Questions and Answers Document 1.pdf

NMARNG RECRUITING MARKETING PACKAGE SERVICES

NOTICE ID: W912J326QA005

TYPE: COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION

OFFICE: W912J3 - W7NQ USPFO ACTIVITY NM ARNG

SUBJECT: Questions and Answers (Q&A) Document #1

DATE: August 18, 2026

Section I: Overview & Submission Instructions

• Submission Instructions: Offerors must submit all quotes via email to SFC Amber

N. Sena at amber.n.sena.mil@army.mil in accordance with the timeline outlined in the solicitation.

• Notice of Budget Parameters: As a reminder, the established budget parameters for this requirement are estimated to be between $160,000 and $190,000 per performance period. Offerors are highly encouraged to utilize their Technical

Approach to quote an optimized, scaled, or phased strategy to maximize mission success within this budget range.

• The deadline to submit questions for this RFQ has passed. Questions submitted may not be acknowledged or answered.

Section II: RFI Questions and Answers

Q1. Solicitation Due Date Discrepancy

• Question: Please confirm the controlling due date.

• Answer: The offer due date will be extended to September 1, 2026 at 4:00PM

MDT. Quotes must be submitted via email to SFC Amber N. Sena at amber.n.sena.mil@army.mil with the RFQ number clearly annotated in the email subject line.

Q2. Incumbent, Transition Assets, and CRM Integration

• Question: Please identify the incumbent contractor, if any, contract number, and current annual contract value, or confirm that this is a new requirement. Please also confirm the ownership, hosting arrangement, and transition treatment of the guardthezia.com website, the existing digital asset management system, and the existing social media accounts — specifically, whether the awardee inherits these assets or is expected to rebuild them. Will the Government provide incumbent website files, credentials, source code, hosting information, analytics https://www.google.com/url?q=mailto%3Aamber.n.sena.mil%40army.mil https://www.google.com/url?q=mailto%3Aamber.n.sena.mil%40army.mil https://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fguardthezia.com%2F accounts, and lead data? Additionally, what existing recruiting, CRM, lead-management, analytics, or communication platforms must the contractor integrate with, and what is the expected process and timeframe for routing a new lead to the appropriate recruiter?

• Answer:

• Incumbent Contract & Valuation Information: This is a recurring requirement, currently executed under contract number W912J324P0026 by the incumbent contractor, BLUF Agency LLC. The financial performance history and cumulative contract value are detailed as follows:

• Base Period (Awarded): $180,000.00

• Option Year 1 (Exercised): $153,750.00

• Cumulative Total Contract Value (To Date): $333,750.00

• Intellectual Property and Asset Transition: In accordance with the data rights established under this solicitation, all proprietary rights, source code, website files, domain registrations (including guardthezia.com), credentials, and historical analytics accounts are the sole property of the Government. The Government will provide the successor contractor with all necessary hosting credentials, source code, and administrative access to the existing website, social media channels, and digital asset management systems during the post-award transition period.

The successor contractor will inherit these active accounts and is not expected to rebuild them from scratch.

• Please note that the following clauses and provisions 252.227-7013, 252.227- 7015, and 252.227-7017 concerning data rights.

• Lead Routing and CRM Systems: Captured lead data must be formatted to integrate seamlessly with the Government’s designated lead-tracking system.

The specific routing protocols, APIs, and transfer timeframes will be finalized with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and the Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB) leadership during the post-award kickoff conference.

Q3. Price Matrix Removal and CLIN Structure

• Question: How should the pricing schedule be formatted, and is the Price Matrix attachment still required?

• Answer: The Price Matrix attachment has been removed from the solicitation document attachments via Amendment 0001. Offerors must refer to the SF 1449

CLIN structure. When submitting your quote, ensure the pricing is broken down into 12-month increments for the Base Period (CLIN 0001) and all subsequent

Option Periods (CLINs 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001). Additionally, offerors must provide pricing for the six-month extension period under CLIN 5001 in accordance with RFO FAR 52.217-8. Please note that while the award will be structured as one (1) operating unit per period, invoice instructions will dictate that billing occurs monthly in arrears.

Q4. Budget Scope and PWS 5.14 Monthly Requirements

• Question: Budget and media costs. Please confirm whether the $160,000–

$190,000 base-year budget must include all paid media inventory, printing and postage, creative production, contractor labor, and platform costs. Alternatively, will any media purchases be funded through a separate Government-authorized media budget? Please also confirm whether the monthly requirements in PWS

5.14 apply during each of all 12 base-period months.

