QUESTIONS - ANSWERS.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 18 KB Posted
- Attached to
- TEAD - Helium Inspection Services
- Solicitation number
- PANROC26P0000036026
About this file
This file is a Questions and Answers document related to the Helium Inspection Services solicitation (PANROC26P0000036026) issued by the Department of the Army Materiel Command Contracting Command Rock Island Arsenal. The document serves as a reference guide for prospective contractors seeking clarification on solicitation requirements and terms. The specific questions and answers contained within the file are not detailed in the provided summary information, but this document type typically addresses contractor inquiries regarding statement of work requirements, technical specifications, pricing instructions, eligibility criteria, and other solicitation details to ensure all bidders have equal access to clarification information.
The solicitation was extended to November 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM Central Time. Prospective contractors should reference this Questions and Answers file along with all other attachments and ensure their CAGE Code is current before submitting proposals. Amendment 0001 modified quantities on page one of the solicitation, reducing the quantity from 400 to 100 units and from 25 to 10 units. All prospective bidders are required to review this questions and answers document along with the complete solicitation package to understand the government's requirements for helium inspection services.
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QUESTIONS
| 1 | The RFQ narrative identifies 400 containers and 25 retests, while the Pricing Matrix and PWS identify 100 containers and 10 retests. Can you confirm the quantities should quoters use is the 100/10 ass seen in Attachment 1? | |
| ANSWER: | Should be 100 and 10. Revised RFQ PDF uploaded on 14 Oct 2026. | |
| 2 | Is this procurement restricted to holders of the CHESS ITES-3H/DoD ESI vehicle? If so, may a non-holder submit a quote as the prime with an eligible subcontractor? | |
| ANSWER: | This is not posted on CHESS, only on SAM. | |
| 3 | Does performance require a DD Form 254, a facility clearance, or individual personnel clearances? If so, please identify the required level and when the requirement must be met. | |
| ANSWER: | No. This service doesn’t require Secret or Top Secret Clearance. Only a basic background check for installation access. | |
| 4 | Should quoters submit the Work Plan (A.001) and Quality Control Plan (A.002) with the quote, even though the RFQ states that technical and past-performance information will not be evaluated? If required, please provide any applicable format or evaluation guidance. | |
| ANSWER: | The Contractor Work Plan is documenting the execution strategy from the contractor outlining the scope and goals, breakdown of tasks, detailed schedule and timeline, resources, assigned roles and responsibilities, set safety standards, and identify risks, mitigation strategies, communication, and reporting procedures. This plan can be reviewed and updated regularly to maintain accuracy throughout the project lifecycle. Refer to PWS Section 1.7.2. 3. | The Contractor Quality Control Plan is a document from the contractor that defines how the contractor will ensure that all work will meet the specifications, standards, and regulatory requirements through systematic inspections, testing, and verification procedures. Refer to PWS Section 1.7.3. |
| 5 | Does PWS §4.8 permit subcontracted performance, and how should quoters apply the direct-prime-performance restrictions and FAR 52.219-14 to this requirement? Please confirm whether FAR 52.219-14 applies. | |
| ANSWER: | 52.219-14 Does not apply | |
| 6 | Container Availability and Testing Schedule: Will all 100 containers be available for inspection during one coordinated testing period, or will inspections be required periodically throughout the 12-month period of performance? If testing will occur in batches, is there an anticipated production or inspection schedule? | |
| ANSWER: | Refer to PWS Section 2.1. “This service shall be performed within the contract's Period of Performance, with specific dates to be scheduled in coordination with the COR upon completion of the Government's in-house assembly phase.” | |
| 7 | Government-Furnished Equipment and Materials: Will the Government provide the required test plugs, helium supply, compressed air, and other necessary testing accessories, or is the contractor expected to furnish all equipment and consumables? | |
| ANSWER: | Refer to PWS PART 3 Government-Furnished Property and Services and PART 4 Contractor Furnished Items and Services. | |
| 8 | Facility and Testing Conditions: Will Building 519 provide a designated testing area with access to electrical power and other utilities necessary to operate helium leak-testing equipment? | |
| ANSWER: | Refer to PWS Section 3.3 “The Government will provide the necessary utilities for the Contractor to use in performance of the services outlined in the PWS. | |
| 9 | Personnel Qualifications and Security: Can you confirm whether ASNT Level II or III leak-testing certification is sufficient, or whether additional certifications or active personnel security clearances will be required to perform work at the installation? | |
| ANSWER: | Refer to PWS Section 2.1 “All testing shall be performed in accordance with the technical specifications outlined in Part 2.2 of this PWS and to the standards required by The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (NDT) for a Level II or Level III certified inspector. “ At a minimum, a basic background check is required for installation access. Refer to PWS Section 1.8.4 “The Contractor employee may begin performance of the contract after receiving a favorable local background check.” Basic security training is also required for installation access refer to PWS Section 1.18. | |
