Attachment 8 - FA470426Q7005_RFIs and Answers (CAO 23 July 2026).pdf

FA470426Q7005 – Storage Containers Attachment 8 – RFIs & Answers

RFIs & Answers

1. Contract start date The SOW requires all forty containers to be delivered, anchored, and ready for Government use no later than 9 August 2026. However, Attachment 4 identifies the Base Year period of performance as 14 August 2026 through 13 August 2027. Please confirm the correct contract start date and the date on which rental charges should begin.

i. Contract start date will be 9 August 2026. Attachment 4 has been corrected to state 9 August 2026, rental charges should begin on this date.

2. Seventy-two-hour mobilization period Please confirm whether the 72-hour mobilization period begins immediately upon contract award, upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed, or upon completion of contractor personnel vetting and access authorization.

i. Mobilization will begin immediately upon contract award. A notice to proceed will not be issued. Receipt of contract award will act as the awardee’s formal notice to begin any needed coordination for all 40 containers to be in place by 9 August 2026

– this includes personnel vetting and access authorization.

3. Security-processing time within mobilization Attachment 7 requires contractor information and the Entry Authority List to be submitted at least three duty days before scheduled work. Please clarify how this requirement will be reconciled with the 72-hour mobilization requirement.

i. Upon receipt of contract award – the Contracting Officer will forward the contact information for the office that will process & vet personnel requiring access.

4. Government-caused access delays Please confirm that delays caused by Government personnel vetting, Commercial Vehicle Inspection processing, escort availability, installation access restrictions, or Security Forces operations will not be counted against the contractor’s 72-hour mobilization requirement.

i. Please refer to the answers for RFI #2 & RFI #3.

5. Final pickup after extension Please clarify whether final pickup after the six-month extension must be included in CLIN 3001 or whether the applicable pickup CLIN from the preceding option year will cover final demobilization.

i. CLIN structure (Attachment 4) has been revised. Please ensure to include all delivery, mobilization, installation, and removal costs in the rental rates of each line item.

6. Container Specifications and Condition Acceptable condition category Please identify the minimum acceptable condition of the containers, such as:

1 New;

2 One-trip;

3 Cargo-worthy;

4 Wind-and-watertight; or 5 Used but serviceable.

7. CSC certification Are the containers required to maintain a valid Convention for Safe Containers, or CSC, certification and plate throughout the period of performance?

i. Yes, containers are required to maintain CSC cert and plate throughout Period of Performance.

8. Container age Is there a maximum acceptable manufacturing age for the containers or chassis?

i. Refer to revised SOW, no maximum acceptable manufacturing age required or requested by government.

9. Uniformity Must all forty containers be uniform in color, manufacturer, exterior appearance, door configuration, chassis design, and hitch type?

i. No, all containers do not need to be uniform in color, manufacturer or exterior appearance. Cargo door configuration preferred.

10. Exterior condition Please confirm whether containers with cosmetic dents, surface corrosion, repaired panels, patches, prior markings, faded paint, or minor exterior damage will be acceptable, provided they remain structurally sound and watertight.

i. Gov prefers to have working containers with minor cosmetic corrosion, repaired panels, patches, prior markings, faded paint, or minor exterior damage will be acceptable, provided they remain structurally sound and watertight.

11. Door configuration Must each container have standard double cargo doors at one end, or are alternative door configurations acceptable?

i. Double cargo doors are preferred.

12. Ventilation and accessories Are vents, shelving, internal lighting, ramps, steps, tie-down points, electrical connections, fire extinguishers, or other accessories required?

i. Not required.

13. Container identification Will the Government require unique identification numbers, labels, placards, asset tags, or markings on each container?

i. Yes, gov prefers unique identification numbers, labels, placards, asset tags, or markings on each container.

14. Chassis, Wheels, and Towing Requirements Chassis Configuration Please identify the minimum acceptable chassis configuration, including the required number of axles, axle capacity, suspension type, and gross vehicle weight rating.

i. Not required per revised SOW.

