Atch 2 Industry Day Questions and Answers.pdf

Will FARM II be a small business set aside? What will the evaluation criteria for the FARM II basic and task orders be? What will be the small business utilization goals? FARM II contract structure? Number of FARM II awardees? FARM II proposal requirements?

The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Will announcements go out on Beta.SAM.gov? The Draft RFP, Final RFP, etc. will be posted on Beta.SAM.gov.

The requirement seems to cover a large geographic area, Will you be looking for companies in just those specific areas?

The prime contractors will be required to have the capability to execute concurrent work in each of the locations listed in the SOW regardless of company location.

Will you operate under any other NAICS codes than 236220? The NAICS code for this acquisition is 236220.

Will protégé be considered? The Government will consider Mentor/Protégé partnerships.

Will the prime be required to perform all areas of scope in house? What specific capabilities will be required of the prime?

The Government is looking for a prime contractor who can execute multi‐disciplined projects, whether that be in‐house or through subcontracting. The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Will a contractor clearance (i.e. FCL) be required? The FARM II contractor will not be required to hold a facility security clearance (FCL).

What percentage of the task orders are design build? Projects can include design/build, construction, or two‐phase design/build. The majority of task orders will be design/build.

Will FARM II contractors be required to have an on base presence? There is currently no requirement to have a PM on‐site at all times. However, at a minimum, superintendents will be required to be on‐site while work is being accomplished.

How prevalent is asbestos & lead paint when performing work on FARM task orders? Many facilities were built in the 1950's and 1960's. Asbestos and lead are likely to be present.

What has been the biggest program risk for FARM l? The biggest concern has been facility access due to testing schedules, outages, maintenance work, etc.

What is the typical dollar amount on task orders? Task orders can range from $250K to multimillions, but typically they fall in the $1M ‐

$2M range.

Do you group requirements to build larger task orders? The Government strives to group together similar requirements into the same task order.

What is the biggest cost factor on the task orders? The major cost driver is construction.

SOW states primes must self perform 51% of the work, will this be enforced? This requirement has been removed from SOW 1.1.

How will the Two‐Phase Design/Build work? This is new to FARM ll and the details are still being worked out. This would only be used for highly technical projects where it is beneficial to the Government to seek out a percentage of design completion before awarding the task order. To generalize, the

Government would release a FOPR to the FARM II prime contractors requesting a certain percentage of design with the proposal. The Government would down select to the winning proposal and pay each of the prime contractors for the design they submitted. Designs will not be shared with other FARM II contractors. Feedback on this is welcomed.

Who are the incumbent contractors on FARM I? Black and Veatch, Turner Construction Company, APTIM Federal Services, LLC., Healtheon Inc.

What types of task orders have been awarded, and how much has been awarded in FARM l This information is public and can be found on FPDS.gov through eZsearch. Search for the following contract numbers: FA910116D0006, FA910116D0007, FA910116D0008, FA910116D0009. Example FARM II projects can be found in the draft SOW, Attachment

3.

How long will the period of performance be for FARM ll? The projected period of performance is five years. See Industry Day Presentation, slide

24, in the FARM ll Competition Library for information concerning initial thoughts on the

FARM ll structure.

Are the list of projects in Atch 3 of the draft SOW all new work for FARM ll The list is potential new construction work, these projects are not guaranteed.

When will the site visits be scheduled? Site visit dates have not yet been determined.

What is the timeline for the FARM II Acquisition? See Industry Day presentation in the Competition Library, slide 16, for notional acquisition schedule.

How much of the work takes place at Arnold vs the GSU's? As an estimate, 80%‐90% of the work takes place at Arnold AFB.

How many contracts will be awarded under the basic? This has not been officially determined yet and will not be finalized until the final RFP is released. See Industry Day Presentation, slide 24, in the FARM ll Competition Library for information concerning initial thoughts on the FARM ll structure.

Do you intend to award a seed project to each awardee? The Government intends to award one seed project on the FARM II basic award. Each selected contractor will be awarded a minimum amount for kick‐off/transition activities.

All selected contractors will be provided a fair opportunity to compete on subsequent task orders.

