Attachment 3 - Vendor Questions Response.pdf

Attachment 3- SPE2DH-25-R-0001 Amendment 0003

This attachment contains two (2) sections:

- Section I: provides answers to additional questions that were submitted in reference solicitation

SPE2DH-25-R-0001.

- Section II: contains additional revisions to the pricing spreadsheet – Attachment 1-Price Evaluation Book (Amendment 0003).

Section I –Questions and Answers Note: DLA Troop Support received the following questions in response to this solicitation, SPE2DH- 25-R-0001. The responses to these questions are provided for clarification purposes only but may change portions of the solicitation requirements. In the event of any discrepancy between the answers provided in this amendment and the solicitation documents, the solicitation documents will take precedence.

A. GENERAL

This category includes questions about overall solicitation procedures, proposal submission rules, definitions, and contract administration.

1. For the requested list of manufacturer/distributor relationships - Can this list be provided as an appendix outside of the page limitations? This list could encompass over 60 pages by itself, significantly impacting offerors ability to respond to the other substantive areas of the proposal.

DLA Troop Support Response: No, the response must be within the proposal's page limitations.

An appendix is not permitted. The Government does not require a comprehensive list of every manufacturer/distributor relationship. The intent is for the offeror to describe their sourcing process and provide a list of applicable relationships that demonstrates their capability to meet the program objectives for reliability, responsiveness, and traceability as described in Subfactor 1.a.

2. Can you confirm that this solicitation SPE2DH25R0001 is the recompete and next generation of

SPE2DS21D0005?

DLA Troop Support Response: No. Solicitation SPE2DH25R0001 is a new, first-generation contract vehicle and is not a direct recompete. However, it is the Government's intent that this new contract may incorporate and transition some of the requirements previously fulfilled under the prior FMS contract, SPE2DS21D0005.

3. Could you please advise how this opportunity relates to DAPA?

DLA Troop Support Response: The fundamental intent of this program is to supplement, not supersede, the Government’s existing procurement landscape. Accordingly, this contract shall not be utilized to circumvent mandatory sources (e.g., UNICOR, AbilityOne). While it is not intended to circumvent other established procurement channels (e.g., ECAT, DAPA/PV), it may be used to procure items confirmed to be unavailable through them. The primary function of this vehicle remains the procurement of items that the Government determines are logistically unsourceable from any channel. The intent is to fill capability gaps, not to create duplicative or competing procurement channels.

4. Open Season may occur anytime, but the RFP does not define thresholds or timelines. What criteria will the Government use to decide when to initiate an Open Season?

DLA Troop Support Response: The decision to initiate an Open Season rests solely with the Government. Factors that may prompt the Government to do so include, but are not limited to, the number of active contracts falling below the intended total of seven (7), a sustained lack of competition in response to solicitations, or the termination of an existing contract.

5. How will the Government consider implementing small-business set-aside delivery orders (task orders) under FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(F) to increase small-business participation after contract award?

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government's primary approach is to provide all contract holders with a fair opportunity to be considered for each delivery order exceeding the micro-purchase threshold. The solicitation cites FAR 16.505, which governs the ordering process and its exceptions. The Government reserves all rights and flexibilities permitted under this regulation, including the discretion of the Contracting Officer to set aside orders for small business contract holders on a case-by-case basis.

6. Will the Government consider removing Procurement Note C08, Tailored Logistics Support

Purchasing Reviews, from this solicitation, or waiving its requirements, to better align with commercial best practices and the program’s performance objectives? Procurement Note C08 requires contractors to obtain at least two competitive quotes for each purchase and to document price reasonableness for every order. This approach is not consistent with customary commercial practices for distributors of commercial off‑the‑shelf (COTS) medical-surgical products.

Commercial distributors typically rely on established supplier agreements, negotiated pricing, and existing inventory, rather than soliciting multiple quotes for individual customer orders.

