APAC IDIQ Section L 11 March 26.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

FOR THE

ADVANCED PROPULSION

ACQUISITION CONTRACT (APAC)

Multiple Award Contract (MAC) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)

SOLICITATION FA8626-25-R-B008

11 March 2026

Prepared by:

Propulsion Directorate, Advanced Propulsion Development (APD) Division (AFLCMC/LPA)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 GOVERNMENT POINT OF CONTACT (POC)

1.2 DEBRIEFINGS

1.3 DISCREPANCIES

1.4 SOLICITATION AVAILABILITY

1.5 EXCHANGES

1.6 PARTICIPATION BY FOREIGN FIRMS

1.7 PROPOSAL CONTENT

1.8 PROPOSAL VALIDITY PERIOD

1.9 CONTRACT DETAILS

2. PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION/PAGE LIMITS

2.1 PAGE LIMITATIONS

2.2 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

2.3 CROSS REFERENCING

2.4 INDEXING

2.5 GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

2.6 MARKING

2.7 PAGE SIZE AND FORMAT

2.8 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

2.9 DEADLINES

3. VOLUME I – CONTRACTUAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

3.1 VOLUME 1 SECTION 1: COVER LETTER WITH INDEX/TABLE OF CONTENTS TO INCLUDE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3.1.1 Cover Letter with Index/Table of Contents

3.1.2 Executive Summary

3.2 VOLUME 1 SECTION 2: CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

3.2.1 Signed Standard Form 33

3.2.2 Contract Sections A – J

3.3 VOLUME 1 SECTION 3: GROUND RULES AND ASSUMPTIONS

3.4 VOLUME I SECTION 4: EXCEPTIONS TO REQUIREMENTS, TERMS, OR CONDITIONS

3.5 VOLUME 1 SECTION 5: OTHER SUBMISSIONS

3.5.1 Representations and Certifications

3.5.2 Identifications and Assertions

3.5.3 Organizational Conflict of Interest Plan

3.5.4 Compliance Statement

3.5.5 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (SBSP)

4. VOLUME II – TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY

4.1 VOLUME II SECTION 1: SUBFACTOR 1 TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

4.1.1 Technical Capability Tasks

4.2 VOLUME II SECTION 2: SUBFACTOR 2 PROPULSION INDUSTRY RELEVANCE (PIR)

4.3 VOLUME II SECTION 3: SUBFACTOR 3 SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT

DOCUMENT (SBPCD)

5. PROPOSAL FOR PERFORMANCE OF DELIVERY ORDER 01 (DO1)

5.1 GENERAL

5.2 STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

5.3 PRICE PROPOSAL

1 | P a g e

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

“Notice to Offeror(s)/Supplier(s): Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government intends to award multiple contracts under this solicitation. However, the Government reserves the right to change the total number of contracts awarded, to include no award. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an Offeror for any costs.”

The primary purpose of the Advanced Propulsion Acquisition Contract (APAC) Multiple Award Contract (MAC) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is to provide an agile and rapid acquisition vehicle to acquire propulsion enterprise program requirements. This contract will be used to fill agency needs through execution of Delivery Orders (DOs) and Task Orders (TOs).

The APAC IDIQ does not have specific funding allocated to the contract but rather will use future Air Force, inter-agency and outside agency funding which is executed through the Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for Propulsion’s portfolio and other contract customers. Each request for use of this contract vehicle shall be evaluated for appropriateness to included scope and ceiling determinations; this contract vehicle shall not be used for any Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) requirements.

All Contractors that provide a responsive and qualified proposal will be eligible for award as long as their proposal is received by the Request for Proposal (RFP) closing date. Duplicate/identical proposals will be considered non-responsive.

The Government intends to conduct evaluations on an incremental, first-in first-out basis as proposals are received; early submission is encouraged. Proposals will be evaluated as soon as the Source Selection (SS) team convenes.

1.1 GOVERNMENT POINT OF CONTACT (POC)

The Contracting Officer (CO) is the sole point of contact for this acquisition. Address any questions or concerns you may have to the CO via email NLT 1500 on 13 Apr 2026.

Written requests for clarification shall be sent to BOTH the CO & Contracting Specialist (CS) at the email addresses located in (Sec L, para 1.5) below.

Proposal submittals are due by 1500 Eastern Time on 13 Apr 2026.