Will new task orders be issued to all of the awardees when they come out? It is the Government's intention to provide fair opportunity for each prime on every task order.

How has AEDC been operating during COVID? Construction is back up and running. There are installation commander guidelines to follow concerning masks and reporting of COVID symptoms, contact, installation entry, etc.

What is the anticipated ceiling of the FARM ll IDIQ? This has not been officially determined yet and will not be finalized until the final RFP is released. See Industry Day Presentation, slide 24, in the FARM ll Competition Library for information concerning initial thoughts on the FARM ll structure.

On the list of potential projects, what percentage of scope is upgrades to hydraulics? The percentage will vary based on what projects are funded and the chosen designs of those funded projects. The Government does not have a targeted percentage at this time.

What were the successes and shortcomings of FARM l? The Government does not provide past performance information on current contractors. While overall FARM l has been successful in the areas of funding execution, quick award timelines, and major facility upgrades being completed, there have been some lessons learned that have prompted changes which will be reflected in the SOW and RFP.

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Will the base operating contract at Arnold be expiring during the FARM ll PoP? The period of performance for the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) contract ends

30 June 2024.

How much of the work is rapid response/emergent? Projects are generally planned, not typically emergent or rapid response.

Does the Government solicit input from the FARM contractors on requirements/SOW/design before it goes out for solicitation?

For the FARM II basic award, industry will have the opportunity to comment on the draft and final RFP. The Government does not solicit input from the FARM contractors on requirements/solutions before solicitation of task orders.

Is work done at all 31 locations shown on slide 9? Only the GSU's identified in the SOW will be part of the basic contract.

Do you plan to stay consistent with the FARM l RFP? The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

How much anticipated change from the Draft RFP to the Final RFP? It is the Government's intent to have the draft RFP as close to the final RFP as possible, though changes may happen up until release of the final RFP.

There was a matrix provided in the Source Sought (SS), is the expectation that contractors will be able to do all of these elements and will that be required for proposal?

The matrix in the SS was there to help the Government gauge capabilities by listing possible work. Specific requirements for proposals have not yet been determined. The

Draft RFP will provide the Government's information to offerors and evaluation criteria.

Will we be able to provide feedback to the Draft RFP? Feedback to the draft RFP is welcomed.

Will there be opportunity for primes to bring subs for the site visit? Both primes and subs will be permitted at site visits once scheduled.

Will Davis Bacon or Union Labor Agreements need to be considered? Davis Bacon applies but CBA's do not apply.

How many years back can the offeror go for Past Performance Projects/References The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Evaluation Factors for Award The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Will past performance outside of the original FARM program be considered equally relevant The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

If we already have CAC's, can we use them for base access at Arnold? Instructions for base access will be provided at the time of site visits.

How many contracts were awarded on the FARM I contract? There were four awardees on FARM l. See Industry Day presentation in the Competition

Library, slide 15.

Will commercial past performance projects be viewed as equally relevant as Federal/DoD projects

The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Use of affiliated experience for past performance The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Will LPTA or Best Value to be used for TO evaluations, Change management experience? The award evaluation criteria will be determined on a task order basis.

Consideration for a 8a Pool in addition to the Unrestricted (UR), position on UR Primes supporting the 8(a) Prime as long as they don’t participate in UR requirements

The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Performance and availability of local subcontractors The Government does not endorse/recommend specific subcontractors.

What are the bonding requirements on individual task orders and/or an aggregate bonding capability requirement?

Reference FAR 28.102‐2. Bonding at 100% task order value will be required within 10 days of award.

Will company size be viewed as a risk to the Government – or a strength in that we can potentially be more cost effective on the smaller size jobs (under $10M) and have a local workforce?

The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Any there any contractual issues with a contractor working multiple contract vehicles on base at the same time?

The multi‐step OCI process will be followed. Ref FAR 15.202.

Are there any additional requirements on FARM projects that are not common to CE BUMP projects?

See FARM II draft SOW for projected requirements.

Capacity and length of the MACC See slide 24 of the Industry Day slides posted in the Competition Library.

