Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT for market research purposes for information only to be used for preliminary planning purposes. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM T... This is a SOURCES SOUGHT for market research purposes for information only to be used for preliminary planning purposes. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS SYNOPSIS. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this synopsis or any follow up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Fort Worth District, in conjunction with the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, is considering an acquisition for the design and construction of a 9,600 square foot, 24 Cell Secure Housing Unit (SHU) located at the Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC) Facility in Los Fresnos, TX. The design and construction of the SHU will include necessary supporting features and utilities for mission support. The anticipated project will be a competitive, firm-fixed priced (FFP), two-phase design-build (D-B) contract in accordance with FAR 15, Negotiated Procurement using the “Best Value” trade-off process approach. The purpose of this synopsis is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of all members of industry, to include both Small and Large Business Communities. Small Businesses include the 8(a) Program, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). All are highly encouraged to respond to ensure there is adequate competition. Project Scope: The existing detention facility was condemned after an inspection. This requirement will require demolition and debris removal of the current condemned facility in addition to design and construction of the new facility. Phase one will require design development of a 9,600 square foot, 24 Cell SHU using the existing real estate footprint. The design will require compliance with all federal, national, state, local/city/town design standards, regulations, codes, ordinances, and laws. No other real estate actions are necessary to acquire proper construction rights of way and access to the site. Phase two will require the construction performance of a 9,600 square foot, 24 Cell SHU that will comply with all federal, national, state, local/city/town construction standards, laws, regulations, codes, and ordinances, and must also comply with the USACE Safety and Health Requirements Manual, (EM 385- 1-1). All utilities are located near the construction project sight. Field investigation and data collection work to design and construct the project including geotechnical efforts, topographical and real estate surveys will be done during the construction phase. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.204, the magnitude of construction for this requirement is between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000. The estimated duration of the project, to include design and construction, will be one (1) year after a contract is awarded. The Contractor will facilitate design and construction services/performance under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 236220, Commercial & Institutional Building Construction, which has a small business size standard of $45 million in average annual receipts, and the Product and Service Code (PSC) Y1FF, Construction of Penal Facilities. Small Businesses are reminded under FAR 52.219-14, the Limitations on Subcontracting. For general construction, a firm will not pay more than 85 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance, excluding the cost of materials, to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the prime contractor's 85 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. For construction by special trade contractors, a firm will not pay more than 75 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance, excluding the cost of materials, to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the prime contractor's 75 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Should this action be solicited as Full and Open Competition, a Small Business Participation Proposal will be identified as an evaluation factor in the solicitation. Large Business(es) must comply with FAR 52.219-9 by submitting an acceptable Small Business Subcontracting Plan to be eligible for award. The anticipated solicitation issuance date is in or about June 2024, and the estimated proposal due date will be in or about September 2024. The official Synopsis citing the solicitation number will be issued via SAM.GOV website at https://sam.gov and inviting firms to register electronically to receive a copy of the solicitation when it is issued. Firms responding to this Sources Sought shall provide answers the 12 questions below. If an answer is Not Applicable, type in the letters N/A. 1. Firm's name, address, point of contact, phone number, E-MAIL address, UEI and CAGE Code Number. 2. Firm's interest in proposing on the solicitation. For small businesses, please provide a narrative on your commitment to proposing on this acquisition as a prime contractor. 3. Firm's Business Size - LB, SB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB. 4. Firm's Joint Ventures (existing), including Mentor Protege and teaming arrangement information, if applicable. 5. Firm's Bonding Capability (construction bonding level per contract, expressed in dollars). Payment and Performance Bonds will be required for this project. 6. Company’s experience with two-phase design-build type contracts. 7. Company’s experience with projects that have a similar scope as described above by providing a brief description of the projects including customer names and phone numbers, contract numbers (if applicable), and dollar values of the projects. 8. Company's capability to perform a contract that has a similar magnitude and complexity by providing a brief description of at least three projects including customer names and phone numbers, contract numbers (if applicable) and dollar values of the projects. 9. The Port Isabel area has very limited/minimal qualified construction trade/business workforce. What concerns would your company have in obtaining, sustaining, and retaining qualified subcontractors/trades for the life of the construction project contract? 10. Describe your approach for establishing and maintaining a qualified subcontractor pool. Describe your plan and approach, any concerns with subcontractors, whether they made be trades you bring in from outside the local area, state, etc. Do not exceed three pages for your response to this question. 11. Describe your plan and approach for addressing and monitoring potential poor quality subcontractor performance. 12. Please provide any other details that may assist the Government in determining how this project should be set aside or any information that may affect the contractor pool for a project at this location. This announcement and all information will be issued via the Government Point of Entry, Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) and Offerors must be active in System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for award of Government contracts, including documenting Sec. 889 Compliance in SAM that include FAR 52.204-24 and FAR 52.204-25. Contracting will verify the 889(a) and (b) compliance – per FAR 52.204-26. Proposals cannot be submitted via PIEE (or accepted by alternate means) until the SAM registration is complete. NIST GUIDANCE: Please NOTE this solicitation will require offerors to enter a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) score in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) prior to award of this solicitation. SPRS is the Department of Defense, single, authorized application to retrieve supplier performance information. SPRS is a web-enabled enterprise application that gathers, processes, and displays data about the performance of suppliers and must be completed prior to an award in accordance with DFARS 204.7303(b)(1)), DFARS 204.7304(e), DFARS 252.204-7020) and (DoDI 5000.79). This requirement became effective 23 March 2023. Interested Firm's shall respond to this Sources Sought no later than 2:00 P.M. (Central Daylight Savings Time), 23 February 2024. Email your response to Contract Specialist, Sherri Reese at EMAIL sherri.l.reese@usace.army.mil with a courtesy copy to the Contracting Officer, Nicholas Johnston at EMAIL Nicholas.I.Johnston@usace.army.mil. EMAIL is the ONLY METHOD to submit your answers to this sources sought