Attachment 8 - RFI QA_Amendment 03.docx

Attachment 8 - Vendor RFI’s Amendment 03

1. Attachment 7 (Q1) says a revised Attachment 4 is issued with the amendment. The Attachment 4 posted under Amendment 01 still defines relevant experience as Integrated Solid Waste Management. Should we fill the sheet as posted and apply the RFQ Factor 2 definition, or will the revised sheet be posted separately? Revision posted with Amendment 02. See Amendment 03 for CURRENT updates.

2. SOW 4.3 requires the four drives to be selected from the Scott AFB Network Whitelist and certified under the DoD Approved Products List. Can the whitelist, or an approved make and model, be provided so every offeror prices the same hardware?

While the size of the drive(s) required is yet unknown, GSA Advantage approved/purchased examples for 16TB & 8TB include:

· iStorage diskAshur3 SSD. SSD capacity: 16 TB, SSD form factor: 2.5 Manufacturer Part Number: IS-DA3-256-SSD-16000-BE

· iStorage ISDAP2256SSD16000CX. SSD capacity: 16 TB, SSD form factor: 2.5 Manufacturer Part Number: IS-DAP2-256-SSD-16000-C-X

· iStorage diskAshur3 SSD. SSD capacity: 8 TB, SSD form factor: 2.5 Manufacturer Part Number: IS-DA3-256-SSD-8000-B

· iStorage diskAshur2. SSD capacity: 8 TB, SSD form factor: 2.5 Manufacturer Part Number: IS-DA2-256-SSD-8000-B

3. SOW 3.1 through 3.5 give the quantities as estimates, and Attachment 3 prices each project as one lot. Will the Government confirm that offerors may price each lot on the stated quantities, with variance handled under 252.243-7002?

If any variance, 252.243.7002 will be followed as prescribed.

4. The period of performance appears three ways: 30 September 2026 to 30 March 2028 in the RFQ, 01 October 2026 to 31 March 2028 in Attachment 3 cell A6, and not to exceed eighteen months from NTP in SOW 5.1. Which one governs the milestone dates in SOW 5.2?

The Period of Performance is 30 September 2026 – 30 March 2028.

5. Is any of the material excluded from off-site processing under SOW 2.1.2, and will pickup be a single release or phased by project?

There is no material excluded from off-site processing. Pickup can be a single release or phased by project.

6. Wage Determination 2015-5875 Revision 34 covers the St. Louis-area Illinois and Missouri counties. If the processing facility sits outside those counties, does the incorporated determination still apply, or will one for that locality be added?

Due to unknown location of Contractor’s processing facility, we will follow the requirements of RFO 22.1002-2(f) – Service Contract Labor Standards-Place Unknown.

7. Can the contractor invoice and receive payment for each individual CLIN as that portion of the work is completed and accepted, or is payment only made after the entire 18-month contract is completed?

Once the government verifies the individual CLIN line project is complete, the contractor may invoice for payment for that induvial CLIN.

8. For CLINs 0001 through 0005, the Pricing Table identifies the Amount as “1” and the Unit as “Lot,” while also requesting both a “Unit Price” and “Total Extended” price. Could you please clarify the Government's intended definition of “Lot” for purposes of completing the Pricing Table? Specifically, is the Government requesting that each CLIN be priced as one complete Firm-Fixed-Price project, whereby the Unit Price represents the total price for the entire respective Project A, B, C, D, or E scope and, therefore, the Unit Price and Total Extended Price would be the same? Or, does the Government intend for the Unit Price column to reflect a unit-based price for example, a price per image, page, sheet, roll, or individual media item—with the Total Extended column reflecting the overall project price?

Revised in Amendment 03 - The term "Lot" is used to group the entirety of the work for each project into a single, comprehensive unit for pricing. The Government is requesting that each CLIN be priced to complete the Firm-Fixed-Price project. the "Unit Price" should represent the total price for the entire scope of the respective project.

9. Can we exclude bidding on Project E: Legacy Media Conversion in our response? We do not currently offer AV digitization in-house, but we can arrange to partner with a sub-contractor if it is required.

No, each of the five projects should be included per the Statement of Work (SOW). If a contractor opts to sub-contract tasks that is their internal process. The winning contractor is responsible for completion per the SOW.

10. In section 3.3.2 Preparation, it states "Execute preparation, including opening envelopes, flattening deeply creased folds, repairing edge tears with archival-safe tape, and mounting fragile or degraded sheets to supportive carrier sheets. For the part reading "the repairing edge tears with archival-safe tape", can you confirm if we need to repair all tears, despite whether or not it'll impact digitization, or can we only repair tears that would impact digitization. Depending on the materials, the former may lead to slower production and could impact price.

The winning contractor will not need to repair all tears. Repairs will only need to be made that would impact digitization.

