Addendum-2-26-00328-ACAC-10-29-2026.pdf

October 29, 2026

To Interested Parties:

Enclosed please find attached Addendum No. Two (2) for SEPTA RFP No. 26-00328-ACAC, Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).

Addendum No. 2 must be acknowledged by signing the Addendum Acknowledgement Form and submitting it with your Technical Proposal.

The due date for the submission of Proposals has been changed from 1:00PM on Monday, November 9, 2026 to 1:00PM on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

This Addendum provides answers to some of the questions received. The responses to the remaining questions will be provided under a separate Addendum.

Any inquiries regarding this Addendum must be directed to Carolyn Cotton of the Procurement and Supply Chain Management Department at (215) 580-7599 or cCotton@SEPTA.org.

Thank you for your interest in SEPTA.

Sincerely, Carolyn Cotton

Carolyn Cotton Senior Contract Administrator Procurement & Supply Chain Management mailto:cCotton@SEPTA.org

Addendum No. 2, 26-00328-ACAC

Page 1 of 25 October 29, 2026

SEPTA’s RFP No. 26‐00328‐ACAC, Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program

(HSEEP)

This addendum to the Contract Documents is hereby part of the same and is incorporated in full as part of the Project. Proposer shall acknowledge Addendum No. 2 by completing the lines below, and returning this Addendum Acknowledgement Form with your Technical Proposal.

FIRM NAME (typed or printed) ______________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE _______________________________

TITLE _________________________________

NAME (typed or printed) ___________________________________

DATE_____________________

This Addendum includes:

A. General

The due date for the submission of Proposals has been changed from 1:00PM on Monday, November 9, 2026 to 1:00PM on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

This Addendum provides answers to some of the questions received. The responses to the remaining questions will be provided under a separate Addendum.

B. Questions and Answers (152)

Q1: Pleas clarify the submission quantities?

A1: Please provide one physical copy of your Technical Proposal and one physical copy of your

Price Proposal in separately marked envelopes. Please also provide one flashdrive with your Technical Proposal and one flashdrive with your Price Proposal.

Q2: Please confirm whether two separate flash drives are required – one containing the Technical

Proposal and one containing the Price Proposal?

A2: Yes.

Page 2 of 25 October 29, 2026

Q3: Solicitation Number: We noticed that the procurement listing references RFP 26-00238- ACAC, while portions of the RFP and addendum reference 26-00328-ACAC. Would you confirm the correct solicitation number?

A3: Please use 26-00328-ACAC.

Q4: Submission Method: Should proposals be submitted electronically through SEPTA's procurement portal, or are physical technical and pricing packages required?

A4: Please see the response to Question Number 1. Electronic submission are not allowed.

Q5: Project Budget: Has SEPTA established an anticipated budget or funding range for the two-year engagement?

A5: Yes, but that information is not necessary for you to prepare your proposal and is not subject to disclosure.

Q6: Exercise Resources: For the two full-scale exercises, will SEPTA provide exercise facilities, role players, simulation resources, and operational support personnel, or should the consultant anticipate furnishing these resources?

A6: SEPTA will provide exercise facilities, role players, and operational support personnel. The consultant should anticipate furnishing simulation resources.

Q7: Planning Meetings: Does SEPTA have an estimated number of required in-person planning meetings for each exercise, or may some planning and coordination activities be conducted virtually?

A7: Some planning meetings may be conducted virtually. An estimated number for each individual exercise would be three in-person planning meetings.

Q8: Relevant Experience: Will SEPTA consider comparable HSEEP exercise experience in healthcare, emergency management, and public safety, or is previous experience with a public transportation authority a requirement?

A8: Previous HSEEP exercise experience in public transportation is not required, but preferred.

Q9: Payment Structure: May SEPTA invoice ongoing program management services monthly, with individual exercise deliverables invoiced upon completion and acceptance?

A9: Yes.

Q10: Insurance: The solicitation references a 12-year completed-operations coverage requirement.

Would SEPTA confirm whether this provision applies to the professional consulting and exercise-development services being procured?

A10: This requirement applies to the entire project.

Q11: For pricing and staffing purposes, can SEPTA provide additional information regarding the anticipated scope of the full-scale exercises, including the expected number of exercise locations, whether activities may occur simultaneously at multiple sites, anticipated exercise duration and operating periods, and any transportation modes or assets expected to be incorporated into the exercise scenario?

A11: To be determined on the number of expected exercise locations. Activities will likely occur simultaneously at multiple sites, full-scale exercise should be planned for a typical eight hour

Page 3 of 25 October 29, 2026 day, not including time for setup and breakdown. All SEPTA transportation modes are subject to be part of a full-scale exercise.

Q12: In Attachment 3 Pricing Proposal, should Line Item 7, which reflects a quantity of two (2), be interpreted and priced as two annual units over the contract term?

A12: Yes.

Q13: Has SEPTA established an estimated budget, funding range, or not-to-exceed value for this procurement that can be shared with prospective proposers?

A13: Please see the response to Question Number 5.

