Questions and Answers.pdf

Cabling Requirements Contract Solicitation FA462626Q0035

14 Sept 2026

Questions and Answers

# Questions Answers

1 Where should quotes be submitted? Section L provides an email address for questions but not for quote submission. Please confirm the address and any file size or format limits.

Submit quotes to jean-denis.ducimetiere@us.af.mil.

2 Section M lists Technical Rating as an evaluation factor, but Section L does not request a technical proposal. Should offerors submit a technical volume, or is capabilities statement the intended vehicle for the

Technical Rating? If a technical volume is required, what should it address and is there a page limit?

Please submit a technical approach narrative that details how offeror will staff workers

(e.g., direct hire/subcontract-teaming arrangement) and how you plan to meet the response times consistently.

3 Is there a required proposal format, such as volume structure or file naming?

No format or naming required but must ensure all documents requested are completed and included (e.g., pricing sheet, mock projects, SF 1449).

4 Section L states the requirement is currently

100% unfunded. Is there an anticipated award date?

This is a "requirements" contract - meaning contract itself does not have funds but the

Government will issue task orders against the base requirements. There is no anticipated award date.

5 Section L says the offeror should include a completed Past Performance Questionnaire in its price proposal, but the PPQ cover letter directs the reference to email it to the

Contracting Officer directly. Which method should we follow?

Please have the reference email the PPQ to jean-denis.ducimetiere@us.af.mil.

6 How many past performance references should offerors provide?

You only need to send one reference.

7 Section L requires only a completed Past

Performance Questionnaire and does not request a narrative. Should offerors also submit a written past performance narrative or contract citation summary describing relevance to this requirement? Similarly, should offerors submit a capabilities statement or company qualifications document? If either is desired, please confirm the content expected and any page limit

The PPQ has a description section where references can enter the narrative. Offerors may submit additional past performance narratives or summaries, but they shall be limited to 5 pages.

8 Will the Government accept CPARS reports in lieu of completed Past Performance

Questionnaires? If PPQs are required, may offerors also submit CPARS narratives for the same contracts?

Government is requesting a PPQ for proposal evaluations. CPARS may also be submitted for assistance in determining past performance.

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9 If a CPARS rating and a PPQ rating conflict for the same contract, which will govern?

PPQ rating will govern over CPARS.

10 Table 3 defines relevancy in terms of

“recruitment and placement of labor categories,” but the paragraph immediately below defines relevancy as recurring PMIs and fiber cabling installation across multiple facilities. Which definition will the

Government apply?

Performance effort involved successful recruitment and placement of some of the labor categories requested under this RFQ with similar magnitude of effort and complexities as required.

11 Will past performance from subcontractors or teaming partners be accepted and evaluated?

Yes.

12 Sheet 2 of the pricing sheet contains crew rates that are already filled in ($35, $30, and

$25 for normal hours; $40, $35, and $30 for after hours). Are these Government-directed rates that offerors must use, or examples to be replaced with our own rates?

No, please use the wage determination included in the solicitation.

13 The Urgent and Emergency columns request a

“percent multiplier.” Should offerors enter the percentage added to the base rate, or the total multiplier?

This should be expressed as a multiplier to the base wage to cover OT, outside-of-working-hours call-ins, etc. (e.g., 1.015).

14 Are the Urgent and Emergency multipliers applied to the labor portion only, or to the total unit cost including material?

Labor only.

15 Should material prices include freight, delivery, and off-site storage?

Yes.

16 Should labor prices include time spent waiting for escorts and time lost to base access delays?

Yes.

17 Inside Plant Survey, Outside Plant Survey, and Comm Room PMI show “N/A” under material price and have no unit listed. Should these be priced as labor only, and what is the unit of measure for each?

Per job.

18 Workstation Patch Cable is priced per Foot on the pricing sheet but per Each in the Small mock project. Which unit applies?

Should be per foot.

