Questions_and_Answers_4_May_2026_Revision_1.pdf

FA568226Q8011 Revision 1 4 May 2026

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. "The text states: ""The government will review and evaluate specialized experience to ensure the offer submitted includes as a minimum three of the following:""

Please clarify if each of the 7 project must include at least 3 of the items listed or the totality of 7 projects must cover at least 3 of the items listed."

Offeror shall submit no more than 7 past experiences and of those 7, as a minimum 3 projects from those listed in paragraph c. shall be submitted.

2. The text states: "A greater value will be given to specialized experience that are related to facilities located at United States Air Force installations, ....". Please clarify if greater value will be given to prrojects delivered at Air Force Installations regardeless of their location (i.e., AFB in the U.S. Europe, Far East, etc. will be given the same greater evaluation).

The specialized experience must be referred to facilities located at United States Air Force installations, regardless the location where they were performed.

3. Please clarify if the extra points will be assigned for each project above one of the indicated threshold of if the extra points will be awarded if all the project exceed the thresholds.

For each experience that meets the thresholds 4 extra points will be assigned for each project. For example, if the firm has performed 4 projects valued above 300K, each experience gains 4 points, for a total of 16 points.

4. Please clarify if the extra points will be assigned for each project above one of the indicated threshold of if the extra points will be awarded if all the project exceed the thresholds.

With reference to projects with greater complexity, the logic is the same as above.

Therefore, if the firm has performed 4 projects that meet the criteria described in the paragraph, each experience gains 4 points, for a total of 16. The maximum quantity is referred to each project.

5. Please confirm that a recent Italian Chamber of Commerce enrollment certitificate (Certificato Iscrizione Camera di Commercio) is an acceptable proof and if it can be submitted in Italian language only.

The announcement (page 3, factor 2) does not require a Chamber of Commerce certificate. It is requested to prove the professional qualification of the key personnel by fill in block 17, section E, part I. For example, if the professional is an engineer, fill the block with the Association to which he/she pertains, discipline (f.i.

Engineer/Architecture) and number of registration. Proof that the offeror is permitted by law to practice, shall be returned with the offer as per the instructions at page 7.

6. The list indicates Fire Engineer and a Fire Protection Engineer. Please clarify the difference between the two professionals.

Please see revised announcement.

7. Length of service higher than the minimum of ten (10) will grant a higher evaluation and proposals will get extra 4 points maximum: please clarify if the extra points will be assigned for each key personnel above one of the indicated threshold of if the extra points will be awarded if all the key personnel exceed the thresholds.

The logic is the same as the above explained. The extra points are assigned for EACH key personnel. For example, if the Company lists 4 key personnel with a length of service higher than minimum 10 years, they will gain a total of 16 points.

8. The more relevant projects an individual has participated in the A-E firm submitting the RFQ, the higher the score: please clarify if the extra points will be assigned for each key personnel above one of the indicated threshold of if the extra points will be awarded if all the key personnel exceed the thresholds.

The extra points will be assigned for each key personnel.

9. The points are assigned based on: "the majority of the past performance...."

Please define "majority". Is 4 out of 7 projects?

Also in case of ratings that include a mix of ratings (i.e., 2 exceptions, 1 VG and 1 SAT), how's the Government going to determine how many points to assign?

Majority is defined as 4 past performances out 7.

10. In case the AE having already PPQs in format different from the form provided, is the Government accepting such PPQ forms?

Also, can these PPQ be emailed to the Contracting Officer and Constract Specialist directly by the AE?

The form provided is the only one to be used. The PPQ can be sent to the 31 CONS POCs identified in the PPQ form posted in SAM.gov, as explained on page 5, factor 3 section of the announcement. Offerors shall follow-up their POCs identified in SF330, Section F, block 23 to ensure they have completed the PPQ and the PPQ was sent to 31CONS. So, AE cannot send the PPQ to CONS since its content shall be considered sensitive and shall not be released to the offeror.

11. Please clarify if SF330 Block H should be filled with just brief project descriptions to fulfil the familiarity with local norms and manuals for design development at Aviano AB, or additional information can be presented about our team's capabilities.

Yes, please include a brief description of the project and ensure all the remaining submission requirements as detailed in the announcement are met.

