Next-Gen Innovators: Amendment 1

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the solicitation, clarifying requirements, submission instructions, and contract details.

• Attachment 1 (Company Information Sheet): Attachment 8, Volume I, Section I has been added to address the Company Information Sheet requirement.
• Proposal Due Date: The proposal due date has been updated to May 26, 2026.
• Small Business Participation: Both a Small Business Participation Commitment Document (Attachment 9) and a Small Business Subcontracting Plan are required. Offerors are directed to specific sections for completion.
• Other Direct Costs (ODCs): ODCs are not permitted; offerors should use handling rates for materials and travel.
• Experience Demonstration: Offerors may demonstrate experience through comparable K-12, postsecondary, federal, state, nonprofit, or community-based STEM outreach experience, not solely direct prior performance of named programs. Similarly, experience managing interns, fellows, apprentices, or student workers in comparable STEM or educational environments will be considered.
• Substantiating Documentation: In addition to contract documents, offerors may use grants, cooperative agreements, school district agreements, nonprofit program awards, customer letters, and other objective documentation to validate claimed experience.
• Team Member Experience: Offerors may rely on the experience of proposed subcontractors, joint venture members, affiliates, predecessor organizations, and committed key personnel.
• Volume Structure and Attachments: Clarifications have been made regarding the structure of Volume II and the correct attachment numbers for the Price Spreadsheet and Company Information Sheet.
• Templates: If no specific template is provided, a free-form narrative is acceptable for proposal volumes.
• FIRST LEGO League (FLL): No changes are required for the solicitation regarding the FLL program, despite potential partnership changes.

Several sections of the solicitation have been updated based on these clarifications, including Volume I, Section L, and Section M. Offerors should review the updated sections and attachments carefully to ensure compliant submissions. The proposal due date has also been confirmed as May 26, 2026.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) STEM Outreach Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The primary purpose is to establish a rapid acquisition vehicle for Department of Air Force (DAF) wide STEM Outreach activities and support, as defined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The government intends to award a single IDIQ contract and a task order for STEM Outreach Support Services.

Offerors will be evaluated based on demonstrated experience and performance risk. The specific requirements and deliverables will be detailed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the IDIQ contract and subsequent task orders.

• Contract Type: Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)

• The IDIQ contract will have baseline clauses and conditions. Specific prices, contract types, delivery requirements, and period of performance will be determined at the Delivery Order (DO)/Task Order (TO) level.

• Funds are not presently available; no award will be made until funds are available.

• Proposal Submission Deadline: May 26, 2026, 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

• Submission Method: Electronic via email to AFRL.PZLE.Next-GenInnovators@us.af.mil, Jessica.Briggs@us.af.mil, and Natasha.Randall@us.af.mil.

• Proposal Validity: 180 days from submission.

• Evaluation: Offerors will be considered based on demonstrated experience and performance risk. All responsive and qualified proposals will be eligible for award.

• Proposal Organization: Proposals must be organized into four volumes: Executive Summary, Experience Volume, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, and Price.

• Page Limits: Specific page limits apply to different sections and volumes (e.g., Executive Proposal is 1 page, Experience Narrative is 10 pages).

• Format: Written proposals must be submitted in searchable PDF format. Do not submit on flash drive media.

• Participation by Foreign Firms under Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) is not permitted.

• Offerors can submit as a Joint Venture or a single party, but not both.

• Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) is required from all Offerors.

• Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required for award (IAW FAR 19.702).

• All referenced documents are available at https://sam.gov.

• The PCO is the sole point of contact for this acquisition. Communications should be directed to Jessica.Briggs@us.af.mil.

• The Government reserves the right to cancel the solicitation or award no contracts.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation (FA239626RB001) for commercial products and services. The issuing agency is the U.S. Air Force, specifically AFRL/EN Next-Gen Innovators at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The acquisition is unrestricted.

The solicitation outlines several CLINs (Contract Line Item Numbers) for services, including:

• Labor - FFP (Firm Fixed Price): For services as set forth in the "IDIQ PWS (Next-Gen Innovators) v2" (Attachment 1, Section J). This is a 72-month period of performance.

• Travel - T&M (Time and Material): For travel to support the PWS. This is a separately priced CLIN.

• Material - T&M: For materials to support the PWS. This is a separately priced CLIN.

