Atch 6 - Flight Physician Four-FTEs-TDY RFP QandA (Added).pdf

Question Number Question Answer 1 Who is the incumbent vendor and are they eligible to compete for this opportunity?

This is a new requirement therefore there are no incumbents.

2 Are there incumbent physicians in place and what is their average tenure?

See question# 1/answer# 1

3 Is this a personal services contract?

Please refer to the PWS para 1.1: This contract is a personal services contract, and it is intended to create an employer-employee relationship between the Government and the individual contract Aerospace Medicine Physician, only to the extent necessary for providing the services required. The performance of the contracted individuals under a personal services contract is subject to day-to-day supervision and control by the agency personnel comparable to that exercised over military and civil service personnel. The contract does not create an employer-employee relationship between the Government and any corporation, partnership, business association or other party or legal entity with which the contract health care provider may be associated.

4 Are you able to say what the total spend was for the past fiscal year based on the 4 FTEs? There is no historical data as this is a new requirement.

5 PWS 5.7.C & 5.8: Will contractors be required to possess a CAC and/or have access to NIPRNET?

Refer to PWS para 5.7: The Host Unit shall ensure the following pass and identification items required for contract performance are obtained for employees and non-government owned vehicles

6 PWS 5.7.C & 5.8: Is the USG open to adding a Tier 1 Investigation requirement to facilitate obtaining a CAC and NIPRNET access for contractors?

Refer to PWS para 5.8(a): For contracts requiring IT-Level III computer access, contractor personnel shall successfully complete, as a minimum, a Tier 1 background investigation (formerly known as a NACI), before being issued a CAC and operating government furnished workstations.

7 PWS 5.8: Is a Tier 3 or 5 investigation required for contractors?

Refer to PWS para 5.8(b): For contracts requiring IT-Level I and II access with no access to classified material, the contractor shall complete a Tier 5 (formerly SSBI) or Tier 3 (formerly NACLC and ANACI) investigations, respectively.

8 Will a 254 form be provided for this effort? There will be no DD 254 for this requirement.

9 PWS 3.0: What is the primary location for the 4 FTEs? The primary location for the FTEs may be at any of the AETC wing locations listed in the PWS (Section 6.1 Table 1).

There will be varying support requirements based on geographic locations, populations, mission sets, etc. The vendor has the flexibility to select the locations based upon their recruitment and hiring. The vendor should specify locations in their proposal of each of the four FTEs. From AETC perspective, the optimal distribution of the FTEs is one FTE at any of the eleven installations/MTFs. The vendor makes the final placement based upon recruitment actions and availability of the physicians.

While we cannot predict how many rotations or timelines associated with travel, we do not anticipate the travel exceeding $100K. The travel is based on operations tempo and requirements for a flight physician at locations outside of the contractor’s “home base.” The non-MTF specific verbiage is deliberate to provide flexibility for vendors to recruit in multiple locations and provide a greater opportunity to fill the requirement (1 FTE in Phoenix, 1 FTE in San Antonio, 1 FTE in Montgomery, 1 FTE in Biloxi for example).

10 PWS 4.0: What annual man-hour estimate should we use to calculate pricing (e.g., 1,872 hours, 1,912 hours, etc.)? 1872

11 PWS 4.1: Some pay periods may exceed 80 work hours, reaching 88 to 96 hours.

Would the USG consider rephrasing the "do not exceed 80 work hours" language to "do not exceed the normal work hours for the pay period without prior coordination with the COR"?

Refer to PWS para 4.1: Extended or compressed schedules that are mutually beneficial and do not exceed 80 work hours in the pay period shall be coordinated through the COR.

12 CLAUSES WAWF: Can you confirm that travel will be invoiced using the 2N1 Service process in WAWF?

See 252.232-7006 Wide Area Work Flow of Provisions and Clauses: Yes, the travel will be invoiced using the 2in1 Service in WAWF.

