SA18 (cover letter)
Pass/failCover letter stating no exceptions, or detailing each exception taken.
- Where we answer it
- Cover letter, page 1 of the offer
- How it is scored
- Any missing SA18 item makes the entire offer non-responsive
- Status
- Can meet
Worked example · US federal contract bid writing
FAA janitorial set-aside on Cape Cod
A lowest-price technically-acceptable small business set-aside for one 5,100 sq ft building. Under LPTA the price gets you looked at and the paperwork keeps you in; we show both.
Fictional bidderNotice read 2026-09-12Responses due 2026-10-20 15:00 Eastern Time
Worked example against a live public notice. The notice is real and publicly available. The bidder, Fairlead Custodial Services LLC, is a fictional company with invented facts, written to show our method. This is not client work and no bid was submitted.
The public notice (real)
Janitorial Services at the FMH SSC in Falmouth, MA
- Buyer
- Federal Aviation Administration, AAQ-500 Regional Acquisitions (697DCK Regional Acquisitions Services), 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177-1524. Questions go to the contracting officer identified in the official notice.
- Notice id
- Solicitation 697DCK-27-R-00004 (SAM.gov notice ID acaccd4ddab1488fbc52b51511cc447f; requisition ES-26-01356; Combined Synopsis/Solicitation)
- Portal
- SAM.gov
- Published
- 2026-09-11
- Responses due
- 2026-10-20 15:00 Eastern Time
- Read on
- 2026-09-12
- Classification
- NAICS 561720 Janitorial Services; PSC S201 (Housekeeping - Custodial/Janitorial)
- Set-aside / SME note
- Total small business set-aside (SAM setAside 'SBA'; solicitation: 'This acquisition is set aside for small business concerns'; award will be made to a small business concern). NAICS 561720 Janitorial Services, size standard $22M annual receipts (Section L, 3.6.1-17). Limitations on Subcontracting clause 3.6.1-7 applies.
- Stated value
- Not stated. Firm-fixed-price, base period 1/1/2027-9/30/2027 (shortened) plus four one-year options through 9/30/2031; facility is 5,100 sq ft (approx. 2,258 sq ft carpet, 2,643 sq ft tile). Pricing is monthly/annual per period on the Section B schedule.
The notice may have closed or changed since we read it. Always work from the current version on the portal.
The bidder (fictional)
Fairlead Custodial Services LLC
Commercial janitorial services · Bourne, Massachusetts, on the Upper Cape and a short drive from the base · 14 employees: owner, one working supervisor, 12 part-time cleaners
- Formed in 2016; active SAM.gov registration and small under NAICS 561720 (invented).
- Three current contracts of similar size: a 6,000 sq ft town library cleaned five nights a week since 2021, a 4,500 sq ft credit-union branch since 2022, and an 8,000 sq ft medical office suite since 2023, each between $30,000 and $45,000 a year (invented).
- No federal contract history; all work to date is municipal or commercial (invented).
- Equipment: two low-speed floor machines, a carpet extractor and HEPA backpack vacuums; supplies bought through a regional distributor (invented).
- Owner and supervisor trained in bloodborne pathogens and hazard communication; all staff hold REAL ID-compliant driver's licences (invented).
- Commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate through a local broker; certificate wording for AMS 3.4.1-10 not yet confirmed (invented).
Every fact about this company is invented for the example.
Step 1 · Read the notice
What the buyer is asking for, in plain words
- The FAA wants a firm-fixed-price janitorial contract for one 5,100 sq ft building, the Falmouth System Support Center at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts.
- The base period runs 1 January to 30 September 2027, with four one-year options to September 2031, each priced monthly and annually in Section B.
- Service is five days a week: work must start before 3:00 PM Monday to Thursday and before 12:00 PM on Friday, with no service on the eleven federal holidays.
- The Statement of Work sets daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual tasks, from emptying bins to washing all 21 windows and stripping and rewaxing the floors.
- Workers sign a daily checklist that becomes the basis for the monthly invoice; the COR inspects daily and an unfixed deficiency reduces the payment.
- It is a total small business set-aside under NAICS 561720, so the bidder must be registered in SAM.gov and within the $22 million size standard.
- Award is lowest price technically acceptable: the cheapest responsive offer is checked first against two pass/fail factors, past experience and past performance.
- Past experience means three similar contracts in five years, documented in full; past performance means three Customer Satisfaction Surveys sent directly to the Contracting Officer by the references, not by the bidder.
- Offers go by email only to the Contracting Officer by 3:00 PM Eastern on 20 October 2026, and any missing item makes the whole offer non-responsive.
