MACH1 Q_A_Comments Draft AOI Comments_28OCT26.xlsx
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This file is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) comment matrix documenting government responses to industry inquiries regarding the MACH1 F-47 Future Campus at Nellis Air Force Base Announcement of Interest (AOI). The document addresses 89 substantive questions and clarifications submitted during the draft AOI comment period (through October 29, 2026) and provides final government positions on key acquisition requirements and evaluation criteria.
The AOI seeks Progressive Design-Build (PDB) teams to deliver approximately $1.057 billion in total F-47 campus facilities, with the current acquisition focused on Rapid Delivery Projects valued at an unspecified portion of the total program. The Rapid Delivery scope includes the Combined Operations and Maintenance Hangar, Reprogramming Laboratory, Simulator Facility, Aircraft Apron with Sunshades, and Supporting Utilities and Infrastructure. The government prefers one Design-Build vendor but reserves the right to select up to four teams. Phase 1 responses are due November 18, 2026 at 9:00 PM CST, with Phase 2 interviews anticipated in December 2026 and a Request for Project Proposal (RPP) scheduled for December 23, 2026. The agreement will be structured as an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) under 10 U.S.C. §2808a authority, not subject to FAR procedures or small-business set-asides. Key evaluation factors include team qualifications (with construction projects substantially complete within seven years preferred), Southern Nevada market strength, industrialized construction capability, permanent utilities and resilient power design, financial capacity, and security compliance with CMMC Level 2 cybersecurity requirements for design firms and Level 1 for construction teams. Evaluation will be holistic and non-quantitative rather than scored numerically, and respondents may propose partial scope responses or participate on multiple teams. The government will provide controlled technical information (CUI) and draft governance documents to Phase 2 interviewees, with additional clarifications expected during proposal development phases.
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Q&A
| # | Document | Page # | Paragraph /Figure | |||
| Number | Reference Description/Background | Question/Comment/Proposed Resolution(s) | Government Response | |||
| Q1 | SAM.gov Draft Description | Sections 4.3 and 5.1 | Please confirm the controlling Phase 1 deadline and time zone. The notice states 18 November 2026 at 9:00 PM CST, while the attached draft states 2100 PST. Please also reconcile the 4:00 PM CDT draft-comment deadline with the late-submission language referring to after 5:00 PM CDT on 26 October, and identify the project-specific AOI Notice ID to use in correspondence. | The Final AOI was changed to reflect the correct Phase 1 Submission delivery time. The delivery for the Phase 1 submission is 9:00 PM CST on 18 NOV 26. |
All Draft AOI comments received by 8:00 AM on 29 OCT 26 have been addressed in this Final AOI and are reflected in the comment matrix. No comments were considered to be received "late".
| Q2 | Sections 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, and 5.5 | Rapid Delivery budget and authorization scope | When will the Government provide the construction budget or planning range for the Rapid Delivery Projects, separately identifying design, construction security, contingency, and owner-provided items? We understand that $1.057 billion is the total programmed campus request. | |
| Please confirm which services the initial Milestone 2 award will fund and which construction and accreditation activities require subsequent authorization. | The Government will provide further information regarding the technical requirements and programmed budget for each facility in the Rapid Delivery Program with the Phase 2 Interview requests. Refer to Final AOI for the list of Rapid Delivery Projects and their conceptual requirements and sizes. Refer to section 5.5 of the Draft or Final AOI regarding the Milestone 2 scope of services. | |||
| Q3 | Sections 4.1, 4.4 and 4.5 Factors 2, 4 and 6. | Team qualifications and reference eligibility | Appendix B requires 100 percent completed construction within five years, but its completion-date instructions also mention ongoing projects. Please clarify whether ongoing projects belong only in the applicable narratives, and whether older completed construction projects may be considered. Please confirm that each actual performing firm receives consideration for its own relevant experience, including where a recently formed prime or joint venture relies on identified | |
| execution partners. | Refer to the Draft/Final AOI instructions regarding project recency. However, the Final AOI will amend the Draft AOI instructions to allow for projects substantially complete within the last 7 years to be the standard for recent. Refer to the Draft AOI for more instruction regarding projects near or beyond the 7-year date. |
Confirmed. Each performing firm does receive consideration for its own relevant experience, regardless of the use of a joint venture or execution partners.
Q4 Section 4.2; Appendices D and E. Cybersecurity evidence and shared environments What specific evidence will establish acceptable Level 2 self-assessment status and operational readiness before Phase 2 technical information is released? For a shared environment, please identify the required documentation for participating firms, authorized users, endpoints, design applications, and data exchange. Please also clarify which CUI workflows the Government-furnished Kahua environment will support and which remain the respondent’s responsibility. For self-assessment, vendor will provide a letter verifying their compliance with CMMC Level 2 requirements. The letter should indicate compliance with the processes outlined in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication (NIST SP) 800-171 on defense information residing on contractor information systems and should address implementation of Cyber Risk Management Plan (CRMP) including a completed Systems Security Plan (SSP) and a Plan-of-Action Milestones (POA&M) per NIST SP 800-171. Indicate frequency of reviews and updates of the SSP an POA&M. Address implementation of the Defense Federal Acquisition (DFAR) 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting requirements. The following factors should be presented in letter of compliance: SPRS DoD Unique Identifier (UID), CAGE Code, SSP Version/Revision, SSP Date, Most Recent Assessment Date, Assessment Score, Plan of Action Completion Date (If score under 110).
