Award Watch: Near-term DOD and Civilian Buys—Refrigeration maintenance, grounds, mobility comms, equipment relocation, and A‑E surveying

Executive takeaway

Several opportunities posted on 2026-01-23 (and 2026-01-22) are moving quickly—some with under a week to respond. Two themes stand out: (1) operational base support (refrigeration maintenance, grounds) and (2) mission-enablement buys tied to OCONUS activity (Korea exercise communications, Japan equipment relocation). If you can mobilize fast, confirm requirements in the attachments, and show credible past performance, these are worth near-term capture attention.

What the buyer is trying to do

Walk-in Refrigerator Maintenance (RFQ)

The Air Force is buying commercial walk-in refrigerator maintenance via a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation. This notice is the only solicitation, and the buyer directs vendors to the attached documents for details. A site visit is available upon request.

FY26 Comprehensive Grounds Maintenance Services

The Air Force posted a grounds maintenance requirement for FY26. The public notice snippet does not include a description, so scope, performance locations, and frequencies need to be confirmed in the full posting/attachments.

WiFi pucks and cellphones for Korea Marine Exercise Program 2026 (Pohang, Republic of Korea)

The Army is seeking delivery of WiFi pucks and cell phones (and SIM cards noted for one unit) to multiple drop-off locations in Korea to support several units with defined date ranges. This is a logistics-heavy, schedule-driven requirement with multiple delivery points.

Misawa Air Base Kardex Relocation

The Air Force needs a vendor to relocate ten Kardex Remstar Megamat RS350 vertical carousel systems within the same building (about 100 meters). The notice emphasizes quality and requires evidence of coordination/commitment from a Certified Kardex Manufacturer Installer.

Water Treatment Facility (synopsis)

USDA Forest Service posted a synopsis for a water treatment facility associated with The Monument Fire Center on the Pikes Peak Ranger District near Monument, Colorado. The snippet is limited; verify the complete synopsis/solicitation for scope.

Industry Day: USACE Caribbean District A‑E IDIQ for surveying/mapping

USACE Caribbean District is market-researching an anticipated A‑E IDIQ for topographic and hydrographic surveying and mapping services supporting civil works projects across Puerto Rico and the Antilles. The draft scope includes topographic, boundary, geodetic control, construction, and inland hydrographic surveying. This notice is for acquisition strategy planning and registration for an industry day (not an award action).

What work is implied (bullets)

• Walk-in Refrigerator Maintenance: Provide commercial maintenance services for walk-in refrigeration equipment; confirm tasks, frequency, response times, and any on-call requirements in attachments; optionally participate in a requested site visit.
• Grounds Maintenance: Perform comprehensive grounds maintenance services for FY26; verify detailed scope (mowing, trimming, debris, etc. if applicable) in attachments since the public description is unavailable.
• Korea exercise mobility comms: Furnish and deliver specified quantities of WiFi pucks and cell phones (and SIM cards for one line item) to multiple Korea drop points aligned to unit date windows (Feb–May 2026 ranges shown).
• Kardex relocation (Misawa AB, Japan): Relocate ten Megamat RS350 vertical carousel systems within building 1334; coordinate with (or subcontract) a Certified Kardex Manufacturer Installer and document their commitment.
• Water treatment facility: Construction-related work at/for The Monument Fire Center near Monument, Colorado; confirm scope and deliverables in the full notice/attachments.
• USACE A‑E surveying/mapping IDIQ (industry day): Prepare capability input/attendance for surveying and mapping services (topographic, boundary, geodetic control, construction, inland hydrographic) supporting planning through O&M.

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Bid if you can execute refrigeration maintenance under NAICS 811310 and can turn a quote quickly based on the attached RFQ details.
• Bid if you are a grounds maintenance firm under NAICS 561730 and can meet the set-aside condition shown (verify applicability/eligibility in the solicitation).
• Bid if you can supply WiFi hotspots (pucks), mobile phones, and related logistics to multiple OCONUS delivery points with tight coordination.
• Bid if you can provide a certified manufacturer installer commitment (or have that relationship already) for the Kardex relocation in Japan.
• Pass if you cannot support OCONUS delivery/coordination (Korea/Japan) within the required windows.
• Pass if you cannot access or comply with requirements that are only defined in attachments (several notices explicitly depend on attachment content).
• Pass on the USACE item if you are looking for an immediate award—this is an industry day / market research notice, not a solicitation for award.

