Solicitation Q and A - Snow Removal BPA_Final.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

AIR FORCE SUSTAINMENT CENTER (AFMC)

HILL AIR FORCE BASE UTAH

Questions and Answers

Notice ID FA820127Q0002

Snow Removal BPA Hill AFB

Below are the questions received regarding the aforementioned solicitation that is currently active on

SAM.gov. This is currently a live document that will be updated with any and all questions received for this solicitation. Once the final question has been added to this document it will no longer be considered a live document. Notice of this change will be stated below.

Current Document Status: Live Document as of 28 September 2026 at 09:00 MDT

Final Document: 28 September 2026 at 19:00 MDT

• Does the limitation-on-subcontracting requirement under this Total Small Business Set-Aside require the prime to self-perform a specific percentage of the work, given the equipment-intensive nature of the requirement?

o There are a multitude of variables to this question. You are welcome to provide a breakdown of the labor matrix and quantify each portion of the labor.

• Historical Snow Removal Usage: For pricing and capacity-planning purposes, would the

Government please provide the approximate number of snow-removal service hours ordered during each of the previous three to five snow seasons, if available?

o 20-50 hours understanding that past usage does not guarantee future ordering volume.

• Annual Equipment Readiness and Storage Fee: PWS paragraph 3.3 states that the contractor may submit an invoice for an annual snow-season equipment readiness and storage fee once all required equipment is physically stored, operational, and available at Hill AFB. Please clarify how offerors should price this annual readiness/storage fee, as the solicitation pricing schedule appears to identify only the hourly snow-plow service line item.

o The government has made updates to the PWS. The government has elected not to pay for a storage and readiness fee. If the contractor elects to store and have equipment ready that is at their discretion. As long as the contractor can be on site within 2 hours that is acceptable.

• Projected 1–500 Hour Order Limit: The solicitation identifies a projected order limit of a minimum of one hour and maximum of 500 hours. Please confirm whether the 500-hour maximum applies per snow season, per individual BPA call/order, or to the entire five-year BPA period.

o The 500-hour threshold represents an estimated annual ceiling per season.

• Backup Equipment Requirement: PWS paragraph 2.10 requires backup equipment to be available within two hours when equipment becomes damaged or unusable. Please confirm whether the

Government requires a complete duplicate set consisting of a backup frontend loader, 12-foot push blade, and dump truck, or whether equivalent backup equipment capable of maintaining uninterrupted performance would satisfy this requirement.

o Back-up equipment does not need to be identical/duplicate. If the contractor can maintain uninterrupted service to meet the contract requirements, this will be deemed acceptable.

• Equipment Storage: Please confirm whether there is any Government charge to the contractor for use of the designated Hill AFB equipment-storage location from November 1 through March 1 of each snow season.

o There is no charge for storage. An area will be provided at no cost to the government or contractor if the contractor elects to stage/store equipment.

• Whether the solicitation requires bonding, specific insurance limits, a Utah contractor license, or any additional local registration?

o The Government does not require bonding or a Utah Contractor License. The Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability insurance of not less than $200,000 per occurrence against claims arising from accidents during contract performance.

• Are there maps, designated snow-dump locations, access procedures, or site-visit information available?

o This will vary with each snow event and call out. When the contractor is call out on to building 916 a designated person will provide that information.

• PWS 2.4 requires a dump truck capable of hauling snow, but CLIN 0001 prices only a frontend loader and operator. Should hauling be priced into CLIN 0001, or will a separate line be established?

o This should be priced under CLIN 0001 as well.

• Please confirm whether FAR 52.219-14 or any other limitation on subcontracting applies to this requirement. Additionally, for an offeror proposing a subcontractor that independently qualifies as a small business, does that subcontractor's performance satisfy the limitation on subcontracting without requiring separate self-performance by the prime contractor?

o Whether FAR 52.219-14 applies is determined by the final overall contract value relative to the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), currently $350,000:

▪ Applicability: If the total contract value (including all option periods) is at or below the SAT, FAR 52.219-14 does not apply, and no statutory limitation on subcontracting is required. If the total value exceeds the SAT, the clause applies.

In the event the final evaluated value exceeds the threshold, FAR 52.219-14 will be incorporated.

▪ Subcontractor Performance: If the threshold is exceeded and FAR 52.219-14 applies, a first-tier subcontractor that independently qualifies as a small business under the NAICS code assigned to the subcontract is considered a "similarly situated entity." Under FAR 52.219-14(e)(1), any work performed by a similarly situated entity with its own employees counts toward meeting the 50 percent performance requirement.

• PWS paragraph 2.3 states that the contractor has one (1) hour after notification to respond and report to Building 916. The Government's Q&A states that the contractor may store equipment off base provided the contractor can be onsite within two (2) hours. Please confirm the required response time: one hour or two hours.

o The correct response time is 2 hours and has been updated in the PWS.