12. Please clarify how the Government defines the Primary Firm office.

In case of multiple offices within a country, will the closest one to Aviano AB be considered the primary office?

The announcement does not reference a Primary Firm Office but rather to the headquarter or branch. Branch office is defined in the first page of the SF330. For example, if a foreign company has a branch in Milan the company may decide to include the either the primary firm headquarter address or the branch office address to meet the criteria. The Government goal is to have contractors that are physically located close to the installation for easier and faster turnaround.

13. The notice was published on SAM.Gov on 17 April. The current due date is 11 May.

Given the effort required to complete the SF330, would the Government consider extending the submittal due date by 1 week to allow AE firms 4 full weeks to complete the SF330 preparation?

31 CONS considers acceptable to extend the deadline to 22 May 2026, h 1600 local time.

14. In US and Italian RFPs, normally at the bidding stage a JV Agreement signed by the companies (non-notarized) would be sufficient. The formal agreement, with registration, creation of a real entity, and registration in all of the various Italian and US sites/databases, etc., is required only after award, also considering the lengthy timeframes for preparation of a formal notarized JV agreement and for the various entity registrations.

In the United States in fact, there is no rigid equivalent of our Italian JV with standardized notarial requirement. The rules depend on:

- type of competition (federal, state, or private)

- specific RFP/IFB requirements

- sector (construction, services, defense, etc.)

In many cases:

- a teaming agreement or signed JV agreement is enough

- advance notarization is rarely required

- after the award, it would then be necessary to set up a real joint venture (LLC or partnership)

A standard JV Agreement Outline simplified version for bidding follows, and can be used as a "pre-award" basis (i.e., to participate in the competition):

JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT (for Bid Submission)

1. Parties This Joint Venture Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into between:

[Company A], with registered office in [●] [Company B], with registered office in [●]

(collectively, the “Parties”)

2. Purpose The Parties agree to form a Joint Venture solely for the purpose of participating in the tender:

[Name of Tender / Contracting Authority]

3. Nature of the Joint Venture This Agreement constitutes a contractual joint venture and does not create a separate legal entity at this stage, required upon contract award.

4. Lead Partner [Company A] is appointed as Lead Partner, authorized to:

represent the JV with the Contracting Authority submit the bid coordinate project execution

5. Scope of Work Allocation

Company A: [description of activities] Company B: [description of activities]

6. Financial Participation The Parties agree on the following participation shares:

Company A: [XX%] Company B: [XX%]

7. Liability The Parties agree to be jointly and severally liable towards the Contracting Authority, unless otherwise specified in the tender documents.

8. Decision-Making Key decisions shall be taken by mutual agreement of the Parties.

9. Exclusivity The Parties agree not to participate in the same tender individually or with other partners.

10. Duration This Agreement shall remain valid until the award of the tender, and in case of award, until execution of a formal JV structure or final contract.

11. Future Formalization In case of contract award, the Parties undertake to formalize the Joint Venture in a legally binding and notarized form in Italy, and execute a more detailed agreement governing operations

12. Governing Law This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of [State/Country].

13. Signatures Signed by duly authorized representatives:

[Company A]

Name / Title / Signature

[Company B] Name / Title / Signature

This template is often also called: Teaming Agreement or Preliminary JV Agreement

After contract award, the following would be provided: an Operating Agreement (if JV = LLC) or a much more detailed agreement (management, profits, governance, etc.), including the Italian notarized agreement.

In summary

- During the bid: simple signing by companies (OK)

- After award: formalized agreement and registration with all US systems/databases, i.e.

SAM, NAICS, etc.

- Notary: required in Italy (but not necessarily in the States)."

Our question is, in case we would like to compete on the subject solicitation as a JV, would the aforementioned preliminary agreement suffice, with provision of the formal notarized agreement prior to official contract award considering the short turn-around for our proposal? And would SAM registration, NAICS, etc., for the JV be required in the solicitation phase (a lengthy process for activation), or could this follow once the JV is formalized prior to contract award, considering the short timeframe to submit the proposal?

A Teaming Agreement or Preliminary JV Agreement will be acceptable by the Government.

Please see the revised announcement for additional details on the mandatory content of the Agreement. The final Agreement shall be available prior to award of Contract.