AETC

Flight Physician (FOUR-FTES-TDY)

RFP Questions & Answers

DISCLAIMER: All answers given are pre-decisional. Should any solicitation documents conflict with the answers given below, the solicitation documents shall take precedence. These answers are being provided only with the goals of clarifying the Government's intent and obtaining feedback from Industry. Some answers may have changed in light of incorporating Industry feedback since they were answered.

13 Schedule, CLIN 5: Will CLIN 5 be the contract-wide CLIN and be invoiced through the performance of CLINs 001-0004?

No, CLIN 5 operates as an independent line item and is not tied to the performance or invoicing of CLINs 0001-0004. It is solely for the direct reimbursement of pre-approved travel costs. Refer to FAR 52.232-20 in the attachment 3 -appliciable clauses and provisions.

14 Would the USG consider adding FAR 32.906 - "Prompt Payment" clause to the contract?

The "Prompt Payment" clause is FAR 52.232-25. As stipulated in FAR 32.908(c), this clause is determined not to be applicable to this requirement. Therefore, it will not be added to the contract.

15 Can you provide information on the incumbent contractor? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

16 Could you share the last contract's funded value? Please refer to the answer to question 4.

17 What are the major concerns the USG has regarding this effort? The primary concern the U.S. government aims to address through this effort is the shortage of active-duty Air Force flight doctors available to support initial pilot training within AETC. Current active-duty manning levels for flight physicians are below 70%, with even lower rates across AETC. This initiative seeks to augment pilot training operations by providing additional flight physician support. These physicians will be co-located at AETC medical treatment facilities located on AETC-designated wings.

18 Are there any recruitment or retention challenges that the USG anticipates for this effort?

The U.S. government does not anticipate significant recruitment or retention challenges for this effort, provided that the availability of flight physicians is assessed across the broader AETC enterprise. Concentrating all positions in a single geographic location near one AETC installation would present substantial challenges. However, the intent is to give the vendor flexibility to recruit and retain flight physician talent across the 11 AETC medical treatment facilities or installations. This enterprise-wide approach enhances recruitment potential and supports long-term retention by widening the talent pool and geographic options.

19 Past Performance, Attachment 5: Can we submit client feedback forms digitally signed by the USG, containing all the required information as outlined in Attachment 5?

No, the attachment 5 should be filled out and submitted IAW Factor 3 – PAST PERFORMANCE in para 7.0 of the Combined Synopsis Solicitation.

20 Would the USG consider making ISO 9001:2015 certification a requirement for contractors, given the high-quality standards needed to obtain such certification? There is no ISO9001:2015 requirement since it is a personal service contract.

21 Would the USG consider requiring contractors to have a DCAA-compliant accounting system, with a valid audit conducted within the last three years before contract start? There is no requirement for DCAA-compliant accouting system.

22 Would the USG consider requiring contractors to have an FCL prior to contract initiation? No FCL is required.

23 SOL Section 7: Is there a specific page number or file type requirement for pricing, similar to the requirement for Factor 2 – Technical? All pricing will be filled out on Attachment 2 – Schedule of Services

24 SOL Section 7: Are there any guidelines on acceptable font size, margins, etc., for submissions?

Please see the following guidelines: font size 12-point for main body text, 10-point for figures, tables and captions;

standard margins: 1-inch margins on all sides; Single-spaced.

25 SOL Section 7: Will the title page, table of contents (TOC), and appendices be counted towards the page count for any volume?

Yes, the maximum page limitation for the Technical Volume including resumes has been changed to 22 pages. Excess pages will not be considered in the evaluation. See revised Combined Synopsis Solication, para 7, Factor 2 - Technical.

26 Is the solicitation a new requirement set by the government or is this a contract currently being performed that the government is renewing. If this is a renewal, do you have the contract number associated with the old contract?

Please refer to the answer to question 1.

