Questions and Answers for Wireless Network Deployment.docx

Questions and Answers for Solicitation H9229526QB001 Question 1: Is there any information the Government can provide publicly to give potential vendors a general sense of the scale of the required WLAN/WAP deployment, such as approximate square footage, number of floors/rooms in scope, or other relevant scope indicators?

Answer: SOCNORTH provided an opportunity for all vendors to come and firsthand see for themselves the scope of the project so, we can maintain the integrity and sensitivity of the facility. Approximately 60% of the wireless network will be deployed on the ground floor, and 40% of the wireless network will be deployed on the second floor. The second floor contains a restricted area rated to Top Secret (TS) that houses the data center. Vendors will have the opportunity to view the site during the May 11, 2026, site visit to gain additional clarity on the layout and scope.

Question 2: Is attendance at the May 11, 2026, site visit mandatory for offerors, or is it optional? If optional, will the Government provide notes, answers, or other shared information from the site visit to all interested offerors?

Answer: Attendance at the May 11, 2026, site visit is optional for offerors. However, the Government strongly encourages attendance to ensure a clear understanding of the scope and environment of the project. Site visit notes, answers, and any additional information provided during the site visit will be posted to SAM.gov as an amendment to the solicitation, ensuring all interested parties have access to the same information.

Question 3: Is there any clearance required for site visit participants, or will they avoid the TS area?

Answer: No clearance is required for site visit participants. The site visit will not include access to the restricted Top Secret (TS) area on the second floor. The walkthrough will focus on the areas where the wireless network is to be deployed.

Question 4: Will the Government provide an existing NSA CSfC Capability Package (CP) that the solution must conform to, or is the contractor expected to select and propose the applicable CP (e.g., Campus WLAN CP)? Is there a specific NSA-approved product list (APL) requirement for all components?

Answer: Per PWS Section 2.4, the installation and configuration must comply with the USSOCOM Enterprise Solution CSfC Capability Packages registered with NSA, and all supplemental Annexes applicable to the deployed CSfC WLAN solution. Furthermore, equipment must comply with NSA Common Criteria and other applicable federal security standards.

Question 5: What minimum personnel security clearance level (e.g., Secret, TS/SCI) is required for contractor personnel to perform on-site work at Peterson SFB? Will the Government sponsor clearances if needed, or must all staff be pre-cleared at time of proposal?

Answer: Per PWS Section 7, the executing team must have, at a minimum, an active Secret clearance. Due to the rapid deployment timeline of this requirement, the Government will not sponsor new clearances. Contractor personnel must be pre-cleared prior to performance.

Question 6: For offerors who were unable to attend the May 11 site visit, will the Government provide the results of the site assessment, existing infrastructure diagrams, or a building/floor plan to support proposal development?

Answer: As stated in the answer to Question 2, notes and relevant information from the site visit will be posted to SAM.gov. However, the Government will not provide detailed infrastructure diagrams or floor plans at the proposal stage. Generating the High-Level Design (HLD), Low-Level Design (LLD), and heatmaps based on pre-onsite assessments and site surveys is explicitly the contractor's responsibility under CLIN 0001 (Study and Design).

Question 7: Can the Government provide the approximate square footage, number of floors, and number of buildings included in the WLAN deployment scope? Approximately how many concurrent end-user devices are expected to be supported?

Answer: Please refer to the answer to Question 1 regarding the number of floors. The baseline for concurrent devices and exact coverage metrics will be determined in collaboration with the Government during the CLIN 0001 site survey phase.

Question 8: The solicitation states that firm-fixed pricing for CLIN 0001 is required at proposal submission, and that pricing for CLINs 0002 and 0003 will be provided as part of CLIN 0001 deliverables. Can the Government confirm what CLINs 0002 and 0003 represent (e.g., installation, testing/validation) so that offerors can provide accurate labor and material estimates in the narrative?

Answer: Per PWS Section 8, CLIN 0002 is for Equipment Procurement and Installation, and CLIN 0003 is for Testing and Validation. These are established as Not-To-Exceed (NTE) Firm-Fixed-Price Lots. Offerors should propose their NTE amounts based on the requirements in the PWS. Final FFP amounts for CLINs 0002 and 0003 will be definitized based on the approved HLD/LLD delivered under CLIN 0001.

Question 9: Will the Government provide any Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Government-Furnished Information (GFI), such as existing switch infrastructure, conduit, or cabling? Or is the contractor responsible for procuring and supplying all hardware end-to-end?

Answer: The contractor is not responsible for procuring all hardware end-to-end. Per PWS Section 5, the Government has provided specific on-hand equipment (detailed in PWS Appendix 1), the USSOCOM MEL, base configurations, network links, and KG equipment. The contractor is responsible for procuring the additional equipment required to fulfill the approved CLIN 0001 design, per Section 2.4.

Question 10: Will the Government provide an authorized DoD STIG compliance scanning tool (e.g., ACAS/Nessus), or is the contractor expected to furnish and operate all compliance validation tools? Who is responsible for Authority to Operate (ATO) documentation — Government or contractor?

Answer: Government will be responsible for the ATO process, the contractor will need to ensure the project is executed to the USSOCOM and NSA standards.

Question 11: The PWS requires all work to be completed within 60 calendar days of contract award. Does this 60-day period include equipment procurement lead time, or does the Government expect equipment to be pre-procured and available for installation upon award? Are there any exceptions for long-lead NSA-approved items?

Answer: The Government acknowledges a discrepancy in the PWS regarding the Period of Performance. The Government will be issuing an amendment to modify the Period of Performance requirement. Offerors will be required to submit a Proposed Milestone Schedule that accounts for equipment procurement lead times for each phase of the effort. The overall Period of Performance shall not exceed 120 calendar days after contract award. Please monitor SAM.gov for the upcoming amendment to the PWS and the solicitation instructions.

Question 12: Will the Government accept proposals that include subcontractors for specialized CSfC/NSA-certified installation tasks, provided the prime contractor retains overall management and accountability? Is there a limit on percentage of work subcontracted?

Answer: Yes, subcontracting is acceptable. However, offerors must comply with any applicable set-aside regulations. This solicitation is set aside for small businesses; so, the Limitations on Subcontracting (FAR 52.219-14) apply, meaning the prime contractor may not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities.

Question 13: The solicitation references Technical Approach, Schedule Feasibility, and Price as evaluation factors. Will Past Performance be evaluated separately, or is relevant experience expected to be incorporated into the Technical Approach narrative?

Answer: Offerors must follow the exact evaluation criteria and proposal instructions outlined in the solicitation's addendum to FAR 52.212-1 and 52.212-2. If Past Performance is not explicitly listed as a standalone evaluation factor in the solicitation, it will not be evaluated separately. Relevant experience should be incorporated into the Technical Approach narrative as instructed.