15. Pintle hook or ball hitch The SOW permits either a pintle hook or ball-and-hitch attachment. Please confirm whether the Government will accept a mixture of hitch types among the forty units or whether all units must use the same connection.

16. Ball-hitch specifications Where a ball hitch is proposed, please identify the required ball diameter, coupler rating, safety-chain requirements, and electrical connector type.

17. Pintle specifications Where a pintle connection is proposed, please identify the required lunette-ring dimensions, capacity, safety-chain requirements, and towing-height requirements.

18. Brake system Are the chassis required to have operational electric, air, surge, hydraulic, or other braking systems?

19. Road lighting Are operational brake lights, turn signals, clearance lights, reflectors, license-plate lights, and electrical connectors required?

20. Registration and licensing Must each chassis be individually titled, registered, licensed, and inspected for use on public roads in Puerto Rico?

21. Tires and spare tires Please identify the minimum tire condition, tread depth, load rating, and age requirements. Is a spare tire required for each unit?

22. Stabilizers and landing gear Must each chassis include landing gear, stabilizer jacks, leveling devices, wheel chocks, or support blocks?

23. Loaded movement Will the containers be moved while loaded, or only while empty?

i. While empty.

24. Maximum cargo weight Please identify the maximum anticipated cargo weight to be placed inside each container.

i. Unable to provide anticipated cargo weight.

25. Towing responsibility After initial placement, will the Government tow or relocate the containers, or will all movement be performed exclusively by the contractor?

i. Contractor will coordinate and move containers.

26. Government towing equipment Should the Government tow the containers, please identify the towing vehicles and connection systems that will be used so the contractor can confirm compatibility.

i. Government will not tow equipment.

27. Delivery, Placement, and Site Conditions Site layout Will the Government provide a site plan identifying the exact location and orientation of each of the forty containers?

i. The government does not have a site plan/site layout for distribution.

ii. Number of placement areas Will all forty containers be placed in one staging area, or will they be distributed across multiple locations within José Aponte de la Torre Airport?

i. Multiple locations throughout Jose Aponte

iii. Delivery sequence May the containers be delivered in multiple coordinated groups within the authorized mobilization period, or must all forty units arrive simultaneously?

i. Government prefers that units are delivered in coordinated groups pre-determined by location and mobility period.

iv. Internal road conditions Please identify any height, width, turning-radius, axle-weight, bridge, pavement, or roadway restrictions between the Commercial Vehicle Inspection area and the final placement locations.

i. No known restrictions are applicable to the route. The route is an open road with no obstacles per question iv.

v. Surface conditions Will the units be placed on concrete, asphalt, compacted gravel, soil, grass, or another surface?

i. Mostly on asphalt, grass, and other surface areas.

vi. Site preparation Will the Government provide a level, compacted, accessible, and obstruction-free surface for each container?

i. Refer to SOW.

vii. Utility conflicts Will the Government identify underground and overhead utilities before anchoring or placement activities begin?

i. Anchoring not required.

viii. Crane or specialized equipment Does the Government expect delivery using tractors and chassis only, or will cranes, forklifts, side-loaders, tilt-bed trailers, or other specialized equipment be required?

i. Method of delivery is up to the contractor to decide the best possible format, however the government prefers delivery that aligns with established industry practices and standard commercial transport procedures.

ix. Contractor staging area Will the Government provide a temporary staging area for trucks, chassis, equipment, and containers awaiting inspection, escort, or final placement?

i. No staging area required. Government can provide escorts and final placement of containers.

x. Site visit Will the Government schedule a site visit before the quotation deadline or provide photographs, aerial imagery, route information, and placement-area drawings?

i. Site visit prior to quotation/solicitation deadline will not be provided.

Photographs, aerial imagery, route information, and placement-area drawings will not be provided.

