DOS Domestic Light Construction Multiple Award IDIQ Requirement

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document contains questions submitted by potential offerors and the Department of State's (DOS) responses, clarifying various aspects of the solicitation.

• Page Limitations: Bonding capability letters and financial reports (including income statements) submitted in an Appendix do not count towards page limitations. Title and cover pages are also excluded from the technical proposal page count.

• Document Submission: SF 1442 and Section K (Reps and Certs) should be submitted as standalone documents, not within Volumes I or II.

• Attachments: Attachment 3 is a listing of DOS and GSA Facilities, not a pricing document. Attachment 2 (Section B Pricing Spreadsheet) will be used for price evaluation, with CLINs on pages 7-8 to be completed by the Government at award.

• Performance of Work: FAR Clause 52.236-1 has been revised to require contractors to self-perform 15% of the contract cost, aligning with the SOW.

• Past Performance: Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) will not be accepted directly from offerors or subcontractors; they must be completed by the customer and submitted directly to the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contract Specialist (CS). CPARS will not be accepted in lieu of PPQs for Factor 4.

• Security Clearances: Offerors without an active Facility Clearance (FCL) will be sponsored by DOS. A DD Form 254 will be issued upon task order award, not pre-award.

• SAM Registration: Offerors do not need to submit separate evidence of SAM registration; the CAGE or UEI code should be provided on the title/cover page, and registration will be verified.

• Pricing: Fully burdened labor rates submitted at the IDIQ level are for evaluation purposes only and will not act as ceiling rates for task orders. Task orders will be awarded as Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP).

• Workload: The government does not currently have a workload percentage for each zone; task orders will be competed as needed.

• Award Information: The government intends to award 3-5 IDIQs per zone using a Best Value Tradeoff process. Task orders will be evaluated on a Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) basis.

• Proposal due date extended to February 20, 2026, by 4:00 PM ET.

• Technical proposal page limit increased to 20 pages via Amendment 0001.

• Attachment 2 will be revised to include architecture discipline labor categories.

• FAR 52.236-1 revised to 15% self-performance requirement.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) aims to execute a broad range of Design/Build (D/B) and Design-Bid-Build (DBB) facility construction, repair, and renovation projects for civilian stakeholders across the United States. The aggregate value of all task orders will not exceed $50,000,000.

• Projects include new construction, repair, and renovation of federal facilities.

• Estimated project size for task orders ranges from $2k to $3M, with an average duration of six months to two years.

• Work encompasses site clearing, earthwork, utilities, roads, concrete, masonry, building renovation, new construction, asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, structural steel, carpentry, roofing, sheet metal, doors, windows, painting, flooring, mechanical/electrical systems, fire protection, and HVAC.

• May also include stream bank stabilization, ecosystem restoration, and flood damage reduction activities.

• Design-Build task orders require professional Architect-Engineer (A-E) services, including design analysis, planning, development, CAD, BIM, COBIE, site assessments, geotechnical and environmental investigations, construction documentation, and cost estimates.

• A Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is established to monitor and verify work quality against contractual requirements, industry standards, and regulatory guidelines.

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will track schedule, cost, quality, safety, design effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction.

• Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) will be defined for construction elements, categorizing defects and setting limits.

• The MATOC has a one-year base period with four (4) one-year option periods, for a total potential contract period of five years or until the $50M limit is reached.

• Performance will be at federal installations across the United States.

• Competition is limited to Small Business (SB) concerns.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov for NAICS code 236220.

• Task Orders will be Firm Fixed-Price and awarded using Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procedures, with technical factors evaluated as acceptable/not acceptable.

• Contractors must comply with wage rate requirements (Davis-Bacon Act).

• Bonding requirements (Performance Bond, Payment Bond, Letter of Credit) apply.

• Personnel identified in the proposal must be accepted by the Government; substitutions require consent.

• Access to federal installations may require specific training.

• Security requirements, including personnel clearances and safeguarding of information (classified, SBU), are detailed and must be adhered to.

Amendment / Modification

• Responses to Questions: This amendment provides responses to questions received via Q&A 2, offering clarifications to potential bidders.