1.2 DEBRIEFINGS

The CO will promptly notify Offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range and will notify unsuccessful Offerors of the SS decision in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.204-2(c) and 15.206-1(a). Offerors excluded from the competitive range are entitled to no more than one debriefing for each proposal. Offerors desiring a debriefing shall make their request in writing and in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.206-2 and 15.301, as applicable.

1.3 DISCREPANCIES

If an Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the CO in writing with supporting rationale, as well as the remedies the Offeror is asking the CO to consider as related to the omission

2 | P a g e or error. The Offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussion/negotiations.

1.4 SOLICITATION AVAILABILITY

This solicitation, any amendments, and all referenced documents for this procurement are available online at https://sam.gov. Potential Offerors are encouraged to subscribe for real-time e-mail notifications when information has been posted to the website for this solicitation. Certain documents containing Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) will be available only upon request and shall be forwarded to U.S. owned vendors only via secure email.

1.5 EXCHANGES

The CO will control all exchanges of SS information between the Government and Offerors. Exchanges with industry may be written and transmitted via encrypted e-mail or DoD SAFE website https://safe.apps.mil. The CO is the sole point of contact for this acquisition.

Address any questions or concerns you may have to BOTH the CO and CS via email NLT 1500 on 13 Apr 2026). Send a copy of any and all emails addressed to the CO AND CS. Email may only be used to transmit information to Offerors (if the email can be sent and received encrypted) and includes the subject line includes “SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – See FAR 2.101 & 3.104.”

Contracting Officer: Tanner Alley, tanner.alley@us.af.mil Contracting Specialist: Benjamin Fink, benjamin.fink.2@us.af.mil Contracting Specialist: Capt. Caelan Campbell, caelan.campbell.1@us.af.mil

1.6 PARTICIPATION BY FOREIGN FIRMS

In accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), foreign firms or U.S. companies determined to be under Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) will be permitted to participate in the competition to receive a basic contract.

The Government may limit foreign participation for future DO/TO competitions based upon limitations applicable to the specific requirements being solicited. If foreign participation is not allowed, that will be clearly communicated in the Fair Opportunity Proposal Request (FOPR) for each DO/TO.

1.7 PROPOSAL CONTENT

The proposal shall be clear, concise, and provide sufficient detail for effective evaluation and substantiation of the validity of all stated claims. The proposal shall not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements; instead, it should provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet the stated requirements. The Government’s evaluation will be based solely on information within the Offeror's proposal, or if applicable during discussions/ negotiations. Avoid elaborate brochures, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments; these will not be considered in the evaluation.

1.8 PROPOSAL VALIDITY PERIOD

The proposal shall be valid for 180 calendar days from proposal due date. The Government may request extensions as necessary.

https://sam.gov/ https://safe.apps.mil/ mailto:tanner.alley@us.af.mil mailto:benjamin.fink.2@us.af.mil mailto:caelan.campbell.1@us.af.mil

3 | P a g e

1.9 CONTRACT DETAILS

This proposed contract is a MAC IDIQ contract with baseline clauses and conditions (reference FAR 16.504). The specific prices, contract type(s), delivery requirements, and period of performance (PoP) will be determined at the (DO/TO) level. An initial DO will be awarded concurrently with the award of the basic contract to satisfy the minimum order obligation in accordance with FAR 16.504(a). See para 5, in this section, for further information regarding a proposal for this initial order.

2. PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION/PAGE LIMITS

The Offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in Table 1 for Proposal Organization shown below. The titles and content of Offeror proposal volumes shall be consistent with the titles and content defined in the table below. The table also summarizes proposal page limits as set forth in (Sec L, para 2.1), and all subparagraphs.

Table 1 - Proposal Organizational

Volume

Section L Paragraph

Number

Volume Title

Page Limit

I

Contractual and Administrative Information

• Section 1 - Cover Letter to include Executive Summary

• Section 2 - Contract Documentation

• Section 3 - Proposal ground rules and assumptions

• Section 4 - Exceptions to requirements, terms, or conditions

• Section 5 - Other Submissions

• Section 6 - Glossary of

Abbreviations and Acronyms

No page limit for Contractual and Administrative Information

• NTE 4 pages for Cover Letter to include Executive Summary

II

FACTOR 1: Technical Proficiency

• Section 1 - Subfactor 1: Technical Capability (describe two efforts)