• Answer: Yes. The established budget parameter of $160,000 to $190,000 per performance period is all-inclusive. It must cover all contractor labor, fees, creative production, printing, postage, platform/software costs, and all paid media placement and inventory (to include Out-of-Home [OOH], cinema, and digital ads). There is no separate Government-funded or Government-authorized media budget for this effort. Additionally, the monthly requirements outlined in PWS

Section 5.14 apply fully and continuously to each of the 12 months of the Base

Period (and any subsequent option periods, if exercised).

Q5. Out-of-Home (OOH) Requirement Clarification

• Question: Do PWS paragraphs 5.16.1 and 5.17 describe one OOH campaign or two separate campaigns? Is the intended minimum 55–77 simultaneously active placements, and must those placements remain active continuously throughout the 12-month base period?

• Answer: Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising (Paragraph 5.16) and Movie Theater

(Cinema) Advertising (Paragraph 5.17) are treated as two completely separate and distinct campaigns under this PWS, despite both targeting the 17–34 age demographic. The requirement for simultaneously active OOH placements must apply fully and continuously to each of the 12 months of the Base Period.

Q6. Cinema Requirement Clarification

• Question: Does PWS 5.17.1 require continuous cinema advertising throughout the year with creative refreshed quarterly, or four discrete quarterly advertising flights? If discrete flights are intended, what is the required duration and minimum number of theaters or screens in each market?

• Answer: The Government requires continuous, year-round cinema advertising across the primary New Mexico markets (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Farmington, and Roswell) rather than discrete quarterly flights. Per the requirements, the Contractor must execute localized campaigns featuring 30-to 60-second on-screen pre-roll ads targeting high-youth populations, with creative updated and rotated every 90 days (quarterly) to prevent ad fatigue and highlight local New Mexico Soldiers. To verify execution and measure audience reach, the Contractor must deliver a Quarterly Cinema Proof of Performance

(PoP) and Impression Report backed by official theater vendor affidavits and ticket sales calculations.

Q7. Original Commercial Production Clarification

• Question: How many original 15- and 30-second spots and versions are required under PWS 5.15.2? Would the Government accept disclosed, human-reviewed

AI-assisted or AI-generated visual and voice elements with all necessary rights cleared, or is original live-action filming required? Will the Government provide approved New Mexico Soldier footage, participants, and releases?

• Answer: For the 15- and 30-second spots required under PWS 5.15.2, the

Government will accept the use of disclosed, human-reviewed, AI-assisted, or AI-generated visual and voice elements, provided that the Contractor clears all necessary rights. Original, exclusive live-action filming is not strictly required, as the NMARNG will provide approved New Mexico Soldier footage, participants, and signed releases to support the production. This allows the Contractor to utilize a hybrid production approach, blending Government-furnished local assets with cleared AI elements to complete the required spots and versions.

Q8. Security Prohibitions and Exclusions (CMMC Level 2)

• Question: While reviewing the solicitation, I noticed that FAR Clause 52.240-91

Security Prohibitions and Exclusions (Deviation 2026-O0038) is included. My understanding is that this clause indicates a requirement of CMMC Level 2. We were recently notified that the DoW has suspended the implementation requirements of CMMC Level 2. For your reference, I've included the SBA article discussing this update: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/07/13/sba-commends-us-department-wars-suspension-cmmc-phase-ii-small-defense-contractors.

Could you please clarify whether this requirement is intended to remain part of this solicitation?

• Answer: Based on recent updates to Department of War (DoW) cybersecurity implementation policy, the requirement for CMMC Level 2 certification https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Flegacy.sba.gov%2Farticle%2F2026%2F07%2F13%2Fsba-commends-us-department-wars-suspension-cmmc-phase-ii-small-defense-contractors https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Flegacy.sba.gov%2Farticle%2F2026%2F07%2F13%2Fsba-commends-us-department-wars-suspension-cmmc-phase-ii-small-defense-contractors is suspended for this procurement. Offerors are not required to hold an active

CMMC Level 2 certification at the time of quote submission or award. However, the contractor must still comply with all standard unclassified safeguarding requirements and data protection protocols outlined in the PWS. The solicitation will be amended to reflect the removal of the deviation clause.