Alternatively, vendors may supply their third-party CMMC Level 2 Certificate of Compliance.
The proposer is required to submit the plan for the shared environment and demonstration of compliance for each participating firm.
The Kahua environment and workflow information will be provided to the selected Vendor.
| Q5 | Sections 2.3, 2.5, 2.7 and 4.5 Factor 5. | Permanent utilities and resilient power | Will the controlled technical package define available utility capacity, points of connection, load assumptions, outage constraints, and required power continuity and redundancy? Please clarify whether standby generation, UPS, energy storage, microgrid controls, and islanding are required scope, permissible alternatives, or outside this acquisition. When will utility-provider responsibilities and the interfaces with mission equipment, cooling, communications, and future campus phases be established? | The Phase 2 interview request will provide technical data sufficient to prepare the Phase 2 documentation submission and conduct the interview. Upon award, all further technical information will be provided to the selected Vendor. |
| Q6 | Section 4.5 Factor 7; Table 6-2. | Phased bonding and financial assurance | What evidence is expected within the one-page Phase 1 financial-capacity narrative, and may supporting surety documentation be supplied separately or at a later phase? Please clarify how incremental bonds or multiple bonded execution entities will be evaluated, how responsibility for interfaces and payment protection will be established, and how potential Milestone 6 capacity will be weighed relative to the initially authorized Rapid Delivery scope. | Refer to Section 4.5.7. This is a 1-page narrative; separate surety documentation will be required later. |
Factor 7 will be considered based on commercial viability relative to the proposed team's qualifications and execution approach.
| Q7 | Sections 1.4, 1.6, 2.7 and 5.5. | Early procurement and evolving requirements | What approval and payment framework is contemplated for long-lead equipment and early work before the principal construction price is established? Please clarify how the Agreement will address equipment ownership, storage, cancellation exposure, and cost or schedule effects of Government-directed mission changes after an early package or construction commitment is authorized. | The PDB Vendor will be responsible for coordinating a long-lead item strategy with the Government based on proposed design and construction delivery schedules and availability of funding for advanced purchases. |
| Q8 | Sections 2.2 and 2.5; Section 4.5 Factor 9. | Security milestones and acceptance | When will facility-clearance, personnel-access, construction-security, and accredited-boundary requirements be made available to respondents? Please clarify the responsibility and schedule interfaces among construction completion, commissioning, secure-space accreditation, and operational turnover, including treatment of Government review or accreditation delays. | Respondents will not be given access to facility clearance, personnel access, construction security and accredited boundary requirements until Phase 2 interview invitations. The selected vendor will coordinate a security plan with the Government. |
| Q9 | Sections 1.7, 4.3 and 5.7. | Owner advisor participation and design rights | Please identify the Owner’s Advisor and participating evaluation support organizations, together with the process for addressing potential conflicts and safeguarding proprietary submissions. Will draft Agreement provisions be available before Phase 3 covering design reuse, preexisting and third-party intellectual property, payment for authorized work, and successor-designer responsibilities if the construction-pricing off-ramp is exercised? | The Government has retained an Owner's Advisor (OA) to support AFCEC in the acquisition, evaluation, design management, construction management, and execution of the Nellis F-47 Operational Test Facilities Program. The OA will participate directly in the evaluation of submissions and subsequent program execution under AFCEC supervision. AFCEC, 772 ESS, and the mission partners retain all decision authority regarding selection. Submission of a response to this AOI constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of the OA's participation and confirms that the respondent has no objection to working directly with the OA throughout program execution. |
The OA may review proprietary technical and commercial submissions in accordance with applicable confidentiality and organizational conflict-of-interest protections between the OA and the Government. The OA will perform its assigned responsibilities under Government oversight, with all evaluation decisions, approvals, and inherently governmental authorities retained by authorized Government officials. The Government has implemented a Conflict of Interest mitigation strategy in the agreement with the OA.
Refer to Draft/Final AOI Section 5.7 for Construction Off-Ramp and Design Rights.
Q10 Joint Venture Project Qualification Sheets: Appendix B, Section 4.4, states that each prime vendor, prime JV member, and Principal Construction Execution Firm may submit up to three (3) construction project qualification sheets per company. Please clarify how this limitation applies to Joint Ventures (JVs).