28. Anchoring and Stabilization

i. Wind-load requirement Please identify the required wind-speed or wind-load design standard, including whether the installation must meet hurricane-resistance requirements applicable to Puerto Rico.

i. Not required, containers will not be anchored.

ii. Number of anchors Please identify the minimum number and type of anchors required for each container.

i. None requested.

iii. Drilling authorization Will the contractor be permitted to drill into concrete or asphalt surfaces?

i. Not required.

iv. Ground anchoring Where placement occurs on soil or gravel, are driven anchors, helical anchors, concrete ballast blocks, or other methods acceptable?

i. Not required.

v. Chassis wheel restraint Are wheel chocks, axle stands, tire restraints, leveling blocks, or stabilizer jacks required in addition to anchoring?

i. Not required.

vi. Restoration after removal At the end of performance, must the contractor remove all anchors and restore concrete, asphalt, soil, striping, or landscaping to its prior condition?

i. Yes.

vii. Pricing of restoration Should site restoration and removal of anchoring systems be included in the pickup CLINs?

i. Pickup CLIN has been removed from CLIN structure. Contractor must incorporate site restoration and removal into their pricing.

29. Inspection, Acceptance, and Documentation

i. Initial inspection criteria Please provide the Government’s inspection and acceptance checklist for the containers, chassis, doors, locks, wheels, axles, towing assemblies, and anchoring.

i. None at this time for containers. Checklist not needed for containers, chassis, doors, locks, wheels, axles, towing assemblies, and anchoring.

ii. Pre-delivery inspection records Must the contractor submit inspection reports, photographs, maintenance records, chassis registrations, or certifications before delivery?

i. Yes, contractor will submit inspection reports, photos, and mx records on containers.

iii. Joint condition inspection Will the Government and contractor perform and sign a joint condition inspection for each unit at delivery?

i. Yes

iv. Acceptance timing Will acceptance occur individually as each container is placed or only after all forty containers have been delivered and installed?

i. Acceptance can occur after is container is placed. Containers will be placed in different locations and will be conducted by a COR and Requirement Owner.

v. Rejection criteria Please identify the conditions that would permit the Government to reject a container.

i. Improper watertight seals, door hinge issues, locking rod misalignments, floorboard structure inadequate, improper cleanliness of containers.

vi. Replacement deadline after rejection If a container is rejected during initial inspection, what period will the contractor have to replace it?

i. The contractor will have until 9 August 2026 for 40 acceptable contractors to be at the site of performance.

vii. Inventory documentation Will the Government acknowledge receipt of each container by serial number, chassis number, location, condition, and delivery date?

i. Yes, for inventory purposes we can acknowledge receipt of each container based of serial #, location, condition, and delivery date.

30. Maintenance and Repairs

i. Routine service-response time Please identify the required acknowledgment, onsite response, and completion times for nonemergency maintenance requests.

i. Refer to SOW.

ii. Emergency definition Please clarify which conditions qualify as emergency repairs beyond structural, wheel, or locking failures affecting security or mission operations.

i. Refer to SOW.

iii. Repair-completion time After arriving onsite, is there a required period within which repairs must be completed?

i. Refer to SOW.

iv. Temporary repairs May the contractor perform a temporary repair to restore security or watertight integrity while permanent materials or replacement components are obtained?

i. Yes

v. Replacement containers Must the contractor maintain spare containers or chassis locally to replace units that cannot be repaired onsite?

i. No, cannot maintain spare containers on site

vi. Replacement-container timeframe Please identify the maximum allowable time for replacing an unserviceable container.

i. The Contracting Officer and awardee of this contract opportunity will come to an agreeable replacement timeframe upon the identification of an unserviceable container.

vii. Maintenance records Must the contractor submit written maintenance reports, photographs, repair logs, inspection checklists, and parts-replacement records?

i. Yes.

