Attachment 6 - QA FA301625R0035_13 Aug 25.pdf

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&A)

SOLICITATION: FA301625R0035

AMENDMENT 2

16th AF CUSTODIAL SERVICES

13 August 2025

General

1. Q: Given that this is a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable bid, but also a CBA workforce, we request that the Government provide vendors with the current amounts of employees and their associated levels of seniority for this workforce so that we may price effectively.

A: The Government will not provide the current number of employees, please refer to Technical Factor #1 – Management Plan. Regarding Seniority, refer to FAR 22.1020 Seniority Lists.

2. Q: We understand that the Union has recently signed an updated "Addendum A" to its Collective Bargaining Agreement, and that those updated rates go into effect on 1 October 2025. We respectfully request that the Government provide this updated Addendum so that all bidders are on an equal footing with respect to pricing.

A: The rates in the CBA associated with the solicitation is to be utilized.

3. Q: Article III Section 1- Based on the CBA all current Union employees must be retained, if these employees only have a TS clearance, with no SCI Caveat, will the Government provide additional time after contract award to obtain the SCI Caveat since the clearance status changed from the current contract, or will this be accomplished during the Phase-In- Transition period?

A: All employees must provide proof of current top secret facility clearance to begin work.

Please see Amendment revision in reference to Technical Factor #3 and PWS Security Requirements.

4. Q: Addendum A Page 25- Please provide a redacted Seniority list of all personnel and positions supporting this contract to correctly calculate leave entitlements.

A: Regarding Seniority Lists, refer to FAR 22.1020 Seniority Lists.

5. Q: Will a new wage determination be issued, or do the current CBA rates apply?

A: The CBA associated with the Solicitation applies. No wage determination.

Facility

6. Q: Will the Government provide specific Brand and model numbers for Contractor provided supplies, for example installed hand soap dispensers

A: No. Contractor is responsible for determining supplies to be stocked.

7. Q: Are there janitorial closets in every building or will there only be closets in certain strategic locations?

A: Janitorial closets will not be found in every building.

8. Q: How many waterless urinals are there across all facilities, and what buildings are they located?

A: There are no waterless urinals in our facilities. There are not currently any waterless urinals in any of the buildings. However, there have been in the past and there is a possibility of installation during the period of performance of this contract.

9. Q: Who is responsible for maintaining the surrounding plumbing or venting systems if odor or backup issues occur?

A: The 502nd Civil Engineering Squadron. However, odors arising from an absence or lack of cleaning must be corrected by the contractor.

10. Q: If odor issues or performance complaints arise from waterless urinals, is the contractor expected to troubleshoot or replace components at no additional cost?

A: There are not currently any waterless urinals in any of the buildings. See Q. 8.

11. Q: How are financial deductions calculated for performance failures, particularly for unscheduled or emergency tasks?

A: The deductions are based on FAR guidance, square footage of deficient service and established contract negotiated pricing for applicable CLINS.

12. Q: Do all personnel require TS/SCI clearance?

Section 4.16.1 (PWS) requires TS/SCI clearance for all personnel -does every custodial worker need TS/SCI clearance, or only supervisors?

-are escorts provided when custodial work is required in SCIF

A: No, all personnel require proof of current top secret facility clearance. This applies to every custodial worker, supervisor, or any person(s) contributing to contract performance. Escorts are not provided in SCIFs. Please see Amendment revision in reference to Technical Factor #3 and PWS Security Requirements.

Subcontractors

13. Q: Is there permission to onboard a SUB later after the contract starts?

A: Any business entity without a Teaming Arrangement or Letter of Intent with the Offeror is NOT considered as part of the "team" and will not be evaluated as such. Refer to the Solicitation.

Facility Clearance

14. Q: Could the Government please clarify whether a Top-Secret Facility Clearance (TS FCL) must be active at the time of proposal submission, or if offerors with a current Secret FCL, recently held TS FCL, and company management personnel holding active TS PCLs will be considered?

A: A Top-Secret Facility Clearance (TS FCL) must be active at the time of proposal submission.

15. Q: It is our understanding that reinstatement to TS FCL would require Government sponsorship and will be expedited due to our prior TS status and already cleared staff. If eligibility is not sufficient, would the Government be willing to consider sponsoring a TS FCL upgrade for an offeror selected for award, provided that all other technical and staffing requirements are met?

A: A Top-Secret Facility Clearance (TS FCL) must be active at the time of proposal submission. Sponsorship to upgrade clearance status to Top-Secret will not be endorsed.

16. Q: Are all janitorial employees required to have a TS with SCI eligibility before they start?

A: No, all janitorial employees must provide proof of current top secret facility clearance.

Please see Amendment revision in reference to Technical Factor #3 and PWS Security Requirements.

17. Q: Are we allowed to sponsor the sub and give them a clearance?

A: No.

18. Q: Will a vendor need to have a top secret to bid on this solicitation?

A: Refer to Solicitation, Technical Factor 3.

19. Q: Is a secret clearance sufficient and the company with the FCL allowed to upgrade their clearance if a TS clearance is required?

A: A secret clearance is not sufficient. Sponsorship to upgrade to a TS will not be endorsed.

