Notice 3.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING SYSTEMS COMMAND FAR EAST

PSC 473 BOX 13

FPO AP 96349

DISTRIBUTION: DoW COMMUNITY ONLY

NOTICE 3

22 September 2026

RFP N40084-26-Q-1023

STRAIGHT VEHICLE LEASE

FOR

NAVAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE,

NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING SYSTEMS COMMAND FAR EAST

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

NOTE: The following schedule is provided for INFORMATION ONLY. The RFQ remains unchanged unless it is amended in writing on a Standard Form 30.

Request for Information Questions and Responses

28. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

MINIMUM VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS, all Line Items

Reference: Notice 1, items 2 and 8

Notice 1 states that "The Government does not pre-evaluate proposals" and that "Quoters must ensure proposed items meet all minimum requirements in the solicitation." Attachment 2 provides that "Deviations from the RFQ minimum/maximum requirements are NOT allowed."

Several vehicles currently produced for the Japanese market fall marginally short of the stated minimum values while meeting every other requirement - for example by approximately 30 mm in wheelbase, by approximately 65 mm in overall length, or by a few cubic centimetres in engine displacement.

(a) Will the Government apply the stated minimum values strictly, so that any shortfall, however small, renders the quotation non-responsive for that Line Item?

(b) If a deminimis shortfall may be accepted, please state the tolerance that will be applied, so that all offerors quote on the same basis.

This determination materially affects which vehicles may be offered and therefore the price quoted, and we respectfully request that the answer be issued by amendment.

ANSWER:

Attachment 1: Statement of Work has been updated to revise dimensions and engine ratings.

Please see Amendment 0005.

29. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

Engine Displacement, all Line Items

Reference: Notice 1, item 6

Notice 1 states: "Hybrid vehicles are acceptable, for all line items. Vehicle engine displacements for hybrid vehicles are acceptable for all line items." The Statement of Work dated 25 August

N40084-26-Q-1023

2026 nevertheless retains minimum displacements of 1,200 cc for LINE ITEM 0001, 1,800 cc for

LINE ITEM 0002, and 2,000 cc for LINE ITEMS 0003 and 0004.

As Notice 1 is stated to be for information only, and the RFQ remains unchanged unless amended in writing on a Standard Form 30, we are unable to rely on that response as written.

(a) For hybrid vehicles, is the stated minimum displacement waived entirely, so that any displacement is acceptable?

(b) If it is not waived, does the minimum apply to the displacement of the internal combustion engine alone?

(c) By way of illustration, would a hybrid vehicle of 1,797 cc be acceptable for LINE ITEM

0002, where the stated minimum is 1,800 cc?

(d) Does the same treatment apply to gasoline vehicles? For example, would a gasoline vehicle of

1,997 cc be acceptable for LINE ITEM 0003, where the stated minimum is 2,000 cc?

We respectfully request that the answer be issued by amendment.

30. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

LINE ITEM 0003, MINIMUM VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS

Reference: Notice 1, items 3 and 5

The Government's response states: "Length: 4,685 - 4,770 mm (184.4 - 187.8 in) / Width: 1,695 -

1,740 mm (66.7 - 68.5 in) / Height: 1,865 mm (73.4 in) / Wheelbase: 2,860 mm (112.6 in)".

Length and width are expressed as ranges, whereas the Statement of Work heads the same table

"MINIMUM DIMENSIONS" and lists single values.

We note that the Government's responses at Notice 1, items 2 and 8, refer to these as minimum requirements, without reference to any maximum.

We also note that under a range interpretation no vehicle available in the Japanese market would satisfy this Line Item: eight-passenger 4x2 vehicles falling within 4,685 - 4,770 mm in length and

1,695 - 1,740 mm in width have a gasoline engine displacement of 1,997 cc, below the stated

2,000 cc minimum, while vehicles meeting the 2,000 cc minimum with eight-passenger seating exceed the stated length and width.

(a) Are 4,685 mm and 1,695 mm minimum values only, with no upper limit?

