Responses to Questions -W50S9326QA011.pdf

Questions and responses New CS Optic Fiber Infrastructure Re-homing

W50S9326QA011

1. Controlling quotation deadline SF 1449 Block 8 states August 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Please confirm that this is the controlling quotation deadline and identify the final RFI deadline.

ANSWER: Although time extension for the receipt of offer due was updated into the description verbiage of the notice, it was not showing in the notice timelines, it has been updated since to reflect the extended August 17, 2026 deadline. Time zones are local (EST)

2. Pre-award route information The SOW states that its distances are estimates and should not be used for ordering, while route/location information is described as being provided after award. Will the Government provide pre-award route drawings, GIS information, maintenance-hole maps, conduit occupancy/diameter data, pull-box information, existing cable counts, and the facility photographs needed to develop a firm fixed price?

ANSWER: Pre-award route drawings and granular site data will not be provided. Offerors shall base their Firm Fixed Price (FFP) on the estimates provided in SOW Sections 7.0 and 8.0. These figures are derived from a recent Engineering and Installation (E&I) survey and include a built-in buffer.

Because this buffer is designed to absorb standard variations, it is highly unlikely that actual installation distances will exceed the SOW estimates. While standard FAR clauses regarding changes and differing site conditions apply, the Government does not anticipate quantity-related equitable adjustments. Offerors are expected to factor standard environmental variables, such as minor path adjustments and localized manhole pumping, directly into their baseline proposals.

3. Will the Government permit a pre-award site visit, route walk, maintenance-hole inspection, conduit verification, and field measurement? If yes, please provide the available date, access requirements, attendee deadline, safety requirements, and restrictions on photographs or measurements.

ANSWER: A Pre-Bid and Site Visit held on August 3, 2026 at 9:30am EST, was advertised through the public notice since it was published on July 21, 2026, therefore, to avoid appearances of special treatment to a particular business, no additional opportunities for site inspections will be provided. However, businesses that did not attend are encouraged to submit their offer based on responses from these exchanges as well other associated documents incorporated into the solicitation and public notice as attachments.

4. Quantity variance and equitable adjustment How should offerors develop a firm fixed price when the stated footage is not approved for material ordering and final route information is not available until after award? If actual route footage, maintenance-hole count, conduit condition, pumping requirements, innerduct quantity, or service-loop quantity materially differs from the SOW estimates, will the contract provide an equitable-adjustment or change-order mechanism?

ANSWER:Pre-award route drawings and granular site data will not be provided. Offerors shall base their Firm Fixed Price (FFP) on the estimates provided in SOW Sections 7.0 and 8.0. These figures are derived from a recent Engineering and Installation (E&I) survey and include a built-in buffer.

Because this buffer is designed to absorb standard variations, it is highly unlikely that actual installation distances will exceed the SOW estimates. While standard FAR clauses regarding changes and differing site conditions apply, the Government does not anticipate quantity-related equitable adjustments. Offerors are expected to factor standard environmental variables, such as minor path adjustments and localized manhole pumping, directly into their baseline proposals.

5. Sixty-day performance period Please confirm whether the 60-calendar-day period begins on contract award, receipt of notice to proceed, or another written start authorization. Does the period include post-award field measurement, submittal review, material procurement, manufacturer lead time, base access, conduit verification, installation, splicing, testing, correction, and closeout?

ANSWER: As specified in the solicitation document SF1449, the 60-calendar day period of performance begins after the receipt of award (acceptance of award after receipt of signed contract from awarded firm).

However cognizant that supply chain unusual long-lead times can occur, awardee may be requested a supplier official lead-time confirmation after purchase to base a project schedule revision of its performance timelines.

6. Cable and hardware requirements Please confirm whether 96-strand cable is acceptable on every 72-strand route without price or technical penalty, provided all required strands are terminated and tested. Please also identify any mandatory manufacturers, approved product lists, patch-panel requirements, connector performance standards, or manufacturer-warranty registration requirements beyond the SOW.

ANSWER: 96-Strand Substitution: Yes, substituting 96-strand cable for the required 72-strand runs is acceptable if it is economically beneficial to the contractor, provided that all 96 strands are fully terminated and tested at no additional cost to the Government.

Hardware and Standards: There are no proprietary manufacturer restrictions. However, all materials must comply with standard Buy American Act (BAA) / Trade Agreements Act (TAA) requirements.

Furthermore, all fiber must be standard OSP-rated single-mode fiber. Cables must terminate on rack-mountable APC LC patch panels compatible with standard 19-inch racks.

7. Existing conduit condition Please provide known information concerning conduit size, fill, continuity, obstructions, pull-string availability, abandoned cable, water intrusion, maintenance-hole depth, hazardous conditions, and any routes requiring new conduit or civil work.