31. Damage, Risk, and Responsibility

i. Contents stored What types of materials will be stored inside the containers?

i. Unable to provide info on material.

ii. Maximum storage load Please identify the maximum floor load or cargo weight expected for each container.

i. Unable to provide floor load and cargo weight.

iii. Storm preparation Will the contractor be required to perform special inspections, repositioning, reinforcement, or emergency response before or after tropical storms or hurricanes?

i. Not required.

iv. Force majeure and severe weather Please clarify how performance requirements and response times will be handled during hurricanes, severe weather, or emergency declaration.

i. Performance in response to hurricanes, severe weather, or similar emergencies/disasters will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Contracting officer and awardee will come to agreeance on acceptable performance upon identification of possible impact.

32. We are interested in providing storage units but upon reading the specifications the execution is about two weeks from the closing of the opportunities. Will the decision be made within a day of the closing? Is there any flexibility with the time requirement of this request? Such a short turn around will require expediated logistics and significantly increase the cost of the proposed services Set-aside designation: The combined synopsis/solicitation states this acquisition is a 100% HUBZone set-aside, and SAM.gov also lists it as a HUBZone Set-Aside (FAR 19.13). However, the clauses incorporated in the RFQ include FAR 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside, and do not appear to include FAR 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside. To ensure we respond correctly, could you please confirm whether this requirement is set aside for HUBZone concerns or for total small business? If it is a HUBZone set-aside, will the RFQ be amended to incorporate FAR 52.219-3?

i. RFQ has been amended to incorporate FAR 52.219-3. This is contract opportunity is a 100% HUBzone set-aside.

ii. Contract start date of 9 August 2026 is unable to be negotiated. The solicitation schedule established for this requirement reflects the optimum timeline determined by the Government, utilizing the most current planning data available at the time of posting. To meet critical mission timelines, the Government is unable to extend the solicitation period at this time.

33. Solicitation number: The SAM.gov notice is posted under ID FA470426Q0005, while the combined synopsis identifies the solicitation number as FA470426Q7005 and instructs offerors to reference that number on the quote. Could you please confirm the correct solicitation number to cite on our quotation?

i. FA470426Q7005 shall be utilized as the solicitation Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID) for quotation, to include any other similar formal documents pertaining to this contract opportunity.

34. Schedule: The SOW requires mobilization within 72 hours of award, with all forty containers delivered, anchored, and ready for use by the contract start date of 9 August 2026. To confirm this timeline is achievable, could you please advise the Government's anticipated award date?

i. The Contracting Officer intends to award this contract opportunity on 3 August 2026. This date is subject to change, but remains the Contracting Officer’s intent

35. Once the storage containers have been delivered and accepted by the Government, does the Government provide liability insurance coverage for the containers while they remain on site?

i. The contractor must provide liability insurance coverage while the containers remain on site. For this contract opportunity, FAR 52.228-5 covers the entirety of the scope of insurance required.

36. The RFQ states that all forty (40) storage containers must be delivered, anchored, and ready for Government use no later than the contract start date of 9 August 2026. Would it be acceptable to coordinate deliveries during the days prior to 9 August 2026 so that inspections and site preparations can be completed in advance, or is the Government expecting all containers to be delivered on the required date?

i. The contractor is encouraged to coordinate deliveries between the receipt of contract award and the official contract start date of 9 August 2026.

37. The solicitation states that all containers must be configured for towing, mounted on wheels/chassis, and equipped with either a pintle hook or ball hitch attachment. However, Sections 1.4 and 1.6.5 state that all forty (40) storage containers must be successfully delivered, anchored, and ready for use. Since 40' L × 8' W × 9.5' H storage containers are typically and currently provided as ground/shipping containers rather than chassis-mounted containers, could the Government clarify whether these units are intended to be provided on wheels/chassis for towing capability or as ground-mounted containers that will be anchored in place?

i. Unit will not be anchored in place.

38. Please confirm that FA470426Q7005 is the solicitation number that must appear on the quotation

i. Please reference answer to RFI #33.