(b) If upper limits apply, would a vehicle of 4,995 mm in length and 1,850 mm in width, meeting all other requirements, be non-responsive for this Line Item?

(c) If upper limits apply, please identify a vehicle currently available in Japan that satisfies both the dimensional range and the 2,000 cc minimum with eight-passenger seating.

31. General - Vehicle taxes and the Status of Forces Agreement. Reference: Notice 1, item 12.

Notice 1 states that "Costs of vehicle taxes, statutory inspections, and shaken, are to be borne by the contractor and may be included in the lease price."

Article XIII, paragraph 1 of the Status of Forces Agreement provides that the United States armed forces shall not be subject to taxes on property held, used or transferred by them in Japan. Under this solicitation title to the vehicles remains with the Contractor while the vehicles are used exclusively by the United States armed forces.

(a) Please confirm that no exemption, reduction or refund of Japanese automobile tax (jidosha-zei, shubetsu-wari) or automobile weight tax (jidosha juryo-zei) is available in respect of these vehicles, and that both are to be included in full in the quoted price.

(b) If any exemption, reduction or refund is available, please advise the legal basis, the taxes concerned, the rate, and the procedure by which it is obtained.

Over sixty vehicles and a sixty-month period these amounts are material to the price we must quote, and we respectfully request a definitive answer.

ANSWER: The quoter is solely responsible for determining its own tax liabilities and any available relief under Japanese law and the Status of Forces Agreement, and for including all applicable costs in its quoted price.

32. General - Insurance. Reference: Notice 1, item 12, and Attachment 1, paragraph 6.

Notice 1 addresses vehicle taxes, statutory inspections and shaken, but does not address insurance. Attachment 1, paragraph 6 refers to FAR 52.228-8, Liability and Insurance - Leased

Motor Vehicles.

(a) Please confirm that the premium for compulsory automobile liability insurance (jibaiseki hoken), which must be in force for registration and at each statutory periodic inspection, is to be borne by the Contractor and may be included in the lease price.

(b) In addition to compulsory liability insurance, what voluntary (commercial) motor vehicle insurance, if any, is the Contractor expected to carry - for example third-party bodily injury, third-party property damage, or physical damage to the leased vehicles - and may its cost be included in the lease price?

(c) In the event of an accident involving a leased vehicle operated by Government personnel, please advise how liability is allocated between the Government and the Contractor under FAR

52.228-8.

ANSWER: The solicitation and FAR 52.228-8, Liability and Insurance – Leased Motor Vehicles, govern the insurance requirements for this acquisition. The Contractor is responsible for determining the insurance (including compulsory automobile liability insurance / jibaiseki hoken and any voluntary/commercial coverage) necessary to meet its obligations under the contract and applicable

Japanese law, and for including all such costs in its quoted price. The Government does not provide interpretations of liability allocation under FAR 52.228-8 beyond the plain language of the clause itself.

Any allocation of liability in the event of an accident would be determined in accordance with the terms of FAR 52.228-8

33. Document: Attachment 2: Provisions and Clauses, DFARS 252.229-7001, Tax Relief

The clause requires the Offeror to insert the name and rate of each tax or duty excluded from the contract price.

Having regard to the response at Notice 1, item 12, we understand that automobile tax, automobile weight tax and the cost of statutory periodic inspection are borne by the Contractor and are therefore not excluded from the contract price.

Please confirm that Japanese consumption tax is the only entry to be made in this clause, so that all offerors complete it on the same basis. If any other tax is to be entered, please identify it and the applicable rate.

ANSWER: DFARS 252.229-7001 requires the Offeror to identify any taxes or duties that have been excluded from the contract price because the United States Government is exempt from them under applicable tax agreements. The solicitation already contains specific procedures addressing Japanese consumption tax. The Offeror is responsible for determining which taxes or duties (if any) qualify for exclusion under the clause and for completing the fill-in portion accurately. The Government does not prescribe or confirm the specific entries that offerors must make in the clause.

34. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

Paragraph 9, IDENTIFICATION MARKING AND REGISTRATION NUMBERS

Reference: Notice 1, item 11

The Government has confirmed that the vehicles require inspection and registration at Japanese district transport bureaus and must be fitted with standard Japanese license plates.

Japanese registration requires a parking-space certificate (shako shomeisho) issued by the police having jurisdiction over the storage location, and requires a location of the base of use (shiyo no honkyo no ichi) to be recorded. Both require a recognised Japanese address. Our understanding is that locations inside U.S. installations do not have Japanese addresses available for this purpose.

(a) Has an address been established at each installation - Atsugi, Iwakuni, Misawa, Okinawa, Sasebo and Yokosuka - that may be used as the location of the base of use and as the storage location for the parking-space certificate?

(b) If so, please provide those addresses and advise what documentation the Government will issue in support of the applications.

(c) If not, please confirm that the Contractor is to secure storage space outside each installation at its own cost, and that this cost may be included in the lease price.

We note that vehicles in service under the predecessor contract display Japanese license plates, so a method exists, and we ask that it be identified.

ANSWER: Japanese addresses do exist interior of all U.S. Installations.

After the bid is awarded, prior to Japanese registration, originator will provide the required "Verification of Physical Address" addressed to each installations local transport bureau along with installation maps with sufficient parking annotated.

Contractor is not required to secure storage spaces at any location.

35. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

Paragraph 9, IDENTIFICATION MARKING AND REGISTRATION NUMBERS

Japanese vehicle registration records both a registered owner (shoyu-sha) and a registered user

(shiyo-sha), and the application requires the seal registration certificate (inkan shomeisho) of the registered owner.

Under the arrangement contemplated by this solicitation, the registered owner would be the leasing company that holds title.

(a) Please confirm that the registered owner may be the leasing company or the Contractor.

(b) Who is to be recorded as the registered user? May the United States Government, the

Department of the Navy or NCIS be recorded as the registered user, or must a Japanese entity be recorded?

(c) If the United States Government is to be recorded as the registered user, please advise what documentation the Government will issue for the registration application.

The answer determines where the vehicles are registered and therefore the taxes, the parking-space certificate and the cost of registration.

ANSWER: The registered owner (shoyu-sha) is the leasing company or contractor. The registered user

(shiyo-sha) is the local military installation (delivery location).

After solicitation is awarded, originator will provide full color shaken issued by the local Land Transport

Bureau (陸運局) for currently held contracted vehicles to allow leasing company, local dealers, and 陸運

局 to determine specific registration requirements and documentation for each location.

36. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

DELIVERY, INSPECTION, AND ACCEPTANCE, and paragraph (28) of each Line Item.

Paragraph (28) provides that "Motor vehicles shall be the newest model available at time of award."

The Japanese vehicle market changes each year as emission regulations take effect; models are discontinued and order books are suspended. We have asked the manufacturers whether the models we intend to propose will be available for order at the time of award, and what the lead time will then be. Their response is that this cannot be determined until that time.

(a) May we quote on the basis of the models and lead times confirmed as at the date of quotation?

(b) If, at the time of award, a quoted model is no longer available for order, may the Contractor substitute a different model that meets all requirements of Attachment 1, at no increase in price?

Please advise the procedure and the approval required.

(c) If the lead time confirmed after award does not permit delivery by 1 July 2027, will the required delivery date be adjusted?

(d) Would a delay attributable to the manufacturer's production schedule, vehicle allocation, or discontinuation of a model constitute an excusable delay under FAR 52.212-4?

(a) Any substitutions require written approval by the Contracting Officer and must be issued via contract modification. Substitutions are at no additional cost to the government.

(b) If a quoted make/model becomes unavailable after award due to circumstances beyond the

Contractor's control (such as manufacturer discontinuation or order freeze), the Contractor may request a substitution. The proposed substitute vehicle must meet or exceed all Specification requirements at no additional cost to the Government, and is subject to technical review and written approval by the

Contracting Officer via a contract modification.