• FAR Clause Update: FAR 52.236-1, "Performance of Work by the Contractor," has been updated. The required percentage of work to be performed by the contractor's own organization has been changed from 35% to 15% to correspond with the Statement of Work.

• Closing Date/Time: The closing date and time for offers has been updated to February 20, 2026, at 16:00 ET US/Eastern.

• All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged.

• FAR 52.236-1, "Performance of Work by the Contractor"

• Solicitation closing date/time

• Clarifications based on vendor questions (Q&A 2)

• Bidders must adhere to the new proposal submission deadline of February 20, 2026, 16:00 ET US/Eastern.

• The reduction in the self-performance requirement from 35% to 15% under FAR 52.236-1 may affect how bidders structure their proposals regarding staffing and subcontracting.

• Bidders should review the provided Q&A 2 responses for important clarifications that may impact their proposal preparation and understanding of requirements.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a pricing spreadsheet intended for bidders to provide their proposed labor rates for various zones. Bidders are instructed to complete fully burdened pricing for every labor category within the applicable tab for the zone they intend to propose on. For zones where a proposal will not be submitted, the corresponding tabs should be left empty.

• The spreadsheet contains multiple sheets, each representing a different geographic zone (Zone 1: Blackstone, VA; Zone 2: Charleston, SC; Zone 3: Denver, CO; NCR: Washington D.C.).
• Each zone sheet lists numerous labor categories across different functional areas (e.g., Construction Administration, Construction, Architecture, Engineering, Quality Control).
• For each labor category, bidders must provide pricing for a Base Year (2025-2026) and four Option Years (2026-2030).
• A "Total Evaluated Price" is calculated per year and overall.
• Bidders must identify which zone they are submitting their proposal for and may only propose for one zone.

This spreadsheet is critical for bidders to detail their proposed costs. It directly impacts the "Total Evaluated Price" which will be used for evaluation purposes. Accurate and complete pricing in the selected zone's tab is required for a proposal to be considered for award. Bidders must adhere to the instructions regarding zone selection and pricing completion.

Amendment / Modification

• The solicitation is amended to include responses to questions received from vendors.

• The deadline for proposal submission (hour and date) is extended.

• Section L-002, Factor 1 (Demonstrated Experience) has been revised to extend the evidence submission deadline from 90 days to 365 days before proposal submission.

• FAR 52.236-1 (Performance of Work by the Contractor) has been revised to change the percentage from 51% to 35%.

• The page limit for Volume I: Technical Proposal has been increased from 15 pages to 20 pages.

• Section L-002, Factor 1 (Demonstrated Experience)

• FAR 52.236-1

• Volume I: Technical Proposal page limit

• Proposal submission deadline is extended.

• Technical proposal page limit increased.

• Evidence submission deadline for Demonstrated Experience extended.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides clarifications and answers to vendor questions regarding Solicitation 19AQMM26R0012.

• Award Anticipation: The Government anticipates awarding three (3) to five (5) IDIQs per zone, but reserves the right to award fewer or more.
• Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs): Only PPQs completed by prior customers and submitted directly to the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Specialist (CS) from the customer will be accepted. Previously completed PPQs or CPARS submitted by the offeror will not be accepted.
• Proposal Submission Limit: Offerors are strictly limited to submitting one proposal for only one zone. Proposals for other zones will not be considered.
• Technical Proposal Page Limit: The page limit for the technical volume has been increased to 20 pages. Resumes will not count against this limit, but financials will.
• Financial Statement Date: Financials must be dated no more than 365 days before the proposal due date. 2025 CPA reviewed financials will be acceptable if 2026 financials are not ready.
• Bonding Capability Letter: This letter can be provided as an Appendix to Volume I: Technical Volume and does not count against the page limit.
• Performance of Work Percentage: FAR 52.236-1 has been revised to change the performance of work percentage from 51% to 35%.
• Project Value for Past Performance: The Government seeks demonstrated experience and past performance for projects similar in size, scope, and complexity to those identified in the RFP and SOW. Projects over $3 million will be evaluated at the same level of confidence as projects between $2K to $3M.
• Joint Venture Experience: Offerors can use experience gained as a Joint Venture (JV) if it addresses the RFP requirements, provided the role within the JV is clearly defined.