Step 2 · Gates
Can this bidder even be considered?
- Pass
Registration, set-aside and size (3.3.1-33; 3.6.1-17; 3.6.1-7)
SAM.gov registration is active (invented); check the renewal date falls after 20 October. Total small business set-aside under NAICS 561720 at $22 million; the firm is well under it and self-performs, so Limitations on Subcontracting are not a problem.
- Risk
Insurance certificate (SA18; AMS 3.4.1-10)
A certificate meeting the AMS clause for work on a Government installation must be in the offer. The broker has not yet confirmed the wording (invented). Get it in writing before the first draft, not the last.
- Pass
Base access (SOW 1.08)
All staff hold REAL ID-compliant licences (invented). Vetting at the Pass and ID Office happens after award, but a refused worker would leave a two-person crew short, so a trained reserve is named in the technical proposal.
- Risk
Past experience: three similar contracts in five years (Section M Factor A)
Three contracts of similar scope exist (invented), but each must be documented against items (a) to (i). One missing field makes the offer non-responsive. Similar size matters too: the building is 5,100 sq ft, so small sites are a fit, not a weakness.
- Risk
Past performance: three third-party surveys (Section M Factor B)
References must send Attachment J-3 to the Contracting Officer themselves before 3:00 PM ET on 20 October. Surveys sent by the bidder are not accepted. This depends on three busy people doing something for you on time.
- Pass
Deadline
Five and a half weeks. Site visit RSVP by 22 September, questions by 2 October. Enough time if the reference chase starts this week.
Step 3 · The honest call
Recommendation: bid with conditions
- It is LPTA: the lowest-priced responsive offer is checked first and, if acceptable, no other offer is read. Price must be sharp and the file must be complete, in that order.
- Conditions: the three references confirm in writing by 25 September that they will send Attachment J-3 directly to the Contracting Officer; the broker confirms a certificate that meets AMS 3.4.1-10; the firm attends the 29 September site visit.
- The building is small and close to the firm's base. A two-person crew with a working supervisor fits the before-3:00 PM window in the SOW.
- The base period is nine months, not twelve. Price it as nine, and price all four options; missing option pricing makes the offer non-responsive.
- Wage determination 2015-4045 Rev 37 sets the floor for labour cost. Build the price up from it rather than from last year's commercial rates.
Step 4 · The matrix
Every requirement, where it is answered, how it is scored
Instructions tell you how to submit. Evaluation criteria tell you how you are scored. The matrix holds both together.
Requirement and compliance matrix · Solicitation 697DCK-27-R-00004 (SAM.gov notice ID acaccd4ddab1488fbc52b51511cc447f; requisition ES-26-01356; Combined Synopsis/Solicitation)
SA18 (offer form)
Pass/failSigned Solicitation, Offer and Award form, including all amendments.
- Where we answer it
- Signed form at the front; amendments checked on SAM.gov on the morning of submission
- How it is scored
- Non-responsive if missing
- Status
- Can meet
SA18; Sections B–K; 3.6.3-3
Pass/failCompleted Sections B through K, including Hazardous Material Identification; these are AMS clauses, not FAR.
- Where we answer it
- Sections B–K completed inside the solicitation document
- How it is scored
- Non-responsive if missing; a SAM.gov FAR clause report does not satisfy it
- Status
- Can meet
Section B
Pass/failMonthly and annual prices for the base period (1 January to 30 September 2027) and four option years, plus a grand total.
- Where we answer it
- Section B schedule
- How it is scored
- Lowest-priced responsive offer evaluated first (SA56); price checked for fairness and reasonableness under AMS 3.2.3; options evaluated (3.2.4-31)
- Status
- Can meet
SA18 (price breakdown)
Pass/failPrice breakdown supporting the Section B totals and showing proposed direct labor hours.
- Where we answer it
- Price volume: hours by task frequency at the wage determination rate
- How it is scored
- Non-responsive if missing; supports the reasonableness check
- Status
- Can meet
SA18 (technical proposal)
Pass/failTechnical proposal showing how all SOW services will be performed and identifying key personnel.
- Where we answer it
- Technical volume: staffing, schedule, daily checklist, periodic calendar
- How it is scored
- Required for responsiveness; Section M rates only past experience and past performance
- Status
- Can meet
SA18; AMS 3.4.1-10
Pass/failCertificate of liability insurance for work on a Government installation.
- Where we answer it
- Insurance certificate from the broker
- How it is scored
- Non-responsive if missing
- Status
- Risk
Section M Factor A
Pass/failAt least three similar contracts within five years, each documented against items (a) to (i); subcontractor experience counts only with a signed commitment letter and written authorisation.