Q9. Media Funding Allocation

• Question: Section B prices the requirement as a single firm fixed price CLIN with no separate media or other-direct-cost line. Please confirm whether the CLIN price is inclusive of all media placement costs — broadcast airtime, out-of-home space rental, cinema, digital and OTT placement, print production, and postage

— or whether those costs are funded separately. If inclusive, please provide the

Government's estimated annual media budget or a target allocation.

• Answer: The Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) CLIN is fully inclusive of all media placement costs, including broadcast, OOH, cinema, digital, print, and postage.

These costs will not be funded separately. The Government does not mandate a specific target allocation or sub-budget for media vs. labor; offerors are expected to propose the optimal media mix and allocation within their Technical Approach to achieve the PWS objectives while remaining within the overall $160,000–

$190,000 per-period budget parameter.

Q10. CLIN Description Clarification

• Question: Each CLIN is described as "Digital Marketing." The PWS requires broadcast television and terrestrial radio, out-of-home placements, cinema advertising, and approximately 25,000 printed and mailed pieces. Please confirm that the CLIN description is intended to encompass the full PWS scope.

• Answer: The short-text CLIN description of "Digital Marketing" is an administrative title used in the contract writing system. The CLIN encompasses the full scope of the Performance Work Statement (PWS), including all traditional broadcast, terrestrial radio, OOH, cinema, direct mail, and digital marketing requirements.

Q11. Out-of-Home Coverage

• Question: PWS 5.16 requires a minimum of one active placement in every New

Mexico county simultaneously, with three to five in eleven priority counties.

Please confirm whether this coverage is required continuously across the twelve-month period, or in campaign flights. If flights, please specify expected duration and frequency.

• Answer: The statewide OOH campaign is a continuous, 12-month requirement to maintain a persistent baseline presence. The Contractor must maintain a minimum of one active placement in every New Mexico county simultaneously, with an increased density of three to five active placements in the eleven designated priority counties (Bernalillo, Doña Ana, Santa Fe, Sandoval, San

Juan, Valencia, Chaves, Lea, Eddy, Curry, and McKinley) throughout the entire contract period. Placements should be strategically positioned in high-traffic areas, transit corridors, and school/campus proximity zones, with messaging continuously focused on education benefits, career pathways, and part-time service opportunities.

Q12. Evaluation Criteria

• Question: The package does not appear to include FAR 52.212-2 or an equivalent evaluation provision. Please provide the basis of award, the evaluation factors and their relative importance, and any proposal content or page limitations.

• Answer: In accordance with the published Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, please refer directly to Section 4.0 (Evaluation Factors for Award) and Section

5.0 (Basis of Award) to understand the evaluation methodology.

• Page Limitations: The Technical Quote is limited to a maximum of twenty (20) pages. However, any itemized list of proposed PWS omissions or exclusions included within the quote (as permitted by the Notice to Offerors) will not count toward this 20-page limit. There is no page limit for the Price Quote.

Q13. Unit of Measure Clarification

• Question: Section B states a quantity of 1 with a unit of measure of "Operating

Unit," while the Price Matrix states a quantity of 12 with a unit of measure of

"MO." Please confirm which controls for purposes of the quote.

• Answer: The SF 1449 CLIN structure controls. Offerors must submit a single

Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) total for the 12-month Base Period (CLIN 0001) and each subsequent Option Period. However, offerors should include a supplemental pricing breakdown (e.g., a monthly pricing schedule or SLIN structure) within their Price Volume to demonstrate how the 12-month increments align with the monthly billing and invoicing requirements.

Q14. Experience Requirement

• Question: PWS 2.1 refers to a contractor with "demonstrated, exclusive experience providing marketing and recruitment support services for the Army

National Guard." Please confirm whether prior Army National Guard experience is a mandatory requirement, an evaluated factor, or descriptive background; and if other law enforcement marketing and recruitment could be substituted with no penalty.

• Answer: Prior Army National Guard experience is not a mandatory requirement for award. The key qualification is that the offeror must possess a minimum of two (2) years of marketing experience in the field. While ARNG-specific experience is highly valued, related marketing and recruitment experience, including law enforcement or general military recruiting support, is fully acceptable and can be substituted with no penalty, provided the contractor demonstrates the baseline two years of professional marketing experience.

Q15. Proprietary References

• Question: PWS 5.9 specifies a digital asset management system utilizing a

"Brand-in-a-Box" framework, and PWS 5.5.2 lists proprietary GIS methodologies by name. Please confirm whether functionally equivalent capabilities are acceptable, or whether these refer to specific named products.