20. Q: Are interim TS clearances authorized or are final clearances required for all contract personnel?

A: Final TS clearances are required for all personnel.

21. Q: Can the Government confirm whether a prime contractor with a Secret Facility Clearance may utilize a subcontractor holding a Top-Secret Facility Clearance to support any security-related requirements under this solicitation?

A: No, TS clearance is required for the prime, sub, and all personnel.

22. Q: Do both my company and our subcontractors need to possess top security clearance, or is it sufficient for just one of us to have it?

A: Yes, TS clearance is required for the prime, subcontractors, and all personnel.

23. Q: Could you guide me on how to confirm the status of my clearance?

A: You must have an active Defense Information System for Security (DISS) account if you would like to verify the status of your clearance. Sponsorship of a new account or reactivation will not be provided.

24. Q: Will the government provide sponsorship for the contractor to get a Facility Clearance

(FCL)?

A: The Government will not provide sponsorship for a Contractor to obtain an FCL.

25. Q: Is Facility Clearance (FCL) required for an award?

A: Top-Secret Facility Clearance is required to be eligible for the award. Refer to Solicitation, Technical Factor 3.

26. Q: Does ONLY the offeror or contractor manager require an active TS facility clearance (green badge) or do all employees and subcontractors require clearance as well?

A: Top-Secret Facility Clearances are mandatory for all personnel, including employees and subcontractors, who contribute to the execution of this contract.

27. Q: Which facilities will require escorted access to controlled or restricted areas or do all the buildings require escorts?

A: Escorts will not be provided in SCIF buildings.

28. Q: Could the Government please clarify whether a Top-Secret Facility Clearance (TS FCL) must be active at the time of proposal submission, or if offerors with a current Secret FCL, recently held TS FCL, and company management personnel holding active TS PCLs will be considered?

A: An active Top-Secret Facility Clearance is required. Refer to Solicitation, Technical Factor 3.

29. Q: It is our understanding that reinstatement to TS FCL would require Government sponsorship and will be expedited due to our prior TS status and already cleared staff. If eligibility is not sufficient, would the Government be willing to consider sponsoring a TS FCL upgrade for an offeror selected for award, provided that all other technical and staffing requirements are met?

A: The Government will not provide sponsorship for a Contractor to obtain TS FCL.

Site Visit

30. Q: Could we get a copy of the company sign-in sheet for the 16th AF Custodial Services site visit?

A: Yes, the redacted site-visit sheet has been provided under Solicitation Amendment.

31. Q: Will the Government provide a copy of the official sign-in sheet?

A. Yes, the redacted site-visit sheet has been provided under Solicitation Amendment.

PWS

32. Q: The PWS states that the "contractor is required to have “a current Top Secret (TS)/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligible," while Amendment 1 states that a "proof of current Top Secret Facility Clearance issued by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is required." These appear to differ in terms of whether the clearance must be currently held or if eligibility is sufficient.

A: See Amendment revision in reference to Technical Factor #3 and PWS Security Requirements. Top-Secret clearance must be held.

33. Q: Section 1.4.1.1.- Will the Government provide a listing of the current equipment being used and its age, and operational status such as; in maintenance, operating, in operatable, etc.?

A: Section 1.4.1.1. of the PWS refers to the Contractors Equipment Condition. Details of the contractor’s supplied equipment currently being used by the incumbent will not be provided.

34. Q: Section 1.2.6- In reference to the eco traps for urinal usage; will the government provide clarification on the specific model and company that installed the current urinals in each restroom?

A: There are not currently any waterless urinals in any of the buildings. However, there have been in the past and there is a possibility of installation during the period of performance of this contract. Should this occur, the contractor is responsible for determining Eco Traps to be used.

35. Q: Appendix E- Will the Government please provide the square footage for AF COLS Level 1 and AF COLS Level 2 as you provided in AF COLS -3 (L-1 & L-2)?

A: AFCOLS 1 Prestige was deleted. AFCOLS 1 Level 2 SF is included in Appendix E.

36. Q: Appendix B- Will the Government provide the frequencies for Facility # 2028, 2049, 2058, 2061, 2081?

A: The title has been updated to “Cleaning Level 2 - Basic AFCOLS 1” for buildings 2028, 2049, 2058, 2061, 2081. The SF totals and cleaning frequencies are already listed in Appendix E.

37. Q: Section 1.6- Will the Government define the maximum allowable phase-in timeframe or is the contractor expected to propose it?

A: The Contractor shall be ready to perform services by period of performance start date.

38. Q: Section 4.4- For unscheduled work such as floor stripping and carpet shampooing, will the government provide historical data (average number of work orders per month/year) available to support pricing and labor planning?

A: No historical data is available. This work is performed on an unscheduled, emergency basis and does not follow a regular schedule.

39. Q: Section 4.4- Will the Government provide historical data on emergency or surge custodial requests (e.g., frequency per year, response times required)?

A: PWS 1.7 requires the contractor to respond within 1 hour of notification. Completion time will be based on the individual issue and the area of coverage. Completion time will be agreed upon by the contractor and Government. Historical data shows on 2 requests during the period of performance of the current contract.