27 Is this a new contract or an existing one? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

28 If this is an existing one, what is the name of the current Contractor? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

29 Is there an incumbent? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

30 Please provide the option year prices for the contract. Reached out to the contractor for clarification, contractor withdrew the question. This is a new requirement, there's no historical data on option years. If the contractor was talking about pricing this requirement, the contractor's input their option year pricing in attachment 2 - Schedule of Services.

31 Are there currently civilian contractors fulfilling any of these Flight Surgeon roles under an existing contract, will they be available to recruit or onboard? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

32 Is this a new requirement, a recompete, or an expansion of existing services? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

33 What is the expected ramp-up and onboarding timeline post-award?

There are no expected timelines from the government, please note that IAW PWS para 5.11, Anytime a position is vacant for the entire monthly billing cycle, the contractor shall not invoice for that position until the position is filled.

34 Would it be possible to schedule a brief call or virtual meeting to discuss these items and ensure our proposal is fully aligned with your operational expectations? All questions and responses regarding government solicitations are made public to maintain transparency and fairness in the procurement process. By publishing all questions and answers, all potential vendors have access to the same information, preventing any single vendor from having an unfair advantage based on private conversations or clarification. See Combined Synopsis Solication, #12 – The proposals are due by 1:00pm CST, 08 August 2025.

35 Can you confirm if AETC has identified specific starting base locations for the 4 Flight Surgeons as of the contract start date (1 Sep 2025)? Please refer to question 9.

36 Will each FTE be assigned a primary base for a fixed period (e.g., 3–6 months), or is the intent for more frequent TDY rotation?

The member will be assigned primarily to one of the 11 MTFs in AETC and tasked to travel as operational tempo dictates to other location(s). For example one FTE is “home-based” at Luke but there is a requirement to assist flight medicine operations at Laughlin for two weeks, so member will go TDY to assist. A second FTE is “home-based” at JBSA but there is a mission requirement to assist at Vance for one week so the member will go TDY there. A third FTE is “home-based” at JBSA but there is a requirement for a flight physician to assist at Colombus AFB for a month so the member will go TDY there. ETC.

37 Will TDY assignments be pre-scheduled and predictable, or will they be short notice based on needs?

Yes - Refer to PWS Table 2 - Travel Notification Timeframes. TDY assignments will be pre-scheduled and coordinated in a predictable manner. Short-notice TDYs may occur but are not expected to be frequent (crash investigation for example).

38 Is there any preference or expectation for certain bases (e.g., JBSA, Luke AFB, Keesler) to receive priority coverage? Please refer to question 9

39 Given the lack of fixed duty stations, are longer-term TDYs (e.g., 90–180 days) acceptable to reduce operational disruptions and support recruitment and retention? Please refer to question 9

40 Have there been recruitment or continuity challenges with previous vendors or current contractors related to the rotational nature of this requirement?

Please refer to the answer to question 1.

41 The $100,000 NTE travel reimbursement appears insufficient to support 4 full-time physicians rotating across multiple CONUS bases year-round. Does AETC intend for contractors to:

•Self-fund the overage through built-in billing rates?

•Or maintain a low frequency of TDY reassignment to remain within budget?

No requirement to self-fund the overage through built-in billing rates. All travel cost will be covered through Travel CLIN. AETC will dictate the travel requirements and if the travel threshold is exceeded additional funds will be added via AETC/SGS internal process. Strategies will be used to optimize taskings and minimize travel costs. Refer to FAR 52.232-20 in the attachment 3 - appliciable clauses and provisions.

42 Is there any precedent for modifying the travel NTE amount after award based on demonstrated need or travel volume?

A contract modification to the terms and conditions of the existing contract will be implemented if all parties involved in the contract agree that the change is required in order to adapt to changing circumstances, and maintain a functional and mutually beneficial relationship throughout the contract's duration. Refer to FAR 52.232-20 in the attachment 3 -appliciable clauses and provisions.