Q14: The RFP indicates that the contractor will provide exercise support personnel, including controllers, evaluators, and simulators. Does SEPTA anticipate providing agency personnel or other resources to supplement contractor-provided exercise staff, or should proposers assume responsibility for furnishing all required controllers, evaluators, and simulators?

A14: SEPTA will provide a limited number of controllers and evaluators.

Q15: Schedule and event duration: What is the anticipated contract start date? Are target dates or expected durations established for the workshops, tabletop exercises, and full-scale exercises? Should proposers assume each event will take place on one day?

A15: The contract will begin upon issuance of the Notice to Proceed, after receiving SEPTA Board approval, which is estimated to occur by March 1, 2027.

Q16: Exercise locations: Will each full-scale exercise occur at a single location or involve multiple simultaneous locations? Which transportation modes and types of facilities should proposers assume will be involved?

A16: Each full-scale exercise could occur at a single location or involve multiple simultaneous locations. All transportation mode and all types of facilities.

Q17: Venues and facilities: Will SEPTA provide workshop and tabletop meeting space and full-scale exercise sites at no charge, including necessary site access, permissions, and operational arrangements?

A17: Yes.

Q18: Exercise staffing: Which positions must the contractor supply, and which will SEPTA or participating agencies provide? Please address controllers, evaluators, facilitators, simulation-cell personnel, safety personnel, registration staff, and role players. Are there minimum staffing requirements?

A18: Contractor will likely need to supply controllers, evaluators, facilitators, simulation-cell personnel, safety personnel, and registration staff. SEPTA staff may augment some or all of these roles.

Q19: Participant counts: Do the approximately 75 participants for each workshop/tabletop and up to 150 participants for each full-scale exercise include controllers, evaluators, role players, observers, and contractor personnel, or are those additional?

A19: Participants primarily includes applicable players, actors, and observers.

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Q20: Equipment and simulation resources: What equipment and resources will SEPTA make available at no charge? Please clarify responsibility for radios, audiovisual equipment, identification vests, simulation props, casualty simulation materials, vehicles, and access to transit equipment or rolling stock.

A20: Responsibility to provide radios, audiovisual equipment, identification vests, simulations props, casualty simulation materials, vehicles is the contractors responsibility. SEPTA will provide access to transit equipment or rolling stock.

Q21: Participating agencies: Which SEPTA departments and outside agencies are expected to participate? Will SEPTA secure their participation and cover any agency personnel, overtime, equipment, or vehicle costs, with the contractor coordinating their exercise involvement?

A21: All SEPTA departments may be part of the exercise program. Outside agencies are likely to include regional transportation partners, regional emergency management partners, regional police, fire, and EMS agencies. SEPTA will provide contact information for the contractor to facilitate stakeholder engagement. Participating stakeholders will be responsible for their own personnel, overtime, equipment, vehicle, and other participation related costs.

Q22: Planning meetings: Approximately how many planning meetings should proposers budget for each event, and how many must be conducted in person? May routine program reviews and after-action meetings be conducted virtually?

A22: See the response to Question Number 7 above.

Q23: Scenarios and existing materials: Have exercise scenarios, objectives, or priority capabilities already been selected? Will the contractor receive relevant emergency plans, previous exercise materials, after-action reports, and existing improvement plans at the beginning of the engagement?

A23: No exercise scenarios, objectives, or priority capabilities have been selected. The contractor will receive relevant emergency plans, after-action reports and improvement plans at the beginning of the engagement.

Q24: Qualifications and teaming: Are there mandatory HSEEP training credentials or minimum experience requirements for the project manager or other key personnel? Will SEPTA consider comparable public safety and emergency preparedness work outside the transportation sector, and may relevant experience of committed subcontractors and their proposed personnel support the team’s qualifications?

A24: Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) certification is preferred, and key personnel should, at a minimum, have completed FEMA's L-146 Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) training. SEPTA will consider comparable public safety, emergency management, and preparedness experience outside the transportation sector. Relevant experience and qualifications of committed subcontractors and their proposed personnel may also be considered in evaluating the overall capabilities and qualifications of the proposed team.

Q25: Reporting and corrective actions: May the biweekly, monthly, and quarterly reports use a consolidated reporting structure when their due dates overlap? Does corrective-action tracking require documenting and monitoring SEPTA’s implementation, or must the

Page 5 of 25 October 29, 2026 contractor also revise plans, provide additional training, or perform other corrective work?

A25: When reporting periods overlap, SEPTA will permit the use of a consolidated reporting structure, provided all required information for each reporting period is clearly identified and included. Regarding corrective actions, the contractor will be responsible for documenting corrective actions only.

Q26: Deliverable reviews: What deadlines apply to draft and final exercise documents and after-action reports? How many SEPTA review and revision cycles should proposers include?

A26: As a planning assumption, proposers should account for up to two SEPTA review cycles for draft and final exercise documents, including After-Action Reports/Improvement Plans (AAR/IPs).