40. Q: General- Will the Government provide the average number of personnel using these facilities to include the temporary buildings?

A: The number of occupants within these facilities and other buildings cannot be provided due to security protocols. Cleaning frequencies are outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

41. Q: Section 3.3- Will the Government provide secured storage and office space for contractor staff and equipment at each building?

A: Per PWS PARA. 3.1. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES. The Government will provide office and storage space in building 2000. The Government reserves the right to re-locate the Contractor if necessary.

42. Q: Attachment 3 & PWS (Pgs. 17-24)- There appear to be differences in square footage totals between the PWS and the electronic pricing schedule for some buildings. Will the Government provide a reconciled square footage list to ensure all bidders price the same scope?

A: The Electronic Pricing Schedule SF is accurate. Note, in the PWS “Facility Cleaning” includes hard floor and carpeted totals while Restroom/Locker room cleaning only include the Restroom SF totals as outlined in Appendix B. Please, note the differences in AFCOLS cleaning and levels.

43. Q: Are there recurring scheduled events (e.g., change of command ceremonies, high-visibility visits) requiring additional custodial staff? If so, can historical event counts be provided?

A: There are no recurring scheduled events that require additional custodial staff.

Solicitation

44. Q: Technical Factor #2: With a 10-page technical volume limit, can the offeror provide a QC Plan Synopsis and flowchart showing its detailed processes in the proposal and provide the complete QC plan within 15 days after contract award?

A: Volume II has been updated to read “Limit to no more than ten (15) pages.” Please also refer to para. 4.2 of the Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

45. Q: CLIN 0007 (Unscheduled Work) is capped at $2,000. Is that per year or per occurrence?

A: Per Year. Contractors are NOT to propose a separate rate. CLIN 0X07 is pre-filled at $2,000.

46. Q: States in part…" The offeror has provided proof of current Top Secret (TS) Facility Clearance issued by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and be Director of Central Intelligence ICD 704 eligible with a current T5/T5R investigation.

Applicant(s) is a U.S. Citizen and has valid Top Secret Facility Clearance in the NISP Database".

Will the Government please clarify what is meant by the Applicant is a US Citizen and has a Top-Secret Facility Clearance? Does the Government mean the Offeror has a TS FCL and is US Owned Firm?

A: Employees must be U.S. citizens (not a U.S. person – meaning they cannot apply if they are a resident or hold a green card) to enter the work area and YES; the company must be US Owned with an active TS FCL.

47. Q: States in Part: The Government will conduct a complete Price Analysis using one or more of the techniques defined in FAR 13.106, to determine if the lowest price technically acceptable offer is fair and reasonable.

What measures will the Government take to ensure that the lowest price proposal meets the minimum requirements of the applicable Wage Determination, Collective Bargaining Agreement, to include all negotiated entitlements included in the CBA to ensure that each offeror is meeting the minimum requirement and not simply offeror a lower unrealistic price that doesn't meet the minimum standard and could pose a risk in employee retention and hiring qualified staff.

A: The Government will conduct a complete Price Analysis using one or more of the techniques defined in FAR 13.106, to determine if the lowest price technically acceptable offer is fair and reasonable. Offerors are responsible for proposing realistic manning levels and ensuring their proposed prices allow for full compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the Service Contract Act which is enforced by the Department of Labor

48. Q: A written QCP shall be submitted as part of the contractor’s proposal package.

Given to breadth of the Technical Volume requirements, combined with the requirement to submit a Quality Control plan with the proposal submission would the Government consider excluding the QCP from the Technical page count or would the Government consider increasing the page count for the Technical Volume.

A: Volume II has been updated to read “Limit to no more than ten (15) pages.” Please also refer to para. 4.2 of the Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

49. Q: States in Part the Governments expectation is that custodial services will be performed across three shifts.

Day Shift: Monday-Friday, if applicable Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 am through 4:30 pm Night Shift: Monday-Friday, if applicable Saturday and Sunday, 4:30 pm through 12:30 am Late Night Shift: Monday-Friday, if applicable Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 am through 7:30 am

Will the Government confirm this assumption as the Task and Frequency chart does not specify which tasks should be performed during which shift?

A: Under the General Information section of the PWS, normal base hours are mentioned but advises that Contractors “may find it necessary to deviate from the normal base hours of operation to ensure timely completion of work,” at no additional cost to the government.

SCIF facilities may dictate what times cleaners are allowed to enter for security reasons.

50. Q: On the PWS, on pages 22-25 are the "Total Cleaned SF per Facility"...including or should include the Restroom SF? If so, the Restroom SF has not been added to the "Total Cleaned SF per Facility" if I am reading or adding it correctly.

A: Total cleaned SF per facility applies to “Facility Cleaning” CLINS while the restroom cleaning SF is listed under the “Restroom Cleaning” CLIN.

51. Q: For Facility No. 2028, 2049, 2058, 2061, and 2081 it's titled "Custom Requested Services", what and how many times a week will those custom services be requested for?

A: These facilities will be serviced as AFCOLS 1, Level 2 cleaning. Please, see Appendix E for cleaning frequencies.