Highest priority task orders & expected timeline for procurement No information is available on task order priority or procurement timelines. See Industry

Day presentation in the Competition Library, slide 16, for notional acquisition schedule for the basic award.

Why are you transitioning to FARM ll rather than just adding task orders to FARM l? The period of performance will be expiring on FARM l.

Will Draft RFP contain sample projects and/or seed projects? Information on the seed project will be included in the Draft RFP. Sample projects are not being considered at this time.

Will the contractors select one seed project to propose on? The offerors will be required to propose on a single seed project.

Are Primes required to keep the same team/subs throughout the life of the contract and on each task order?

Primes will not be required to keep the same subcontractors on every task order.

Section 1 of the SOW, page 4, states "the contractor shall function as an integral team member in support of the AEDC mission, to include sharing information with other AEDC contractors" Please explain what this means.

The installation operating contractor (TOS) may need to be involved in some aspects of the task orders. (e.g., information concerning the project schedule and work plans may need to be shared with them.)

What is the design review process? The design review process is described in the draft SOW 3.9 and Attachment 2.

Ref: SOW Section 3 DESIGN

Please clarify the anticipated Government review time for design submittal packages.

Draft SOW 3.9.3 has been revised to "3.9.3 Required documents shall be submitted 21 calendar days prior to a scheduled review meeting or IAW the schedule given in the specific instructions for each TO."

What is the wind tunnel/aerodynamic component design responsibility? IAW draft SOW 3.9 "Design submittal requirements for individual units of work are specified in the TO."

Will the current TOS contractor be precluded from competing on FARM ll? A FARM II contractor cannot also be the TOS contractor due to OCI issues.

Would you consider awarding services only technical upgrades in FARM ll, such as design services?

The Government cannot award a design only services contract on a construction IDIQ.

How many seed projects were awarded on FARM l? There were four seed projects awarded on FARM l.

Is it acceptable to make contact with anyone outside of this meeting concerning FARM ll? All questions/concerns, etc., regarding FARM II should be addressed by sending an email to AEDC.SSO.us.af.mil or the Procuring Contracting Officer, Mr. Robert Greene.

What other contract vehicles are used for construction type work? In addition to FARM II, the Government utilizes TOS, CE BUMP, SABER, Paving, TETRAS, standalone procurement, etc. to execute construction type work.

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What is the criteria for determining which projects are executed through FARM II? This is project dependent and up to the Government PM to determine how it will be accomplished.

Will the programmed spend under this MATOC be executed in a leveled manner over the term of the contract period, or do you envision there will be various starts and stops in each year or between them? What type of funding?

The goal is to have a consistent workload, but funding and continuing resolution authority (CRA) can cause that to change. We have a variety of funding types but generally it is multiyear funding.

Who has the base operating contract and how much are they involved? Will this change during execution of FARM ll?

The installation operating contractor is National Aerospace Solutions (NAS). Its involvement varies depending on task order, but most of the systems engineering function on base is carried out by NAS. The period of performance for the operating contract ends 30 June 2024.

What has been successful between FARM I and other contractors? Communication between the contractors has been a key enabler to program success.

What challenges have you experienced with facility upgrades in the past, and what are the more important considerations the Air Force expects of its contractors in delivering projects?

A major concern for the Government is the integration of multi‐discipline, complicated projects executing concurrently within small outage windows.

Are all of the projects listed in the Draft SOW for FARM II? Reference draft SOW attachment 3 which states, "The following is a partial representative list of the potential projects that are envisioned to be executed by the

FARM II contractors through Design/Build, Construction,, or Two Phase Design/Build

TOs. The Government anticipates that projects with the same or similar in scope, trade, and complexity, may be grouped together into TOs."

What type of funding will be used? Primarily RDT&E and O&M.

How much of the work requirement is for special fabrication? The uniqueness of our facilities does require specialized fabrication. The amount will very depending on the requirements of the task order.

Will a contractor's lack of DOD experience cause a problem when evaluating proposals? The acquisition strategy and criteria have not been determined yet. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

Types of task orders expected (i.e., Design‐Build, Firm Fixed Price, Price Only, etc.)? Projects can include Design/Build, Construction, or Two‐Phase Design/Build. The majority of our task orders are design/build. Task orders are anticipated to be firm‐fixed‐ price.

