26QA046 Government Responses to Questions Update 1.pdf

RFI# Date Received RFI Text Government's Response Clarification (C), Change to PWS or

Change in Solicitation

Reference

1 14-Sep What is the current kW rating of the existing 160kVA Liebert

UPS? Is it a unity power factor or .9/.8 where the actual kW is less than 160kVA.E15

The SOW (Paragraph 4.2) requires a 'Minimum 200 kVA / 200 kW capacity (or manufacturer’s closest standard rating that meets or exceeds 200 kVA)' for the replacement UPS. Please refer to the solicitation amendments and updated Section C - UPSS Description of Requirement and

Installation SOW Rev2.pdf for details. Information about the existing capacity is not necessary, as the requirement is for a new UPS of increased capacity, but is provided for reference only.

The existing Liebert Model 38SA160A0A00S96 is rated at 160 kVA / 160 kW (Unity Power

Factor).

Change Section C, DOR-

SOW, Paragraph 4.2

2 14-Sep If it is less, would a 150kVA/150kW UPS be an acceptable deviation?

No. The Government requires a minimum 200 kVA / 200 kW UPS. A 150 kVA or 150 kW UPS is not acceptable. No deviations will be accepted. The proposed solution will either meet or exceed the requirements described in Section C - UPSS Description of Requirement and Installation SOW

Rev2, paragraph 4.2. The updated SOW (Paragraph 4.2) now requires a 'Minimum 200 kVA / 200 kW capacity (or manufacturer’s closest standard rating that meets or exceeds 200 kVA)'. Therefore, a 150kVA/150kW UPS does not meet the minimum capacity requirements.

Clarification Section C, DOR-

SOW, Paragraph 4.2

3 14-Sep If it has to be 160kVA/160kW, would you accept two 80kVA

UPSs paralleled together to provide the same capacity?

No. See updated Section C - UPSS Description of Requirement and Installation SOW Rev2. The

Government requires a single 200 kVA UPS. Proposals offering two or more smaller paralleled

UPS units (such as 2x 80 kVA or 2x 100 kVA) to achieve the required capacity are not acceptable.

Clarification Section C, DOR-

SOW, Paragraph 4.2

4 14-Sep Is Buy American Act or Trade Agreement Act a requirement? Quoters must comply with the terms and provisions incorporated in this solicitation. Pursuant to

FAR Part 25 and DFARS Part 225, this acquisition incorporates DFARS 252.225-7021 (Trade

Agreements) and DFARS 252.225-7020 (Trade Agreements Certificate). All offered equipment must be U.S.-made or designated country end products. Bids proposing end products manufactured in non-designated countries (such as the People's Republic of China) will be deemed non-responsive and ineligible for award. The solicitation has been amended accordingly to include the applicable provisions and clauses.

****Superseded by Question 33****

Change, Solicitation, Provisions and Clauses

SF 1449

W912LR26QA046 Purchase of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for PRARNG Facilities

Government Answers to RFIs

Update 1, Revision 17 Sep 2026

5 14-Sep For the 10kVA UPSs, are those single phase or three phase power?

Single Phase Clarification Section C, DOR-

SOW, Paragraph 4.3

6 14-Sep What is the footprint available for the space on the 160kVA

UPS?

Space available is 17'10" x 4'10" Information None

7 14-Sep Nonmanufacturer rule: The RFQ is a 100% small-business set-aside under NAICS 335999 and includes commercial UPS equipment plus installation. Does the SBA nonmanufacturer rule apply to this procurement? If yes, has a class or individual waiver been issued, or must the end-item manufacturer itself qualify as a small business under the applicable size standard?

This acquisition is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS Code 335999.

The Nonmanufacturer Rule (FAR 19.102 and 13 CFR 121.406) applies to this requirement.

If the apparent successful quoter is a small business manufacturer, no further action is required.

If the apparent successful offeror is a small business reseller/dealer (non-manufacturer), it must supply the end product of a small business manufacturer or obtain an SBA-approved

Nonmanufacturer Rule Waiver for NAICS 335999 specific to this procurement.

No SBA Nonmanufacturer Rule waiver has been requested or granted for this solicitation.

Therefore, small business resellers must ensure that the UPS systems they offer are manufactured by a small business concern under NAICS 335999 in order to be eligible for award.

Compliance with the Nonmanufacturer Rule will be verified prior to award.