14. Reference: AE Announcement - Definition of Project (Multiple Task Orders)

Please confirm how the Government intends to evaluate projects that were executed through multiple task orders issued under the same contract, but clearly related to a single project scope (e.g., same facility, continuous design effort, or phased development).

In such cases, may these efforts be presented as a single project, with the combined value and scope, provided that the continuity and common objective of the work are clearly demonstrated and not artificially aggregated?

Government is evaluating projects that were executed through multiple task orders separately. Although the project may concern the same building, it may have been carried out at different times, preventing the Government from understanding how multidisciplinarity was managed, whether the various design disciplines were developed concurrently, or whether any design conflict arose

15. Reference: AE Announcement - Factor 1 evaluation process – Project Value Please confirm whether the project value thresholds used for scoring (e.g., $50,000, $100,000, $200,000, $300,000) refer to:

a. the value of the A-E design services, or

b. the total construction cost of the project.

Please refer to the announcement, specifically the paragraph that describes the evaluation process for Factor 1, that mentions the “actual cost of design”.

16. Reference: AE Announcement - Factor 1 evaluation process - Currency Conversion For projects completed in currencies other than USD (e.g., EUR), please clarify which exchange rate should be used for evaluation purposes.

See amended announcement

17. Reference: AE Announcement - Factor 1 evaluation process – Disciplines Definition Please clarify how “disciplines involved in a project” are defined for evaluation purposes.

Specifically, should disciplines be interpreted strictly in accordance with SF330 Function Codes, or may specialized systems and project components (e.g., SCADA, ICD705, data centers, airports, firing ranges, etc.) be considered as distinct disciplines when assessing project complexity?

Only function codes in the SF330 shall be used to list the engineering disciplines involved with the project. The offeror, when detailing the scope of work might include additional details.

18. Reference: AE Announcement - Factor 2 – Professional Qualifications and proposed Key Personnel – -Number of Resumes Please confirm whether there is a maximum number of key personnel resumes that may be submitted under SF330 Section E?

The offeror shall return a Section E and proof of professional registration only for the professionals listed.

19. Reference: AE Announcement - Factor 4 – Professional Capacity - Currency Conversion For annual revenues expressed in EUR, please confirm which exchange rate should be applied when comparing values against the USD thresholds indicated in the evaluation criteria.

See amended announcement

20. Report the last five (5) fiscal year’s revenue in the SF330 Part II, block 10, including with each experience, the date it was completed. Please, clarify what does the Government intends for: "providing fiscal year’s including with each experience, the date it was completed." Does it mean providing the year of each revenue (bilancio) certified by an external consultant?

A certified revenue (bilancio) for each of the five years is not necessary. The Government intent is to evaluate the overall capacity of the offeror based on the average revenue matured over the last five years. The offeror has to fill the table in the SF330 Part II, block 10 with a list of projects performed in the last 5 years. Projects can be grouped by profile codes or be listed individually. Either way, the offeror needs to list, for each experience the profile codes as listed in the instructions, a description of the project and the date it was completed. Of each experience a revenue shall be provided using the ranges listed in the index below the table.

21. The offeror shall provide a statement that teaming arrangements are in place for all the team members mentioned in the SF330. In case of a Prime-Subcontractor agreement, please confirm that a Letter of Committment signed by both parties is acceptable to obtain recognition of a team subcontractors experience (resumes and projects). The letters will be included as addendum to the SF330.

Please see amended announcement and the minimum requirements of the agreements.

22. Proof that the Offeror is permitted by law to practice the professions of architect or engineering, Please confirm that in case of firms, a Chamber of Commerce certificate is sufficient.

As explained by answer nr. 5, a Chamber of Commerce certificate is not required. It is the single professional capacity to exercise the profession that needs to be proven.

23. with reference to the RFQ #FA568226Q8011 - Factor 3: Past Performance on specialized experience - please clarify if the experience of one and/or more professional members of the proposed team related to the management of several D/B (Desing&Build) projects for DoD departments , such as NAVFAC and/or USAF acquisition office and/or NATO Agencies, can be used as evaluation factor for the participating firm. In that case no CPARS and/or PPQ will be available for the bidder since the experience is limited to its professional members. Therefore a narrative of the experience could be provided under the solicitation response.

