“This is a nonappropriated fund purchase and it does not obligate appropriated funds of the United States Government. Nonappropriated funds are generated by the military community through the sale of goods and services and the collection of fees and charges for participation in military community programs. This purchase does not involve federal tax dollars.”
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE (DAF) NONAPPROPRIATED FUND INSTRUMENTALITY (NAFI) NEXGEN FOOD SERVICES OPPORTUNITY
PRE-SOLICITATION SYNOPSIS & INDUSTRY QUESTIONS
I. SAM.GOV PRE-SOLICITATION SYNOPSIS
1. General Information
- Document Type: Presolicitation Notice / Synopsis
- Notice Type: Presolicitation
- Anticipated Solicitation Number: [To Be Determined]
- Contracting Office: Air Force Nonappropriated Fund Purchasing Office (AFNAFPO) / Air Force Services Center (AFSVC), San Antonio, Texas.
2. Points of Contact
- Primary Contracting Officer: Joshua Blalock, NF-V, DAF; Chief, Food Solutions Division, AFSVC/VPF
- Email: joshua.blalock.5@us.af.mil
- Office Phone: (380) 456-9979
- Secondary: Tekoah Campbell, NF-IV, DAF; Chief, Food Service and Transformation Branch, AFSVC/VPFT
- Email: tekoah.campbell@us.af.mil
- Office Phone: (380) 457-1731
3. Description of Requirement
The Air Force Services Center (AFSVC) has an upcoming requirement for the management, operation, and culinary transformation of food and beverage services under the Department of the Air Force (DAF) NexGen Food Service Program. The program aims to modernize traditional military dining facilities into modern, campus-style dining venues known as Mission Essential Feeding Facilities (MEFF) and Satellite Facilities, supporting single-quarters enlisted personnel on Essential Station Messing (ESM) as well as cash-paying customers.
The selected contractor will partner with DAF military culinary personnel to manage high-quality food preparation, serving, menu planning (under Go for Green® and other nutritional standards), preventative facility/equipment maintenance, custodial services, and potential temporary/mobile feeding solutions.
4. Locations of Performance
Services will be performed across three primary installations at the following designated facilities:
- Luke AFB, Arizona: Ray V. Hensman MEFF (Building 545) and T-Bolt Café (Building 954)
- Offutt AFB, Nebraska: Ronald L. King MEFF (Building 324) and NC3 Alert Facility (Building 478)
- Shaw AFB, South Carolina: Chief Master Sergeant Emerson E. Williams MEFF (Building 417) and Afterburner Grill Satellite Facility (Building 1511)
5. Contract Structure and Anticipated Period of Performance
The NAFI intends to award a single contract consisting of a one-year Base Period and two (2) one-year Option Periods. The contract line items (CLINs) are anticipated to utilize a hybrid of contract types to align performance incentives:
- Core Food Operations (CLIN 0001 series): Cost-Reimbursable (budget-based operations)
- Primary Performance Outcomes (CLIN 0002 series): Fixed-Price Incentive Firm (FPIF)
- Secondary Performance Outcomes (CLIN 0003 series): Fixed-Price Incentive Firm (FPIF)
- Surge (CLIN 0004 series): Time & Materials (T&M)
- Temporary Feeding (CLIN 0005 series): Time & Materials (T&M)
6. Special Procurement Considerations
- Site Visits & Conferences: Pre-proposal site visits and conferences are tentatively planned to take place at Luke AFB, Offutt AFB, and Shaw AFB in CY2026 Q4.
- Oral Presentations: Offerors may be required to participate in oral presentations at the Air Force Services Center in San Antonio, Texas, to demonstrate their capabilities and understanding of the NexGen requirements.
II. INDUSTRY FEEDBACK AND CAPABILITY QUESTIONS
To help the Air Force refine its solicitation and evaluate industry capability, interested vendors are requested to respond to the following questions.
1. Corporate Capability & Geographically Dispersed Operations
- Question 1a: Describe your firm's experience in operating campus-style dining services, particularly those utilizing multi-venue concepts, grab-and-go options, and automated/cashless dining environments.
- Question 1b: Given the requirement to operate across three geographically dispersed locations (Luke AFB, AZ; Offutt AFB, NE; Shaw AFB, SC), describe your proposed corporate-level management and support structure to ensure consistent quality across all bases.
- Question 1c: What experience does your firm have managing a blended workforce of contractor staff and military/civilian personnel coexisting and collaborating in the same facility?
2. Operational & Facility Maintenance Management
- Question 2a: Describe your approach to establishing and executing a proactive Operations Preventive Maintenance Plan (OPMP) for food service equipment, including how you coordinate with third-party service providers and track performance against a set budget.
- Question 2b: Detail your experience in implementing comprehensive Master Cleaning Plans and ensuring compliance with Tri-Service Food Code or USDA sanitary guidelines to consistently achieve "Substantially Compliant" public health inspection ratings.
3. Menu, Nutrition & Technology Integration
- Question 3a: Describe your capability to develop monthly seasonal menus and costed recipes that comply with DoD Menu Standards (DoDM 13-38.10) and the Go for Green (G4G) program to promote healthy nutritional choices.
- Question 3b: Describe your experience integrating contractor food procurement and point-of-sale (POS) inventory databases with government IT networks (such as DLA-T STORES or AFSVC POS systems) without requiring manual data entry.
4. Labor, Recruiting & Subcontracting
- Question 4a: Operating in a military installation environment presents unique recruitment and retention challenges. What strategies does your firm use to maintain a stable, well-trained workforce, and what is your strategy for supplying staffing to meet military backfill requirements?
- Question 4b: What is your experience subcontracting with AbilityOne (SourceAmerica) agencies for custodial, warewashing, or other support services?
5. Contract Structure, Risk, & Performance Incentives
- Question 5a: The proposed CLIN structure uses a hybrid of Cost-Reimbursable (Core Operations), Fixed-Price Incentive Firm (Primary & Secondary Performance Outcomes), and Time & Materials (Surge & Temporary Feeding). Do you find this structure feasible, and does it provide adequate commercial incentives? Please explain.
- Question 5b: The DAF intends to establish a target budget and apply an "at-risk" management fee (e.g., 20% guaranteed, 80% at risk). What are your views on this fee split, and what alternative risk-reward mechanisms would encourage superior performance?
- Question 5c: Secondary Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may include Food Waste reduction, Food Cost Ratios, ESM Propensity to Eat, and Program Innovation. Based on your commercial experience, which of these metrics are most effectively used to tie to performance-based incentive payments?
6. Temporary Feeding Solutions
- Question 6a: Describe your firm's capability to deploy and set up an executable, mobile temporary feeding solution (e.g., Mobile Kitchen Trailer, Containerized Kitchen) within a 30-day window to support all dayparts (breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight meal).
- Question 6b: What are the key cost drivers and capacity assumptions (throughput, labor, and packaging) your firm considers when pricing a 30-day temporary feeding plan?
