Presolicitation
DRAFT RFP - Global Unified Airbase Readiness and Defense (GUARD) IDIQ - Force Protection Division
Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force · Sol. FA2381999
Due in 7 daysSmall business (partial)
AI summary Beta
Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (Force Protection Division, Hanscom AFB, MA) posted a draft RFP as a request for information on the planned GUARD IDIQ, a multiple-award contract to design, install, integrate and sustain base intrusion detection and electronic security systems at Air Force and other sites worldwide. This notice is NOT a solicitation: industry feedback is due by 14 Oct 2026, and the formal RFP will come later. The planned IDIQ has a $1.98 billion ceiling, about ten awards (two reserved for small businesses), and a 2-year base ordering period with options up to 10 years.
Watch out for
- Not a solicitation: draft RFP issued as an RFI. You cannot win an award from this notice; it only asks for comments, and the final RFP terms, dates and set-aside rules may change.
THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION.
- Facility security clearance and controlled data access. A Secret (possibly Top Secret) facility clearance, a DD254, FOCI review and a DD 2345 export-controlled data agreement are needed, which many small firms lack and which take time to get.
Facility Clearance (FCL) at the Secret level [or Top Secret as specified in Delivery Orders]
- Demanding experience gate and sample problems. Phase I needs documented prior experience (including DoW ATO work and overseas licenses) with government references, then Phase II requires two engineering sample problems with written solutions and 1-hour presentations at your own cost.
The Total page Limitation for Factor II, Phase II is 40 pages.
- Large vehicle with tiny guaranteed minimum. The ceiling is $1.98 billion but the minimum is only a $1,000 post-award conference, so revenue depends on winning delivery orders in competition with about nine other awardees.
The Minimum Order Guarantee will be satisfied by Post-Award Conferences for all Awardees in the amount of $1,000.
- Draft documents contain placeholders and unfinished parts. Proposal due time and date are blank, Sample Problem #2 is to be determined and the Section L revision history is blank, so requirements may shift before the real RFP.
Proposals submitted after TIME DD MONTH YYYY
- Tight response window and distinct pending schedule. RFI comments are due 14 Oct 2026 at noon Eastern, only days after posting, while the draft SF 33 shows 30 Oct 2026 as a placeholder offer date.
Read from the notice and 6 attachments. 3 not read in full.
- GUARD IDIQ Draft RFP - Introduction and Instructions V2.pdf
- DRAFT Solicitation - SF33 FA238126RB012.pdf
- GUARD IDIQ Section L - Instructions to Offerors.pdf
- GUARD IDIQ DRAFT Section M - Evaluation Criteria.pdf
- GUARD IDIQ DRAFT Statement of Work.pdf
- GUARD IDIQ DRAFT Performance Work Statement.pdf
- GUARD IDIQ Draft RFP - CRM.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- DRAFT ATTACHMENT J-4 - Cost Price Template.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- DRAFT ATTACHMENT J-5 - Relevant Experience Self-Scoring Matrix.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
Full brief
What they want
- Design, procure, install, integrate and test integrated base defense security systems (intrusion detection, access control, video assessment, perimeter protection) at CONUS and OCONUS sites
- Site surveys, systems engineering and conceptual design packages for each delivery order
- Sustain fielded systems under Contractor Logistics Support: 24/7 help desk, on-site repair with set response and repair times, depot repair, spares and warehouse management
- Cybersecurity support under the DoD Risk Management Framework, including Authority to Operate (ATO) support
- Training for operators and maintainers, program management and subcontractor oversight
- Qualify and test commercial equipment not already in the Government's approved equipment database
- Support Foreign Military Sales and other agency (DOE, State Department) security system purchases
- From industry now: comments and questions on the draft documents using the Comment Resolution Matrix
- Contract type
- Planned multiple-award IDIQ; delivery and task orders may be firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-reimbursement or time-and-materials, set at the order level. This notice is a draft RFP issued as an RFI.
- Period of performance
- 2-year base ordering period with one-year options to extend the ordering period up to 10 years total; orders can run up to 5 more years beyond the end of the ordering period
- Place of performance
- Hanscom AFB, MA is listed; actual work at Department of War sites in the U.S. and overseas, including tactical and fixed sites worldwide
- Estimated value
- IDIQ ceiling (maximum quantity) of $1.98 billion; minimum order guarantee only $1,000 (a post-award conference)
- How they'll choose
- Planned: multiphase, no tradeoffs. Award to the highest technically rated offerors with a fair and reasonable price (HTRO-RRP). Phase I is a self-scored relevant experience matrix; roughly the top 15 offerors plus qualifying small businesses go to Phase II technical sample problems; about 10 awards, with 2 reserved for small business.