Information None

8 14-Sep Site visit: Is any pre-award site visit required or available for

Building 552 before quote submission, particularly to verify rigging/access, existing Liebert removal, electrical terminations, EPO and FM-200 interfaces?

A site visit has been included to allow quoters an opportunity to inspect the site. Participation is voluntary. The Government has provided photos in Technical Exhibit 1 to assist quoters with existing footprint, clearances, and conditions. See SAM.notice update for information required for

Site Visit.

Information SAM Notice

9 14-Sep Licensing: May the small-business prime use a properly licensed Puerto Rico electrical subcontractor for the 160 kVA electrical installation/terminations, permits, EPO and FM-200 interface work, consistent with all applicable subcontracting limitations?

Yes, the small business prime contractor may use a properly licensed electrical and fire suppression subcontractor to perform the electrical installation, terminations, permits, EPO installation, and gas fire suppression system interface work. The prime contractor remains fully responsible for the performance of the subcontractor and must ensure that all work is performed by personnel holding the appropriate Puerto Rico electrical contractor licenses required by the Commonwealth of Puerto

Rico in accordance with the local governing laws and regulations for these professions.

Clarification None

10 14-Sep Bonding: Does the Government require a bid bond, performance bond, payment bond, or other project bond for this RFQ? If so, please state the amount/percentage and due timing.

No. The Government does not require bid bonds or payment and performance bonds. This is not a construction project. This is a supply-buy acquisition for UPS with one delivery only (10 kVA batteries) and one replacement/installation (200 kVA).

Information None

11 14-Sep Domestic-content requirements: Please confirm which Buy

American, Trade Agreements Act, or other country-of-origin requirements apply to the UPS systems and battery cabinets/accessories under this RFQ.

See answer to Question 4, for BAA/TAA inquiries.

****Superseded by Question 33****

Information None

12 14-Sep Technical equivalency: The SOW states minimum performance requirements. Are brand-neutral systems acceptable so long as the proposed UPS equipment meets or exceeds every stated technical requirement, including online double-conversion topology and minimum 30-minute runtime at full load?

This is a brand-neutral, supply-buy with incidental installation serviuces. Performance in the context of this acquisition is pertaining to the performance (technical) and salient characteristics of the equipment to be procured . Brand-neutral systems are acceptable. Any UPS system that meets or exceeds all minimum technical requirements stated in the Statement of Work will be considered technically acceptable, including (but not limited to):

Online double-conversion topology

Minimum 30-minute runtime at full load (200 kW for the 200 kVA unit and 10 kW for the 10 kVA units)

Lithium-ion batteries for the 200 kVA UPS (with BMS)

VRLA batteries for the 10 kVA UPS units

Required EPO functionality (full shutdown and isolation from bypass)

Dry-contact interface with the building’s gas fire suppression system

All other performance, electrical, and monitoring requirements

Clarification None

13 15-Sep Confirm the current September 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Puerto

Rico local deadline and whether any amendments, additional attachments, or published Q&A have been issued.

This is in the solicitation instructions and SAM notice. Please refer to the latest solicitation amendment on SAM.gov for the most current deadlines and Q&A attachments.

Information None

14 15-Sep The applicable reseller/nonmanufacturer and product-source requirement or waiver, if any, for the 100% small-business set-aside.

This acquisition is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS Code 335999.

The Nonmanufacturer Rule (FAR 19.102 and 13 CFR 121.406) applies to this requirement.

If the apparent successful offeror is a small business manufacturer, no further action is required.

If the apparent successful offeror is a small business reseller/dealer (non-manufacturer), it must supply the end product of a small business manufacturer or obtain an SBA-approved

Nonmanufacturer Rule Waiver for NAICS 335999 specific to this procurement.

No SBA Nonmanufacturer Rule waiver has been requested or granted for this solicitation.

Therefore, small business resellers must ensure that the UPS systems they offer are manufactured by a small business concern under NAICS 335999 in order to be eligible for award.

Compliance with the Nonmanufacturer Rule will be verified prior to award.

Information None

15 15-Sep Whether Juan A. Colon or Javier Olivo Bachiller can be reached through a Government email or other approved routing for the site/electrical and FM-200 interface questions.

No. The SAM notice specifies that questions are sent to the same address required for submission of quotes. Sending questions to personnel outside the contracting office or to an email address other than ng.prarng.purchasing-and-contracting.mbx@army.mil WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED as valid and timely questions, even if received by Mr. Juan A. Colon or Mr. Javier Olivo Bachiller. The contracting office is the ONLY authorized office to received and provided responses to preserve the integrity of the competition.

