Request For Information (RFI) - Questions and Answers (as of 26 Oct 26)_W912CL-27-Q-A002_.pdf

Request For Information (RFI) Questions and Answers

Solicitation: W912CL-27-Q-A002 Updated as of 26 Oct 2026

# Question Answer

1 Potable Water Documentation for FWRA:

For commercial catering facility in Colon, please clarify required potable water documentation for FWRA. Will current IDAAN bill + commercial ice receipts satisfy TB MED 530, or is independent lab test required pre-assessment?

I will be requesting information on potable water and ice to include source, any municipal supply test results, onsite test results, and results of any public health agency testing. I will inspect onsite water storage, filtration, and security. I will draw water and ice samples at multiple locations to test for the presence of coliform or E.coli bacteria. The inclusion or absence of testing will be considered in the assessment of risk.

2 Subcontractor Facility Approval for FWRA:

If a prime contractor utilizes an approved vendor facility that passes FWRA, will that approval cover performance at Base Aeronaval Cristobal Colon?

Sources are a factor in the assessment of risk;

any preparation, delivery, and serving of food is subject to the FWRA process.

3 Reaction Time for Integrated US Army Regulations:

PWS references integration of US Army Regulations (AR 30-22, TB MED 530) and JSCG policies. Please clarify required Contractor reaction/implementation time when new regulation/policy is issued during performance: a) Is compliance immediate for food safety/health vs. 30 days for administrative changes? b) Will cost-impacting regulatory changes be considered a contract change under FAR 52.212-4(c)?

Changes in the US Army Regulations will require immediate compliance. Any cost-impacting regulatory changes will be discussed between the Contracting Officer and vendor to discuss the implications for any changes to terms and conditions of the contract for any bilateral modifications that may be needed.

4 Basis of CLIN 0001 (and 1001 to 4001). CLIN 0001 reads "Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner services for 150 personnel (Daily Steady State Operations)," priced per month. PWS

5.10 and 5.11 describe four-day JOTC RSOI services and RTU breakfast and dinner during rotations, and PWS 5.3.2(b) states lunch is not required for RTU. Should the monthly price assume three meals daily for 150 personnel every day of the month, or the JOTC and RTU schedules in PWS 5.10 and 5.11? If the latter, please provide the estimated number of JOTC courses and RTU rotation-days per year for pricing.

The monthly price should assume three (3) meals daily for 150 personnel every day of the month for CLINs 0001, 2001, 3001, and 4001 for JOTC-P. The purpose of this is to ensure we have pricing established for the max capacity for feeding for the month. JOTC-P courses are monthly. RTU feeding will be executed on the surge CLINs since those rotations will fluctuate regarding timeline, number of personnel, and feeding requirements needed (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner). Overall, the capacity and frequency of feeding services will fluctuate outside of the current structure now so we need to ensure we have the full pricing capability established to support any fluctuation in food feeding services for JOTC-P and RTUs.

5 Unit of issue for surge CLINs 0002 and 0003 (and option equivalents). These carry quantities of 550 and 800 "Each." Is the unit price per person per day (three meals), per meal, or per surge event? If per event, what duration should be priced? CLIN 3002 also reads "500 personnel" against a quantity of 550; please confirm 550.

The number should be per person, per day, for three meals. This helps understand what the full pricing would be for feeding the maximum number of personnel on the surge CLINs.

For CLIN 3002, it should be 550 personnel, not

500. I will correct this on the CLIN to avoid confusion. It was a typo. Apologies.

6 JOTC course count. Section M, Sub-Factor 2 states up to 11 courses. PWS 5.10(a) states up to 22 JOTC RSOI meal services. Which governs?

See answer to question 4

7 RTU parameters. PWS 1.4 and 5.11 state a 6-month base period for RTU support; the 52.212-1 addendum, paragraph 1, and PWS 5 state 12 months. PWS 5.11(a) states rotations of 15 to 45 days; Section M states 30 to 45 days. PWS 5.11(d) and 5.12(c) cap RTU surge at 200 personnel; the CLINs, PWS 1.3, and Section M Sub- Factor 3 state up to 1,500. Which figures govern?