Eliminating Procurement Note C08 would allow distributors to more fully leverage established commercial sourcing and fulfillment processes. In addition, the solicitation already provides a mechanism to ensure fair and reasonable pricing through competition of delivery orders among the seven awardees. The solicitation emphasizes the need to support urgent requirements during times of war, national emergency, and humanitarian operations. The requirements imposed by Procurement Note C08 risk introducing delays and operational rigidity that are inconsistent with these objectives. For urgent and time‑sensitive needs, compliance with C08 could directly conflict with the goal of timely support to the warfighter.

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government has reviewed the request and concurs that the requirements of Procurement Note C08 may not align with the program's primary objectives of leveraging commercial sourcing and fulfillment processes. Therefore, Procurement Note C08 is hereby removed from the solicitation in its entirety. The Government will rely on competition at the delivery order level and the offeror's demonstrated sourcing capabilities as described under Factor 1, Subfactor A, to ensure program success and price reasonableness.

7. Will the three reserved small-business awards be made ONLY if small businesses are technically acceptable, or regardless of scoring?

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government will use a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection process. In accordance with FAR 19.503, a reserve of three awards is established for small business concerns. However, to be considered for any award, including the reserved awards, an offeror's proposal must first be evaluated as "Technically Acceptable." The reserve will then be applied to the pool of technically acceptable offers from small business concerns. An award will not be made to a small business concern whose offer is found to be technically unacceptable.

8. What quantitative and qualitative metrics will the government use to hold large businesses accountable for their small business participation plan?

DLA Troop Support Response: The metrics used are those proposed by the large business offeror in its own Small Business Subcontracting Plan, as required by FAR 52.219-9. The contractor's performance against its proposed goals is quantitatively tracked through mandatory reporting in the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS). The Government monitors these reports.

B. TECHNICAL

This category includes questions about how to respond to technical evaluation factors, quality requirements, logistics, and system interfaces.

9. Regarding the requested number of product lines offerors distribute, how does the Government define "product line"? Class of products, individual part numbers, etc.?

DLA Troop Support Response: For the purpose of this evaluation, a "product line" shall be defined as a distinct product family or major category as established and marketed by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The definition shall not be based on a count of individual part numbers.

10. What is the difference between the description of "sourcing process" required for Subfactor 1.a.vi. and the requirements referenced in Subfactor 1.a.i. They seem to be asking for similar information.

DLA Troop Support Response: Subfactor 1.a.i requires offerors to discuss how they establish and maintain relationships with manufacturers and distributors to ensure compliant and quality products. Subfactor 1.a.vi requires distributors and resellers to explicitly describe their transactional, step-by-step sourcing process in lieu of a subcontracting plan.

11. If we have manufactured items that are not TAA compliant, how would you prefer that we communicate this information?

DLA Troop Support Response: The submission of TAA-compliant products is a material requirement of this solicitation. A proposal that includes a non-TAA compliant item may be found technically unacceptable. As part of the proposal, offerors are required to identify the Country of

Origin for each of the 75 PEL items in Attachment 1 - Price Evaluation Book (Amendment 0003), worksheet tab "PEL AMENDMENT 0003", Column 'G'. The entry in this column serves as the offeror's certification that the product being offered for that line item meets the requirements of the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). Listing a non-TAA compliant country in Column G for any item may result in that offer being deemed technically unacceptable.

12. Does the Government require TLS Prime's to maintain dedicated warehouse/storage facilities within specific regions to support DLA customers, or may contractors utilize existing commercial distribution networks and third-party logistics (3PL) providers?

DLA Troop Support Response: Dedicated warehouse/storage facilities are not a requirement. The use of existing commercial distribution networks and third-party logistics (3PL) providers is permissible.