19 The Small mock project lists “CAT6 Copper

Link Certification Test.” Is this the same line item as “CAT6 Copper Link Certification” on the pricing sheet?

Yes.

20 Line item 16, “Wall-Mount.” The description appears incomplete, the item does not appear in any mock project, and separate wall mount rack and cabinet lines already exist. Please clarify what this item covers

Yes wall-mount refers to wall mount cabinets/racks.

21 Line items 19, 22, and 23 state “Government will provide mandatory make/model.”

Cabinet pricing varies significantly by model.

Please identify the standard model, or representative specifications, that offerors should price. The same question applies to these items in the mock project workbook.

- Half-Size Cabinet - Nvent Hoffman

ProLine Server Cabinet, Catalog#:

PSC1269B (https://www.nvent.com/en-us/hoffman/products/encpsc1269b)

- Floor Mount (Half-Size Cabinet) - Not necessary as half-Size is shorter variant of full-size.

- Full-Size Cabinet – Nvent Hoffman

ProLine Server Cabinet, Catalog#:

PSC2069B (https://www.nvent.com/en-us/hoffman/products/encpsc2069b#Details).

22 Line item 24, Rack Power Distribution Unit

(PDU) Installation, is listed as dependent on make and model. PDU pricing can vary by thousands of dollars. Please specify a type or set of specifications to price against.

- Rack Power Distribution Unit (PDU) –

Eaton Tripp Lite series metered outlet PDU, PDUMV20 for Full-size

(https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/skuPage.PDUMV20.html), PDUMV20-

24 for Half-size

(https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/skuPage.PDUMV20-24.html).

23 Line items 27 through 30, CAT6 copper patch panels. Should these be priced as fully populated panels, or as unloaded frames to be filled with keystone jacks as needed?

Price as fully populated for future growth, CS Infrastructure Techs will patch in from switch to patch panel.

24 Line item 31, Pre-loaded Multi-Mode (OM4)

Fiber Patch Panel Installation, carries no strand count. Is this item for mounting a panel furnished by others, or is the description incomplete? Please clarify how it differs from line items 32 through 35.

Line Item 31 is an error, disregard.

25 Line item 34 reads “Pre-loaded Multi-Mode

(OM4) Fiber Patch Panel 26-Fiber

Installation.” Should this be 36-Fiber, consistent with the single-mode series?

Correct 36-Fiber. Outside plant and inside backbone is single. Rack to jack will be multi.

26 Line item 71, OSP Cable Locates, is priced per Each. What is the average footage or area covered by a single locate?

Highly Variable.

27 Should the mock project breakdowns be submitted on the Government-provided spreadsheet, or as a separate document?

Government provided spreadsheet is preferred.

28 Section L asks offerors to show a breakdown of labor hours. Since the pricing sheet is unit-based and already includes labor in each unit price, how much hour-level detail does the

Government want?

Pricing sheet is unit-based with a labor component. For example it asks a price for a per foot of cable and a price for labo per foot of cable.

29 Are the quantities in the three mock projects representative of typical task orders under this contract?

Mock projects are just examples, to show all line items in use. Project size varies depending on requirement, leaning more to small and middle size more often.

30 Several line items state that the Government will provide a mandatory make or model, while others do not. Will the Government furnish any materials under this contract, or is all material contractor-furnished and priced on the pricing sheet?

Refer to Question 21 and 22 for make/model of cabinets. contractor will furnish material, but customer will pay for material/labor.

31 Does the Government require specific manufacturers for racks, cabinets, patch panels, or fiber enclosures?

Refer to Question 21 and 22 for make/model of cabinets. Contractor will furnish material, but customer will pay for material/labor. Equipment used must be

TAA compliant.

32 Are fiber connector types standardized across the base? The PWS specifies OM2 or better, MMFO for inside plant and SMFO for outside plant, but does not identify connector type

(LC, SC, or MPO).

Base standard is SC, there are a few LC across base.