(c) delivery requirement dates are firm. Late deliveries would require a contract modification and consideration.

37. Document: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, paragraph (viii). Reference: Notice 1, item 16.

Our earlier question asked, at (a), for the anticipated date of contract award. The response provided in Notice 1 addresses the mixture of makes and models within a Line Item, which relates to a different question. We therefore respectfully repeat the question.

Please advise the anticipated date of contract award, or the approximate period within which award is expected. Vehicles cannot be ordered until after award, and the required delivery date of

1 July 2027 was not changed by Amendment 0002.

ANSWER: The delivery dates remain unchanged.

38. Document: Attachment 4: Price Schedule

CLIN 0005 through CLIN 0020

Reference: Notice 1, item 9, answered "Deferred.”

As this question affects the residual value assumed in our pricing, we respectfully request a response before the closing date.

(a) Do the option years require continued lease of the same vehicles delivered in the base year, or delivery of new vehicles at the start of each option year?

(b) If the same vehicles are continued, please confirm that no vehicle age or mileage limitation applies during the option years.

ANSWER: In accordance with the updated Attachment 1: Statement of Work, the vehicles must be NEW upon delivery and the latest model available. If an option is exercised, replacement of the vehicle is not necessary. The same vehicles delivered in the base year may continue through the option years. If vehicles are replaced, they must be new and of the latest models available. No additional vehicle age or mileage limitation applies during the option years beyond the maintenance, repair, and wear-and-tear requirements already set forth in the solicitation.

39. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work, DELIVERY, INSPECTION, AND ACCEPTANCE

Attachment 4: Price Schedule

Reference: Notice 1, items 15 and 21, both answered "Deferred."

As this question affects both delivery planning and the point from which lease charges accrue, we respectfully request a response before the closing date.

(a) May the Contractor deliver to the six locations progressively over a period ending 1 July

2027?

(b) If so, what is the earliest date on which the Government will accept delivery at each location?

(c) Attachment 4 shows the base year period of performance as 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2028.

Please confirm that no lease charges accrue for any vehicle delivered before 1 July 2027.

ANSWER: Please see question# 15 in this Notice 2.

Originator will accept delivery, at no additional cost, of any vehicles no earlier than 30 days before POP.

40. Document: Attachment 2: Provisions and Clauses

Addendum to Evaluation, Evaluation Factors for Award

Reference: Notice 1, item 17.

The response confirms that the text has been updated to "The Government will only award to the lowest overall offeror." Our question at (c) - whether an offeror may quote on some Line Items only - was not addressed.

(a) Must an offeror quote on all Line Items, 0001 through 0020, in order to be eligible for award?

(b) If a quotation is determined non-responsive in respect of one Line Item, will the quotation be rejected in its entirety, or will the remaining Line Items still be evaluated?

ANSWER: Offerors must provide a quote for all line items.

41. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

Winter tires and storage

For vehicles assigned to locations where snow is expected, including Misawa and Iwakuni.

Should the lease rates include the following services for both 2WD and 4WD vehicles?

• Winter tires

• Seasonal tire changes

• Storage of tires when not in use

Could you also confirm which bases require these services?

ANSWER: See Attachment 1: Statement of Work 'Minimum Vehicle Requirements' section for (9) Tires and Wheel and (19) Tire Chains.

See Amendment 0005.

42. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

SUV engine displacement

We plan to propose the gasoline-powered Mazda CX-30 for the SUV requirement.

My understanding is that the minimum engine displacement is 2,000 cc, while the proposed model has a displacement of 1,997 cc.

Could you help confirm whether this 3 cc difference would be acceptable under the solicitation?

43. Document: Attachment 1: Statement of Work

Early delivery

We understand that the vehicles must be delivered by July 1, 2027.

If some vehicles are ready in January 2027, would early delivery be permitted?

ANSWER: Please see question# 15 in this Notice 2.

44. Attachment 4: Price Schedule

Lease rates in the Pricing Schedule

Must the lease rate for the same vehicle type be identical across all bases, or may we quote different rates for each location?