• Invoicing Frequency: PWS paragraph 3.3 states that payment is restricted to a "one-time annual billing per separate snow season." Would the Government consider allowing invoicing per BPA call, or on a monthly basis during the active season?

o The PWS has been updated in section 3.3 to clarify that billing is authorized for each snow event.

• Invoicing Threshold ($25k): If total call-outs in a season cross the $25,000 threshold referenced in PWS 3.1/3.2, does that trigger a WAWF invoice at that point, or does the annual billing restriction in 3.3 still apply?

o Transactions above $25,000 will be billed through a WAWF invoice.

• Response-Time Notification: Can the Government contact our designated local on-site crew lead directly to initiate a 1-hour response call-out, provided the corporate office is copied?

o Yes. The Government POC/COR may contact the designated on-site crew lead directly to initiate response times. The contractor must provide a single 24/7 dispatch contact list prior to the start of performance.

• Site Access & Badging Turnaround: What is the typical processing turnaround time for Hill AFB

Form 496 background checks/badging? How do we register heavy equipment and which gates should be used?

o The processing time is variable and can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 30 or more days.

The process for SF to clear vehicles varies depending on the time of day or night and availability of the personnel to provide these checks. Heavy equipment is to go through the North gate. However, there are times that we may be able to work with SF to get equipment in through the south gate, this will all depend on the time of day/night service is needed. However, the contractor shall plan on going through the north gate unless they are notified differently by the Government POC. The government is willing to work with the contractor if there are delays getting through the gate, if the delay is caused by the security check. Please note that the contractor should be at security for checks in advance of the 2-hour time limit to respond.

• Mission-Essential Services Plan: Which PWS paragraphs constitute the essential services for the

DFARS 252.237-7024 Plan, and is this plan required with the initial quote submission?

o The essential services are defined as all snow removal operations outlined in PWS. A

Mission-Essential Contractor Services Plan is required to be submitted with the quote.

• Mission-Essential Contractor Services Plan format, page limits, and evaluation style.

o As required by DFARS 252.237-7024, a Mission-Essential Contractor Services Plan must be submitted with the quote. The Government has not established a required format or page limit. It is the offeror's responsibility to submit a plan that adequately demonstrates their capability to meet the Government's needs.

• Will a map be provided for reference? What areas can be expected to plow?

o Work could be assigned at any location on the base. The areas that this contract will cover will be parking lots and possibly streets, with the location most likely changing with each snow event. The contractor will not be working on the runway, flight line, aprons or any other controlled areas. They will not need any specialized equipment, just the equipment called out in 2.4 of the PWS. When they report to building 916 on the call out they will be assigned and area by the Government POC o o

• Does the Government plan to establish one BPA under this solicitation, or could BPAs be awarded to more than one contractor?

o The intent is to award a single BPA for this solicitation.

• For the technical portion of the quote, is there a specific format or information you would like included? For example, should we provide equipment information, our approach to meeting the

24/7 and two-hour response requirements, backup equipment arrangements, and subcontractor information, or would a narrative addressing the PWS requirements be sufficient?

o The Government does not mandate a specific format or checklist for the technical quote.

However, the offeror’s quote must clearly and convincingly demonstrate their capability, methodology, and resources to successfully meet all requirements outlined in the

Performance Work Statement (PWS). How the offeror chooses to demonstrate this capability is at their discretion.

• Payment for travel and mobilization time (PWS 3.5).

o Billable hours begin once the call is received for the service.

• When the loader and dump truck operate simultaneously, is one CLIN hour billed for the combined service, or are equipment/operator hours accumulated separately?

o The solicitation establishes a single hourly rate under CLIN 0001 for the required services.

• Is there a minimum billable call duration beyond the stated one-hour projected order minimum?

o As stated in the Schedule of Items, the Government projects a minimum order of one hour. Offerors are to bid according to the terms and conditions provided in the solicitation.

• How will Past Performance be evaluated in the LPTA process? Will an offeror without past performance be rated neutral?

o "In accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv), the Government will evaluate past performance on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. An offeror without a record of relevant past performance, or for whom information on past performance is not available, will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably and will receive a 'Neutral' rating.

• Can a committed similarly situated small-business subcontractor’s experience support the offeror's technical capability?

o The Government will consider the capabilities of the entire proposal. However, the prime contractor remains solely and fully responsible for all aspects of contract performance

• Does the two-hour clock measure to arrival at Building 916, or to arrival at the gate for the security check?

o Per PWS paragraph 2.3, the two-hour response time is measured to the contractor's arrival and reporting to Building 916. It is the contractor's responsibility to manage their logistics, including any potential gate delays, to meet this requirement.

• What invoice frequency and WAWF document type apply, and is payment Net 30?

o Offerors shall refer to the contract clauses provided in the solicitation, including DFARS

252.232-7006 and FAR 52.212-4, which govern payment terms and procedures.

• What PWS should be used for proposal if the date is not updated on the solicitation.

o The most recent PWS should be used for proposals and will be updated prior to award.