| 10 | Failed Inspections and Retesting: If a container fails its initial inspection, will the Government be responsible for completing the necessary repairs? | |
| ANSWER: | 1. Refer to PWS Section 2.2.2.3(b) “Government-directed retesting (including re-inspection following Government container repair)..” | |
| 11 | Does any part of your request include ITAR, DFAR, Nuclear, NADCAP, or CUI (Controlled Unclassified information) information? | |
| ANSWER: | The solicitation does not identify any ITAR, nuclear, NADCAP, or CUI requirement for contractor performance. A DD Form 254 is not currently included with the solicitation. Contractor personnel will be subject to installation-access requirements, including required background-check and security-training procedures. If a security requirement changes, the Government will notify all offerors by formal amendment. | |
| 12 | Test Method (Hood Technique, Tracer Probe or Detector probe) | |
| ANSWER: | The PWS does not prescribe a specific named technique, such as hood, tracer-probe, or detector-probe technique. The Contractor shall submit a detailed Leak Test Inspection Procedure before performance. The procedure must meet the PWS requirements, including use of helium as the tracer gas, a calibrated leak detector, and scanning of all welds and seals while the container is under the required test conditions. Bubble tests and other liquid indicators are prohibited. |
| 13 | Test Specifications |
| ANSWER: | The required test specifications are as follows: |
| Install a custom 3-inch NPT test plug with rubber gasket. | |
| Pressurize each container to 15.0 PSIG ± 0.2 psi using an air-helium mixture containing at least 50 percent helium. | |
| Record an initial pressure reading and a second reading after five minutes. The pressure shall not decrease by 0.1 psi or more. | |
| Record a third pressure reading after an additional 30 minutes. The pressure shall not have decreased by 0.1 psi or more from the second reading. | |
| Use a calibrated leak detector capable of detecting leaks as small as 5E-6 std cm3/sec to inspect all welds and seals. | |
| A passing container must have a corrected helium leak rate of less than 1.0E-5 std cm3/sec. |
| 14 | What is the Accept/Reject criteria if it is not listed in the specification? |
| ANSWER: | The accept/reject criteria are listed in the PWS. A container passes the helium leak inspection only when it meets all applicable pressure-hold and leak-detection requirements, including: |
| After the initial and five-minute pressure readings, pressure does not decrease by 0.1 psi or more. | |
| After the additional 30-minute hold, pressure does not decrease by 0.1 psi or more from the second reading. | |
| All welds and seals are scanned using a calibrated helium leak detector capable of detecting leaks as small as 5E-6 std cm3/sec. | |
| The corrected helium leak rate is less than 1.0E-5 std cm3/sec. |
A container that does not meet any of these requirements does not pass the inspection. The final inspection report will identify each container by serial number and document its initial test result, any authorized re-test, and final pass/fail status.
| 15 | What is the test pressure or vacuum pressure? |
| ANSWER: | The required test pressure is 15.0 PSIG ± 0.2 psi. The PWS does not require vacuum testing. |
| 16 | Additional information about parts- Pictures? Drawings? Material type/s? |
| ANSWER: | No additional pictures, drawings, or material specifications are available for release under this solicitation. The requirement is for on-site helium leak inspection of newly fabricated one-metric-ton containers in accordance with the PWS. |
| 17 | Is the sample normally under pressure or vacuum during normal operation? |
| ANSWER: | The solicitation does not establish a normal operating pressure or vacuum condition. Contractors shall perform testing using the specified PWS test condition: 15.0 PSIG ± 0.2 psi with a helium concentration of at least 50 percent. |
| 18 | Will testing be performed at your site or will the part be sent to ATS - Marietta, GA? If onsite, please provide the full site address and onsite contact person information. |
| ANSWER: | Testing will be performed on-site at Tooele Army Depot. The Government will provide the designated work area and necessary utilities. Detailed access, scheduling, and site-coordination information will be provided to the successful contractor after award. |
| 19 | When are you hoping to have the testing done? |
| ANSWER: | The period of performance is 1 January 2027 through 31 December 2027. Specific test dates will be coordinated with the COR after completion of the Government’s in-house container assembly phase. The anticipated timeframe is early FY27; however, the Government does not guarantee a fixed testing date or uninterrupted availability of all 100 containers. |
| 20 | Do you know what the construction timeline will look like for assembling the one metric ton Mercury containers? If, for example, it would be one container completed per day. Would all 100 containers be completed in April 2027? |
| ANSWER: | The Government anticipates manufacturing the one-metric-ton mercury containers at a rate of approximately 10 to 20 containers per week. At that production rate, the 100-container requirement is expected to take approximately five to ten production weeks to complete. |
The Government cannot commit to a specific completion date in April 2027; however, the Government currently anticipates that all 100 containers will be completed no later than 31 July 2027.