33 PWS Section 1.2.4 states that Tier II (OTDR) testing “may be required.” Is Tier II testing required for all outside plant fiber, or only when specified in an individual task order?

1.2.4 is in error, 100% testing will be required in accordance with BICSI, ANSI, and related standards.

34 Will the Government provide on-base storage or staging space for materials and tools, or is storage the contractor's responsibility?

Yes, there will be a space available for storage, either space in a building or space for a trailer.

35 Is the contractor required to maintain an on-base office or staging area? PWS Section 5.12 requires the contract manager or alternate to meet on site within one hour.

Contractor does not need to maintain an on-base office or staging area.

36 Will escorts be available on demand, or must they be scheduled in advance? What is the expected escort arrival time once requested?

Escorts will be provided by customer requiring work accomplished if necessary.

341 CS requires 24-hour notice in advance to provide escort.

37 If escort availability delays occur, will that time be considered excusable, and is escort access guaranteed during the 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. performance window?

See Question 36.

38 Are existing as-built drawings available for inside and outside plant pathways? Will Civil

Engineering provide GIS or utility drawings to support site surveys and dig permit review?

CE has utility drawings; CS has outside plant on CVCs and direct buried on paper

39 Should offerors assume existing pathways are usable unless a task order states otherwise?

No, a site survey should be conducted

40 If existing duct or innerduct is found blocked or damaged during a project, is remediation the contractor's responsibility, and how should it be priced?

OSP Repair will be a separate contract at expense of customers - IF - the block or damage was found during site survey. If duct/innerduct is damaged by contractor, repair will be at contractor expense.

41 PWS Section 3.0 states that no work will be performed where above-ceiling permits, infection control, or asbestos and lead hazards are present. Will the Government obtain permits and complete any abatement before releasing work to the contractor?

In ceiling permits will not be necessary, if infection control/asbestos/lead hazards are identified, correction will be at the expense of customer.

42 What is the expected average number of task orders per year? The Government guarantees

$40,000 per fiscal year but does not indicate order frequency.

Cable contract is open to entire Malmstrom

Air Force Base to utilize, $40K is only what

Communication Squadron can budget for.

Current FY26, CS is up to 144 IT-related work orders completed/in-work. ~50% of work are Cable/Infrastructure related. CS has had to reject work because we are not funded or have sufficient manpower to complete work. As well as over 150 dig permits during summer time.

43 Approximately how many communications closets, and how many manholes and handholes, are in the PMI inventory? PWS

Section 1.2.9 requires 100% of closets over two years and 100% of manholes and handholes over five years, so these counts drive PMI pricing.

Approx 158 comm closets, 139 manholes, 105 handholes

44 What is the average number of dig permits processed per month?

We had a total of 150 dig permits in FY 25.

45 PWS Section 5.4 addresses emergency fiber optic backbone restoration. Is emergency response also required for copper outages, or only for fiber backbone?

Yes emergency copper outages also.

46 Are composite crew rates required for all emergency and after-hours work, or only for fiber backbone restoration?

All emergency and after-hours work

47 Does the Government expect 24/7 staffing, or on-call availability with dispatch within the stated response times?

Yes, availability to respond 24/7 is required.

48 What is the expected annual volume of urgent and emergency calls? This is needed to price the Urgent and Emergency multipliers realistically.

Estimated Urgent and Emergency calls, approx. 8 per year, high estimate.

49 PWS Section 8.1 references Wage

Determination 2015-5391, Revision 26 as attached to the SF 1449, but it does not appear in the solicitation. Please provide it.

Provided with SAM.gov posting. Please note wage determination are open to the public on SAM.gov.

50 PWS Section 1.2.9 references “attachment 2” for Comm Closet Preventive Maintenance

Inspections. Please provide it.

Provided to CONS

51 Please provide the Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan referenced in PWS Section

5.15

Provided to CONS

52 Three different ordering periods appear in the package: the SF 1449 delivery schedule states

September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2031; FAR 52.216-18 states October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031; and PWS

Section 8.0 states September 1, 2026 through

August 31, 2030. Which is correct?