• Answer: Functionally equivalent capabilities are fully acceptable to the

Government. The references in PWS 5.9 to a "Brand-in-a-Box" framework and the named proprietary GIS methodologies in PWS 5.5.2 are intended to establish a baseline standard of performance, and offerors may quote alternate software, system, or methodology that provides equal capabilities to meet the contract objectives.

Q16. Wage Determination

• Question: Please confirm the labor categories the Government anticipates as

Service Contract Act-covered under Wage Determination 15-5449, and whether the Government has a position on categories qualifying as bona fide exempt professionals.

• Answer: In accordance with the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS), the

Government has attached Wage Determination 15-5449. Offerors are responsible for mapping their personnel to the appropriate SCLS labor categories

(e.g., Graphic Artists, Administrative Support) based on the duties performed.

The Government recognizes that certain program management and high-level creative direction roles may qualify as bona fide exempt professionals under 29

CFR Part 541. Offerors must clearly identify in their Price Volume which labor categories are mapped to the WD and which are classified as exempt professionals. Furthermore, clause RFO FAR 52.222-43 applies for future price adjustments.

Q17. Technical Exhibit A Discrepancies

• Question: The Performance Objective column of Technical Exhibit A contains an editorial notation regarding GIS Analytic Studies. Paragraphs 5.16 and 5.17 also appear to overlap, and the paragraph headed "Movie Theater Advertising" begins with out-of-home text.

• Answer: The editorial notation in Technical Exhibit A, the text overlaps between paragraphs 5.16 and 5.17, and the incorrect out-of-home text under the "Movie

Theater Advertising" heading are administrative errors. The Government will correct the PWS to resolve these formatting issues and ensure the distinct requirements for GIS Analytic Studies, Out-of-Home Advertising, and Movie

Theater Advertising are accurately separated and clearly defined.

Q18. GIS Analytic Data Provision

• Question: Will the Government furnish the production, FAZR, and RSID data referenced in Section 3.0 in a defined format and on a defined schedule following award?

• Answer: Yes, the Government will furnish the production, FAZR, and RSID data referenced in Section 3.0. Post-award, this data will be provided to the Contractor in standard workable formats. The release of this data will be systematically aligned with the contract's reporting schedules and deliverables outlined in

Technical Exhibit B (e.g., on a monthly basis to support Campaign Management

& Reporting, and within 45 days of a request to support the quarterly GIS Analytic

Studies).

Q19. Program Manager Qualifications

• Question: Paragraph 5.1 requires the Program Manager to possess a minimum of two years of military recruitment marketing experience. Will the Government consider demonstrated commercial recruitment marketing and audience acquisition experience as responsive to this requirement, or is military recruitment marketing experience mandatory?

• Answer: Yes, the Government will consider demonstrated commercial recruitment marketing and audience acquisition experience as fully responsive to this requirement. While prior military recruitment marketing experience is highly desirable and valued, it is not strictly mandatory. Equivalent commercial experience in recruitment marketing, talent acquisition campaigns, and target audience engagement may be substituted, provided the proposed Program

Manager meets all other requirements.

Q20. Account Manager Qualifications

• Question: Paragraph 5.2 requires an Account Manager with ARNG-specific marketing knowledge. Will the Government consider this requirement satisfied through a subcontracted or teamed individual meeting that qualification under the prime contractor's management?

• Answer: This is a performance based requirement, the Government cannot direct a contractor how to accomplish this requirements. Please note the limitation of subcontracting for services is 50% as outlined in RFO FAR Clause 52.219-14.

Please note that the contract holder must have a primary point of contact that is employed by the prime contractor and not by the sub-contractor. It is preferred that this individual is the program manger, the following text has been added to paragraph 5.1, “This individual must have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the prime contractor and will serve as the primary point of contact for the Government” Language was removed from paragraph 5.2 that this individual must be an employee of the prime contractor.

Q21. Platform Components

• Question: Several requirements contemplate hosted platforms, including the

Digital Asset Management system (5.9), the marketing microsite and landing pages (5.10), and website hosting and operations (5.8.5, 5.8.9). Will the

Government consider quotes in which these components are delivered through established commercial platforms provided by subcontractors under the prime contractor's management and quality assurance?