13. The RFP states that vendors must provide “the full range of logistics functions, including shipping, receiving, storage, inventory management, and transportation visibility.” Please confirm whether this requirement contemplates standard commercial fulfillment services (i.e., vendor-owned inventory stored in the vendor’s existing facilities and shipped to DLA customers using normal warehouse and transportation processes), or whether it requires something more. If it requires something more, can you please explain?

DLA Troop Support Response: The requirement for "the full range of logistics functions" is intended to be met through the contractor's standard commercial fulfillment services, provided those services achieve the specific outcomes required by this contract. The Government does not require a separate or unique logistics system for this program. To clarify specific points from your question:

• Storage/Inventory: You are correct that vendors are not required to maintain vendor-owned inventory in a specific stocking model. The requirement is that the vendor manages all functions necessary to ensure Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) to the specified delivery point within the negotiated lead time.

• Transportation Visibility: This refers to the contractor's ability to provide end-to-end tracking information for all shipments, from the point of dispatch until final delivery is confirmed. Standard commercial carrier tracking numbers and portals are typically acceptable means of providing this visibility.

14. Under this program, is the contractor expected to maintain owned inventory (stocking model) for

TLS items, or is a just-in-time procurement / distributor model acceptable where products are sourced from OEMs or distributors upon receipt of orders?

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government does not require the contractor to maintain owned inventory. The mandatory requirement is that the offeror's proposed solution must be capable of fulfilling all orders within the specified delivery times for this Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) program. The choice of inventory model is at the offeror's discretion.

15. The Government may direct sole‑source Delivery Orders. No limits were defined. What constitutes “urgent or compelling” justification for bypassing competition?

DLA Troop Support Response: As stated in the solicitation under the section "Exceptions to Standard Procedures," the Government reserves the right to award an order to a single source for urgent and emergency requirements. The justification for such an action is governed by FAR 16.505(b)(2). Any decision to bypass fair opportunity for reasons of urgency will be formally documented and supported by an approved Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity

(JEFO).

16. Vendors must not ship until FDA/DLA signs DD250; inspection timing may cause long delays.

What is the expected inspection turnaround time for FDA/DLA source inspections?

DLA Trop Support Response: A specified turnaround time for FDA/DLA source inspections cannot be provided. Inspection timelines are dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to, inspector availability and the location and complexity of the items being inspected.

17. Gov requires a Value-Added Network (VAN), which is outdated given modern AS2/API. Will the Government accept AS2, SFTP, or API-only connectivity instead of requiring a paid commercial

VAN?

DLA Trop Support Response: The solicitation requires the contractor to be capable of processing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transactions with the Government's established systems. It is the offeror's responsibility to propose and utilize a solution that successfully and securely interfaces with the required DoD EDI gateway. The use of a commercial Value-Added Network (VAN) is one established method for meeting this requirement. The Government will not approve or disapprove specific alternative technologies as part of this Q&A; the proposed solution must meet the performance and security requirements of the DoD.

18. Mandatory enrollment; costs borne by vendor; may take weeks. Will the Government permit delayed penalties if Omnivee enrollment delays are caused by the base?

DLA Troop Support Response: T The solicitation provides a specific, mandatory procedure that the contractor must follow in the event of enrollment difficulties. As stated in the contract terms, "If difficulty or delay in enrollment in Omnivee Vendor is encountered during the implementation period, the contractor MUST contact Omnivee Vendor and/or the Security Officer at the applicable customer locations to resolve any issues with processing." The responsibility to initiate and manage the resolution of any enrollment issues lies with the contractor, using the points of contact provided in the solicitation. Penalties will be applied to contractors that fail to timely resolve issues with enrollment according to the procedures in the solicitation.

19. The vendor would be liable for all errors and delays; repeated errors can lead to termination. Can the Government clarify what threshold constitutes “repeated” errors?

DLA Troop Support Response: There is no specific numerical threshold that defines "repeated."