Task order award methods and evaluation criteria to be used (i.e., Lowest Price Technically

Acceptable, etc.)?

IAW draft SOW 1.3, "TOs will be competed by Fair Opportunity Proposal Request (FOPR) using either a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) or a full tradeoff source selection process. The process to be utilized will be defined in each TO."

What type of feedback have you been getting concerning the two‐phase design approach? Feedback has been positive.

When will winners be selected? See Industry Day presentation in the Competition Library, slide 16, for notional acquisition schedule.

How many large valves do you think you will need? This is dependent on what task orders are funded and the design of those task orders.

Will the trailer city location be the same? Can current FARM contractors stay in the trailer location until all task orders are complete?

There will be a location for FARM ll contractors to put a trailer for on base presence, it will likely be in the same location as the current FARM trailers. Current FARM contractors will be able to stay in their location until their task orders are complete.

What can contractors do to help USAF be successful? In an effort to improve the likelihood of FARM II success, contractors are encouraged to participate in market research, provide feedback on draft SOW and RFP.

What additional services would be helpful in supporting the FARM II program? FARM II draft SOW contains the required services. More information will be provided in the draft RFP and then finalized in the final RFP.

What is the gap of time between when proposals are due and the award date? Based on the magnitude of the FARM II effort, the Government requires time to perform a thorough evaluation of proposals.

Please provide a list of FARM Industry Day participating companies and contacts. Will provide

Please provide a list of AEDC people that attended the Industry Day. The single point of contact for the FARM II acquisition is the Procuring Contracting

Officer, Mr. Robert Greene.

There are state laws (specifically in TN) that do not allow design contracts to be awarded based on price. The law dictates that design services must be awarded based on qualifications and concept. If the contracts are being awarded in a step phase approach in the lowest price technically acceptable, does this still comply with the state requirement?

FARM II is a construction contract with design/build requirements. It is not a design contract.

Did you reach the $400M ceiling on FARM l? The Government has awarded ~$300M on FARM l to date and will continue to award until the period of performance expires. See FPDS.gov, eZsearch, for more information concerning the FARM l task orders.

Slide 17 in the Industry day .ppt mentions flexible contract vehicle(s). Can AEDC please explain further? We are very interested in the Acquisition Strategy Options as discussed on page 6 of our Sources Sought response.

The Government was referring to the FARM ll contract as a means to provide a flexible contract vehicle with the benefits offered by a MACC IDIQ. The acquisition strategy for

FARM ll has not been determined yet.

We would like to hear more about AEDC potential plans to serve as the project integrator.

This seems like an additional burden on what appears to be highly stretched AEDC staff.

In the event that there are multiple projects going on in the same area/work space by multiple contractors, the Government will serve as the integrator/interface to ensure schedules are aligned.

We would like to hear more about AEDC’s desire for fabrication and check out of facilities before installation at AEDC. We have extensive experience with both skid and module fabricators including design, pre‐qualified suppliers, pre‐delivery testing, transportation logistics, site installation, and final testing / acceptance.

The Government requested input in the sources sought on how off‐site fabrication and checkout would be accomplished by prospective offerors. Requirements for off‐site fabrication and checkout will be provided in the TO FOPRs.

Why is the ceiling on FARM ll anticipated to be lower than FARM l? The ceiling is based on anticipated funding over the period of performance.

Will you consider doing CPARS on individual task orders rather than on the overall contract? CPARs will be completed on the overall contract and not at the task order level.

Can contractors perform work after hours to mitigate other scheduling issues? Work hours will be dependent on the task order. Site availability will determine the hours/times that the contractor can perform work. After hours work shall require prior approval from the CO.

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What is the process for base access? Instructions for base access will be provided at the time of site visits.

Is there an expectation that each prime must bid on a percentage of task orders at each location?

It has not been determined what percentage of task orders each prime must bid on, but it is the Government's intent to have adequate competition for each task order. Further information will be in the Draft RFP.

Do you foresee an upgrade to cyber handling being a portion of the FARM ll contract? This is not a FARM ll requirement.

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