Specifically, should respondents interpret this requirement to mean:
| 1. | The JV entity is limited to a combined total of three (3) project qualification sheets; or |
| 2. | Each JV member may independently submit up to three (3) project qualification sheets reflecting its respective experience and proposed execution responsibilities? |
Industry Recommendation/Rational:
| To maximize competition and provide the Government the most complete understanding of team qualifications, industry recommends allowing each JV member to submit up to three (3) project qualification sheets. This approach would better reflect the collective capabilities, resources, and experience of the organizations forming the JV and would be consistent with the AOI's emphasis on evaluating actual performing organizations and complementary teaming arrangements. | Concur with recommendation; the Draft/Final AOI allows each JV member to submit up to three (3) project qualifications sheets. Refer to Section 4.4.2 which states, "Each prime member, prime JV member, and Principal Construction Execution Firm may submit up to three (3) one-page construction project sheets per company, 1 project per page, with no minimum." | ||
| Q11 | Substantial Completion Versus 100% Completion: | Appendix B and Appendix C require submitted projects to be 100% complete. Would the Government consider allowing projects that have achieved substantial completion (greater than 50%)? |
Industry Recommendation/Rational:
| Allowing substantially complete projects would provide the Government access to more recent and relevant examples of ongoing military and mission-critical construction efforts while still demonstrating an offeror's capability to successfully deliver comparable facilities. | Concur; the Final AOI has been amended from the Draft AOI to allow projects substantially complete to be submitted. Projects are considered substantially complete when the facility is safe, functional, sufficiently finished for occupancy, and all systems have been commissioned. | ||
| Q12 | Recency Requirement for Unique Military Campus Programs: | Appendix B currently limits construction project qualification sheets to projects completed within the last five (5) years. Given the uniqueness and relatively infrequent occurrence of large military campus developments, aircraft mission campuses, and installation-scale modernization programs, would the Government consider extending the project recency period to ten (10) years? |
Industry Recommendation/Rational:
| Industry recommends expanding the recency window to at least ten (10) years for military campus, aviation, flightline, mission-support, and similarly complex federal facility programs. These projects occur far less frequently than traditional standalone vertical construction efforts and often represent the most relevant demonstrations of experience integrating multiple facilities, infrastructure systems, secure mission requirements, phased execution, and installation-wide stakeholder coordination. A ten-year window would increase competition while allowing offerors to demonstrate successful delivery of projects that are highly comparable to the Nellis F-47 Future Campus program. | Concur; the Government has received comments and questions regarding allowing projects substantially complete in a period longer than five (5) years. The Final AOI has been amended from the Draft AOI to allow projects substantially complete within the last seven (7) years. Projects completed within the last ten (10) years are less likely to reflect delivery with current staffing or leadership; however, Final AOI Section 4.4.2 will state: Construction completion within seven (7) years of AOI response submission data will be considered to have commercial merit as demonstration; however, older completed designs may also have commercial merit. | |||||
| Q13 | 1. | Will the Government consider revising the Construction Project Qualification requirement from “100% construction completion” to “at least 50% construction complete,” either within the past five (5) years or without a specified timeframe? Large, complex projects often have extended performance periods, and requiring 100% completion may exclude recent, highly relevant experience. | The Final AOI has been amended from the Draft AOI to allow projects substantially complete within the last seven (7) years. Projects completed within the last ten (10) years are less likely to reflect delivery with current staffing or leadership; however, Final AOI Section 4.4.2 will state: Construction completion within seven (7) years of AOI response submission data will be considered to have commercial merit as demonstration; however, older completed designs may also have commercial merit. | |||
| Q14 | Recency: ALL submitted Construction project sheets must document 100% completed | |||||
| construction within the last five (5) years. Construction completion within five (5) years of AOI response submission data will be considered to have commercial merit as demonstration; however, older completed designs may also have commercial merit. | What’s the difference in scoring after 5 years, any? | This factor will not be scored as is done in traditional FAR-based selections. A holistic evaluation of the package of qualifications will be conducted. Vendors are encouraged to submit projects that are at or near the requested completion date; the government will evaluate the qualifications holistically in the package, not strictly or quantitatively. In this holistic review, a project near the recency request will not be entirely eliminated from evaluation for being past the strict cutoff. | ||||
| Q15 | Recency: ALL submitted A-E project sheets must document 100% completed design. |
Design completion within five (5) years of AOI response submission date demonstrates commercial viability; older completed designs may also demonstrate commercial viability depending on the
| completion dates | What’s the difference in scoring after 5 years, any? | This factor will not be scored as is done in traditional FAR-based selections. A holistic evaluation of the package of qualifications will be conducted. Vendors are encouraged to submit projects that are at or near the requested completion date; the government will evaluate the qualifications holistically in the package, not strictly or quantitatively. In this holistic review, a project near the recency request will not be entirely eliminated from evaluation for being past the strict cutoff. | |
| Q16 | In this holistic review, a project near the recency request will not be entirely eliminated |
from evaluation for being past the strict cutoff. Completed PDB and conventional DB designs may be considered more commercially viable than otherwise comparable DBB designs, but a designers