43 Per PWS Section 1.0 General, “This contract will provide a bullpen of experienced flight surgeons that can be tasked by AETC SGP to fill in operational flight surgeon manning gaps impacting the command.” Given that the physicians must provide services at 11 geographically separate AETC bases (Altus, Columbus, Goodfellow, Holloman, Joint Base San Antonio, Keesler, Laughlin, Luke, Maxwell, Sheppard, Vance), will there be a designated homebase for physician operations or will doctors be deployed from their home offices or from a JBSA location of record?

Please refer to question 9.

44 Will Physicians be centrally credentialled at HQ AETC? If not, it will take 4-6 weeks for local base credentialing at each temporary placement before the assigned physician can start work at the designated MTF. Centralized credentialling accepted by all gaining MTF is a must for this program to work.

Headquarters AETC will assist with the credentialing process in conjunction with AFMED MRC Alpha and DHN Central to ensure there is a centralized credentialing/privileging process in place. The credentialing packages will flow to the assigned MTFs to ensure there are no delays in travel, care, or mission impacts.

45 Attachment 2, Schedule of Services lists four CLINS, one for each Flight Surgeon FTE. Rates for each FTE are requested as a monthly value, multiplied by 12 months for the base year plus four option years. In calculating our monthly rate, can we assume that a fully employed FTE will be providing 40 hours /week or 160 hrs./month?

Please see the revised PWS para. 4.1.

46 Given that the job description is to provide gap TDY coverage, can we assume that all contract physicians will be assigned for the full 160 hours/month? In other words, if one or more physicians is not needed for clinical service during the month, will they be employed in other duties (i.e., case management, compliance review, quality control, consultation, etc.). Candidate physicians prefer full-time employment, so it is important that we know if doctors will be paid a flat rate per month or only while engaged/assigned.

This will be a firm fixed price contract which means the physicians will be paid a flat rate per month as long as the position is filled.

47 What is the estimated workload across all AETC MTFs? Which locations do you anticipate will need the most support? Please refer to the answer to question 9.

48 How much notice will be given for each doctor to report to the next assignment? Is travel time billable? Refer to PWS Table 2 - Travel Notification Timeframes. This is not considered as assignment, it's TDY. This will be coordinated with the doctor and the future hosting installation, as well as the installation the doctor is temporarily assigned to support. All travel will be coordinated and arranged by HQ AETC to ensure the doctor has sufficient advanced notification if being asked to travel back-to-back. Travel is considered "normal duty" and billed as such. The goal for travel coordination will be to travel on weekdays but if weekend travel is required dictated by the mission then those hours will be deducted from normal duty hours in order to stay compliant with PWS guidance.

49 Schedule of Services, CLIN #5 provides a generic value ($100,000) for travel expenses and indicates that this CLIN should not be addressed by the contractor. In calculating the total value of the base year and four option years, should we include the $100K in the subtotals per year and in the total for the full contract?

CLIN# 5 sets a Not to Exceed(NTE) amount for the requested service, preventing the final cost from exceeding the predetermined amount. The predetermined amount of $100,000.00 is already included in the Schedule of Services Attachment #2 and should be included in the total for the full contract. Refer to FAR 52.232-20 in the attachment 3 -appliciable clauses and provisions.

50 Factor 1, Price, requires that contractors provide a separate Total Compensation Plan detailing hourly rates, accumulation of Paid Time-Off, bonuses, medical benefits, etc.

Provision of a TCP assumes that the proposed candidates are salaried staff, not 1099s.

All of our physicians are 1099s. Will a statement to that effect in the Price section of the proposal be sufficient to satisfy the requirement?

Please see para 7 Factor 1 - Price in the revised Solicitation and FAR 52.219-14(e)(1) in the revised Attachment 3 - Applicable Clauses and Provisions. "Services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the prime contractor's 50 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. When a contract includes both services and supplies, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the service portion of the contract;"

51 The PWS Section 1.3.2 states that a copy of each proposed candidate’s resume must be included in the proposal along with a signed affidavit of candidate’s truthfulness.