Q27: Pricing and payment: Should pricing be a firm fixed total for the complete engagement, with all travel and direct expenses included? Please confirm the expected invoice schedule, whether milestone payments are permitted, and how changes to event size, locations, duration, or staffing would be handled.

A27: Proposers should provide pricing as a firm-fixed-price proposal for the complete scope of work, inclusive of all labor, travel, lodging, materials, and other direct expenses necessary to perform the services described in the RFP. SEPTA prefers pricing that reflects a complete, turnkey approach to project delivery.

Invoices may be submitted upon completion of agreed-upon project milestones and acceptance of associated deliverables by SEPTA.

Any changes to the approved scope of work, including significant modifications to exercise size, locations, duration, participant levels, or staffing requirements, will be evaluated by SEPTA on a case-by-case basis.

Q28: The solicitation documents reference both RFP No. 26-00238-ACAC and RFP No. 26-

00328-ACAC. Can SEPTA confirm the correct solicitation number to be used on all proposal documents and correspondence?

A28: Please see the response to Question Number 3.

Q29: Can SEPTA provide additional guidance regarding the anticipated scope and complexity of the two full-scale exercises, including the expected number of exercise locations, participating agencies, operational components, and duration of exercise conduct?

A29: Please see the responses to Questions 11, 21, 35, and 44

Q30: Can SEPTA confirm it will be the responsibility of the contractor to facilitate and evaluate the discussion-based exercises and control, simulate and evaluate the operations-based exercises; therefore, the contractor shall provide facilitators and evaluators for the discussion-based exercises, and controllers, evaluators and simulators (Simulation Cell staff) for the operations-based exercises?

A30: Please see the responses to Questions 18, 46, and 137.

Q31: Page 3, Section B Price Proposal. The RFP states, “The Price Proposal shall be submitted using the form included in Attachment 3 along with any other additional information required to make it complete.” Other than Attachment 3, what additional information is required to make the Price Proposal complete?

Page 6 of 25 October 29, 2026

A31: The Price Proposal Form in Attachment 3 is the only requirement.

Q32: Page 4, Section IV General Requirements, Subsection A Submission of Proposals. The RFP states, “One (1) original and one copy of the Technical Proposal, plus 1 thumb drive in “PDF” format and One (1) original and one copy of the Price Proposal, plus 1 thumb drive in pdf format.” Can SEPTA confirm that an original, copy and thumb drive are required for both the technical proposal and price proposal?

A32: Please see the response to Question Number 1.

Q33: Prime and subcontractor qualifications: May a prime proposer rely on the documented

HSEEP experience of named subcontractors and key personnel to demonstrate the qualifications evaluated under Section 2? If so, is there a minimum amount of work the prime must self-perform?

A33: Yes. A prime proposer may rely on the relevant qualifications, HSEEP experience, and past performance of proposed subcontractors and key personnel to demonstrate its ability to satisfy the requirements of Section 2. Proposers should clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of all team members and describe how their experience relates to the proposed scope of work. SEPTA has not established a minimum self performance requirement for the prime contractor under this solicitation. However, the prime contractor will remain fully responsible for contract management, overall project delivery, coordination of subcontractors, quality assurance, and fulfillment of all contractual requirements.

Q34: Key personnel requirements: Does SEPTA require any specific HSEEP training, FEMA credentials, exercise-design certifications, or minimum years of comparable experience for the project manager, lead controller, evaluators, or other key personnel?

A34: See the response for Question Number 24.

Q35: Full-scale exercise scope: Can SEPTA provide planning assumptions for each full-scale exercise, including anticipated participant numbers, participating agencies, operational locations, exercise duration, simulated versus live resources, and responsibility for exercise-site costs?

A35: No. SEPTA is not providing additional planning assumptions regarding participant counts, participating agencies, operational locations, exercise duration, use of simulated versus live resources, or responsibility for exercise-site costs. As stated in the solicitation, exercise objectives, scope, and design will be developed during contract performance.

Q36: Stakeholder coordination: Will SEPTA secure participating agencies, facility access, internal operational resources, and necessary authorizations, or should proposers price these coordination responsibilities in full?

A36: SEPTA will be responsible for coordinating participation by SEPTA departments and external stakeholders, securing facility access, and obtaining necessary internal authorizations. However, the contractor will be expected to support stakeholder engagement and coordination activities necessary to plan, develop, conduct, and evaluate the exercises.

Q37: Exercise schedule and acceptance: Does SEPTA anticipate a specific sequence or target dates for the six exercises? Will acceptance of each exercise’s associated documentation and after-action deliverables be tied to defined review periods?

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A37: Exercise dates and the overall exercise program schedule will be developed collaboratively with the selected contractor during contract performance. Yes. Acceptance of exercise documentation and after-action deliverables will be subject to SEPTA review and approval.

Proposers should assume that draft and final deliverables will be submitted in accordance with the requirements of the solicitation and will be subject to defined review and comment periods, including revision cycles as specified in the RFP.

Q38: Insurance and subcontracting: Must all subconsultants independently carry each coverage and limit specified in the contract, or may certain requirements be satisfied through the prime contractor’s coverage, subject to SEPTA’s written approval?