Information None

16 15-Sep Whether manufacturer data-sheet and battery-curve pages count within the 10-page technical-volume maximum.

Yes. Manufacturer data sheets, battery discharge curves, efficiency curves, dimensional drawings, and any other supporting technical documentation count toward the 10-page technical volume limit.

Quoters are asked to provide only the information required to allow the Government to review and evaluate if the proposed equipment meets or exceeds the requirements. Quoters are advised to exercise good judgement in what information is included in this volume, and avoid long and elaborate introductions, information not requested or not directly required for this volume or information required in other volumes.

Information None

17 15-Sep Confirm the current September 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Puerto

Rico local deadline, any question cutoff, and whether amendments or additional attachments have been issued.

This is in the solicitation instructions and SAM notice. Please refer to the latest solicitation amendment on SAM.gov for the most current deadlines and Q&A attachments.

Information None

18 15-Sep For a small-business reseller using an OEM and Puerto Rico installation subcontractor, please confirm the applicable nonmanufacturer/product-source requirements and whether any waiver applies.

This requirement is set aside 100% for Small Business under NAICS code 335999.

For a small business reseller (non-manufacturer) to be eligible for award under this set-aside, the offeror must comply with the Nonmanufacturer Rule (FAR 19.102 and 13 CFR 121.406).

The small business reseller must supply the product of a small business manufacturer, or

The small business reseller must obtain a Nonmanufacturer Rule waiver from the SBA for this

NAICS code and specific product.

Currently, no SBA Nonmanufacturer Rule waiver has been requested or granted for this procurement.

Therefore, if the quoter is a small business reseller (not the actual manufacturer of the UPS), the

UPS units being proposed must be manufactured by a small business under NAICS 335999.

The installation subcontractor being located in Puerto Rico has no bearing on the nonmanufacturer rule compliance.

Information None

19 15-Sep Please provide any available room footprint/door clearances, existing one-line and panel/breaker ratings, approximate interconnect lengths, and existing bypass configuration for

Bldg. 552; clarify whether prequote access is available or only the limited post-award verification visit.

The Government has provided photos in Technical Exhibit 1 to assist with understanding the existing footprint, clearances, and conditions. A site visit has been included to allow quoters an opportunity to inspect the site. Participation is voluntary.

Change See Section C, Attachment Technical

Exhibit 1, in the document

20 15-Sep Does the 30-minute full-load requirement mean 160 kW for the large UPS and the offered full rated kW for each 10 kVA unit?

If a larger standard UPS rating is offered, is battery runtime evaluated at 160 kW or its full offered rating? Confirm the 10 kVA phase, input/output and connection requirements.

Runtime Requirement for the 200 kVA UPS

The 30-minute runtime requirement for the 200 kVA UPS shall be evaluated at 200 kW (full rated output).

The Government is not requiring 30 minutes at 160 kW. If an offeror proposes a larger UPS (e.g.

225 kVA / 225 kW), the 30-minute runtime will be evaluated at the full rated kW output of the proposed UPS.

Runtime Requirement for the 10 kVA UPS

The 30-minute runtime requirement for each 10 kVA UPS shall be evaluated at 10 kW (full rated output).

10 kVA UPS Electrical Requirements

The 10 kVA UPS units shall be 208/120V, three-phase, input and output.

Quoters shall provide appropriate input and output circuit breakers or terminals suitable for hardwired installation.

21 15-Sep Please identify the FM-200 interface contact/available point information and whether Government fire-system personnel will support coordinated interface tests. Confirm the intended shutdown/isolation-from-bypass acceptance sequence and permitted cutover windows.

Gas Fire Suppression System Interface & Testing a.The UPS room is equipped with a suitable gas fire suppression system. The contractor is responsible for providing the dry-contact interface on the UPS side only. This includes:

i.Input for a shutdown signal from the fire suppression system (must initiate full UPS shutdown and isolation from bypass).

ii.Output dry contacts for UPS status (On Battery, UPS Fault, UPS Shutdown).

iii.Government fire system personnel will support coordination and testing of the interface during the commissioning phase.

Clarification Section C, DOR-

SOW, existing conditions

22 15-Sep The SOW describes 95% double-conversion efficiency as preferred, while Section M calls for compliance including efficiency. Please clarify whether 95% is mandatory.