| qualifications will be evaluated holistically for overall commercial viability | How will this be evaluated in scoring? Seems very subjective. | With the exception of Construction Safety factor evaluation which will result in a finding of acceptable or unacceptable, submission factors will not be quantitatively scored as is done in traditional FAR-based selections. Refer to Section 6.3 for evaluation strategies and relative importance of factors. | |
| Q17 | The proposed design team shall include Nevada-licensed civil and electrical professional |
engineers capable of supporting the applicable design, utility coordination, and permitting requirements. Do not submit resumes but confirm firms with Nevada credentialed designers for these
| disciplines. | Work on federal / military bases usually does not require state-specific licensing. Can | |||
| professional registrations from other states qualify? | The Government requires Nevada licensing for these two disciplines as indicated in the Draft AOI and Final AOI, required for work on utilities with local Government authorities and privatized utility owners. | |||
| Q18 | Knowledge of Locality | will the Government consider demonstrated design and construction experience at other military installations with comparable desert environments, including extreme temperatures, significant diurnal temperature fluctuations, dust and sand exposure, challenging soil conditions, water scarcity, and specialized airfield infrastructure, in conjunction with the Nellis AFB experience of proposed specialty subconsultants, as evidence of the team's knowledge of locality under Factor 5? | Concur; knowledge of locality is valued in evaluation of Factor 5 A-E Qualifications. Refer to Final AOI language further clarifying. Concur; knowledge of locality for design in similar environmental conditions may be holistically evaluated similarly to design for projects in Southern Nevada. Knowledge of locality in construction is evaluated in Factor 4, Southern Nevada Construction Market Strength as depicted in the Appendix A Organization Chart, but not in Appendix B Construction Project Qualifications. | |
| Q19 | Relevant aircraft hangar qualifications | for the Combined Operations and Maintenance | ||
| Hangar (COMH), will the Government give particular consideration to completed design and construction experience involving military and commercial aircraft maintenance hangars with comparable aircraft clearances, fire protection systems, operational security, specialized mechanical and electrical systems, and flightline interfaces? | The Government will holistically evaluate the projects considered for similarities to the technical design challenges and priorities listed in 4.5.5. | |||
| Q20 | Aircraft simulator facilities | for the Simulator Facility, will the Government recognize completed aircraft simulator and mission training facility designs involving specialized power | ||
| distribution, cooling, communications, equipment integration, security, and phased installation as directly relevant qualifications, even when those projects support aircraft platforms other than the F-47? | The Government will holistically evaluate the projects considered for similarities to the technical design challenges and priorities listed in 4.5.5. | |||
| Q21 | Reprogramming Lab qualifications | will the Government consider a combination of completed secure mission facilities, SAP-F/SCIF environments, specialized computing infrastructure, data centers, and military mission-system integration projects as relevant experience, rather than requiring an identical aircraft reprogramming laboratory? | The Government will holistically evaluate the projects considered for similarities to the technical design challenges and priorities listed in 4.5.5. | |
| Q22 | Demonstrating Capacity | for Factor 5, will the Government consider a facility-specific design staffing and production plan identifying responsible offices, dedicated discipline leads, available design resources, and shared technical specialists as sufficient evidence of concurrent | ||
| design capacity during Phase 1, without individual resumes or binding personnel commitments? | The Government will holistically evaluate the proposed approach for demonstrated capacity to perform considered for similarities to the technical design challenges and priorities listed in 4.5.5. | |||
| Q23 | Phase 1 deadline. | The SAM.gov notice lists 9:00 PM CST on 18 November 2026, but Sections 4.3 and 5.1 of the Draft AOI list 2100 PST. Which time applies? | The Final AOI was changed to reflect the correct Phase 1 Submission delivery time. The delivery for the Phase 1 submission is 9:00 PM CST on 18 NOV 26. |
All Draft AOI comments received by 8:00 AM on 29 OCT 26 have been addressed in this Final AOI and are reflected in the comment matrix. No comments were considered to be received "late".
| Q24 | Partial-scope responses | Can a respondent seek consideration for some, but not all, of the Rapid Delivery Projects, for example the Aircraft Apron with Sunshades together with the Supporting Utilities and Infrastructure? If so, how will Criterion 1 in Section 6.3 (capability to support the full program) apply to that respondent? | Yes. Respondents may seek consideration for fewer than all Rapid Delivery Projects. However, as stated in Sections 3.1 and 5.2, the Government prefers to select a single Vendor capable of delivering all Rapid Delivery Projects and places substantial value on demonstrated capacity to execute the complete scope. Under Criterion 1, Relevance to AOI, the Government will evaluate the breadth and relevance of each respondent's demonstrated qualifications and execution capabilities against the overall program requirements. A respondent proposing only a subset of the Rapid Delivery Projects may be considered, but its limited scope will not demonstrate the same breadth of program delivery capability as a qualified Vendor proposing to execute all Rapid Delivery Projects. |
| Q25 | Firms on more than one team | Section 4.5.9 discourages exclusive arrangements with construction subcontractors. Can the airfield paving firm, or a firm proposed as a Principal Construction Execution Firm, be named on more than one respondent's team? And can a prime respondent also be named as a subcontractor on another respondent's team? | Exclusivity of construction trade partners will not be evaluated. There is no direction, feedback, or evaluation distinction for design partners participating on multiple teams. Individual firms may determine how they wish to form their teams and may participate in multiple Vendor teams. |