The term refers to a demonstrated pattern of non-performance. This will be determined by the

Contracting Officer based on a pattern of performance. Factors that will be considered in this determination include, but are not limited to:

The frequency of the errors:

a. The severity and impact of the errors on Government operations;

b. The existence of a recurring pattern of the same or similar errors; and

c. The effectiveness and timeliness of the contractor's corrective actions to resolve errors and prevent their recurrence. A pattern of errors that negatively impacts contract performance, regardless of the cause, may be considered grounds for action in accordance with the contract terms.

20. 95% line-item fill + 90% on-time; if customer rejects change, order is “killed.” Risk of penalties.

Will contractors be penalized on fill rate when the customer kills an order due to OEM backorder?

DLA Troop Support Response: No. Contractors will not be penalized on their fill rate metric for order cancellations resulting from a documented OEM backorder where the customer rejects a proposed substitute. In such an event, the contractor is responsible for providing the Contracting Officer with documentation of the OEM backorder and the customer's rejection of the alternative.

The order cancellation will then be properly coded and excluded from the fill rate calculation.

21. There is a 12‑month minimum for shelf life; medical consumables often have <12 months remaining. Can the Government clarify exceptions for short‑life diagnostic reagents and controls?

DLA Troop Support Response: The process for handling items with less than 12 months of remaining shelf life is defined in the Solicitation on page 57, Line 23, under the "Shelf-Life" requirement. As stated therein, the contractor must notify the Contracting Officer (KO) as follows:

• For orders being competed via the RFO process: The KO must be notified within the RFO response time period of any items that have a shelf life of less than 12 months.

• For orders under the micro-purchase threshold placed against a contractor’s awarded PEL: The KO must be notified of any item with less than 12 months remaining shelf life.

22. Given that technical factors are significantly more important than price, can the Government clarify how innovation and operational agility from small businesses will be evaluated?

DLA Troop Support Response: As stated in the solicitation's evaluation criteria, this is a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection. Proposals are first evaluated on a pass/fail basis for technical acceptability. For all proposals deemed technically acceptable, the award decision will be based on the lowest evaluated price. The evaluation criteria are the same for all offerors, regardless of business size. An offeror should demonstrate its capabilities, such as innovation and operational agility, by detailing how these strengths enable them to meet the specific requirements of the non-price technical subfactors (e.g., Product Availability, Quality Control, etc.) outlined in the solicitation. The Government will not evaluate "innovation" as a standalone factor, but rather as it applies to the offeror's proposed approach to meeting the stated technical requirements.

23. Of the 85 items on the PEL list 19 items are discontinued or have invalid information. How would you like us to notate items on the price evaluation book that are discontinued, have incorrect information, invalid NSNs, or other discrepancies?

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government has amended the solicitation by reducing the Product Evaluation List (PEL) from 85 to 75 items, removing those confirmed as unprocurable, and offerors must now provide a price for all 75 revised PEL items. Should an offeror determine an item on this revised list is unprocurable after due diligence, they shall not leave the price field blank, but instead propose a technically equivalent alternate product by adhering to the mandatory procedure on page 39, Bullet 6 d. Alternative Items, using Attachment 4, the Alternative Items Price Book, for submission. Additionally, vendors must include complete technical documentation in their proposal package (e.g., specification sheets, part numbers, manufacturer information) to demonstrate that the proposed alternate meets or exceeds the form, fit, and function requirements of the original NSN. The Government will evaluate these proposed alternates as part of the technical acceptability review, and if, at its sole discretion, it determines the alternate product does not meet the NSN requirements, the offer will be considered to have failed to price that line item, leading to the entire proposal being deemed technically unacceptable and ineligible for award if an acceptable offer is not provided for all 75 PEL items..

24. Are contractors required to maintain minimum inventory levels or safety stock for specific items on the Price Evaluation List (PEL), or will inventory planning be the responsibility of the contractor based on demand signals and RFO activity?