- Where we answer it
- Past experience section: three contract sheets
- How it is scored
- Acceptable or Unacceptable; missing information makes the offer non-responsive
- Status
- Risk
Section M Factor B; J-3
Pass/failAt least three third-party Customer Satisfaction Surveys received directly by the CO before the deadline, averaging Good or higher.
- Where we answer it
- References send J-3 themselves; tracker in the bid file
- How it is scored
- Acceptable or Unacceptable; surveys sent by the offeror are not accepted; a negative review may make the offer unacceptable
- Status
- Risk
J-2
Pass/failCompleted Contractor Staffing Access Questionnaire.
- Where we answer it
- Attachment J-2, completed for each named worker
- How it is scored
- Required by SA18
- Status
- Can meet
SOW 1.08
InfoBase access vetting at the Pass and ID Office with REAL ID-compliant identification or the listed alternatives.
- Where we answer it
- Technical volume: staffing section
- How it is scored
- Not scored; a post-award condition that decides who can work
- Status
- Can meet
J-4; 3.6.2-30
InfoService Contract Labor Standards; wage determination 2015-4045 Rev 37.
- Where we answer it
- Price build-up
- How it is scored
- Not scored; sets the labour cost floor
- Status
- Can meet
3.6.1-17; 3.6.1-7; 3.3.1-33
Pass/failSmall business under NAICS 561720 ($22M); Limitations on Subcontracting; SAM.gov registration by the offer due date.
- Where we answer it
- Section K representations; SAM.gov record
- How it is scored
- Eligibility for award
- Status
- Can meet
SA29; SA30
InfoQuestions by 2 October 2026, 15:00 ET; optional site visit 29 September at 08:30 ET, RSVP by 22 September, two attendees at most.
- Where we answer it
- Bid calendar
- How it is scored
- Not scored
- Status
- Can meet
| Ref | Requirement | Type | Where we answer it | How it is scored | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA18 (cover letter) | Cover letter stating no exceptions, or detailing each exception taken. | Pass/fail | Cover letter, page 1 of the offer | Any missing SA18 item makes the entire offer non-responsive | Can meet |
| SA18 (offer form) | Signed Solicitation, Offer and Award form, including all amendments. | Pass/fail | Signed form at the front; amendments checked on SAM.gov on the morning of submission | Non-responsive if missing | Can meet |
| SA18; Sections B–K; 3.6.3-3 | Completed Sections B through K, including Hazardous Material Identification; these are AMS clauses, not FAR. | Pass/fail | Sections B–K completed inside the solicitation document | Non-responsive if missing; a SAM.gov FAR clause report does not satisfy it | Can meet |
| Section B | Monthly and annual prices for the base period (1 January to 30 September 2027) and four option years, plus a grand total. | Pass/fail | Section B schedule | Lowest-priced responsive offer evaluated first (SA56); price checked for fairness and reasonableness under AMS 3.2.3; options evaluated (3.2.4-31) | Can meet |
| SA18 (price breakdown) | Price breakdown supporting the Section B totals and showing proposed direct labor hours. | Pass/fail | Price volume: hours by task frequency at the wage determination rate | Non-responsive if missing; supports the reasonableness check | Can meet |
| SA18 (technical proposal) | Technical proposal showing how all SOW services will be performed and identifying key personnel. | Pass/fail | Technical volume: staffing, schedule, daily checklist, periodic calendar | Required for responsiveness; Section M rates only past experience and past performance | Can meet |
| SA18; AMS 3.4.1-10 | Certificate of liability insurance for work on a Government installation. | Pass/fail | Insurance certificate from the broker | Non-responsive if missing | Risk |
| Section M Factor A | At least three similar contracts within five years, each documented against items (a) to (i); subcontractor experience counts only with a signed commitment letter and written authorisation. | Pass/fail | Past experience section: three contract sheets | Acceptable or Unacceptable; missing information makes the offer non-responsive | Risk |
| Section M Factor B; J-3 | At least three third-party Customer Satisfaction Surveys received directly by the CO before the deadline, averaging Good or higher. | Pass/fail | References send J-3 themselves; tracker in the bid file | Acceptable or Unacceptable; surveys sent by the offeror are not accepted; a negative review may make the offer unacceptable | Risk |
| J-2 | Completed Contractor Staffing Access Questionnaire. | Pass/fail | Attachment J-2, completed for each named worker | Required by SA18 | Can meet |
| SOW 1.08 | Base access vetting at the Pass and ID Office with REAL ID-compliant identification or the listed alternatives. | Info | Technical volume: staffing section | Not scored; a post-award condition that decides who can work | Can meet |
| J-4; 3.6.2-30 | Service Contract Labor Standards; wage determination 2015-4045 Rev 37. | Info | Price build-up | Not scored; sets the labour cost floor | Can meet |
| 3.6.1-17; 3.6.1-7; 3.3.1-33 | Small business under NAICS 561720 ($22M); Limitations on Subcontracting; SAM.gov registration by the offer due date. | Pass/fail | Section K representations; SAM.gov record | Eligibility for award | Can meet |
| SA29; SA30 | Questions by 2 October 2026, 15:00 ET; optional site visit 29 September at 08:30 ET, RSVP by 22 September, two attendees at most. | Info | Bid calendar | Not scored | Can meet |
Step 5 · Response excerpt (fictional bidder)
Technical proposal: how the SOW services will be performed (excerpt)
Building 130 is 5,100 sq ft, about 2,258 sq ft of carpet and 2,643 sq ft of tile. We would staff it with one working supervisor and one cleaner, Monday to Friday. SOW 2.01 and 2.02.G require work to start before 3:00 PM Monday to Thursday and before 12:00 PM on Friday; our crew would start at 1:00 PM and 10:00 AM respectively and finish the daily list in the same visit. A trained reserve cleaner would be vetted at the Pass and ID Office at the same time as the crew, so a sick day does not become a missed service. No service is planned on the eleven federal holidays in SOW 1.07.
