UK-Wide Mortuary BPA

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the UK Mortuary BPA (FA558726Q0014).

• Annual Volumes: Estimated at 1-5 services per year, involving varying levels of transportation and holding services.
• Minimum Preparations: Defined as placing human remains in a pouch or outer container for international transport. Embalming or refrigeration is not included in this definition.
• Paperwork: Refers to all documented procedures, pick-ups, drop-offs, and custody transfers in accordance with UK law.
• Embalming: Not required prior to transport and will be conducted elsewhere, not at an RAF facility.
• Off-Island Transport Documentation: Requires a death certificate or equivalent from a coroner or medical authority, to be provided to RAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath Mortuary officers and technicians for transport to the US or Germany.
• Collection Scenarios: Includes private residences, hospitals, institutions, public locations, traffic collisions, and other circumstances. Primarily involves collections from on-base hospitals and county coroners.

This Q&A document clarifies key aspects of the service requirements, potentially impacting how bidders prepare their proposals and pricing.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services to establish a single, UK-wide Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for comprehensive mortuary affairs support services. The 100th Force Support Squadron (FSS) at RAF Mildenhall and the 48th Force Support Squadron (FSS) at RAF Lakenheath require these services. The acquisition is not set-aside for small businesses.

• Provide all necessary labor, transportation, equipment, and materials for timely and dignified handling of human remains in compliance with UK laws.

• Services must be available on a 24/7 on-call basis.

• Core requirement: Collection and transportation of remains from any UK mainland location, including minimum preparations and legal paperwork.

• Tiered pricing structure for transportation based on distance: within 30 miles, 30-150 miles, and outside 150 miles.

• Capability to transport remains to the contractor's licensed facility for interim holding, including secure, refrigerated (non-frozen) storage for up to 30 days.

• Provide onward transportation from the facility to RAF Mildenhall or RAF Lakenheath as directed.

• BPA Ceiling: $350,000.00 (maximum cumulative ceiling for the life of the BPA).

• Ordering Period: Five (5) years, from 31 May 2026 to 30 May 2031.

• Maximum Call Order Limitation: $350,000.00 (any requirement exceeding this must be procured separately).

• Minimum Call Order Limitation: £25,000.00.

• Individual Call Order Value Limit: $40,000.00 (converted from GBP using the applicable Government exchange rate).

• Submission Deadline: 15 April 2026, 1400 BST.

• Submission Method: Via SAM.gov or email to the points of contact listed.

• Questions Deadline: 23 March 2026, 1400 BST (submit via email).

• Evaluation Criteria: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA).

  • Factors: Technical Acceptability (facility capability, certifications/licenses, 24-hour response ability), Past Performance, and Price.

• Award will be made to the technically acceptable offeror with the most favorable price.

• No set-aside for small businesses.

• Offerors must be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

• Funds are not presently available; the Government reserves the right to cancel the solicitation.

• Attachments include: Performance Work Statement, Mortuary Services Price Schedule, Past Experience Sheet, and Clauses and Provisions.

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

To outline the requirements for mortuary transportation services for RAF Mildenhall & RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.

• Provide labor, transportation, and materials for mortuary services in accordance with UK laws.
• Offer a standard pricing structure for the following potential services:
  • Collection and transportation of remains from any UK mainland location to RAF Mildenhall, including minimum preparations and UK law-compliant paperwork. This includes services within a 30-mile radius, a 30-150 mile radius, and outside the 150-mile radius.
  • Collection and transportation of remains from any UK mainland location to the contractor's facility, including minimum preparations and UK law-compliant paperwork. This involves:
    • Providing an action plan for transport within 4 hours of notification from the Mortuary Affairs team.
    • Initiating movement to secure remains within 24 hours of official notification.
    • Providing cold storage (not frozen) for up to 30 days if required.
    • Further transportation from the contractor facility to RAF Mildenhall once arrangements are made.
  • Transportation of remains from the contractor facility or RAF Mildenhall to Heathrow, Stansted, or Gatwick airports for international onward transportation not arranged by the contractor.
  • Providing required documentation for transporting remains off-island to the next destination or final Point of Embarkation (POE).

Services are to be provided within the United Kingdom, specifically for RAF Mildenhall & RAF Lakenheath.

• Contractor must notify the FSS Mortuary Affairs Team with primary and alternate point of contact information for each case. Standby phone numbers will be provided.
• An annual inspection of the contractor's facility will be conducted by the Mortuary team to ensure minimum requirements and necessary equipment are met for providing transportation services within the UK.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment 2 - Mortuary Services Price Schedule," provides the pricing structure for mortuary services required under solicitation FA558726Q0014. Bidders are expected to use this schedule to provide their pricing for the services outlined.

• CLIN 0001: Transportation of Human Remains to RAF Mildenhall (within a 30-mile radius).
• CLIN 0002: Transportation of Human Remains to RAF Mildenhall (between 30–150-mile radius).
• CLIN 0003: Transportation of Human Remains to RAF Mildenhall (outside 150-mile radius).
• CLIN 0004: Interim Holding & Onward Transport (includes up to 30 days secure refrigerated storage and onward transport to RAF Mildenhall or RAF Lakenheath).
• Each CLIN specifies a quantity of '1 Each'.
• Unit Price and Extended Price fields are present for each CLIN, with current values set to 0.0.

This price schedule is critical for bidders to understand the specific services for which pricing is required and to formulate their proposals. Bidders must complete the Unit Price and Extended Price columns for each CLIN to submit a responsive bid. The listed CLINs define the scope of transportation and holding services expected.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This attachment, titled "Attachment 3 - Past Experience Sheet," is a form for bidders to provide information about their company's relevant experience. It is used as part of the technical capability evaluation for solicitation FA558726Q0014.

• Bidders are instructed to list a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 relevant contracts or projects completed within the last 3 years.
• The form includes fields for:
  • Project/Contract Title
  • Client Name & Contact Info
  • Dates of Performance
  • Locations
  • Description of Services
  • Additional Comments (Optional)

This document is crucial for bidders to demonstrate their company's qualifications in performing mortuary services. The government will evaluate the recency and relevance of the experience provided. Failure to adequately demonstrate experience may impact the technical capability evaluation. The government reserves the right to verify any information provided.

Forms / Attachments / Pricing Sheets

This document, "Attachment 4 - Clauses and Provisions for FA558726Q0014.pdf", lists clauses and provisions incorporated by reference into a contract or solicitation. It serves as a reference for bidders to understand the legal and regulatory requirements that will govern the contract.

• Clauses Incorporated by Reference: The document lists numerous FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) clauses, along with their clause numbers, alternate/deviation numbers, titles, year/month of the clause, and the section of the regulation they belong to.
• Full Text Clauses: It also indicates sections where clauses are incorporated by reference and may be accessed electronically via www.acquisition.gov.
• Deviations: Noted deviations from standard clauses are highlighted, which may impact requirements or offeror obligations.
• Specific Clauses of Note: Includes clauses related to:
  • Compensation of Officials
  • Whistleblower Rights
  • Supplier Performance Risk System
  • Business Operations with the Maduro Regime
  • Tax Relief (e.g., Value Added Tax Exclusion)
  • Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer
  • System for Award Management (SAM) Registration
  • Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations
  • Subcontracting with Debarred/Suspended Contractors
  • Commercial Products and Services (Terms, Conditions, Evaluation)
  • Child Labor, Combating Trafficking in Persons
  • Contractor Access to Air Force Installations
  • Health and Safety on Government Installations
  • Ombudsman information for USAFE

Bidders must review these clauses to understand their contractual obligations, potential risks, and compliance requirements. Key areas to focus on include:

• Eligibility and Restrictions: Clauses related to business operations, debarment, and specific prohibitions.
• Performance and Compliance: Requirements for health, safety, installation access, and reporting.
• Payment and Financial Terms: Details on payment methods and tax relief.
• Evaluation and Award: Understanding how clauses like "Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services" might affect proposal evaluation.

This document is critical for assessing the full scope of requirements and potential liabilities associated with the opportunity.