The ordering period is 1 October 2026 - 30

September 2031

53 The schedule shows an estimated quantity of

200,000 units at $1.00 per unit, while PWS

Section 1.2.10.1 states a maximum contract value of $5,000,000. Please confirm the contract ceiling.

Minimum purchase over five years =

$200,000.00. Maximum over five years =

$5.0 million

54 PWS Section 1.2.10.1 states there will be a minimum of $40,000 in orders per fiscal year and $200,000 over five years, while Section L says the requirement is currently 100% unfunded. Is the guaranteed minimum firm regardless of annual funding?

This is a "requirements" contract - meaning contract itself does not have funds but the

Government will issue task orders against the base requirements with each order having attached funds.

55 PWS Section 1.2 states that installed equipment such as racks and cable trays is quoted and furnished by the contractor but paid for by the requesting Government organization. Does this mean those materials are funded outside the pricing sheet unit rates, or are they included in them?

Make/Model provided in Question 21/22.

Equipment price provided by contractor.

56 PWS Section 8.0 states that invoicing will be through WAWF, or by GPC if below the

Minimum Purchase Threshold. Please confirm the threshold and how orders will be split between the two methods.

Micro-Purchase Threshold for GPC is

$2,500 for services and $15,000 for commodities. Payment method will be dependent on the task order value.

57 Are the pricing sheet rates fixed for the full five year ordering period, or is escalation permitted in later years? Please confirm whether FAR 52.222-44 adjustment for revised wage determinations is the only price adjustment mechanism available.

Pricing shall be fixed for all years -however, equitable rates adjustment may be requested pursuant to 52.222-44

58 Where an offeror does not have sufficient company-level CPARS history for this exact scope, may the offeror submit PPQs for relevant work performed by its key personnel and/or an intended first-tier similarly situated small-business subcontractor? If so, please advise how those references should be identified so the Government can distinguish corporate, key-personnel, and subcontractor performance appropriately

Offerors may submit Past Performance

Questionnaires (PPQs) for relevant experience performed by key personnel and/or intended first-tier similarly situated small-business subcontractors when the offeror does not have sufficient company-level CPARS history for the required scope, provided such references are permitted under the solicitation’s past-performance evaluation criteria.

To enable the Government to distinguish among references, each PPQ submission should clearly identify the following:

Reference Type: Corporate experience, key-personnel experience, or first-tier subcontractor experience.

Performing Entity: Name of the prime offeror, key person, or subcontractor that performed the work.

Key Personnel Role: For key-personnel references, identify the individual, their position on the referenced effort, and their proposed role under this solicitation.

Subcontractor Role: For subcontractor references, identify the subcontractor, confirm its intended role as a first-tier similarly situated small-business subcontractor, and describe the portion of the requirement it is proposed to perform.

Relevance: A brief explanation of how the referenced work is relevant to the scope, complexity, and magnitude of this requirement.

Reference Details: Contract number, customer, period of performance, contract value, point of contact, and any other information required by the solicitation.

Offerors remain responsible for clearly demonstrating the relevance of submitted references and for ensuring all information is complete and accurate. The Government will evaluate past performance in accordance with the terms of the solicitation.

59 Limitation on subcontracting: Because the requirement includes both cabling installation services and special-trade construction-type activities, please confirm which FAR 52.219-

14 performance percentage the Government intends to apply for compliance, and whether compliance will be measured over the full contract term or by individual task order.

This requirements contract is a service contract, and the construction performance percentages in 52.219-14 task orders will not apply. 50 percent subcontract amount cannot be exceeded.

60 Pricing structure: Please confirm that the rates submitted in the master Pricing Sheet become the binding task-order rates for the contract period, subject only to any expressly authorized economic price adjustment mechanism, and that the Small/Medium/Large mock-project aggregate is used solely to establish Total Evaluated Price for source-selection purposes.

Confirmed.