11. Questions for Project A: Volume Parameters: Standard letter and legal-size paper records totaling approximately 1,452,750 images, derived from:

· 1,050 - 4.5" document boxes (945,000 images)

· 5 - 2.5" document boxes (2,500 images)

· 2 - 2" document boxes (800 images)

· 137 - 15" document boxes (411,000 images)

· 167 - Various sized binders (93,450 images)

a) Can these pages be fed through an ADF scanner?

We are not the expert on what can and cannot be fed through an ADF scanner.

If staples are removed to facilitate digitization, do they need to be re-stapled?

No, staples do not need to be reapplied, but the documents should remain in order and so if an alligator clip, paper clip, etc. is needed to keep the documents together and in order that would be beneficial. A series of documents contained in a single folder, if stapled, could be returned to the folder in order without any additional action.

b) Will the vendor be returning these papers, or destroying them?

Returning them

c) A little unclear on what ‘document boxes’ are - a photo would probably explain it.

Though sizes vary most are standard Hollinger boxes or paper boxes conforming to the width dimensions addressed in the SOW.

d) Are there subfolders within these boxes?

Yes, many have many sub folders, some have none.

e) Should the scanned images be grouped in folders corresponding to internal folders, internal bindings like paperclips, or just by box?

Yes, grouped together corresponding to internal folders.

f) Are the pages mostly single sided content?

There are many double-sided documents. A specific number is unknown.

g) Should blank backs be deleted (and does boilerplate content like blank form fields count and content?)

Every page should be scanned, blank or otherwise.

h) Can you give some context as to the types of documents these pages are from? (internal reports, internal communication, publicly published reports? etc.)

This varies greatly. There are reports, memos, many pictures, internal and external reports, etc.

i) Are the 5 types of document boxes / binders also 5 different types of collections? (ie: “the 15” document boxes are always internal reports”, etc.)

There is no specific standardization as to the content of document boxes, see 11 h) above.

12. Questions for Project B: Volume Parameters: Analog microfilm and microfiche collections totaling approximately 8,829,450 images, comprising:

· 22,464 - 4" x 6" Microfiche Jackets (approx. 93,450 images)

· 3,640 - 16mm Microfilm Rolls (approx. 8,736,000 images)

a) Is the microfiche COM (computer output microfilm) or traditional white paper on black background film?

We cannot speak to each roll of microfilm and do not have the technical expertise to answer this question.

b) How many images per sheet maximum per sheet?

If by “sheet” you mean microfiche, this varies some have 100 image some fewer.

c) Are they all the same kind of fiche? If not, what are the different kinds of fiche in the collection?

We do not have the technical expertise to answer this question. That being said, the “kinds” vary greatly from technical documents, supporting documents for histories like memos, reports, pictures, etc., there are also journals, magazine items etc. on the microfiche.

d) Is the microfilm 100ft or thin pak (200ft)?

We cannot speak to each roll of microfilm and do not have the technical expertise to answer this question.

e) Is the microfilm simplex or duplex? If so, how many of each?

We cannot speak to each roll of microfilm and do not have the technical expertise to answer this question.

f) Assuming the total number of reels and total number of images, that implies an average of 2,400 images per reel - is that typical in this collection? If not, what is typical?

We cannot speak to each roll of microfilm and do not have the technical expertise to answer this question. That being said, reels reviewed in the past had 2,000+ pages.

g) Were these reels routinely accessed via microfilm viewers over the decades (and covered in scratches and various handling artifacts) or are these ‘master’ negatives?

We cannot speak to each roll of microfilm and do not have the technical expertise to answer this question. That being said, some numbers (unknown) have been referenced and we do not regard these as ‘master’ negatives.

13. Questions for Project C: Volume Parameters: Over-sized blueprints, architectural drawings, facility schematics, and maps totaling approximately 3,000 sheets (ranging in size from 11"x 17" up to 34" x 44").

a) Are these rolled and in tubes?

yes are rolled and/or in tubes, some are not.

b) If not all, how many if any were stored flat?

Unknown, but fewer are flat.

c) Can these be run through an ADF scanner?

We are not the expert on what can and cannot be fed through an ADF scanner.

d) Should both fronts and backs be captured?

If information of any kind is on the back, then yes.

14. Questions for Project D: Volume Parameters: Historically significant bound volumes totaling approximately 856,000 pages, comprising:

· 1,404 - 3" Books (approx. 842,400 pages)

· 68 - 1" Books (approx. 13,600 pages)

a) What are some examples of the content in these bound volumes?

This varies greatly. Newspaper type documents, reports, etc.

b) What are some examples of the types of binding in these volumes?

We do not have the technical expertise to answer this question. That being said, some are glued, stitched, etc.

c) Do the volumes lay flat without the pages popping out?

Generally, no.

d) Were these books printed for retail consumption or internal only (such as ledger books) There are bound items meant for retail consumption or internal to USAF members.

e) Are they mostly 2-sided content or 1-sided?

Mostly 2-sided.

f) What is the most common page size?

This varies, many of the bound papers are approx. 17” x 12”

g) What is the largest page size and what proportion of the collection does that cover?

This varies and we do not have a specific number. See 14 f) above.