| Q26 | Electrical and Utility Scope | Section 2.3 lists Supporting Utilities and Infrastructure (electrical, communications, water, wastewater, roads, drainage, and access) with the size to be determined. Where does this scope begin? Is it limited to service from existing base systems to the Rapid Delivery facilities, or could it include upgrades to base primary distribution or substation capacity needed to serve the campus? | Program technical information includes controlled unclassified information (CUI) and will not be released with the AOI. Selected Phase 2 interviewees will receive a substantial technical package after demonstrating that the information will be received and maintained in a CMMC Level 2 environment. Additional information will be furnished to the selected vendor with the December Request for Project Proposal (RPP), with opportunities for further questions and clarification. |
| Q27 | Apron Electrical | Section 2.3 describes the Aircraft Apron with Sunshades as pavement, aircraft parking and movement, sunshades, drainage, utilities, and flightline interfaces. Does this scope include apron and airfield lighting and the electrical service to the sunshades? | Program technical information includes controlled unclassified information (CUI) and will not be released with the AOI. Selected Phase 2 interviewees will receive a substantial technical package after demonstrating that the information will be received and maintained in a CMMC Level 2 environment. Additional information will be furnished to the selected vendor with the December Request for Project Proposal (RPP), with opportunities for further questions and clarification. |
| Q28 | Labor Standards | Section 4.5 of the MACH1 Umbrella Program Notice (Amendment 2) states that each AOI will specify the labor standards and prevailing wage requirements that apply. The Draft AOI does not. Which labor standards will apply to Rapid Delivery construction, and is a project labor agreement contemplated? | Project Labor Agreements are for procurement actions. OTA under 2808a authority is not a procurement action, it's an agreement. PLA is therefore neither contemplated or requested for this work. Davis-Bacon wage requirements are not required. Competitive prevailing wages should paid to attract a qualified workforce. The OTA terms and conditions will be sent to the Phase 2 Interviewees for review. The Final AOI will be updated to replace this. |
| Q29 | Facility Clearance | Section 2.5 lists SCIF and SAP construction, RF shielding, and TEMPEST among possible requirements, and Section 6.2 treats Access and Security as an eligibility item. Will a facility security clearance be required for the prime, any JV member, or any Principal Construction Execution Firm? If so, at what point in the process, and at what level? | No, a Facility Security Clearance (FCL) is not required. |
| Q30 | Airfield Paving Project Sheets | Section 4.5.9 asks for up to three completed airfield pavement construction project sheets. Appendix B in Section 4.4 says construction sheets must show completion within five years, but also says older projects may have merit. Will completed airfield projects older than five years be evaluated? | Projects will not be scored as is required in traditional FAR-based selections. A holistic evaluation of the package of qualifications will be conducted. Vendors are encouraged to submit projects that are at or near the requested completion date; the government will evaluate the qualifications holistically in the package, not strictly or quantitatively. In this holistic review, a project near the recency request will not be entirely eliminated from evaluation for being past the strict cutoff. |
| Q31 | Industrialized Construction | Section 2.5 says secure-space boundaries will be set by Government security officials. Does the Government expect ICD-705 requirements to limit modular or other industrialized construction for any Rapid Delivery facility, or will that be decided during design? Knowing this early will help teams bring the right partners for Factor 3. | ICD-705 requirements must be satisfied, regardless of industrialized construction techniques. These requirements will be addressed during Milestone 2. The Government remains open to alternative methods, subject to the Accrediting Officer's requirements. |
| Q32 | For Section 4, Southern Nevada Construction Market Strength | Will the Government consider broader regional experience and successful execution of large-scale military construction programs outside Southern Nevada as comparable evidence of a team’s ability to secure the labor, subcontractors, equipment, materials, and supply-chain resources necessary to execute the F-47 Rapid Delivery Projects at Nellis AFB? | The Government will holistically evaluate the approach and information submitted for Factor 4. The Government will evaluate in accordance with the information in the AOI. |
| Q33 | Independent Research | We would like to know if 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? | This is a new contract. | |||
| Q34 | Relevant project experience and delivery methods | For the three past-performance project submissions, which delivery methods are most favorable after progressive design-build (PDB)—construction manager at risk (CMAR), construction manager/general contractor (CMGC), or conventional design-build? | The delivery method is not the principal discriminator for construction experience. Vendors should select projects demonstrating successful delivery of complex construction comparable to the F-47 program, even if the project type is not identical. Conventional design-build, PDB, and other approaches may demonstrate applicable construction capability. Projects will not be discriminated against solely because of their delivery strategy. Vendors may separately describe successful PDB delivery on other projects in the narrative, even if those projects are not among the three selected construction examples. | |
| Q35 | Commercial vs Federal Project Experience | May the submitted project portfolio include a mix of commercial and federal projects, including complex non-federal projects comparable in scope and nature to this program? | The draft AOI recognizes value in both commercial and federal experience. | |
| Q36 | Military Airfield Paving Trade-Partner Qualifications | For a proposed airfield paving contractor, is familiarity with USACE/NAVFAC heavy-duty pavement specifications more important than experience coordinating work on an active airfield? | The relative priority of these considerations will be coordinated with AFCEC before publication. The anticipated AOI clarification provides that military airfield pavement trade-partner qualifications are important because specialized military pavement requirements, equipment, and construction quality controls have historically created substantial execution risks. In Phase 1, each vendor should identify at least one military airfield pavement construction trade partner with demonstrated relevant experience. Identification does not create an exclusive teaming arrangement or guarantee selection for construction. During Milestone 2, the selected PDB vendor must obtain and evaluate qualifications and competitive commercial pricing from other similarly qualified military airfield pavement trade partners. All trade partners considered for the construction price package, including the originally identified firm, must demonstrate relevant military airfield pavement construction experience. Selection is based on qualifications and price, with particular emphasis on capability to satisfy military pavement requirements; it is not simply low bid. Substituting a different firm from the Phase 1 identified partner requires Government concurrence based on equivalent or superior qualifications. noted that coordination with an active airfield matters, but meeting specialized pavement quality requirements is a major concern. The Air Force would participate in selection through the negotiation/pricing process. | |
| Q37 | Timing and Availability of Agreement Articles | Will the AOI include the anticipated agreement articles or contract terms, and will they follow an existing AFCEC MACH1 umbrella or be newly developed or modified for this program? | Anticipated articles will be furnished with the Phase 2 interview request, before the request for project proposal (RPP), rather than with the initial AOI. The articles are still under internal consideration. Phase 2 interview requests may release a draft and comments may be considered. | |
| Q38 | Government, OA, and PDB Decision Authority | How will decision authority operate among AFCEC, Tetra Tech as Owner’s Advisor, and the PDB partner? Does AFCEC make the final decisions, or does the OA have decision authority? | The Government will issue a Draft Governance document for execution of Milestone 2 and beyond, outlining how all parties collaborate during performance of the work. However, AFCEC and the Agreements Officer retain all final decision authority. | |
| Q39 | Basis for Rapid Delivery and Remainder-Program Phasing | Is the separation at Milestone 5 between Rapid Delivery and the remainder of the program driven by funding limitations, or by performance metrics and an assessment of the contractor before proceeding? | The program is delivered in multiple Milestones because the Government has differing required delivery dates. | |
| Q40 | Design Responsibility | Will Tetra Tech perform the project design, or will design services be provided by the PDB vendor? | Tetra Tech will perform no design and serves only as the Owner’s Advisor. Design services are included in the progressive design-build scope and will be provided by the selected PDB vendor. | |
| Q41 | Phase 2 Interview Invitation Process | How does a vendor obtain an invitation to the December Phase 2 interviews, including the invitation anticipated on December 2? | Based on evaluation of the Phase 1 submissions, the government will select Vendors to participate in Phase 2. | |
| Q42 | Shared CMMC Level 2 Environment | May partners meet CMMC requirements by being invited into a shared compliant environment rather than maintaining separate exclusive environments? | The approach is intended to be solution-neutral. A vendor must demonstrate the ability to handle information in a CMMC Level 2 environment and explain its strategy for accommodating all team partners within that environment. | |
| Q43 | RPP Timeline | Is there a specific December date for the RPP, or only an approximate mid-December timeframe? | The acquisition dates are listed in the draft Announcement of Interest (AOI), and those dates have not changed for the final AOI. The acquisition remains on schedule. | |
| Q44 | Early Procurement of Long-Lead Equipment | Will early-phase procurement be considered for long-lead electrical equipment such as transformers, switchgear, and generators, potentially requiring 60–70 weeks? | A long-lead item procurement strategy is being developed. The strategy will be addressed in the Phase 2 interview package, and PDB vendors will be invited to refine it and propose their own approaches. Alternative acquisition methods, including opportunities available under Other Transaction Authority (OTA), are being considered to enable earlier procurement of critical equipment. | |
| Q45 | Government Information Exchange and Kahua | What are the interface requirements for transferring project information between the vendor team and the Government, including whether Kahua will be used? | Kahua is planned as the streamlined platform for exchanging project information and providing visibility into records without repeated transfers between separate systems. The program is working to stand up Kahua before vendor selection. The intended solution must operate within the applicable Government-authorized security environment and information-handling requirements. | |
| Q46 | Use of DoD SAFE | Will DoD SAFE continue to be used to transfer information? | DoD SAFE is expected to remain available for transfers into a vendor’s authorized enclave before the selected vendor is awarded work and onboarded to the program information system. During execution, routine information exchange is intended to transition to Kahua rather than rely on repeated DoD SAFE transfers. | |
| Q47 | Unknown Mission and User Requirements | Will the evaluation ask teams how they will address evolving or unknown F-47 mission, aircraft-support, GFE and simulator requirements, and will this be part of the initial or Phase 2 response? | Phase 2 interview selectees will receive a substantial information package, including protected program information and identified gaps in the requirements baseline, to support meaningful submissions and interviews. Additional preview information is being incorporated into the final AOI. The intent is to provide enough known requirements and gaps for tailored responses rather than requiring teams to infer the Government’s expectations. | |
| Q48 | PCR Maturity, Prescriptiveness, and Bridging | How prescriptive will the Government’s facility requirements be? Will existing PCR/planning documents be provided, and what flexibility will teams have to propose alternate facility types, layouts, locations or orientations? | Available PCRs will be provided with the Phase 2 interview request; they are expected to be further developed by the RPP date. A bridging document is also intended to accompany the interview package to explain how the PCR information translates into the initial design effort, where requirements may change, and which alternatives may be reconsidered. Some requirements are still evolving, including interfaces with interim operations planning. The program is preparing to respond quickly to design questions and avoid unnecessary development of alternatives that cannot be accepted. | |