Yes, it is acceptable. Be sure not to check the box dedicated to project performed with the current firm.

24. Time Extension Request: Given the considerable complexity involved in preparing this bid, as well as the recent public holidays in Italy, we would like to respectfully request a two-week extension. This additional time would be invaluable in allowing us to properly coordinate all bid documents and pricing among the potential prime and subcontractors.

Please see amended announcement

25. JV Agreements: As described in the chapter Description on page 1 of the AE-

Announcement, JV agreements are permitted. However, the process for registering a JV is significantly more time-consuming than the current bid preparation timeline allows.

With that in mind, we kindly ask if, at this stage, a letter of intent to form a JV would be sufficient for bidding purposes. Given the notarial and bureaucratic requirements, it would be extremely helpful if the formal JV registration could be submitted upon contract award rather than during the bid phase.

Please see answer to question nr. 13.

26. Private Sector and Government Experience: Can projects performed for US multinational corporations (e.g., Bridgestone) be evaluated as relevant specialized experience under Factor 1? Additionally, will the Government consider experience gained through Italian Ministry of Defense projects (PNRR) and multiple A/E contracts for the American Embassy, as equivalent to USAF-specific experience in terms of technical evaluation?

Yes, there is no limit to experiences with the Government. Therefore, experience in the private sector can be evaluated under Factor 1.

Same for experience gained through the Italian Ministry of Defense projects. Types of project can be listed and evaluated.

27. Request for Amendment Regarding Recency (10-Year Period): Considering the complexity of the services required—including Fire Protection, AT/FP, and Data Center design—and the necessity for firms to have a proven, long-term mastery of US Federal and

Military standards, we kindly ask the Government to consider an Amendment to the RFQ to extend the recency period for Factor 1 and Factor 3 from 5 years to 10 years.

The intent of the Government is to verify and evaluate recent experiences, therefore the 5 year-period remains unchanged.

28. Points for the professional profiles are awarded only to the required profiles; does this mean that points are assigned solely for 10 professionals, or can additional profiles (even within the same discipline) be included to obtain a higher score?

Points are assigned to the disciplines listed in Factor 2, along with the required categories (page 3). Additional profiles will not obtain a higher score.

29. Should the fee amount for Title II refer exclusively to the Title II service, or to the totality of the services performed for that specific project? For example, in the case of a single contract, should the design phase also be included?

It should be referred only to the Title II Service. Design is not Title II and shall not be included.

30. Is it possible to include a service carried out by the company identified as a subcontractor?

Without any reference to a specific factor the Government is not able to provide an adequate answer.

31. SF330 Part I Section D – Our company’s organization chart includes the management and QC personnel (Contract Manager, Project Manager, Quality Manager) in a separate category from the key personnel. We would like to know if these management and QC figures can also cover roles in the key personnel category and thus be included twice in the organization chart.

In accordance with factor 2 criteria, an individual may only perform one role even if holds appropriate qualifications for multiple roles.

32. Pag. 5 of the Announcement - Factor 4 – Professional capacity: It is specified that, for each experience, the completion date must be included in Part II, Block 10; however, this section does not provide for the entry of individual services, but only for the code and description of the experience category, which therefore would include several services carried out over different years.

The question is vague and unclear. We would do our best to answer as we interpret it.

The Government intent is to evaluate the overall capacity of the offeror based on the average revenue matured over the last five years. The offeror has to fill the table in the SF330 Part II, block 10 with a list of projects performed in the last 5 years. Projects can be grouped by profile codes or be listed individually. Either way, the offeror needs to list, for each experience the profile codes as per instructions, a description of the project and the date it was completed. For each experience a revenue shall be provided using the ranges listed in the index below the table.

33. Pag. 2 of the Announcement - Factor 1-c. Must the three experiences out of ten be included for each project listed, or does this mean at least three of the ten across the seven projects?

Of the 7 past examples submitted 6 should be for Title I services and at least 1 for Title II services. Withing the 7 past examples submitted, 3 shall be of those listed from 1 to 9.

As an example, the Offeror can submit one Title I project that includes Fire Prevention

Service, one Title I project that includes Ground Safety Service, one Title I project that includes SCADA Service.