• Data - NSP (Not Separately Priced): For delivery of related data as specified on each Task Order (TO), per "Attachment 4 - CDRL DRAFT (Next-Gen Innovators)" (Attachment 2, Section J).

• Labor - FLL State Championship - FFP: For labor related to this specific event.

• Interns - LH (Labor Hour): For student intern labor as set forth in the PWS.

• Period of Performance: The overall period of performance for the CLINs is seventy-two (72) months from the date of award.

• NAICS Code: 611710 (Educational Support Activities)

• Size Standard: USD 24,000,000.00

• Offer Due Date: 01 Jun 2025, 01:00 PM.

• Evaluation Factors: Detailed in Attachment 3 (Section M).

• Set Aside: This acquisition is UNRESTRICTED.

• The solicitation incorporates FAR clauses by reference, including 52.212-1, 52.212-3, and 52.212-4. DFARS clauses are also incorporated.

• Payment will be made via Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF).

• Several attachments are referenced, including the IDIQ PWS, Section L (Instructions to Offerors), Section M (Evaluation Factors for Award), CDRL, and others.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This spreadsheet provides a detailed breakdown of the Total Evaluated Price for Task Order 1, "AFRL STEM Outreach," across its base period and option years. It serves as a pricing template for bidders to understand the cost structure and expected expenditures.

• Base Period: Total cost of $192,000.00.
• Option Year 1-4: Each option year has a total cost of $192,000.00.
• Option 6 Month Extension: Total cost of $96,000.00.
• Total Evaluated Price (Base + Options): $1,056,000.00.
• Cost Breakdown by CLIN:
  • CLIN X001 Labor (FFP): $0.00 across all periods.
  • CLIN X002 Travel (T&M): $12,000.00 per year for Base and Option Years 1-4, and $6,000.00 for the 6-month extension.
  • CLIN X003 Material (T&M): $180,000.00 per year for Base and Option Years 1-4, and $90,000.00 for the 6-month extension.
  • CLIN X005 Labor FFL (FFP): $0.00 across all periods.

Bidders should use this document to understand the estimated costs associated with the "AFRL STEM Outreach" task order. It details the expected pricing for travel and materials over the contract's potential duration, including all option periods and the extension. This information is crucial for developing a competitive and compliant proposal.

Forms / Attachments / Pricing Sheets

This document is a Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) detailing specific data items required from the contractor under contract FA2396-26-R-B001. It outlines the nature, frequency, submission requirements, and distribution of these data items.

• Data Item A001: FUNDS AND MAN-HOUR EXPENDITURE REPORT
  • Frequency: Monthly
  • Submission: Electronically, 25 days after the close of the contractor's monthly accounting period.
  • Tailored to allow contractor's format.
• Data Item A002: CONTRACT FUNDS STATUS REPORT (CFSR)
  • Frequency: Quarterly
  • Submission: Electronically, within 25 calendar days after the close of the contractor's monthly accounting period nearest the end of the first government fiscal year quarter after contract award, and subsequently 25 days after Block 11 time.
  • Report includes forecasts by month for the next six months, by quarter for the remaining fiscal year, and by year for remaining fiscal years. CFSR data shall be reconciled to the Government's fiscal year end.
• Data Item A003: SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REPORTS (R&R ANNUAL UPDATE)
  • Frequency: Annually
  • Submission: Electronically, within thirty (30) days after the completion of every twelve (12) months of contract performance.
  • Requires completion of the AFRL "Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile" template (provided in Appendix 3 of the solicitation).
  • Updates and supplements should identify changes from previous versions.

This CDRL specifies mandatory reporting and documentation deliverables for the contractor. Bidders should review these requirements to understand the ongoing reporting obligations, including financial status, man-hour expenditures, and technical reporting, which will be part of the contract performance.

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

To support the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Next-Gen Innovators Division by providing qualified supervision, personnel, and services for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Services across Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS).

• Provide expert personnel, resources, materials, products, and solutions for AFRL Next-Gen Innovator outreach, activities, projects, processes, and structures.

• Deliver project support, coordination, and execution of Next-Gen Innovator activities.