Response package checklist

• Walk-in Refrigerator Maintenance (FA527026QB009): Complete RFQ response per the notice and attachments (verify in attachments).
• Site visit (if needed): Request and document outcomes/assumptions; ensure your quote aligns with observed conditions (verify process in attachments).
• Grounds Maintenance (FA524026R0001): Proposal contents, eligibility documentation for the noted set-aside, and technical approach (verify in attachments since description is unavailable).
• Korea WiFi pucks/cellphones (W90VN9-26-Q-A000): Quote that clearly maps quantities to each delivery location and period; confirm any activation/SIM expectations in attachments if present.
• Kardex Relocation (FA520526Q0002): Letter/coordination evidence with a Certified Kardex Manufacturer Installer committing support; responses to Q&A submitted in the required format if you have questions (verify template details in notice).
• Water Treatment Facility (1149739): Confirm required forms, bonding/insurance, and technical submittals (verify in attachments).
• USACE Industry Day (A‑E IDIQ concept): Capability statement tailored to surveying/mapping scope and geographic coverage; confirm registration requirements stated in the notice.

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

• Start with scope certainty: For the refrigeration, grounds, Kardex relocation, and water treatment synopsis, pricing hinges on what’s in the attachments (service frequency, performance standards, acceptance criteria). Don’t price blind—extract line-by-line requirements first.
• Benchmark to like-for-like history: Search historical awards and solicitations by NAICS/PSC (e.g., 811310/4130 for refrigeration; 561730/S208 for grounds; N036 for equipment maintenance/relocation context) and by installation/location where possible.
• OCONUS logistics realism (Korea/Japan): For the WiFi pucks/cellphones and Kardex relocation, build pricing around delivery complexity: multiple drop points, date windows, and any coordination overhead. Validate what “delivery” means (handoff location, receiving windows, packaging, configuration) in attachments.
• Quality emphasis: The Kardex relocation explicitly calls out quality of performance; consider allocating cost for certified installer involvement, supervision, and documented procedures consistent with the SOO (verify in attachments).
• IDIQ positioning (USACE A‑E): Since the USACE item is pre-solicitation, focus on shaping: present competitive differentiators (equipment, survey methods, hydrographic capability) and realistic staffing for Puerto Rico/Antilles coverage.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Kardex relocation: Prime with rigging/moving capability and subcontract (or formalize support) with a Certified Kardex Manufacturer Installer as required.
• Korea comms delivery: Team with an in-country logistics partner for deliveries to Camp Mujuk, Warrior Base/Story Live Fire Complex, Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, and Kunsan AB gate locations (ensure your approach matches any solicitation constraints—verify in attachments).
• Grounds maintenance: If the performance area is broad, consider local subs for specialized tasks (e.g., seasonal surge) while keeping a single accountable program lead (verify permissibility in the solicitation).
• USACE surveying/mapping: Pair a prime A‑E surveying firm with a specialist hydrographic partner if inland hydrographic work is a stretch capability.

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Attachment-dependent requirements: Multiple notices either have no public description or instruct “see attached documents.” Missing a clause, performance standard, or deliverable is an avoidable loss.
• Compressed timelines: Some close dates are within days; plan internal reviews and supplier confirmations immediately.
• Kardex installer commitment: Misawa relocation requires documentation of certified installer support—treat this as a gating item.
• OCONUS coordination: Korea delivery points and Japan on-base work can introduce access, delivery scheduling, and coordination complexity; verify access and receiving requirements in attachments.
• Q&A process controls: The Misawa notice specifies a structured question format (Excel with document/page/paragraph references). Noncompliance can delay clarifications you need to price correctly.
• Industry day is not a bid: The USACE item is market research; avoid spending proposal-level effort until the solicitation is released.

Related opportunities

• Walk-in Refrigerator Maintenance
• FY26 Comprehensive Grounds Maintenance Services
• WIFI PUCKS AND CELLPHONES FOR KOREA MARINE EXERCISE PROGRAM 2026 (Pohang, Republic of Korea)
• Misawa Air Base Kardex Relocation
• Water Treatment Facility
• Industry Day: USACE Caribbean District A‑E IDIQ (Surveying/Mapping)
• Read-Out Support Equipment (ROSE)
• 59--JUNCTION BOX ASSEMB

How to act on this

1. Open each posting and pull every attachment; build a one-page compliance matrix for each opportunity.
2. Confirm your go/no-go based on schedule feasibility (especially OCONUS logistics) and any gating requirements (e.g., certified installer commitment).
3. Draft your quote/proposal around the buyer’s evaluation reality: mapped line items, clear delivery plan, and verifiable past performance.
4. If you want a second set of eyes on compliance and bid strategy, engage Federal Bid Partners LLC to help you validate requirements and tighten your response.