RFI Quest_Answ_2026.10.26_Final.pdf

# Question Answer

1 Section L 1.3 permits joint ventures and states that prior experience of each JV partner may be submitted and considered. SOW 13.1 also states that the Program Executive must be a full-time corporate employee of the prime contractor.

For a joint-venture offeror, may the proposed Program Executive be a full-time employee of one of the JV members, or must the person be employed directly by the JV entity? Similarly, may the three Team Members be employees of a JV member?

For a joint-venture offeror, may the proposed Program Executive be a full-time employee of one of the JV members, or must the person be employed directly by the JV entity? - Yes.

Similarly, may the three Team Members be employees of a JV member? - Yes

2 Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past.

No, there is no incumbent.

3 Can you confirm the basis of award and the relative importance of technical approach, key personnel, past performance, and price?

Please refer to Section M, specifically Sections 1.1 and 1.6.

4 May the prime contractor utilize subcontractors or teaming partners to perform portions of the scope, and are there limitations on the amount of work that may be subcontracted?

Yes

5 Section 13.1 states that the Program Executive must be a full-time corporate employee of the prime contractor. Must the proposed Program Executive already be employed by the prime at the time of proposal submission, or would a contingent-hire commitment with employment effective upon award be acceptable?

Must already be employed.

6 Section 13 states that required certifications may be substituted for experience with Government approval and a 15% labor-rate reduction. Can the Government clarify which experience requirements are eligible for this substitution and which certifications qualify?

Removed. Any references to a 15% labor-rate reduction have been removed from this RFP and are not applicable.

7 Are all listed Program Manager qualifications considered mandatory minimum requirements, or will the Government evaluate the proposed individual’s qualifications collectively?

Mandatory Minimum

8 Is corporate past performance of the prime contractor required, or may relevant experience/past performance of proposed key personnel and subcontractors/teaming partners also be considered?

Corporate Past Performance of the Prime is Required. The relevant experience/past performance of proposed key personnel and subcontractors/teaming partners will not be considered in lieu of corporate past performance.

Solicitation No. AOCACB26R0052, Management Capacity Study

9 May the prime contractor utilize the relevant project experience of proposed subcontractors or teaming partners to demonstrate the overall team’s technical capability?

Yes, however that does not eliminate the requirement of the Prime to have the requisite relevant project experience.

10 For the Firm-Fixed-Price proposal, should pricing be presented by labor category, task/deliverable, or total FFP? Are estimated labor hours required for each discipline?

This will be explained further should the Offeror progress to Step Two.

11 Does AOC have an estimated frequency or number of days that contractor personnel will be expected to perform on-site work during the 184-calendar-day period of performance?

That is up to the vendor to determine what is necessary to execute the scope.

12 Is the Quality Control Plan required as part of the proposal submission, or is it strictly a post-award deliverable due seven days after award?

The QCP is due seven (7) days after contract award. Please refer to Section 6.6 of the Statement of Work.

13 AOC52.228-1 requires an Offer Guarantee of 20 percent of the proposed price with the offer, and Step One carries no price. At which step, if either, must the Offer Guarantee be furnished?

An Offer Guarantee will not be required under this Solicitation.

14 Section 4.1 asks for a listing of four past projects and states that the AOC will not evaluate more than six.

May an offeror submit up to six projects under Factor 1?

Yes.

15 Section 13.1 lists a bachelor's degree, an advanced degree in Business Management, and a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect license for the Program Executive. Are all three required?

Not all three are required. However, Bachelor degree and a License are required.

16 Is there an incumbent contract number for this requirement, and would the Government share it? No, there is no incumbent.

17 Will award of the Capacity Management Study contract preclude the prime contractor or subcontractors from competing on future capital construction design, PMO, owner's representative, program controls, or CMa procurements that would fall under this study?

Yes.

18 "AOCACB26R0015” is used in the subject line per Section L.2’s instructions, but that number doesn’t match the cover page solicitation number (AOCACB26R0052). Can you confirm which RFP number is the correct one for this solicitation?

The solicitation number is AOCACB26R00052. Section L.2 should read "AOCACB26R0052_RFIs_Contractor name."

19 If awarded this contract, would our firm be precluded from pursuing - as prime, sub, or joint venture - future project/program management work on any of the projects within AOC's $2-4 billion capital program, including the Rayburn program?

Yes.

20 Please clarify the solicitation number The correct solicitation number is AOCACB26R00052

21 Please clarify the solicitation number that should be used in the subject line for RFI submissions. The solicitation number is AOCACB26R00052. Section L.2 should read "AOCACB26R0052_RFIs_Contractor name."