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government does not require the contractor to maintain owned inventory. The mandatory requirement is that the offeror's proposed solution must be capable of fulfilling all orders within the specified delivery times for this Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) program. The choice of inventory model is at the offeror's discretion.

25. For the invalid or discontinued items, would you accept alternate products? If so, should spec sheets be provided for the alternate products?

DLA Troop Support Response: Yes, the solicitation provides for the consideration of an alternate product. Offerors must adhere strictly to the procedures and requirements outlined in the solicitation for when and how such proposals are to be submitted and evaluated. Failure to follow the specified process may result in the proposal being considered non-compliant.

26. Given that this procurement reserves three awards for small businesses under FAR 19.503, will the government consider making more than just 3 small business awards if sufficient technically acceptable small-business proposals are received?

DLA Troop Support Response: Yes. The reserve of three (3) awards for small businesses is a minimum floor, not a maximum ceiling. The Government will first evaluate all proposals in accordance with the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection methodology described in the solicitation. If more than three small business concerns are determined to be among the most competitive, technically acceptable offerors, they may receive an award on their own merit. The reserve ensures that at least three awards are made to technically acceptable small businesses.

27. Can the Government clarify whether small businesses will be evaluated relative to other small businesses for the reserved awards rather than against large businesses?

DLA Troop Support Response: The evaluation process involves both scenarios depending on the initial outcome. The process is as follows:

a. Initial Evaluation: Initially, all technically acceptable proposals from both large and small businesses will be evaluated together in one group in accordance with the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) methodology.

b. Contingent Evaluation: The separate comparative analysis of small businesses competing only against each other will only be conducted if fewer than three small business concerns are determined to be among the most competitive offerors in the initial, combined evaluation. In this event, as stated in the solicitation, "...a separate comparative analysis of all small business offers shall be conducted. The highest rated small business proposal...shall be selected for three (3) of the seven (7) awards...". This ensures the small business reserve is met.

28. Will the Government consider allowing small businesses to propose alternative products or equivalent items that provide improved pricing or supply resilience?

DLA Troop Support Response: The opportunity to propose alternative or equivalent products is not exclusive to small businesses; it is available to all contract holders. The primary mechanism for this is during the competitive Request for Offer (RFO) process for a specific requirement.

When proposing an alternative, the offeror is responsible for providing sufficient technical documentation to demonstrate that the proposed item is equal to or exceeds the salient characteristics of the specified product. All proposed alternatives, regardless of the offeror's business size, will be evaluated against the same technical requirements.

29. Charges >$250 may not be submitted in WAWF; must go directly to DFAS. What is the expected inspection turnaround time for FDA/DLA source inspections?

DLA Troop Support Response The premise of this statement is incorrect. As required by DFARS clause 252.232-7006 in the solicitation, all invoices and receiving reports for this contract, regardless of dollar value, shall be submitted electronically through Wide Area Workflow (WAWF). The solicitation does not direct offerors to submit invoices directly to DFAS.

30. 95% line-item fill + 90% on-time; if customer rejects change, order is “killed.” Risk of penalties.

Will contractors be penalized on fill rate when the customer kills an order due to OEM backorder?

DLA Troop Support Response No. Contractors will not be penalized on their fill rate metric for order cancellations resulting from a documented OEM backorder where the customer rejects a proposed substitute. In such an event, the contractor is responsible for providing the Contracting Officer with documentation of the OEM backorder and the customer's rejection of the alternative.

The order cancellation will then be properly coded and excluded from the fill rate calculation.

31. Urgent orders may require delivery in less than 24 hours, with no additional pricing allowed. Will the Government allow premium freight charges for urgent orders?

DLA Troop Support Response: The 24-hour requirement referenced in the solicitation applies to response times for inquiries, not to product delivery timelines. For standard orders placed against the PEL, the contractor's unit price is inclusive of all costs required to meet the terms of the order.