15. Questions for Project E: Legacy Media Conversion

· Volume & Formats: Obsolete magnetic, optical, and analog media formats

· requiring specialized laboratory transfer services, comprising:

· 16mm Film: 30,000 feet of magnetic/optical sound film (approx. 32 reels)

· Broadcast Tapes: 102 professional tapes (92 U-matic and 10 Betacam)

· VHS Tapes: 322 consumer-grade cassette tapes

· Data Disks: 1,000 CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and DVD-Video discs

· Negatives & Film Strips: 4,000 physical negatives (scanned as TIFF/JPG)

a) 1. Are these stored in binders?

Some yes, some no.

b) 2. If so, are contact sheets stapled to the binder sheets?

Some yes, some no

· Audio Reels: 18 open-reel magnetic audio tapes

· Audio Cassettes: 420 standard magnetic audio cassettes

· Vinyl LPs: 6 long-play vinyl phonograph records

· 35mm Slides: 11,000 slides (scanned at 3000ppi)

· Floppy Disks & Zip Drives: 200 obsolete magnetic digital media drives

a) Are these stored in binders or boxes?

Some yes, some no.

16. Amendment 02 was issued on 15 September 2026, final Vendor Q&A is scheduled for 18 September, and quotations are still due on 22 September. If the final answers affect an offeror’s technical approach, teaming arrangement, or firm-fixed price, will the Government consider extending the quotation deadline? If necessary, would the Government also consider allowing follow-up questions that arise directly from the final Q&A?

The due date is updated to Thursday, 24 September 2026. There is a very limited period of time remaining in the fiscal year. While the government may consider a request, it may not change current deadlines.

17. Attachment 7 lists the deadline as “Friday, 22 September 2026 at 9:00 AM,” but 22 September 2026 is a Tuesday. Please confirm the controlling quotation due date and time.

Thursday, 24 September 2026

18. The RFQ describes the site visit as optional, while SOW 2.1.1 places responsibility on the contractor to verify physical quantities, material formats, and storage conditions before bidding. For an offeror that did not attend the site visit, what information will the Government make available to support that verification? For example, will site-visit notes, photographs, inventory information, collection-condition information, or another verification opportunity be provided?

The government made available the opportunity for a site visit. Quantities, conditions, and details are not known by us and the information provided in the SOW is approximate and was provided over time by various individuals. Per the SOW the contractor is responsible for validating quantities, formats, storage conditions, etc. We do not have the capacity to provide additional notes, photographs, inventory, collection condition, etc.

19. Projects A through E use estimated quantities, and the SOW says actual quantities, sizes, and types are to be verified before bidding. At the same time, Attachment 3 prices each project as a single firm-fixed-price lot. What quantity and condition baseline should offerors use for pricing? If the actual quantity or condition is materially different after award, how will that difference be handled contractually?

While numbers are provided in the SOW, per the SOW, these numbers, quantities, types, sizes, etc. are only estimates to be verified by the contractor prior to bidding, see 18 above. The material quantity to be bid on is the responsibility of the contractor to evaluate.

20. The SOW uses terms such as “high-precision OCR,” “high-fidelity text overlays,” “100% legibility,” and “searchable” files. What measurable standards will the Government use to accept the work? In particular, is there a minimum threshold for OCR/text accuracy, metadata accuracy, indexing accuracy, page or document completeness, legibility, and searchability, and how will those thresholds be measured?

This office does not have the technical expertise to answer this question. That being said, whatever the industry standard is to be able to search within a document with a high degree of accuracy is needed. We recognize that all documents are not equal, onion skin, transparency, blurry, etc. and this impacts the OCR. A bid could propose a threshold or industry standard for consideration to meet this requirement in the SOW.

21. When the SOW requires a document to be “searchable,” is that requirement satisfied by having an OCR text layer, or is the intent that users be able to reliably find the information contained in the source record? For Project C, does searchability include items such as drawing numbers, titles, revisions, dates, equipment or facility identifiers, notes, tables, callouts, and symbols where those items are present?

This office does not have the technical expertise to answer this question. That being said, whatever the industry standard is to be able to search within a document with a high degree of accuracy is needed. OCR appears to be the industry standard. For Project C text should be searchable, symbols do not need to be.

22. Please clarify the relationship between FADGI 3-Star compliance and the accuracy of the information produced from the images. Is FADGI intended to establish capture/image quality, with separate acceptance criteria for OCR, metadata, indexing, and searchability? If not, how will the Government determine that the information produced from a compliant image is accurate and usable?

FADGI 3-Star compliance is not required and has been removed. Whatever the industry standard is to be able to search within a document with a high degree of accuracy is needed and OCR appears to be the industry standard.

23. At the 35%, 65%, 95%, and 100% milestones, how will the Government inspect and accept the work? Please describe the expected sampling approach, sample size, error thresholds, rejection criteria, and rework requirements. Also, when the SOW refers to “100% data verification logs,” does that mean file integrity and checksums only, or does it also include source-to-digital completeness, page sequence, OCR, metadata, and indexing?