22 Is this solicitation set aside, in whole or in part, for small business concerns or for any category of small business? If so, please identify the section and page where the set-aside is stated. If not, please confirm that the procurement is unrestricted

No, this procurement is not set-aside. It is full and open.

23 The AOC’s Procurement and Contracting web page states that “Procurements exceeding $10,000 up to $250,000 are competed amongst small businesses” under the AOC small business set-aside program. Does that program, or any other AOC small business set-aside policy, apply to this procurement?

No, this procurement is not set-aside. It is full and open.

24 Does the solicitation, or the contract that will result from it, require the awardee of any size to subcontract with small businesses? This includes a subcontracting plan, a percentage goal, a limitation on subcontracting, or a reporting requirement. The AOC’s Small Business Opportunities page states that the AOC requires a plan from large businesses awarded contracts exceeding $1,500,000 for construction or $650,000 for architect-engineer services. Please confirm whether any plan or goal requirement applies to this services contract. If one does, please identify the section and page.

No. This is not a requirement.

25 Will small business status or participation be an evaluation factor, subfactor, or preference in Step Two? We understand the Step Two factors will be issued later. If you can say now whether this is contemplated, we would appreciate it.

No, this procurement is not set-aside. It is full and open.

26 Do any AOC policies, including AOC Order 34-1, impose small business set-aside or subcontracting requirements on this procurement that do not appear in the solicitation? If so, please identify them

No.

27 The exact Step One submission deadline and time zone, request for information deadline, and authorized electronic submission route.

Please review section L.2 of the solicitation.

28 Whether the corporate construction program management experience requirements must be met by the prime offeror alone, or whether and how the experience of joint venture members or proposed subcontractors may be considered. We are seeking the applicable evaluation rules and are not representing that AMCAX currently meets these requirements.

If a Joint Venture is proposed, the collective experience will be evaluated.

29 The minimum qualifications and required availability of key personnel and any background screening or security clearance requirements.

Personnel qualifications are found in attachment 3, Statement of Work dated September 23, 2026.

30 Whether Step One is limited to qualifications and past performance, with technical and price proposals requested only from invited offerors at Step Two.

Please review section L of the solicitation.

31 Any published estimated value or ceiling for the study contract, distinct from the value of the capital construction program being assessed.

The Government will not provide its estimate for this effort.

32 Section L.2 references AOCACB26R0015 in the sample subject line, but the solicitation number for this procurement is referenced as AOCACB26R0052. Please confirm the correct solicitation number.

The solicitation number is AOCACB26R00052. Section L.2 should read "AOCACB26R0052_RFIs_Contractor name."

33 Can Offerors submit OCONUS projects performed for U.S. federal agencies as qualifying experience? If so, are projects performed for foreign government entities also acceptable if they meet the stated size, scope, and complexity requirements?

Yes. If the offeror can demonstrate the experience with design and implementation of a Program Management Office, the experience will be evaluated.

34 Must the proposed Program Manager be a direct employee of the Prime Contractor at the time of proposal submission, or may the position be filled by a subcontractor employee?

Must be a current employee of the Prime or a sub.

35 For the three required Team Members, does the Government anticipate specific disciplines, or may Offerors propose personnel whose qualifications best support the study objectives?

Offeror can propose personal that they feel best meets the requirements in the SOW.

36 Will experience in PMO development, governance, program controls, organizational transformation, and portfolio management for major capital programs satisfy the PMO Design and Implementation requirement?

Yes

37 For experience requirements involving projects or programs exceeding $500 million, should the threshold be based on total program value, construction value, portfolio value under management, or contract value?

Total Program

38 Will equivalent combinations of education, certifications, and relevant experience be considered when evaluating key personnel qualifications?

Yes

39 Can the Government provide an estimated level of on-site support anticipated during contract performance? No. Its up to the Offeror to determine their approach.

40 Will organizational, governance, project management, and capital program documentation be made available at project kickoff?

Yes

41 May Offerors submit a combination of CPARS evaluations and Past Performance Questionnaires when CPARS are unavailable for certain projects?

Yes.

42 Section 13.2 requires the proposed Program Manager to possess a PMP certification. Will the Government consider candidates without a PMP certification if they demonstrate substantial PMO leadership experience and a successful record managing large, complex capital programs of similar scope, size, and complexity? If yes, please clarify the criteria used to determine equivalency.

No.

43 Would award of the Management Capacity Study preclude the contractor from participating in future implementation, design, construction management, commissioning, or related support contracts?