For example, costs may differ between Misawa and Okinawa depending on whether winter tire services are required.

Could you advise how we should reflect these differences in the Pricing Schedule?

ANSWER: Quoter is required to submit pricing per CLIN.

45. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, MAINTENANCE

Attachment 4: Price Schedule.

The Statement of Work requires the Contractor to bear all costs of inspection, statutory inspection, repair, parts and labour, and to submit an annual maintenance plan. Attachment 4 requires a monthly lease rate for each vehicle over a sixty-month period.

Annual mileage determines both the maintenance cost and the residual value assumed in the lease rate. Japanese leasing companies do not issue a quotation without it.

(a) Please advise the anticipated annual mileage per vehicle at each performance location. Actual figures recorded under the predecessor contract N40084-22-C-0019 would be acceptable.

(b) If no figure can be provided, please confirm that no contractual limit on mileage applies, so that all offerors quote on the same basis.

ANSWER: Question is late. No government response.

46. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, DELIVERY, INSPECTION, AND ACCEPTANCE, and the provisions on redelivery.

The Statement of Work provides that the Contractor shall pick up the vehicles at the initial delivery locations within ten days after the end of the contract, and that rust caused by salt air is not treated as abnormal wear. The condition in which the vehicles are returned determines the residual value that may be assumed in the quoted lease rate.

(a) Please advise the standard that will be applied to interior and exterior wear at the time of return, and whether the Government bears any part of the cost of restoration.

(b) Please confirm whether the GPS unit, rear-view camera, drive recorder and ETC on-board unit installed under this contract are to be removed by the Contractor at the end of the contract, or are to remain with the vehicles.

(c) Please confirm whether any restriction applies to the Contractor's disposal of the vehicles after redelivery.

47. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, and Attachment 2: Provisions and Clauses, FAR 52.228-8.

Reference: our question 32(c).

Our question 32(c) asks how liability is allocated in the event of an accident. We respectfully add the following, which concern the Contractor's exposure over the sixty-month period.

(a) In the event that a vehicle is declared a total loss, or is stolen, who bears the loss of the vehicle itself?

(b) In such an event, is the Contractor required to supply a permanent replacement vehicle, and at whose cost?

(c) Please confirm whether the monthly lease charge for that vehicle continues, ceases, or is adjusted.

48. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, paragraph 9, IDENTIFICATION MARKING AND

REGISTRATION NUMBERS. Reference: our questions 34 and 35.

Our questions 34 and 35 ask how registration is to be effected under this contract. Because a working method already exists under the predecessor contract, and in order to assist the

Government in responding, we respectfully request the following particulars from contract

N40084-22-C-0019:

(a) the entity recorded as registered owner (shoyu-sha), and the entity recorded as registered user

(shiyo-sha), on the vehicle inspection certificates;

(b) the address recorded as the location of the base of use (shiyo no honkyo no ichi), for each performance location; and

(c) the address used as the storage location for the parking-space certificate, and whether that location is inside or outside the installation.

The Government disclosed the predecessor contract number and the incumbent contractor at

Notice 1, item 8. We request only these registration particulars, and no pricing or other commercial information.

49. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, LINE ITEM 0001, MINIMUM VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS.

Reference: our question 28.

Our question 28 asks whether a de minimis shortfall against the stated minimum values will be accepted. If the Government determines that the stated minimum values are to be applied strictly, we respectfully ask the Government to consider the following.

Based on our review of current production models available in the Japanese market, only three sedans satisfy all of the following at the same time: overall length 4,560 mm or more; wheel base

2,670 mm or more; an overall height within the values permitted by Amendment 0002; two-wheel drive; and four doors. Of those three, two carry a manufacturer's suggested retail price of approximately twice that of the third.

Would the Government consider revising, for LINE ITEM 0001, the minimum overall length to

4,480 mm or more and the minimum wheel base to 2,630 mm or more, in order to promote competition?

50. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, LINE ITEM 0003, MINIMUM VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS.

Reference: our question 30, and Notice 1, items 3 and 5.

Our question 30 asks whether the values provided in Notice 1 are minimum values or a range. If they are minimum values, we respectfully ask the Government to consider the following.

Certain current production eight-passenger 4x2 vans available in the Japanese market have a wheel base of 2,850 mm, which is 10 mm short of the 2,860 mm stated in Notice 1, while meeting the stated length, width and height.

Would the Government consider revising, for LINE ITEM 0003, the minimum wheel base to

2,850 mm or more?

51. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, the provisions on replacement vehicles.

The Statement of Work requires the Contractor to provide a replacement vehicle within five working days of notification, and to replace a vehicle permanently with one of equal or better specification where the period exceeds sixty days. The cost of holding replacement vehicles is material to the monthly lease rate.

(a) Must a replacement vehicle satisfy the minimum vehicle requirements of the applicable Line

Item as to dimensions, engine displacement, drive configuration and seating capacity?

(b) Must a replacement vehicle also be fitted with the mandatory equipment required by the Line

Item, including the GPS unit with English display, rear-view camera, drive recorder, ETC on-board unit and tire chains?

(c) Does the exterior colour preference stated in the Line Item apply to replacement vehicles?

(d) Please advise how many replacement vehicles the Government anticipates will be required at any one time. Figures recorded under the predecessor contract N40084-22-C-0019 would be acceptable.

52. Attachment 1: Statement of Work, MAINTENANCE, and the provisions on installation passes for

Contractor employees.

The Statement of Work requires the Contractor to designate a maintenance facility within a radius of twenty kilometres of each delivery location, and to complete maintenance within three days of receipt of the vehicle. It also provides for application for installation passes for the Contractor's employees.

(a) For scheduled inspection, statutory inspection (shaken) and repair, is the Contractor to enter the installation to collect the vehicle and to return it after servicing, or will Government personnel deliver the vehicle to the Contractor's maintenance facility?

(b) If the Contractor is to collect and return the vehicles, which Government office issues the installation passes, how long does issuance take from the date of application, and is any fee payable?

(c) May employees of a maintenance subcontractor engaged by the Contractor obtain installation passes on the same basis? Is there any limit on the number of persons for whom passes may be issued?

(d) Is a separate permit required for the vehicles used for collection and return, including car carriers and tow trucks?

(e) Please advise the period of validity of an installation pass and the frequency of renewal.

(f) Will collection or return of vehicles be required at night or at weekends?

53. Attachment 2: Provisions and Clauses, FAR 52.212-4(l), Termination for the Government's convenience.

The vehicles are to be procured new and held for the full sixty-month period, and the Contractor's initial costs of registration, installation of the required equipment and inland transportation to six locations are incurred before the base year begins.

(a) In the event of a termination for the Government's convenience, please advise the extent to which the Government will reimburse the Contractor for costs incurred and not recovered through the lease charges paid to the date of termination.

(b) Please advise whether the treatment differs where an option year is simply not exercised.

54. General - Procedure.

(a) Please advise the cut-off date for the submission of additional questions.

(b) Please advise where the Standard Form 30 for Amendment 0002 and Amendment 0003, and the Attachments as revised, are posted, so that we may confirm that we are working from the current versions of each document.

55. Attachment 1: Statement of Work

>> LINE ITEM 0003, PASSENGER VAN

>> (6) Engine Displacement:

>> "Minimum 2-liter, 2,000 cc rated or more, gasoline"

>> "or hybrid engine"

Generally, engines with a displacement of 1,997 cc or 1,993 cc are classified as 2.0-liter engines.

May we understand that vehicles equipped with such engines are eligible under this requirement?

For LINE ITEM 0002, SUV, the requirement was revised as follows:

"Minimum 2.0-liter, 2,000 cc rated or more gasoline, or 1.4-liter, 1,400 or more hybrid vehicle."

Does this requirement also apply to LINE ITEM 0003, PASSENGER VAN?