Every visit is recorded on the daily checklist (SOW 1.04.B(2)): one sheet per day listing the SOW 2.02.A tasks by room, signed by the worker who did them and countersigned by the supervisor. The month's sheets are attached to the invoice, which is what the SOW says the COR uses to approve payment. Any deficiency the COR raises on a daily inspection is corrected the same day at no cost (SOW 1.06); the supervisor's mobile number goes to the COR at the start of the contract and the reserve cleaner is the second call.
Periodic tasks run to a twelve-month calendar handed to the COR in the first week of performance: weekly damp-mop and buff of the tile and washing of the glass door entries; monthly spot-scrub and spray-wax, lavatory doors and partitions, and the stairwell; quarterly high dusting and inside-and-out washing of the 18 large and 3 small windows with their shades; semi-annual strip and rewax, light fixtures and receptacles, and shampoo of all carpet; annual cleaning of interior walls (SOW 2.02.B to F). Strip and rewax and carpet shampoo are booked for Fridays after the daily service, using the low-speed machine and extractor we own.
We supply the paper towels, liquid soap, two-ply toilet tissue and liners (SOW 1.02) and keep a two-week stock in the janitor closet with the SDS binder. Equipment stays on site only with the COR's agreement; otherwise it travels on the van. The certificate of liability insurance under AMS 3.4.1-10, the completed J-2 Staffing Access Questionnaire and the price breakdown showing direct labor hours per period are in the offer as SA18 requires.
Relevant experience excerpt (fictional facts)
Past experience: three contracts of similar scope (excerpt, invented facts)
Fairlead Custodial Services LLC has cleaned a 6,000 sq ft town library five nights a week since 2021 (about $42,000 a year), a 4,500 sq ft credit-union branch since 2022 (about $30,000 a year) and an 8,000 sq ft medical office suite since 2023 (about $45,000 a year). Each is a fixed monthly price covering daily service, periodic floor care and consumables, and each has been renewed at least once. None of the work is subcontracted.
For each contract the past experience section gives the items Section M lists at (a) to (i): title and contract number, client contact name, phone and email, annual value, the full task list and frequencies, percentage subcontracted (zero), start and current end dates, and a statement that there have been no disputes, claims or schedule failures. Each of the three clients has agreed to complete Attachment J-3 and send it to the Contracting Officer directly; we have asked them to copy us so we know it has gone.
We have not held a federal contract before. The solicitation as read does not require one, but it does require the documentation to be complete and the surveys to arrive before 3:00 PM ET on 20 October. That is the part of this offer we would manage most closely.
What to take from this
If this were your notice
- Section L (here the SA18 provision) is a checklist. One missing item makes the whole offer non-responsive before anyone reads the price.
- Under LPTA the cheapest acceptable offer wins. Spend the writing effort on completeness, not persuasion.
- Third-party surveys are the risk you cannot control. Start the reference chase on day one and ask each reference to copy you when they send it.
- The FAA uses AMS clauses, not FAR. Do not paste a SAM.gov FAR clause report and call Section K done.
- Price from the wage determination up and cover every option year. A shortened base period changes the monthly-to-annual arithmetic.
- A 5,100 sq ft building rewards a tidy plan: who is on site, when, and how the daily checklist reaches the invoice.
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