29 | Tools: Please clarify which hand tools, power tools, climbing/rigging equipment, welding equipment, machining equipment and test instruments are Government-furnished and which must be provided by the Contractor. | The contractor will only provide all that is listed in the attachment 2 of the SOW - Contractor Furnished Property | ||
| 30 | PPE: Please confirm the full list of PPE required to be Contractor-furnished, including replacement frequency where applicable. | Please see attachent 2 of SOW - Contractor Furnished Property | ||
| 31 | Machine Shop: Please confirm that the existing Government machine shop and Government-furnished machining/welding equipment will remain available to the Contractor throughout the six-month performance period. | YES, all GFEs will be available for the 6-month period. | ||
| 32 | Fabricated Parts: Where the SOW requires machining or fabrication of replacement components from Government-furnished stock/materials, please confirm that the Government will furnish the raw material. | Yes, the governmant thru the station will provide all raw materials. | ||
| 33 | Tower Inventory: Please confirm that the current maintainable inventory is 134 towers, 39 curtain antennas and 27.5 miles of transmission line. | Yes, as stated in the SOW. | ||
| 34 | Tower Access: Please confirm whether Government-furnished climbing/rigging systems are currently installed and serviceable on all applicable towers. | Yes. | ||
| 35 | Certifications: Please provide or confirm the acceptable U.S. or internationally recognized tower climbing, working-at-height and rope-rescue certifications. | SPRAT Work-at-Heights Certifications or Philippines DOLE/OSHC Working at Heigh or related safety training, or DOLE-accredited safety training that specifically covers fall protection, harness use, anchorage, climbing, and rescue. | ||
| 36 | Training Costs: Please confirm whether any mandatory USAGM/PTS-specific safety, RF, security or site-access training is Government-provided without charge to the Contractor. | Yes, all mandatory USAGM/PTS-specific safety, RF, security or site-access training is Government-provided | ||
| 37 | Existing Workforce Transition: In view of FAR 52.237-3, please confirm whether the successful successor contractor will be provided an opportunity after award to interview incumbent employees for continued employment. | YES | ||
| 38 | Transportation: Please confirm whether transportation of contractor personnel to/from PTS is entirely the Contractor's responsibility and whether any Government transportation is available within the approximately 2,500-acre facility. | Transportation for the Contractor personnel for reporting on duty is the responsibility of the Contractor, while actual antenna field work-related transportation within the station will be provided by the Government. | ||
| 39 | Utilities/Facilities: Please identify Government-furnished office space, workshop space, storage, electricity, water, communications/internet, restroom facilities and other facilities available to contractor personnel at no cost. | The station will provide office space, workshop space, storage, electricity, water, restroom facilities and other facilities available to contractor personnel at no cost to the contractor. The communications/internet for contractor personnel is the responsibility of the contractor at no cost to the Government. | ||
| 40 | Insurance: Please confirm whether the insurance amounts identified in the SOW are the complete Government-required minimums, subject to any additional insurance required by Philippine law. The SOW currently establishes minimum insurance and requires evidence within ten days after award. | As stated in the SOW and local Government requirements as required by Philippines laws. | ||
| 41 | Permits/Licenses: Please identify any PTS-specific permits, licenses or certifications that the contractor must obtain at its own expense beyond applicable Philippine statutory requirements. | Only what is stated in the SOW and what the Philippines labor code requires. | ||
| 42 | Overtime/Holidays: Please confirm whether labor required outside normal hours due to Government-directed work, including Philippine/U.S. holidays, is treated as TAS. | Overtimes and works outside of the normal duty hours is part of the TAS and must be pre-approved by the COR. | ||
| 43 | Corrective Maintenance: Please confirm that corrective repair labor arising from defects identified during scheduled preventive maintenance and performed during normal working hours is included within Standard Services. | Yes. All work done during normal duty hours are part of the standard services. | ||
| 44 | Major Repair: Please clarify whether there is any threshold distinguishing routine corrective maintenance from major repair/replacement work that would be outside the FFP scope. | All work to be accomplished by the contractor is only what is stated in the SOW. | ||
| 45 | Unforeseen Damage: Please clarify the contractual treatment of major antenna/tower damage caused by typhoon, lightning, natural disaster or other events beyond normal preventive maintenance. | All work to be accomplished by the contractor is only what is stated in the SOW. | ||
| 46 | Work Orders: Please confirm whether Work Orders are primarily authorization/tracking documents or whether certain Work Orders may establish separately compensable work outside the monthly FFP. | All Work Orders are primarily authorization/tracking documents only. | ||
| 47 | No Site Visit: As no mandatory site visit has been identified in the current solicitation, please confirm that offerors are expected to price based on the solicitation, SOW, drawings and Government responses to RFIs. | Yes | ||
| 48 | Permits, Licenses, and Local Authorizations Section 8.5 requires the Contractor to obtain permits, licenses, and appointments required for performance and provide evidence of possession or application status with its offer. Because the majority of the requirement appears to involve routine inspection, preventive maintenance, repair, corrosion control, painting, tower lighting maintenance, RF transmission-line maintenance, and work on existing facilities, please clarify what specific permits, licenses, registrations, or appointments the Government anticipates will be required. Please also confirm whether routine maintenance and repair of the existing antenna and tower systems may be performed without construction permits unless a particular work order involves a major structural replacement, alteration, or other activity that triggers a permitting requirement. | Contactor must have Local Permits required to do business here in the Philippines: a.) SEC, BIR Registration, DOLE/immigration requirements if foreign workers will be deployed, b.) copies of these should be submitted with the quote. As for the actual work stated in the SOW, the government is responsible for permits and autorizations. | ||
| 49 | Please confirm what documentation the Government expects an American prime contractor to provide with its offer concerning work authorization or employment | |||
| permits for U.S. personnel. If final Philippine work authorization cannot reasonably be completed before award, please confirm whether evidence that the applicable permit or work-authorization process has been initiated will satisfy the solicitation requirement at the quotation stage. | Contactor must have Local Permits required to do business here in the Philippines: a.) SEC, BIR Registration, DOLE/immigration requirements if foreign workers will be deployed, b.) copies of these should be submitted with the quote. | |||
| 50 | The SOW requires a minimum of three antenna-support personnel who are "locally qualified" and capable of climbing towers up to 500 feet. |
Please clarify whether "locally qualified" means that the personnel must be Philippine nationals/local employees, or whether qualified U.S.