ANSWER: Conduit Size: Many of the existing conduits are 4 inches in diameter, though this size is not guaranteed uniformly across all runs.

Civil Work: An Engineering and Installation (E&I) team has determined that all selected routes are viable.

No new conduits, trenching, or directional boring are required.

Obstructions/Fill: Approximately 3,300 feet of empty conduit is available and reserved for the MaxCell installation. If a designated route is considered congested by the contractor and contains decommissioned infrastructure, that infrastructure may be removed to clear the pathway, but only upon the explicit approval of the 156 CS Project Manager.

Water/Pumping: All manholes along these routes were completely drained approximately 1.5 months ago for a survey. While rainfall has been minimal, contractors should plan to perform pumping/draining.

8. Confined-space requirements Please confirm which maintenance holes are permit-required confined spaces and whether the contractor must provide the complete entry supervisor, attendant, entrant, atmospheric testing, ventilation, retrieval, and rescue capability. Please identify any installation-specific confined-space plan approval process.

ANSWER:The contractor is solely responsible for the execution and safety of their own OSHA-compliant permit-required confined space program. While the Base Safety Office may review the contractor's credentials to verify they possess an OSHA-compliant process, the Government will not perform safety surveillance or provide rescue/safety personnel.

9. Licensing, bonding, and permits Please identify all Puerto Rico contractor, electrical, telecommunications, engineering, permitting, bonding, and insurance requirements that must be demonstrated with the quotation versus after award.

ANSWER: This project does not prescribe insurance requirements to be part of deliverables to the government, instead contractor is expected to possess their standard state worker’s compensation protection coverage from their business firm.

10. Experience and past performance May Kcamow submit clearly attributed experience and qualifications of its committed Puerto Rico fiber subcontractor and key personnel without representing that experience as Kcamow corporate federal prime past performance? Please confirm how an offeror with no federal prime past performance will be treated.

ANSWER: Yes, you can submit your subcontractor past performance, although the absence of one only is weighted as being neutral whereas it is not part of the main evaluating criteria to determine the other factors to be considered other than price, laid out in clause 52.212-2(iv)(iii & iv) of the solicitation.

11. Limitations on subcontracting Please confirm whether FAR 52.219-14 applies and how compliance will be measured for labor, cable/material purchases, specialty testing, confined-space support, and amounts paid to a similarly situated small-business subcontractor.

ANSWER: Yes, it applies as follows:

Cost Element How Compliance is Measured under FAR 52.219-14

Cable / Material Purchases

The cost of materials is excluded from the limitation calculation. For construction requirements, you subtract the material costs (like cables and hardware) from the total amount paid by the Government before calculating the subcontracting percentage.

Labor, Specialty Testing, & Confined-Space Support

These elements are considered labor/service execution costs. If you subcontract these functions (e.g., hiring a third-party for confined-space rescue or specialized testing) to a non-similarly situated entity, the amounts paid will count towards your maximum allowable subcontracted percentage limit (which is 85% for a Special Trade Construction requirement, or 75% for special trade construction, excluding materials).

Amounts paid to a Similarly Situated Entity

Subcontracting to a "similarly situated entity" (a subcontractor that has the exact same small business program status that is required for the prime contract) does not count against your subcontracting limit. Work performed by these entities is legally treated as if it were performed directly by your own personnel to meet the prime performance requirements.

12. CUI handling The SOW is marked CUI. Please identify the required pre-award and post-award handling, transmission, storage, access, and marking controls for offerors and proposed subcontractors, including whether the full SOW may be shared with a qualified prospective subcontractor before award.

ANSWER: As per DoD CUI program requirements (DoDI 5200.48 and NIST SP 800-171) Yes, you may share the full CUI-marked Statement of Work (SOW) with a qualified prospective subcontractor before award. Sharing CUI to solicit a necessary subcontract bid constitutes a Lawful Government Purpose (LGP). However, as the prime offeror, you are responsible for ensuring the prospective subcontractor can properly safeguard the CUI before transmission. If you share it, you must execute a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or Teaming Agreement that explicitly flows down the CUI safeguarding requirements.

13. Please confirm if all pipes go directly to all Telecom rooms from the corresponding Man holes.

ANSWER:This is not the case for all buildings. Specifically, connections into Building 80 will require further routing inside the facility from the physical building entry point to the designated communications room. This interior run is approximately 100 feet and must be routed above the acoustic ceiling tile grid.

14. Please confirm the quantity of pockets or Cells of the Maxcell innerduct requested?

ANSWER:The textile innerduct must be a 3-cell, 3-inch configuration (designed to fit inside the standard empty conduits).