Separate or additional premium freight charges are not applicable and cannot be added. However, if the Government has a requirement that necessitates a delivery timeline significantly shorter than the standard negotiated terms, the Government reserves the right to issue a separate competitive action (e.g., a Request for Quote) for that specific, expedited requirement. In this scenario, offerors would have the opportunity to price their offers accordingly, inclusive of any costs required to meet the accelerated delivery schedule.

32. VSM is optional, but if used, requires outdated tech (IE 6.0). May fail on modern systems. Can vendors use modern browsers or APIs instead of Internet Explorer-dependent VSM?

DLA Troop Support Response: As stated in the solicitation, the Vendor Shipment Module (VSM) may be used as an optional tool for obtaining transportation instructions. It is not a mandatory system for invoicing or receiving reports. The Government acknowledges the technical limitations of VSM. The mandatory system for submitting all invoicing and receiving report data is Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), as specified in DFARS clause 252.232-7006.

33. "Please provide the full text of the following clauses:

C18 SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXPORT AND U.S. TERRITORIES Sep-24

C19 TRANS-SHIPMENT OF MATERIAL THROUGH DLA CONTAINERIZATION AND

CONSOLIDATION POINTS Jul-24

DLA Troop Support Response: The full text of all Defense Logistics Acquisition Directive (DLAD) procurement notes referenced in the solicitation can be found on the DLA's eProcurement website.

a. The two specific clauses requested can be found within the master PDF documents provided at that location.

b. Official Source: http://www.dla.mil/HQ/Acquisition/Offers/eProcurement.aspx

c. From that page, select the link for ""DLAD Procurement Notes"" to access the master file containing the full text for both C18 and C19."

34. All orders must be FOB Destination except FMS, which is FOB Origin. However, freight cost is included in unit price for all CONUS/OCONUS. For OCONUS non‑FMS orders, must vendors absorb all international freight within unit price?

FOB Destination except FMS: To clarify the requirement for non-FMS OCONUS orders: the contractor is responsible for delivery on an FOB Destination basis to a designated CONUS consolidation point. The offeror's unit price must include all transportation costs to that CONUS location. DLA is responsible for and will absorb the cost of international freight from the CONUS consolidation point to the final OCONUS destination. The contractor is not required to absorb the cost of international freight.

http://www.dla.mil/HQ/Acquisition/Offers/eProcurement.aspx

35. Contractor must maintain catalog of all items ever ordered, including PEL + all adds, which generate a high administrative burden. Will the Government accept automated catalog integration (API/EDI) instead of manually updating Excel within 10 days?

DLA Troop Support Response: The Government understands the request for automated catalog solutions. However, at this time, integration via API (Application Programming Interface) or EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is not supported for this program's cataloging requirements. The contractor shall be required to maintain and update the catalog using the Excel format as specified in the solicitation and within the 10-day timeframe.

C. PRICE / PEL (Price Evaluation List)

This category includes questions about specific line items on the pricing list (PEL), pricing instructions, and the Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) clause.

36. The RFP explains that Offerors must price all 85 PEL items; however, the Government may remove items deemed unfair/unreasonable. If the Government removes items for price-reasonableness concerns, does that reduce an offeror’s compliance with the minimum coverage rule?

DLA Troop Support Response: No. Compliance and price reasonableness are evaluated separately. Compliance requires that an offeror submit a price for all PEL items. The Total Evaluated Price is a subsequent calculation where the Government will assess the reasonableness of each submitted price. A determination that an individual price is unreasonable will affect the calculation of an offeror's total evaluated price, but it will not retroactively render the proposal non-compliant with the initial requirement to price all items.

37. OEM has stated they will not be pricing vendors for the item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 2 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer a part of the total evaluated price. For a complete and consolidated list of all items removed from the Price Evaluation List, offerors are directed to review Amendment 0003.