39. The SOW requires all 40 containers to be delivered, anchored, and ready for use no later than August 9, 2026, while the CLIN schedule lists a base-period start date of August 14, 2026. Please confirm the required delivery date and the date rental billing begins.

i. Please reference the answers to RFI #2 & RFI #3.

40. Please provide the required anchoring standard, anchoring method, wind-rating requirement, or site-specific engineering criteria.

i. Not required, refer to SOW

41. Must each container remain mounted on its chassis for the entire rental period?

i. Not required, refer to SOW

42. Must the chassis, tires, lighting, brakes, registration, and towing connections remain highway legal throughout performance?

i. Not required, refer to SOW

43. Are used containers acceptable, provided they are structurally sound, watertight, secure, and compliant with the SOW?

i. Please reference answer to RFI #27, section ix: “Site visit prior to quotation/solicitation deadline will not be provided. Photographs, aerial imagery, route information, and placement-area drawings will not be provided.”

44. Are specific container colors, markings, flooring conditions, lock-boxes, or lock types required?

i. Please reference answers to RFI #9 & #10.

45. Will the Government provide the exact placement plan before delivery, or should the contractor include site-layout coordination in its mobilization plan?

i. Contractor should include site-layout coordination in their mobilization plan.

46. Does the 72-hour mobilization requirement begin upon receipt of the signed award, notice to proceed, or another Government notification?

i. Please reference answers to RFI #1 & #2.

47. Will all 40 units be delivered during one mobilization event, or may delivery be phased within the 72-hour period?

i. Please reference answer to RFI #27, section iii: “Government prefers that units are delivered in coordinated groups pre-determined by location and mobility period.”

48. Please confirm that CLINs 0002 and 0003 are each priced on a per-container basis for 40 deliveries and 40 pickups.

i. CLINS 0002 and 0003 have been removed from the contract opportunity’s CLIN structure. Cost of delivery should be incorporated into the contractor’s pricing. The current need/requirement is for 40 containers. If the Requirement Owner & Contracting Officer determines the need to minimize/de-scope any containers, a modification will be issued.

49. Are emergency repair requirements applicable only to failures affecting mission operations, or must the contractor maintain a technician on call continuously in Puerto Rico?

i. Yes, emergency repairs applicable to failures affecting the mission. Contractor must provide contact info to Government, in the event that these situations arise.

50. Are there minimum insurance limits beyond FAR 52.228-5 that must be submitted with the quotation?

i. For this contract opportunity, FAR 52.228-5 covers the entirety of the scope of insurance required.

51. Is a site visit planned or available before the quotation deadline?

i. Site visit prior to quotation/solicitation deadline will not be provided

52. Requesting clarification regarding the maintenance requirements described in the Statement of Work, which states that the contractor shall "supply and maintain" the storage containers throughout the contract period. Could you please clarify whether the Government expects a scheduled preventive maintenance program for all forty (40) storage containers, or whether maintenance is only required on an as-needed basis when a unit presents a deficiency or mechanical issue? Additionally, if preventive maintenance is required, could you please clarify: Whether the maintenance scope includes only mechanical components (such as wheels, axles, hitch assembly, doors, locks, and seals), or if it also includes routine cleaning and general housekeeping of the containers. The expected maintenance frequency (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly, or another interval) for any required preventive maintenance.

i. Maintenance/repair is only required on an as-needed basis when a unit presents a deficiency or mechanical issue. Please reference sections 1.3.2 & 1.3.3 of the Statement of Work

53. Please clarify whether the storage containers and their chassis must have the required authorization or registration to travel on public roads in Puerto Rico. Will the units be transported on public roads during performance, or are they intended to remain stationary for on-site storage only?

i. Not required, refer to revised SOW. Containers will be stationary on site.

54. Is this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services.

If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

i. The previous contract for these services is FA470426P0004