13. The SOW identifies fiber routes involving the following eight buildings: Buildings 3, 9, 12, 22, 80, 103, 104, and 300. However, the Project Map provided with the solicitation only shows Buildings 3, 9, 12, 80, 103, and

300. Buildings 22 and 104 do not appear on the provided map. It also appears that a portion of the original project map may have been cut off during scanning or conversion. Could the Government please provide the complete Project Map showing all eight buildings, including Buildings 22 and 104, and the applicable project area? If available, we would also appreciate the complete map in its original PDF, CAD, GIS, or higher-resolution format to assist with route verification and accurate bidding.

ANSWER: The provided map does contain building 22, and building 104 was an error in the SoW the actual building number is 14 and it is displayed in the map. No higher resolution maps are available at this time, the provided route lengths may be used for bidding.

14. SOW 2.3; The recognized-holiday list shows 2026 dates that are largely past for a PoP beginning ~September 2026. Please confirm which recognized non-work holidays fall within the actual 60-day Period of Performance.

ANSWER:

October 12, 2026 - Columbus Day November 11, 2026 - Veteran’s Day November 28, 2026 - Thanksgiving Day December 25, 2026 - Christmas Day

A complete list is available at the Office of Personnel Management website by visiting their link:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2027 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2027

15. SOW 12.1 & 12.3 vs 7.0-8.0; The warranty section references 'telephone copper cable,' but Tasks 1 and 2 list only single-mode fiber. Please confirm there is NO copper cabling in scope, or provide the copper installation requirement, quantities, and routes.

ANSWER:Confirmed. There is no copper telephone cabling in the active scope of work. The project is exclusively for the installation of single-mode fiber optic infrastructure.

16. SOW 4.4.1, 11.3; Government-furnished routing paths and the MH database are provided only after award, yet SOW 11.3 requires field measurement before ordering and pricing is due pre-award. Please release route drawings, MH locations/distances, and conduit occupancy (or make them available at the 3 Aug site visit) so all offerors price identical scope.

ANSWER: Pre-award route drawings and granular site data will not be provided. Offerors shall base their Firm Fixed Price (FFP) on the estimates provided in SOW Sections 7.0 and 8.0. These figures are derived from a recent Engineering and Installation (E&I) survey and include a built-in buffer.

Because this buffer is designed to absorb standard variations, it is highly unlikely that actual installation distances will exceed the SOW estimates. While standard FAR clauses regarding changes and differing site conditions apply, the Government does not anticipate quantity-related equitable adjustments. Offerors are expected to factor standard environmental variables, such as minor path adjustments and localized manhole pumping, directly into their baseline proposals.

17. SOW 11.1, 12.1; Of the ~84 maintenance holes traversed, approximately how many are typically flooded, and are any known to contain contaminated or hazardous water?

ANSWER: Total Traversed: Because many planned routes share physical pathways, the total number of unique manholes to be traversed across the designated runs is actually lower than 50.

Contamination/Water: During the survey completed 1.5 months ago, no maintenance holes were identified as containing contaminated or hazardous water. They were all drained at that time. Given the minimal rainfall since the survey, water levels are expected to be low, but the contractor must be prepared to pump/drain manholes as encountered. The Government does not maintain historical data on which specific manholes are prone to flooding.

18. SOW 9.9; Please identify which route segments contain EMPTY conduit (requiring MaxCell innerduct, est.

3,300 ft) versus conduit already occupied by existing cabling.

ANSWER: The exact segments containing the empty conduits will be designated on the Government-furnished routing paths provided after contract award. Offerors should price the 3,300-foot MaxCell requirement as a continuous one to ensure an uninterrupted run to be distributed along those approved routes.

19. SOW 9.1; Please confirm 96-strand single-mode cable may be substituted for 72-strand with no change to the requirement that all strands be fully terminated and tested.

ANSWER:Confirmed. A 96-strand single-mode cable may be substituted for any 72-strand run at the contractor's discretion, provided all 96 strands are fully terminated on patch panels and tested at no additional cost to the Government.

20. SOW 9.6; Tech Exhibit 1; Please state the maximum acceptable insertion loss per LC-APC connector and per fusion splice, and confirm the loss-budget standard (e.g., TIA-568) that governs pass/fail for OTDR and power-meter results.

ANSWER: All testing and performance standards are governed by the current TIA-568 standard as specified in the SOW.

21. SOW 9.3; Please confirm the existing 19-inch racks in each communications room have sufficient available rack-unit space, power, and grounding for the new fiber patch panels.

ANSWER: Yes. The SOW (Section 10.3) specifies that standard 19-inch racks are already available in the communications rooms for the installation of the patch panels. Racks and patch panels must be grounded and bonded to the local Telecommunications Grounding Busbar (TGB) by the contractor in accordance with the ANSI/TIA-607 standard (SOW Section 10.9).