| The Government anticipates that all 100 containers will be made available for one coordinated helium leak-testing campaign after the in-house assembly phase is complete. Offerors should base their quotation on one mobilization/demobilization and continuous testing of the 100 baseline containers. The Government does not anticipate multiple testing batches, repeated mobilizations, or extended downtime between manufacturing batches. | |
| 21 | Can the Government provide a drawing or dimensional sketch of the one-metric-ton container, including weld locations and seam lengths? |
| ANSWER: | The Government is reviewing the availability and releasability of any container drawing or dimensional sketch. If the Government determines that a releasable drawing is necessary for quotation purposes, it will be provided to all offerors through a formal solicitation amendment. In the interim, the PWS requires the Contractor to inspect all welds and seals on each container in accordance with the specified pressure-hold and helium leak-detection requirements. |
| 22 | Will the 100 containers be presented for testing in a single campaign or in multiple batches during CY2027, and if batched, the anticipated number of batches? |
| ANSWER: | The Government anticipates that all 100 one-metric-ton mercury containers will be completed and available for inspection during one coordinated testing period. The 100-container requirement is intended to be performed during a single contractor mobilization. Offerors should base their quotation on one mobilization/demobilization and continuous testing of the 100 baseline containers. The Government does not anticipate multiple separate inspection periods or extended downtime between manufacturing batches. Specific testing dates will be coordinated with the COR after award. |
| 23 | Governing Procedure: Does the government require compliance with a specific ASTM, ASME, or other helium leak testing standard beyond the technical requirements outlined in PWS Section 2.2? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 24 | Installation Security: Will subcontractor inspection personnel require security clearances, or will installation access badges and background checks be sufficient? What is the anticipated processing time? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 25 | Mobilization: Will all 100 containers be available for inspection during a single mobilization, or should contractors anticipate multiple visits? If multiple visits are anticipated, approximately how many should be included in the fixed-price quotation? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 26 | Reporting and Calibration: Is there a required inspection report template or electronic format? Must equipment calibration certificates demonstrate NIST traceability, ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, or another specific standard? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 27 | Is either the end user or contractor willing to pressurize and run the system as they are the ones that understand it the most? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 28 | Can the Government confirm that employer-issued NDT Level II or Level III Leak Testing certifications established under ASNT SNT-TC-1A are acceptable, or is a certification issued directly by ASNT required? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 29 | Please confirm the exact number of containers to be tested. Section I of the RFQ states a quantity of 400 helium leak inspections with a retest CLIN of 25. However, the Performance Work Statement (paragraphs 1.4, 2.1, 2.2.3.1(b), and 3.6) states that 100 one-metric-ton containers will be inspected. Should quoters price 400 inspections plus 25 retests, or 100 inspections? If the pricing matrix (Attachment 0001) governs, please confirm the quantities shown there. |
| ANSWER: | 100 and 10 extra for re-tests. |
| 30 | Does performance under this contract require DD Form 254 for individual clearance? We are currently under JPAS, and are aware of the necessary requirements, but individually, not everyone on our team has a security clearance. 1.8.1 says “the contract may require active personnel security clearance.” |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 31 | If the answer to the above is yes, would you be open to sponsoring us so LTS can establish getting the appropriate clearances needed? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 32 | What is the CHESS ITES-3H BPA? |
| ANSWER: | This is not posted on CHESS, only on SAM. CHESS is if computer items are needed. |
| 33 | Regarding PWS Section 2.1 and Section 6.13, can the Government confirm that employer-issued NDT Level II or Level III Leak Testing certifications established under ASNT SNT-TC-1A are acceptable, or is a certification issued directly by ASNT required? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 34 | Incumbent Information: Is this a new requirement, or have similar helium leak inspection services previously been performed under a Government contract? If this is a recurring requirement, could you please provide the incumbent contractor's name and previous contract number, if available? |
| ANSWER: | This is a new requirement. |
| 35 | Will all 100 containers be available for helium leak testing at the same time, allowing the contractor to complete the inspections in a single visit, or will the containers be made available in batches, requiring multiple visits? |
| ANSWER: | PENDING REVIEW |
| 36 | In the 52.212-5 checklist, 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting is listed but not checked. Does 52.219-14 apply to this order? |
| ANSWER: | It is not checked because a Subcontracting Plan is not needed as this is a small business set aside. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .