Attachment 7- Question and Answers Updated.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- FA558726R0002
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document dated 07 July 2026 for a federal waste management contract with the United States Air Force. The document addresses 19 clarification questions submitted by prospective offerors regarding contract requirements, site operations, and pricing terms.
The contract covers waste collection and management services across multiple RAF installations including RAF Mildenhall, RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Croughton, RAF Fairford, Blenheim Crescent, RAF Welford, and Detachment 6. Services include general waste (FELs), food waste, recyclables, liquid waste, and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). The submission requirements are found in Section L of the solicitation, with a clarification question deadline of 29 June 2026 and a bid submission deadline of 15 July 2026. Site visits will be conducted if three or more prospective offerors submit requests. This is a firm fixed price contract covering an eight-year period (five-year base plus three one-year options) with all pricing for option years required at proposal submission. The Government retains unilateral rights to exercise options at pre-established rates. The contractor must acquire Flight Line Driving Permits where applicable and all personnel requiring base access must undergo vetting, with a 60-day turnover period estimated following contract award and escorts provided if vetting cannot be completed within that timeframe. Emergency and ad-hoc collections, including tanker services, are included within the monthly firm fixed price and cannot be billed separately. Equitable adjustments apply only to Government-directed changes or significant legislative impacts, not to additional collection loads.
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Text version
07 July 2026
Questions and Answers
Number Question Answer 1 We have noticed that the Contractor is responsible for acquiring and maintaining Flight Line Driving Permits as required to access sites at each installation. Please can you confirm which waste streams at each of the sites involved in the tender will be classified as "Flight Line" so we ensure this is reviewed and considered asap?
RAF Mildenhall has nothing requiring permits, everything on flightline is escorted. RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth, Blenheim Crescent, RAF Welford and Detachment 6 all have nothing as there is no flightline. RAF Lakenheath has FELs (general waste), food waste and liquid waste on flightline.
RAF Croughton and RAF Fairford have FELs (general waste), recyclables, and food waste.
2 We have reviewed the documents for phase 2 made available via the portal, however, we haven't been able to find a clear brief for what is required as part of the submission. We have found a document named 'Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors' which was submitted as part of Phase 1 and has the previous dates on. Can we please confirm whether there is an updated version of this document available or whether we are to use the draft version shared at Phase 1?
The requirements are in the current solicitation, Section L, starting on page
47. The version included in the solicitation is the final version for submission.
3 Please can you share the relevant contact for the TUPE information on behalf of the Incumbent supplier?
This document has been attached.
4 We are also unable to see that there has been any sort of deadline stipulated for the clarification period, can we please confirm whether there is a separate deadline for this or whether this runs up until bid submission on the 15th July?
This can be found in Section L of the solicitation. The deadline for all clarification questions was 29 June 2026.
5 Can you please share an update on site visit following our request on the 15th June?
This can be found in the solicitation in Section L- Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors. A site visit will be conducted if three or more prospective offerors submit a request to attend.
6 In reference to the 'Past performance questionnaire' (attachment 5) - there are some
This has been fixed. We separated the signed letter from the actual editable sections with boxes that allow us to respond, however, other parts of the documents are locked and un-editable, so we are unable to insert information for these questions e.g.
'Section 1: Contract Identification A. Contractor (Company/Division) - please can an editable version be provided?
questionnaire and made it an editable word document.
7 Can you please re-issue the attached document in word format so that the completed company can populate – being a PDF they cannot complete.
This has been resolved. Please see the response to Question 6. An editable version has been provided as part of the updated Attachment 5.
8 Can we please confirm which drivers (considering sites and waste streams) will need to undertake the vetting process? Please can you also then confirm the time period that will be provided between award and commencement (considering any applicable TUPE), noting that driver vetting requires a period of 180 days for approval. Can we also please confirm if vetting is not able to be completed prior to commencement, that an escort will be available to allow collections during the interim period prior to vetting completion?
All personnel requiring access to the bases will require vetting. We are estimating a 60 day turnover period following contract award. If vetting is not completed within this time, escorts will be provided.