22. SF1449; WD 15-5707; NAICS 237130 is a construction code, but this is a FAR Part 12 commercial-service acquisition with SCA Wage Determination 15-5707 attached. Please confirm the Service Contract Act (not Davis- Bacon construction wages) governs labor on this contract.

ANSWER: Please based your offer utilizing the Service Contract Labor Standard determination incorporated into the solicitation, though NAICS 237130 was referenced, it shares the same SB size determination as a services comparable Non-Construction NAICS 238210 ($19M), ultimately, the solicitation is defined by its designated product service code J059 which is not construction.

23. SOW 2.5, 2.11; What is the typical processing time for installation access badges and background checks for contractor and subcontractor personnel, and does that processing begin before contract start or count against the 60-day PoP?

ANSWER: By submitting properly completed base access requests from project designated personnel upon receipt of contract and depending on the amount of individuals, they can be processed in a work week.

However, this is not expected to have any impact, as opposed as items that could have long-lead times (cable stands..etc.) whereas a contract modification can be issued upon receiving written confirmation from their manufacturer to allow for the period of performance to be adjusted in a revised project schedule aligned to these new timelines.

24. SOW 2.4; The base is accessible for contractor work 0600-1800 M-F while the POC is available 0730-1600.

Please confirm after-hours and weekend work is permitted (with coordination) to meet the 60-day PoP.

ANSWER: Work hours outside of the standard 0730–1600 window (including weekends or late evenings) are not guaranteed. However, the CS Project Manager will work with the contractor and base security/safety entities to process requests for after-hours access. Approvals will remain contingent upon mission requirements, security personnel availability, and other operational factors beyond the direct control of the communications squadron.

25. SOW 1.3; SF1449 CLIN 0001; CLIN 0001 states the 60 calendar days must cover materials on site, installation, inspection, and acceptance. Given fiber and hardware lead times, will the Government consider a PoP that starts after material delivery, or confirm the supply-chain extension provision (SOW 1.3) applies?

ANSWER: Please refer to response in question #5

26. FAR 12 / Sol.; Please confirm no performance or payment bond is required for this commercial firm-fixed-price service.

ANSWER: Payment and Performance bonds are not required.

27. SOW 10.1.3; Please specify the required as-built format (AutoCAD version and/or PDF) and confirm whether a base CAD basemap will be furnished for markup.

ANSWER:As-built drawings must be delivered in both AutoCAD (.dwg) and PDF formats. The 156 CS does not currently possess a base CAD basemap to distribute; however, the Government will coordinate with other base civil engineering entities to attempt to secure and provide a basemap to the contractor after award

28. SOW 11.5; Please confirm removal and disposal of obsolete/decommissioned cabling is optional (at contractor discretion and expense) and not required for award and only performed with written 156 CS approval.

ANSWER:Confirmed. The removal of obsolete cabling is entirely optional, performed at the contractor's discretion and expense to facilitate their own pull process, and requires explicit, written sign-off from the 156 CS Project Manager prior to any cable being cut or removed (SOW Section 12.5).

29. Can fiber optic cables be armored or unarmored?

ANSWER:Cable pathways are underground and entirely enclosed in conduit, so unarmored single-mode fiber rated for OSP/wet environments is acceptable.

30. What model and size of innerduct is required for this project?

ANSWER:The contractor must supply and install a 3-cell, 3-inch textile mesh innerduct solution (such as MaxCell) within the empty conduits.

31. Is the removal of the existing fiber optic cable included in the project scope?

ANSWER:No. Active fiber removal is not a requirement of this contract. Optional removal of verified, decommissioned cabling is authorized solely under the conditions specified in SOW Section 12.5.

32. Should saddle racks be included as part of the required scope of work?

ANSWER:While "saddle racks" are not explicitly named in the SOW, the contractor is contractually responsible for ensuring that all new cabling and the 50-foot service loops are "securely hung and supported" within the manholes (SOW Section 10.7) to prevent damage.

33. Is the installation of a grounding system (bonding/grounding) required?

ANSWER:Yes. The SOW (Section 10.9) requires newly installed patch panels, and associated metallic hardware to be properly bonded and grounded to the room's existing Telecommunications Grounding Busbar (TGB) in accordance with the current ANSI/TIA-607 standard.

34. What type of cable termination is required?

ANSWER: Per Section 10.4 of the SOW, all fibers must be terminated with Angled Physical Contact (APC) LC connectors.

35. What is the internal diameter of the existing conduit where the new fiber optic cable and MaxCell will be installed?

ANSWER: Many of the conduits along the verified pathways are 4 inches in diameter, though this size is not guaranteed to be uniform across the entire route.