Several key requirements have been clarified or revised, including proposal submission limits, page counts, financial statement validity, performance of work percentages, and the acceptance of past performance information. Bidders must adhere to the one-proposal-per-zone rule and ensure PPQs are submitted directly by customers.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a pricing spreadsheet intended for bidders to submit their proposed labor rates for various zones. It requires bidders to provide fully burdened pricing for each labor category within a selected zone.

• The spreadsheet contains multiple sheets, each corresponding to a specific geographic zone (Zone 1: Blackstone, VA; Zone 2: Charleston, SC; Zone 3: Denver, CO; NCR: Washington D.C.).

• Each zone sheet lists numerous labor categories across different functional areas (e.g., Construction Administration, Construction, Quality Control, Engineering disciplines).

• Bidders must complete pricing for the Base Year (2025-2026) and four Option Years (2026-2030) for each labor category in their proposed zone.

• For zones where a bidder is not submitting a proposal, the corresponding sheet should be left empty.

• A "Total Evaluated Price" is calculated per year and overall.

• Bidders must select and propose for only ONE zone.

• Fully burdened pricing must be provided for every labor category in the selected zone's tab.

• Tabs for zones not being proposed on should be left blank.

• The "Total evaluated price" will be used for evaluation purposes only.

This spreadsheet is critical for bidders to detail their proposed costs. Accurate and complete pricing in the selected zone is required for a proposal to be considered for award. The format dictates how cost information must be presented for evaluation.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This Excel file, "Attachment 3 - DOS Fed Facilities.xlsx", provides a list of Department of State (DOS) owned and leased facilities. It is intended to inform potential bidders about the locations and types of facilities relevant to the opportunity.

The document contains two sheets:

• DOS Owned Facilities: Lists various DOS-owned facilities across different states, including their codes, names, and addresses.
• GSA Leased Facilities: Lists GSA-leased facilities, also including codes, names, and addresses.

This attachment is crucial for bidders to understand the geographical scope and potential operational locations associated with the opportunity. It helps in assessing logistical requirements, resource allocation, and overall feasibility for providing services at these specified facilities.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) aims to execute a broad range of Design/Build (D/B) and Design-Bid-Build (DBB) facility construction, repair, and renovation projects for civilian stakeholders across the United States. The contract has an aggregate value not to exceed $50,000,000.

• Projects include new construction, repair, and renovation of federal facilities.

• Estimated task order project size ranges from $2,000 to $3,000,000, with an average duration of six months to two years.

• Work encompasses site clearing, earthwork, utilities, roads, concrete, masonry, building renovation, new construction, asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, structural steel, carpentry, roofing, siding, sheet metal, doors, windows, painting, flooring, mechanical/electrical work, fire systems, HVAC, and specialized equipment facilities.

• May also include incidentals like stream bank stabilization, habitat restoration, and flood damage reduction.

• Task Orders will be Firm Fixed-Price, awarded using Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procedures, with technical factors assessed as acceptable or not acceptable.

• A Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is established to monitor and verify work quality against contractual requirements, industry standards, and regulatory guidelines.

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will track schedule, cost, quality, safety, design effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction.

• The MATOC has a one-year base period with four (4) one-year option periods, for a total potential contract period of five years or until the $50M limit is reached.

• Performance will be at federal installations across the United States.

• Competition is limited to Small Business (SB) concerns.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov for NAICS code 236220.

• Design-Build task orders require qualified Architect-Engineer (A-E) firms with specific multi-discipline capabilities.

• Performance and Payment Bonds, or Irrevocable Letters of Credit, are required for task orders above certain thresholds.

• Contractors must comply with wage rate requirements (Davis-Bacon Act).