• Section 2 - Subfactor 2: Propulsion Industry Relevance (describe one effort)

• Section 3 - Subfactor 3: Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD)

12 total pages

III

Proposal for Delivery Order 01

• Commitment Letter

• Pricing Spreadsheet

1 page for commitment letter

Pricing Spreadsheet Submit on: Excel Spreadsheet using template (Attachment #8)

4 | P a g e

2.1 PAGE LIMITATIONS

Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal. Offerors will be notified of any excess overages. All pages shall be counted, except as indicated in the paragraphs below. Page limitations will be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs) if they are issued as a result of discussions/negotiations. The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the Offerors. The Offeror’s final proposal revision, if requested, shall be subject to the same page limitations as the initial proposal.

2.2 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

No classified information is permitted in the Offeror’s response.

2.3 CROSS REFERENCING

Each volume should be comprehensive, containing all information necessary for its evaluation. Reviewers will assess each volume based solely on its contents. Information critical for evaluation that is absent from the relevant volume will be considered omitted. Internal cross-references within the volume are acceptable to improve conciseness and understanding.

2.4 INDEXING

Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume. Table of contents does not count against the page limitations for each respective volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections and does not count against the page limitations for each respective volume.

2.5 GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms and does not count against the page limitations for each respective volume.

2.6 MARKING

All proposal pages shall be marked in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(e) and FAR 3.104.4.

2.7 PAGE SIZE AND FORMAT

Written proposals shall be submitted electronically in searchable PDF format. Documents shall use 8½ by 11-inch page with a minimum margin of 1-inch on all sides and Times New Roman 12-point font text. Figures and/or diagrams may use 8-point font or larger. If a large page is required to accommodate figures or drawings, 11 by 17-inch pages may be used, but such documents will count as two (2) pages for the purpose of page limitations. Offerors shall not deviate from the format of any templates provided and shall not exceed page limits set forth above.

2.8 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Each Offeror shall submit an electronic copy of their proposal via DoD SAFE -https://safe.apps.mil/ to the CO no later than the required submission due date of 13 Apr 2026 at 1500 EST. No hard copies of proposals will be accepted. The Offeror shall request a DoD SAFE link for proposal submission from the USG CO no less than three (3) business days prior to the proposal submission date by 1600 EST.

https://safe.apps.mil/

5 | P a g e

2.9 DEADLINES

Offerors shall submit proposals by 13 Apr 2026 at 1500 EST.

3. VOLUME I – CONTRACTUAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

In this volume, the Offeror shall provide the following information.

3.1 VOLUME 1 SECTION 1: COVER LETTER WITH INDEX/TABLE OF CONTENTS TO INCLUDE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3.1.1 Cover Letter with Index/Table of Contents

This shall include a cover letter with a table of contents for the entire proposal and shall also include the Offeror’s POC for any notices and discussions/negotiations (if they occur).

3.1.2 Executive Summary

The Offeror shall summarize their overall management and proposal capabilities. Company name and proprietary information notices shall be included in Volume I Executive Summary. The Offeror’s proposal shall include a concise executive summary of the entire proposal and highlight any key or unique features. The narrative content shall relate to the evaluation factor/subfactors.

Any summary material presented here shall not be considered as meeting the requirements for any portions of other volumes of the proposal and will not be evaluated. The executive summary is provided for information only and will not be evaluated by the Government.

3.2 VOLUME 1 SECTION 2: CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

This is a baseline IDIQ contract. No pricing information is required in Section B.

3.2.1 Signed Standard Form 33

The Offeror shall submit a completed and signed Standard Form (SF) 33: Complete blocks

13 – 16 and sign/date blocks 17 & 18. Signature by the Offeror on the SF 33 constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept. In doing so, the Offeror agrees to the contract terms and conditions as written in the RFP Sections A through K.

3.2.2 Contract Sections A – J

Offeror shall complete clause “fill ins” for Sections A – J.

3.3 VOLUME 1 SECTION 3: GROUND RULES AND ASSUMPTIONS

Offeror shall describe any ground rules or assumptions that apply to the proposal, if any.