34. Format and Content - Pag. 7 punto 3 of the Announcement. Among the documents to be attached to Standard Form 330, is it necessary to include the certificate of Professional Order registration for all engineers and architects listed among the Key Personnel?

This is necessary. Please attach a copy of the certificate of registration to the professional association.

35. We would like to receive more information on the formal submission process and confirm the required platforms for registration (e.g., SAM.gov) to participate in this solicitation.

Additionally, could you please clarify if there are any specific local requirements for Italian firms providing Title I and Title II services under this IDIQ contract?

To be eligible for award it is necessary to be registered in SAM.gov, as specifically required by the announcement.

There is no specific local requirement for Italian firms providing Title I and II. In accordance with RFO 36.202-3(d) the Architect and Engineer (A-E) Offeror or its members must be a registered/licensed architectural and/or engineering to be eligible for award.

36. Reference: AE Announcement – Factor 1 (Title II Evaluation) Could you please clarify how Title II projects are evaluated, particularly with regard to project complexity?

Will the extent of disciplines involved in the project be used also for Title II projects evaluation?

The project complexity will not be evaluated for Title II projects, so you will not receive additional points for the Title II Service experience.

37. Reference: AE Announcement – Factor 2 (Professional Qualifications and Key Personnel) The list of labour categories includes both “Fire Engineer” and “Fire Protection Engineer”.

Could you please clarify the distinction between these two roles, and what qualifications are expected for a “Fire Engineer”?

There is no difference between the two categories. Please see revised announcement.

38. Reference: AE Announcement – Factor 2 (Key Personnel / SF330 Section E) The Statement of Services includes significant coordination, scheduling, and support activities requiring continuous interaction with the Government and multiple stakeholders. However, the list of labour categories under Factor 2 does not explicitly include a Project or Program Manager role.

Could you please confirm whether it is acceptable to include a Project/Program Manager as Key Personnel in Section E of the SF330? If so, how will this role be considered within the evaluation process?

We corrected the announcement and the project manager role has been listed among labor categories (Factor 2, page 3 announcement). The role will be evaluated following the criteria of factor 2.

39. Potential vendor asked for an extension of the proposal due date.

31st Contracting Squadron considers acceptable to extend the proposal due date to 22 May 2026, h 16:00 local time.

40. Please confirm, if in the SF330 – Part I – Block H the only information to be included is that which is relevant to “Knowledge of Locality”, and that as such, no other information is to be included.

That is correct. Please follow the submission requirement at page 6 of the announcement.

41. Can the service presented for Title II be a service which is currently in progress? We ask this in consideration of the fact that the construction phase, including eventual delays, often has a duration of multiple years.

Please see evaluation criteria and selection process criteria in which it is clearly stated that projects in which the AE Service is not 100% completed will not be evaluated.

42. Per factor 4 - professional capacity, the SF330 Part II block 10 covers the various categories which comprise the overall firm's annual revenue, for a period of 5 years. The Announcement requests the date completed for each of these "experiences", which are however broad categories as indicated in the form instructions covering a 5 year range and not specific individual project experiences;

shall each category listed in the form therefore be followed with a statement confirming the work in this category for the last 5 years as is stated in the block header, therefore 2020-2025, also since 2026 is still underway?

Additional, the factor 4 evaluation process states differently, that the Government will assign points on the basis of the average annual AE revenue for the past five years, but the SF330 Part II block 11 including the form instructions, which addresses the overall average annual revenue, (not block 10 which specifically only covers the ), states for the past 3 years. Shall the average annual income for the past 5 years be inserted in block 11, contrary to what the SF330 states?"

The announcement (factor 4, page 5) clearly refers to the last five (5) fiscal years revenue. Therefore, please consider 2020-2025, since fiscal year 2026 has not yet closed.

Although Standard Form 330 instructions require to fill it block 11, what the Government will review for the professional capacity is the information provided in block 10 instead.

43. Potential vendor asked if some additional time could be granted for the submittal or proposals in order to properly consider RFI responses, once received.

31st Contracting Squadron considers acceptable to extend the proposal due date to Friday, 22 May 2026, h 16:00.

44. Are Cover letter and tabs included in the page count?

Yes, every page counts towards 75 pages in total.