The milestones are met as the percentage of work is complete. The expectation is that each document will be a digital representation of the original, will have OCR and be searchable. Sampling approaches, validation, rework, etc. are an internal process for the contractor to ensure the output meets the statement of work. The government will review quality control during frequent meetings as the contractor makes completed images available. 100% data verification is what is required. We are not the technical experts and the bid should reflect what the contractor proposes to meet that requirement based on industry standards/best practices.

24. Would the Government be open to using a representative sample of the archive early in the effort to confirm image quality, OCR, metadata, indexing, file structure, searchability, and ingestion compatibility before large-scale production begins? If practical, would the Government consider either allowing qualified offerors to process the same representative sample before award or requiring a short post-award validation/pilot before full production is authorized?

No, there is a very limited period of time remaining in the fiscal year.

25. The RFQ evaluates Technical Approach as Acceptable/Unacceptable, while Past Performance is stated to be significantly more important than Technical Approach and Price. If two technically acceptable solutions produce materially different levels of OCR accuracy, metadata accuracy, automated QA, or information-retrieval performance, how will the Government consider those differences in the best-value decision? Would demonstrated results on a common sample be considered?

We are not the technical experts as to “materially different levels of OCR, accuracy”,… etc. No, demonstrated results on a common sample will not be considered as there is a very limited period of time remaining in the fiscal year.

26. SOW 4.1 calls for “structured indexing databases” and verification logs using the “metadata models utilized.” What structured-data format does the Government expect, and what fields should it contain? Please provide, if available, the required schema, field definitions, data types, required versus optional fields, controlled vocabularies, unique identifiers, relationships, file-naming rules, folder structure, and expected delivery format such as CSV, JSON, XML, SQL/database, or another format.

We are not the technical experts and the bid should reflect what the contractor proposes to meet that requirement based on industry standards/best practices based on the different types of material (paper, photographs, video, slides, audio, etc.).

27. What Government records-management, document-management, archival, search, or knowledge-management system will ultimately receive the files and metadata? If there is an existing ingestion or import specification, please provide the relevant requirements, including naming/path rules, file-size limits, metadata mapping, and ingestion validation.

Currently, the government uses Microsoft SharePoint for its storage solution. Eventually these items will be uploaded to whatever cloud-based solution the USAF utilizes.

28. What existing inventories or source records are available for the collection, such as box/folder inventories, archival ledgers, drawing registers, spreadsheets, metadata databases, or previously digitized records? Will those materials be provided to the awardee for reconciliation and validation? If previously digitized records exist, is re-indexing, remediation, or correction of those records part of this scope?

The government currently uses a number of finding aids to locate material in its collection. Information regarding these files is located with the solicitation. These documents are key work searchable Adobe Acrobat pdf, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint formats. All available digital files will be provided by the government.

29. May a qualified small-business prime provide overall program management, document processing, indexing, QA, structured-data delivery, and technical integration while specialized subcontractors or teaming partners perform physical preparation, scanning, microform conversion, book capture, and legacy-media transfer? When evaluating the technical approach, may the Government consider the committed equipment, facilities, personnel, certifications, and processes of the proposed team as a whole?

A contractor/winning bid will be responsible for execution of the contract per the SOW. If the contractor utilizes sub-contractors that is their option. That being said, the bid should include how the contractor will meet the requirements outlined in the SOW.

30. Does the Government require the prime contractor to self-perform a specific portion of each individual CLIN or project area, or may work be divided among qualified team members as long as the overall team complies with the solicitation and applicable limitations on subcontracting? Please also clarify what level of detail should be included in the five-page technical proposal to demonstrate compliance.

See answer for 29 above. The level of detail must address the requirements of the RFQ and Statement of Work (SOW).

31. May an offeror team with a contractor that is already performing related digitization, archival, records-management, or technical-support work for the Government, provided any organizational conflict of interest is disclosed and appropriately addressed? If so, may the team rely on that partner’s qualifying past performance, equipment, facilities, and personnel for the work it is proposed to perform?

Yes, an offeror may team with a contractor currently performing related digitization, archival, record-management, or technical-support work for the Government, provided that any potential Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) is fully disclosed, mitigated, and approved by the Contracting Officer (CO).

32. The RFQ describes relevant past performance as historical-archives digitization, microform conversion, bound-book scanning, or legacy-media preservation, while the revised PPI form describes a more comprehensive solution covering several media types. Does each reference need to cover all or nearly all Projects A through E, or may the three required references collectively demonstrate the relevant capabilities across the contractor team?

The government cannot tell the contractor how to communicate its capabilities; however, you should articulate any representation of any/all past performance mentioned in the SOW.

33. Projects A through E require different equipment, facilities, preservation methods, and technical skills, but the solicitation calls for a single award. Is the Government open to separate award by CLIN, phased production authorization, or another structure that reduces performance risk while maintaining overall integration? If the single-award structure will remain, please confirm that different qualified team members may perform the specialized portions of the five project areas.