• Answer: Yes. The Government will accept technical solutions that utilize established, commercially available cloud platforms and software-as-a-service

(SaaS) components (such as WordPress hosting, AWS cloud infrastructure, or standard CRM tools) managed by subcontractors under the prime contractor's oversight. The proposed solution must still comply with all cybersecurity, lead protection, and unclassified data-safeguarding standards outlined in the PWS.

The prime contractor must stay within the compliance of the limitation of subcontracting RFO FAR Clause 52.219-14.

Q22. Omitted Requirements

• Question: Paragraph 4.1.1 of the solicitation document permits a quoter to identify PWS requirements that will not be performed. Please confirm that a quote proposing a subset of PWS requirements, with an itemized list of exclusions by paragraph number, will be evaluated rather than rejected as unacceptable.

• Answer: The solicitation posting has been updated to address this, paragraph

4.1.1 states, “Technical Solution and PWS Omissions Instruction: To facilitate a thorough comparative evaluation, if a quoter's quoted solution does not address all requirements, or excludes any portion of a requirement listed in the

Performance Work Statement (PWS), the quoter MUST provide a specific, itemized list identifying every requirement or partial requirement that will not be performed. This list must explicitly reference the precise PWS paragraph numbers and titles for each excluded item (e.g., "Paragraph 5.1.1.2: Provide printing and postage for 20,000 oversized postcards"). Failure to clearly and exhaustively identify omitted tasks or part of a task could be considered a significant weakness during the comparative evaluation, as it prevents the

Government from accurately assessing the full scope, risk, and value of the quoted solution. ”

• Furthermore, paragraph 4.1.2 has been added and states, “As part of this comparative evaluation, the Government will assess the PWS requirements the quoter offers to fulfill within the budget parameter and will evaluate the impact of any omitted PWS tasks to determine which quote provides the most advantageous technical solution. In accordance with RFO FAR 12.203(a)(1), predetermined technical subfactors will not be utilized.”

Q23. Priority Ranking of Marketing Services

• Question: Does the Government have a priority ranking among digital marketing, broadcast, OOH, cinema, direct mail, website support, and lead-management services?

• Answer: The Government does not have a predetermined priority ranking among digital marketing, broadcast, OOH, cinema, direct mail, website support, and lead-management services. Offerors are requested to determine the optimal channel priorities, budget allocations, and execution strategies dynamically, basing their quote on data-driven market research, historical performance, and projected Return on Investment (ROI).

Q24. Media Requirement Ratio

• Question: Does the 2-to-1 media requirement refer to added-value inventory or measurable return on advertising spend?

• Answer: The 2-to-1 media requirement refers specifically to a measurable Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) rather than added-value or bonus media inventory.

Q25. Lead Information Classification

• Question: Will captured lead information be considered CUI, Federal Contract

Information (FCI), or PII only?

• Answer: Captured lead information is considered Controlled Unclassified

Information (CUI) and is subject to unclassified safeguarding and dissemination controls. While it does not require classified infrastructure, the contractor must implement standard encryption and access controls to ensure all personally identifiable information (PII) captured during lead generation is fully secured against unauthorized disclosure.

Q26. Federal Hosting Standards

• Question: Are FedRAMP, CMMC, or specific DoD hosting standards required for the contractor-delivered digital platforms?

• Answer: No. As established in Q8, the CMMC Level 2 requirement has been suspended. Furthermore, because this contract handles marketing material and unclassified recruitment lead generation intended for the public domain (rather than classified operations or internal DoW enterprise infrastructure), FedRAMP authorization is not a mandatory prerequisite for the commercial hosting environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) used for the marketing microsites. However, the contractor must still adhere to standard commercial cybersecurity best practices and the data safeguarding requirements outlined in the PWS to protect PII.

Q27. Past Performance Reference Count

• Question: How many past-performance references should be included in the submission?

• Answer: Past performance has been removed and replace with experience, factor 2 for paragraph 4.2 now states, “This factor evaluates the depth and relevance of the quoter's actual history in performing work similar in scope, complexity, and magnitude to this solicitation, as distinct from Past Performance, which assesses the quality of that work. The Experience submission is strictly limited to a maximum of two (2) pages. Pages exceeding this limit will be removed and will not be evaluated. Quoters must demonstrate a history of execution on similar projects, as the Government will comparatively evaluate the depth and breadth of each quoter's experience to determine which quotes represent the best value.” Furthermore paragraphs 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 have been added to provide further clarification.