38. Please confirm correct part #. A "4" appears to be incorrectly added to beginning if part #.

DLA Troop Support Response: The vendor is correct. The commercial part number for this line item is hereby amended to read 1057-965-018. This corrected part number should be used as a reference point during sourcing activities. Offerors are reminded that their submitted quote must be for a product that meets all form, fit, and function requirements of the specified National Stock Number (NSN), which is the definitive requirement.

39. Please confirm unit of measure, we are being advised these come in packages of 24.

DLA Troop Support Response: The required Unit of Issue for NSN 6530-01-572-5414 is one Package (PK), which must contain a quantity of 24 each. Offerors are advised that pricing must be based on this specific unit of issue, even if it differs from standard commercial packaging.

40. OEM has stated they will not be pricing vendors for the item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 26 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer a part of the total evaluated price. For a complete and consolidated list of all items removed from

41. Please confirm OEM.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 27 is hereby removed from the requirement and are no longer a part of the total evaluated price. For a complete and consolidated list of all items removed from the Price Evaluation List, offerors are directed to review Amendment 0003.

42. Obsolete Item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 29 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer

43. Please confirm unit of measure. Pricing is for a package of 100 vs 25.

DLA Troop Support Response: The required unit of measure is Package (PK), with each package containing a quantity of 25 individual items. This is the established Unit of Issue for NIIN 16548492. Offerors shall provide pricing on a per-package basis..

44. Please confirm part #. It appears to be duplicate of PEL 37.

DLA Troop Support Response: The line items are distinct and not duplicates. The required package quantity is 12 for Line 31 (NIIN 16528496) and 8 for Line 37 (NIIN 16656728). Pricing shall be per the specified package for each line.

45. Obsolete Item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 35 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer

46. Please confirm part #. It appears to be duplicate of PEL 31.

DLA Troop Support Response: The line items are distinct and not duplicates. The required package quantity is 12 for Line 31 (NIIN 16528496) and 8 for Line 37 (NIIN 16656728). Pricing shall be per the specified package for each line.

47. OEM is not able to confirm part #. Is POC information available?

DLA Troop Support Response: Offerors are advised that the definitive requirement for each item is its National Stock Number (NSN). All NSNs listed in this solicitation have been confirmed as active and have recorded usage under current government requirements. While manufacturer names and part numbers are provided for reference to identify previously procured and approved sources, the NSN shall be the governing specification. It is ultimately the offeror's responsibility to establish sources of supply for all items, as the Government will not provide manufacturer point of contact (POC) information for any line item.

48. OEM is not providing pricing for this item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 54 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer

49. Duplicate of PEL 67.

DLA Troop Support Response: Lines 66 and 67 are duplicates. Solicitation Line 67 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer a part of the total evaluated price. Offerors shall provide pricing for Line 66 only. For a complete and consolidated list of all items removed from

50. Duplicate of PEL 66.

DLA Troop Support Response: Lines 66 and 67 are duplicates for NIIN 14598422.

Accordingly, Line 67 is hereby removed from the solicitation. Offerors shall provide pricing for Line 66 only.

51. OEM is not providing pricing for this item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 69 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer

52. Obsolete item.

DLA Troop Support Response: Line 74 is hereby removed from the requirement and is no longer

53. OEM is not able to confirm part #. Is POC information available?

DLA Troop Support Response: It is the responsibility of the offeror to establish sources of supply for all items listed in the solicitation. The Government will not provide manufacturer point of contact (POC) information for this or any other line item. Furthermore, offerors are advised that the definitive requirement for each item is its National Stock Number (NSN). While Manufacturer names and Part Numbers are provided for reference to identify previously procured and approved sources, the NSN shall be the governing specification for all items under this solicitation.

54. Bruker Optics needs the Instrument No. or the Serial No. in order to provide a quote for NSNs

6630123855777 & 6630123892674. Can you please provide the information needed. Their ISO procedures require that.

DLA Troop Support Response: Lines 27 and 46 are hereby removed from the requirement and are no longer a part of the total evaluated price. For a complete and consolidated list of all items removed from the Price Evaluation List, offerors are directed to review Amendment 0003.