See answer for 29 above. The government is not open to separate award by CLIN.

34. The period of performance is approximately 18 months, and OCR, computer vision, document intelligence, and automated QA tools continue to change quickly. May the contractor update or replace processing software or methods during performance when the change maintains required security and output formats and meets or improves the Government’s acceptance criteria? If approval is required before making such a change, what process should the contractor follow?

Whatever updates, upgrades, maintenance, etc. that is required by the contractor does not matter to the government as long as the requirements outlined in the SOW and the contractors’ winning bid are met.

35. The PWS states that "Contractor is responsible for pick up, transport, catalog, secure storage and return of materials." Can the vendor coordinate and schedule with the Scott AFB customer to arrange for multiple transportation events? Or is the customer expectation that all materials are to be handled in a single transport event? (PWS 2.1.2 Contractor is responsible for pick up) The contractor can phase and sequence as they deem most suitable. All material, partial, multiple trips, days, etc. are all acceptable. Coordination with the government should be made prior to ensure availability.

36. How is a file identified? Does one document equal one file? Or do multiple documents and/or document types comprise a file? (PWS 3.1.2 Preparation) Ideally multiple documents would equal one file. Example, if in a box is a 10 page oral history, and two photographs, there would be one file containing the 10 separate pages for the oral history, and the photographs would each be a separate file. Where information is contained on the back of a photograph, one file with two images would be ideal unless industry standards or best practices proposes otherwise.

37. What is the average number of pages/images per file? This metric is helpful to calculate the level of effort for document preparation. (PWS 3.1.2 Preparation) This would vary and there would be no “average number.” A 200-page report would have 200 pages in one file. We are not the technical experts. If industry standard/best practice recommends a specific file size or number of pages that should be mentioned and addressed in the bid. A single photograph with no useful information on the back would be a 1-page file.

38. How are documents identified and/or determined on the microfiche jackets? Does one microfiche card equal one document? Or do multiple microfiche cards in a sleeve equal one document? Or do the documents need to be identified and broken out from the images on a microfiche card? (PWS 3.2.4 Indexing) We are not the technical experts. Like items or multiple pages from the same report across several microfiche cards would be best combined as a single multi-page document.

39. How are documents identified and/or determined on the microfilm rolls? Does one microfilm roll equal one document? Or does a microfilm roll contain multiple documents that must be identified and broken out? If so, are these readily identifiable on the microfilm roll frames? (PWS 3.2.4 Indexing) One microfilm roll can be one multi-page document.

40. What are the indexing requirements for Large Format Conversion? Indexing requirements are provided for the Small Paper Format Conversion (3.1.5) and Microfilm and Microfiche Conversion (3.2.4). (PWS 3.3 Project C: Large Format Conversion) We are not the technical experts. What industry standard or best practice allows the file contents to be identified should be included in the bid.

41. What are the indexing requirements for Bound Book Conversion? Indexing requirements are provided for the Small Paper Format Conversion (3.1.5) and Microfilm and Microfiche Conversion (3.2.4). (PWS 3.4 Project D Bound Books Conversion) We are not the technical experts. What industry standard or best practice allows the file contents to be identified should be included in the bid.

42. Does one book equal one document and/or file? Or do the contents of the book need to be broken out as documents? (PWS 3.4 Project D Bound Books Conversion) One book is one multi-page file

43. For Project E legacy media deliverables, please identify any required metadata fields, file-naming conventions, content indexing, or audiovisual transcription requirements by media type. (PWS 3.5 Project E: Legacy Media Conversion) We are not the technical experts. What industry standard or best practice allows the file contents to be identified should be included in the bid. While transcription is not required, tied to the file, a general statement of what the file is should be included. This information can and should come from whatever is written or is accompanying the media when available.

44. The PWS indicates that metadata will be harvested from physical roll labels, jacket headers, and archival ledger systems. Will the archival ledgers be provided in electronic format, physical format, or both? Please describe the anticipated volume and condition of the available archival ledger records. (PWS 3.2.4 Indexing) Any available finding aid data, both electronic and/or physical, will be provided. See answer 28 above.

45. Please provide the current list of approved external storage devices that satisfy the network-whitelist, Approved Products List, encryption, and physical PIN-entry requirements identified in Sections 4.2 and 4.3 (PWS 4.2 Digital Delivery Specifications and 4.3 Technical Security & Network Whitelist Compliance) See answer 2 above

46. Does the Government have an estimated total output data volume or storage requirement for the digitized deliverables? (PWS 4.2 Digital Delivery Specifications) No, the government does not anticipate any storage limits.

47. Sections 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 require the return of original materials, while Section 5.2.5 references secure handback or certified destruction of all physical historical archives. Please clarify whether all original source materials are to be returned to Scott AFB or whether any materials are to be destroyed following digitization.( PWS 2.1.2-2.1.3 and 5.2.5) No items are to be destroyed, all items removed will need to be returned.