The SOW describes 95% double-conversion efficiency as preferred, while Section M calls for compliance including efficiency. Please clarify whether 95% is mandatory.

Government Response:

The 95% efficiency in double-conversion mode is preferred, but not mandatory.

The Government prefers a UPS with a minimum efficiency of 95% in double-conversion mode.

However, a proposal will not be considered technically unacceptable solely for failing to meet 95% efficiency.

Clarification None

23 15-Sep Sections B and I appear inconsistent on IUID: the line items require it, but both are listed in the paragraph (c)(1)(i) exception table. Please confirm marking/reporting requirements.

IUID is NOT required for this procurement. The references to IUID in Sections B and I were included in error. Offerors shall disregard any IUID marking or reporting requirements for this solicitation. No IUID marking, registration in the IUID registry, or reporting is required.

Change SF 1449

24 15-Sep Please confirm any applicable wage determination for incidental installation and whether additional labor clauses are intended. Please also confirm that manufacturer battery-curve/data-sheet pages count toward the 10-page technical volume limit

This is a supply-buy with incidental installation services. The primary purpose of this acquisition is to "supply" a product (the UPS). One line item is for replacement/supply of new UPS (200 kVA) and another is strictly delivery (10 kVA UPS). Per RFO Part 22.1002-1, Service Contract Labor

Standards - Applicability , paragraph (b) "This subpart applies to all Government contracts, the principal purpose of which is to furnish services in the United States through the use of service employees. ". This procurement is not subject to Construction Wage Requirements Statute (Davis

Bacon), because (1), this is not construction nor alteration, modernization, repair of real property/public buildings, (2) the UPS are considered fixed personnal property (3) Davis Bacon

(CWRS) does not apply to federal awards in Puerto Rico (see US BOL DBA:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/prevailing-wage-resource-book/dbra-coverage#:~:text=The%20DBA%20does%20not%20apply,Davis%2DBacon%20prevailing%20wag e%20rates).

For the page limit question, refer to Question 16.

25 15-Sep We need the brand name of the FM-200 system currently installed at the site.

SEVO Force500 Information None

26 15-Sep Could you provide photos of the FM-200 cylinder and the valve?

Multiple photographs of the existing UPS, battery cabinets, and the UPS room (including the gas fire suppression system) are provided in Attachment 1 of the SOW.

Information None

27 15-Sep Regarding the UPS network card, I understand we can leave it installed; however, configuring it within your system involves many steps, so ideally, the office IT staff should handle the configuration.

The contractor is responsible for installing the network management card in the UPS and ensuring basic communication and network connectivity is established (i.e., the card obtains an IP address and is reachable on the network).

However, final configuration, integration into the Government’s network monitoring system, SNMP community strings, security settings, and any custom alerting shall be performed by Government IT staff after delivery and installation.

The contractor’s responsibility ends once the network card is installed, powered on, and confirmed to have basic network connectivity. The contractor is not required to perform detailed configuration of the network card to match the Government’s specific monitoring platform.

Clarification Section C, DOR-SOW

28 16-Sep The PR Army National Guard JFHQ-PR BLDG. 552 at Fort

Buchanan currently have a 160 kVA UPS, which is possibly operating at approximately 40% to 60% of its capacity. If you are now requesting a higher-capacity 200 kVA UPS, I would like to ask whether this is because additional servers will be installed in the existing computer room? Current trends in data centers generally focus on reducing power consumption, particularly as more information and services are hosted in the cloud and therefore require less power within the physical data center.

The decision to increase capacity from 160 kVA to 200 kVA is based on the Government’s anticipated future electrical load requirements and the desire to provide additional headroom for this critical facility.

The contractor shall connect the new 200 kVA UPS to the existing electrical infrastructure as described in the Section C DOR-SOW. The contractor is responsible only for making final terminations from the nearest available electrical panel. The Government does not anticipate that major modifications to the existing facility electrical infrastructure will be required.

Multiple photographs of the existing UPS installation, battery cabinets, room layout, and fire suppression system are provided in Attachment 1 of Section C DOR-SOW to assist offerors in their preparation of quotations.

Clarification Section C, DOR-SOW

29 16-Sep Increasing the UPS capacity to 200 kVA would require significant electrical modifications, including, among other considerations, increasing the breaker size, changing the cable gauge, modifying the electrical conduits, and verifying that adequate space is available for the new equipment.