personnel may satisfy this requirement provided they possess the necessary tower-climbing, rescue, safety, and host-country work
| authorizations. | Can be locally qualified staff or qualified U.S. personnel that has Appropriate Work Visa from the Philippines Government. | ||
| 51 | The SOW provides for Temporary Additional Services to support system failures, special events, and emergencies outside the normal workday |
and states that these services will be ordered by the COR as needed. Please clarify whether offerors should include all anticipated Temporary Additional Services within the monthly firm-fixed-price CLINs, provide separate hourly or unit rates for Temporary Additional Services, or treat
| such work as separately authorized work subject to an additional work order, contract modification, or equitable adjustment. | For this solicitation, TAS is estinated at 100 hours per month. This temporary additional services will be pre-approved by the COR. | ||
| 52 | The SOW frequently requires the Contractor to "repair or replace as required." Please confirm that Government-furnished replacement parts, |
equipment, and materials will be provided for major component replacement as stated in the SOW. If a work order requires substantial structural repair, major tower-component replacement, extensive antenna reconstruction, or other work materially beyond routine maintenance, please
| clarify whether that work remains within the monthly firm-fixed price or would be separately authorized. | Read SOW. there will be no out-of-scope requests. | ||
| 53 | The SOW identifies substantial Government-furnished rigging equipment, machine-shop equipment, medical equipment, replacement parts, and |
consumable materials. Please confirm that the listed Government-furnished property will be available and in serviceable condition at the start of performance and that replacement parts and materials required to perform corrective maintenance will continue to be furnished by the
| Government throughout the contract. | YES. | ||
| 54 | Please confirm that, other than the specific minimum qualifications identified in the SOW, the Contractor is responsible for determining the total |
staffing level necessary to successfully perform the requirement. Specifically, please confirm that the Government is not prescribing a minimum total headcount beyond requirements such as the three qualified tower-climbing personnel, dedicated supervisor, nursing services, and other
| functional qualifications described in the SOW. | The station will require | ||
| 55 | The SOW states that the designated supervisor will have supervision as his or her sole function. Please confirm whether this means the |
supervisor may not also be counted as one of the minimum three qualified tower-climbing personnel even if the individual holds the required tower
| and rescue qualifications. | The supervisor may also be counted as one of the minimum three qualified tower-climbing personnel. | ||
| 56 | The SOW specifically states that Temporary Additional Services may not be subcontracted. Please confirm whether Standard Services, including! |
local nursing, machining, welding, and/or routine maintenance support, may be performed using qualified subcontractors or local employment!
| providers, provided the prime contractor remains fully responsible for performance. | If the US prime contractor has partnered with a Philippine Company as subcontractor, the subcontractor’s staff are considered direct labor. | ||
| 57 | The SF 1449 establishes six monthly firm-fixed-price CLIN periods. Please confirm that offerors should provide one firm-fixed monthly price for! |
each of the six periods, with the six CLINs constituting the total evaluated base price, and that a detailed labor-rate or weekly-wage breakdown is!
| not required with the quotation unless specifically requested by the Contracting Officer. | Please see answer to question 8. | |||
| 58 | Please confirm that contractor personnel lodging, meals/per diem, international travel, and local transportation are entirely contractor-furnished! and are to be incorporated into the monthly firm-fixed price, with no Government-furnished quarters or transportation anticipated. | YES, contractor is responsible. | ||
| 59 | The SOW requires scheduled and unscheduled services to be documented using Government work orders. Please clarify whether a Work Order |
is solely an administrative mechanism for assigning work already included within the SOW, or whether Work Orders may also be used to!
authorize work outside the original firm-fixed-price scope. If the latter, please identify the process for establishing price and authorization prior to!
| beginning such additional work. | Work Orders are an administrative mechanism for assigning work already included within the SOW. | ||
| 60 | Please advise whether this requirement, or substantially similar Antenna Maintenance Support services at the USAGM Philippines Transmitting |
Station, has been previously solicited and awarded. If available and releasable, please provide or identify the prior solicitation number, contract or award number, awardee, period of performance, and awarded contract value or historical monthly/annual pricing. If Temporary Additional!
Services were separately priced under the previous contract, please also identify the historical pricing structure or applicable rate format. A public source, award notice, or reference sufficient to locate the prior award would be appreciated. Previous Antenna Maintenance Services contract no. 951700-20-C-0136 ended August 31, 2025. Contractor was RG Manucduc Construction Services
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