48. Of the approximately 200 floppy disks and Zip disks, how many are in each format/type?

The specific number is not known. There are approximately 50 Zip disks.

49. Of those disks, how many contain Microsoft Office files requiring conversion to current file formats, and approximately how many individual files are expected to require conversion?

This specific number is not known

50. Can you provide any information on the breakdown of the number of Floppy Discs vs. ZIP discs?

See question 48 above.

51. Can you provide any better information on the number of files or quantity of how many discs are expected to have Office docs to be updated, and how many files might be expected.

Please see question 49 above.

52. Please confirm FADGI 3-star is required for scanners. This is a NARA requirement for all permanent electronic records that will be submitted to NARA and the Library of Congress. It is our understanding that these digitized artifacts will not be sent to either entity. FADGI 3-star requires specific software and a physical calibration test target (RFQ Evaluation) FADGI 3-star is not required and has been removed from the SOW.

53. During the site visit, statements were made that published books would not be digitized - it appeared that the 1,404 number of 3" books may have included the published books. Please confirm that this is the actual number of 3" books that need to be converted. (SOW 3.4 Bound Books Conversion) The total number of books is unknown. That being said, a more reasonable estimate is under 500. Numbers provided were derived from site visits over a period of time in the past and were strictly estimates provided in the SOW.

54. CLIN 0002 for Project B includes both microfilm and microfiche conversion - the unit pricing for microfilm and microfiche is not the same - can this be broken out into two separate unit prices? (Pricing Sheet) The overall project/CLIN should have a single dollar value.

55. CLIN 0005 Project E - Legacy Media Conversion & Delivery includes 10 different media types. Each type has a different unit price. How do we document the multiple unit prices for each media type. There is only one line item on the pricing sheet for all of these. (Pricing Sheet) The overall project/CLIN should have a single dollar value.

56. SOW 3.1.3 states that all Small format paper conversion needs to be scanned at a resolution of 600 dpi or higher. The NARA requirement for paper is 300 dpi. Can the paper be scanned at 300 or 400 dpi. Scanners take longer to process at higher dpi ratings and a higher dpi results in a higher cost without a visible return on investment. 600dpi is normally only required for photographs, art and micro-graphics. 600 dpi can also be useful for older onion skin documents. (SOW 3.1.3 Scanning & Capture) Paper documents can be scanned at 300dpi, photographs need to be scanned at 600dpi.

57. SOW 3.1.2 states "automate document indexing". 3.1.5 states "Key and validate critical metadata fields". Is the requirement to use automated indexing tools or to provide human keyers? (SOW 3.1.2 Preparation and 3.1.5 Indexing) We are not the technical experts. Whatever industry standard or best practice achieves successful and accurate population of metadata fields should be utilized and proposed in the bid.

58. SOW 4.1 states "The Contractor shall compile, verify and deliver all digitized assets, structured indexing databases and any verification logs in metadata models utilized" Is there a specific tool or databas structure that is required or can this be delivered as a spreadsheet. (SOW 4.1 General Deliverable Requirments) We are not the technical experts and the bid should reflect what the contractor proposes to meet that requirement based on industry standards/best practices based on the different types of material (paper, photographs, video, slides, audio, etc.). The archive, once digitized will be ingested by large language models in addition to being key word searched from a root folder and OCR searched within the file.

59. Are we required to BID on all 5 projects? Or can we BID on 4 out of 5 projects?

All five.

60. For the document boxes that are 4.5, 2.5 and 2 inches what size is the paper? (Small Format) This is the width of the Hollinger box. The sizes are various and can include letter, legal, or smaller notes.

61. Should records be indexed at the folder/box level, or classified into individual document types within each box? If document types are required, please provide the expected list or categories. (Small Format) Folder/box level.

62. If they are document types what is the average size document? How many pages in a document? (Small Format) Document sizes and pages are various. See answer to question 60 above.

63. How many index fields are required per document, and what are they? Please confirm field names, formats, and any controlled value lists. (Small Format) We are not the technical experts for this topic. However many or whatever index field(s) is required to convey what is inside the file is what is needed and should be included in the bid based on industry standards/best practices.

64. Can the finding files be shared for evaluation and indexing assistance? Will any further values not contained within the finding files be required to be indexed? (Small Format) See answer 28 above. The available finding aids are limited and further values are likely necessary where the finding aid is incomplete or non-existent.

65. Typically, different formats and sizes of documents will have different DPI requirements. For example, standard documents with normal size fonts (such as the SOW) are often scanned and are legible at 300 DPI. For content with smaller fonts, 400 DPI is acceptable. Microform can start at 400 DPI and go up to 600 DPI for small print records. Designs, newspapers, and photos are often 600 DPI or greater. (Small Format) The SOW states 600 DPI for each format, which we believe to not be optimal given the amount of paper seen during the site visit. Would the Government consider lowering the requirement to 300 to 400 DPI for standard print records? Also note that the FADGI 3 star rating in the SOW is typically 300 DPI for text documents. (Small Format) See answer to question 56 above.

66. Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) sets standards for agencies to meet when processing digitized content. Currently, it is primarily applied to any permanent record stored by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). (Small Format) Given that Scott AFB is not submitting permanent records to NARA, do the guidelines still need to be a requirement? Quality scanned records are often FADGI quality, however they do not have the daily benchmarking data nor the additional overhead and costs of meeting those guidelines. (Small Format) FADGI 3-Star compliance is not required and has been removed.

67. The SOW requires capture of colored annotations, highlight markings, and carbon copy text at ‘100% legibility.’ Please clarify how legibility will be measured and accepted, for example by QA sampling and Government visual acceptance, given that some source originals may be faded or damaged beyond full recovery. (Small Format) 100% legible in this example is to say the image is a digital copy of what the document, photograph, etc. is. If it is faded when scanned, it will be faded in the digital copy and is a true digital copy. If it is readable now and faded to some degree, then the digital image should be the same. We do not expect that the contractor will be required to make legible what is not due to age, damage, etc.

68. Are these all original or are they duplicates (diazo)? (Microfilm) Unknown, though we do suspect many or all are duplicates.

69. Do you expect the film to be scanned at the roll level, or classified into individual documents within each roll? If classified, must documents within a roll be separated into individual files, or delivered as a single roll level PDF? (Microfilm) Roll level, see answer 39 above.

70. For Project C, please confirm the required color depth and any file size or compression constraints for the uncompressed TIFF master files, and whether a specific TIFF version or bit depth (e.g., 24 bit color) is required. (Large Format) We are not the technical experts; however, we will require uncompressed tiff, if the document is strictly black and white, industry standards and best practices should be applied and that information included in the bid.

71. Will the books be indexed as a whole, or broken down into individual document types? If broken down, what is the expected number of pages per document? (Bound Books) One book is one multi-page file. See answer 42 above.

72. Please confirm the expected CUI marking and handling requirements for digitized outputs, for example whether existing CUI markings on source documents must be preserved and carried into the digital file metadata, and whether any documents are anticipated to be classified above CUI. (Security/CUI) CUI marks, and all markings, must be preserved and carried into the digital file metadata. No documents will be classified.

73. Please provide, or identify how to obtain, the current Scott AFB Network Whitelist of approved external storage hardware and the applicable DoD APL reference, so offerors can confirm drive model availability and lead time. Are there approved makes/models the Government recommends? (General Deliverables) The contractor will source the drives per the SOW. See answer number 2 above. The government will seek whitelisting.

74. Will the Government box and prepare the records for pickup, or is the Contractor responsible for boxing the records prior to transport? (Transportation) The contractor is responsible for transporting the records as is. Many are in Hollinger boxes, paper boxes, etc.

75. The RFQ requires a minimum of three (3) past performance examples. Please confirm whether offerors may submit more than three.

Only 3 are required and used for evaluation

76. For the Microfiche - are they 72x or 105x? (SOW 3.2.1 Volume Parameters) We are not the technical experts. If 72x or 105x is a magnification, we do not know.

77. Please define the process for the secure handback of all physical historical archives. For example, do the FIPS drives need to be hand delivered? (SOW 5.2.5 100% Project Completion) All physical items removed must be returned. The drives can be delivered in whatever manner the contractor deems appropriate to ensure safety of the drives and security of the drives and contents they contain.

78. Can the government ensure that the winning contractor will handle no classified information (SOW 1.3.2 Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)) The contractor will not be handling any classified information.

79. How long does this training take. Is the training for all staff including management or just those that will handling the documents? Is there any cost to the contractor? (SOW 6.1. and 6.1.2 AT Level 1 Training and EAGLE EYES Training) If required, the training would be provided by the government and take no more than two hours. If the contractor is simply coming to the site to pick up/drop off and is under the supervision of the government while at the facility this training will likely not be required.

80. Please define the process for including barcode tracking IDs for all Legacy Media (7.2 Invoicing & Progress Billing) Barcode tracking IDs are not required. In the bid the contractor may propose any method for accurately inventorying items that leave the facility and that same inventory/process will be utilized to confirm the return of the items.

81. Is there an incumbent contractor for this requirement? If so, please provide the incumbent name, contract number, contract value, and period of performance?

There is no incumbent contractor for this requirement.

82. Can you tell us what qualifications, clearances, or background checks the Government expects for personnel who will handle these records, given the CUI and DoDI 5200.48 references in the SOW? Also, how many contractor staff do you expect to need access to the base or work onsite versus offsite?

The contractor should be familiar with PII, CUI, formerly FOUO, etc. The government can provide computer-based training for CUI/PII handling. Any member of a contractor’s team who will have access to the material should have this training.

83. Are the 22,464 microfiche jackets fully loaded, or is the 93,450 image estimate accurate? The two numbers work out to about 4 images per jacket.

Numbers provided were strictly estimates provided in the SOW. While numbers are provided in the SOW, per the SOW, these numbers, quantities, types, sizes, etc. are only estimates to be verified by the contractor prior to bidding, see 18 above. The material quantity to be bid on is the responsibility of the contractor to evaluate. Each microfiche has more than 4 images per card.