• Services include, but are not limited to:

  • Management Support Services: Coordinating volunteers, data entry, report generation, correspondence management, graphic/artwork development, event organization, financial oversight.
  • Educational and Teaching Services: Consulting, developing, and executing STEM initiatives, curriculum development, utilizing teaching equipment, working with subject matter experts, interacting with school districts.
  • Logistics and Supply Support: Assisting with Logistics Materiel Control Activities (LMCA), preparing and coordinating materials for outreach events.
  • Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) Support: Webmaster duties, developing web-enabled databases, audiovisual and graphic services, digital photography and videography, creating video products for social media.
  • Programmatic Support: Providing support for efficient management and operation, manpower and resource planning, business development, course instruction analysis, scheduling, and forecasting.
  • Research and Analysis: Conducting studies, analyses, evaluations, and technical writing.
  • Internships and Fellowships: Providing internships/apprenticeships for undergraduate, graduate, and high school students; supporting summer camps and faculty/teacher fellowships.

• 95% of personnel present for duty on schedule.

• Replacement/substitute personnel provided in a timely manner, with vacancies not exceeding 10 business days.

• Turnover rate less than 20% across all contracted positions.

• 100% of validated customer complaints addressed via Corrective Action Reports within the timeframe provided.

• 100% of contractor personnel meet security requirements.

• 100% of required certifications renewed before expiration.

• 95% of deliverables delivered on-time as defined in the CDRL.

• 95% of invoices submitted monthly.

• 100% of CDRLs and invoices submitted within 10 business days after deadline.

• Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

• Performance may occur at various AFRL locations within CONUS and OCONUS, including but not limited to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; Eglin AFB, FL; Rome, NY; Kirtland AFB, NM; Maui, HI; Edwards AFB, CA; and the National Capital Region.

• Services are non-personal.

• Contractor personnel require a minimum of a National Agency Check with written Inquiries (NACI)/SF85 for positions requiring access to the internet or automated information systems.

• Contractor personnel requiring access to USAF bases, facilities, or U.S. Government IT networks must be U.S. citizens (permanent resident card does not equate to U.S. citizenship).

• Compliance with Information Security, Force Protection, and Operations Security (OPSEC) requirements.

• Personnel performing certain duties with information systems must maintain appropriate Information Assurance certifications (DoD 8570.01-M).

• Contractor shall report ALL contractor labor hours via a secure data collection site (http://www.sam.gov).

• Travel to CONUS and OCONUS locations may be required and will be specified in each task order, adhering to Federal Travel Regulations (FTR/JTR).

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

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) outlines the requirements for Next-Gen Outreach Support Services for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Ohio. The primary goal is to support AFRL's STEM Outreach mission.

• Provide qualified supervision, personnel, and services for STEM Outreach Support Services.

• Support the AFRL Next-Gen Outreach office within the Greater Dayton area, the State of Ohio, and the United States.

• Perform in a manner that conforms to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

• Specific tasks include managing and supporting various STEM outreach projects such as "Wizards of Wright!" (WOW!), FIRST LEGO League, Scanning Electron Microscope EDucatorS (SEMEDS), Job Shadow Days, and website management.

• Provide videography, photographic services, and production for outreach materials.

• Develop and update STEM outreach presentations and materials.

• Contractor performance will be evaluated in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

• Non-conformances (Minor and Major) will be identified, analyzed, and corrected.

• Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) items include accuracy of final reports and timely submission of final reports, with a threshold of no more than one error per report for both, assessed at 100%.

• Period of Performance: One (1) Base Year of 12 months and four (4) 12-month option years.

• Place of Performance: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Greater Dayton Area. Work may also be performed elsewhere in the State of Ohio and/or within the United States. Specific project support may extend within a 35-mile radius of WPAFB, with COR approval for travel beyond this radius.

• Security Clearances: Contractor personnel must have appropriate trustworthy determinations.

• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): Contractor must comply with relevant DoD and Air Force guidance.

• Physical Security: Contractor is responsible for safeguarding government equipment, information, and property.

• Key Control: Contractor must establish and implement procedures for managing government-issued keys and key cards.

• Environmental, Safety, and Health: Contractor must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental, safety, and health statutes and regulations.

• Qualifications: Personnel must meet specific labor category qualifications, including degrees and years of experience, and may require Ohio teaching certifications.

• Recognized Holidays: Contractor is not expected to perform services on specified federal holidays.

