Question and Answers for Kwajalein Solicitation.pdf

Question and Answers for Solicitation SUBJECT: Fresh Fruits & Vegetables for DoD & Non-DoD Customers on Kwajalein Atoll – Solicitation Number: SPE302-25-R-0008

Question Received: December 12, 2025

1. Lead Time & Ordering Requirements (21-Day Rule vs. Customs Realities)

• Is there any flexibility to structure the ordering or RDD expectations such that we may plan on an effective lead time of “21 days plus a buffer” (for example, up to one additional week) to account for customs and clearance variability, as long as customers are informed and the cadence is consistent?

The 21-day lead time requirement is primarily intended to inform the customer that orders must be placed no later than 21 days prior to the Required Delivery Date (RDD). This does not mean orders cannot be entered into the system earlier. Most customers typically place their orders 30+ days in advance.

Additionally, because the Buy American Act applies to this contract, all fresh fruits and vegetables must be sourced and procured exclusively from U.S. growers and suppliers. As a result, customs clearance and import procedures do not apply.

Although the products are ultimately shipped to Kwajalein Atoll, they originate within the United States and therefore remain domestic shipments, with no foreign-sourced produce permitted under this requirement.

• Alternatively, is the Government open to an approach where we:

o Maintain the 21-day customer order requirement as written, but o Propose slightly longer standard transit windows in our Delivery Plan (e.g., explicitly recognizing that certain shipments may require additional days due to port, customs, or carrier constraints)?

2. Any guidance on how strictly the 21-day lead time and the Required Delivery Date are enforced, and whether there is room to account for customs uncertainties in the Delivery Plan, would be very helpful.

The structure of your delivery plan is at the discretion of the offeror, but it must ensure that all fresh fruits and vegetables (FF&V) products maintain a minimum 7-day shelf life upon delivery. Please note that shipping FF&V by barge is likely to cause significant quality issues upon arrival. Our primary objective is to provide the customer with USDA Grade 1 FF&V that meets the 7-day shelf-life requirement. If you intend to use barge transportation, there is a high likelihood that your offer will be rejected due to quality and shelf-life concerns, as these issues have been previously encountered by the customer, with this mode of transport.

3. Rejection, Claims, and Risk of Loss in Multi-Stop Courier Transport We also want to fully understand expectations regarding quality, rejection, and risk of loss when the product leaves our control and travels with a third-party courier that:

• Transports mail and cargo,

• Makes multiple intermediate stops between our shipment point and the Kwajalein customers, and

• May have handling conditions that are not directly under our operational control.

Whether you are using military transport or a third-party courier for your shipments, the responsibility lies with the offeror. Please note that military transport is typically completed within 2 days from Oahu and within 4 days from California after drop-off at the AMC. The offeror must ensure proper temperature monitoring and that the products are packed securely to maintain USDA Grade 1 quality and meet the 7-day shelf life upon delivery. This is why we require a detailed delivery plan—to assess whether your approach can meet or exceed our established expectations, particularly since this is not a new procurement. The contractor will be responsible for any rejections and replacements, as specified in the Statement of Work.

Our regional partner intends to:

• Document, documented Inspections and photograph all shipments at the time of loading,

• Record temperatures and conditions as product is loaded into the container or vessel, and

• Maintain detailed records of packs, lots, and origins to demonstrate that product left their custody in good, in-spec condition.

To align this with the solicitation’s Inspection & Acceptance and Authorized Returns language, we would appreciate clarification on:

4. At what point is the Government’s inspection and acceptance expected to occur for purposes of rejection and claims – upon receipt at the customer’s facility on Kwajalein, or at an earlier point (e.g., port of debarkation, or when transferred to a government-designated courier)?

Inspection and Acceptance is completed by the customer and that includes a window after delivery as the product must maintain a minimum shelf-life of 7 days.

5. How does the Government view risk of loss and responsibility for quality degradation that may occur during multi-stop courier transit that is not directly operated by the contractor, but is the only practical means of moving product from the regional hub to the final destination?

The responsibility for quality control lies entirely with the contractor from start to finish. This is why it is crucial to provide a detailed description of your packing methods and carefully review the Statement of Work, which outlines key details and requirements.