| Q49 | Construction Security Plan | Have the SSM and AO participated in the planning/PCR process? Has the Construction Security Plan (CSP) been prepared, and will it be included in the initial information package? | Yes. Security stakeholders have been heavily involved in planning, and a CSP exists. The CSP is intended to be included in the Phase 2 information package. The package does not yet have a comprehensive published index of all included documents. | |
| Q50 | Access to Government Contacts | Will the relevant Government points of contact be available for questions during Phase 2 interview preparation and the subsequent design process? | During the AOI acquisition process, questions must be routed through the 772nd ESS MACH1 inbox rather than direct Government, AFCEC, mission partners or OA contact. The AOI establishes subsequent question-and-answer opportunities. After selection of the preferred vendor for the RPP process, direct technical support and question resolution are anticipated during proposal preparation. Following award, the owner-side team intends to provide active support through design and construction preparation to resolve requirements and interface questions promptly. | |
| Q51 | U.S. Citizenship and Labor Restrictions | Are U.S. citizens required for project personnel, including prime and subcontractor employees, and how do those requirements affect Phase 1 teaming? | Applicable personnel eligibility and labor restrictions will be provided to selected Phase 2 interviewees in the controlled information package. The details are not being released in the public AOI discussion because they are contained in protected program documentation. Teams will be evaluated for their ability to meet the requirements; firms may need to revise their proposed team or elect not to continue after receiving those requirements. | |
| Q52 | Government Team Co-Location | Will Government decision-makers and the delivery team be co-located at Nellis, or will the program operate through a hybrid, geographically distributed model? | A substantial component of the Government-side program team is expected to be located at Nellis. The objective is to support close collaboration with the delivery team. The exact locations and availability of individual decision authorities are not defined in the AOI. | |
| Q53 | Phase 2 Schedule Extension | Can the Phase 3 negotiation/proposal schedule be extended, given the Christmas and New Year holiday period? | The acquisition dates are intentionally aggressive to recover time for design and meet the program need date. Delaying award or negotiations would reduce the time available for design and engagement without changing the required delivery date. No extension will be offered. | |
| Q54 | Holiday Period Government & OA Availability | Will AFCEC and the OA be available to respond to questions from approximately December 20 through January 2 while the selected team develops its proposal? | Following the industry-session period, questions must be submitted through the 772nd ESS MACH1 inbox until release of the request for project proposal (RPP). The RPP is scheduled for December 23. Technical-question support is expected during the selected vendor’s proposal development, including the holiday period. The Phase 2 interview package will provide substantial information, including controlled technical information, to prepare interviewees for both their interviews and potential proposals. | |
| Q55 | Post-Pitch Design Competition | Does the contemplated stipend mean that multiple firms will compete in a separate design competition after the pitch? | There will not be a separate post-pitch design competition. A stipend is being considered for Phase 2 interview participants because interview tasks may require qualified design resources to perform technical or production-related work that also helps prepare teams for a rapid subsequent proposal. The interviews are intended both to assess the team and to give participants a head start on proposal preparation. AFCEC has not yet confirmed whether or how a stipend will be offered. | |
| Q56 | Pre-Award Partnering and Payment | Can partnering activities be paid through the eventual design agreement, or can informal partnering begin before award? | Partnering starting after Milestone 2 award will be required and compensated for. AFCEC believes partnering to be an important element of the intended delivery approach. Compensated pre-award partnering presents a contracting issue because the Government cannot require performance for which it has no authorized payment mechanism. | |
| Q57 | Phase 2 Technical Exercise | Should shortlisted teams plan to make design personnel available for a technical problem-solving exercise during the interview stage, and is that why a stipend is contemplated? | The intent is to compensate qualified resources if interview activities require substantive technical production beyond ordinary marketing and proposal preparation. The contemplated tasks may engage design personnel to develop technical responses and help the team prepare for a fast proposal turnaround. Payment for such work would also allow the Government to acquire the benefit of the work products and ideas provided by participating teams. The exact tasks and stipend terms are not finalized. | |
| Q58 | Schedule Feasibility | Is the Government seeking an execution-ready team capable of meeting the milestones in AOI Section 2.2, and does it expect to maintain that schedule? | The acquisition remains on schedule. AFCEC seeks a vendor partner with the same strong commitment to the stated agreement schedule and delivery milestones. | |
| Q59 | Small-Business Set-Aside | Is the opportunity subject to a small-business set-aside? | The cited 10 U.S.C. § 2808a authority for the contemplated other transaction agreement does not mandate a small-business set-aside. | |
| Q60 | CMMC Requirements and Flow-Down | Is CMMC Level 1 the maximum requirement, or is Level 2 required, and how do requirements apply to A-E firms, general contractors, and other partners? | The AOI cybersecurity section addresses Level 2 requirements for design teams and Level 1 requirements for construction teams. Refer to the final AOI for the complete applicability and flow-down language rather than relying on a simplified interpretation. | |
