Questions and Answers.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

Solicitation Amendment:

Vendor Questions and Answers (Q&A) South East Africa Security Engagements (FY26)

Introduction This document serves as the official Question and Answer log for the South East Africa Security Engagements solicitation. The clarifications provided herein supersede any conflicting guidance in prior draft versions of the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Question 1 Is this requirement a cost-reimbursement or a fixed-price contract? There appears to be conflicting cost-type language in the draft Performance Work Statement.

Answer 1 The Government confirms that this contract will be awarded on a Firm-Fixed- Price (FFP) basis for all core execution tasks under both the Requirement 1 (WPS Capacity Building) and Requirement 2 (GFA Data Collection) portfolios.

This includes all operational planning, baseline reporting, civil-military dialogue execution, stakeholder coordination, and local consultancies. Travel and travel-related per diem will be executed on a Cost-Reimbursable, No-Fee, Not-to- Exceed (NTE) basis under CLIN 0003.

Question 2 Will the Government consider extending the proposal submission deadline to allow for thorough pricing revisions under this model?

Answer 2 Yes. The solicitation response deadline is officially extended to 9 September 2026. The projected contract obligation date is 15 September 2026.

Question 3 The draft PWS lists estimated ranges of engagements (e.g., 2 to 5 engagements for certain countries). How should we construct our fixed unit pricing to account for this variability?

Answer 3 The Government has standardized and locked all engagement quantities to the maximum range values, resolving previous draft typos to align perfectly with the FY26 SEA Pricing Template spreadsheet. Vendors must construct their FFP proposal utilizing exactly these quantities:

• Requirement 1 (WPS Capacity Building - CLIN 0001):

• Zimbabwe: 3 Engagements (1 Initial, 2 Follow-on)

• Zambia: 3 Engagements (1 Initial, 2 Follow-on)

• South Africa: 3 Engagements (1 Initial, 2 Follow-on)

• Somalia: 2 Engagements (1 Initial, 1 Follow-on)

• Botswana: 2 Engagements (1 Initial, 1 Follow-on)

• Malawi: 2 Engagements (1 Initial, 1 Follow-on)

• Angola: 2 Engagements (1 Initial, 1 Follow-on)

• Requirement 2 (GFA Data Collection - CLIN 0002):

• Mozambique: 15 Engagements (1 Initial, 14 Follow-on)

• Libya: 3 Engagements (1 Initial, 2 Follow-on)

These standardized quantities must be populated directly into the pricing template.

Question 4 Should the final proposal contain detailed rate justifications and G&A/indirect calculations?

Answer 4 Yes. While the resulting contract is Firm-Fixed-Price, the proposal must include detailed backup sheets in active Excel formats. This breakdown must identify estimated direct labor, G&A, overhead, subcontracts, material costs, and expected margins. This ensures the Government can perform a cost-realism analysis to verify that the proposed pricing is realistic, balanced, and sufficient to complete the standardized quantities.

Question 5 Please confirm that in our offer we should submit a quote for a Firm Fixed Price contract for CLIN 0001 / Requirement 1, and for Cost Plus Fixed Fee for CLIN 0002 / Requirement 2? Should the Firm Fixed Price quote include a detailed cost-element breakdown? If such a breakdown is required, should it include the elements set forth in CPWS section 1.2.1.18, including by prioritized site and engagement?

Answer 5 The Government does not authorize a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) model for CLIN 0002 (Requirement 2). Both Requirement 1 (CLIN 0001 series) and Requirement 2 (CLIN 0002 series) are strictly Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP).

Only CLIN 0003 (Travel) is Cost-Reimbursable (No-Fee). As stated in Answer 4, a detailed cost-element breakdown must be submitted for both FFP requirements to support cost-realism and price-reasonableness evaluations.

Question 6 Can we add one or two positions to the Key Personnel under both Requirements? We suggest adding a Project Manager to handle administrative functions under the guidance of the Team Lead.

Answer 6 Yes. The Government agrees that adding administrative and logistical management support will improve execution. The Key Personnel requirements in PWS Sections 1.2.1.14 (Requirement 1) and 1.3.1.11 (Requirement 2) have been officially updated to include a Project Manager position. Resumes for proposed Project Managers must be submitted along with the Team Lead, Lead Analyst, and Senior Consultants.

Question 7 RFQ section 1.2.5.5, states that the contractor should conduct a 6-Month Post-Project Follow up Report, due exactly 180 calendar days after each project competition. RFQ section 1.2.7.2.1 states that the contractor should conduct a 6-Month Post-Project MEL, submitted exactly 6 months post-event. Should this be clarified so that no evaluation or report will be due after the end date of the contract?

Answer 7 Confirmed. The Government has updated Sections 1.2.5.5 and 1.3.5.5 of the PWS to explicitly clarify that no evaluations, assessments, or follow-up reports shall be required or due after the final end date of the contract's Period of Performance (PoP). All 6-Month Post-Project MEL activities are strictly conditional upon falling within the active contract PoP.