A properly planned electrical installation for a new 200 kVA

UPS should ideally include a new electrical pathway rather than relying on the existing one. Using the existing pathway would require determining whether the current cabling can be safely removed from the existing electrical conduits. It could also require a complete shutdown of the computer room to remove the existing cabling and install the new cabling. For projects of this nature, the preferred approach is to establish a new electrical cable route so that power to the data center is not interrupted and any required electrical shutdown associated with connecting the new equipment is kept to the absolute minimum.

The room is currently occupied by operational racks, so the floor tiles would need to be lifted, and the area carefully evaluated. Given the very short timeframe for submitting this proposal, I believe local electricians should be given the opportunity to properly assess the site in coordination with the building's facilities personnel and to evaluate the electrical requirements associated with this higher-capacity equipment.

The requirement is for a 200 kVA UPS to be installed using the existing electrical infrastructure to the maximum extent practicable. The contractor is responsible for making final terminations from the nearest available electrical panel, furnishing any required breakers and short interconnect wiring as necessary.

The contractor is not responsible for major electrical infrastructure upgrades such as new main feeders, new electrical panels, or extensive conduit runs from the main switchgear. The Statement of Work (Section C DOR-SOW) has been written with the expectation that the existing electrical service to the room is adequate to support the new 200 kVA UPS.

Site Visit:

An optional site visit will be coordinated for interested offerors. Details, including POC information and scheduling, are provided in the SOW. Quoters are strongly encouraged to attend the site visit to assess the existing conditions, available space, cable routing, and electrical panel locations.

Photographs of the existing UPS, battery system, and UPS room are included in Attachment 1 to assist offerors in the interim.

The maximum allowable downtime at Bldg. 552 remains 8 hours. The use of a manufacturer-approved bypass or other mitigation methods is permitted to minimize operational impact during cutover.

Clarification Section C, DOR-SOW

30 16-Sep Whether it would be possible to submit a partial quotation for the project? Example only the (4) 10Kva UPS

No, terms and conditions do not contemplate multiple or partial awards from this requirement. A partial submission is not acceptable.

Clarification Solicitation, SF 1449

31 16-Sep Section 5 in the attached says the 10kVA to be 1ph, however, section 20 says the 10kVA should be 3ph 208V in, 208/120V out. Can you clarify which one is correct? (this refers to

Question 20)

The four (4) 10 kVA UPS units shall be Single Phase.

• Input: 208/120V, Single Phase

• Output: 208/120V, Single Phase

The reference in Section 20 stating “3ph 208V in, 208/120V out” was included in error.

Clarification Question 20, Government

Responses to

Questions

32 16-Sep Question pertaining Section 5, confirm if the input Voltage is

208V and output is 208v/120v or if it is 208v in/out.

For the 10 kVA UPS units, the correct voltage configuration is:

• Input: 208/120V, Single Phase

• Output: 208/120V, Single Phase

The output is split-phase (208V line-to-line and 120V line-to-neutral). It is not 208V in / 208V out.

Clarification Question 20, Government

Responses to

Questions

33 16-Sep Also, for the TAA complaint DFARs rating, is that just for the

UPSs and not batteries or transformers or is it all of the equipment in total?”

This answer supersedes responses to RFI Questions 4 and 11 to clarify applicability of BAA.

Because this solicitation is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside, the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) does not apply. Instead, the Buy American Act (BAA) applies to this procurement.

Under the BAA, compliance is evaluated at the end product level. The complete UPS system—which includes the UPS, batteries, transformers, and any associated accessories—is considered the single end product. To be eligible for award, the offered equipment must qualify as a

'domestic end product' or a 'qualifying country end product' in accordance with DFARS 252.225-

7001. Because the 200 kVA UPS system is configured to meet specific facility requirements (such as runtime, voltage step-down, and fire-system interfaces), it is considered a Commercial Product but does not meet the strict definition of a Commercially Available Off-the-Shelf (COTS) item.

Therefore, to qualify as a domestic end product, the UPS system must be manufactured in the

United States, and the cost of its domestic and qualifying country components (including batteries and transformers) must exceed 65% of the cost of all its components. Quoters must formally certify their compliance by completing the provision at DFARS 252.225-7000 included in the solicitation.

Please note that regardless of BAA compliance, no equipment or components may be sourced from statutorily prohibited nations or entities.

Clarification, Change RFI Questions 4, 11, SF 1449