A38: All requirements must be satisfied by the prime contractor’s coverage.

Q39: Proposal logistics: Given the solicitation’s physical submission requirements and the general

SEPTA eProcurement guidance, please confirm that separately packaged hard-copy and USB technical and price proposals delivered to 1234 Market Street are the required submission method for this specific RFP.

A39: The Technical and Price Proposal must be in separate envelopes, clearly marked. They can be hand-delivered or sent via UPS/FedEx.

Q40: Under the contract, section 6, b., the RFP states, "contractor shall furnish a resume, brief bio sketch, and service history of each person involved w/performing services required..." If we discuss non-key personnel, do we need to furnish a resume, bio sketch, and service history for each person in the proposal?

A40: No. SEPTA does not require proposers to furnish resumes, biographical sketches, and service histories for all non-key personnel identified in the proposal.

Q41: The Evaluation Criteria states, "Consideration will be given to methodology, exercise design process, stakeholder engagement, innovation, and ability to achieve SEPTA's preparedness objectives." What are the SEPTA preparedness objectives?

A41: SEPTA's preparedness objectives are not limited to a prescribed set of exercise outcomes.

Rather, they generally encompass enhancing SEPTA's ability to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents affecting transit operations. This includes validating plans and procedures, strengthening interdepartmental and interagency coordination, improving communications and decision-making, assessing operational capabilities, identifying gaps and corrective actions, and supporting compliance with applicable preparedness and exercise program standards.

Q42: The RFP states that SEPTA will evaluate the "approach to designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating six (6) HSEEP-compliant operations-based exercises." The RFP also notes that four discussion-based exercises and two operations-based exercises are part of the deliverables. Can you please confirm that SEPTA will evaluate the approach for four discussion-based and two operations-based exercises?

A42: Yes. SEPTA confirms that proposals will be evaluated based on the proposer's approach to designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating the full scope of work identified in the RFP, which consists of four (4) discussion-based exercises and two (2) operations-based exercises.

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Q43: Please confirm whether the controlling completion requirement is 730 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed or August 2028; provide the anticipated NTP date, and clarify whether the final AAR/IPs and closeout report must also be completed by August 2028.

A43: This project must be completed by August 2028; the 730 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed is an estimated number. The Notice to Proceed will be sent to the awarded vendor following SEPTA Board approval; that date is not known at this time. The final AAR/IPs and closeout report must also be completed by August 2028.

Q44: For each full-scale exercise, please identify the anticipated duration, number/type of exercise sites, operational shifts, field components, and whether live transit operations or service disruptions are expected.

A44: SEPTA is not providing prescriptive planning assumptions regarding exercise duration, number or type of exercise sites, operational shifts, field components, or the extent to which live transit operations may be involved. These details will be determined during the exercise design process based on the selected scenarios, exercise objectives, participating stakeholders, and operational considerations.

Q45: Please identify the anticipated duration for the workshops and TTXs.

A45: SEPTA is not prescribing specific durations for the workshops and tabletop exercises. The duration of each exercise will be determined during the exercise design process based on the exercise objectives, scope, scenario complexity, and participant requirements. For planning purposes, proposers should assume durations typical of HSEEP discussion-based exercises and include sufficient staffing and resources to support exercise design, conduct, facilitation, evaluation, and associated documentation.

Q46: What specific resources do you expect the contractor to provide (e.g., facilities, vehicles, operational assets, radio/communications systems, safety personnel, security support, A/V equipment, language interpreters, etc.)?

A46: Proposers should assume responsibility for providing the personnel, planning support, facilitation, exercise documentation, evaluation support, simulation support, meeting support, and other resources necessary to successfully design, develop, conduct, and evaluate the required exercises. Where specialized resources are proposed or determined to be necessary for exercise execution, expectations and responsibilities will be established during the exercise planning process.

Q47: Will SEPTA provide suitable venues, internet, projection, microphones, and on-site A/V operators for workshops and TTXs, or should bidders include these services?

A47: Please see the responses to Questions 17, 82, and 131.

Q48: Are moulage, simulated casualties, actors/role players, victim transport, special effects, props, exercise inject technology, or contracted simulation vendors expected? If so, please specify the approximate quantities and the provider's responsibilities.

A48: Yes. Proposers should assume that moulage, simulated casualties, actors/role players, props, exercise inject technology, and other simulation resources may be utilized as part of the operations-based exercises, as appropriate to the exercise objectives and scenario design. The contractor should be prepared to provide and manage these resources as necessary to support realistic exercise conduct. Specific requirements, quantities, and responsibilities have not

Page 9 of 25 October 29, 2026 been established and will be determined during the exercise planning and design process.

Proposers should include reasonable assumptions in their technical and cost proposals based on their experience conducting comparable HSEEP-compliant full-scale exercises.

Q49: Should each year’s workshop, TTX, and FSE address a common scenario/capability progression (i.e., should each exercise build upon one another with a common theme/set of objectives for that exercise year), and must Year 2 explicitly validate corrective actions from Year 1? Or is Year 2 independent of Year 1 exercises?