See answer to question 4

8 Technical Exhibit 1. The JOTC Tentative Schedule on PWS page 39 contains no schedule. Please provide it.

Please provide pricing for how the CLIN is established. This is needed in line with the answer to question 4

9 Defense Base Act. CLINs 0004 and 1004 to 4004 call for DBA insurance "IAW PWS," but neither the PWS nor Section I contains a DBA requirement. Please confirm whether DBA coverage is required, for which personnel (including local national employees of a Panamanian subcontractor), and whether CLIN 0004 is 1 Job or 12 Months as in the option years.

DBA coverage is only required if using employees from the US. If using Panamanian employees, DBA is waived per the Department of Labor. I will add this waiver to the solicitation posting in SAM.gov for awareness and I will add that verbiage in the PWS for the upcoming amendment.

10 FWRA timing. Section M, Sub-Factor 4 requires a Government-accepted FWRA with the technical plan, due 29 October at 3:00 PM. Assessments are scheduled 25 to 30 October. If a facility's result has not been issued by the due date, how should offerors address Sub-Factor 4?

I will extend the solicitation due date for all FWRAs to be completed. All FWRAs must be completed to see who is approved. The contract can only be awarded to a vendor who has an approved FWRA. I want to ensure the assessments and feedback are provided before the solicitation due date occurs.

11 Past performance. Factor 3 asks for references on contracts "completed" within the past five years. Will contracts currently in performance with work inside that window be accepted? The rating table also lists "performance record is unknown" under both Acceptable and Unacceptable; please confirm which applies.

Yes, contracts currently in performance with work inside that window are allowed to be a part of the “completed’ references for past performance.

The rating table is just stating how the Contracting Officer will evaluate the submittals for past performance (Unacceptable / Acceptable). That’s all.

12 Quality Control Plan. PWS 1.6.1 calls for the QCP with the proposal "if evaluation of the QCP is required," and within 30 days of award. Section M does not evaluate a QCP. Please confirm the QCP is due within 30 days after award and not with the quote.

QCPs are needed 30 days after contract award.

They are not needed for submission of quotes and technical plans during the solicitation. I will correct this in the PWS and upcoming amendment.

13 PWS Attachment 2. Rows cite "PWS Para 5.2.7" (buffet meals) and "PWS Para 5.1.1" (purchase of food products in and around Panama City); neither paragraph appears in the PWS, and PWS 1.2 states buffet service is not required. Please confirm those rows do not apply.

Buffet service is not needed for this requirement.

This requirement is only for to-go food plates.

That is. I will correct this in the PWS.

14 Time zone. Please confirm the 26 October and 29 October deadlines stated as "CST" are U.S. Central local time (CDT, UTC-5), the same clock as Panama.

Time zone is CST/CDT, the same clock as Panama.

15 Is RTU lunch service required? If so, does menu options apply to lunch service?

Yes, please provide menu options for all lunch services. Please include estimates for lunch as outlined in the CLINs. This is in line with the answer to question 4.

16 Should CLIN 0001 include pricing for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Yes, CLIN 0001 should include pricing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

17 CLIN 0001 states "Baseline Food Services – Provides Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner services for 150 personnel (Daily Steady State Operations)." Could you please clarify whether this CLIN covers meal support only for JOTC students during the scheduled courses each month (4days per month) or whether it requires providing meals daily throughout the entire month, regardless of course schedules?

For CLIN 0001, please provide pricing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 150 personnel.

This is in line with the answer to question 4.

18 What are the delivery points and delivery windows for each meal? Is delivery to field training sites required, and is vehicle access available at those points?

The delivery points and windows for each meal will be coordinated between the COR and the contractor

19 How much notice will the COR give before Surge Level I (151-700) and Surge Level II (701-1,500)?

The notice will be 3-7 days as outlined in the

PWS

20 Is there historical data on how often surges occur and how long they last?

No there is no historical data as this is a new requirement

21 Which “approved sources” requirements apply to food products (for example, the Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily Approved Food Establishments, or Panamanian MINSA certification)? Will an Army veterinary inspection of the kitchen be required before performance begins?

Yes a Food Water Risk Assessment (FWRA) will be conducted for vendors who submitted their facility information for FWRA on 15 October

22 Are meal specifications set out in the PWS (calories, menu cycle, special diets such as halal, vegetarian or medical)?