• Normal Hours of Operation: 0730-1600 Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays or government facility closures.

• Government Furnished Items/Services: Workspace, documents, LAN access, office supplies, utilities, and specific equipment will be provided by the Government.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document outlines the "Evaluation Factors for Award" for a "Best Value Full Trade-off" source selection, conducted in accordance with specific FAR and DFARS regulations. The Government intends to award a single contract to the responsible, qualified offeror whose proposal represents the best overall value, considering both technical factors and price. The Government reserves the right to award without negotiations but may establish a competitive range if necessary. Failure to meet solicitation requirements may result in ineligibility for award.

Proposals will be evaluated in two phases:

Phase 1: Acceptability Proposals will be rated acceptable or unacceptable for each of the following five subfactors. An unacceptable rating in any subfactor will result in the proposal not being considered for award:

• Subfactor 1: Wizards of Wright!: Evaluates performance in "Wizards of Wright!" type activities.
• Subfactor 2: FIRST LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE: Evaluates performance in High School Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge & Lego League type activities.
• Subfactor 3: Audio Visual and Web Development Specialist: Evaluates performance in Audio Visual and Web Development, including STEM videos and web content.
• Subfactor 4: STEM Apprentices and Junior Apprentices: Evaluates performance in hiring and managing STEM apprentices and junior apprentices.
• Subfactor 5: STEM Camps, Events, and Activities: Evaluates performance in planning, developing, and executing STEM camps, events, and activities.

Phase 2: Performance Risk Proposals will be evaluated for Performance Risk for each subfactor, considering the recency, relevancy, and depth of the offeror's experience. Risk will be rated as Low, Moderate, High, or Unacceptable.

• Number of Contracts: One contract is intended to be awarded.

• Price Evaluation: Price will be evaluated for completeness, reasonableness, unbalanced pricing, and Total Evaluated Price (TEP). Unreasonable or incomplete pricing may lead to ineligibility. Unbalanced pricing may be cause for rejection if it poses an unacceptable risk.

• Evaluation Basis: Best Value Full Trade-off.

• Relative Importance: Performance Risk is significantly more important than Price. All non-price factors combined are significantly more important than Price.

• Small Business Participation: A Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) is required and will be evaluated. An unacceptable SBPCD rating will result in ineligibility for award.

• Responsibility: Offerors must be deemed responsible.

• Small Business Participation: A specific factor is dedicated to evaluating the offeror's commitment to small business utilization.

• Offerors are advised to submit proposals suitable for award without negotiations.

• The document references specific regulations (RFO 15, DFARS) and provides a link to acquisition.gov for further details.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an Excel spreadsheet attachment containing details about Government Furnished Property (GFP) and requisitioned items. It also includes a list of units of measure. Bidders should review this information to understand what property will be provided by the government and the standardized terminology for quantities.

• CONTRACT INFO Sheet: Contains contact information for the Government Contracting Officer (Jessica Briggs), including email and phone number, along with attachment details.
• Provisioned Sheet: Lists specific Government Furnished Property items with details such as Item Name, Item Description, NSN, Manufacturer CAGE code, Part Number, Model Number, serial management status, property classification, usage, quantity, unit of measure, unit acquisition cost, usability as-is, upgradability, and delivery date.
• Requisitioned Items: Details specific items required, including LINE NUMBER, ITEM NAME, ITEM DESCRIPTION, NSN, MFR CAGE, PART NUMBER, SERIALLY MANAGED?, PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION, PROPERTY USAGE, PROPERTY SYSTEM ID, QTY, UNIT OF MEASURE, UNIT ACQ COST, USE AS-IS?, and UPGRADABLE?. Specific fields are marked as required or conditionally required (indicated by * and † symbols).
• Units of Measure: A categorized list of standard units of measure (e.g., Kilogram, Meter, Gallon, Hour) for use in proposals and reporting.

This attachment is crucial for bidders to accurately plan project execution, cost proposals, and technical approaches. Understanding the GFP helps in identifying resources provided by the government. The detailed list of requisitioned items outlines specific materials or equipment bidders may need to source or supply, with clear requirements for item identification (NSN, MFR CAGE, Part Number). The units of measure list ensures consistency and compliance in proposals and reporting.