FY27 - Kris Allen Guest Vocalist for the USAF Band of Mid-America

The 375th Contracting Squadron of the Department of the Air Force is procuring guest vocalist services on behalf of the USAF Band of Mid-America to secure Kris Allen as featured guest vocalist for the Band's 2026 Spirit of the Season concert series. Quotations are due November 4, 2026 at noon CST, and questions are due November 2, 2026 at noon CST. The Set Aside line is Total Small Business, and a brand-name justification makes Kris Allen essential personnel with no substitutions accepted.

Amendment A01, issued October 29, 2026, sets the period of performance at November 9 through December 10, 2026, and requires the contractor to arrange and fund all artist travel, lodging, ground transportation, meals, and incidentals within the firm-fixed price across CLINs 0001-0005. The amendment also requires a detailed price breakdown, sets November 9 as the deadline for the final set list and promotional materials, and freezes music changes after November 18, 2026 except by Music Director approval.

Rehearsals take place December 2-3 in O'Fallon, Illinois. Performances take place December 4 at Powell Hall in St. Louis, December 8 at the Missouri Theater in Columbia, and December 9 at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Government records the December 4, 8, and 9 performances under a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free perpetual license, and the contractor must obtain third-party permissions for any music or photographs used. Kris Allen must perform 10-14 featured works from memory for 30-35 minutes per concert and publish at least three promotional social media posts by December 2, 2026. Within two business days of award, the apparent successful quoter must provide written pre-award confirmation from Kris Allen's authorized representative that the dates are held and terms are acceptable.

The brand-name justification lists six salient characteristics: finalist status in a nationally televised competition (American Idol, The Voice, America's Got Talent, or Nashville Star); National Anthem performances at major sporting events; top 20 placement on the Billboard Hot 100; vocal range of C#3 to A#4; a recorded Christmas album; and social reach of 360,000 Spotify monthly listeners, 50,000 YouTube subscribers, and 68,000 Instagram followers.

The Government awards a single firm-fixed-price contract using Lowest Price Technically Acceptable evaluation. Three technical factors are rated Acceptable or Unacceptable: booking approach and schedule commitment, evidence of ability to secure Kris Allen, and media, publicity, and promotional permissions. Price is evaluated for fair and reasonableness. The NAICS code is 711320 with a $22 million small business standard, and the PSC is R426.

The current notice states no award value. The original SOW withholds payment for missed services if Kris Allen cannot perform due to illness, injury, or unforeseen cancellation. Under the Questions and Answers attachment, a Government-canceled rehearsal or performance allows a settlement request for documented, nonrefundable costs incurred after the artist has traveled, capped at the affected CLIN price and subject to contracting officer approval.