Q28. Metric Requirements Under Partial Omissions

• Question: Are all 65 monthly broadcast airings, 250,000 display impressions, and

50,000 OTT impressions required even when specific media tasks are listed as omissions under the solicitation paragraph 4.1.1?

• Answer: paragraph 4.1.1 has been updated as follows, “Technical Solution and

PWS Omissions Instruction: To facilitate a thorough comparative evaluation, if a quoter's quoted solution does not address all requirements, or excludes any portion of a requirement listed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS), the quoter MUST provide a specific, itemized list identifying every requirement or partial requirement that will not be performed. This list must explicitly reference the precise PWS paragraph numbers and titles for each excluded item

(e.g., "Paragraph 5.1.1.2: Provide printing and postage for 20,000 oversized postcards"). Failure to clearly and exhaustively identify omitted tasks or part of a task could be considered a significant weakness during the comparative evaluation, as it prevents the Government from accurately assessing the full scope, risk, and value of the quoted solution.”

Q29. Definition of a "Qualified Recruitment Lead"

• Question: How does NMARNG define a “qualified recruitment lead,” and what minimum information, eligibility indicators, or prospect actions must be present before a lead is considered qualified for contractor performance purposes?

• Answer: A 'qualified lead' is formally defined as an individual between the ages of

17 and 34 who is currently enrolled in high school or possesses a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) equivalent, and for whom the Contractor has successfully captured at least one valid, actionable method of contact (including, but not limited to, a telephone number, email address, or verified social media profile).

Q30. Historical Performance Benchmarks

• Question: Does NMARNG have historical benchmarks or target expectations for monthly lead volume, cost per lead, lead-to-recruiter contact rate, appointment rate, or enlistment-related conversion activity that the contractor should use when developing the technical solution?

• Answer: The New Mexico Army National Guard (NMARNG) tracks critical recruiting funnel metrics through the Recruiting Zone (RZ) system, capturing key data points such as contact rates, appointment-scheduling rates, and enlistment-related conversion activities. Post-award, the Government will provide these RZ performance reports to the Contractor. The Contractor shall utilize this data to develop solutions to help increase these conversion rates. Those reports will be provided to the contractor after contract award.

Q31. Lead Nurturing Scope

• Question: After a lead is captured, what level of nurturing is the contractor expected to perform before and after recruiter assignment, including email, SMS, retargeting, appointment scheduling, follow-up cadence, and inactive-lead reengagement?

• Answer: Upon successful acquisition of a lead by the Contractor, responsibility for subsequent re-engagement, follow-up communications, and the scheduling of enlistment appointments transitions entirely to the Recruiting and Retention

Battalion (RRBN). The Contractor's operational scope of work under this contract is strictly focused on top-of-funnel lead generation and routing, with follow-on recruiting actions conducted exclusively by Government personnel.

Q32. Audience and Geographic Target Demographics

• Question: Which recruiting audiences, occupational priorities, age groups, geographic markets, schools, communities, or underrepresented populations should receive the greatest emphasis during the base period, and are Spanish-language or culturally specific campaigns required?

• Answer: The primary target demographic for all campaigns under this contract remains individuals between the ages of 17 and 34. The selection and prioritization of geographic markets, school districts, and community engagement zones will be driven strictly by market share and recruiting density data. There is no requirement under this contract for the development, translation, or execution of Spanish-language or culturally specific advertising campaigns.

Q33. Deliverable Acceptance and Campaign Approvals

• Question: What specific reports, dashboards, review meetings, deliverable formats, and acceptance criteria will NMARNG use to determine satisfactory monthly performance, and who will have authority to approve campaigns, creative materials, and completed deliverables?

• Answer: Performance and progress reporting shall be executed on a monthly basis, with deliverables due to the Government as outlined on the Performance

Work Statement. These reports shall provide comprehensive progress metrics and campaign analytical data. No specific template or rigid format is mandated by the Government, allowing the Contractor flexibility to modify and adapt the reporting structure to best reflect current campaign progress. To ensure complete operational alignment, all marketing campaigns, creative materials, and completed contract deliverables are subject to formal review and written approval by the Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRBN) Commander.

Q34. Historical Expenditures for ROI Metrics

• Question: Will the Government provide complete historical media expenditures and recruiting outcome data necessary to establish annual ROI measurements?

(PWS 5.3.5)

• Answer: Yes, the Government will provide complete historical media expenditures and recruiting outcome data to the selected Contractor upon contract award to facilitate the establishment of annual ROI benchmarks.