Yes

44 Will the awardee have access to planning, programming, or acquisition-sensitive information that could create an OCI for future procurements?

Yes

45 Will the Master Plan developed or assessed through this effort be shared with the awardee? Yes

46 Under, 13.2 Program Manager, Required Skills/Experience the RFP states that the program manager has to have -

• Demonstrated knowledge of the PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge) with a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification;

• Demonstrated experience in multi-year, multi-phase construction Projects or Programs over $500 million, at the State and or Federal Government level.

Many of team member have one or the other of these required skills but for this role can we submit our program manager to have “ Demonstrated experience in multi-year, multi-phase construction Projects or Programs over $500 million, at the State and or Federal Government level”, and not have “Demonstrated knowledge of the PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge) with a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification;”

Can we submit a program manager without a PMP but who has those skills within their background?

No

47 Please confirm that the successful prime awardee of this procurement would not be conflicted out future procurements or projects resulting from this analysis.

Not confirmed. The successful prime awardee of this procurement would be conflicted out of future procurements or projects resulting from this analysis.

48 Please confirm that a successful subcontractor awardee of this procurement would not be conflicted out future procurements or projects resulting from this analysis.

Not confirmed. The successful subcontractor awardee of this procurement would be conflicted out of future procurements or projects resulting from this analysis.

49 Please confirm that an organization with an existing contractual relationship with AOC is not conflicted out from either priming or participating as a subcontractor on this procurement.

Confirmed.

50 Please provide an extension of two weeks to the current solicitation due date. An extension of one (1) week is granted. See Amendment 01.

51 Attachment 1 instructs electronic proposal submission only, while PWS Section 6.7 also includes four hard copies. Please confirm that hard copies of a proposal response are not required.

Hard Copies not required for Step 1.

52 Section 4.1 instructs offerors to "provide a listing of four (4) past projects/contracts", then later in the paragraph says, "The AOC will not evaluate more than six (6) projects." Please clarify that offerors may submit four (4) to six (6) past projects, and that all within that range will be evaluated.

Minimum of 4, maximum of 6. All those submitted in that range will be evaluated.

53 Can the government confirm that the Master’s degree is only required if the Program Executive does not have a Bachelor’s in Engineering, Architecture, or Construction Management? If the Master’s is required regardless, would the government waive the requirement in lieu of 2+ years of relevant professional experience with AOC?

Bachelor degree in Engineering, Architecture, or Construction Management (or Master Degree in those respective disciplines) and a License are required for Program Executive

54 Section L 3.1.1.4 lists "Attachments required for Step Two" as a Step One proposal component but does not define them. Please identify which attachments, if any, must be included in the Step One submission.

There are no attachments required at this time for Step Two.

55 Section L 3.3.1 references a "Factor 5 Bid Schedule" in Excel format; however, Step One includes only Factors 1–3 and no price. Please confirm that no pricing or bid schedule is required in Step One.

Confirmed. No pricing or bid schedule is requested at this time.

56 AOC52.228-1 requires an Offer Guarantee of 20% of the proposed price; however, Step One does not include pricing. Please confirm that the Offer Guarantee applies only to Step Two and is not required with the Step One submission.

An Offer Guarantee will not be required under this Solicitation.

57 Please confirm whether the cover page, table of contents, section dividers, SF 33, and Section K are excluded from the 25-page Step One limit.

Confirming those do not count in the 25 page limit.

58 SOW Section 6.7 requires four hard copies of pre-award documentation, while Section L 2.1.1 states that hard copies will not be accepted. Please confirm that no hard copies are required for the Step One proposal.

Correct. No Hard copies for Step 1.

59 Please confirm whether including a methodology section in the Step One proposal would be considered noncompliant or affect the Offeror's evaluation.

The Government will not review methodology in Step 1 even if the Offeror wants to submit.

Submission would not be "non-compliant", just would not be reviewed as criteria for moving to Step 2.

60 Does the Government require respondents to complete Section B of the solicitation? Not at this time. Pricing is not being requested under Step One.

61 The SF‑33 lists the subject line as “AOCACB26R0015_RFIs_<contractor name="">.” Can the Government confirm the correct subject line for RFI submission?</contractor>

The solicitation number is AOCACB26R00052. Section L.2 should read "AOCACB26R0052_RFIs_Contractor name."

62 If the study’s deliverables (e.g., governance framework, PMO model, staffing plan, program controls, implementation roadmap) are later used to define future procurement requirements, will the study contractor be restricted from competing in those follow‑on opportunities?