Where in the proposal do you want the resumes/affidavits placed? Factor 2, Technical is limited to 18 pages, which is insufficient to cover the technical response and four resumes. Can you increase page count for this section or can resumes/affidavits be included as an Appendix at the end of the document?

Please refer to the answer to question 25.

52 Is there a page limit for candidate resumes? Please refer to the answer to question 25.

53 Can the Government confirm if this is a new requirement, or if there is currently an incumbent? If there is an incumbent, can the Government provide current contract information?

Please refer to the answer to question 1.

54 PWS states, “The contractor shall initiate and sign the TAR, obtain the contract on-site PM coordination and then submit the TAR to the COR.” The PWS does not indicate a requirement for an “on-site PM”. Can the Government clarify the process for travel approval?

Please see the revised PWS para 4.5 and para 6.2.2.

55 Para 3.0 states the FTEs will be based out of AETC Medical Treatment Facilities.

Can the Government provide clarification on what four AETC Medical Treatment Facilities the four FTEs will be home-based at? Additionally, can the Government provide an estimate of how many rotations and/or timeline for rotations?

Understanding homebase requirements and estimated amount of travel significantly impacts recruiting and retention.

Please refer to the answer to question 9.

56 In regard to submitting a comprehensive compensation plan. Can the Government confirm they will take comprehensive compensation plan from both the prime and the subcontractor? May the subcontractor submit the Compensation Plan directly to the Government?

Please see the revised Solicitation document para 7, Factor 1 - Price.

57 Who is the incumbent vendor? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

58 Are there incumbent physicians currently in place on the contract? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

59 Are there any vacancies in any of the positions? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

60 What is the average tenure among the current staff in place? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

61 Is this a new contract opportunity? If not, who currently holds the contract? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

62 Are there any incumbent Aerospace Medicine Physicians currently providing the services listed in the PWS?

Please refer to the answer to question 1.

63 Where is the flight surgeon’s primary duty station? If JBSA is it Randolph or Lackland?

Please refer to the answer to question 9.

64 Malpractice insurance is not mentioned in the PWS; are these physicians covered under the federal claims and tort act? Or is private malpractice insurance required? Yes – personal service contract – insurance not required.

65 From paragraph 4.5.1, Which AETC location does the contract manager need to be within 2 hours of?

Please see the revised PWS para 4.5.1. The contract lead shall be available within 2 hours to meet on installation or by telecom with the COR and/or with other government personnel designated by the CO during normal duty hours to discuss issues or concerns. The installation refers to where the COR and/or other government personnel designated by the CO is located.

66 Can the Government confirm that 10 U.S.C. 1091 is the statute authorizing this personal services contract? Yes, 10 U.S.C. 1091 is the statute authorizing this personal services contract.

67 PWS 1.3.2 states “Resume shall be included with the proposal.” However, the proposal instructions do not require resumes. Can the Government clarify whether resumes are required with the proposal?

Please see the revised Solicitation document para 7, Factor 2 - TECHNICAL.

68 If resumes are required as part of Factor 2 Technical, can the Government confirm that they are exempt from the 18-page limit? Please refer to the answer to question 25.

69 Because different clearance requirements could significantly delay the ability of qualified personnel to timely begin work, can the Government clarify what clearance levels or suitability investigations (if any) will be required for the 4 FTE required by this contract?

Please refer to question 6.

70 PWS 6.2.2 refers to “…the local area or place of performance” but no primary place of performance is defined. Can the Government clarify which location is considered the primary place of performance, if any?

Please refer to question 9.

71 Can the Government clarify whether the 4 FTE must be located in specific locations?

Or can the awardee hire qualified personnel anywhere, understanding that all travel would be reimbursed by the Government?

Please refer to question 9.

72 Can the Government provide an estimated number of days annually that each FTE is expected to travel TDY? Please refer to question 41.