55. P&A pricing must be held for 90 days, but market volatility makes this risky. May vendors specify validity shorter than 90 days for volatile commodities?

DLA Troop Support Response: No. The requirement to hold Price and Availability (P&A) pricing for a minimum of 90 days is mandatory and will not be waived.

56. EPA capped by a single PPI index (PCU339110339110) even though items cross many product categories. Will the Government allow multi-index EPA or product‑specific indexing?

DLA Troop Support Response: No. The Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) clause, which specifies a single Producer Price Index (PPI) as the price adjustment cap, will not be revised. This clause is the primary mechanism for contractors to submit a formal request for price adjustments prior to the start of an option period. All such requests are subject to review by the Contracting Officer. Offerors are also reminded that following any approved price adjustments, sourcing for the PEL items will be re-competed among all contract holders. The supplier for the option period term for each line on the PEL will be determined by the lowest price offered during this re-competition.

57. Can items be removed from the PEL contract items list if manufacturer increases exceed limits?

DLA Troop Support Response: A contractor may request to have an item removed from its individual awarded list. The process and consequences are as follows:

a. If a contractor, who is the designated source for an item, requests its removal, the Government may accept the request. That contractor will no longer be the source for that item.

b. The Government will then designate the next lowest-priced contract holder for that item as the new source of supply for the remainder of the term.

c. An item will not be removed from the overall Program Product List (PEL) based on a single contractor's request. An item will only be considered for removal from the master PEL if multiple contract holders demonstrate an inability to procure the item.

58. The Government can unilaterally add items and vendors must support within 60 days. Can vendors request an extension beyond 60 days when Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) onboarding timelines exceed that window?

DLA Troop Support Response The 60-day timeline does not apply simultaneously upon an item being added to the Product List (PEL). The process is as follows:

a. The Government will first compete the newly added PEL item among all contract holders via a Request for Offer (RFO) or similar instrument to select a single source of supply.

b. The contract holder who wins that competitive action is then designated as the supplier for that item.

c. Only then does the 60-day clock begin for that single designated supplier to finalize all sourcing and onboarding requirements. An offeror's OEM onboarding timeline should be a factor in their decision to compete for a particular RFO. The 60-day period is a post-award requirement for the winner of that RFO.

Section II – Business Proposal/Pricing Spreadsheet – Attachment 1- Price Evaluation Book (Updates/Changes)

As a result of vendor questions and answers, the Price Evaluation List has been reduced from 85 to 75-line items.

The manufacturer names and part numbers are provided for reference to identify previously procured and approved sources, the definitive requirement for each item is its National Stock Number (NSN), composed of the Product Group Code (PGC) and National Item Identification Number (NIIN). This NSN shall be the governing specification for the vendor's review and pricing of all 75 PEL items and is applicable to all line-item reviews throughout this solicitation.

A. Removed Items: following ten (10) items are hereby removed from the PEL:

• 6640-01-693-5717

• 6630-01-362-8299

• 6630-01-238-5577

• 6630-01-218-9312

• 6532-01-706-5142

• 6630-01-238-9267

• 6630-00-849-5288

• 6530-01-459-8422

• 6640-01-670-2305

• 6630-01-482-4375

B. Instructions for Price Submission:

• The official pricing submission document is hereby replaced and provided as Attachment 1 - Price Evaluation Book (Amendment 0003).xlsx.

• Within this attachment, Offerors shall use the worksheet tab titled "PEL AMENDMENT 0003" for all price submissions. The original "Price Evaluation List (PEL)" tab is for reference only and shall not be used.

• Each offeror must submit a price for all 75 items on the revised PEL. Failure to meet this minimum requirement will render a proposal technically unacceptable and therefore ineligible for award.

• All references to "85 PEL items" throughout the solicitation are hereby changed to read "75 PEL items."