84. For Project A, is the 1,452,750 figure a count of paper sheets or of scanned sides? We want to make sure our prep and reassembly estimate matches.

Numbers provided were strictly estimates provided in the SOW. While numbers are provided in the SOW, per the SOW, these numbers, quantities, types, sizes, etc. are only estimates to be verified by the contractor prior to bidding, see 18 above. The material quantity to be bid on is the responsibility of the contractor to evaluate. We do not know how many pages, photographs, single-sided, double-sided etc. are in each box.

85. Section 3.5.1 lists "16mm Film" as magnetic/optical sound film. Does this need to be converted as video with sound, or is it audio only?

If there is video with audio it will need to be converted with video and audio. There are also magnetic audio reels which are strictly audio.

86. For Project E, roughly how long do the video and audio tapes run? Transfer is real time, so duration drives the cost more than the tape count.

We are not technical experts. We do not know the run times of the run times.

87. Section 1.3.4 mentions FADGI 3-Star standards for cultural heritage items. Does this apply to all five projects, or just certain ones like the bound books and large-format drawings?

FADGI 3-Star compliance is not required and has been removed.

88. Given the size of this collection and the short time between the site visit and the quote due date, is a detailed inventory list available so we can verify quantities and price accurately?

See answer for question 18 above. We do not have a detailed inventory list of any kind.

89. Will materials for all five projects be picked up at the start of the contract, or released in phases to match the 35%, 65%, 95%, and 100% milestones?

The contractor can phase and sequence as they deem most suitable. All material, partial, multiple trips, days, etc. are all acceptable. Coordination with the government should be made prior to ensure availability. 35%, 65%, 95%, and 100% will be milestones for each project and can run concurrently.

90. Does the Government require key personnel resume to be included with the Technical Proposal? If so, may they be provided as an appendix, and would the appendix be excluded from the 5-page Technical Proposal page limit?

A contractor’s personnel resume is not requested or required.

91. CLIN requirements: Are you only considering responses that address all five CLINs (X001–X005)? For example, if we can fulfill four of the five but not all, should we still respond?

Each of the five projects should be included per the Statement of Work (SOW). If a contractor opts to sub-contract tasks that is their internal process. The winning contractor is responsible for completion per the SOW.

92. For solicitation FA440727QTW02, Amendment 02 requires pricing for CLINs 0001 through 0005 and states that a single award will be made. Please confirm that an offeror may not submit a quotation for CLIN 0005 only. Answer: At this time, only a single award will be made.

See answer for question #8. This is 1 (one) requirement with 5 (five) CLINS. All CLINS must be quoted to be considered.

93. Please also confirm that a qualifying US small-business prime may subcontract portions of CLIN 0005 to a specialist foreign subcontractor, subject to FAR 52.219-14 and all security and chain-of-custody requirements.

A qualifying U.S. small-business prime contractor may subcontract portions of CLIN 0005 to a specialist foreign subcontractor, provided that the prime and the sub-contractor adheres to the statutory limitations on subcontracting under FAR 52.219-14, as well as applicable export controls, national security regulations, and chain-of-custody mandates.

94. Is there an indexing aide?

See answer to question 28

95. What will be the Chain of Custody?

In the bid the contractor may propose any method for accurately inventorying items that leave the facility and that same inventory/process will be utilized to confirm the return of the items. Contractor will maintain positive, secure control over all of the assets while outside of the facility on Scott AFB, IL.

96. Stapled documents, once removed replace?

No, staples do not need to be replaced. Papers in order should stay in order. If one set of stapled documents is in one single folder, they can be returned with the staple(s) removed. Clips of some form for formerly stapled items that are not isolated in a single folder should be utilized, or the items could be placed isolated in a new folder in the same location.

97. Bust Binding?

Generally, no busting of bindings. That being said, if the contractor feels that busting a binding and restitching is more cost effective, that should be proposed in the bid. There are some bindings that are busted, and we recognize that.

98. Can the phases run concurrently?

Yes

99. Are the published books a part of the requirement?

While there are published books by the government, most will not be part of this requirement. See answer to question 53.

100. Quantities in SOW – These are estimates and the SOW states ‘sizes and types must be verified by the contractor prior to bidding’.

This is a statement and not a question, but yes.

101. NARA –is this required?

NARA is not required and has been removed from the SOW.

102. FADGI – Is this required?

FADGI 3-star is not required and has been removed from the SOW.

103. 3.5.2 mentions ‘mold’, is there any precautions identified?

While we have not seen and do not anticipate mold, the contractor will need to seek advice from the government if this should occur. The contractor should include in their bid what procedures would be required if so encountered.

104. How will funding be disbursed?

Government payment processing will initiate upon 100% completion, receipt, and formal approval of each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) invoice. Disbursement typically occurs within 10 days post-approval. Please reference Amendment #3 for the updated CLIN structure.