A49: Yes. SEPTA anticipates that the workshops, tabletop exercises (TTXs), and full-scale exercises (FSEs) conducted within a given year will generally support a common preparedness theme and capability progression. Proposers should assume that exercise activities will be designed to build upon one another, with discussion-based exercises informing subsequent operations-based exercises where appropriate. Year 2 exercise activities may consider and, where appropriate, incorporate corrective actions, improvement efforts, and lessons learned identified through Year 1 exercises.

Q50: Will SEPTA identify, invite, and secure participating agencies and points of contact, or is the contractor responsible for outreach, recruitment, confirmations, and sustained participation? Please provide anticipated agency counts.

A50: See the response to Question Number 36.

Q51: Is the contractor expected only to establish and maintain a corrective-action tracker, or also to verify completion and facilitate implementation between exercises? Will SEPTA own corrective-action closure decisions?

A51: See the response to Question Number 25.

Q52: Please specify the required draft and final AAR/IP submission deadlines, the number of

SEPTA review cycles, the expected review turnaround, and the approval authority.

A52: See the response to Question Number 26.

Q53: Please clarify the distinction between closeout management in line 7 and the separately priced Program Closeout Report in line 8 to avoid duplicated or omitted costs.

A53: For purposes of this solicitation, Closeout Management (Line 7) refers to the contractor's efforts associated with administering and managing project closeout activities, including coordinating final deliverables, tracking completion of contract requirements, facilitating final meetings, resolving outstanding items, and supporting project completion.

The Program Closeout Report (Line 8) is a distinct deliverable that documents the overall exercise program, summarizes key activities and outcomes, identifies overarching observations and trends, captures improvement recommendations, and provides a final assessment of the program's accomplishments.

Q54: Are redacted/anonymized sample exercise materials acceptable, and are there any specific confidentiality or file-format restrictions for sample submissions?

A54: Yes. Redacted or anonymized sample exercise materials are acceptable and are encouraged where necessary to protect sensitive, security-related, proprietary, or client-specific information. Samples should be submitted in commonly accessible electronic format.

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Q55: What level of post-exercise stakeholder interviewing is expected for each exercise, and may interviews be conducted virtually?

A55: The level of post-exercise stakeholder interviewing will vary based on the type, scope, and complexity of each exercise. Proposers should assume responsibility for collecting sufficient participant feedback and stakeholder input to support exercise evaluation, after-action reporting, and improvement planning. Interviews, debriefs, and other feedback collection activities may be conducted virtually, in person, or through a combination of methods, as appropriate to the exercise and participant availability.

Q56: The Scope of Service identifies participant counts for Workshops (75), TTXs (75), and FSEs

(150), but does not identify expected contractor staffing levels. Should offerors assume contractor staffing is at their discretion based on the proposed exercise design and management approach, or does SEPTA have minimum expectations for exercise support personnel for each event type?

A56: SEPTA has not established minimum contractor staffing requirements for workshops, tabletop exercises, or full-scale exercises. Proposers should determine the appropriate staffing levels based on their proposed technical approach, exercise design, management methodology, and experience conducting comparable exercises.

Q57: Please confirm whether contractor participation in exercise planning meetings is expected to be virtual when conducted via Microsoft Teams, or whether SEPTA anticipates on-site contractor attendance for any planning meetings associated with Workshops, TTXs, or FSEs.

A57: See the response to Question Number 7.

Q58: Please confirm whether an individual independent contractor engaged by the Offeror on a

Form 1099 basis is considered a “subcontractor” for purposes of this solicitation, including any requirements or restrictions applicable to the identification, addition, removal, or substitution of subcontractors or proposed team members?

A58: Yes.

Q59: Controller/evaluator management is required from the contractor, but it does not specify minimum requirements. Does SEPTA have a requirement for how many per each FSE?

A59: See responses to Questions 18, 46, 126, and 137.

Q60: For the FSE’s role, players are requested. Is SEPTA or the contractor responsible for allocating role-player recruitment, staffing, or costs?

A60: SEPTA will work with the contractor to identify potential role players for the full-scale exercises. The contractor is not responsible for the costs.

Q61: Can SEPTA disclose an anticipated budget range or independent government cost estimate for the two-year program?

A61: No.

Q62: Will SEPTA cover its own employees' overtime, backfill, and replacement staffing costs, or should the contractor include any of these expenses?

A62: See the response to Question Number 21.

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Q63: SEPTA indicates that the contractor is responsible for coordinating exercise sites and logistics for the FSEs, as well as coordinating A/V for workshops and providing A/V for the FSEs. Could you clarify what is meant by “coordinate” in this context, including for workshops and TTXs? Specifically, will SEPTA provide the locations, equipment, and A/V resources, with the contractor responsible for coordinating their use, or is the contractor expected to independently secure and cover the costs of venues, equipment rentals, A/V services, and other associated logistics?

A63: See the response to Question Number 47.