3.4 VOLUME I SECTION 4: EXCEPTIONS TO REQUIREMENTS, TERMS, OR CONDITIONS

Offerors shall meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions (T&Cs), representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation Factor or Subfactors. Offerors shall clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions. Each exception shall be identified and related to a specific paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Offerors shall provide rationale in support of the exception and fully explain its impact on the cost, schedule, performance, and

6 | P a g e specific requirements of the solicitation, see Table 2 below. The Government reserves the right to reject any exceptions taken to the proposal’s requirements and consider such offers unacceptable.

Table 2 – Solicitation Exceptions

Solicitation Document Page/Paragraph Requirement/Portion Rationale

SOO, SOW, SPEC,

Model Contract, ITO, etc.

Applicable Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the requirement or portion to which exception is taken

Describe why the requirement can/will not be met

3.5 VOLUME 1 SECTION 5: OTHER SUBMISSIONS

3.5.1 Representations and Certifications

The Offeror shall ensure all required representations and certifications identified in Section K of the solicitation have been filled-in/completed and are provided in their proposal.

3.5.2 Identifications and Assertions

The Offeror shall identify and assert any data rights applicable to the basic contract.

Specific data rights will be addressed at the DO/TO level, when applicable.

3.5.3 Organizational Conflict of Interest Plan

Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) is a concern requiring specific attention. Offerors shall identify any existing or potential conflicts and provide a legible, clear, and coherent OCI Mitigation Plan. An Offeror’s proposal may be deemed unawardable if the Offeror is unable to mitigate an actual or apparent OCI or fails to present a compliant OCI Mitigation Plan. The Offeror’s Approved OCI Mitigation plan will be incorporated into the resultant contract and supplemented with each DO/TO, as required.

3.5.4 Compliance Statement

The Offeror shall document how the Offeror intends to comply with DFARS Clause

252.242-7006, Accounting System Administration. A definitive statement is required from the Offeror regardless of the current status of the Offeror’s accounting system, or how a company plans to implement a qualified accounting system. Orders issued under the APAC MAC IDIQ contract may utilize all contract types that will be addressed at the DO/TO level.

3.5.5 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (SBSP)

Other than small businesses, Offerors shall submit a Subcontracting Plan that includes the content required by FAR 19.109 and FAR 52.219-9, SBSP. The Subcontracting Plan will be incorporated in any resultant contract. Although, various types of supplies and services may be ordered under this contract, for the establishment of this Basic APAC MAC IDIQ, Offerors shall use the following North American Industry Classification System code to determine the applicable size standard: NAICS code 336412, Engines & Engine Parts, 1,500 employees. Offerors required to submit a Subcontracting Plan shall base their estimated cumulative order value to be captured under this contract to be equal to $1 billion. The Offeror may be required to submit specific subcontracting goals for DO/TOs issued under the contract if those orders exceed $900,000 and

7 | P a g e offer subcontracting opportunities. Small businesses are not required to submit a Subcontracting Plan.

FAR 52.219 is critical for small businesses. It contains the clauses and provisions that define eligibility, set-asides, and subcontracting requirements for small business programs.

Understanding 52.219 is essential to correctly represent your business's size and socio-economic status and to navigate the process of bidding on government contracts. Pay particular attention to FAR 52.219-1, a provision which is where you represent your business's size and socio-economic category.

4. VOLUME II – TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY

The Offeror shall submit and describe in detail two (2) efforts for Subfactor 1: Technical

Capability and one (1) effort for Subfactor 2: Propulsion Industry Relevance (PIR) (Sec M, para

2) in which the Offeror claims to possess the required proficiency. Three (3) separate efforts are required to meet both Subfactor 1 and Subfactor 2. The Offeror’s efforts shall meet a recency period of completion for the activity described within the past five (5) years from the proposal’s due date and each effort shall include and be described in the following format, otherwise the proposal shall be considered non-responsive:

• Offeror’s role: e.g., prime, subcontractor, or in-house independent research, etc.

• The challenge, issue, or opportunity addressed by the Offeror

• The actions taken by the Offeror

• The results or outcomes achieved by the Offeror

• Additional comments which serve to demonstrate Offeror proficiency

4.1 VOLUME II SECTION 1: SUBFACTOR 1 TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

The Offeror shall submit and describe in detail two (2) separate efforts for Subfactor 1 in the format described in (Sec L, para 4) and (Sec M, para 2.2). Each of the two (2) efforts for Subfactor 1 shall address a minimum of one (1) Technical Capability tasks listed below in paragraphs 4.1.1.1 through 4.1.1.12. Individual efforts may address more than a single capability if applicable, however, a minimum of two (2) different efforts shall be addressed and submitted in response to Subfactor 1 of the Offeror’s submission.

