RAFM Aircraft Wash Questions and Answers.pdf

No. Question Answers 1 Can the Government clarify whether personnel performing aircraft wash and lubrication services must all be U.S. citizens with active Secret clearances, or whether local national personnel may perform portions of the work under the HAC process?

Contractor employees do not have to be American Citizen, but each individual must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance before performing wash / lubrication operations on this contract. The minimum-security clearance required is a US Tier III "Secret" Clearance or equivalent. The UK equivalence is rated as

"SC"

2 Would the Government identify the current incumbent contractor and, if available, the current contract number associated with these services?

Currently there is no incumbent contractor. The Wash/Lubrication is being performed by Active-Duty Service Member. The previous contract solicitation was FA558723D0003 which ended on 23 March 26

3 Does the Government have an estimated staffing level, historical staffing level, or average annual aircraft wash workload that may be provided to assist offerors in developing realistic staffing and pricing approaches?

The Government projected 8 - 10 contractors including Site Manager to Wash and Lubricate, the largest aircraft design series on RAF Mildenhall. The Contractor can decide how many personnel they employ to perform the service operations to ensure the aircraft are completed within a 24-hour period.

4 Will attendance at the scheduled site visit be considered highly recommended for offerors that have not previously performed work at RAF Mildenhall, or is attendance optional with no impact on proposal evaluation?

Attendance for a Site Visit is optional and will bear no consideration during the proposal review / selection process. The Government only provides Site Visits to partner with prospective companies to ensure we are answering any questions they may have when considering a bid to the solicitation.

5 Will the Site Visit Attendance list be posted? Site Visit attendance will not be posted.

6 The Performance Work Statement references scheduling through the weekly Shared Resources meeting but does not specify an anticipated number of aircraft washes per month. In order to price this contract responsibly and plan staffing accordingly, could you please advise on the expected wash frequency across both the 100 MXS and 352 SOW fleets, and the typical aircraft mix (C-130J, legacy C-130, CV-22, KC-135 variants)? Even an indicative range would be helpful. Perhaps on past data?

Aircraft Assigned: KC-135 (17) CV-22 (9) and MC-130J (7) Wash Cycle: 90-days

Note: These numbers represent total number of aircraft assigned to RAF Mildenhall, due to mission needs and aircraft requiring Depot there are never this many aircraft on installation throughout the year.

7 In order to plan manpower, equipment, and pricing accurately, could you please provide the applicable Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) references and/or operator-specific wash instructions for each MDS type covered under this contract? Additionally, does the planning department hold an estimated manhour target per wash task for each aircraft type? We would also welcome confirmation of whether the requirement covers full wet washes, dry washes, or a combination across the fleet.

The requirement is for a full exterior aircraft wash followed by complete lubrication of applicable fittings as directed by the aircraft technical manuals. Due to security criteria, we will only be able to provide our technical manuals to whomever the contract is fully awarded, once they have shown they possess the required security classification as directed within the PWS

8 Could you please confirm whether US Secret clearances at individual and facility level are required prior to the commencement of performance, or whether they may be initiated and obtained during a transition phase-in period following contract award? We are fully prepared to initiate both processes immediately upon award and to work closely with the installation security manager throughout. We would welcome confirmation of whether this approach would satisfy the PWS requirements.

Security clearance will be required for the performance of washing / lubricating aircraft. Individuals will not be able to access technical data, a restricted area badge or Government network infrastructure till they have obtained their security clearance. Once the contract is awarded, individuals that possess a US Secret or equivalent (SC for UK Citizens) the CORs will begin processing their Line badges along with access to the Government network infrastructure.

9 The Deliveries or Performance schedule indicates a base year performance period commencing 30 July 2026. Could you please confirm whether this date remains the intended start of performance, and whether a formal transition or phase-in period is provided for prior to that date? Understanding the available mobilisation window will allow us to plan staffing, equipment, and local basing arrangements accordingly.

30 July is the anticipated Award/Contract start day or base period start date. The transition period begins the same day as the contract start date.

10 We are able to provide immediate wash support on a per-task basis in the early stages of the contract. In parallel, we intend to establish a permanent on-site presence at or near RAF Mildenhall, with local recruitment and basing arrangements progressed during the period between award and the commencement of full performance. We would welcome confirmation that this phased approach to staffing would be considered acceptable under the terms of the solicitation.

The Government does not interfere with or dictate how a Contractor manages their personnel. Evaluation will be based on Contractor’s ability to meet all of the requirements within the PWS.

11 Could you advise whether aircraft wash services at RAF Mildenhall are currently being delivered by an incumbent contractor? If so, are there existing on-site personnel whose employment may transfer to the incoming contractor under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings — Protection of Employment) regulations? The availability of experienced, site-familiar staff for direct employment or TUPE transfer would significantly strengthen our mobilisation plan and we would be keen to understand the current position.