Q64: If the prime contractor submits a Certificate of Insurance (COI) demonstrating compliance with the RFP's insurance requirements, is each proposed subcontractor also required to submit a separate COI with the proposal, or would subcontractor insurance documentation only be required upon award?

A64: Only the prime contractor’s Certificate of Insurance is required for SEPTA approval.

Q65: The RFP confirms that no Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal has been established for this procurement. However, page 73 includes a DBE Participation – Commitment/Confirmation Letter with the instruction that it must be provided on the proposer's official letterhead, although the form is also marked "NOT USED." Can SEPTA confirm that this letter is not required when both the prime contractor and proposed subcontractor are non-DBE firms, and that submission of the Non-DBE Participation Schedule on page 72 satisfies the applicable participation documentation requirement?

A65: If both the prime and subcontractors are not DBE firms, please sign, date and write “N/A” on this form and submit with your Technical Proposal.

Q66: The RFP states that subsequent correspondence and follow-up documentation will only be sent to consultants who submit written requests for the proposal documents via email, while also indicating that all correspondence and RFP documents will be posted on SEPTA's website. Can SEPTA confirm whether prospective proposers must submit a written request via email to receive future correspondence and addenda, or whether monitoring SEPTA's website for updates is sufficient to remain informed of all solicitation-related communications?

A66: While all future Addenda will be posted to SEPTA’s website, Procurement encourages all prospective proposers to send written requests for the Proposal documents.

Q67: Can SEPTA please confirm the solicitation number, the PDF cover identifies 26-00328-

ACAC, while the insurance clause references 26-00238-ACAC.

A67: Please see the response to Question Number 3.

Q68: The scope is primarily for professional services, which applies to our professional liability coverage. Keeping our CGL coverage for 12 years after is disproportionate to the scope and length of this project and I’m positive this is just canned contract language they use for construction projects. I’d like to ask that this requirement either be removed, limited to the length of the contract, or changed to a shorter period following contract completion.

A68: The products/completed operations requirements can be removed. The 12-year requirement is Pennsylvania’s Statute of Repose, but does not apply here.

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Q69: Under Commercial General Liability Coverage- the coverage includes explosion, collapse, and underground damage. I would like to ask if this can be removed from the language in the RFP given our scope.

A69: Accepted.

Q70: Attachment 3 requests fully burdened, firm-fixed unit prices per event, while Contract §9.a requires invoices listing personnel, hours worked and hourly rates "established within the initial price proposal." Must offerors submit a labor category and hourly rate schedule with the Price Proposal in addition to Attachment 3? If so, please provide the required format.

A70: Please include your fully-burdened rates in your unit pricing on the Price Proposal Form.

Q71: The firm-fixed price must include "Food and Beverage Services for Each Exercise Conduct" and "Exercise-Related Equipment." Please confirm (a) food and beverage is an allowable cost under this Contract's funding source; (b) whether SEPTA will provide a plug amount or allowance for food and beverage so offerors price consistently; and (c) whether SEPTA will furnish exercise venues, AV equipment, props and role players, or whether these must be included in the fixed price.

A71: Please see Addendum No. 1, which removed “Food and Beverage Services for Each Contract Exercise Conduct” from the Scope of Services.

Q72: Evaluation Criterion C evaluates sample exercise materials (ExPlans, C/E Handbooks, MSELs, EEGs, AAR/IPs). Please confirm (a) there are no page limits for the Technical Proposal, samples and resumes may be submitted as appendices, and one example of each listed item is sufficient; (b) sanitized samples with client-identifying information redacted are acceptable; and (c) materials marked "Confidential Proprietary Information" will be treated as exempt from disclosure under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law.

A72: Yes.

Q73: Section 23, paragraph 2 requires the Contractor to defend and indemnify SEPTA against

"any and all claims of any kind or nature whatsoever regarding subconsultants/subcontractors and materialmen." Will SEPTA accept limiting this to claims arising from the Contractor/Consultant's failure to pay amounts due to its subconsultants, subcontractors or suppliers, or from their negligent acts or omissions in performing the work?

A73: Denied.

Q74: Section 6.b prohibits personnel from having "any contractual, financial, or familial relationship with SEPTA … or with any agency providing funds to SEPTA." Please confirm this refers to personal relationships, and does not disqualify a firm's employees because of the firm's unrelated contracts with federal agencies (e.g., DHS, FEMA, DOT/FTA). Please also identify the funding source(s) for this Contract.

A74: Correct – this is referencing personal relationships. SEPTA is not disclosing the funding source for this RFP.

Q75: Please confirm: (a) a firm that owns no vehicles satisfies §24.G.2 with $1 million combined single limit hired and non-owned automobile liability; (b) a $2 million products-completed operations aggregate satisfies §24.G.1.a without a per-project aggregate endorsement; and (c) whether Professional Liability insurance is required, and if so at what limit.

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A75: (a) This limit meets SEPTA’s requirements. (b) This is sufficient. (c) No Professional Liability is required.