Q35. Custom Map Deliverables

• Question: Should the four required custom maps be considered part of the quarterly GIS studies or additional deliverables? (PWS 5.5.3)

• Answer: The four custom maps must be treated as additional deliverables and are not to be considered part of the quarterly GIS studies.

Q36. Recruitment Strategy Scope

• Question: Is the Government expecting a completely new marketing strategy or refinement of the current recruiting strategy? (PWS 5.6)

• Answer: Specifically, the Government is looking for a comprehensive refinement of our current successful recruiting methods to preserve what is working, combined with the introduction of innovative, completely new marketing strategies to expand our reach and adapt to modern recruiting challenges.

Q37. Local Directory Licenses

• Question: Is there an incumbent Local Listing Management platform currently managing the 40+ directories? If so, what platform is being used and will licenses transfer or terminate upon award? (PWS 5.8.2)

• Answer: The core directory and social media profiles are owned by NMARNG, and administrative access will be transferred upon award.

Q38. Translation Costs

• Question: Please clarify whether translation and other third-party costs must be included in the firm-fixed price. (PWS 5.6 & 5.11)

• Answer: Yes, all translation services and associated third-party operational costs must be included in the quoted firm-fixed price (FFP). The Government will not pay for, reimburse, or adjust the contract price for external translation or third-party expenses incurred during execution of the contract.

Q39. Review Response Templates

• Question: Is the Contractor expected to prepare review response templates for

Government approval, or will NMARNG provide approved response templates? If the Contractor is responsible, approximately how many standard response templates are anticipated? (PWS 5.8.6)

• Answer: To maintain consistent and professional public communications, the

NMARNG will provide approved, generic response templates to be utilized for positive/good reviews. In the event of a negative review, the Contractor must reach out to the Government team immediately before taking action. The

Government will develop and coordinate the appropriate custom response to resolve the issue.

Q40. Messaging Quantity Parameters

• Question: Are the stated email and SMS quantities monthly maximums or anticipated monthly usage? (PWS 5.8.8)

• Answer: The numbers provided represent maximum capacity limits rather than baseline targets. The Contractor must be prepared to execute up to 100 emails and 50 SMS text messages per recruiting location, per month, based on operational requirements.

Q41. DAM Platform Incumbent and Asset Migration Volume

• Question: Is there an incumbent Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform currently in use? If so, what platform is being used? Approximately how many assets will require migration if a new DAM is implemented? (PWS 5.9)

• Answer:

• Incumbent DAM Platform: The incumbent contractor utilized a proprietary, cloud-hosted Digital Asset Management framework to execute the historical contract.

• Asset Migration & Licensing: Quoters must submit a technically acceptable DAM solution within their quote that meets the functional parameters outlined in PWS

5.9. The Government estimates that approximately 1,200 to 1,500 individual digital assets (including high-resolution photography, B-roll video, graphics, and brand templates) will require transition and migration into the successor contractor’s DAM. All licensing, hosting, and data-migration costs associated with establishing this platform must be built directly into the Firm-Fixed-Price of CLIN 0001 and subsequent option years.

Q42. Mailing List Sourcing

• Question: Will mailing lists for the Non-Prior Service, Referral, and JEEP campaigns be Government-furnished, or is list acquisition the Contractor's responsibility? (PWS 5.11)

• Answer: The Government will furnish all necessary mailing lists directly to the

Contractor. List acquisition and purchasing are not the responsibility of the

Contractor for this specific task.

Q43. Marketing Automation Platform Incumbent and Licensing

• Question: Does the Government have an incumbent marketing automation platform? If so, what platform is being used and will continue being used, or should offerors include licensing for a new Automated Marketing Platform (AMP)?

(PWS 5.12)

• Answer: Yes, the Government currently utilizes a marketing automation platform under the current contract, and the incumbent contractor is willing to provide/transition the licensing for continued use. Quoters do not need to factor new platform licensing pricing into their quote unless they are proposing a highly advantageous alternative that fits within the existing scope. However, the price to continue to use the currently license should be considered.

Q44. Historical Media Value-Add Status

• Question: Is the Government currently receiving a 2:1 value-add on existing media? (PWS 5.14.5)

• Answer: Yes, the Government is currently receiving a 2:1 value-add on existing media.