- Offers due
- 14 October 2026, 12:00 PM EDT (RFI responses and comments); formal RFP due date not yet set
- How to submit
- RFI responses by email to mckenna.clippert@us.af.mil and deandra.dyer@us.af.mil using the Comment Resolution Matrix; the future formal proposal would be uploaded in the PIEE Solicitation Module
- Page limits
- RFI: up to 20 pages plus a 1-page cover letter (21 pages total, not counting the Comment Resolution Matrix). Planned RFP: Phase II sample problems limited to 40 total pages; most other sections have no page limit.
What they'll judge offers on
- Phase I: Relevant Experience and Artifacts (self-scoring matrix, 5 experience elements)
- Phase II: Technical Evaluation of Sample Problem #1 (system engineering, intrusion detection conceptual design with test and quality assurance approach) and Sample Problem #2 (network engineering, still to be determined), each with written solution and 1-hour presentation
- Fair and reasonable price (cost/price proposal with fully burdened labor rates)
- Small business participation commitment (shown in the proposal outline as an evaluated factor)
What to include when you submit
- Label each comment C (critical), S (substantive) or A (administrative) in the Comment Resolution Matrix, and write GENERAL in the Source column if not tied to one document
- An Industry Day is associated with this draft; the Government will post consolidated answers before the formal RFP
- Planned RFP volumes: Volume I Executive Proposal (cover sheet, organization chart, DD254, OCI plan, reps and certs, small business subcontracting plan) and Volume II Evaluated Proposal (small business participation, cost/price, Phase I experience matrix, Phase II sample problems)
- Planned RFP format: 8.5 x 11 in, Times New Roman at least 12-point, 1 inch margins, proposal valid 180 days
- Proposals must not contain classified information
You must have
- Draft says the contractor must hold a Facility Clearance at the Secret level, with Top Secret possible by delivery order
Facility Clearance (FCL) at the Secret level [or Top Secret as specified in Delivery Orders]
- Two of the planned awards are reserved for qualified small businesses (NAICS 561621, $25 million size standard)
the Government will reserve two IDIQ awards for qualified
- Foreign firms and U.S. companies under foreign ownership, control or influence cannot participate
under Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) will not be permitted to participate.
- Need a signed Military Critical Technical Data Agreement (DD 2345) to access the Bidder's Library with controlled drawings and sample problem data
Offerors must have a signed Military Critical
- Relevant experience in the last five years on DoW or equivalent contracts: ATO approval, base defense security system sustainment, installing intrusion detection/access control/video assessment, perimeter protection, and host nation business licenses and visas (experience of qualifying joint venture, mentor-protege or subcontractor partners can count)
The Offeror performed on a DoW contract requiring successful approval of a New System
Current contractor
The notice refers to a predecessor effort called IBDSS Next, where design/install and sustainment were bundled regionally under a single contractor per region; incumbent names are not given.
Not in the notice text
- Date the formal RFP will be released and the real proposal due date
- Parts of the draft SF 33 and Section L were left out of the text provided (the middle of the draft solicitation, and part of Section L covering Volume I details and Factor II price instructions)
- Part of the draft Statement of Work was left out of the text provided
- Sample Problems #1 and #2 and their drawings (not released; will be in the Bidder's Library)
- Relevant Experience Self-Scoring Matrix (Attachment J-5) point values and exact scoring
- DD Form 254 security classification specification and the exact clearance level required at the IDIQ level
- Names of the incumbent contractors under the predecessor IBDSS Next effort
- Industry Day date and location
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 5, 2026
- Notice type
- Presolicitation
- Solicitation
- FA2381999
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force
- Office
- FA2381 Force Protection AFLCMC/Hbuk
- Set-aside
- Small Business Set Aside - Partial
- NAICS
- 561621
- Product/service code
- 6350
- Business type
- Security & guard services
- Place of performance
- Hanscom Afb, MA, 01731
- Contracting contact
- McKenna Clippertmckenna.clippert@us.af.mil
- Versions
- 5 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
AFLCMC/ESSK is issuing this Draft RFP as an RFI to improve understanding of market landscape and engage with industry to ensure our acquisition strategy and formal RFP, upon release, are understandable and actionable. The GUARD IDIQ provides for the acquisition and sustainment of Integrated Base Defense Security Systems (IBDSS) tailored to the Air Force Security Forces community, ensuring the warfighter is equipped with a means to deter, anticipate, deny, detect, report, delay, assess, and track hostile forces and targets for the protection of resources and personnel. **Draft SOW, PWS, and Relevant Experience Self-Scoring matrix updated shortly after publication due to access issues. No material changes made. Updated Introduction and Instructions uploaded 28 Sept 2026 to clarify page limit language. ** THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. IAW RFO 15.101(c)(2), requests to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract, nor do they affect a potential offeror’s ability to respond to a future synopsis/solicitation, which may or may not follow or restrict the Goverenment’s eventual acquisition approach. The Government will not provide reimbursement for any information that may be submitted in response to this notice, and no basis for a claim against the Government shall arise from a response to this notice or Government use of any information provided. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.**
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