Q76: Part I §IV.F requires subconsultants to carry "the insurance required in the Contract." For subconsultants supplying individual exercise controllers or evaluators, will SEPTA accept $1M/$2M commercial general liability, statutory workers' compensation where required by law, and hired and non-owned auto, without umbrella/excess coverage? Separately, please delete §24.H, or confirm it applies only where SEPTA is the claimant as an additional insured. Contractors cannot direct how their carriers pay claims brought by others.

A76: Subconsultants carrying the above stated insurance limits is acceptable.

Q77: Part I §II.B.2 requires offerors to price on the assumption that the Contract terms will not change. Will SEPTA issue its decisions on all modification requests submitted during Q&A by addendum before the proposal due date?

A77: Yes.

Q78: Which positions does SEPTA consider key personnel? Are there minimum qualifications

(e.g., MEPP, CEM, HSEEP training)? Please confirm Contract §6.c does not require professional licensure for exercise planning staff.

A78: SEPTA has not designated specific positions as key personnel. Proposers should identify the personnel they consider critical or Key to successful contract performance and clearly describe their roles, responsibilities, qualifications, and relevant experience in their proposal.

While SEPTA has not established minimum credentialing requirements, qualifications and experience relevant to emergency management, exercise design, planning, conduct, and evaluation will be considered during proposal evaluation. Certifications and training such as FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP), Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), and HSEEP training may be viewed favorably but are not required. SEPTA confirms that Contract Section 6.c does not require professional licensure for exercise planning staff.

Any personnel proposed should possess the qualifications, experience, and technical expertise necessary to perform the services described in the Scope of Work.

Q79: Several insurance requirements are typical of construction contracts and do not fit this professional services scope: (a) Products/Completed Operations coverage maintained for 12 years after completion (§24.G.1.b); (b) Explosion, Collapse and Underground (XCU) coverage (§24.G.1.d); and (c) Section 38 Warranties insurance maintained through a two-year Material/Equipment warranty period (§38.d). Will SEPTA delete these requirements, or limit completed operations coverage to the period of performance plus two (2) years?

A79: These requirements can be deleted.

Q80: The RFP states that the BAFO submitted shall remain firm for at least one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date of BAFO submittal. Is there an anticipated award date?

A80: Not at this time. SEPTA intends to present this project to the Board in early 2027.

Q81: The RFP states that the contractor will facilitate an HSEEP program over a two-year period with all services completed by August 2028. We are currently in the 3rd quarter of 2026 which is less than 2 years from August 2028. Does SEPTA plan to push the services completion date back to be 2 full years from the award date?

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A81: Please see the response to Question Number 15. No, SEPTA does not intend to push the completion date back.

Q82: Regarding the requirement for the contractor to be responsible for "exercise logistics coordination", could SEPTA clarify the exact scope of logistical elements the contractor is expected to procure and manage versus what SEPTA will provide? For clarity, does this responsibility include the direct provision and budgeting of items such as:

• Venues & Facilities: Securing exercise locations, staging areas, and briefing rooms?

• Participant Support: Providing meals, catering, or refreshments for players, evaluators, and actors?

• FSE Specifics: Securing volunteer actors, professional moulage, props, and simulator capabilities?

Please identify any additional logistical expectations not listed above, or specify which elements SEPTA intends to provide internally.

A82: SEPTA anticipates that the contractor will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and managing exercise logistics necessary to support the design, conduct, control, and evaluation of the exercises. Proposers should include staffing and resources necessary to execute these responsibilities.

SEPTA intends to provide, or facilitate access to, available SEPTA-owned or controlled facilities for workshops, tabletop exercises, and full-scale exercises, where appropriate.

SEPTA will also coordinate access to internal personnel, operational resources, and participating departments as necessary to support exercise objectives.

For full-scale exercises, the contractor shall be responsible for the coordination and management of exercise support elements, including role players, simulation activities, props, moulage, and other exercise-specific resources deemed necessary to achieve the proposed exercise objectives and methodology. SEPTA will work with the contractor to identify potential participants and stakeholders, but the contractor is responsible for managing these resources.

SEPTA does not require proposers to provide meals, catering, or refreshments unless such items are part of the proposer's exercise approach and are specifically included in the proposal.

Since exercise scenarios, design approaches, and methodologies may vary among proposers, SEPTA has not prescribed an exhaustive list of logistical requirements. Proposers should identify any assumptions regarding facilities, participant support, equipment, technology, simulation resources, and other logistical needs within their proposals. SEPTA will evaluate proposed approaches based on their ability to successfully meet the objectives of the Scope of Work.

Q83: Conditional Exception Request – Section 24, Self-Insured Retention (SIR)

This exception is requested only if SEPTA clarifies that the $50,000 SIR limitation also applies to insurance deductibles or other policy retentions. If SEPTA confirms that the limitation applies exclusively to true self-insured retentions, this exception will not be necessary.

If an exception is required, we respectfully request that SEPTA consider the following revised contract language:

"Self-Insurance Retention (SIR) is limited to $50,000 or less, subject to SEPTA's approval.

All self-insured retention must be declared to SEPTA. This requirement does not apply to

Page 15 of 25 October 29, 2026 insurance deductibles."