73 Can the Government confirm that the travel estimate provided in CLIN X005 includes G&A, and that the awardee may invoice allowable travel costs inclusive of G&A? No profit or indirect rate will be appliedto the travel CLIN. Please refer to the revised attachment 2 - Schedule of Services

CLIN 5.

74 Several of the clauses incorporated by reference (252.204-7017, 52.204-24, etc.)

require fill-in by offerors. Can the Government confirm these completed representations should be included in Factor 1, Price?

Those provisions/clauses are Incorporated by Reference (IBR) by default in PIEE/CLS, If offeror is required by clause or provision to fill in sections that have not been answered by offerors reps and cert, then offerors are required to provide fill ins with proposal. See question #25 for new page count and formatting. The solicitation has also been updated in para 7, Factor 2 - Technical.

75 Will the Government accept the most recent completed CPAR instead of a Past Performance Questionnaire? No, attachment #5 must be completed and submitted by due date.

76 To ensure seamless transition and continuity of operations, can the Government detail who is the current incumbent contractor? Please refer to the answer to question 1.

77 The evaluation criteria require a QCP addressing three specific elements, but PWS Section 7: Quality Control Plan has different requirements. Which section takes precedence for proposal preparation?

Please see the revised PWS para 7.5.

78 Given the specialized nature of aerospace medicine and the competitive nature of the physician market segment, would the Government consider migrating to a Best Value evaluation criteria?

No, see page 1 of the Combined Synopsis – The Government intends to evaluate the complete proposal and award a Firm Fixed-Price (FFP) contract based on the initial submissions without conducting interchanges (INs); therefore, each proposal should contain the best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

79 Would the government be willing to accept previously completed Past Performance Questionnaires within the recency requirement? No, attachment #5 Past Performance Document is unique to this requirement.

80 To facilitate optimal staffing and ensure regional expertise, can the Government provide clarification on: (a) the primary base assignments or geographic areas of responsibility for each of the four provider positions, and (b) whether providers will be expected to support multiple locations within their assigned region?

Please refer to the answer to question 9.

81 Regarding the experience requirements, PWS Section 3.2 requires "at least 5 years of experience in the management of aeromedical programs" while Section 3.3 requires "at least 5 years of experience in aerospace medicine operations and a minimum of 3 years (in the last 20 years) of active-duty U.S. Military Flight Surgeon experience."

Can the Government clarify: (a) which experience requirement takes precedence, and

(b) whether the 3-year military flight surgeon experience must be recent or can be any 3 years within the last 20 years?

See para 3.3 Experience in the PWS. The two requirements work in conjunction with an “and” not an “or” and the flight surgeon experience can be with any branch of the military. The three years of experience can have taken place at any point during the twenty-year tenure. To clarify, it is “at least five years of experience in the management of aeromedical programs and three years of AD service time in the last twenty years.”

82 Regarding work schedule modifications for special projects requiring extended hours, will the Government: (a) adjust work schedules to ensure contractors remain within 40 hours per week, or should overtime costs be incorporated into our pricing?

Please see the revised PWS para 4.1 – work schedules may be modified to ensure the contractor is working within the 80-hour per two work weeks. Any changes to work schedule need to be coordinated with the COR.

83 Can the Government provide established guidelines regarding the frequency and duration of schedule modifications for special projects requiring extended hours?

There are no established guidelines regarding the frequency and duration of schedule modifications for special projects requiring extended hours.

84 PWS Section 3.3 states different experience requirements in different paragraphs. Can the Government clarify whether candidates must meet ALL stated experience requirements (5 years management + 5 years operations + 3 years military) or if these are alternative qualification paths?

Please refer to the answer to question 81.

85 The RFP does not appear to include an SF1449 form. Could you please confirm whether this was an oversight, and if we should anticipate its release in a forthcoming amendment?

IAW FAR 12.603(b): When using the combined synopsis/solicitation procedure, the SF1449 is not used for issuing the solicitation.

86 Can you confirm that each Flight Surgeon position is full-time. Yes, each Flight Surgeon position is full-time.