Q45. Higher Campaign Deliverable Volumes (PWS 5.8.2, 5.8.6, & 5.8.8)

• Question: Beyond the stated minimums, does NMARNG anticipate higher annual volumes for email/SMS review campaigns, social media content, or directory updates?

• Answer: No Volume Increase. Maintain all planning, resource allocation, and pricing models strictly aligned with the originally stated minimum volumes. No scale-up is required for these specific lines of effort.

Q46. Small-Business Representation and Certification Requirements (Synopsis 1.a.ii &

1.a.iv)

• Question: Is self-certified small-business status in SAM sufficient, or are any formal SBA certifications required?

• Answer: The business submitting the quote must have an active sam.gov registration, be registered with the Small Business Administration (SBA), and be recognized as a small business with the SBA.

Q47. Meaning of the $160K–$190K Budget Parameter (Notice to Offerors)

• Question: Is the established $160,000–$190,000 base-year budget parameter an anticipated pricing range for evaluation purposes, a maximum available funding amount, or a firm ceiling above which a quotation will be considered unacceptable?

• Answer: The $160,000–$190,000 parameter represents the anticipated maximum available funding per performance period. It is not a strict statutory ceiling; however, quotes that significantly exceed this range risk being deemed un-awardable due to a lack of available funds. Therefore, offerors are highly encouraged to use the flexibility provided in the Notice to Offerors to scale or tailor their Technical Approach to fit within this target budget range to ensure their quote remains viable for award. These budget parameters are applicable for each subsequent option period except the last option period of six months which will be half ($80,000 to $95,000) of the of the budget perimeter listed for this solicitation.

Q48. Intellectual Property Ownership and Transition (PWS 5.8 & 5.10)

• Question: Please clarify Government ownership and transition requirements for websites, domains, landing pages, creative files, campaign data, analytics data, DAM assets, AMP configurations, dashboards, source files, and other systems developed under the contract, including the required transition to a successor contractor at contract expiration.

• Answer: In accordance with standard data rights clauses for specialized work performed under Government contract, all raw data, domains (e.g., guardthezia.com), generated leads, custom graphics, video source files, and analytical dashboards produced or maintained directly under the funding of this contract are the exclusive property of the Government. Upon contract expiration, the contractor must execute a 30-day phase-out period, during which they must transfer all source files, administrative credentials, and database records to the

Government or the successor contractor. Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software licenses or proprietary algorithms owned by the contractor prior to award remain the property of the contractor, but the data processed through them must be surrendered in a standard readable format (e.g., CSV, MP4, PDF).

Q49. Baselines for Performance Metric Requirements (PWS 5.14 & Exhibit A)

• Question: For performance requirements expressed as increases over time, such as the minimum 5% quarterly increase in organic audience engagement, will

NMARNG provide an established baseline and historical performance data? If not, will the Contractor's initial audit establish the baseline against which subsequent performance is measured?

• Answer: The Contractor's initial audit and performance reports will establish the baseline against which the minimum 5% quarterly increase in organic audience engagement will be measured.

Q50. Incumbent Historical Level of Effort (LOE)

• Question: Can you provide the historical level of effort (LOE), such as labor categories, full-time equivalents (FTEs), or staffing hours, utilized on the incumbent contract? Additionally, does the Government anticipate that the staffing and level of effort will remain the same for this new requirement?

• Answer: The Government does not dictate a mandatory Level of Effort (LOE) or specific FTE count for this Firm-Fixed-Price requirement. Offerors are responsible for determining the optimal staffing mix, labor categories, and hours required to successfully execute their proposed Technical Approach as this is a performance based requirement. Historical LOE data from the incumbent is proprietary to their business model and will not be disclosed, as offerors are encouraged to quote innovative or more efficient staffing structures to meet the

PWS objectives within the stated budget parameters.

Q51. Program Manager and Account Manager Experience Thresholds

• Question: Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 of the PWS outline specific two-year experience thresholds for proposed personnel (such as the Program Manager's requirement for a minimum of two years of military recruitment marketing experience). If an offeror quotes personnel who possess highly relevant, direct experience supporting another State Army National Guard marketing and recruitment program for slightly less than the two-year mark (e.g., 18 months of continuous direct performance), will the Government consider this sufficient to satisfy the requirement based on the strength and direct relevance of the work, or is the two-year threshold a firm, mandatory minimum?

• Answer: The Government will not consider 18 months of continuous direct performance sufficient to satisfy the requirement. The two-year threshold is a mandatory minimum.

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