9 Before submitting our bid, we must clarify the terms governing contract extensions. While we are prepared to confirm fixed monthly costs for the five year base period (Years 1–5) as required, we require your agreement that any contract extension for Years 6, 7, and 8 shall be by mutual consent and contingent upon successful completion of a rate review process. Specifically, pricing for the extension years would need to be negotiated and mutually agreed upon during a formal rate review conducted prior to the extension period, rather than being locked in at contract inception or exercised unilaterally at pre-determined rates. This structure protects both parties' interests and ensures sustainable service delivery. Can you please confirm this will be acceptable?
No, this is not acceptable. Under Revolutionary Far Overhall (RFO) rules, all option-year pricing must be evaluated at the time of proposal submission.
Offerors are required to submit fixed pricing for the entire eight-year period (the five-year base period and all three option years) in their initial proposal. The Government retains the unilateral right to exercise options at the pre-established rates evaluated at contract inception.
The Government cannot agree to bilateral rate renegotiations or "mutual consent" requirements as a condition for exercising option years.
10 We understand that the Contracting Officer may pursue price reductions or payment withholding when service deficiencies occur, using a "reasonable estimate" of damages. Could you
Any price adjustment or withholding will correspond directly to the reduced value of the service received or the actual cost incurred by the Government to correct provide more detailed guidance on what magnitude of price adjustment would typically apply in such situations?
the deficiency. Whenever feasible and safe for base operations, the Contractor will be given an opportunity to cure the deficiency before any price reduction is initiated.
11 Do any of the sites have a weigh bridge that we could use?
Please see section 1.1.10 in the PWS.
12 Could you confirm the EWC code for the below waste type: 1.6.5 Hazardous wood
20 01 37* (Closest EWC to what we are likely to dispose of)
13 Piddle packs - Could you confirm if these are drained or placed into any other container, prior disposal into 770ltr euro bin.
They are placed in to 30ltr containers, which are sealed on collection and removed from site. The 770ltr bin, is just for consolidated storage.
14 Could you provide a breakdown of what an average load may contain. This will allow us to more accurately price this element of service: 1.6.6 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
This is rather subjective, as the items vary but in short it is household electrical items (TV’s/Microwaves/Hoovers/Kettles/Fridge Freezers).
15 Could you confirm if the new contract would be with the Defence Infrastructure Org (DIO)
This is a contract with the United States Air Force.
16 For the avoidance of all doubt, please can you confirm whether ad hoc and emergency collections for bulk tanker streams that fall under CLIN 0019 must be accounted for and included within the flat monthly service fee, or if these collections may be charged separately outside of the standard service schedule?
This is a firm fixed price contract.
Pursuant to Section 4.1 (Hours of Operation) of the Performance Work Statement (PWS), any costs for work outside of normal duty hours—including emergency response services—must be factored into the monthly Firm-Fixed- Price line item and cannot be billed as a separate or additional cost to the Government.
17 Emergency Tanker Collections- Would it be possible to confirm the waste streams collected for each of the emergency collections stated?
Different waste streams have different disposal costs. Would it also be possible to confirm tonnages collected for each scenario?
Historically, emergency calls are primarily for septic waste from pump/lift stations, typically utilizing a 26-ton tanker. Historically, the Government has permitted onsite tipping at the final lift station or Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), resulting in no external disposal costs. While the Government intends to maintain this practice, the Contractor remains responsible for fulfilling the emergency requirement under the FFP terms of this contract.
18 Ad-hoc Tanker Collections- Please can you confirm if the ad-hoc tanker collections are built into the volumes provided in Appendix B, or
The volumes have been included in the Appendix B.
whether these are in addition? If they are in addition, can you provide a list of all ad-hoc collections confirming which site and waste stream they were for, and if possible, the tonnage of the load collected?
19 Liquid Waste Tankers- Please can you advise, for the avoidance of all doubt, how the equitable adjustment scheme works for liquid tankered wastes? Specifically: Can it be used to charge for additional ad-hoc and emergency loads? Can it only be applied for changes to the standard collection schedule and in the event of legislative changes?
Equitable adjustment is not intended for billing additional ad-hoc or emergency collection loads. Per sections 1.5.1.4, 1.6.2.1, and 4.1 of the Performance Work Statement (PWS), all emergency and outside-of-normal-hours services are considered part of the standard service requirement and must be included in the firm-fixed monthly price for the relevant CLIN. An equitable adjustment would typically be considered only in the event of a formal, Government-directed change to the contract terms, such as a result of significant legislative changes that materially impact the scope of work.
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .