0003_AK_RFI_Government_Responses 27 SEP26.pdf

W90VN926QA065 – Draft RFI Responses | Page 1

AMENDOMENT 0003_GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO INDUSTRY RFI

Solicitation W90VN926QA065 – Autonomous Kitchen Robotics-as-a-Service

1. Industry Question

Can Government-furnished ingredients be supplied in pre-portioned or packaged form (for example, shelf-stable rice or individually packed side dishes), or only as bulk raw ingredients?

Government Response: Government-furnished subsistence may include approved value-added products

(VAP), pre-portioned, prepared, shelf-stable, refrigerated, frozen, or bulk ingredients, depending on the approved menu and item availability. The Government intends for subsistence to remain within the Army food-service supply and accountability system rather than be priced as part of the Robotics-as-a-Service subscription. The Contractor may be required to forecast, receive, stage, load, and replenish ingredients to sustain menu availability. The Government will revise the PWS as necessary to ensure the Government-furnished subsistence responsibility is stated consistently.

2. Industry Question

Would a configuration in which sealed items are heated automatically and diners portion packaged side dishes themselves be considered acceptable as “robotic assembly” under the PWS?

Government Response: Yes, provided the offered configuration still satisfies the PWS requirements for on-demand robotic meal production, unattended operation, required menu availability, food safety, nutrition, throughput, and preparation time. Prepackaged side items, condiments, or similar accompaniments may be self-selected by the diner. Such items may supplement the robotic meal-production process but may not be used to avoid the requirement for the ordered meal or entrée to be produced through the automated cooking/assembly capability described in the PWS.

3. Industry Question

Are there restrictions on cooking methods that produce smoke or grease, such as grilling? Is an existing exhaust hood available at the I-AK installation site, or must the system be fully self-contained?

Government Response: The Government does not prohibit a specific cooking method solely because it produces smoke or grease; however, the installed configuration must satisfy all applicable fire, life-safety, ventilation, electrical, food-safety, NRTL field-evaluation, and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) acceptance requirements. Offerors should not assume that an existing Type I hood will be available for their proposed system. A hoodless or otherwise self-contained approach is acceptable when supported by the engineering documentation or third-party testing required by Technical Exhibit 1 and accepted by the AHJ. Site-specific conditions will be confirmed through the site visit and pre-installation survey.

4. Industry Question

Is a menu built on a rotating core format (for example, a protein served with rice) acceptable, provided that the daily 10-item requirement and the Korean-dish requirement are met?

Government Response: Yes. Common components or bases, such as rice, may be used across multiple menu items. The finished menu must still satisfy the PWS minimums for ten daily menu options, the required breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert distribution, the seven-day rotation with the required cycle sets, host-nation or regionally appropriate offerings, nutrition standards, and dietitian approval. Reuse of a common starch or base does not by itself make otherwise distinct finished menu items unacceptable.

5. Industry Question

May locally sourced Korean ingredients (for example, kimchi) be used, and must they be procured through the

DLA supply channel?

Government Response: Yes. Locally sourced Korean ingredients may be used when they are obtained through an authorized Government food-service procurement channel (DLA). The Government will identify the

W90VN926QA065 – Draft RFI Responses | Page 2 authorized ordering/procurement pathway for Government-furnished subsistence; offerors should not assume unrestricted Contractor direct purchase of food outside approved Government food-service procedures.

6. Industry Question

Is a phased start acceptable, for example, with the C-AK beginning operation later than the I-AK?

Government Response: Not under the current requirement. The Contractor may sequence mobilization, installation, testing, and commissioning during the phase-in period, but both the I-AK and C-AK are required to achieve Full Operational Capability no later than 13 December 2026. Any change that permits a later FOC date for one system would require a written solicitation amendment.

7. Industry Question

Beyond fully autonomous kitchens, does the Government anticipate requirements for automation equipment in existing staffed dining facilities? If so, which office would handle such procurement?

Government Response: Requirements for automation equipment outside the scope of this solicitation are not being solicited under W90VN926QA065, and the Government is not making a commitment regarding future procurements. The current PWS does provide optional expansion capability for additional autonomous systems. Any separate future requirement for automation within staffed dining facilities would be developed by the applicable requiring activity and processed through the appropriate contracting office at that time.

8. Industry Question

Is there a planned timeline for re-competition or expansion to other installations after this contract?

Government Response: No separate re-competition timeline is established beyond the period of performance and options stated in the solicitation. Expansion under this contract may occur during performance through the applicable optional expansion CLINs, subject to Government need, funding availability, maximum quantities, and a written Contracting Officer modification. The Government makes no commitment at this time regarding a follow-on procurement after the current contract period.

9. Industry Question

Will the presentation materials and questions and answers from the 29 September 2026 site visit be published in an SF 30 amendment?

Government Response: See attached Power Point (0003 A. Presentation AK)