6. Will contemporaneous documentation (photos at load, temperature records, condition reports at hand-off to the courier, etc.) be considered acceptable evidence in resolving disputes about whether product left the contractor’s custody in compliant condition, versus damage or abuse that may occur downstream?

Documentation provided after drop-off to the courier does not absolve the contractor of responsibility for quality control. Your packing methods must ensure that the product reaches the customer in the specified condition and meets the standards and shelf-life requirements outlined in the Statement of Work. This includes the use of a temperature monitoring device that must be included in the shipment from the moment it leaves the facility until it arrives at the customer. The device must ensure that USDA temperature standards are maintained throughout the entire delivery process.

7. Our intent is to fully honor the Government’s right to reject product that does not meet grade, temperature, or quality requirements, while also putting transparent, realistic controls in place so that:

• We can design a fair claims policy with our regional partners, and

• All parties understand what evidence is needed to support or refute a claim when a third-party courier is in the chain.

For rejections and claims related to products, the customer must complete a Subsistence Deficiency Form, which must then be submitted to both the contracting office and the contractor to ensure transparency in addressing any quality issues or other concerns that arise. We will inform customers that photos are encouraged when submitting claims to help document the issue more effectively.

8. Incumbent Information

To better understand the performance history and scale of the requirement, we would also be grateful if you could share:

• Who is the incumbent contractor for this requirement (if any)?

• What is the incumbent contract number?

• What is the approximate total dollar value (or annual average value) of the incumbent contract to date?

We are unable to provide additional details at this time, except to inform you that the current procurement was added to an existing Oahu contract and the current shipments are being completed from an Oahu Facility to Kwajalein via AMC delivery.

The dollar value for the current solicitation is $31.5 Million.

Question Received: December 12, 2025

9. Regarding the delivery plan: Is the aim to have the offeror carry the coordination of the supply chain, and to use commercial carriers to move the product into Kwajalein? If so, is there a limitation/stipulation on the mode of transport?

The delivery approach chosen by the contractor is at their discretion; however, the option for military transport from Oahu is available for shipments. Additionally, AMC transport from Travis AFB can be coordinated, but all AMC-related arrangements must be made directly between the contractor and the Army contractor.

For ocean freight, the contractor has flexibility in their choice of shipping method.

However, it is important to note that the contractor must still meet quality standards and ensure a minimum 7-day shelf life. Therefore, while barge shipments are an option, it is strongly recommended that the contractor use air transport from the facility warehouse to Kwajalein to better ensure that quality standards are maintained throughout the delivery process.

10. Is there an opportunity to coordinate using DOD assets such as Navy vessels, or USAF aircraft? If so, where does product need to be delivered to for transport?

Government transport via AMC is an available option; however, it would require formal coordination with V2X and the LOGCAP V Army contracting team. We are aware that there is transport from Travis AFB to Oahu and then to Kwajalein, which is an option the contractor may consider. However, any coordination for this transport must be handled directly with the Army contracting team at Travis AFB, as we do not have communication with that team in California.

11. The customer list displays one customer: USAG KWAJ-ATOLL. I’m assuming due to the secure nature of Kwajalein, you are looking for a vendor to get the product to the port of entry, and that would conclude the distribution/delivery effort? Or are you looking for a partner (from the private sector) to perform the last mile of distribution—clear the container, with the local customs, unload it, and deliver it (which requires an operation on the ground there)? I’d like to establish where the ‘finish line’ is.

The final delivery point will be coordinated with the customer prior to the award.

However, it is in the best interest of the offeror to plan as though deliveries will be made directly to the customer’s final location on Kwajalein. Offerors may also provide multiple delivery options, such as one via AMC transport and another directly to the customer facility, etc. Currently, we understand that V2X handles the last-mile delivery on Kwajalein, if you were to go that route.

12. What is the designated delivery location? The SOW states the “Delivery will be considered complete when the contractor has unloaded the order(s) from the vehicle and placed them on the tarmac or within the designated facility”; in line with question 3, just trying to establish what the final mile of distribution expectation is.