Currently there is no incumbent contractor. The Wash/Lubrication is being performed by Active-Duty Service Member. The previous contract solicitation was FA558723D0003 which ended on 23 March 26. We did allow in the PWS for DOD personnel to seek secondary employment with a Contractor through an approved DD Form 3902.

12 We understand that a site visit was held in connection with this solicitation. We were unfortunately unable to attend and would be grateful to know whether any further visits are planned.

No further site visits will be held in support of this effort.

13 Is the contractor responsible for pre-wash masking of the aircraft? the PWS only identifies de-masking in para 1.3.3.1 Yes, per MDS technical data and TO 1-1-691 14 Para 1.3.5 FOD Prevention: The Contractor shall be responsible for accomplishing daily FOD walks of the wash rack facilities and surrounding areas. Please clarify “surrounding areas” Hangar 711 and up to 75 feet in the front of the hangar, this is to alleviate FOD from being caught in the aircraft tires and brought into the hangar

15 Para 5.1.2.9.1: What type of “documented maintenance experience” is the government asking for to be qualified to work on this contract? Personnel shall have traceable history in Aircraft Maintenance that may be presented to the CO or COR upon request in the form of Resumes, DD-214 (for military veterans), or employer-certified employment letters, etc. Contractor personnel must possess a level of evident maintenance experience to the degree that the personnel would pose the lowest risk to performance standards, timeliness, or damages to government property to include but not limited to aircraft and real property.

16 Para 5.6.2 Host Agency Check Vetting: This paragraph discusses “local national contractor employees” vetting processes, but; para 5.8.1 clearly states that “All contractor personnel assigned to this contract shall be citizens of the United Staes of America” are local nationals eligible to be employed on this contract

This paragraph will be addressed for correction during a PWS MOD when one occurs. The contractor may employ non-US Local National personnel on this contract provided they can obtain and maintain the required security clearances.

17 Can the Government provide an indication of the primary aircraft types routinely scheduled through Hangar 711 under this requirement? Aircraft types are as follow: KC-135 (17) CV-22 (9) and MC-130J (7) Only aircraft assigned to RAF Mildenhall are required under this contract. Transient aircraft if needed washed can be performed by military personnel.

18 Can the Government provide an Independent Government Estimate (IGE), estimated contract value, or budget range for this requirement to assist offerors in developing an appropriately resourced solution?

The Government will not disclosing this information.

19 Can the authority please confirm the submission date. According to the SAM website it is June 28th which is a Sunday Submission Date will be changed to Monday 29 June.

20 Who is responsible for post-wash lubrication sign off? Do they need to be licensed engineers and must they be aircraft-type specific? Individuals that are signed off in their training records may sign off the aircraft post wash lubrication. This is a services contract and does not require FAA or engineering qualifications for verifying completion of work.

21 How are wash requirements trigged - time based or condition based? Who makes the decision? Aircraft assigned to RAF Mildenhall are on a 90-day wash cycle, every aircraft will only be scheduled through "Shared Resources" meeting in which the contactor can have a voice in projecting upcoming washes, if needed.

22 Are there defined standards (AFIs / technical docs) that specify expected task durations per aircraft? Yes, per MDS technical data and TO 1-1-691 23 Are man lifts/equipment provided? The Government will provide Maintenance Stands at the contractor's request, but the contractor will be required to provide their own Scissor Lifts if needed.

24 Are you able to share the current schedule? No, during the 30-day phase in the CORs will introduce the contractor that is awarded the contract to the

Shared Resource team and provide them with a 60-90 day forecast of all upcoming aircraft washes

25 Can you confirm if we will inherit a schedule management system? All aircraft are forecasted and scheduled during the Weekly Shared Resources Meeting in which the contractor is required to attend.

26 Can you confirm the value of the insurance we need to hold? The Government is not directing insurance for this effort however; UK Standards and Regulations apply and should be referred to in the question of insurance.

27 Other than the cage that houses PPE/hand tools/brushes, is there another storage area for consumables such as pads? There is a small storage area around the hangar that has some additional wash pads, scrub brushes etc…The contractor and CORs will accomplish a joint inventory and the Government will provide the contractor wash pads and PPE as an initial stock

28 Will the current contracts withing USAFE be useable to purchase consumable items for the wash team? The contractor will be provided with a listing of all the vendors the Government has been utilizing to maintain stock levels during the 30-day phase -in period. The contractor will also be allowed to utilize anything that is also located within the Installation Supply System once they have setup their supply accounts.

29 Confirm the servicing schedule for fixed wash equipment (wash rigs) will this be at the expense of the winning contractor or the USAFE? If the contractor, will this be billable?

All Hangar fixed equipment, Hoses, Nozzles Foamers are provided by the Government for utilization of the contractor. If these items need to be replaced due to normal wear and tears the Government can accommodate. The contractor is required to provide consumables PPE for their personnel and Scissor Man- Lifts if desired for aircraft washes. The Government will provide the aircraft specific wash soap and lubricants.

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