45. For the point scoring on projects, please confirm that each project is scored individually on a scale of 8 points, and the USAF + factors a-d points are added onto the projects as a whole for a total of 68 points allotted for the section?

Missing any reference to a specific factor, the Government is not able to provide an adequate answer.

46. The A-E Announcement States " The Government will assign 6 points to firms with three or more projects that were in support of USAF" - Does this include projects that are completed under another DoW entity (e.g., USACE) but for the USAF?

Confirmed. Projects that are for the USAF count regardless who awarded the contract.

47. Please clarify the distinction between a fire protection engineer and a fire engineer?

There is no difference between the two categories. Please see revised announcement.

48. Please clarify the meaning of ground safety for the purpose of this solicitation.

Every project related to ground, such as storm water management, sewage, etc

49. Are we allowed to include additional resumes outside the disciplines listed? If so, will they also be graded?

Yes, it is possible to include additional resumes outside those listed in the announcement. Additional profiles will not obtain a higher score.

Please be aware that, in accordance with factor 2 criteria, an individual may only perform one role even if holds appropriate qualifications for multiple roles.

50. Is the selection board only grading one resume per discipline?

Correct.

51. Can you specify the minimum and/or maximum number of projects to be rated by the government? Under Factor 1 a. it is stated that the government will review "up to seven" projects". Under b. it is stated that offerors shall submit "at least six projects for Title I services and at least one for Title II".

Offeror shall submit no more than 7 past experiences. The minimum required is 3. But if the Offeror decides to submit all the 7 then of those, 6 should be referrable to Title I Services (nr. 1 to 9) and at least 1 should be referrable to Title II (nr. 10).

52. The solicitation states "Each project shall be submitted using a separate page 3 of the SF330". Are projects limited to one page or can we provide additional pages per project as long as the total page count is not exceeded?

Page 3 of the SF330 is referred to section F. That part is dedicated to list past performances performed by the firm. The limit is 7 as stated in the announcement, factor 1.

53. If a PPQ in a different format was formerly received for a Section F project, will it be accepted by the government?

No, the only form allowed is the one provided by the Government.

54. Please specify the submittal requirements for Past Performance. Shall CPARs/PPQs be submitted as appendix?

See revised announcement.

55. Will Factor 3 materials be included in the page count?

Yes, every page counts.

56. AE_Announcement.doc, Factor 2 - Professional Qualifications and proposed Key Personnel (SF 330 Part I, section E); pag 4: Please provide a specific definition for the CADD labor category. Specifically, is the Government requiring a single "Lead CADD Manager" as Key Personnel, or a description of the firm's overall CADD team capabilities? Please clarify if any specific professional certification or software-specific accreditation is required for this role.

The Government is requiring a single key personnel CADD proficient. In regards to the certification/accreditation, please see revised announcement.

57. AE_Announcement.doc, Factor 2 - Professional Qualifications and proposed Key Personnel (SF 330 Part I, section E); pag 4: The labor categories list both "Fire Engineer" and "Fire Protection Engineer." Could the Government please clarify the technical distinctions between these two roles for the purposes of this solicitation and confirm if separate Section E resumes are required for each?

There is no difference between the two categories. Please see revised announcement.

58. 3.Aviano PPQ. Pag 1: Please clarify if the Final PPQ shall be submitted to the government POCs by the client who is filling in the form or the Prime Offeror.

Yes, The PPQ has to be sent to the 31 CONS POCs identified in the PPQ form posted in SAM.gov, as explained on page 5, factor 3 section of the announcement directly from the Client. Offerors shall follow-up their POCs identified in SF330, Section F, block 23 to ensure they have completed the PPQ and the PPQ was sent to 31CONS. So, AE cannot send the PPQ to CONS directly since its content shall be considered sensitive and shall not be released to the offeror.

The Offeror should use the form named “Client Authorization Letter” and address it to their references to authorize them to provide past performance information to the Government. The Client Authorization Letter shall be be submitted as part of your Present/Past Performance Volume.

59. SF 330 Section C- Due to the high number of sub-consultants required to fulfill all mandatory labor categories, the official SF 330 form provides limited space. Is it permissible for the offeror to include a "Continuation Sheet" for Section C to list the complete team of sub-consultants?

Multiple sections C can be returned to list all the proposed team members.