No specific meal specifications are outlined in the PWS. Intent is for the vendor to provide their approach in their technical plan.

23 What base access, vehicle registration and personnel badging does Base Aeronaval Cristobal Colon require, and how long does it take?

This process is outlined in the PWS. The process will be managed between the vendor who is selected for the contract and the COR.

24 Is there an incumbent contractor? If so, what is the current contract number?

No there is no incumbent contractor.

25 FWRA: Please confirm whether a Government-led Food and Water Risk Assessment has been scheduled for our proposed food-preparation facility. If scheduled, please provide the date, time, location, assessor/POC, required attendees, and documents required. Please also confirm whether the 27 October 2026 Fort Sherman site visit includes the FWRA or whether these are separate events.

If the FWRA has not been scheduled, please advise how offerors can satisfy the requirement to submit a Government-accepted FWRA with the technical plan by the offer deadline

Yes, the FWRA has been scheduled by the food assessment team. They will reach out to each vendor to set up the time/date for the assessment on-site. The due date for the solicitation will be extended to the right to allow for all FWRAs to be conducted with results provided to the vendor and Contracting Officer.

26 Baseline pricing: Should offerors price breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the baseline of 150 personnel for every performance day, or will individual meal periods and quantities be ordered as needed?

Yes, all pricing for the baseline CLIN should be priced for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every performance day to determine pricing for the maximum amount of food services if needed.

See answer for question 4

27 Surge quantities: Are Surge Level I (151–700) and Surge Level II (701–1,500) total personnel counts, or incremental quantities above the 150-person baseline?

These are total personnel counts above the baseline 150. Provide the total price for the total amount of personnel for the surge CLINs.

28 Surge meal periods and duration: For each surge level, should offerors price breakfast, lunch, and dinner? What estimated number of consecutive days should be used for pricing and operational planning?

Yes, offerors should price breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each surge CLIN. Do not estimate for the number of days for the surge. Just price for to total number of personnel on the CLIN being served breakfast lunch and dinner (price per person x total number of personnel)

29 Advance notice: How much advance notice will the Contractor receive for baseline quantity changes, activation of either surge level, changes in meal periods, and changes in delivery location or schedule?

Three to seven days

30 Estimated requirements: Please provide the Government’s estimated annual number of service days, anticipated training rotations, expected meal quantities by meal period, and estimated frequency and duration of each surge level.

These are not solidified. The number of days, rotations, meal quantities, periods, and frequency for surges will fluctuate constantly. As a result, pricing is being requested for the maximum capacity for each CLIN. The day-to-day feeding frequency will be coordinated between the COR and selected vendor

30 Conflicting surge ceilings: Please clarify any differing surge quantities or ceilings appearing in the solicitation documents and identify which requirement controls.

Please price the CLINs they way they are structured. The numbers in the PWS are bound to change later so pricing needs to be gained for the maximum capacity in preparation to support the fluctuating feeding requirements.

31 CLIN clarification: Please clarify the apparent discrepancy involving CLIN 3002 and confirm the correct meal type, quantity, unit, and period of performance.

Please also confirm the requirements applicable to CLIN 5001.

CLIN 3002 has a typo. The number of personnel is 550, not 500. All other CLIN numbers are accurate. I will correct with an upcoming amendment to the solicitation.

32 Quality Control Plan: Please confirm whether the Quality Control Plan must be submitted with the initial quotation or only after award.

QCP is only needed 30 days after the contract is awarded. It is not needed for the solicitation. I will correct this in the PWS with the upcoming amendment to the solicitation

33 Past performance: Please confirm the required format, number, recency period, and submission requirements for past-performance references.

This is provided in the clause 52.212-2. There is no specific format for providing the information requested. Just include the past performance references in your technical plan

34 PWS attachments: Please provide any referenced PWS attachments, schedules, menus, delivery-location information, or other documents that were not included with the solicitation package.

There are no other documents to attach to the PWS. A site visit is scheduled for 27 October at 2pm CST for competing vendors to assess the site and ask any questions they have about the requirement to better prepare their quote and technical plans.

35 Offer deadline: Please confirm the controlling time zone for the 29 October 2026, 3:00 PM offer deadline.

Due date for submission is currently 29 oct 2026 3PM Central Standard Time.