A83: This language is there to require any deductibles or SIRs over $50,000 be disclosed to

SEPTA. As long as their deductible or SIR is disclosed, we can consider accepting if.

Q84: Can SEPTA provide the anticipated timeline for proposal evaluations, contract award, and issuance of the Notice to Proceed?

A84: SEPTA intends to submit all documents for recommendation for approval to the Board in early 2027.

Q85: Please clarify whether SEPTA requires contractor personnel to maintain an on-site presence beyond the in-person meetings and exercise activities identified in the Scope of Services, or whether planning, development, project management, and other administrative activities may be performed remotely.

A85: SEPTA does not require contractor personnel to maintain a continuous on-site presence beyond the meetings, workshops, exercises, site visits, and other in-person activities necessary to perform the Scope of Services. Planning, design, development, project management, documentation, coordination, and other administrative activities may be performed remotely.

Proposers should assume a hybrid approach in which contractor personnel attend in-person meetings and exercise-related activities as needed to support project objectives and stakeholder engagement. The contractor shall be responsible for ensuring sufficient on-site staffing for the conduct, control, simulation, evaluation, and support of exercise activities, as applicable.

Q86: Does SEPTA have an established budget or anticipated funding range for the two-year

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program outlined in the Scope of Services? If so, can SEPTA provide the estimated budget available for this contract?

A86: Yes, but that information is not needed for you to submit your Proposal.

Q87: Can SEPTA please clarify which forms, certifications, and attachments included in the RFP must be completed, signed, and submitted with the Technical Proposal and/or Price Proposal? If possible, please identify which documents are mandatory at the time of proposal submission, which are required only if applicable, and which are intended for completion after contract award.

A87: Please review the RFP Section 1 – Instructions and Information for Proposers.

Q88: Attachment 3 requires fully burdened, firm-fixed unit pricing for each exercise and program management activity. However, Part II, Section 9 (Method of Payment) references hourly rates and personnel positions established in the initial Price Proposal. Can SEPTA clarify whether proposers are required to provide a detailed breakdown of hourly billing rates, labor categories, and estimated hours in addition to the pricing schedule provided in Attachment 3?

A88: See the response to Question Number 70.

Q89: Please clarify whether the $50,000 SIR limitation applies only to a true self-insured retention or whether the Commonwealth intends the requirement to include deductibles and any other policy retentions.

A89: This language is there to require any deductibles or SIRs over $50,000 be disclosed to

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SEPTA. As long as their deductible or SIR is disclosed, we can consider accepting it.

Q90: Please clarify if an HSEEP-compliant AAR/IP is required for the two workshops. On Page

34, the requirements listed are "documentation of findings and recommendations" and "workshop summary reports." However, on Page 37 the required deliverables include "(6) After-Action Reports / Improvement Plans" which would mean that the workshops would require an AAR/IP and not a more informal findings and recommendation report.

A90: SEPTA intends that each exercise conducted under this contract result in an After-Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP).

Q91: The Scope of Services outlines a two-year HSEEP exercise program, but states that all services must be completed by August 2028. Please confirm if all six workshops/exercises and the AAP/IP must be completed by August 2028 or two years following the start of the project.

A91: Please see the response to Question Number 81.

Q92: Is it expected that the Year 2 exercises will build upon and expand the scenarios and outcomes from Year 1, or will they be conducted as standalone exercises with different focus areas and objectives?

A92: Please see the response to Question Number 49.

Q93: On page 32 it states “Required Planning Meetings to be Facilitated in-person and Virtually via Microsoft Teams” Please confirm if all Planning Meeting are expected to be conducted in-person, virtually, or a hybrid of both

A93: See the response to Question Number 7.

Q94: Will the contractor be responsible for identifying and securing locations for each workshop/exercise or will the locations be provided by SEPTA?

A94: See responses to Questions 17, 47, 82, 125, and 131.

Q95: Section 23 of the Contract includes broad indemnification obligations, including liability for consequential damages, claims arising after completion of the project, and claims involving SEPTA's own negligence. Would SEPTA consider revising this provision to limit the Contractor’s indemnification obligations to third-party claims and losses arising from the Contractor's negligent acts or omissions, with liability apportioned according to its degree of fault, and excluding liability attributable to SEPTA's own negligence?

A95: No.

Q96: Would SEPTA consider extending the current proposal submission deadline to allow proposers additional time to review the solicitation requirements, incorporate responses to clarification questions, and prepare comprehensive proposals?

A96: Via this Addendum, the current deadline for the submission of Proposals, , has been extended until Thursday, November 12, 2026 by 1:00PM.

Q97: How many of the planning meetings listed in the Scope of Work require the contractor to be in-person at SEPTA facilities?

A97: See the response to Question Number 82.

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Q98: How many distinct areas of expertise (i.e. law enforcement, fire, HAZMAT) do you anticipate requiring for the Workshop?

A98: Depending on the selected scenario and objectives, relevant expertise may include, but is not limited to, emergency management, law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, transportation operations, security, communications, public…