| Q61 | Best Value Evaluation Methodology | Is there a numerical rubric assigning weights to past performance, price, schedule, or other best-total-value factors? | Section 6 describes the three programmatic goals, evaluation factors, and relative priorities within the MACH 1 umbrella. Evaluation is holistic rather than based on a numerical scoring rubric or quantified point allocation. The FAR does not apply and this agreement is not a best-value evaluation as dictated by the FAR. | |
| Q62 | Federal vs Commercial Past Performance | Is greater value assigned to federal projects with CPARS ratings than to private-sector projects supported by past-performance questionnaires? | CPARS ratings are not requested for this AOI. Both commercial and federal qualifications have value in evaluating the prospective team; refer to the AOI section addressing those qualifications. | |
| Q63 | Design Guide Deviations and Exemptions | Given the project scale and accelerated schedule, are deviations from historical Whole Building Design Guide recommendations or other established standards being contemplated? | Deviations to federal and DoW design criteria are to be strongly considered. Potential solutions may include deviations or exemptions, including permanent exemptions where justified. Teams capable of supporting and justifying proposed alternatives are of interest. No decision to approve specific deviations or exemptions has been made. | |
| Q64 | Facility Clearance for Secure Construction | Does the ICD 705 secure-space scope require a facility clearance (FCL) for construction, given that the AOI discusses post-construction accreditation but does not expressly identify an FCL requirement? | No, a Facility Security Clearance (FCL) is not required. | |
| Q65 | Phase 1 Submission Deadline | Is the Phase 1 submission deadline November 18, 2026? | Yes. The November 18 submission deadline will remain unchanged in the final AOI; the schedule is fixed. | |
| Q66 | Site Visits and Pricing Phase Access | Will site visits be available during the acquisition, particularly during Phase 3 to inform pricing, access planning, and subcontractor considerations? | No site visit is planned during the current acquisition phase. Phase 2 interview selectees will receive a substantial technical information package, much of it CUI, with additional material provided with the request for project proposal. Phase 3 pricing concerns Milestone 2 design services, from award through construction notice to proceed, not construction pricing. Following award, Milestone 2 will include site access, customer meetings, data gathering, and physical investigations for the design and construction teams. Should the Vendor(s) receiving the RPP(s) request an uncompensated site visit prior to award to assist in RPP response, the Government will facilitate this visit. | |
| Q67 | Remainder Program Schedule | Has a schedule been established for the remainder program or potential subsequent work described in AOI Section 2.4? | Further schedule information for the remainder program and potential subsequent work will be included in the substantial information package provided to selected interviewees. | |
| Q68 | Number of Interested Team | How many groups have expressed interest in the opportunity? | Information regarding other interested vendors will not be disclosed. | |
| Q69 | Qualification Appendices and Page Limits | Do multiple qualification sheets count against the proposal page limit? | Qualification appendices are excluded from the narrative page limit. The page limits apply to the designated narrative sections, not to the qualification sheets. The solicitation establishes page allocations for factors to support consistent evaluation and avoid disadvantaging teams with multiple qualified design or construction entities. | |
| Q70 | OA Role in Source Selection | Does the Owner’s Advisor select the vendor or make selection decisions, or is selection retained by Government representatives? | All vendor selection authority remains with the Government. The Owner’s Advisor supports the acquisition process and information management but does not select the vendor. | |
| Q71 | Government/User Team Composition and Governance | Will AFCEC, mission/user representatives, the acquisition organization, and the OA be integrated into execution, and how will the governance structure work? | A governance plan will be included in the substantial Phase 2 interview package for selected interviewees after verification of an appropriate CMMC Level 2 environment. The plan will describe how AFCEC, mission partners, the Agreement Officer, the OA, and the PDB team work together. It will be presented as a starting point for Vendor comment, including proposed tracked changes, rather than a fixed, nonnegotiable arrangement. | |
| Q72 | Governance Narrative in Phase 1 | Should the Phase 1 white paper explain the proposed governance model and how the team would integrate with the Government and OA? | Phase 1 factors focus on the respondent’s team, qualifications, and design/construction capabilities and do not directly request a detailed governance proposal. Phase 2 is expected to focus more on how the vendor will deliver the program and interact with the Government, including comments on the draft governance plan. | |
| Q73 | Principal Construction Execution Firms at any Tier | Does Section 4.5.2.1 require identifying all subcontractors at every tier, or only organizations with general-contractor-type responsibilities? | The focus is on major construction execution partners that manage multiple construction trades or solicit, negotiate, award, or administer trade subcontracts, regardless of tier. Individual specialty trade partners that do not perform those functions are not the intended focus. Teams should identify who will perform substantial building/general-contracting functions and explain the construction execution strategy; the intent is not to require a complete lower-tier trade roster at this stage. | |
| Q74 | PCR/Charrette Maturity and Additional Technical Information | What additional planning, charrette, and technical information will be provided in Phase 1 versus Phase 2, and how mature will the planning documents be? | The bulk of technical, contractual, and terms-and-conditions information will be furnished to down-selected Phase 2 interviewees after verification of CMMC Level 2 handling capability. The planning/PCR materials are scheduled for a minimum of draft completion by the Phase 3 Request for Project Proposal (RPP), with sufficient information available for Phase 2 interviews. The interview materials are intended to help teams understand the project and begin preparing for the RPP. |
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