Yes

63 Recognizing that project complexity is not always correlated with contract dollar value, would the Government consider allowing offerors to demonstrate relevant experience based on project complexity and scope rather than a strict $500 million contract value threshold, or alternatively lowering the minimum qualifying project value to $50 million?

No.

64 Given this is a management capacity study, would the Government consider revising key personnel requirements to emphasize experience in management studies, workforce analysis, and operating model development rather than implementation‑focused engineering credentials?

The Government will consider the Offerors proposed team and will make consideration if the team can clearly demonstrate the experience aligns with the requirements of the SOW. The engineering credentials will not be waived for the Program Executive.

65 Can the Government confirm whether current AOC contractors performing construction, capital‑program, or program‑management support are eligible to compete, and clarify any OCI restrictions?

Current AOC contractors are not excluded from this solicitation. However, note the awardee of this contract will be conflicted out of future participation in future AOC contracts related to this study.

66 Section L.2 instructs offerors to use the email subject line format "AOCACB26R0015_RFIs_Contractor Name." However, the solicitation number throughout the procurement documents is identified as AOCACB26R0052. Please confirm the correct solicitation number to be referenced in RFI correspondence.

The solicitation number is AOCACB26R00052. Section L.2 should read "AOCACB26R0052_RFIs_Contractor name."

67 Can the Government provide information regarding how this effort relates to, supports, or interfaces with other ongoing capital planning, program management, organizational transformation, governance, or capital improvement initiatives currently underway within the Architect of the Capitol?

The successful Offeror will be provided with access to the specific capital programs, projects, lessons learned, organizational challenges, governance concerns, execution issues, and historical examples at kickoff after award

68 Will performance of this study create any actual or potential Organizational Conflict of Interest that would preclude the successful contractor, its subcontractors, or team members from pursuing, competing for, or performing future Architect of the Capitol contracts related to PMO implementation, program management support, program controls, owner's representative services, capital planning, or other follow-on efforts stemming from this study?

69 The Statement of Work appears focused on providing an enterprise-wide assessment and recommendations for improving the AOC's capital program management capabilities. In addition to this broad assessment, are there specific capital programs, projects, lessons learned, organizational challenges, governance concerns, execution issues, or historical examples that the Government expects the contractor to specifically evaluate or consider during performance of this contract?

The successful Offeror will be provided with access to the specific capital programs, projects, lessons learned, organizational challenges, governance concerns, execution issues, and historical examples at kickoff after award.

70 Task 5 requires development of a staffing strategy appropriate for a "$2-$4 billion capital program." Please clarify the planning horizon associated with this program value, such as annual capital spending, a five-year program, a ten-year program, a twenty-year program, or another period.

The total actual length of the Program is unknown. However, we assume it will span 10-15 years at the time this Study is underway.

71 Section L, Factor 1 and Sections 13.1 and 13.2 of the Statement of Work reference experience on construction projects or programs exceeding $500 million. Please confirm that this threshold refers to the total construction value of the overall project or program rather than the value of the offeror's individual contract. Additionally, please confirm whether a multi-project capital program with a combined construction value exceeding $500 million satisfies this requirement.

Total Program is okay, not limited to hard cost only. Multi-project cap program w/ combined value exceeding $500million will be considered.

72 For planning purposes, can the Government provide its anticipated dates for: (1) Step One shortlist notification, (2) Step Two solicitation release, (3) Step Two proposal submission, (4) contract award, and (5) notice to proceed?

Please refer to section L.2.2.3. At this time, the Government has no additional information on the Step Two time line.

73 Would municipal and other institutional experience (such as higher education) be acceptable toward the requirement for experience on multi-year, multi-phase construction projects over $500 million at the state or federal level? Given that state and federal experience qualifies, we believe municipal and institutional projects of comparable scale and complexity would demonstrate equivalent capabilities

Yes

74 Would a master’s degree in planning satisfy the minimum education requirement for the Program/Project Manager?

Yes

75 Are firms currently providing A/E or Owner’s Representative services on other AOC projects or contracts eligible to compete for this requirement as a prime or subcontractor, or would that work create an organizational conflict of interest?

Current AOC contractors are not excluded from this solicitation.

76 Would a bachelor's and master's degree in civil engineering with a Professional Engineer (PE) license satisfy the minimum education requirement for the Program Executive, without an advanced degree in Business Management? Given the role's focus on construction industry expertise, we believe an advanced engineering degree with a PE license demonstrates equivalent qualifications.