• Strict security requirements apply, including personnel clearances and safeguarding of classified and Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) information, particularly for Department of State facilities.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation for a firm-fixed-price multiple award Design/Build and Design-Bid-Build Construction contract. The solicitation number is 19AQMM26R0012, issued on January 12, 2026, with proposals due by February 11, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET.

• The contract is for "CONSTRUCTION OF OFFICE BUILDINGS" with a primary PSC code of Y1AA.

• The Statement of Work (SOW) is provided as Attachment 1.

• The contract will be awarded on an aggregate basis for all solicitation items.

• Proposals must offer all line items specified in Section B to be eligible for award.

• This is a firm-fixed-price multiple award Design/Build and Design-Bid-Build Construction contract.

• The minimum contract amount is $10,000.00.

• The maximum contract amount (including options) is $50,000,000.

• Performance periods for the base and option years are outlined, starting from March 2, 2026, through March 1, 2031.

• Proposals are due by February 11, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET.

• Proposals must be submitted electronically to Meghan Klipfel (KlipfelME@state.gov) and Ryan Edwards (EdwardsRC@state.gov).

• Technical merit is considered more important than cost or price.

• Evaluation factors include: Demonstrated Experience, Technical/Management Approach, Safety Program, and Past Performance. Technical factors combined are more important than price.

• A "Satisfactory" rating or higher on technical evaluation factors and a "fair and reasonable" price are required for award.

• A "Secret" facility security clearance is required for contract performance.

• Offerors must have or be able to obtain a Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Secret facility security clearance (FCL) with Secret safeguarding capability.

• The solicitation includes provisions related to small business concerns, including representations for various small business categories.

• The solicitation includes numerous FAR clauses and provisions covering various aspects of contract performance, administration, and compliance.

• A site visit is urged and expected, with details to be provided.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a notice from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) and Global Acquisition (A/GA) to prime and subcontractors. It reiterates the strict prohibition against public release of information related to OBO projects (design, construction, or services) without written approval from a Contracting Officer and OBOPublicRelease@state.gov.

• Mandatory Approval: All content intended for public release (e.g., in media, social media, websites, interviews) requires prior government review and clearance.
• Submission Process: Requests must be submitted to OBOPublicRelease@state.gov. Prime contractors must distribute this notice to all subcontractors and ensure subcontractors submit requests through them.
• Content Restrictions: Information cleared before January 20, 2025, needs re-review. References to sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) must be removed or reframed according to new administration priorities (focus on building performance, use "adaptation" instead of "resilience," avoid terms like "LEED," "climate," "sustainability").
• Ownership: All documents and records generated during OBO projects are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government.
• Confidentiality: Information is considered sensitive and must be safeguarded.
• File Naming Convention: For requests, files must follow a specific naming convention (ProjectName_Location_Feature_Photographer_Date_UniqueName.jpg) and be compressed to under 25MB.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Past Performance Questionnaire designed to gather feedback from references regarding an Offeror's performance on previous projects. It is used by the Department of State (DOS) to assess potential vendors.

Section A (To be completed by the Offeror):

• Offeror Information (Company Name, Address, UEI/CAGE Code)
• Past Performance Information (Project Title/Contract Number, Procurement Vehicle, Contract Type, Period of Performance, Contract Amount, Role on Project, Description of Services/Products, Complexity of Work)

Section B (To be completed by Evaluator/Reference):

• Reference Information (Name, Title, Organization, Contract Role, Contact Details)
• Project/Contract Information (Confirmation/correction of Section A details)
• Performance Assessment (Ratings for Quality, Schedule, Cost Control, Business Relations, Management of Key Personnel, Utilization of Small Business)
• Comments section for each performance element.

Offerors must complete Section A and distribute this questionnaire to their references for projects completed or in progress within the last five years. The completed questionnaire is crucial for the government's evaluation of the Offeror's past performance. References must submit the completed questionnaire via email to klipfelme@state.gov and edwardsrc@state.gov by February 11, 2026, 4:00 PM ET, with a specific subject line: "Solicitation #19AQMM26R0012 – Domestic Light Construction Past Performance Questionnaire. Past Performance Questionnaire Submission for ."