The final delivery point will depend on the route selected by the offeror. If the offeror chooses to work with V2X, the final delivery point will likely be the AMC; if not, it will be the customer's warehouse facility on Kwajalein. Regardless of the chosen delivery point, the contractor remains fully responsible for ensuring product quality and handling any necessary replacements.

13. As with all things perishable, claims are a normal part of the business. What are the claim policy expectations from your prospective vendor?

Claims made by the customer regarding product issues will remain the contractor’s responsibility for up to 7 days after delivery, in accordance with the required shelf life for this contract. Full details regarding returns and replacements are outlined in the Statement of Work (SOW) and in Questions 6 & 7 above.

14. Due to the long lead time, is there any willingness to explore the possibility of developing a ‘hybrid’ supply chain?

We are leaving it up to the offeror to determine the best available option for delivery, as long as it is outlined in their detailed delivery plan. If the contractor has a more cost-effective hybrid solution that maintains high quality standards and meets the required shelf-life minimum, they may pursue that option as well. However, please note that any hybrid solution involving military transport will need to be coordinated by the offeror.

15. One area that may be an opportunity is to look to use self-contained shipping units if the DOD supported transport mode is an option. One strong area of concern is temperature control during the duration of the journey. One thought would be to look at dedicated cargo units to help with this.

This could be a great option; however, any coordination for the return shipment of the self-contained shipping unit would need to be handled between the contractor, V2X, and the Army contracting team. You may include this as an option in your proposal, but it’s important to also provide an alternative that involves non-returnable shipping and packaging. It might be beneficial to reach out to V2X and the Army contracting team to determine if a return option to the AMC is feasible.

Additionally, if this option is added after the award, please note that the distribution fee cannot be adjusted post-award. Therefore, the contractor would need to absorb this cost, or it should be factored into the proposal, with the understanding that it may impact the overall package and total cost.

16. The Statement of Work specifies that all facilities must be listed in the U.S.

Army Public Health Command (USAPHC): “All facilities must be listed in the U.S. Army Public Health Command (USAPHC) Circular 40-1, Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily Approved Food Establishments for Armed Forces Procurement, and comply with the latest edition of DoD Military Standard 3006C.”

Does this requirement apply to all vendor facilities used to support this contract, or is it specific to the offeror's facility? If it is required that the offeror be listed in the US-APHC, is this a prerequisite for submission, or can it be pursued after the award? Additionally, if the offeror's facility is not currently listed in the USAPHC database at the time of submission, will the proposal still be considered for the RFP?

All facilities that handle processed food, such as salads or certain fresh fruits and vegetables (FF&V) like mushrooms or sprouts, must be listed in the Worldwide Directory. This requirement applies to products that are no longer in their original form; for example, romaine hearts are exempt, but once they are sliced or diced, the facility must be listed in the directory.

Most of the products on the Schedule of Items would likely be exempt from the requirement to come from a facility listed in the Worldwide Directory. If you plan to use a facility not listed for processed foods or specific FF&V products, the approval process typically takes about 3 months, and the facility cannot be used until it is approved.

If you have questions about a specific product, feel free to reach out.

17. What is the minimum level of compliance for facility food safety certification?

Only the items listed in the Statement of Work are required. This includes a valid PACA license and either Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, USDA-AMS Good Handling Practices (GHP) certification, or an independent third-party certifying company audit report. A CERES could potentially qualify as an alternative, but it would need to be verified that it aligns with GAP or GHP standards as defined by the USDA or AMS

18. Regarding order placement, and customer service: Can you confirm that the STORES catalog site is the only customer facing ordering platform required?

Reading the SOW, it appears that all orders will be placed on STORES. Does this mean purchase orders/email orders or verbal orders will not be permitted by this contract?

Yes, that is correct. All orders will be processed through the STORES system.

Contractors will need to utilize the EDI system to access STORES orders. While working with a third-party company is not required to use the EDI system, it can be helpful for vendors who are new to the system or STORES, as it assists with coordination and navigation. The EDI system is also used for uploading invoices and processing payments for delivered orders.

19. If an offeror is not currently active on STORES, are they required to register/set up the catalog before response to this RFP?

No, the vendor is not required to set up or create a STORES account prior to submitting their offer. They will only need to have the account set up and fully active within 30 days after the award.