4.1.1 Technical Capability Tasks

4.1.1.1 Science & Technology

Examples include basic research, technology exploration, risk reduction, or other scientific studies.

4.1.1.2 Research and Development

Examples include applied or advanced research and development and may include modeling and simulation.

4.1.1.3 Test and Evaluation

Examples include hardware, software, or processes.

4.1.1.4 Integration and Assembly

8 | P a g e

Examples include engineering of subsystems or systems, to include both hardware and software.

4.1.1.5 Production and Fielding

Examples include planning, manufacturing, or initial deployment of hardware, software, or processes.

4.1.1.6 Operations and Sustainment

Examples include supporting material readiness, operational performance requirements, and sustainment of fielded and operational capabilities.

4.1.1.7 Modernization

Examples include improvement, upgrade, or replacement of hardware, software, or processes.

4.1.1.8 Prototyping

Examples include design and assessment of new capabilities of hardware, software, or processes, testing and validation of a prototype in a relevant environment.

4.1.1.9 Experimentation

Examples include design or execution of empirical tests or investigations of new ideas, methods, or activities.

4.1.1.10 Hardware and Software Modification

Examples include changes made to maintain or enhance functional capability.

4.1.1.11 Propulsion Design

Examples include conceptualization, analyses, or studies relating to air-breathing or alternatively powered propulsion.

4.1.1.12 Data Mining, Collection, and Analysis

Examples include extracting, examining, transforming, and modeling large data sets to identify and define informed decisions.

4.2 VOLUME II SECTION 2: SUBFACTOR 2 PROPULSION INDUSTRY RELEVANCE (PIR)

Offeror shall describe in detail one (1) effort for Propulsion Industry Relevance (PIR) in the format described in (Sec L, para 4) above and (Sec M, para 2.3). The effort shall describe prior experience in performing work and delivering meaningful results related to propulsion-relevant technologies. Examples include engineering, research, development, test, production, or sustainment. PIR accomplishments described by Offerors may be applicable to hardware, software, components, systems, or processes.

4.3 VOLUME II SECTION 3: SUBFACTOR 3 SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT

DOCUMENT (SBPCD)

The Offeror shall submit a Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) which specifies the Offeror’s level of commitment to small business utilization during the entire performance period of the proposed contract. Offerors shall estimate the type and quantity of work

9 | P a g e that may be ordered and, in consideration of established subcontractor relationships, identify potential subcontractors, anticipated supplies or services that may be furnished by those subcontractors, and the percentage of effort likely to be performed by each category of small business identified on the attached template. A SBPCD is required from all Offerors, regardless of prime contractor size status and type of entity, to include small businesses. This requirement applies to companies with individual, commercial, and comprehensive subcontracting plans.

Successful Offeror’s SBPCDs will be incorporated as an attachment to any resultant contract. The SBPCD is separate from the Subcontracting Plan required by FAR 19.109 and must be submitted by all Offerors, regardless of size status. The SBPCD must address the content described by the attached SBPCD template (Attachment #7).

5. PROPOSAL FOR PERFORMANCE OF DELIVERY ORDER 01 (DO1)

5.1 GENERAL

The Offeror’s proposal shall include a statement of commitment and price to participate in a virtual Post Award Orientation Conference (PAOC) which will be ordered as the first DO and shall satisfy the stated minimum quantity of supplies or services the Government is required to order in accordance with FAR 16.504-1. The PAOC will include a presentation by the Government regarding the processes to be used for requesting proposals, evaluating offers, and awarding future orders and the Offeror will have the opportunity to ask questions and present information as described in the delivery order statement of work.

5.2 STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

The Offeror’s proposal shall include a statement of commitment to participate in the PAOC as described in the SOW for DO1. The commitment document shall be in the form of a letter on corporate stationary signed by an official with authority to bind the Offeror’s firm.

5.3 PRICE PROPOSAL

The Offeror shall submit pricing for DO1 in Excel format using the Staffing Proposal/ Price Template provided with the solicitation (Attachment #8). The price proposal shall document the offeror’s proposed cost to participate in the PAOC. The Offeror shall list the names of their representatives expected to participate in the PAOC and shall submit a total proposed firm fixed price of exactly $1,000.